3.29.08

It's been a murderous 3 weeks at work. New computer system, lots of O.T., lots of stress. I have been exhausted, and haven't wanted to think about what I've been eating. So I haven't been. I've been using food as solace. The good thing is, I've been hovering around the same weight, so I haven't done too much damage.

I started back with mindful eating today. And I'm doing an experiment with my beloved cottage cheese. Maybe if I make it more common, I won't feel the need to gobble it all down so quickly. So I bought 2 cartons yesterday. I can have a little every day. It's going to be there, so I can always have more. One of the girls in the ISU study suggested cottage cheese on an english muffin with jam. I don't like sweet so much with my cottage cheese, so this morning I had a lightly butter sourdough english muffin with 2/3 cup cottage cheese. A little bland. Tomorrow, I will add something else. Maybe some bacon, or perhaps some pasta sauce. I know, sounds weird, but I like weird.

3.13.08

We went for another walk today. This time around the outside of Collett Park, which is about a mile. I really enjoyed it. It has been SOOOOOOOOO stressful at work, and it was good to get outside and walk it off. Shake off all the work ickies. Plus a nice time to reconnect w/Sean.

And it was a beautiful day today, although it had started clouding up by the time I got off work. It was starting to rain at the end of our walk.

I think we will continue to walk at Collett Park this spring. It's just a few blocks from work, and once we get home, we tend not to walk. As it gets warmer, I can take shorts to change into.

We saw 20 squirrels today! The squirrels at this park are pretty used to people, and don't get too excited.

Eating has been better today. Not so much last night, though. Still feeding the stress.

3.11.08

Well, my husband yelled at me recently for not updating my blog, so here I am.

Nothing much (good) to report. Although we did take a nice walk at Collett Park tonight. It was the first nice day in a long time. Today wasn't so much about distance as it was just getting out and getting started.

Eating was HORRIBLE last week. I've been stressed out at work, tired, and was PMSing. Bad combo. Haven't even cracked open my mindful eating stuff. I've just been medicating with food.

Haven't been doing many stairs, either. They are hard! But I need to get more in.

That's pretty much it for my excuses.

2.26.08

WooHoo! I have reached the peak of Mt.Marcy! Yay me!

I actually thought I had hit it at work today, but it turns out that I was 10 steps short; I didn't write down how many steps I needed to complete it. So I just went and climbed up and down the basement stairs.

Tomorrow, I will climb up the stairs to get to the 2nd floor, but I'm not dragging my fat a** up 6 flights. It's hard!!! Some little skinny thing said she did the Mini last year, and the stairs are harder. I don't doubt it!

I also got to move my weight loss ticker. I had been above my "official" start weight for a few weeks. But I finally seem to be getting somewhat of a handle on portion size, and I have managed to lose. Now, as my friend Shauna says, "onward and downward."

2.22.08

I'm almost at the peak of Mt.Marcy! 458 steps. 2-3 days worth of climbing, depending on how I feel. WooHoo!

We had the first of the sessions for the ISU weight loss study I was in the wait group for last Saturday. It is mindfulness based eating. I think I'm doing pretty good so far. Not perfect, by any means, but I am being much more careful about the portions I eat. Most of the time. Tuesday, I made a very conscious choice to eat for comfort. But it was my choice; it was not an accident, I wasn't out of control; I made the choice. Dinner is still my hardest time not to eat too much. But I'm making progress. We meet again next Saturday.

Weight is still hovering around the same area. I'll be glad when I have a downward change to report. But for now, getting in my stairs and working on portion control is a great start.

2.14.08

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wasn't going to post, but since I posted triumphs yesterday, I suppose I should be honest and post not-so-triumphant stuff today. Not completely bad, mind you, but I could have stopped before I did. The basic problem is that I'm up way too late. I'm a late night girl forced into an early morning world. So I'm up watching a couple of hours of tv after choir rehearsal (although not Survivor, because for some reason my DVR didn't record it), and I go to put up the leftovers from dinner. Had to pick the rest of the chicken off the bone. It's after 11, and I'm actually hungry, and there was a biscuit left (I had 3 at dinner!), so I ate it with some butter. If I had stopped there, it would have been fine. But there were some veggies left, too. Veggies, you say, that's not so bad. But I pitched the carrots and celery, and just ate the potatoes with a LOT of butter and salt. So there, if confession is good for the soul, maybe it will be good for the hips, too!

2.13.08

I was right. The weight gain was just a bump from a glutoneous week-end. Back to where I was before.

I made some good and bad eating choices today. I had a donut this morning. One of the girls at work also works at a convenience store and makes the donuts, and she brought in heart shaped donuts today. It was yummy! But, I have steadfastly ignored the M&M's another girl put out. I did have 2 Oreos after dinner tonight, but only 2, and I made each one last 6 or 8 bites, and really enjoyed them.

Then, after supper while watching last night's Biggest Loser, I wanted bologna and cheese, just because it was there. I wasn't hungry. So instead, I drank a lot of water and got out my stability ball. I did 70 crunches, and 3 sets of 15 each of biceps curls, skull crushers, chest presses and butterflies on the ball. Then I called a girlfriend (Hi Shauna!) to get some strokes for making good choices. (Thanks, Shauna!) When we got done talking, I was actually hungry, so I headed for the kitchen. But instead of the bologna and cheese, I had a Dannon Frusion Smoothie. Strawberry blend. In the past, I have found bottled yogurt smoothies too thick, and a little gross. But these were on sale last week 10 for $10, so I bought a couple. I hope they're still on sale, because they are a good snack option to have around. 260 calories, 3.5g fat.

2.11.07

My eating has gone much better today. In part, due to the number I saw on the scale today. UGH!!!! I will not post that number, as I hope it doesn't stay around. I hope to be back to the similarly ugly, yet slightly better number I posted as my new starting weight soon.

Gotta go watch the puppies now!

2.9.08

As you can see, I'm over half way to Mt.Marcy. I'm pretty excited. And I think I'm about ready to change my eating. I'm really unhappy with myself, and I think I'm ready to do something about it. I bought some fruit, and some yogurt, as an excuse to have healthy snackage around. I'm I'm starting back with the no second helpings. Not so much last night, though. I subbed at bunco, and ate like a pig. But that was yesterday, and today is today. I've done a bit better today.

BTW, the knee was fine the next day. Just something weird, I guess. I need to start adding in some other exercise, too.

2.6.08

Tonight, for the first time in a long time, I didn't eat after dinner, when I wasn't really hungry, just because it was there. It feels good to exercise a little bit of control. I did want to eat, but since I'm not hungry, I talked myself out of it. Pats on the back for me!

I only did 150 stairs today. I did those before work. Sometime mid-morning, my right knee had some sharp pains when getting up and down out of my chair. I took some ibuprofen, and it felt better, but still slightly wonky, so I didn't do any stairs at lunch. I'll start back in tomorrow morning, and see how it feels. I'm really surprised I don't have constant knee pain, considering the weight I'm making them lug around.

2.1.08

The stair climbing is going really well. My beginning goal was 200 steps daily. Next week, when I go back to work on Tuesday, I'm going to increase that to 300 steps daily, which is the entire building twice. I'll give that a little while, and then may increase it again. My recovery time is getting better, and I am going a bit faster. I'm still stopping every other flight. I hope to increase that to 3 flights before I stop by the end of the 6 weeks.

My eating is not going so well. I have faced the fact that I don't really want to change my eating right now. I think as I continue the stair climbing and get back into exercising that my attitude will change. But that's just where I am right now.

1.21.08

Well, I started my ascent on Mt. Marcy today. The fitness center in the building I work at is sponsoring a Climb to Fitness contest. Details are below.

The P.O.B. has 150 steps or “feet” and the Hospital has 128 steps or “feet” in the main stairwell. Participants are to count their steps throughout the day and turn in a weekly log by email or at the front desk of the Fitness Center. The daily log should be in “feet” or steps taken. During this six week program, for every peak you conquer, you will receive a t-shirt with that peak’s name.

Three mountain peaks will represent each level.

Mount Marcy – elevation 5,344 feet
(178 steps daily, 5 days/week for 6 weeks)

Mount Marcy, at 5,344 ft (1,629 m), is the highest mountain in the Adirondack Mountain Range and the highest point in New York State. It is a popular destination for hikers due to its stature and great views, and the peak can get very crowded in the summer months. The mountain is located in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks Region in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.

Mount St. Elias – elevation 18,008 feet
(600 steps daily, 5 days/week for 6 weeks)

Mount Saint Elias is the second highest mountain in both the United States and Canada, being situated on the Alaska and Yukon border. The U.S. side of the mountain is located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, while the Canadian side is part of Kluane National Park. It lies about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada.

Mount Everest – elevation 29,028 feet
(1040 steps daily, 5 days/week for 6 weeks)

Mount Everest, also called Chomolungma or Qomolangma (Tibetan: ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ) or Sagarmatha (Nepali: सगरमाथा) is the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height of its summit above sea level. The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in High Asia, is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. By the end of the 2006 climbing season there had been 3,050 ascents to the summit by 2,062 individuals, and at least 630 more ascents in 2007. There have been more than 200 deaths on the mountain, where conditions are so difficult that most corpses have been left where they fell; some are visible from standard climbing routes.

I may climb more that the 5344 feet, but I don't think I'll make it to Mt. St. Elias. Still, I figure this will get me off of my butt and back into exercising. Today went pretty well, with 202 steps. We'll see how sore I am tomorrow. I plan to do about 200 steps/day, breaking it up into 2 sessions.

1.9.08

Well, in a day where I have eaten a bit too much, but not as much as this week-end, I have made a few good choices. Right now, as I type, I am sitting on my stability ball. More on that later. Earlier today, I was feeling stressed at work. As usual. But I reminded myself that eating a donut would do nothing to relieve my stress, and would probably just add to it. After lunch, I wanted something sweet. But I just sat there a while, and then I didn't want it anymore. And after dinner tonight, I wanted something sweet. But instead of the chocolate donettes I wanted, I opted for a grape water flavor thingie. I thought about having a skinny cow ice cream sandwich, but I had the grape instead.

I did weigh today. I'm not going to post it. I ate a lot of salty stuff in the last 2 days, and I hope that is some explanation. Technically, Friday is the day I posted my weight, so maybe I'll weigh again then.

So, about this stability ball. I got the Gold's Gym Stayball at WalMart. Nineteen bucks, and I've always wanted one. I looked EVERYWHERE on the box to see if there was a weight restriction. It said for this through that height, but no mention of weight. It also says it is burst resistant. So I'm thinking I'm okay. I get it home and inflate it last night. When I open up the instructions to inflate, found deep within the box in a little bitty bag, it says "not for use by persons over 250 lbs." WHAT!!! Bite my big white a**!!!! If there is a weight restriction, it should be on the OUTSIDE of the box. I decided, what the heck, if it bursts I'm only out $19, so I gave it a shot. And since none of you heard a sonic boom, you can assume it has so far remained intact. I am going to send Gold's Gym an e-mail, though. I'm trying to get fit; make it easier for me, not harder.

So I did 55 crunches on the ball; 25 straight on and 10 toward each side. 15 hamstring curls, where you start with the ball under your calves and roll it up toward your butt, and 5 ball transfers, where you pass the ball from your legs to your arms and over your head and back. It's harder than it sounds, especially after the crunches. I just stretched some, too. My upper abs started getting sore this afternoon, so I must have done something right!

1.8.08

The devotional I read today addresses depression, but it applies to my eating, too. And is pretty much what we studied in Scale Down. As a man thinks, so he is. (Prov. 23:7). I think that I will never lose the weight. I think that I cannot eat proper, healthy portions of healthy food, so I don’t. Can I really change my thinking?

Lord, help. I want to be healthy and thinner, but I don’t want to do the work. Can you change my attitude, so that I will do the work?

“We allow our minds to drift. We do not take charge of our thinking processes. We are undisciplined mentally. Undisciplined thinking will always flows to our greatest weaknesses. The human mind will always set itself on something! We just have to decide what the setting will be. A mind filled with wrong thinking becomes fertile soil for temptations of all kind.”

My greatest weakness: food. Or really, comfort. The temporary, fleeting comfort that food brings. Why do I trade that for the disappointment that lingers much longer? The dissatisfaction that is pretty much always there? What should I do, where should I turn for that comfort instead? Yes, I know, Jesus. But you can’t usually touch and feel and see and smell him. I need something immediate. Can he be that immediate comfort if I let him? I hope so.

1.7.08

Over-ate from Saturday night all through Sunday. Did better today, though, except for a too-large snack before I left work.

I bought an exercise ball tonight. It looks like a large part of the exercise will be inflating the thing by hand! Since tomorrow is Biggest Loser, I'll inflate/use it then.

1.4.08

351.3

Yes, I am weighing too often. But I really wanted to see that number go down. I will not weigh again until next Wednesday, which is my next official weigh-in day.

Still no exercise, but doing well with no second helpings. And my devotional time, which is really the foundation for everything.

1.3.08

353.1

I did weigh in yesterday, and I was right; it wasn't pretty. I weighed again this morning, and it was no better, so I'm posting it. And I've adjusted my ticker for a new start weight.

I did well in eating yesterday, until I got home. That is my hardest time. I was thinking about it last night, and I don't know if it is that it is so hard not to eat, but that it is so easy to eat. I HAVE to change that. I need to keep myself busy. Yesterday, it was a comfort thing, because I wasn't feeling well. So I should go snuggle w/Sean to get that comfort fix!

I didn't exercise yesterday since I didn't feel well. Still not feeling so well tonight; felt kinda feverish after work, so no exercise. I know, it's just an excuse. But I didn't overeat today, so that is a victory!

1.1.08

Happy New Year!

I have started off the new year trying to do some things right. I did overeat breakfast and lunch, but did really well for dinner. I have drank almost 3 liters of water today, too.

I watched Biggest Loser tonight. I'm rooting for Betty Sue & Ali. And this season, instead of eating (!!!!!) while watching, I am going to work out. I did 3 sets 15 each of bicep curls, overhead triceps extensions, butterflies and overhead shoulder presses, with 10 lb weights. I also did some stretching and 70 crunches.

So, working on the whole small changes add up to big differences principle, my small changes for this week are:

1) no second helpings (sound familiar?)
2) exercise at least 3 times, for at least 20 minutes

I'm trying to be realistic and set achievable goals.

I am going to weigh in tomorrow. It will not be pretty.

I took some Biggest Loser style pictures tonight. They ARE NOT for public consumption. Maybe someday. But for now, they're just for my comparison. I will do measurements, too.

12/10/07

The last time I weighed was about a week ago. I weighed 347.3 on 11/21, and was within .1 lb last week. If I can maintain over the holidays, with my lack of exercise and over abundance of eating, I'll be quite happy.

I had 3 things I wanted to achieve today:

1) Get ready in a timely fashion in the morning.
2) Not binge
3) Do what yesterday's scripture said:
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities,
to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to
slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to
show true humility toward all men.
Titus 3:1-2

I kinda achieved 1; Sean wanted to hit the snooze. And I did okay with 2, until after work. I let myself get too hungry, and I ate too much before dinner. Then I ate dinner, too. Too full. I think I achieved 3.

On a completely unrelated note, I bought a FABULOUS new pair of shoes Saturday night at Wal-mart.

11/29/07

Merry Christmas!

Here are some pix of my latest crafty projects.

This is a wreath I made using pink (!!) poinsettias and an assortment of vintage clip and screw back earrings. It hang in my cube at work.

This is this year's version of the Glama tree, the ornaments of which were gifted to me by my friend Shauna.