Thursday, April 30, 2009

The I Word

I finding it rather redundant to record my food diary on sparkpeople.com and then here so instead of using this blog for food/exercise journaling (so I am so faithful on sparkpeople) I am altering my purpose to be a place where my issues with health/exercise/eating right are shared openly and honestly. And in that spirit...

Last week something happened while I was exercising. I was shocked at first. Bewildered really. I had know idea what was going on. It just happened. So suddenly. It happened only once - last week. Then it happened again - two days ago and then just yesterday. 

Incontinence.

I didn't know how it happened at first. I felt no urge. I just noticed after it happened that I was wet - wetter than from just sweating. I realize this may be TMI but when I began doing some google research on the topic I read how so many women believe they are the only ones experience incontinence that they are ashamed. It's not a shameful thing. In fact, it's quite ordinary for women of all ages, especially during exercise. And that's when it happens for me.

What to do about it? Kegels! Remember Kegels? I learned about Kegels during my first pregnancy. Obviously I haven't been practicing what I learned about 18+ years ago. But Kegels are the best form of repair and prevention of incontinence. There is surgery but that's too invasive. 

So while your sitting at your computer, typing away, reading away ... do your Kegels!

A Need for Prayer - please!

I know I've been absent for a while. Everything, eating-wise, is going well. No problems there. And I'm getting my exercise in. 

But there are issues going on in our family that are consuming my internet time. My son must decide on a college tomorrow (Thursday). I would greatly appreciate prayer. 

It's 3:34am right now. I can't sleep. We re-read over the financial aid letters and realized we mis-read the one from the university Ian would really like to attend. Their package isn't as great as we thought. In fact none of the packages aren't that great. I am confused and disappointed. We were reassured from several folks (and in hindsight we should not have taken their words to heart) that with Ian's GPA and ACT score any school would take him and most likely with a full-ride scholarship.  If Ian takes any one of these offers he will be incurring a massive debt and I don't like that.

Tomorrow I will be making phone calls to two of the universities to see if any more financial aid is available. I am not a bold person. I don't like asking...for anything. Please help me by praying for the right words to come out of my mouth.

The fact that he needs to make a decision by tomorrow is weighing on us (there, that fits in with my weight-loss blog). We just received the financial packet from the third school today! That's why this decision is so last minute. 

Thanks for reading and thanks for praying.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Day 7 - Arghhhh!

The thought behind my food detox (this past week) and the liquid fast (planned for Monday) was to "divorce" myself from food. I had grand intentions of preparing myself during last week by eating wisely so that Monday, tomorrow, would come and the juice fast would be a breeze, then on Tuesday I would feel little compulsion to overeat, crave carbs and especially sugar. Ahh, that was the plan.

Sunday, today, we had several folks over after church and I made chocolate cake for dessert. The night before was the wedding...and wedding cake. Just when you think you are stronger than your addiction - boom - you realize you are not-you realize, "I am still weak and unable to say no to that thing which I over-consume because it consumes me." It's so frustration.

One of our lunch guests has been sober for 8 months. He is on the path on holding on to Jesus and His strength. He commented on his weekly AA meetings and how some folks 8, 10 even 16 years sober get that feeling that now they are strong enough - they go back into their old way of life, back into those relationships or visit places they used to thinking, "I'm strong now, I can handle one drink." And they fall off the wagon. So easy. So quickly. 

The place of trepidation is probably a good for me - embracing my weakness rather than ignoring it. When I deny my weakness, deny that it's an issue, I think, "I can have one piece of cake, pie, or candy... and stop. I have learned. I am strong." But in reality I am not. I am weak and have to avoid those trigger foods and learn how to cope with situations where trigger foods are passed out (ie. weddings, parties). 

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Day 6

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 t. slivered almonds
1/4 c. blueberries
1 t. brown sugar
1/3 c. half/half

Lunch
3 boiled eggs
2 c. steamed broccoli
2 slices bread

Dinner
.2 C honey roasted peanuts
.2 C. m & ms
1/2 slice wedding cake
1 oz pork loin
1/2 C. salad
1/2 C. green beans
1/2 C. grapes
3 strawberries
2/3 C. mostaciolli

Exercise: 8 miles with leslie (96 minutes)

Friday, April 24, 2009

Day 5

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 t. slivered almonds
1/4 c. blueberries
1 t. brown sugar
1/3 c. half/half

Lunch
3 boiled eggs
4 c. steamed broccoli
10 baby carrots

Snack
1/3 c. dry roasted peanuts

Dinner
tossed salad with turkey breast, cheddar cheese, 1/2 egg and 2 T. raspberry vinaigrette
2 dinner rolls

Exercise
8 miles with Leslie (96 minutes)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Day 4

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 T. slivered almonds
1 t. brown sugar
1/4 c. blueberries
1/4 c. half/half

Lunch
4 c. steamed cauliflower
2 egg white/2 egg scrambled
10 baby carrots

Snack
3 boiled eggs

Dinner
6 c. tossed salad with 2 T light dressing

Exercise: 7 miles with Leslie

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Day 39

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 T. slivered almonds
1 t. brown sugar
1/4 c. blueberries
1/4 c. half/half

Lunch
6 c. tossed salad with 4 boiled eggs and 3 T. light dressing
1 1/2 c. steamed broccoli
10 baby carrots

Dinner
4 egg whites/1 egg scrambled with red onion
2 c. steamed broccoli

Exercise: 6 miles with Leslie

Day 1-3: Detoxing again and very happy with the results

So I had the computer anyway, but husband is still gone. Over the weekend wasn't so good so I didn't post but made a resolution to detox again. Detoxing is what started me on this grand plan of health and weight loss and it was a good start. Over Easter I toxed and hence I am restarting the detox this week. Because of that I am restarting my days. So Monday is day 1 and today (Wednesday) is day 3. 

How am I detoxing? I am using what I learned from the Anne Dittleman book along with my own preferences, lifestyle and finances and modifying the detox to fit me. That means maintaining my oatmeal for the morning and consuming copious amounts of cauliflower, broccoli, salads and eggs. On my 8th day I will do the cranberry juice fast described in Dittleman's book.

For exercise I upped my cardio by running during half of my Leslie Sanson dvds. I think this has helped immensely - to keep my heart-rate up because my weight loss is great! I have 6 pounds to go to my initial goal. I am very happy. 

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Day 125-129

I'm off line until Monday - my husband and his mac are leaving for the Great Banquet so I'll be recording my food intake manual (oh, the horrors), trying the eat well and get off my sugar addiction and exercising 7 miles/day. I did lose 2 pounds these past two weeks! Yeah!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Day 122/123

Our internet has been intermittent so I haven't been recording my food intake - which hasn't been the best. But I have continued the 7 miles/day with Leslie. Wednesday's a new day.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Day 120/121 - celebrating His goodness and mercy

I messed up yesterday (Saturday) yet...

... today we celebrate the resurrection because without it we would be dead in sin. We are now alive. We are now who we were created to be - in relationship with our Creator. We celebrate because He loves us so much He bent down and took care of sin which we love too much and said, "I love you more." We celebrate and say a bowed Thank You. We feast today in God's goodness and love. His amazing love, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Day 119

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 T. slivered almonds
1/4 C. mixed berries
1 t. brown sugar
1/4 c. half/half

Lunch
2 foccacia sandwiches (roast beef with 2 slices swiss cheese)

Snack
1 hot cross bun

Dinner
4 slices bread
2 serving sirloin beef soup

Exercise: 7 miles with Leslie (82 minutes)

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Day 118

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 T. slivered almonds
1/4 C. mixed berries
1 t. brown sugar
1/4 c. half/half

Lunch
2 corn tortilla chicken enchiladas
1 pineapple muffin

Dinner
1 slice foccacia bread
2 slices roast beef lunch meat
1 oz turkey lunch meat
2 oz almonds

Exercise: 8 miles with leslie (91 minutes)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Day 117 - too many carbs!!

I have indulged in too many carbs lately. They are what lead me into an addiction-relationship with food. I need a purge!

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 t. brown sugar
1/4 c. mixed berries
2 T slivered almonds
1 cinnamon roll

Lunch
3 corn tortilla chicken enchiladas
1 1/2 c. steamed cauliflower
1 cinnamon roll

Dinner
1 1/2 c. steamed broccoli/cauliflower
1 1/2 c. tossed salad with 1 T. light italian dressing
3 rolls

Exercise: 6 miles with Leslie (70 minutes)

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Day 116

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1/3 c. blueberries
1 T brown sugar
2 T sliced almonds
4 T. half/half

Snack
1 pancake

Lunch
1 c. rice
1 c. red beans
1 oz monterey jack

Dinner
3 C. tossed salad with 1 T light italian dressing
2 c. cooked cauliflower
1 c. spaghetti alfredo

Exercise: 82 minutes with Leslie - 7 miles

Monday, April 6, 2009

Where I've Been -- the Perfect Storm

Last week started with a wimper and ended with a bang. We had two funerals, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, and that means funeral dinners for me to arrange. My healthy eating plan goes out the window on those days. We traditionally serve ham/fried chicken/an assortment of casseroles/lots of desserts. Leftovers usually come home with us. And there was lots of leftovers - especially cakes. And I had a few, or more. So that is one component of the Perfect Storm.

Factor number two was the computer hard drive dying. I rely on sparkpeople to record my eating diary. It calculates calories so I know where I am mid-day, how many calories I have available for dinner. Without that ability to record all those cakes I let myself eat more, because ignorance is bliss! Not!

Item number three - my hip went out. The Friday before I began feeling a twinge of pain in my right hip. By Monday the pain was shooting down to the knee. I got in 6 miles of walking on Monday, just barely. Tuesday I was hobbling along and had to be on my feet for most of the day, with the funeral. I could barely walk and was in PAIN. I knew I had to go to the chiropractor. Dave scheduled an appointment for Wednesday. Wednesday morning I awoke to no pain. Wouldn't you know it but by mid morning I was back to hobbling. My appointment was for 2pm. By 2:30 I was pain free and was told not to exercise for two days. It was amazing. I got off the table a new woman. I highly recommend chiropractic medicine.

So Friday I returned to exercising (got 20 miles in last week) but was not recording in my food diary - the hard drive was back on line only this Sunday. So here I am now - back in the saddle and more than ever aware that falling off the wagon is very easy. I sometimes feel confident that my new healthy eating/exercise habits are in concrete but then days hit, like the Perfect Storm, that remind me of the razor's edge. I am weak.

Because of the many indulgences of last week I am feeling the intense need for detoxing. After Easter I will be going back to the 11 day detox diet with which I kicked off the new year.

Breakfast
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1/3 c. blueberries
1 T brown sugar
2 T sliced almonds

Lunch
4 c. tossed salad with 2T light italian dressing
3 boiled eggs
2 ginger muffins

Dinner
2 chicken enchiladas
1 c. broccoli
2 c. spinach salad with 1 T light italian dressing
2 ginger muffins

Exercise: 7 miles with Leslie (82 min)