~A Response to Trainer Stress~

With the past half decade being the most difficult in my life, moving seven times, changing jobs and whole career directions, a daughter in and out of college, and an ex for the first time in my life, I really never thought of trying to lose the weight for anyone anymore.  And that's that.  However, I can't seem to do the things I want to do unless I lose it; the weight is my literal albatross, and those "excuses and stresses" have to go.  Does exercise REALLY make you feel better during stress or help with sleep no matter how hyper you get over a situation?  I don't know.  That's one solution I haven't sought yet.  I have done a few things over the past week that Katie asked me to try.  I've tried very hard to keep a night-time sleep schedule the same every night.  I've been successful with this on most nights, even if I wake some time during the night with a little insomnia.  I've also tried to pay attention to starting my metabolism soon after waking with a bite to eat.  I hate eating in the morning, as my stomach is always in knots for the upcoming day, but I've forced myself - with the help of The Conspirator/Fiance, and it has helped.  Keeping my blood sugar even has aided tremendously in my mood and not feeling ravenous and wanting to rip someone's head off by late afternoon.  I also eat a lot less for dinner and after if I eat consistently during the day.  I've also increased my water intake to a gallon/gallon and a half during the day - and yes!  I'm in the bathroom a lot.  However, once you drop some initial water weight, that's a bit less.  I've also increased my bean and rice intake, as well as choosing whole grains when I do.  Basmati rice is delish, remembering my grandmother's Three Bean Salad recipe was a great thing, and the whole wheat bread we've found as our favorite is a staple.  SO - I'm not on my hamster wheel of exercise at the moment, but I'm still making life-long changes.  I know, EXERCISE.  I hear ya.

Falling Off The Wagon ...

After two months of lifestyle changes, I fell off the wagon in the past couple of weeks.  Makes me angry at myself.  AND I feel like crap.  I haven't exercised like I should have.  I've eaten too many salty things, and I even had fast food - like a pig out.  In my defense, I've been completely preoccupied lately with a new career path for both me and the fiance guy that lives with me.  He's got things going and so do I.  In essence, I failed the first big test: keep moving even when life is busy.  I didn't.  I did like many of you and just stopped.  I froze in exhaustion, excitement, and a bit of fear for the future.  Where did it get me?  My blood pressure is up, my fingers and toes are plumped like Ball Park Franks because of the diet or lack thereof, and I feel like garbage.  And then what happened?  One of my oldest friends, since we were 13, decided that I inspired her and started walking and jogging in her local park.  She even bought tennis shoes!  She even checked out her park's yoga program and says they have a water aerobics class.  Hmm... she said that she didn't want to do it alone.  Well, I figured, I can't be an inspiration for her and not keep it up myself.  Thanks a lot!  Just think, if I exercise and eat right, I will feel completely different a week from now... and I will have earned the right to inspire.

New Snacks

There are so many cool, tasty snacks at the store, that most of you, me in the past included, would call "birdseed," "hippy food," or "stuff for those vegan people."  Going through Publix (Florida's local grocer) the other day, I noticed a whole new snack shelf in the veggie and fruit section.  It's got loads of yummy dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and trail mix.  FRESH.  It's not packaged with M & M's.  It's not loaded with extra sugar to make you want to eat it.  However, it does replace not only chips for me, but kills the sweet tooth as well.  (Not saying that I don't throw in some brownies or ice cream too sometimes.)  I am in love with soy, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds.  Yes, I am a bird now.  They are yummy though.  Why?  I know they aren't bad for me, they're better than chips, and in soy nuts, for example, they have 8 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving!  That's an awesome power snack with a piece of fruit or cheese.  I'm also in love with summer fruit.  Grapes, berries, mangoes, and particularly cherries do the trick for munching and something sweet.  I love to munch grapes or cherries after dinner for a sweet bite, and I adore (but not often), blackberries or blueberries with some cool whip.  Mangoes are for anytime!  Also, take a blender, throw in some fresh fruits of your choice, 1 cup of milk - I use low fat 2% - some ice cubes, and you've got yourself a smoothie!  SO, so yummy for breakfast, snack, or dessert.  See how much fun this is?

FRESH CHERRIES

Roasted SOY NUTS

How I Got Fat #4: Diet Soda

Diet soda was my lover for over twenty years.  It could end up killing me.  Katie is seriously going to have to tell you the medical stuff.  It gets jumbled in my head, but I know one thing: it's disgusting when she breaks it down.  I had gone off the stuff before.  I had refused to go off it as well.  I always had one, like the way people carry water.  I was indignant about it - cavalier, hateful, difficult, and moody.  It had to be served a certain way.  Only in the can and in a coozie.  AND only the rubber coozies they used to sell at Disney, but don't have anymore.  Yup.  Seriously.  No.  I'm not kidding.  Family and friends begged me for years to get off my 12+ can-a-day habit.  Yeah - I'm not kidding about that either.  Pretty humiliating to admit, but I have news! (Trumpets and drums should play right now...)  I've been off my diet coke drug for over 60 days now!  Longer than anytime since I went on it at the age of twenty.  Going off should be done delicately.  Weaning is best, due to caffeine withdrawls, but since I replaced it with iced tea that I make, I get not only a bit of caffeine, but also much needed water to flush me out.  Plus - there are a TON more FLAVORS to play with: see my list to the right for some favorites.  I highly recommend going off all soda.  It's not that hard in restaurants because of the enormous explosion of drink choices.  However: water is best.  Tea is great.  100% Juices.  Smoothies (except homemade good smoothies) and coffee in great moderation.  Alcohol not at all or rarely.  These are all great choices for healthier drinking.  I love this new way of healthy better than any diet I ever went on.  Ever.  Going to go have Kevin's fresh lemon chicken with angel hair pasta.  Maybe I'll share with ya - if it passes the test.  :)