Last night of work

                                   

   It has rained everyday since Thursday.  My plants are all thriving under the rain as for the most part it has been a gentle rain, but some sun wouldn't hurt either.  The grass in my front yard is at least 2 feet long in places.  Must get the mower fixed, but we couldn't mow in the rain anyway.  Everything is so green.  When my son was little he used to ask us if it was green out yet because he couldn't go out to play until the sun came up.  He used to crawl out of bed around 5 am ready to go.  "Is it green out?"  Cute the things kids say.  He also used to call a tow truck the toe taxi.   This is also the child that told me he wanted to "stand to go bathroom like daddy!"  "Great I said. show mommy", he stood there and went potty like a big boy and then pooped on my floor!  Sigh.  You have to spell everything out for a child.  Funny memories.

   What does this have to do with my eating plan?  Nothing, but my daily total is so bad I was hesitating to get to it.  Not that the calories were horrible but certainly more then the 1500 I have set for myself, but the total fat was very high as were a few of the others.  Carbs were right up there, but my sodium was down.    I have a lot of room for improvement and I can see now why my weight loss has stalled so bad.  It will be interesting to see what my first weekly total shows.

   One more day to work and then I am off tomorrow.  If you can call it that since I get off at 7 am and then will sleep until 12:30.  I have to get a package ready and go to the bank.  I also want to hit the gym and Tuesday some of us are going to take a stair class at the gym.  Should be interesting.  I said I would try it once to see if it kills my knees.  I want to find something to replace my water aerobic class that gives me as good of a workout.

 

   Supper tonight is left overs so I opt for the spagetti again which has less calories then the mac and cheese.  Rick always cooks for 4 still and has trouble cutting it down to just the 2 of us these days.  We usually run some over to his mother who us happy not to cook and is scoring regularly on the days Rick cooks.  She has gained weight also.  Rick is just too good a cook.  I underlined the ones that need work.

 

                                Your Nutrition Information

                                                   Actual                                Target

Calories                                       1,900                                   1500

Calories from Fat                           530                                  280 - 530

Total Fat                                       62g                                    32 - 61g

Saturated Fat                                 17g                                    <= 17g

Cholesterol                                 155mg                                   < 300mg

Sodium                                      1,770mg                                 < 2400mg

Total Carbohydrate                        260g                                   180 - 260g

Dietary Fiber                                 23g                                          >= 25g

Sugars                                          61g *

Protein                                           80g                                        41 - 142g

Vitamin A                                      *                                                  *

Vitamin C                                      60%                                         100%

Calcium                                        35%                                           100%

Iron                                             140%                                          100%

Meditation

  Try to be reasonable in the way you grow, and don't ever think it is too late. It is never too late. Even if you are going to die tomorrow, keep yourself straight and clear and be a happy human being today. If you keep your situation happy day by day, you will eventually reach the greatest happiness of enlightenment.

-Lama Thubten Yeshe, The Bliss of Inner Fire

 Well, I slept lousy and only got around 5 1/2 good hours and then woke up every 15 minutes or so.  Happens that way sometimes.  Work will be very tuff and I can only hope we are busy.  I got something from the insurance stating they paid my bill and I still owe 6599.00. Yikes, I thought it would pay better then that and just got another bill for over 11,000 for my last stay.  I am hoping my hospital writes off some of that bill.  I think they are suppose to but we will see.  The way our census has been I can't even pick up some extra.  I am trying to stay in that happy place like it states above and did my meditation when I woke up, but I have a feeling it is not going to work so well.  Just take it a day at a time.

Your Nutrition Information

Actual Target Calories 1,990  1500

Calories from Fat 520    280 - 530

Total Fat 60g    32 - 61g

Saturated Fat 20g <= 17g

Cholesterol 205mg < 300mg

Sodium 4,290mg < 2400mg

Total Carbohydrate 297g 180 - 260g

Dietary Fiber 16g >= 25g

Sugars 134g *

Protein 68g 41 - 142g

Vitamin A * *

Vitamin C 50% 100%

Calcium 80% 100%

Iron 120% 100%

         Yike, everything is way too high almost.  I could only guess at the spagetti so it could be higher or lower. I am afraid higher.  Goal for tomorrow is much lower.  This has been good to start keeping track of my calories again.  It is so easy to fool yourself otherwise.  Can't do that when it is right there in black and white.  At the end of the week I will do my weekly summary and see how it totals up.  I have go to do something about that sodium.  Just think.  I limit my sodium and never add it to foods or cook with it.  I wonder what my mother in laws sodium intake is, she salts salt!  Of course she has been very lucky as none of that as ever bothered her.

  Well I am off to work all showered and hopefully awake enough that the night will be good.  Please don't be quiet tonight, I do not need that.

Friday

   I was visiting with a patient about fishing last night and he told me he owned a farm with a very well stocked gravel pit on it and invited me to fish there anytime I wanted.  How very nice that was.  I told him I was strickly catch and release and didn't believe in leaving any garbage around either and that it was very nice of him.  I had a lovely group of patients last night.  I was charge the first 4 hours which I hate, but was able to do my own thing the last part. 

   My diet did not go well last night.  So far I think if I only eat on plan for supper I will be under 2000 but barely.  I'm hopeless.  The meal I brought was great but I still ate more.  Why can't I stay on plan all of a sudden.  Also I have been coughing and sob all week since I did water aerobics.  I think I have a touch of bronchitis now.  Rick is making spagetti for supper and he always adds italian sausage and lean hamburger.  We are using wheat noodles, but I will have to just have a very small amount of sauce to stay under 2000.  My stomach feels huge.  Is the only way I will stay on plan be to tape my mouth shut.  For work tonight I am going to cut way back on what I bring.  I will plan the supper tomorrow to be a south beach dinner.  No bread what so ever tomorrow.  I can do this.

Slim down this recipe

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguini

Submitted by: skini

"So easy to make, done in minutes, and absolutely delicious. Keeps well in the fridge, too!"

Original recipe yield: 4 servings.

Prep Time:

15 Minutes

Cook Time:

25 Minutes

Ready In:

40 Minutes

Servings:

4 (change)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.
3. Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

 

   I got this recipe in my emails today and it looks wonderful. Way high in fat though.  I could make it using low fat chicken broth and  smart balance buttery spread which would cut down on the fat alot.  What about the wine?  Could I leave that out as I have red wine to cook with, but not white?  If I do use white what is a good one to have around for cooking?  Anyway it looks really good.  My doctor told me to give up the shrimp but I love it.  I also was thinking some cut up yellow squash and zucchini would be great in it and of course I would use wheat pasta.  Any other idea's to make it in my diet?

Your Nutrition Information

Actual Target Calories 1,130 1500

Calories from Fat 340 280 - 530

Total Fat 39g 32 - 61g

Saturated Fat 9g <= 17g

Cholesterol 90mg < 300mg

Sodium 2,850mg < 2400mg

Total Carbohydrate 157g 180 - 260g

Dietary Fiber 23g >= 25g

 Sugars 70g *

Protein 43g 41 - 142g

Vitamin A * *

Vitamin C 70% 100%

Calcium 20% 100%

Iron 80% 100%

Water 32oz >= 64 oz

    This is my daily total for today.  Look at that sodium.   It was from the prepared packaged food I had last night, lean gourmet and the crockpot meal tonight.  Cooking from scratch is so much better but time consuming.  I wish these companies would cut down on the salt.  Otherwise it looks pretty good and it was a good idea to start keeping track of my food again.  Everytime I was tempted to eat last night I though about having to add it up and it stopped me.  I should be able to be down the 2 pounds by next week this way.  Tomorrow I will up the calories a couple of hundred.

Work

   Had a busy night last night.  Spent the first 4 hours on the surgical floor and had a nice group of patients, but that got me started later on my floor when I got back at 11:20.  Had to run some platelets in fast and get report then go to a code blue on another floor.  That tied me up for 45 minutes.  I ate my supper which was lean gourmet  turkey and veggies and a great salad.  I had my apple with melted peanut butter for dessert.  Had a late admit and had to give 2 units of blood plus a confused patient climbed out of bed and fell needing staples.  Time just flew by.  Around 5 I had a couple of multigrain cakes and that was it.  I didn't get any water in. 

    It is rainy and cool this morning, perfect for sleeping.  I think I will ask Rick to make a crock pot meal.  Just found out they are going to make us stay until 7:30 from now on instead of getting off at 7!  We are suppose to clock out and take a half hour supper.  I could scream.  That way they work us an extra half hour with no pay.  They want us to watch the lights while the nurses get report.  It's always something.

Nutritional information for today.

Your Nutrition Information

Actual Target Calories 1,280 1500

Calories from Fat 370 280 - 530

Total Fat 43g 32 - 61g

 Saturated Fat 12g <= 17g

Cholesterol 95mg < 300mg

Sodium 2,470mg < 2400mg

Total Carbohydrate 173g 180 - 260g

Dietary Fiber 21g >= 25g

Sugars 41g *

Protein 46g 41 - 142g

Vitamin A * *

Vitamin C 20% 100%

Calcium 30% 100%

Iron 100% 100%

Water 32>= 64 oz

 

     As you can see I did bad with my Vit C and calcium, but my multivitamin and calcium pills will help.  I got too much sodium and that happened because of the turkey Kielbasa for supper.  Those things are just loaded.  Otherwise pretty good. I am always low on fiber. Since I will be going to work soon won't eat again until around 1.  Trying to keep my calories below 1400 for 3 days then 1800 for 2 days then back down again. 

   No gym today because by the time I got all my packages ready it was late plus I needed to add some things to the store.  I try to add as many as I sell so I have have around the same amount of inventory.  I noticed when I had hundreds of items in the store people would usually only look at about 7 pages.  Now I keep it to around 5 pages and just add and things sells.  I hate aol pictures though as all my pictures look terrible with their old program and they want you to pay alot for the new one.  You can click on the link on the side to see the type of items I sell under my favorite links, Julia's Midwest Vintage.

 

Fishing

  

 Fishing yesterday was not very productive.  I got one small bass in 3 hours.  One large sunburn again.  My doctor would scream if she saw me.

     Feeling pretty silly today.  I couldn't understand why I was burning so bad when I wasn't out that very long, not counting yesterday, and used sunscreen.  Nurses instruct patients in their medications alot and remind them to know the side effects and precautions with each of their meds.  Well, the one medication I am on cautions you about being out in the sun as it makes you burn faster.  Of course I had completely forgotten that.  What a good patient I am! 

   Anyway the weather was cool but sunny yesterday and it was a pleasent day at the lake and a prettier drive to get there. 

                                   

Pretty expensive though.  Fishing liscense are up to $17.50!  Yikes.  I haven't been fishing for 5 years and they were 10.50 then.  I used to fish everyday I was off, but got out of the habit when we were remodeling this house because then everyday off was spend here working.  Not paying attention to how much the fishing liscense was going up.  Then the worms were $2.85!  Man.  I bought 2 dozen thinking I was going to have fish lining up to let me catch them and only used one worm.  Last, but certainly not least, the cost of gas to go 40 miles to fish.  Pretty pricey day all in all for one 13 " bass.  At least if could have been a legal size. 

    I hadn't been to this gravel pit for 5 years so the fishing may have died out there.  I did see huge 3 to 5 foot carp lazily swimming by looking like submarines.  They rarely bite on a hook, but when they do you are in for a super fun time fighting to get it to shore.  I once had one bite on my micropole that I had fitted with 4 pound spider line.  I was sure the pole would break.  My bobber sank and took off at unbelievable speed.  I did manage to get it to the shore before it broke the line. Spider line is very hard to break.  That fish was only around 3 feet, a small one by that places usual size.  Anyway I wonder if they ate most of the panfish as I didn't see a single crappie.

   We got back to town around 6 after driving through the Loess hills which were beautiful with flowering trees and bright green grasses.  Such a lovely day.  At home we cut up some yellow squash, zucchini, red, yellow, and green peppers, peeled red pearl onions, and mushrooms and make kabobs that I marinated in Ken's Herb and Garlic marinate.  We had some very lean pork cuts we seasoned with garlic pepper and I wrapped some sour dough in aluminum to put on the grill.  I admit to having a Widmer wheat beer with the meal as it just screamed for it after the lovely day.  No self control.  Still I don't think I did bad yesterday.  Slim fast for breakfast and lunch, one large apple and a few corn nuts,( not good either), and then supper.

                           

    I start my long stretch now tonight.  Census is down so I hope I get through the next 4 days without having to take a low census day.  Normally I would jump at a day off but I really need some full paychecks to play catch up on my bills. 

    The ebay auction is over andI have to mail packages.  To me it was a bust, but some people got very lucky.  I probably won't do another for awhile.  Everyone waited to bid until the last hour and only 2 things brought what they should have, one more.  The others went way low.  I hate to put a reserve on them because ebay nickle and dimes you for everything you add on.  It gets pretty pricey.  If I do sales in the future I will mention on the listing that I reserve the right to end the listing early if no bids by day 2.  That would save me sitting there packing up all the items at once as I don't pack them unless they sale.  I think as soon I finish this ladies sale I will close my store and get a booth at a local antique mall and sell the rest.  Make alot more money.

   Well, I guess I will finish and make my breakfast.  Shredded wheat and a banana.  I am going to have a nice salad for lunch and am not sure what for supper yet.  It will be a on plan day.  Hope everyone has a lovely day.

                                                  

Cold, Cold, Cold

                                          

    Well the weather outside is cold and in the 40's now, it did get to freezing last night.  My plants are safely tucked inside except for my in ground plants which I covered.  I am checking the weather to see if I still might get to go fishing.  Is it silly to drive 40 miles with the gas prices this high to fish especially since I am strickly catch and release?  I just can't kill the fish when I catch them, no stomach for it, but I love catching a lively one.  I am a lazy fisherman, now why isn't that surprising, and do it the old fashion way with a worm and bobber.  It is more the just sitting there not having to do anything that I like.  The way the light plays on the water, the warmth on my skin, the thrill of watching my bobber dip down and then take off with a fish.  I usually catch alot of fish also much to the shock of "real fisherman" near me with their fancy lures and high technology.  I broke the record on a bluegill I got with my micropole and 4 pound test line.  The fish was so big and fat I didn't recognize what type it was.  A man I asked said, " that's the biggest bluegill I have ever seen"!  Almost as big as his eyes when I gently let it go.  I noticed when we left he went to where I had been and started to fish.  I hope the fish didn't like his lures.  I also will use grasshoppers.  The bluegill and bass love them but they come off the hook very easily. 

    We had a large plane crash here some years ago. Flight 232.  I worked in outpatients that day and it was one of the worse days of my life.  So many injured people.  I was so proud of my hospital and town that day.  We did a great job.  It takes alot out of you though.  I almost felt shocky the day I left work hours later.  Fishing helped me get my head back on staight.  I wasn't meditating at that time, but fishing gives me the same feeling of peace and

   I have been doing some soul searching today about my weight loss efforts or poor effort lately.  I am feeling too content at the weight I am but I am a long way from goal.   I need to really, really, want to lose weight again like I did in the beginning.   I feel so much better now and I could feel even better.  I go along doing pretty good and then happily binge my way up a few pounds.  I never thought of myself as a binge eater before, but looking truthfully at my past eating habits I was and am.  No eating all day and then from supper on munching away all night at work on this and that.  I still have that terrible habit, even on my days off.  First supper, then an hour later I want my popcorn or multigrain, and then a hour later a carb freedom blackraspberry bar.  See how it adds up. And I think I am on plan because they are part of my diet foods I eat but they are mean't to be an occasional treat and then one or the other, not all of them.    I was religious about writing down on my food for months and could tell you exactly how many calories I had eaten on any given day.  I haven't done that for weeks.  Until this morning.  This all has to stop.  Am I just playing at this now or am I going to get off my amble behind and get back solidly on plan?   I am eating too much cheese,  too large of portions again, too many empty snacks.  Back to slimfast.com to keep track of my food.  I vow here and now to be 2 pounds lighter by this time next week and 8 pounds lighter by this time next month.  I restart the journey today.

           

   The defining characteristic of guarding alertness
   In brief is only this:
   To examine again and again
   The condition of mybody and mind.

   Therefore I shall put this way of life into actual practice,
   For what can be achieved by merely talking about it?
   Will a sick man be benefited
   Merely by reading the medical texts?

    -Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"                       

                                                   

Water Aerobics.

                                           

   Well, its official, swimming messes up my lungs,  I am wheezing, coughing, short of breath, and just miserable and I only did one hour!  What a huge huge disappointment for me.  I love water aerobics. I like it much better then the treadmill and weights.  The workout seems to be better for toning not to mention great on my creaky old joints.  I forgot to try a clariton before I went, but I did go into the steam room afterward to see if that would help open up my air passages.  Why did it not use to bother me?  I did it for 9 months without any problems and now it about kills me.  My doctor will hear me at my wheezy best.  I hope she doesn't want to give me an inhaler.  They are so expensive. 

    I tried to add a guestbook like Sugar has but can't figure out how to insert it so I stuck it on the side.  Sign in please and leave a link to your journal.  So many wonderful people in J-land.

   I will probably post once more tonight when I get home from the doctors on what my weight is. 

         Thanks Sugar, I did what you said and it worked.  So smart.

     Back from the doctor.  My weight only shows I have lost that 1.5 pounds I gained, no other loss, sigh.  She did some tests and as suspected I have mild restrictive airway disease from smoking so many years, but she suspects I am also having asthma attacks after swimming.  I was feeling better by the time of my appointment, just a cough.  So the next step is to see a specialist.  I like the doctor I will see, he is very good, but wanted to see a different doctor strickly because of the eye candy appeal, shame on me.  I see him next week.  No more water aerobics until we find out what is going on.  I refused the steroid inhaler.  Thanks but no thanks. 

   She was very impressed with my weight loss and liked my new hairstyle, told me never to get this sunburnt again and was very nice.  So different then my old Doctor.  A male Doctor would never notice you changed your hair.  My bad cholesterol was 143 and is suppose to be under 100.  I bet it was much higher before I started eating different.  Have to cut down on cheese and give up, sigh, shrimp.  I love shrimp.

Morning stretches.

Follow these 8 simple stretches before starting your workday:

• Bend forward. Sitting on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor, lean forward until your chest rests over your knees. Let your arms hang loosely, fingertips on the floor.
• Act like a flamingo. While standing, hold on to the back of your chair and grasp your right ankle with your left hand. Keep your hips facing straight ahead and pull your ankle up toward your buttocks as far as you can. Hold, then repeat with the other leg.
• Stand in the corner. Stand 24 inches or less from the corner of a room and place your forearms flat on each wall at shoulder height. Place your feet together, lean forward and touch your nose to the corner, like a push-up.
• Cross your arms. Bring your left arm, elbow bent, across your chest, parallel to the floor. Use your right hand to pull your left arm further across your body. Repeat with your other arm.
• Stretch your neck. Reach your right over your head and gently grasp the left side of your head. Gently pull your head away from your left shoulder with your hand. Repeat with other side of your head.
• Scratch your back. Reach down the middle of your back with you left hand, pointing your elbow toward the ceiling. Gently push your elbow down with your right hand for a deeper stretch. Repeat with your other arm.
• Shrug, roll and move your shoulders. Lift your shoulders up to your ears by squeezing your shoulder blades together, pause for 10 seconds, then release. Put your hands on your waist and slowly circle your shoulders forward 10 times. Repeat this movement backwards as well. Finally, extend both arms sideways at shoulder height and rotate your arms 10 times in small circles. Then repeat, circling backwards.
• Do the twist. Sitting in your chair, cross your right knee over the left knee. Place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and your right hand on your right armrest or on your desk. While sitting up straight, press your left hand into your right thigh and gently twist to the right. Look over your shoulder and hold. Repeat in the other direction.

These stretches will go along way in preventing current flare-ups and any future problems. Do them on a regular basis and do it until it becomes habit. In daily practice, patients always tell me that it works, but they tend to let the ball drop. Consistency is the key!

________________________________________________________________

    Good Morning everyone.  Trying to decide if I want to go to water aerobics and risk feeling lousy the rest of the day.  It is rainy here so the pool will be completely closed up.   I hate the thought of coughing and being wheezy all day, but today is my doctors appointment and it might help for her to see how I get after the pool.  They did think it may be my lungs.

                                             

    I brought my plants in last night and will tonight also.  They say we might get rain mixed with snow!  Wow.  What happened to the beautiful weekend?  You can never tell with the weather.   One of my customers lives in SpearFish, South Dakota and they just had 2 feet of snow and no power for 14 hours.  That is only a few hours from here.  My husband just walked in and said it looks like there may be snow mixed with the rain outside.  WAAAAH.  No bike ride today.

    I bought some bananas.  The best banana to me is slightly green and the ends and firm.  They pass through that stage very quickly so I usually don't buy them and I hate a mushy banana.  My husband likes them soft but rarely eats them.  I hope the potassium level is as good in the greener one.

   We had fajitas last night which were tasty and I am making more chicken tonight on a bed of black beans, corn and salsa.  I like the heat.  Breakfast will be the usual but with a banana.  For lunch I will probably just have a slim fast since everything tastes terrible after swimming anyway if I go.  I also have some dishes I have to pack that I sold during the night. 

     These dishes are so pretty.  I love Noritake china and this is a lovely pattern.  I know they will be happy with them.  My auction ends today so people will start bidding if they are going to soon.  Tomorrow I am fishing so I will spend tonight packing.  My husband is getting pretty good at it but I can pack 4 items to his one so he isn't much help.  He tries though.  He has always been slow and methodical, great in some things but drives you nuts in other things.  I am used to it after 32 years though.

   Well that is my boring agenda for the day.  I will get weighed at the doctors today so will see what the damage is.  There new scale is usually the same as mine.  I haven't been to see here since 12 pounds ago so she will be thrilled even if I am not as happy.  Hopefully since my ankles are skinny again the weight is off plus some.

AOL Blues

                 

   I didn't think it would save my first entry and then the font size is all messed up.  Weird.  Last night I couldn't get on aol.

   Just got back from the gym.  Had a terrific workout.  I have to force myself to go but love it when I get there and actually do it.  Its not like riding my bike which I would happily do all day.  I did the treadmill and lots of weights today.  I will be sore tomorrow.  I didn't walk the usual mile but am thinking of taking the dog for a walk and we usually do at least 5 miles when we go.  Tomorrow I will do one hour of water aerobics and see if my lungs get all messed up again.

   I did eat my breakfast, shredded wheat and bran and right now am eating 20 veggie chips with hummus,( much better today not that it has seasoned), and am going to eat a apple.  I have had around 600 cc of water so far and plan on lots more.  Happily the swelling is completely gone from my ankles and I only had chest pain for the last few minutes on the treadmill.  My heart rate maxed at 141 and I burned 89.9 calories a minute and did 15 minutes.  I usually start out with the treadmill for 15 minutes and then weights, then end with the treadmill for 15 minutes.  Today I only did the end one for 10 minutes as Rick was done and truthfully I was done.  I was feeling the burn!

   I just checked on my plants and they look sick.  I am not sure how cool it has been at night but maybe I will bring the hanging ones in tonight and cover the coleus.  I sure don't want them to die.  I also need to go to the dollar store.  During our bike ride a lady told me to hang slivers of Irish Spring soap on a string around our plants and it will keep the deer from eating them.  I will try it as it sure beats getting them all eaten.

   Well, off to take a shower and get some chicken out of the freezer for supper.  Hope all is well and happy in J-land.

Monday Morning blues

                                           

Actually I am not blue but the beautiful blue skys are hiding today and it is cooler.  Wednesday it is suppose to be cold enough I will have to cover my plants.  Into every life some rain must fall and the color green turns after a rain is worth it.

   I am getting ready for the gym and thought I would do a quick entry.  Not that there is much to say, but I vow to eat breakfast today before I go and do better at my diet today.  That is what I focused on in my meditation today.  Stay on plan, stay on plan, stay on plan.  My mantra.  Eating all 3 meals is part of the plan. 

   I spent years only eating supper and then eating way to much.  Bad habits.  I thought I had all my bad habits broken but they come right back without a concious effort.  Like alot of people portion control was always a huge, ( get it? Huge!), problem.  The new American plate shows you plain and simple what your portions are.  I think I have the link on the side bar. You really have to read your labels.  I once ate 3 times a serving only to read later and find out you were only allowed 1/4 of cup to get the 95 calories.  Prepackaged foods do that alot.  Only 100 calories!  You happily buy and finally get around to reading the fine print to see 100 calories a bite!  Yikes.  So you really have to read first, eat later.  Usually I won't buy.  I do like the Lean Cruisines because they are lower in sodium which I need but nothing tastes like home cooking and no packaged meals even come close.  I am however lazy when it comes to cooking.  On the days I work I want something fast and easy to take to work.  I can work on pre-making foods for work and freezing them but I know I wouldn't keep it up.  Who wants to stay in doors cooking when it is so nice out?

   I have an ebay auction going on right now.  They drive me nuts and I remember what I hate about selling on ebay.  Ton of people watching the item, but no one will bid until the last 10 minutes.  Then they want shipping costs right away.  Like I have the item sitting there packed.  I do if they bid early so I am sure it is going to sell.  A lot of time I will just cancel the auction early if I have no bids by day 3.  Then I get all these emails, why did you cancel the auction, I was going to bid.  Sorry, now you have to pay the full price if you want the item since it is back in my store.  Snooze you lose.   I answer a million and one questions and still they wait until the last minute trying to get it for the cheapest amount.  Sigh.  If they would pay what it was worth I could afford the bubble pack, wrapping paper, gas, boxes and everything else I need to send it to them safely.   I keep telling myself this will be the last year I do it.  The only things that don't go cheap on ebay are the things I am bidding on!  Why is that?  I refuse to give this stuff away.  I sat through hours of boring auctions, drove miles on bad roads, inspected hundreds of items for the perfect pieces, took hundreds of pictures and wrote and rewrote hundreds of descriptions to bring you this lovely item and you only want to pay what!  I am asking $45.00 and you want to make me an offer of $10.00!  Out of respect you are suppose to ask for a 15% discount, then I will up it to 10% and we are all happy.  And to top it all off.....dog poop gets more bids then my hundred year old hand made one of a kind vase.  Sigh.  Gee, this seems to be a sore subject with me.  I guess I'll close and go work it off at the gym plus I just got a call from someone who was at Ricks wreak.    Bye all.

Monday Morning blues

                                           

Actually I am not blue, but the beautiful blue skys are hiding today and it is cooler.  Wednesday it is suppose to be cold enough I will have to cover my plants. Since I am going fishing that day it will be great fishing. Into every life some rain must fall and the color green turns after a rain is worth it.

   I am getting ready for the gym and thought I would do a quick entry.  Not that there is much to say, but I vow to eat breakfast today before I go and do better at my diet today.  That is what I focused on in my meditation today.  Stay on plan, stay on plan, stay on plan.  My mantra.  Eating all 3 meals is part of the plan. 

   I spent years only eating supper and then eating way to much.  Bad habits.  I thought I had all my bad habits broken but they come right back without a conscious effort.  Like alot of people portion control was always a huge, ( get it? Huge!), problem.  The new American plate shows you plain and simple what your portions are.  I think I have the link on the side bar. You really have to read your labels.  I once ate 3 times a serving only to read later and find out you were only allowed 1/4 of cup to get the 95 calories.  Prepackaged foods do that alot.  Only 100 calories!  You happily buy and finally get around to reading the fine print to see 100 calories a bite!  Yikes.  So you really have to read first, eat later.  Usually I won't buy.  I do like the Lean Cruisines because they are lower in sodium which I need but nothing tastes like home cooking and no packaged meals even come close.  I am however lazy when it comes to cooking.  On the days I work I want something fast and easy to take to work.  I can work on pre-making foods for work and freezing them but I know I wouldn't keep it up.  Who wants to stay in doors cooking when it is so nice out?

   I have an ebay auction going on right now.  They drive me nuts and I remember what I hate about selling on ebay.  Ton of people watching the item, but no one will bid until the last 10 minutes.  Then they want shipping costs right away.  Like I have the item sitting there packed.  I do if they bid early so I am sure it is going to sell.  A lot of time I will just cancel the auction early if I have no bids by day 3.  Then I get all these emails, why did you cancel the auction, I was going to bid.  Sorry, now you have to pay the full price if you want the item since it is back in my store.  Snooze you lose.   I answer a million and one questions and still they wait until the last minute trying to get it for the cheapest amount.  Sigh.  If they would pay what it was worth I could afford the bubble pack, wrapping paper, gas, boxes and everything else I need to send it to them safely.   I keep telling myself this will be the last year I do it.  The only things that don't go cheap on ebay are the things I am bidding on!  Why is that?  I refuse to give this stuff away.  I sat through hours of boring auctions, drove miles on bad roads, inspected hundreds of items for the perfect pieces, took hundreds of pictures and wrote and rewrote hundreds of descriptions to bring you this lovely item and you only want to pay what!  I am asking $45.00 and you want to make me an offer of $10.00!  Out of respect you are suppose to ask for a 15% discount, then I will up it to 10% and we are all happy.  And to top it all off.....dog poop gets more bids then my hundred year old hand made one of a kind vase.  Sigh.  Gee, this seems to be a sore subject with me.  I guess I'll close and go work it off at the gym plus I just got a call from someone who was at Ricks wreck.    Bye all.

Bike Ride

 It  was the perfect day for a bike ride.  The wild plum trees were in full bloom and the smell was heavenly.  Nice cool breeze to keep the heat down but I burn't anyway, and the sky was a perfect blue with cotton ball clouds.  The trail was busy today and we met some wonderful people we shared tips with for keeping the deer out of our plants and how to keep our butts from getting sore and numb on the bike rides.  The things that are important to riders.  We also heard there is a mountain lion in the wood we ride in.  We have seen a couple of deer carcuses and thought it was poachers but they didn't look cleaned, they looked eaten.  I will have to get some more pepper spray to carry in case we run across it.  They do attack people occasionally, but there is plenty of game for it to eat with all the ducks at the lake and deer aplenty. 

    We did 9.7 miles.  My new bikes fender broke.  Cheap plastic even when I spent 400 dollars.  I will call them in the morning to get it fixed.  For supper we had pizza.  I did bad on my diet as I didn't eat breakfast again like I had planned, no lunch, just a few veggie chips with hummus which is much better today and then supper.  I did drink 2700 cc of tea and a 36 ounce water on the ride.  It is so hard to eat when your not hungry and I wasn't at all today until later.

   We have to go to my MIL.  She accidently unplugged her light and can't plug it in again.  Weird but she would have to get down on her hands and knees to reach behind the bed and wouldn't be able to get up again.  She does pretty good for 84 but some things we should just do for her.  I want to talk her into swimming in the morning anyway and it is harder for her to turn me down if I ask her in person.  I am just going to do 1 hour and see if I have breathing problems.  If I do then that explains the day I went to the hospital.  I only had a short time of chest pain on the ride.  Not bad.  Well, I am off.  bye all.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

               

  Another beautiful morning.  My meditation this morning has left me feeling soooooo good and relaxed it is almost a shame to hit the gym but I will.  Zoey is at my feet trying to get my attention for her morning hugs and petting and I hear song birds outside the window.  I love Spring.

  Rick finally got his new forks on the bike.  The rim must have been knocked off balance from the accident since he had a very hard time getting one of them in but he should soon be back on the road again so I can start worrying all over.  We haven't heard a thing from the police on the lady that hit him, but really don't expect to.  Unless she goes down there and says, Here I am, they really won't have anyway to find her.  I still want to put something in the paper.

 

   The pills are taking off the fluid but I am having charlie horses if I move my legs wrong in bed.  Makes for restless sleeping.  For some reason the Lasix does that to me also.  I think because they were so swollen and when they go down the muscles spasm but who know.  My electrolytes were great when I was in the hospital so it's not that.

   It has been almost 4 months since my surgery.  Seems like yesterday I was a nervous wreak wondering if I was making the right decision.  The memory of how bad my back hurt daily is fading.  It is unbelievable how the breast reduction has helped my back pain.  I haven't had to take anything for back pain since before the surgery!  I should have had this done years ago.  Just having 2.5 pounds cut off to make that much difference.  It is a miracle.  I am still spitting stitches though which is so weird.

    My breakfast will be the usual.  Shredded wheat and no fat milk.  Then it is off to the gym.  I am going to make that treadmill hummmmmm.  We are doing supper early today, around 1 so my son can eat and then I am hoping for a bike ride later in the day.  I am sunburnt today so need to remember to put something on.  I burn easily but it doesn't turn into a tan and I have had to have a couple of pre-cancerous moles removed so I am supposed to be careful.  One was on my back.  I didn't even realize it was there and looked bad but my doctor saw it and said that it needed to come off right away.  She removed 3 and the one that looked the least suspicious was the one pre-cancerous one.  Go figure.  I have never been one for tanning since I usually just burn but sitting there fishing doesn't hurt.  Speaking of fishing, that would be great to do today.  Hummmm.  Maybe I should get my license and go.  Love to fish.

     I made some hummus yesterday and was disappointed in it.  It was bland.  I put 4 cloves of garlic in it and pesto plus Cajun pepper.  I might have to get a hot pepper and put it in.  I like the heat.  It may just have to sit and season though so I will try some today and see what I think.  It was very easy to make and much cheaper then buying it.  Low calorie also. 

   Question for anyone who reads this.  What is the hardest part for you about trying to lose weight?  For me,  I like too many foods.  I like the so called diet foods I eat just fine, but I also love pizza and have been craving mexican food really bad.  I love sauces, cheese, breads.... especially home made.  I can live without them if I have to but then I start to think about how short life really is!  I know, I know, just an excuse, but really true and when you're my age and think about how quickly time passed to get here you will know what I mean.  For a child a summer lasts for months and months, for an adult it seems to go by in a week.    Anyway what do you do to make sure you stay with program for the rest of your life.

   Dance like no one is watching.  Well I am off to the gym.  Feel the burn!

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
| | -Sir Winston Churchill

Fluid Pills

 

 I finally got my pills again yesterday and they must be working because I was up 3 times last night.  I also had a really bed soaking hot flash. 

   4 years since my surgery and I still get hot flashes.

My ankles look much better.  It really bothers me how dependent I am on those.  When they put me on them originally I was 52 pounds heavier and had high blood pressure.  Most of the time now my pressure is really good, even low.  3 days off of the medicine and I swell up like a balloon and my pressure goes up.  Hopefully when I lose another 50 pounds I can finally get rid of them.  The good news if I feel thinner today but I am still not going to weigh in until Wed.  I suppose being 51 and only on 1 medication isn't to awful but I feel healthy and like I shouldn't need anything.  Both my parents were diabetics by my age.

   We grilled a hamburger last night and I had mine plain with low fat pepper jack cheese on top.  Instead of the asparagus I made broccoli because my son wasn't here and he hates it so I don't get it as much as I like.  I had 3 baby red potato also with smart balance spread.  They were pretty tiny so together about the size of a med. potato.  I don't eat them often but the new spring potatoes are so good.  Later I had popcorn, the kind that is 90 calories.  Love my popcorn.  Tonight we are making shisk kabobs with pearl onions, peppers, mushrooms and lean beef, steamed asparagus, ( need to make it for sure tonight), and I am going to make a low fat potato salad today with sweet potato in it I got from Light and Tasty.  We had it last year and it was so good.  Breakfast will be shredded wheat this morning with blueberries on top and no fat milk sweetened with Whey Low, lunch another salad with tuna and a gallon of water.  I want to hit the gym also, but may just mow some of the lawn as it is really getting long.  My son is off today so I don't have to worry about keeping him awake.  We both work 3rd shift and sleep during the days.  I get a long stretch off though and he only has one day off at a time.

    I started off this morning with my meditation and listened to the hypnosis tape.  Then my stretching.  The good thing I got out of yoga is the stretching exercises.

   Last night we watched Kill Bill.  I had vowed never to watch it because I heard it was so violent.  It was, but in such a campy way it was almost a parody.  The blood was so exaggerated anyone could tell it was fake.  Hate to admit this after giving my kids such a bad time about watching it, but I liked it and watched both movies.  I am such a hypocrite! Maybe I am just getting immune to violence.

   First thing this morning I checked on my plants and they all look great.  Watering them with the stuff to prevent transplant shock must have helped and so far no deer dined on them.  My sand cherry tree looks better also.  Last year the deer ate it down so much I thought it had had it but we put a fence around it and now it looks pretty healthy.  I saw all the deer on the edge of the woods last night and watched them to see if they were going to come in for a snack.  I was ready to go shoo them away but they just passed through.  Mamma deer is getting big again and we will have cute little babies to watch grow soon.  Last year she had 3 which is rare but only 2 made it through the season.  We knew the one baby was doomed when we saw it had a leg injury last year.  It makes you want to do something to help it but there really isn't anythingyou can do and nature takes care of the rest by weeding out the weakest.  We have so many deer though.  I have seen up to 20 when they gather go through the back lot.  You can't drive safely on the highways without worrying about hitting one and now they are getting a disease like mad cow so that is a worry also.  Not to mention the deer ticks and lime disease.  They are cute but they could move away from here and it would be OK.  Now we also are getting wild turkeys in the back woods.  What a mess they are and aggressive.  Being chased by a turkey sounds funnier then it really is.  They peck pretty hard.  Also they chased away all the pheasant which were a joy to watch.  We also see the rare red fox which may account for the pheasant being gone.

   Well boy a I long winded this morning.  Won't get anything done this way.  I have a ebay auction going on this week and some questions from buyers to answer so will close for now.  Reading through it it is pretty darn boring anyway.  Such is life.  The older I get the more I like boring anyway.