Lean, Strong, Healthy, and Rich

Ever think about what  adjectives you would like used to describe yourself.  For me, I would like lean, strong, healthy, and rich.  At the moment two of them apply: strong and healthy.  Actually healthy is the most important and I am grateful that I am a healthy person.  I am doing whatever I can to stay healthy-exercising, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and fish.  The lean part is getting more attainable due to working out.

Don’t get me wrong, there are other adjectives I would like people to think when the see me--kind, good hearted, generous, and just plain nice but those four are my goal.

Rich—not yet but I keep buy Power Ball tickets!!  Maybe someday!!  Got my fingers crossed.

A Plan For Summer

Now that my vacation is over, I am working on me again.  This weeks goal is to do 20 minutes of yoga every morning when I first get up.  Actually a few months ago, I did do 20 minutes of yoga poses when I first got up--so what the hell happened?  Don't really know, just got lazy and complacent I guess.  Tomorrow is Monday and the traditional day of new beginnings. 

I can, I will!!

P. S,  For the summer I am staying at a place without Internet so my postings will be somewhat sporatic, but they will be made when ever I can.

Is This Old

Does it mean you are old when you have no clue who most of the people are that appear on most red carpets?  Apparently I have lost touch with the young famous people.  I just don't recognize any names.

Today Oprah had on a 16 year old Justin Bieber and 18 year old Charice.  Had no clue who he was but did recognize Charice the minute she sang-who could forget a huge voice like that coming out of that tiny girl?  I had seen her on Oprah's show a couple of years ago.

Anyway-today I am feeling very, very old and out of touch!

A Week!!

Once again I have let a week go by without blogging....

My only excuse, I am on vacation and have not had Internet access everyday.  We have been having a great time, but I am positive the scale will not be happy with me when I get home.  I have been working out though, but it is tough not to eat stuff I shouldn't. 

When I get home I have a plan to get back on track......

I can, I will!

Having Children Is Not About You..

Having children is not about you, or at least not ALL about you.  Does anyone ever wonder if the child you are thinking about having will be emotionally nurtured and physically cared for, in the situation you will be providing?  I know I sure didn't before I became a parent.  Will that child you want be raised in an atmosphere where both parents like and respect each other?  Mine sure weren't. 

I can't believe that this soceity does not find a way to put a stop to this indescriminate population explosion.  This is such a dis-service to  children.  Too many children are being born to children.  My 21 year old grandson has a daughter that is 4 or 5.  HE is still a child and he is not alone, multiply this by hundreds of thousands. 

What a difference it would make if we would all wait to bring a precious life into this world until becoming an adult ourselvers.  I know I would have been a totally different parent.  And I would have tried to be wise in selecting the person to share this experience with.

I was a terrible Mother and since Mother's Day is coming up, I decided to be honest about my experience as a Mother and to try and make people understand that MY CHILDREN are paying a price  because I didn't have a clue about how to care for them.    I never required anything from them and I never taught them to do anything.  I cannot even begin to express how sad I am about this.  We all missed out because I was way too immature.  Needless to say, I do not have one maternal instinct in my body. And I became a single parent at a young age.  These are all facts.

To all of these people that say:

I want to have a baby, I want to have a baby....

Consider what the baby (toddler, preschooler, grade schooler, middle schooler, teenager  because they don't stay a baby),  might want.....

Having a CHILD is not ONLY about YOU!!

Tatoos Are Forever

Tatoos, like daimonds, are forever......UNLESS, of course, you have a LOT of cash and a HIGH tolerance for PAIN.

I sincerely hope all of these pretty young people I see with tatoos on their necks, arms, legs, boobs, and just above the crack of their ass, asked themselves one question first:

If this was a blouse would I want to wear it THE REST OF MY LIFE?

Before giving a tattooist permission to tattoo your skin , (your largest, and most visible organ),  please consider the life long relationship you will have with it.

The Thursday, March 11,2010 post on http://www.msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/ addresses, in a very personal way, the issue of tattoos and tattoo remorse. 

Be sure, be VERY sure if you choose to get a tattoo......because....

TATTOOS ARE FOREVER!!

Free Form

We all have them, days that we just don't make it to the gym and the expected walk around the park didn't happen either.  Today was one of those days.

So here I sit thinking: What I can easily do right here and right now?   I want to something that feels GREAT and something I don't have to think about.  Something that "opens the door and flows through the whole place".

I LOVE body movement. Especially moves that stretch my muscles.  Taking a stretchy band and starting with it in my hands held apart and stretched to the point of very firm tension.  I just move my arms back and forth as much as I can without relaxing the tension.  I can make the band one or two layers, it just changes the effort it takes to engage your arm muscles.  Then I just move my body with the idea of "stretching" your muscles until it feels wonderful.  Your workout follows your imagination - which makes it "free form".  Just try it, I found moving with my stretchy band was really relaxing- nothing is right or wrong-just move and stretch.  Your body will let you know what feels good.

Wow...it really felt great!!  Good idea Mary!!

I can, I will!!

P. S.  In all honesty, I have found  stretching with a stretchy band  is a real "turn on"  if you do it front of your loved one.  I don't necessarily mean right in front of....the same room works!!

I really can, I really will!

Stuck

I am stuck and feel like a fraud!!  I have been going up and down the same 2 pounds for about 6 weeks.  Have you ever heard this definition of insanity:  Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.?  That is me.  What is my problem? 

I feel comfortable now, even though I know I would feel even more comfortable 10, 15, 20 pounds less.  One thing, my knees have been bothering me and I am sure it is arthritis in them.  I know that each pound you lose will take 4 pounds of pressure off your knees so what is my problem?  I know that my knees need the relief and I would be much happier. 

So here I am and feeling like I am spinning my wheels, but I have to look at the bright side because I have told myself that 2010 is the year I am going to improve myself and be more positive overall.  So in the past I know I would have just thrown in the towel by now and given into all of my cravings.  I am only talking 2 pounds here not 10 or 20 (which is easily doable for me).

The last two day I have taken to carrying around a piece of paper with the following quote from Jen at http://www.priorfatgirl.com/:

One day at a time
One decision at a time
One bite at a time

STAND UP AND FIGHT!!

I am reading this often and it has helped me not to overindulge.

I can, I will!!

Going On Vacation

On Monday April 26th we will be leaving on vacation.  We are going to Wisconsin to see family.  I will be fortunate enough to celebrate my Mother's 89th birthday and Mother's Day with her.  Not to mention visiting with 6 grandchildren and 3 children. 

So do I have a game plan to make it a "healthy" vacation or a "pig out" and gain 10# on vacation"?

Yes I do.

At first I was going to take my bathroom scale with me, but I have changed my mind.  I am going to weigh myself on April 26 and not again until we get back around May 12 or 13.  I am going to trust myself to make healthful choices.   On May 13 or 14 we'll see if I am trustworthy.

I can, I will!!

Lifestyle Changes

I recently read something about how some of us treat the week end as a Holiday!!  Which is to say, we over indulge overselves with  food.  I AM FIRMLY ON THIS LIST!!    I usually have the  lowest weight of the week on Sunday morning -- I have Sunday's and Monday's off.  Tuesday morning is a scale nightmare which I have learned to avoid by not weighing until Friday or Saturday.....when I am closer to Sunday's weight.  This is becomming a bad cycle that I am having trouble breaking.

Today is Monday.

For my snacking monster I counted out one serving of  flat pretzels  (11 for 110 calories.  I am dragging it out.  I ate about half of them with salsa 2 hours ago, after which I put the rest in a container with a 4 sided lid and put them on the kitchen counter (being mindful helped with this),......then got busy with other things.  This is a new and positive behavior for me.  Something I need to encourage-which is why I am writing about it.

What did I do most of the time??  I would put the whole package of pretzels beside me and mindlessly eat the whole bag.

So a while ago my snacking monster was taunting me, distracting me, and making me think about food (I am NOT hungry) so I steamed some broccoli and cauliflower and took a  long time to eat it.  This whole large looking amount of broccoli and cauliflower was about 125 calories!!  Think volume!! This is a new and positive behavior for me. Something I need to encourage-which is why I am writing about it.

What did I do most of the time?  I would decide it was too much work to steam the veggies and grab something prepackaged.  (Even if 100 calorie packs, I am capable of eating all 6 packages in the box).

It is obvious to me that I have the bottom line decision as to what I do....I am making the healthy choice more and more often.  I need to encourage that behavior in myself as much as I would to anyone else making the effort.

I can, I will!!

A Great Read

I think I have mentioned before that Jen at http://www.priorfatgirl.com/ is one of my favorite bloggers.  And if I didn't think this before, I sure would after reading her blogs from 4-12-10 to 4-16-10.  The blog on 4-16 is particularly inspiring.  What she writes makes perfect sense and needs to be said and emphasized over and over.

We have control.

Over what we eat.

Over how we move, how much we move,  and when we move.

Over our attitude.

Over our willingness to do whatever it takes.

Anyway I am very inspired and will reread her post of 4-16 everyday for a while.

I can, I will!!

What I Noticed Week Ending 4-11-10

WOW ....I haven't posted in almost a week!!  It's been a long time since that happened.  One of those weeks that just get away from you.  I have been laid low with a bad sore throat, then a cold.  Sounds like a bad excuse I know, but I did manage to get to the gym 3 times.  Doing that and getting my rest was about all I could manage.

So better late than never.

What caught my eye this past week.

1.  The April 7th blog from Sarah Jio regarding a comparison between a fast food burger and a homemade one.  The study was to show  the "rot" rate of each.  Let's just say, the fast food burger is a lot more photogenic after 11 days in a 68 degree room than a homemade one is.

2.  Six nutrients we should include daily:  fiber, calcium & vitamin D, good fats, protein, water, and green tea.  Something else to strive for.

3.   An article about making your own snack packs, it focused on the "green" wrapper  rather the contents of them.

4.  Vibram five-fingered sprints come in a lot more colors than I have seen on the Web.

5.  Stephen at http://www.whoatemyblog.com/ had this quote in one of his posts and I enjoyed it!!

"Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss you'll land among the stars".  - Brian Littrell

Love that thought!!

I can, I will!!

Pictures

Easter week-end and this weekend we were in Vegas.   When we go to Vegas, Rex takes lots of pictures.

I have a healthy viewpoint of many aspects of life in general and my life in particular.  Mostly I am a pleasant, happy person with many things to be grateful for.  But I have one MAJOR handicap and it is:

I LOOK LIKE HELL IN PICTURES

I always look grumpy, no matter how I try to smile, or laugh or whatever.  I have come to the conclusion that having a good picture taken of yourself is a skill--one I have NEVER learned.  How disgusting is that??

I don't think I can on this one!!

I Like Life To Sparkle and Shine

I often say "I like life to sparkle and shine, and if it doesn't, I don't want to play".  What do I mean by that?

I don't like being constantly barraged by negativetly.  And for some reason, non-stop news and most conversations having negative comments constantly, TV shows like Nancy Grace's  doesn't make life sparkle and shine for me.  Maybe that is why I am basically a loner.  I admit, I like my surroundings to be more calm and positive.

Life sparkles and shines, when I concentrate on the  positive stuff.  I love to cook -looking at recipes, planning meals,buying groceries, and cooking fun dishes is an activity that sparkles and shines for me.

More sparkle and shine:

Spending time with Rex.

Learning about being healthy and other positive information .

Being physically strong.

Learning to appreciate myself and my life.

It is important to realize....sparkle and shine is unique to each  of us.  What trips my trigger might not appeal to you, but that's the way it is suppose to be.  What is your "sparkle and shine"?

I can, I will!!

Sarah Jio

I often refer to health and fitness blogs written by Sarah Jio.  She is a freelance writer that contributes to Glamour magazine. www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/   She is not the only contributor but, by far, the most prolific. 

 I have also seen her posts in the healthy living section of Yahoo.  She recently sold her first novel that I believe will be released sometime in 2011.  I am looking forward to that.

Sarah Jio thank you for adding to my health and fitness knowledge, I have learned a lot from your blogs!!

I can, I will!!

What I Noticed Week Ending 4/4/10

Another week down the tubes.  Here is what I saw this week that caught my interest.

1,  I get a newsletter from Oprah and it had a link to an article by trainer Andrea Metcalf about burning more calories while walking.  Some of the suggestions are heel walking, side walking, crossover or grapevine walking, and waist whittler walking.  A description of these techniques can be found on Oprah's website. 

2.  Lynn at http://www.escapefromobesity/ wrote  a review of "Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life" by Thich Nhat Hahn and Dr. Lilian Cheuong.  This interested me because I have been trying to be more mindful as I eat.  Paying attention makes me fill up faster.

3.  Another book recommended by Oprah.  "Women, Food, and God" by Geneen Roth.  There is an excerpt of the book is in the April issue of Oprah's magazine.  I will be reading that during my trip to the library this week.

I can, I will!!

Will Be Gone

I'm going to be in Vegas for a couple of days....

I know hardly anyone is actually reading this blog, but I want to pretend I have lots of readers that would miss me and think I quit if nothing new was up for a few days.  Just an unexpected couple of days out of town.

Check back in a couple of days..............I didn't quit.

I can, I will!!

March Was A Bust

As far as losing weight goes, March was a bust.  I started the month out at 182.8 and ended at 181.2.  Before March became a reality, I was expecting to battle the 170s.  But nooooooooooooooo, I kept bouncing right back up to the 180s.  Not even 2 pounds, how disgusting is that?  What makes it even worse is that my low during March was 177.0 so I had to opportunity to have a great month, but I BLEW IT!!

April will be better, as God is my witness....

I can, I will!!

What I Noticed W/E 3-29-10

Another week to recap.

1.  The muscles I was feeling a couple of weeks ago are "rectus abdominis".  I remembered to get a book on anatomy from the library last week.  I will keep it checked out for the time being.....I may need more part names. 

2.  I am getting older, faster, every year....my birthday is next week!  Didn't I just have one???  The years seem to be on "fast forward".  I will be 60...not sure what to make of that!!  But it's better than dead!!

3. I noticed most bloggers I read eat oatmeal for breakfast..so I have learned how to eat oatmeal also.  I eat steel cut--more palatable I think

So it goes!

I can, I will!!

I Was Inspired!!

A few days ago, I posted about being out of control.  I mentioned that I was going to go back and re-read some of MY posts.  I am so glad I did.  January was a particularly good month for blogs.  Most of them did in fact inspire me.

Yup, I can and will inspire myself.

The last 3 or 4 days have been great and I have been to the gym twice.  I have to remember to cheer myself on.......because...I am the only person I live with 24/7 and I have my own best interest at heart and I have to quit indulging myself with food.

I believe in indulging myself, but with not with food. 

I want to feel good.  I want to be healthy.  I want to live a purposeful life. 

I can , I will!!