Happy New Year's Adam.....

Ok, I have to admit I borrowed the title from a friend with a great sense of humor. You know, Adam came before Eve....ha!

I am gearing up for a new year. A friend wrote that most new year's resolutions fail because we make them when we are inebriated! How true is that? He has also said that if you can visualize what you want you can achieve it. Now you might wonder why I would be so interested in what a high school classmate has to say? He has lost over 150 lbs this year. My recollection is in the whole year he has only had 2 weeks that he did not post a loss.

Chris has done it by being consistent. He admits he eats the same thing everyday for breakfast, lunch and snack. He also limits the number of calories so that he can enjoy a nice dinner if the mood strikes. In my case, I am trying to eat 6 times per day, each meal being about 225 calories. Some are higher and some are lower but all contain protein in each. No carb loading!!

Chris also exercises 2 hours at the gym 3 days per week. I split my exercise up a bit differently. I love my jazzercise.....and that is 3 early mornings, 1 evening and 1 weekend day. The other days I walk with the dog, weather permitting walking at lunch. Now I plan to incorporate some yoga. Stretching and breathing are so important and I want to feel the benefit.

Lastly Chris is visualizing his progress. When he started he was not sure how it would all go but he knew he needed to lose weight. He was not exercising, he was in a job search and has a great family.....wanting to be more active with them.

I dream myself thin, when I look in the mirror I see a nice looking person. I wonder where she goes sometimes when I look at pictures. I love to cook and am working on doing it in a healthy manner. I love how it feels when I sweat and have a great workout. The difference between Chris and I is the consistency. I am good with the exercise....not so good with the food and portion control. I want this. I want this. I want this really bad. It is not to be phenomenal looking (bonus when it happens) but to be healthy and feel great.

I am sober, I am awake, and I am sure of this. 2012 will be a year of even more success for me. I want my joints to feel better, my overall health will be improved and I will be one hot mama.......so look out world!

New Year......New and improved me!

Ok, so maybe it is not the new year yet, but I have decided that the holiday food fest is over for me!

I really do not want to use the holidays as a reason to put on the feed bag and nosh to my stomach's content. Stomach does not always talk to brain and if they are not working together there can be serious consequences!


Prior to the holidays I was eating much cleaner and was very aware of avoiding processed foods and wheat products. I had much more energy, my joints felt better, and I was thinking clear and not in a fog. My tummy liked me......liked me a lot! I had eliminated much of the discomfort I had previously. So what could possibly tempt me into going back to the 'other side'? The promise of comfort and something special. Aren't most of the holiday memories about delicious food; the preparation, sharing, and eating. C'mon, Italians celebrating Christmas eve with the feast of the 7 fishes!! In my family feast now, I was lucky to get 4 different fish dishes.....I have 2 non fish eaters, 1 vegetarian, 1 carnivore, and some friends who really have no preference......they just come for the party!

On top of all of that, I have had one ailment after another from tummy issues to sinus infection and other things in between. My workouts have been seriously interrupted. NOT ANYMORE! Tomorrow I will be back to Jazzercise and walking the dog after work. I am not letting darkness hamper our fun time......a flashlight is my friend.

This being said, it is a new beginning...let the good times roll!!

Feeling success on Friday........

Here in the office we have 'Bagel Friday'. It started a few years ago when I would stop by Panera and get 2-3 dozen bagels for the office. Of course I was sharing but made sure to get my Asiago cheese bagel. **sigh** The scent of the bagel toasting in the toaster oven......the glistening of the butter melting. How I miss those mornings.



glitter-graphics.com

I act like I have not had one in forever. Maybe it has been weeks.......I know it has been at least 2 weeks without the savory feeling of the cheese and butter swirling around teasing my taste buds.

I came back from San Antonio with the resolve to eliminate sugar and white flour from my diet. I wanted to see how my joints reacted to it and how my weight loss might respond to it. I think my joints are less achy. I have much less acid reflux. Between these subtle changes and the fact that I am counting calories instead of counting points the scale has really been on my side!

So, this morning I brought in hard boiled eggs, a slice of cheese and an apple. That was my delicious breakfast. I looked longingly at the golden hues of cheese melted on the bagel. I stopped for a moment. There was one already toasting in the oven.......I took one deep breath and that is what I savor today. There may come a day soon that I will be able to be satisfied with 1/2 of a bagel, but for now I revel in the feeling that I did not succumb to the White Flour devil along with his friend Count Calorie!!

Changes, challenges, and perfection

It has been some time since I have put thought to computer. Lots of things have been going on and some changes need to be made. I have been struggling with my lack of success at weight watchers. Not their fault and I am not so sure mine either BASED ON THEIR CALCULATIONS. In talking to someone it was suggested that I check out a dietician and an exercise physiologist at a local spot. They specialize in helping people with medical weight loss. No pills, no cutting........just lets look at the calories in vs calories out. Seems reasonable to me.

So off I went to a 3 hour (OMG!) appointment and learned the following. FOR ME (a basic disclaimer) it seemed like I was getting too much food intake in calories. When you look at the current WW plan fruits and vegetables are free. Now what in life is really free??!! I was loading up on those bad boys. My overall cooking and food choices were not bad......poor portion control seemed to be my problem. Whooda thunk that a bag of broccoli would be my downfall!

From there I spoke to an exercise physiologist, Joey. He is adorable...not the 'ooh I am hot for him' but more the 'he is going to work my tush off (literally!) but he is also Italian.......what is not to like?! I have my first assessment with him this coming weekend. I better be ready to rock!! I am looking forward to see what he has to say. I have a regular exercise routine but there is always room for improvement.

Lastly I spoke to the doctor. He was impressed that I did not have a weight goal in mind. I don't know what feels good. Does that make sense? This journey is about feeling good, looking better, but overall being healthy. I go back in a couple of weeks for my first review of what I have been doing.

The first few days did not seem to be too much of a challenge, but it was close to the weekend and I was in my safe place, home. Counting calories IS a challenge. Compared to what I had been doing this is an amazing eye opener. The same food I was eating on my old plan is SO MUCH MORE than I needed. I feel good. I have only had 1 day that I felt I needed more but it is also the same day I have 2 workouts. I was asking for more food (may I have more, sir? Can you just hear Oliver Twist's plea for more gruel??) The answer was a quick no. I need to balance out the levels of protein and be happy. Ok, it was not said in a cruel manner at all. It was more like 'this is new. Take it for what it is worth and maybe we can make an adjustment later but right now the plan is the plan."

Lastly, I am learning every day that it is ok not to be perfect. You wondered about that too?? I was raised to be perfect all the time. I am the oldest and am setting examples for everyone. Wow, the pressure! I am freakin' setting examples for the whole world!! Here is the example I want to set.......it is ok NOT to be perfect. Just always put forth your best effort and that is all anyone SHOULD ask of you. That being said, I am moving forward. Doing the best I can. It is nowhere near being perfect and I am ok with that.

So the new and NOT perfect but improved girl moves forward with much success in my future. I can just feel it in my bones!

Bend and Stretch, reach for the stars..........

There goes Jupiter, here comes Mars
Bend and stretch, reach for the sky
Stand on tippy toes up so high~


How many of us grew up with Romper Room? How about Jack LaLanne? I know I did. Who knew with our parents throwing us outside to play was part of being healthy? We thought we were outsmarting them by heading over to our friends house on our bikes! We were running, playing and dragging our feet when we were called in to eat or bedtime! How many of us now need to be cajoled into movement?




Now I spend time stretching virtually every day. I had a knee scope a few years ago and that leg (hip flexor, quad, hamstring, and calf) are extremely tight. My first inclination is to blame the doctor. he refused to order physical therapy after surgery. He wanted me to schedule a total knee replacement. I said I was working hard at losing the weight (still am) and his response was 'you will be a thin person needing a total knee replacement'. That hurt....both physically and mentally. He had done his job so well cutting out or repairing the miniscus that he saw some cartilidge that was jagged. He smoothed it out and in the process left me spots with bone on bone. Thank you Dr. Poopyhead! He told me I would never do aerobics again (wrong) and that my only exercise should be swimming or stationary bike. BOO.



Being the thick headed Italian I am, I knew I was going to show him he was wrong. In 5 weeks I was back to low impact, low intensity jazzercise. I tried the stationary bike and it was painful so I moved on to swimming except the chlorine level at the YMCA made me cry! Over that summer when my pool opened I used it. I did kicks and other things that felt ok. I still do the jazzercise (low impact, HIGH intensity). I walk every day.......I did the Susan G Komen 3 day breast cancer walk. I keep moving.



Let me start by saying I have never been an active stretcher. I am a 'forced for less pain' kind of stretcher!

I move a lot.....I stretch a little. Since having more pain in my feet and legs in general I started seeing a massage therapist. He has cajoled, encouraged, and made me 'show him' (is he from Missouri or something?!) the different stretches he has had me do. I am learning more and more every day that stretching is important. And you know what?? It feels good too!

Life is not just about forward movement. Life is a well rounded event we participate in. This includes stretching. There are many great websites that show various moves. Sparkpeople.com has one section in the exercise area shows you how to stretch. If you view self.com or health.com they always have a featured stretch of the month. We are a society that can google 'how to do xxxx stretch'.

In the end, it improves our quality of life just as much (and maybe more) than regular movement. Both need to be a part of our everyday life. So today and many days in the future, I might just start my day with romper room memories of stretching and bending, reaching for the stars!

Ease on, ease on down the road.......

I am of an age that I remember the FUNKY remake of the Wizard of Oz with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson........The WIZ. It was dancy and fun. Can you hear the music in the background?

Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road

I have been easing down the road a lot lately. After work I faithfully take the dog for a walk. She loves wandering through the neighborhood checking out the other dogs and anyone who might be giving out treats. My treat is spending time with my pooch in the cool weather....until I get home. Then MY treat is ice cold water and a piece of fruit. I actually look forward to it...seriously!

I wrote earlier about making changes. I started that today. No time like the present. I got up and went to the gym. Really!! I was afraid to go back......like there was a boogey man that was going to bite me for being away for so long. With my head held high, I sauntered down the stairs, handed over my ID card for swiping, hung up my hoodie and went to the first elliptical machine open. With a racing heart and sweaty palms I assumed the position and started gliding. It felt hard. I did not pick a program for it to put me through paces. I was giving myself a day or two to get back in the swing. I got up to 3000+ strides in 18 minutes. The sweat was streaming down my back and it felt good. I was gliding backwards and forwards. I was holding on part of the time and using a natural swing other times kicking in my core for balance.

Once I felt like I had enough I headed to the bikes. I was a bit more trepidous about picking one of those. Do I sit up high? Low? How do I make it work? They were all new pieces of equipment!


Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road

I did find one that looked familiar. The quick start button was not cooperating so I kept peddaling anyway. The biggest reason for this session was to start my knee working in a manner that will allow me to ride the new beautiful bike I got. Eventually the machine prompted me for information and away I went. The news was on (muted) and they had some moldy oldie music playing that I was jamming to. Before I knew it 20 minutes had passed.

Pick your left foot up

When your right one's down

Come on legs keep movin'

Don't you lose no ground

You just keep on keepin'

On the road you choose

Don't you give up walkin'

'cause you gave up shoes

It felt good when it was over. I had more than 5000 steps on my pedometer. I had a bounce in my step and I was smiling. It was hard work but not giving up was sweeter. Here is to day 1 at the gym and the start of many more fun and productive days~

Change is in the air......

I can feel fall....... the leaves are changing, falling. The air is getting crisp in the morning. The squirrels are gathering nuts all in preparation of the new season.

I think of this and change is scary. Exciting but scary! Not when you see gradual changes like seasons. We know that there will be snow in the winter, crisp air in the fall, blistering heat in the summer and the promise of flowers in the spring. I think of this and want to know how I can do this myself.

I find that if I get a good start on the day nutritionally I am golden. If I slip up, I don't know how to stop the snowballing affect. I seem to make one bad choice after another. I have not delved into why although I have been thinking about it alot. Change is in the air....I need change.

I went to a beautiful wedding a couple of weeks ago. The bride was is a young lady I have known since she was 6 month old. Her mother was one of my dearest friends who passed about 18 months ago. (change) Her father is the most doting man......she could not ask for more. Her husband is a wonderful man. They met the most recent traditional way (internet...more change). She became vegan as she thinks it will make a less carbon footprint for her and all the processing of food these days is not healthy for us.

I want to feel good. Right now I feel blech....almost comotose! Breakfast was a drive thru deal (which I really do avoid) and lunch was a sandwich from Panera. Now on any given day one of these choices can be toxic.....2 is pushing me over the edge. Normally breakfast is oatmeal or a cup of plain greek yogurt with some agave nectar and a sweet, gorgeous piece of locally grown fruit. What am I doing??!

I think of this and want to prepare myself physically and mentally for my trip to San Antonio in a couple of weeks. Most meals will be eaten out unless I hit a grocery store and bring some saving grace food.

I also think about the fact that my insurance will not pay for me to visit with a dietician. I love to cook so how can I do it with gusto, flavor, and success in my health journey?

I have found a dietician to chat with. I will keep my food journal as I always do and be honest about portions and ingredients. I am excited for help and success. I am excited to look for smaller little black dresses (as opposed to big black mumus! Omar the tent maker is my designer....or at least that is how I feel). I have found an exercise specialist who will critique my current activity level and tell me where I can make improvement. And on top of this, I am paying for it all. I guess I better be darned serious......eh?

There is so much to be thankful for. I am moving every day........long walks, aerobics, and the occasional bike ride until my knee understands it will happen with more frequency! I am a somewhat healthy, young (it is a state of mind) woman with lots to offer myself.

As my favoite character Mary Tyler Moore would think......toss my hat in the air, enjoy the day and watch out world~

Simple math and deep thought..

It has been awhile since I last sat down and put thought to computer.....and that frustrates me. If this is a new me and a new journey why do I keep doing the same things looking for a new result? (remember this statement!!) New math is like old math in some respects. 1+1=2; 100-50=50....so on and so forth. Just because the kids today don't use an abacus to figure out their homework does not mean a calculator is better.

Now I can see you (as this was me the last few days) scratching my head wondering why 'all the effort' I am putting forth is not garnering the results I so desperately wish for. How desperate am I? Enough to be honest and really take a long hard look at my process?! I work for an engineering test lab. Testing follows specs....specs have tests and rules to follow...ergo a process. So what has my process been of late?

Well, I do go to my workout (my favorite jazzercise class) on T/TH/FR/SU. If I am really ambitious I might do 2 classes on Tuesday. That is not the norm (for the record). I wear this directlife tool that tells me how much of my daily target I have achieved and I wear a pedometer to track my steps. I journal every BLT, record my steps and earn extra points (life according to weight watchers points plus program) that I can choose to consume or not. Going back to simple math...calories out - calories in = weight loss.

I would swear to you every day this is what I am doing but I have noticed of late that I am checking the pedometer to see if I have gotten to my goal of steps. Do I only need 30 more? Easy peasy......run up and down the stairs. Do I need 2500? Hmmm........walk the dog around the complex just might be enough. Did I make the target? Am I short by just a few? Oh well, that is not a big deal today......I will do better tomorrow. Then tomorrow comes.......more of the same (review above listed statement I asked you to remember).

I have not been as religious about weighing and measuring my food intake. I have not been meeting my personal goal for steps. I have not been to the gym in months. I am so done with the negative.

Today, I choose to fill myself up with positive. I will stay positive and not let negativity creep in to hurt me. Do I have you wondering if these are just words? Well, here is my process.

Step 1. Accept me and all my flaws.

Step 2. Get good food to fuel my body. We reap what we sow......sow junk get junk~

Step 3. Exercise because I want to. I really do, sometimes it is just hard to get started. My incentive will be a sweet (or savory) treat when I am done. It can be as simple as a glass of ice cold chocolate almond milk or as decadent as a small individual bite sized piece of chocolate.

Step 4. Continue to attend ww meetings. The information and support are staggering. So why not use the tools offered to me?

Step 5. Give myself a hug. Remind me that I am worth it. Remind me that I am good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it people like me!!

Step 6. Repeat this each day

I need to remember that the demons are in my mind. They do not surround me. I do not have any one person saying to me 'don't exercise......it is not good for you'. Stop thinking I am not worthy. If I treat others with such grace and compassion, why not do it for me? Charity begins at home and I am number 1. Welcome to my world!

Oh where, oh where has my mojo gone....

This says it all. I have always been and will always be a princess......one of the Italian variety (thank you very much) but being a princess does not mean that we are immune from losing our mojo.

For weeks....even months, I ate well, journaled my food and activity. I exercised almost everyday and added long walks with my sassy girl. I was feeling great. Even through losing my dad in March I still plugged along. It was a tribute to him. I am embarrassed and ashamed to say that my tribute to him is going nowhere fast. I had lost my momentum.....my will to fight the good fight.

First I skipped a meeting, then two......which then allowed me to stop tracking my food. If I was not going to face the scale I had time to get it under control, right? Which lead to me stop my nightly walk with sassy. I used the excuse that all the mulch was making her allergies worse (that part is the truth......but I could have done something else or gone without her). The other day I realized I had missed 6 or 7 meetings, had not tracked a bite and with a bad summer cold I had not exercised much. WHAT THE HECK WAS I DOING?

I took this opportunity to set myself straight. Avoiding the issue was not going to make it better AND IT DID NOT MAKE ME A FAILURE. It is the second part of the statement I could not face. I was failing myself, my promise to my dad, myself.....yes I said me twice. need to do this for me. I am tired of being overweight. I am tired of allowing excuses to rule me. I needed to chat with myself and pick myself up, get dusted off and start all over again.

I opened my iPhone app and started by tracking my food for a couple of days......it was easy! Whooda thunk! I woke up early yesterday and made it to my meeting. I faced the scale and all my ghosts and demons. I could not blame the scale for my lack of work and effort. I hear people say all the time 'the scale was/was not my friend'. The scale is an inanimate object....can't do anything except record my activity. Sort of like a computer....it is only as accurate and good as the operator.

Being freshly dusted off, I successfully journaled every BLT (bite, lick, taste) and even went to a birthday party. It was not hard......saying it is hard is in my head. It is my demons making me afraid. What do I have to be afraid of? Success? Sounds silly, eh?

I am moving forward. I feel like I found my mojo....we are having a chat about how we can continue to work together. I am relaxed right now......letting mojo lead the way. I know what to do and how to do it. Now to stop being afraid of success....

Help.......I've fallen

And can't stop eating! How many times have we felt this way? Part of the weight watcher's program is attending meeting and finding your support network. This week I have been looking for my support in all the wrong places....like the ice cream container, baked potato with butter, pasta bowl.

At home I am OK while I am alone. I am not usually a closet eater. I have gotten over that! Living alone who am I hiding from? Me? I don't think so. At work I have an OK support system. They don't ask when I make a poor choice on Friday when I choose to eat out with them. I try to make good choices but obviously the BEST choice would be to bring my lunch!

I have a couple of girlfriends that I know I can call on anytime to talk me out of the tree but how do we handle the ones that drive us UP the tree??

It has been a long time since I have not journaled, exercised and followed the plan. I mean, generally I do these things without thought. It started last weekend with a sour stomach...just rather queasy. Well, plain vanilla ice cream sat pretty well. I tried to exercise and got more nauseous so I stopped. I had a headache and sour stomach all week........no exercise, only eating some things (most good old fashioned comfort food) and whined. It got easier as the week went on to not be on plan. It may have gotten easier but I feel so sluggish.....and can't seem to string a day together.

I have been preached to my whole life that any thing worth having is worth working for AND who said life is fair?! With those 2 thoughts in my head I need to move forward. Today would have been weigh in day. I slept in and missed the meeting.....but have my blog and my friends to hold me up. This is the start of a new day, new week.......a weaker but new me. The best part is, even though I have fallen and could not get up.....I found my little button to push for help. I asked for help and support. And in the acronym of my best internet friends...NGAMO (and for those like me who could not figure it out.....no guilt and move on).

Memorial Day.......

What does Memorial day mean to you? To me, it is a time to honor all our men and women who have given their lives to provide us the freedoms we enjoy each and every day. I also acknowledge all our active and reserve soldiers.......you are the most awesome people to put your country before yourself and your family. It has to be a difficult choice.......why would I want to be thousands of miles away in a hot, unfriendly country when I could be in my own comfortable bed at night?

My blog is normally about what I do to stay healthy and living a good life. This one is a bit different. It is the first Memorial day I am spending without my dad. He passed away in March after a very long struggle with diabetes, kidney disease and a laundry list of other ailments. The picture of him above, with my Aunt Marie, is the last time I saw him in person. Forever proud of my dad, I am reminded today that he was a vet. He served during the Korean conflict and was a member of the Coast Guards out of RI. No snickering here but protecting the shores of RI? Seriously?

After my dad's passing, I took a long look at my family. I guess I forgot how many members of my family (both maternal and paternal) have served this great country of ours. My godfather also served during the Korean conflict. My maternal grandfather, Alexander Poissant, is resting in the veterans cemetery in RI. I can't even recount the number of tours he did and conflicts he participated in. His brothers also proudly served our great country.

I am honored to say I have a glorious family history in protecting our great country and what it stands for. I am honored to say that I am active with Operation Baking Gals, a wonderful group of women who send homemade goods to our soldiers far from home to make their day a little brighter when a package arrives. I am proud of our country and what it stands for.

I end this post with thoughts of one of my favorite songs......Lee Greenwood says it best.

I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me.....
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today...
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless The USA...

Love you dad...

Is there such a thing as bad foods?

Or is it more poor choices? I am a faithful weight watchers member. I weigh in every week whether I think the scale is going to be friendly or not. One might as how do you know if the scale is going to be friendly? Does it say 'Hello my friend!'? Not at my meeting! A friendly scale is one that shows off your hard work, exercise and good food choices. Now wait, there are those words .....good vs bad.


I know I can be a slow learner, but why are some foods better choices? If I look at one more piece of chicken I might cluck! Broil vs fried, baked vs breaded, the comparisons never seem to
end.


So tonight I finally saw the movie 'Julie and Julia'. You might be thinking, has she lost her focus? What does that movie have to do with good health and fitness? More than you might think. Yes Julia Child was a master of French cooking and good cooking in general. She used the best ingredients she could find and afford. She did not skimp BUT did explain what the correct portion size was. I had a friend who lived outside of Paris. He and his wife would shop daily for the food for the evening meal. They did not have a big fridge like we tend to have here in the states.....so the freshest and best items are purchased.


Now that does have everything to do with a healthy lifestyle and fitness. I have been reading a lot lately about organic foods. Yes they are more expensive but IF WE EAT A NORMAL HEALTHY PORTION the food is not any more expensive. Whooda thunk??


Julia Child may not have used a boneless skinless chicken breast on a regular basis. She may not have tried to make a marinade with raspberry vinegar and a chipotle sauce....but she did know how to make vegetables look and taste divine. I chose to blanche some green beans and then finish cooking them in a pan that I had carmelized some chipolini onions and garlic. Julia Child loved butter......we do have that in common but I have to learn to use it judiciously. I want the full flavor but don't want to clog my arteries.....so I will use just a small pat of butter for the beautiful sheen and lovely flavor. The carmelizing of the onions was done with grapeseed oil which does not have a lot of flavor but a high heat point so it won't smoke.


Try eating what is in season. The flavors are phenomenal. I got an organic canteloupe earlier in the week. First it did not have the rough skin, second it was organic, and third it was ocally grown. How much better does it get than that? The flavor was so sweet....it was the perfect shade of orange inside and it was not loaded with seeds. The apples I got this week were also organic and local (I believe the place I buy from considers 100 miles to be local). Such a nice crunch when it was bitten into yet the flesh inside was crip....I had to fight with Sassy, my beautiful Boston Terrier, to get 'my share'!!


So to answer my own question, I do not believe there are bad foods. I believe any food in moderation is fine. It is a matter of making the meal or snack something that your body can readily use for fuel and not fat. Make sense??


To that end, I will take time to learn some deserts that are also full of flavor but also healthy. Let's face it, we all deserve a little sweet!!

Doing the same thing......expecting different results

Are we Pavlov's dog? Have we answered the bell so often we don't know hot to change the behavior? Dieting sucks.......I have been trained to diet my whole life. What have I learned? Not much I guess if I am still trying! Let's see.....this morning I did not bring my breakfast. I forgot it on my counter......good thing the dog can't reach it! Friday is bagel day in the office and it is a high point item. Is an Asiago cheese bagel with a schmere of low fat cream cheese really worth 9 or 10 points? I guess it might as for sometime I have been eating it every week. We order out on Friday for lunch....it is supposed to be my treat of the week. Oh, and then there is the occasional dinner out on Friday with the girls. How many times can I eat out in one day and stay within my 34 points? Not many is the real answer.

In the same vein, I have trained myself to get up and 'answer the bell' to go to Jazzercise in the early morning. So I guess I have learned something there. Exercise is good.

Well, I may have answered the bell to the bagel today. I have promised myself not to do that very often. It does not satisfy me as well as an english muffin with a smattering of butter and a fresh banana. It might be about the same point intake but it is volume AND it is healthier. That is what this journey is all about.......getting healthy, eating better and moving more.

On that note, like my dear friends Bruce and Shelby......time to get moving!

Aches and Pains

Not a day goes by when I don't feel one of my aches. Now for being 50 it might not be a surprise... but for me it is! The last year or so I have been how tight my muscles are. This has nothing to do with muscle tone......my muscles are rebelling on being used. I heard that your body will tell you NO at least 5 times before it will do what you want. We have to be persistent AND be the boss. I am experimenting with this. This week, due to the fact my jazzercise o'dark hundred cohort is on vacation, I have worked out every day. I have been telling people that 'I could not do that with my knee. I need to give it rest'. HA! I guess I have been lying....or has my body been lying to me?

In defining some of my aches, I am taking advantage of a great massage therapist. No, this is not the kind of massage where you get in the zone and fall asleep. This is a massage where if he pushes too hard you yell OUCH. I find each time I visit Brian (Relaxation Restoration in Wheaton.....he really is a muscle mechanic!) he gives me a new stretch to try. His goal is to get me to a point where I can continue to move without pain. I had my left knee scoped a few years ago and have some arthritis along with bone on bone. The surgeon was looking for repeat business.......when I left there he told me 'even if I lose all my weight I will be a skinny person needing a knee replacement'. What the heck?! Let's start with losing the negative talk bud.....I plan to lose all my weight and maintain it for a good long time. I really may have to address this someday but not today.

As much as my knee hurts and my feet scream at me I don't give in. Ok, most days I don't give in. I am now very glad when my jazzercise instructor encouraged me to get back to class. I don't jump like I used to and some moves will hurt but I love the music and the exercise. I have been doing it since 1996...it is in my blood! I have hobnobbed with the Jazzer-big cheese (Judi Sheppard Missett) and her family. I have been all over the US for conventions and have met the most wonderful people. Why? We all love the exercise.

The second best thing about having a dog is being able to go out on long walks. Walking is the most simple exercise. We can listen to our music, watch ball games, meet other people walking their dogs.....nice and social. If I go out alone, I can take a shopping bag with me and run errands at the same time.

When I walked into my first exercise class I never thought I would say that I could not live without moving. Isn't that grand?! And now that I know my body was lying to me about exercise, what else is it lying to me about??!!

I'm just sayin'......

I was going through some of the shows I have dvr'd over time......well over the last 3 weeks. How do I know it was 3 weeks? There were 25 Dr Oz shows waiting to be seen. The nice thing about dvr...if I don't like the topic I can delete it and not waste any time. While I was waiting for the laundry to be ready to hit the dryer I decided it was time to purge some recordings.

Now you might be thinking, what does this have to do with a healthy lifestyle? I did stop to watch some of the Dr Oz show where he had 'Colleen' on. She is the woman who is over 700 lbs. Her husband has done virtually everything for her for years. Dr Oz has given her nutritionists, trainers, psychologists.........everything she should need to start to be successful in her journey. Maybe the green monster is going to rear it's ugly head here but if I had all these people at my disposal 24/7 I would be embarrassed to come back to the show and admit in 5 months I had only lost 35 lbs. Colleen has all the right words. She is a smart girl. She swears she is committed to getting healthy. When I swore the same thing to my doc a few weeks ago and I recorded it on paper I found that my words did not mimic my actions. **GASP**

To scare her, Dr Oz brought her to an autopsy suite. She did not have to face a corpse but she had to face what killed this obese person. He showed her the fat that strangled the organs. He showed her what a liver looked like choked with fat. He showed her how an aorta can have a hole in it because the heart had to work so hard to push the blood through the body.....and all she could do was cry.

Dr Oz has Ruby (check out the style channel for her show) helping her but honestly Ruby has her own issues these days. She has gained weight back and now they are leading the audience down the road that there is a thought she may have been abused as a child and she is hiding in the fat. AREN'T WE ALL?? Are we not hiding in our fat? It protects us from unwanted attention, but in reality brings on different kinds of attention. Emotionally we can hide in the fat.......physically not so much.

I regress......in any case, Colleen is being sent away to some hospital or center in NC for at least a month and Dr Oz does not want to see her before she loses 100 lbs. He was honestly very upset with her......he felt he was only getting lip service from her. Her challenge was to live with her mom for a week. Mom has lost weight but does not exercise and still eats as she chooses. She had ice cream and pastry in the house.......and did not see it as a temptation to her daughter. HELLO?! Do you see your 700 lb daughter sitting next to you?

Anyway, after watching this episode (Dr Oz on 5/19) it did give me an education on the fat in my body. When I don't want to walk anymore to hit my goal of 10k steps per day I want to visualize the fat strangling me. I want to be healthy. I want to live. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/colleens-toughest-challenge-yet-pt-3

I got my butt up at 4 am to get ready for my workout. I love my jazzercise class early in the morning. I got a good sweat going and feel energized for the day. My metabolism will be revved for a few hours before I take my lunchtime stroll. I can move, I can dance.......I live!! I have over 5,000 steps on my pedometer today......life is good!!

Where has May gone......

I am sitting in the office wondering where the month has gone. Seriously. I spent the weekend running around with my favorite niece and nephew (OK, I only have one of each) and suddenly it occurred to me that a week from today is Memorial Day.......I get to wear white again!

I am truly working the weight watchers program. I struggled this spring when my dad passed away. I knew I needed to do something but just could not get out of my own way. Not that I have come to terms with him gone.......I miss him every day BUT I am getting to honor him in various ways. First and foremost is taking care of me. Dad and I used to LOVE to garden together. Since living in a townhouse I can't put plants in the ground, pots are the next best thing! I will post pictures of all my planting from the weekend. I did various herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, oregano and chives) and some new veggies (brussel sprouts, lettuce, 2 kinds of tomatoes, 2 kinds of peppers and bush beans).

I am taking my love of food and my love of cooking and making it work for me. Let's get healthy and not use pesticides. Eat clean. Exercise more. Lose weight and get healthy. New goal....10k steps per day. Although that has gotten a bit easier I plan to make my steps target a bit farther. Can't stand still and expect results!!

On the exercise side, I was moving til I could not anymore. I did the 5K sponsored by WW. It was a kick.....at 1pm on Sunday afternoon. Isn't that the hottest time of the day? I guess that is one way to get the fat off......burn it!! Once I got home from that (hot, sweaty, and maybe a little cranky) I planted. And I planted. I used almost 4 cu ft of potting soil. That is a lot of soil and on top of it IT IS HEAVY! Strength training for free! I still had to find the energy to walk my poor sassy girl who wanted to play outside with mom but she likes to eat the dirt. Can't do that ........I was dirty enough for both of us. We did manage to wander through the neighborhood before I wanted to collapse on the couch.

So to answer my question....I have no idea where May has gone. I have a big summer planned. There are concert galore, friends visiting, maybe even the family reunion. Lots going on but staying on track with my weight loss journey. It will be fun!!

Till next time......

It is the second week of January.......and like most people I have made a resolution to get healthy this year. What does that really mean for me? First and foremost I want to lose weight. I need to lose weight and how do I propose to achieve this?

Well.....I have been a Weight Watchers member for some time. There is a new plan. It is time for me to work it.....work it like it was written; work it like I mean it.

I have read the books. I know the rules. Here we go!

In week 2, I have done lots of cooking. I will share some of the more successful recipes. I did not eat out last week....all meals came from home. It not only helped my pocketbook (well, not really but I will talk about that more) it helped me have a scale victory! I lost 4.8 lbs. I was asked how I did that......I don't really know. Ok, maybe I do. I did weigh and measure some food. I did incorporate lots of fruits and veggies when I was planning meals. I can honestly say I was not hungry. Jazzercise was part of it too.......I was in class 4 times this week.

I can't wait for the snow and ice (or at least the ice) to go away so Sassy and I can walk through the park. Exercise is important too.

As I mentioned I did not go out to eat, it saved some money. Have you ever noticed when we are getting the healthier foods they are more expensive?! I guess the benefit is I am not eating out AND I was grocery shopping before. The cupboards are not as full. They don't need to be.

This week I will do another pantry challenge. Only shop for fruits/veggies/dairy. The rest of the stuff has to come out of the cupboard and freezer. This is one way to rotate the foods too. What good it is to buy all this stuff if you don't eat it!!