Tuesday Update On Friday

I love my new record keeping/journaling method using a lesson planner.  I can look straight across in each category and compare all of the data.  Data....sounds so scientific and important.  I find I am not really needing two boxes for exercise, so next week I may use the bottom for mental/emotional notes; like how my hormones made me feel like hugging the entire world, or how those hormones turned me into the fire breathing dragon, or how those versatile hormones gave me the munchies that drove me insane.

I was hoping to update my progress on Wednesday, but our overnight trip to pick up our college freshman turned into two nights.  It's a really good thing my husband was with me because as we were close to our destination, he asked me what that sound was.  I of course did not hear a sound.  What sound?  That sound? What sound?  Finally, I said, "You mean that little ticking that sounds like the spinner on the Life game?"  Yes  he said, and informed me it was a very bad sound.  It certainly didn't sound bad to my non-mechanical brain. If it's not screeching, than surely it's not in need of immediate attention, is my theory that applies to all things mechanical including the vacuum.  Well, over 24 hours later, one new oil pump, and a shockingly large bill, we raced out of the repair shop to finally empty our daughter's dorm room, debunk her bed, and pack up the vehicle.  I am so glad he was with me, because as I am now so well informed, when the oil pumps go out the entire engine is ruined beyond repair if the non-mechanical lady (ME) continues to drive it.  Now that I think of it, that repair bill was a lot cheaper than a brand new shiny suburban!

Minus the obvious inconveniences, it was fun hanging out with our daughter.  We took her and her new fellow out to dinner. My hubby ordered the turkey barbecue nachos, I had the turkey salad, and tried to sneak in a picture of the newly dating couple much to my daughters horror.

The next day we couldn't empty her dorm without the suburban to pack it all in, so we suffered and went to my favorite place.  Love the entire square and the Tomato Head.  We even enjoyed an afternoon movie after that.

After all of the packing, moving, and cleaning I let myself enjoy a little  of this again.  Probably not a wise idea, but I seem to be staying on plan now that I'm back at home...thank goodness.

So I did not update on Thursday because blogger was down, bringing me to my Tuesday update on Friday.  I am planning to be back to Tuesdays next week.

WEEK 14 RESULTS


Fasting Blood Sugar for 5/3/11 through 5/9/11
109  cake the night before
98
91
95
90
87
91

Morning Blood Pressure for 5/3/11 through 5/9/11
106/71
99/64
105/62
99/56
101/67
96/64
97/61

Dreaded Scale Numbers for 5/4/11 through 5/10/11
+0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-1.5
-0.5
Tuesday morning/no scale at motel.

So a total of minus 3 pounds bringing my total loss to minus 37 pounds.  I still have one more pound to lose to get to where I was before Easter.  I really need to lose at least 30 more pounds, so I need to get busy!

Exercise for 5/3/11 through 5/9/11
3.8 miles/ 46 minutes elliptical
3.2 miles/ 39.32 minutes outside walking
3.7 miles/ 46 minutes elliptical/ upper body workout
3.6 miles/ 46 minutes elliptical/ lower body workout
3.7/ 46 minutes elliptical/ upper body workout
Sunday rest day/ 1.6 mile walk after dinner
Monday travel day no workout


We are home, all the birds are in the nest for the summer, and hopefully I will stay on plan and kick this weight loss into high gear!

Mayzie is Hitting the Road Again

Well it is not exactly a Mayzie all fun and play trip this time.  My hubby and I are going to pick up this pretty girlie.  Actually we are gonna pack her up, debunk her bed, restore her dorm doors/room, carry her loads down the 5,000 steps, and bring her home for the summer!  I cannot wait to have her home!  One year ago (picture below) she was dreaming of college, and now she's a sophomore!!

Well, what am I saying?  One year ago she was doing this (below), and now she's a college sophomore.

What am I saying?  One year ago I was doing this (below), and now I HAVE a college sophomore.

Anyway, I say all this to say my Tuesday update might not happen until Wednesday.  And to ask you to pray for safety as we travel.  And to ask you to pray for my husband since my new love of Sabra hummus seems to be doing a number on me.  It could be a long ride honey.  Just when I find something nutritious and yummy it has such GAS-otronomic unpleasant side affects. And to ask you to pray for these people (below) holding down the fort.  They will be happy to see us arrive home safe and sound!  I am looking forward to my weekly report...which is a good thing!

And below with some of the fort they will be holding down.

Miracles

Happy Mother's Day, and what a fun one it has been!  My eleven year old presented me with this pretty paper weight today and said,"It is a MIRACLE that I have you."  Is that not sweet or what?  He actually took his own money to church and shopped at the church bookstore.  He also got the necklace below.  He is gonna make some girl very happy someday, that one.

The day was full of other fun and thoughtful surprises.  When I walked in after church, one of my daughters (that had arrived home before me) had cleaned the entire downstairs.  I was thrilled.  Another painted this  beautiful canvas for me.  I was amazed and loved the message she wrote.

My youngest daughter surprised me with these flowers at church, and presented this gorgeous flower drawing to me at home.

My youngest, Mr. Shop Vac Lover presented me with cards early this morning and could not wait to show me his spotlessly cleaned room later today.

Mr Hubby spoiled me with these fun things below.  He must read my mind blog.

My long lost college girl sent me sweet messages and chatted with me on the phone.  Last but not least, my oldest arrived home hot and sweaty form his job at Lowes and presented me with this.  This is truly the gift that keeps on giving since he will be operating this for me all season!

He cannot believe I am snapping his picture in his hot and sweaty clothes (he works outside).  I am so thankful and blessed!  Lots of fun, fellowship, hugs, and gifts.  I love mothering....it is the best!

TOUCHDOWN

Just a quick post to say I hit the vegetable and fruit jackpot today.  I had at least 10 servings.  Here's the lowdown.

Breakfast smoothie had 3 with the berries, spinach, and avocado.

Lunch had at least 4.  Thank you Mr. Handsome for bringing home more hummus!

Dinner had 3.  Not pictured is the entire plate of Roma tomatoes I finished off myself.  That had to be at least two servings alone. Above is my  yummy salmon burger I had instead of the hamburgers everyone else ate. I used to think it would be difficult to work in five or more veggie/fruit servings a day.  I must confess some of my children do not work in five servings a day.  My goal this year is to change that big time.  After all those brain supporting veggies I felt so good after dinner that I took a thirty minute walk.  Now its time to kiss the munchkin goodnight.  He's shop vacuuming my bathroom as I type.  We have this arrangement: I cut his hair and he begs (literally) to shopvac the hairs off the floor.  I think it's a pretty good deal if it doesn't kill his and my ear drums.  I just caught him shopvaccing his toes; I think it's time for a bedtime intervention.

Nothing like a little man with a fresh haircut.

JUST SAY NO

The safest choice right now for me is NO.  A BIG NO.  My hubby's go to philosophy for raising seven children is "If I have to give you an answer right now, the answer it NO."  The child beggar usually tries all the usual tactics.  You know, big eyes, sad eyes, desperate voice, wailing with tears, repetitive words like please,  exaggerated statements that imply the world will end, and lots of drama.  Really, all my children should all have their own disney shows.  

I won't point any fingers on where they might get their dramatic genes, but I have been telling my dramatic self that the begging , excuses, and wailing is not gonna work. NO not this time.  Like this morning.  My lazy drama queen self said to me that since I had worked out all week today I could take a break.  NO.  I told myself NO.  I hopped on the elliptical; 3.7 miles later I felt rejuvenated enough to continue the party downstairs with an upper body weight workout.  YES!!! YES to SUCCESS!!!   Later I wanted something unhealthy for breakfast and you guessed it, I said NO.  Below is the yummy healthy berry, spinach, avocado, and brown rice protein smoothie.  Can you see the green flecks in it? Minus the blueberries it looked a little like dirt.

Last night I thought I would like just a nibble of the chocolate angel food cake that I should not have picked up at Kroger for 99 cents (sale rack).  My first mistake was telling myself it was for the children.  They are not even tempted to touch it.  In fact, the idea of chocolate in their angel food cake scared them all.  Anyway, I told myself NO.  Absolutely NO.  

I guess treating myself like a child is par for the course right now, with lots of NO's included.  When I say NO now I feel so much better in the long term.  My smoothie is long gone, but I feel physically and mentally way better than I would have if I had given in to my unhealthy craving.  When I eat something unhealthy, the fun in that choice literally only lasts for a few minutes.  In fact, sometimes even that few minutes of "fun eating" is already turning sour by the guilt and discouragement I begin feeling while I am still eating.  Those few minutes of unhealthy eating are then followed my several hours of misery.  Misery because of the guilt, defeat, and discouragement I feel spiritually and mentally, and misery because of the tiredness, sluggishness, and just plain stupefied feeling I have physically.  Those feeling last a lot longer than that short and temporary high from the unhealthy food.  One thing in this book by Dr, Amen that I found interesting is that he always says unhealthy food will make you _____________, _____________, ______________, and stupid.  He often puts stupid on the end of his list.  I hadn't really thought of my brain and food making it more stupid before his book, but he has the patients and brain scans to prove it.

Sometimes No, and JUST SAYING NO seems hard.  The list for the opposite meaning of lethargic on the free dictionary online was:  spirited, active, alert, stimulated, vigorous, energetic, animated, responsive.  I want to be all those things!!!  I want to be spirited, active, and alert in all my choices.  I want to be stimulated and vigorous when I face my daily routine.  I want to be animated and responsive to my children and husband.  I don't want to live in a dull cloud (induced by unhealthy food) of depression, guilt, lethargy, and hopelessness.  This is my pep talk to me.  I want to remember how worth it the choice is when I say NO to unhealthy desires and YES TO SUCCESS!!!!

The ZONE...It's Coming Back to Me

Oh how I missed staying on plan and ending days in victory.  It is really so much more satisfying than any dopamine or serotonin induced sugar high can ever be.  I guess because not only do I feel so much better physically, but I also feel much better emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  I was getting discouraged these last few days wondering if I was going to be able to get back to consistently healthy eating.  I am so encouraged today because today was my first full day of exercising, and eating on plan and actually liking it.  It is a little early yet to say I am in safe zone-like territory, but today made me feel so good that I hope it inspires me to keep going!

What is on your Mother's Day list?  Do you have one for you or a special mother in your life?  It is scary how I have linked every tradition, including Mother's Day, to food.  Usually we have a special meal.  We grill steak or we take home Kentucky Fried Chicken and the fix'ins.  I know, those two lunches are worlds apart!  Dessert for the last many Mother's Day celebrations was a big old tub of Baskin Robbin's Pralines 'n Cream ice cream.  I worked at that store all through high school and summers home from college, so it is my favorite ice cream.  We actually hardly ever go there, thus why it was special once a year.  If there was any candy amongst my Mother's Day surprises, it was usually Ghirardelli  assortments.  I love Ghirardelli square, and San Francisco.

Well this year I said PLEASE NO FOOD RELATED GIFTS OR CELEBRATIONS.  I had debated last week if I could handle the usual dessert and lunch.  I started telling myself it is just one day, but today I know in my heart that it is not really just one day.  I am just now  recovering from the "one day" of Easter, and if I indulge in sugar this soon it my derail me another week, or two, or three, or permanently stop me in my tracks.  For the last six years one holiday seemed to stretch into another.  I  never ate consistently healthy because I was always partying with food.  I need my healthy eating to be a lifestyle.  I need to learn to celebrate life and good times without sugar.

So what is on my list?  Spending time with my wonderful family, resting and relaxing, hopefully a day off from driving duty, ha, and maybe a request for a manicure gift card, and possibly a big hint for  this too cute duffel bag in Folkloric that goes with my daughter's college colors.  A mom's gotta fit in when she visits!

I am learning tons from this library book I mentioned last time.

He is really inspiring me to fuel my body with plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables.  I am trying to sneak them in whenever I can.  Today I added spinach and avocado to our smoothie.  It made the prettiest picture before and after.  All the colors were so lovely.

I loved that swirl it made on its own.  We could not even taste the spinach, and the avocado gave the smoothie a very thick and creamy consistency. Yum.  I am making this again tomorrow!

Tonight for dinner I was so looking forward to this deliciousness I discovered at Costco.

Sabra Spinach and Artichoke Hummus.  It is so good,  I really like it with carrots and broccoli. Alas, when I went to pull out the container my healthy and very skinny Junior had eaten almost all of it. Although I wish she had left her mama a little more than a teaspoonful, I am tickled that she enjoys eating vegetables and hummus.
So below was dinner. That tiny green dab by the carrots was my yummy hummus.

After dinner I ate something I have not eaten in a while.  Before my time off from healthy eating, I was leaning toward clean eating with a lower carb/ lower Glycemic Index bent.  Well the brain doctor says that this type of eating is bad for my brain type.  For instance, I am a compulsive and emotional overeater.  My brain affected areas that need help are the anterior cingulate gyrus and the deep limbic system. Those are big words,, but the first one means I am too focused ( I can get stuck on negative thoughts or stuck on thoughts about food etc),  and the second one is my emotions (depression).  He says high protein diets help people focus.  Some of the brain types need that, but I do not.  I need more serotonin to calm my brain, make me happier, and help me stop focusing on unhealthy food.  In his book on page 108 he lists several foods that help raise serotonin levels.  One of them is what I had for dessert after dinner.

Here I am with my banana and my monkey begging for a bite.  See, healthy eating is catching around here!
Actually, I have always loved bananas; I guess my body knew what was best!  Dr. Amen is all about no refined sugar, and very clean healthy food aiming toward the lower Glycemic Index, so I believe him when he says I can have a banana.  I don't want to drive myself and my brain crazy on this journey.  I want this to all be a permanent change that my body is happily healthy with.  And that banana was really good; I am still smiling about it.  Oh, and the monkey in the glasses ate two bananas; at least I am inspiring someone!!

Tuesday's Short and Not So Sweet Update

Looking at our school calendar above I realize that three not so superior dieting days DOES NOT make for an entire month of diet failure.  I have a lot more softballs to add to this month, and they had all better be winners.  I still seem to be stuck in the trying but not succeeding mode.  Today I did well until I had a few tasters at Costco that somehow made me believe I should therefore end dinner tonight with cake and ice cream.  Well, the cake is gone now, and so are my sugar indulgences.  When I am struggling I just cannot have desserts around.  When I am in the zone (and oh zone I miss you), I can keep anything in the house.

I am reading/skimming this seven day library book right now.  I love it.  It is full of so many interesting facts about the brain.  Like the more overweight you are the smaller your brain is.  It is all about thinking correctly to eat correctly, and I know I need that information.  I wish I could get him to examine my brain and see what in the world is going on in there!

Okay, below are my non-stellar results.  As you will see my poor eating is affecting everything.  My blood sugar numbers are awful.  At least this week I did not gain any pounds, but I did lose in the area of health.  My numbers got worse and that is a big loss.  I will do better this week; I have to for my health, sanity, and family.

WEEK 13 RESULTS


Fasting Blood Sugar for 4/26/11 through 5/2/11
101
101
99
101
103
98
93

Morning Blood Pressure for 4/26/11 through 5/2/11
93/62
93/58
99/66
109/71
103/68
97/65
98/63

Dreaded Scale Numbers for 4/27 through 5/3/11
+1
+0.5
-1
-0.5
-0
-0
-0

I did gain and I did lose to bring me back to a net of zero.  So I am still at minus 34 pounds.

Exercise for 4/2611 through 5/2/11
3.4 miles at 46 min. on the elliptical and lower body workout
3.3 miles at 46 min. on the elliptical
4.0 miles at 53.35 min walking outside and upper body workout
Friday none
Saturday after dinner stroll of 1.6 miles at 28 minutes/ not really a workout
Sunday rest
3.7 miles at 46 min. on the elliptical and lower body workout.  I did the interval training on the elliptical, and I really like it.  It seems to break up the minutes making them go faster, and it gives me a faster and better workout.

Okay, since today wasn't anything to blog home about, I still have six more days to hit it out of the park.  I hope I have a better update next week!  It is almost eight and I have had one of those days where the workout has not happened yet, so I had better step away from the computer and onto the elliptical!