All That & A Bag O' Chips

“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.” 

― Julia Child

Every time I turn around there is some new "fad diet" or some commercial hyping a new piece of wonder-equipment.  I hear friends talking about Herbalife, Weight Watchers, Atkins, The Paleo Diet, The South Beach Diet or whatever is the name of the anti-fat game this week. (All trademarked etc.)  And I'm not bad-mouthing them though I'm sure it will seem this way. I know millions of folks have lost weight with them and I'm happy for them and I hope those people can keep it off. However, with some of these, I cannot see why I have to pay money to buy products to lose weight when God has given me natural, pure and healthy foods to eat. It's the junk that kills. 

I have fallen prey to more than a few fad diets in my 40+ years. (The worst of which I don't want to discuss, but cost me my gallbladder.) But about a year and a half ago it got real. It took me hitting the 200 pound mark to suck it up and face reality.  It took me hitting a size 22 to do so. Am I proud of those facts? No. It has taken me a year to admit it in a public forum.  Am I where I want to be? Not yet. But I'm getting there. I'm down over 40 pounds and 4 dress sizes and counting. Yay! Call me a happy camper. 

 I've been keeping it simple and I'm just calling it the Common Sense Lifestyle Change. 

First, let's talk about FOOD! (Because we all like food.)

* Most of the foods I buy are organic or generally have ingredients I can pronounce.  I take my additives very seriously and try not to buy anything with hormones or anything that would gross me out if I were to watch how it was made. Very rarely do I buy things that aren't "simple." I'm probably about 85% vegetarian about now. I just can't seem to give up my steak and seafood. Yum. However, I have tried being a raw vegan for a bit and I actually am probably closer to vegan than vegetarian... but for the love of seafood, steak... oh, and Texas BBQ. Mmmmmm. 

One of the main reasons for this is I have to be very careful of nitrates and preservatives in food because of the migraines they trigger. Makes me not so happy.  There are a lot of things in food that affect a lot of people differently. If you have health issues, you might have a food allergy or intolerance. It's something to at least consider. 

* I generally measure out the foods I'm going to eat.  - Portion control. -  Once you are used to eating a pint of ice cream at a time (which I have done), you have to retrain your brain to understand what a "true" serving size really is.  That's one of the reasons people are obese.  Learn what constitutes a portion and it gets much easier from there.

EXAMPLE: A chip-bender to the bottom of a 9-ounce bag is 1,260 calories sans the dip. So stick to 1 serving, about 15 chips—that’s 140 calories—or pick up some 100-calorie snack packs and save 1,120 calories

* Learn to slow down when eating and understand what "FULL" really feels like. There's no need to finish everything on your plate. The first few times I left food on my plate at a restaurant, I felt really, horribly guilty.  (Starving kids in China...?)  But at the same time, most restaurant portion sizes are enough for two people. WHY would I want to do that to myself?  The sad thing is that I did that to myself for a long time. 

* DO NOT EAT IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION. If you eat in front of the TV, studies show you consume almost 300 calories more than if you ate at the table. 

* Last but not least, I don't deprive myself. If I want some creme brûlée or dessert once in a blue moon, I will enjoy some. But I'm not going to go Banzai bat crap crazy and I'm not going to feel guilty. I will eat right the rest of the time and make up for it. No starvation. No binge/purge. Just pure, clean eating. 
Now, I know that I'm going to turn off a lot of people when I say the next word, but bear with me. "Exercise."   But I'm going to add something to it... if you haven't exercised in a long time, you don't have to go to extremes starting out,  join a gym, do DVD's, workout on the Wii or anything like that.  Ready? Cool secrets here:

* If all you can do is walk up and down a hallway of your house do it.

* From the hallway move to the driveway or the front sidewalk or maybe to the end of the block. (You get the picture.)  I used to tell my dad at 90 years old when he was recovering from a fall, "Just take one more step dad. One more step will get you stronger. What will one more step get you?"  

* From steps, move to a strength move of stairs or a curb.  Step up and down. If you need to hold on to something, do it. 

Something fun for cardio and to get the muscles engaged: Dance like there is no one watching. For Heaven's Sake, put on some great tunes and get moving. It doesn't matter if all you can do is sit in a chair and tap your feet and clap your hands or raise your arms. It's SOMETHING. 

     Side note: It's been said TAPPING YOUR FEET THROUGH OUT THE DAY BURNS ABOUT 350 CALORIES A DAY!!!!! Seriously... those who fidget have got to have an edge on the rest of us. 

Some of my favorite tunes while cleaning house (WHICH ALSO BURNS CALORIES:)
* Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools
* Michael Jackson - Beat It
* Beatles - Twist and Shout
* Cameo - Word Up

* Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance

* Fun - Some Nights

* AC/DC - Back in Black

* Toby Mac - Burn For You

* 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite

Again, those are just a few of the tunes I'll throw on and then dance around like a loon. It's all about getting your body moving. When you have some upbeat music on, vacuuming and dusting or moping the floor (or what have you) is not only a little more enjoyable, but goes faster and becomes a better calorie burn. 

Like I said... I've dropped over 40 pounds so far just using these little tips. You've probably heard it before, but I'm the proof that it works.  

There's no need for anything other than eating right and moving your bod. 

“Diet food is for lazy people.” 
― Ice-T

Rockin' the Veggies!

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” - Albert Einstein -

My youngest daughter is seventeen - you might remember seventeen, the age at which all things are possible.  She's working out what she wants to do in the future and figuring out who she is. She's really quite amazing and watching her go through this process is quite eye opening and I wonder if my parents took the amount of time I spend studying her studying me.

One of the things she has done is decided "enough is enough" and started improving her diet and getting in shape.  She is working out and has gone vegan, eating no meat / animal products and is working really hard to go raw vegan. 

As a result of her dietary changes, I have had to learn a lot about veganism and vegetarianism and other isms I didn't know a thing about .  So before I go further, lemme give you the short version.

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Ovo-vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy products and  Lacto-vegetarianism includes dairy products but not eggs.

Ovo-lacto vegetarianism (or lacto-ovo vegetarianism) includes animal/dairy products such as eggs, milk, and honey. (This is the most common type of vegetarianism in the USA.)

Veganism excludes all animal flesh and animal products, including milk, honey, and eggs.

Raw veganism includes only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Vegetables can only be cooked up to a certain temperature.

Fruitarianism permits only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

Sattvic diet (also known as yogic diet), a plant based diet which may also include dairy (not eggs) and honey, but excludes anything from the onion or leek family, red lentils, durian fruit, mushrooms, blue cheeses, fermented foods or sauces, alcoholic drinks and often also excludes coffee, black or green tea, chocolate, nutmeg or any other type of stimulant such as excess sharp spices.

Buddhist vegetarianism (also known as su vegetarianism) excludes all animal products as well as vegetables in the allium family (which have the characteristic aroma of onion and garlic): onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, chives, or shallots.

Jain vegetarianism includes dairy but excludes eggs and honey, as well as root vegetables.

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Wow...  that's a lot to learn, but even more to practice. Like I said, she's vegan and going raw vegan, but not completely there yet.  Like I said, I'm proud of her. Through the working out and eating right, she's lost a bunch of weight and is gettting in shape. Her goal is to eventually run a marathon. I can't say I'll ever run a marathon, and honestly, I don't want to. But I do want to run in the Susan G. Komen 5K next year. She's just one of the inspirations I have for doing so.

My mother had breast cancer and has been cancer free for more than five years now. It had spread to her lymph nodes and she had to have some of those removed.  Fortunately, it hadn't gotten bad enough that she would have had to have a mastectomy. She and several other people I know are other inspirations to make the run. I have to do my fair share of getting back into shape, but there's no reason why I can't ... except for excuses. Lots of excuses.

As I look further into vegetarianism and getting back into shape myself, I may decide to modify my diet.  I don't think I'll ever go vegan. I have to face it - I'm a Texan and I love a good steak. However, I believe I can morph more that direction and definitely eat more of a natural / vegetarian lifestyle and less of a processed foods lifestyle and make it work.

More on that as I make the change for the better... and again... I just have to say - I'm really, really proud of youngest. Rock on, girlie!!!

Dream a Little Dream

Ah.... "Smash" was on tonight and I missed the first twenty minutes. However, I have to say I think I got the gist of the show and next week I won't miss the season finale. In the meanwhile, I will probably have to see if it's on NBC.com or Hulu and catch what I missed. In case you wondered, the answer is yes.
I am.
Addicted.

Tomorrow I have a training session for half the day at work and I can honestly say that I really don't want to go. It's not that I want to listen to the construction crew jackhammer the concrete walls and ceiling during the remodel tomorrow either. (That's getting really, really old.) However, the program "they" are "demonstrating" for four hours, I have been using for a while now. I'm pretty sure I need about 20 minutes to fill in some blanks  and I'm good. There are people I'm sure that need the full four hours. Heck, there are some that might need more than that. Who knows? But I am not one of them and I am considering taking my Nook to class to read for a bit. Would that be horribly wrong of me? (Anyone have a good book to recommend?)

Anyhoo, I've been having what my niece and I call "Pizza Dreams" at night. Usually they occur when we eat pizza a little too late, but I have to say some serious weirdness is going on in my subconscious. I'm thinking Freud might have some kind of  field day with the old gray matter, if ya know what I mean. This morning I woke up in the middle of a flight to God only knows where, but the plane was upside down and Kurt Russell was the pilot. And I'm not talking a little plane. I'm talking about a Boeing 737/747 or something along those lines.
Yeah... rut-roh Shaggy!
 I have no idea where on earth Kurt Russell would have come from either. I haven't seen a movie, read a news article, or anything with him in it. But BOOM! There he was.

So, I suppose I'm going to go to bed shortly... and yes, I had pizza for dinner tonight. God help us all.

The Write Diet

Exhaustion makes me want to eat. Eating involves about 30 Oreo cookies.
The struggle is on today.... I've had three hours of sleep and when I'm tired I ALWAYS crave sugary snack foods.

I have been reading Julia Cameron's book, "The Write Diet" which helps the writer in me process this whole weight loss journey in a different way. Something that has stuck with me after reading this is her list of 4 questions that are already making a huge difference for me.

Am I hungry?
Is this what I want to eat?
Is this what I want to eat now?
Is there something else I can eat instead?

I'm still trying to figure out the difference in hunger and the emotional eating habits that fall under "angry, bored, or tired." However, when I get to questions two and three... I really stop and think about the "want" ... and question 4 settles it. If I really do want the Oreo now, I would eat it. However, I can generally find something to eat instead that even if it has the same calories, has a better nutritional value.

Now that's some food for thought....

New York City - Days Two - Four

I was blessed to have a relaxing trip this go around to the Big Apple. I got to spend a lot of time in the Flatiron District and wandered from about 30th street to 10th street and between 5th and 6th avenues for the most part.

My sister and I started off the day at Equinox at 19th and Broadway. Great place to workout and I now feel totally gipped at the Amarillo Town Club. The locker rooms are high end and large; the lockers are twice the size of mine and I just realized I'm jealous of a gym. LOL!

After hanging out and wandering around aimlessly, my brother in law took me and Christina to lunch at Blue Water Grill, right up the street from their office and one of the top 10 restaurants in the entire city. This was followed by shopping down 5th Avenue for some much needed T-shirts (New York was extremely muggy; therefore, I was a sweat magnet.) We picked up Romeo at the NY Dog Spa and Hotel, picked John up at the office and we headed home where Christina made dinner.

Wednesday morning, while Christina went to the gym, I wandered around taking pictures and enjoying the city. We then took in "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark" followed by dinner at Carmines. I have to say the performance of Spiderman was AMAZING and Carmines had the best Italian food I have eaten in a very long time. I could get used to that kind of food. (In fact, my mouth is watering now just thinking about the shrimp we had as an appetizer. The shrimp were HUGE.)

Side note: If I could figure out how to do a photo slide show on this thing, I would and I will try to figure it out so I can properly insert a bunch of cool photos.

Thursday morning rolls around and I have to say, wasn't a fan of Thursday. Christina and I barely had time for breakfast at the Hollywood Diner before Christina tossed me in a cab to get to Newark Liberty for the flight home. Literal tossing as Christina was supposed to drive me, but the car elevator at the garage was FUBAR so there was no way to get the car out and I had to take a taxi. Christina flags down this taxi and pretty much throws me and the monster suitcase, which has been lugged over a majority of the Flatiron District, into the cab. She was kind enough to provide me with a Dunkin Donut's beverage though, which helped because the AC in the cab was for crap. (Remember the hot and muggy thing? OY!)

The driver was pissed that he had to take me to Newark and he took the longest way humanly possible to get there. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the signage for the Lincoln Tunnel and not the Holland Tunnel. In case you didn't know... you have to travel UPTOWN to get to the Lincoln Tunnel. It's about 39th street or so... to put this in perspective, I was close to 34th street when I took the train in to Penn Station and was staying on 17th street. He drove the OPPOSITE direction he needed to because he was pissed. Apparently NY cabbies aren't allowed to pick up return fares from Newark so he was getting kind of screwed on the deal, but I figured I would give him a good tip and he'd be fine with it.

Now, I get to Newark with some time to spare which is good. However, now this cabbie tells me the credit card machine is broken in the cab, and of course also the receipt machine is also broken. Christina told me both of these occurrences are ILLEGAL, but what could I do but pay the freakin $71.00. I told him he would have gotten a big tip for taking me there, but with the CC machine down, he wasn't getting all the cash on me. I got the medallion number as well as his name, but nothing I can really do about it now (other than still be pissed at him.)

All in all, the trip wasn't nearly long enough, but it was a great trip. There were none of the 5 museums in a day or 27 touristy things to do in a week. What I did get was some real NY time and time well spent with my sister and my brother in law who were kind enough to put up with me for a few days. Can't wait for the next trip.... :-)
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Day 78 - Oreos and Carmel by the Sea

There are very few things in life that can improve the outlook on my day quicker than an Oreo cookie. Two chocolaty crispy delicious cookies surrounding a yummy creamy filling. Mmmmm good. I say this because I consumed a snack pack (6) of these cookies this afternoon. I didn't have time to pack a more nutritious snacks in my lunch bag and the desperate need for something with a quantity of sugar rivaling that of Mt. St. Helen's was important to keeping my job lest I fall asleep at my desk.

I believe the exhaustion I've been experiencing lately could very well be cured with a vacation.

I would like to requisition a few weeks of solitude at Carmel-By-The-Sea. I have a few places that I absolutely love to go and don't get to spend nearly enough time there. New York City tops the list, but number 2 is undoubtedly Carmel.

Carmel offers a lot of things to do that aren't necessarily hustle and bustle, but a truly relaxing time. Wine tastings, the many artist studios and galleries, the Carmel Roasting Company (excellent coffee), and shopping that doesn't include an outlet mall feel - real boutiques with amazing clothes, art, jewelry, hand-blown glass and more.

Sidenote: A quaint place to eat lunch is a little place called The Tuckbox. I had the BEST (and I do mean...) THE BEST Welsh Rarebit at the Tuckbox. (And now I'm getting hungry.) I haven't been back since 2007 and the food or the service may have changed since then, but the atmosphere is "English Quaint" and I was very pleased with the food. (Vacations are really about the food for me.) Finding Welsh Rarebit on the West Coast was quite the treat. Maybe that should be the mission - devote where we go on vacation by what is served? If that's the case and I want some Welsh Rarebit, there's a place in Brooklyn Heights - Brooklyn, NY that serves it called the Chip Shop...
129 Atlantic Avenue
At Henry St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 855-7775
I may have to try that out next time I'm up there... which I hope is really, really soon... after I gain some solitude and decompression from the hustles and bustles of life.

More later...

Day 53 - Everything's Coming Up Roses

I'm not sure if I really have a favorite day of the week, but Thursday is definitely right up there. Tonight is "results night" with American Idol. I didn't get to see the boys perform, but the girls didn't overly impress me. I'm not sure if it was song choice or just one of those things, but we'll have to see what happens.

The news has been interesting lately insofar as celebrity things going on. Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estevez) has been having a meltdown, but for some reason, I appreciate the ownership of his whacked-out self. For some reason though, I now have to group him in the "Tom Cruise" category after the interview I saw on ABC. One of the first things I remember seeing him in was "Ferris Beuller's Day Off" when Charlie was a drugged out criminal. I thought to myself at that time Charlie actually looked like a druggie. Unfortunately, I think Charlie has stayed in character way too long.

I've also sort of kept up with some of Britain's big nuptuals to be. I remember getting up early to see Princess Diana and Charles' (gag) wedding. That was such an amazing wedding and I for one thought the pomp and circumstance surrounding it was awesome. I don't think the carriage ride will take place, which is very sad, but that is something so typically "Royal" that they should have something equally as cool for their departure. I know a lot of people in the States don't care what happens across the pond. However, I think it's wonderful that we will get to witness another royal marriage. Every girl in the world wants to marry a Prince and have the big fairy-tale wedding, but since we all can't-we at least get to watch.

In other news, lots of changes at the casa. We've been working on resume's for the DH and getting those out to varying peoples / agencies / organizations. We need to get a lot more out and hopefull that will take place soon. I have started working on mine, but for some reason, mine is a little more difficult because I have such a diverse employment background.

Last night, I went for a walk-jog-half-assed-attempt-at-running which was rather laughable. BUT... I worked up a sweat and felt better about life when I woke up this morning. I also have a small blister on my right foot. C'est la vie. I can't say that the weight-loss adventure has really worked thus far. I know part of it is stress. Not a cop-out, but the truth. I haven't been this stressed in years and when I'm stressed, I live on comfort foods. I am also thinking that it's possible at this point I have some thyroid-hormone type of thing going on. I've contemplated going to an endochronologist to have some blood work done, but haven't made the decision to actually do that yet. I had the doc do some a couple of months ago when I went for my annual exam and the thyroid came back normal. But that still doesn't explain how my symptoms correspond to hypothyroidism. We'll see I suppose. Combine those factors with the fact I've been menopausal for a good decade, weight does NOT come off quickly.

Life Lesson #53 Carpe Diem!!!!

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: Cream of Wheat
Morning Snack: Briscuit Breakfast Burrito w. salsa (obviously cream of wheat by itself isn't enough food to sustain a person...) This was followed by 2 Tums. Ugh.
Lunch: TBA
Afternoon Treat: TBA
Dinner: TBA

Health & Fitness #53 Put your kitchen on a diet before starting your own weight loss plan. It just makes sense if you "slim down" the crap from your kitchen, you won't be tempted to indulge in "crap."

Feeding the Spirit #53

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
— Colossians 1:15 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
If we had been alive when Jesus worked in the carpentry shop in Nazareth or walked along the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum, we could have said, "There goes God," and been right. The amazing reality of Jesus is that he was God among us. Matthew calls him Immanuel, "God with us." In Colossians 1, Paul pours out every superlative he can use to describe Jesus' preeminence over everything and everyone. He is God with a human face. He is the ruler, the transcendent one, who reigns above all creation. He is also our Savior and our sacrifice.

Day 38 - An Ode to Breakfast

I was 3 minutes late for work today. I like to be on time for work. However, I actually ate some breakfast this morning which took me a little longer than the norm. That really wouldn't have been so bad had I not overslept to begin with and I wouldn't have overslept if I hadn't been watching one of the "Big Momma" movies I hadn't seen late last night. It's interesting to see how the chain of events can unfold. But I digress...

There are a lot of mornings I don't eat breakfast. This morning, I had a yummmmmmy multigrain bagel w/ a schmear of cream cheese (approximately 200 kcal.) It was enough to soothe the savage beastie and kept me from downing 250 unhealthy calories of Peanut M&M's, which is what breakfast would have been. I'm proud of the choice to eat something healthy for breakfast; afterall, breakfast IS the MOST important meal of the day.

Just some quick points on how breakfast helps:

Energy: After fasting all night, breakfast can kick-start your energy level.
Appetite suppressant: If you choose healthful, slow-burning foods, like whole grains and fruits, you should be able to control your appetite until midday. Overeating throughout the day is also less likely. Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to make up for the calories later in the day, often with unhealthy, high-fat and high-calorie convenience foods.
Calorie burning: Eating breakfast increases the metabolic - or calorie-burning - rate. Consequently, you have more energy and weight control is easier. Watch out for foods heavy with refined sugars, like pastries and sugary cereals. These foods offer calories without many essential nutrients. High sugar foods and drinks may also cause your energy to soar briefly before it falls to lower levels. You may feel more drained and hungry, even if you ate breakfast.

A healthy breakfast should contain some protein and some fiber. Protein can come from low fat meats, eggs, beans or dairy. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. So what do we eat?

Oatmeal or warm cereals such as 9-Grain Cereals, Cream of Wheat etc.
Add a tablespoon or two of wheat germ and a table spoon of flaxseed and maybe some fresh or dried fruit (no sugar added) is a great way to start the day. (It's in my top 3 list of favorite breakfasts.)

Sidenote: Flaxseed from health food stores is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Purchase the already ground type to save some time of grinding it yourself and keep it refridgerated. You can add this to lowfat cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese and smoothies.

Some other quick and healthful ideas are:

· A nonfat or lowfat yogurt parfait layered with fresh fruit and cereal, nuts or raisins
· Lowfat yogurt mixed with fresh fruit in a blender for a vitamin-rich smoothie
· Whole wheat toast with a little peanut butter and banana slices
· Fish, such as leftover salmon, on a whole grain bagel with reduced or nonfat cream cheese (Rudis organic bagels ROCK!)
· Homemade bran or fruit and nut muffins, made on the weekend and frozen.
· Leftovers from a healthy dinner. No one says you have to have eggs and cereal for breakfast.

And in case you are interested....

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: 3/4 cup of Light Chocolate Silk; 1 Rudis Organic multi-grain bagel with a schmear of cream cheese
Morning Snack: Frigo Light Cheese Stick
Lunch: 2 Ezekiel Tortillas, 1 can of tuna fish w/ 1T of mayo and 1T of relish split between both tortillas; 1/5 cups of raw spinach between the two tortillas and last but not least... 20 baby carrots
Afternoon Snack: Gala apple, cherry jello, and 1 oz mixed nuts
Dinner: Not a clue at this moment.


Feeding the Spirit #38

— Isaiah 40:29-31 —
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Day 37 - Monday... Not a Fan

It's not so much that I don't like Mondays. I have nothing personal against a Monday. I do dislike the first day of the week I have to go back to work whether it be a Monday, Thursday or Saturday. It could also be that I'm not really so concerned today is Monday, but that I'm just not thrilled with life in general.

DH's computer bit the big one. As this is the primary tool needed for him to be able to do his job, that's a setback I hadn't really anticipated. He does have a backup system he's working on, but it is slower, needs more RAM and whatever else... It's frustrating to say the least and I'm not happy about all this crap that seems to be happening lately.

Health and Fitness #37: There is a yoga class and a pilates class tonight offered at the Town Club. I really think I need to go to at least one of them. Not only are they low-impact workouts, but the stress relief is more important than just about anything else. I'm thinking at this point I just might implode.
I've really wanted to start doing yoga again on a regular basis. I actually have a book, a CD and a mat at home. However, home isn't an overly great place to try to do any kind of exercise. Between the DH, the kids, the dogs and life in general, it's kind of the worst case scenario for working out. In 2008 I was doing yoga with some kind of regularity. Hopefully, this will be a great thing to come to pass. Unfortunately, as much as I want to go tonight, I don't know that I will get dinner done in time to make that happen. *sigh* Too bad there isn't an early morning yoga class.

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: 1 cup of Light Chocolate Silk; 2 small Oatmeal/Banana/Cranberry cookie things (... not that great, but edible, nutritious, and not a lot of calories)
Morning Snack: Frigo Light Cheese Stick and 1/4 cup blueberries
Lunch: 2 Ezekiel Tortillas, 1 Laughing Cow Herb Cheese, 3 slices Organic deli chicken, Spinach, Sprouts and 3 Gobstoppers
Afternoon Snack: "Jazz" apple (can't say I'm all that impressed and much prefer a honeycrisp, gala, mac or granny smith), a cup of sugar-free Cherry Jello, 1 "cookie" and 10 mixed nuts
Dinner: Pork chops, Broccoli/Rice/Cheese, Salad, Crescent rolls (at least that is the theory as I sit here contemplating what to cook)

Feeding the Spirit #37

— James 5:16 (b) —
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

_________________________
Six Blessings of Prayer:
• Prayer fuels faith to dream and hope and risk;
• Prayer woos us to the Word and by our need to hear God's response to our requests;
• Prayer teaches us trust in God by waiting upon His timing;
• Prayer reveals God's plan and our purpose in opening up to us detailed directions for both the present and the future;
• Prayer releases God's power to live and walk in the supernatural realm of the Holy Spirit;
• Prayer unleashes love for God — emotional, real and all-consuming.

Day 34- Friday, the end...

I'm thankful today is Friday. For whatever reason this has been a very long week and I can't wait til the weekend to take care of a few things that I need to take care of and then turn into asparagus - a vegetable. The weather is supposed to be a tad bit warmer, so maybe this means I can finish going through stuff in the garage. It desperately needs to be done and hopefully, this will be the weekend.

So far, diet has been "ok" today, but not quite feeling up to snuff. Maybe it's the large fiber content I've been consuming the past couple of days catching up with me. I can honestly say I'm "stuffed" yet don't feel quite satisfied. How to remedy that I'm not sure.

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: Apple & Water
Morning Snack: Cherry Jello and 1 peanut M&M
Lunch: 2 Cups raw spinach, 1 cup cubed chicken, 1/2 cup sprouts and 2 Ezekiel Tortillas.. oh and a Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge and 5 peanut M&M's
Afternoon Treat:
Dinner: TBA

Health & Fitness #34 Stairs... so good for exercising those massive muscles we sit on each and every day. If you take two stairs at a time, it burns more calories and who doesn't want that?!?!


Feeding the Spirit #34 Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Why and how can you change it?

Day 33 - Eating Clean and Snow Melt

I was laying awake the other night and taking inventory of how my 142 days of resolution are going so far for 2011. I was actually awake because of two factors: snoring and snow. The snoring is rather normal in my house, but the snowstorm... it was freakishly cold outside and yours truly forgot to properly program the thermostat. So.... I was going through some old photographs and compared them to some new ones. I know I have gained too much weight when my face is "fat." Seriously. It's one thing to wear tents, but when my face looks like the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man... well, it's definitely time to reverse the trend.

I've started reading Jillian Michael's "Master Your Metabolism." There's a wealth of information in there. I also recommend Tosca Reno's "Eat Clean Diet." I've started making changes on the diet, but I'm no where near eating TOTALLY clean yet. Slowly but surely. I wish I were one of those people who could make some changes cold turkey, but alas, not so much.

Health & Fitness #33 Still sore from shoveling snow, but did take a pretty good walk around the PD and up and down stairs today. Will probably try to do something at home tonight too.

Food & Drink #33 My mother used to say that I had to chew each bite of food 32 times. I always thought that was a random BS number, but there is some science behind it. So, I've been taking more time to eat and to TASTE foods. Too many times I have found myself just shovelling food in my mouth and I haven't really stopped to taste it. It's actually how my dogs eat - three chews and it's gone. That's totally not healthy because the mouth does a good bunch of digesting food before it even gets to the stomach. Why do I want to make my stomach try to do more work? I have to admit it's harder to eat this way, but I have found that I enjoy my meals more and I have found that I don't eat quite as much. In the long run, that's a good thing. So a couple of tips to help the process:

1. Chew each bite of food about 30 times.
2. Put the fork or spoon down between bites.
3. Don't talk with your mouth full. Not only is it bad manners, but it impedes on eating because you are in such a hurry to speak. A few more seconds won't matter.
4. "Take human-sized bites." This is another of my mom's favorite sayings, but there's truth to it. Smaller bites means better digestion and a feeling of fullness at a decent rate so you don't over-stuff yourself.

There are many articles on the benefits of good mastication and I promise within a week of changing your chewing habits, you will see and feel a difference in your body AND your appreciation for food. Just maybe you will become a true gormand.

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: 1 cup chocolate Silk
Morning Snack: 2 Ezekiel Tortillas, 15 baby carrots
Lunch:2 Cups raw spinach, 1 cup cubed chicken
Afternoon Treat: 1/2 "Mounds" package, 5 peanut M&M's and cherry Jello (not together!) and 1 cup chopped pineapple (I do sense a carb trend here)
Dinner: Tuna fish salad, ezekiel tortilla, sprouts

Feeding the Spirit #33 How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

Days 19 & 20 - Another two-fer

I've been excessively busy during the day and at night too tired to write. So here I am while I have the chance to check in and see what all the wonders of the universe have in store. Aside from catching up on my actual work-load, the only thing I have truly accomplished is watching some American Idol. There's some talent out there and then there are the others where you just have to plug your ears, cock your head to one side and go, "Seriously?"

Isn't rakish a great word? According to the dictionary, it means:

1. Smart; jaunty; dashing.
2. Of a vessel: having an appearance suggesting speed.
3. Like a rake; dissolute: rakish behavior.

I'm trying to figure out how I can best use it in a sentence, but at this time I haven't quite figured out how it fits in law-enforcement. A romance novel perhaps, but not here. Will have to keep trying.

Also, I can't say that this is a "new" feature to the blog, but from time to time, I figure I will share a few words I find interesting.

Life Lesson #19-20 Heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences

Health & Fitness #19-20 If you are finding it hard to workout because of a time crunch. A lunchtime workout may be the answer. Keep a bag with your sneakers, gym clothes, and basic grooming necessities stashed at your office so you’re always ready for a lunchtime workout. Women with long hair can tie it back to sweat-proof it. And Baby Wipes come in small packs and can get you cleaned up really fast so you don’t have to wait in line for the shower.(You might not want to share that particular secret with your work colleagues!) If you pack a nutritious lunch, then you are set. Just don't assume that you burned 300 calories and can then eat a cheeseburger. You'll just feel frustrated and not lose any weight.

Food & Drink #19-20 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as many studies have shown and confirmed. So here are some great breakfast ideas for you to ponder courtsey of runner's world.:

Homemade raisin bran
Description: Mix one cup of Total cereal, a packet of raisins, and 1 cup nonfat milk. This simple home recipe with 244 calories fortifies you with 100 percent of the Daily Value for most vitamins and minerals, boosts your protein intake by 12 grams, and gives you a sweet, natural fiber and sugar source.
You'll Save: 50 calories, 6 teaspoons of sugar, and 5 grams of fat compared with ready-to-serve raisin bran doused with a cup of 2-percent milk.

Scrambled whites with greens
Description: This low-fat, scrambled-egg alternative provides 54 grams of high-quality dietary protein in just 255 calories. First, spray your frying pan with fat-free Pam. Then pour the equivalent of four servings of Eggology egg whites (or Second Nature or Egg Beaters egg whites) in a bowl and blend with 1/2 cup spinach and 1/2 cup mushrooms. Heat the pan until the Pam starts to bubble, pour in the eggs, and fry until the eggs are nearly dry.
You'll Save: 40 calories, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, and 13 grams of fat compared with two normal scrambled eggs.

Balanced Diet Shake
Description: For something cool, tasty, and nutrient-filled in the morning, try a shake or smoothie. The Balanced Diet nutritional drink provides 180 calories with lots of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in a naturally flavored French vanilla or chocolate royale. Each serving includes 5 grams of dietary fiber and 10 grams of soy, or 40 percent of the daily minimum now recommended by the American Heart Association.
You'll Save: 60 calories daily and nearly 6 grams of fat compared with many other similar drinks.

Frozen fruit smoothie
Description: You can prepare your own personal antioxidant-filled fruit smoothie like the following one that runner Bruce Shapiro used to lose 30 pounds over the last few years. Combine and blend: one cup frozen, unsweetened blueberries; 1/2 banana; 1/4 cup wheat germ; and water.
You'll Save: 200 calories for each 2- to 3-cup serving, compared with many store-bought and canned smoothie beverages.

Personally, I would prefer a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal, fresh blueberries, flaxseed, wheat germ, pecans, and a little bit of agave nectar. Filling and yummy. Scottish oats are great too. I used to hate oatmeal because dad couldn't make it to save his life...but I had a big bowl a few years ago at Inn of the Mountain Gods and been hooked ever since. Yum.



Food tally for the day - Friday:
Breakfast: Ribeye Steak Breakfast Burrito
Morning Snack: Cheese Stick,Grapes, 1 Giradelli mint-chocolate square
Lunch: Tuna fish, baby carrots
Afternoon Snack: TBA
Dinner: TBA

Feeding the Spirit #19-20 I've really been missing my BFF lately. After something in the neighborhood of 25 years of fun and frivolity, tears and torture and some great moments in between, I miss talking to her on a regular basis. True friendships are a rarity and dad used to say that there was a big difference between a friend and a friendly acquaintance. It's something I also try to instill in my kids. You have to know the difference and sometimes it takes a long time to figure out. So in honor of friendship:

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit."
-- Aristotle (4th century B.C.)

"We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over."
-- Samuel Johnson

It's the ones you can call up at 4:00 a.m. that really matter.-- Marlene Dietrich

Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. -- Czech. Proverb

Day 13 - Friday YAY!!!!

Today I have tried to succeed in doing nothing. At this point, I have failed because I have done quite a bit of work today. I'm waiting on phone calls and hope they either return my call quickly or don't call at all. I'm tired, I hurt and I want to lay down. However, I don't think that's at all possible at my desk. Someone might actually say something.

We had food day in my department. Excellent Mexican food. Tamales, beans, rice, chips / salsa / queso. And for dessert... German chocolate cake. What's wrong with that picture? BTW - it may have been wrong, but was excessively yummalicious.

I have this pair of shoes that make sounds when I walk around the PD. They hit the lineoleum floors and that's all she wrote. I am often told that I can't sneak up behind anyone when I am wearing them. For a while I thought that was a bad thing, then I realized... do I really WANT to sneak up on a bunch of people carrying guns? I do however wish the sound weren't so pronounced. And sad thing is ... this is the only place that it happens. I haven't had it happen anywhere else. Asbestos flooring? One might wonder.

The day is almost over, yet it's not. I still have to run to AACAL and AHS and pick up homework for K who has been out sick for the past week. This morning her fever was still 101. I'm not a fan of this illness thing going on. I suppose I probably should get to the schools before they lock me out.

You might have noticed the format of the blog has changed a little bit today. This seems to work for me and for now this is how it will be. A good way to end the week I think. More later...

Day 12 - Thirsty Thursday

In the wee hours of the morning, I moved from my warm snuggly bed to the couch in the living room. Insomnia sucks. Fortunately, I turned on the living room light because in doing so I saw Jenny the schnauzer laying on the ottoman. She's normally curled up on the goosedown blanket I keep on the couch because I get cold and if I have to nap, it's perfect. She slunk to the love seat from the ottoman and me - I just thought I woke her up from a hard sleep and she was tired. The blanket however wasn't so perfect as I got closer. She piddled on my blankie. I was so not amused. So instead of curling up with my favorite blanket, I had to suddenly do a washload, find another big blanket and then try to relax. I know dogs really don't understand the concept of a "shit list." She's made mine.

Health & Fitness #12 A black belt is a white belt that never gave up.

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: Cheese stick, carrots and grapes - 16 oz. bottle of water
Morning Snack: Cheese stick #2, more carrots and more grapes as well as 2 mugs of hot tea.
Lunch: Lean Cuisine - Chicken and Veggies
Afternoon Snack: Cherry Jello
Dinner: 212 pieces of pizza. Ok... not that many, but did have my fair share and I did enjoy. So there.

Feeding the Spirit #12 Imagination is more important than knowledge - Albert Einstein -