Healthy Mom

A New Thing!

2008-07-10T08:57:00.003-06:00

I have found the eliptical. I'm loving it! That is all.

Update and recipe

2008-07-09T09:42:00.004-06:00

I haven't had time to blog about my last week! It's been crazy. I worked out 4 days and did well. I've decided to do an hour of cardio one day and then a half hour the next with weight training, too. That seems to work well for me. I need to up my cardio for my weight loss! I've been doing half the time on the treadmill and half on the bike--it's nice to change it up a little!

Here's a recipe that I've become really addicted to!

Cucumber Salad

3 large cucumber peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. white vinegar
3/4 c. water
3/4c. sugar (you can cut back on this if you want)
1 tsp. salt
cayenne pepper to taste (I like it hot so I add a lot of cayenne!)
dash of dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp. black pepper
dash of dried leaf basil

Combine all ingredients except the cucumbers; heat until sugar melts. Pour warm mixture over cucumbers. Store covered in the refrigerator overnight. Serve the next day.

So, here's what I do. I make this up, sometimes I double it, and keep it in the refrigerator and snack on them. They are wonderful! The spiciness ups your metabolism as well, so that's good! I use them on sandwiches or wraps, as a side dish, and also just plain for a snack (one of my 6 small meals).

Enjoy!

Week in Review

2008-06-28T10:19:00.002-06:00

Well, I've been wondering how to put what I've done this week. I think I can sum it up by saying, "Keep my eye on the end result and the journey."

I was a little discouraged at my weigh in this week. I've been working so hard, and lately, I've been really hungry! I was thinking about it until a friend of mine pointed out that muscle weighs more than fat and I've been diligently weight training along with my cardio. Also, hunger pains could be a sign that my metabolism is kicking in. That's good, I've never really felt hunger pains before, just tiredness and things like that. So, those are good things!

I'm struggling this week with lonliness. A lot of that has to do with where I live. I have good friends here, but, many of them are older than I and their kids are gone. They are in a different time of life. What's hard is, I'm home with my kids doing mom things a lot. They are more free to do other things. I'm not. It's hard because, eventhough I know they don't mean to, I feel left out sometimes. It's not them. It's really me. I'm dealing with all of this emotional stuff right now and I don't have anyone I can really talk to.

But, that's where God comes in, isn't it? He's always gently nudging me to know that He is there. He has brought me to this point to teach me something about Him and myself. So, here I go again! What will I learn this time? We start the new study Believing God this next week. I'm excited to see where it takes me.

Thanks to those of you who take the time to post encouraging things to me! It's really a blessing and I read them over and over to keep myself going. I would love to hear about others going through the same journey! If you know any, let me know!

Progress!

2008-06-26T09:38:00.003-06:00

I was weighed in today and I lost 5 lbs. I'm glad for that, but, I wanted it to be a little more. But, it's progress. That's what counts. I've also lost body fat and my inches are coming down a little too. So all in all, it's good.

I'm low on water still, I can't believe it, but, there it is! I'll just have to keep on drinking. Today I upped my workout to 1 hour of cardio. I'm going to do this every other day with the other days combining cardio and strength training.

My friend gave me a book to read so I'll blog about it when I've looked through it. It's a metabolism diet. Hopefully it'll help!

Today's progress

2008-06-23T09:46:00.002-06:00

Well, today I got up at 6:15 and had my quiet time and then left for the gym to work out. I had a rough week last week--not being able to get a really fast pace going and maintaining it. I was struggling with pain in my shins and my allergies being so bad. But, I persisted figuring it was better to do something instead of giving up.

Today, I was able to really get my pace going. I worked hard for at least 20 of the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill. I did over 2 miles, which is an improvement over last week, but, still not up to what I was doing before. That's okay. I have a friend who decided my shoes were the main problem I had so she bought me new New Balance shoes. I love them! They really made a difference, my shins didn't hurt at all. She was right!

Tomorrow, my goal is to up the pace even more and do strength training after on my arms and legs. I'm hoping to really get started on abs next week (we'll see!)

Tonight for dinner I'm making calzones with veggies and cheese and a low-fat crust. I let you all know how it turns out and write out the recipe!

Week in Report

2008-06-21T08:38:00.002-06:00

I'm wanting to do weekly reports about how I've done, just for accountability. It helps to see it in black and white--facing reality, remeber that? I can't fool myself if I see it.

Exercise

I've worked out only 3 days this week. My goal is 4. This is the week I had to go to the City and also pick up the kids from camp, so 2 of my days were a little full. I was going to workout today, but, I woke up with stomach cramps and other symptoms I won't describe in full. I don't want to get sick so I'm staying around the house today. I may do some stair exercises here a little later if I can.

My workouts have been good, though. I've been doing 30 minutes on the treadmill going 2 miles and burning at least 200 calories (that's going pretty fast for me right now). My goal is to work up to 300 calories in the next month or so. I'm meeting with the gym doctor this week to see how I'm doing and what adjustments I can safely make.

Food

I've been doing great on the water, at least 10 glasses a day. I've also been drinking smoothies and lemonade with very little sugar (I like it tart, so this isn't a problem).

I eat my carbs early in the day and I'm upping my protein. I've been doing the 6 small meals as much as possible, this takes a lot of prep, so I'm working out a routine to make it more possible for me. I'm not eating after 7 pm in the evening, a full 3 hours before bed. This is the toughest thing for me. I've been in the habit of really snacking on fattening foods before bed. What I'm doing now is allowing myself 3 nights a week where I can snack on things like unbuttered popcorn (I put a little parmesan and chili powder on it), craisins, fruit or veggies, things like that.

I'm finding that the times during the day I want to snack the most are in the afternoons and evenings. So, I'm trying to get more active in the afternoons (not just with housework) like taking a walk with my dc or going nature journaling with them. Getting out! Experiencing things! That's been helpful.

Rest

I really think rest is essential for weight loss. I want my body to rejuvinate. I'm sleeping 8 hours a night. Previously, that wasn't the case. I really think, though I haven't read much about it yet, that resting helps your metabolism. I would either sleep less than 8 hours (much less) or every once in a while I would get so tired I would sleep much more than 8 hours. This isn't healthy. There needs to be balance.

Spiritually

I'm a part of a Bible Study group of ladies here who meet every Friday morning. We are going through Beth Moore's Believing God book (starting next week) and praying together. It's been a lifeline for me. I'm loving the time I'm spending digging into God's Word. This is helping me so much to gain perspective and understanding who I really am. It's good.

Body, soul, and spirit. That's what we are. We need to strive for balance on a 3. For so long my soul was great--mind, will, and emotions--but, my spirit lacked. Spending more time with God everyday is reviving my spirit and that is giving me the strength to work on my body. It's all connected.

Metabolism boost

2008-06-19T20:23:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to boost my metabolism. It's been abused for years and years and now it's time to get it moving!!!!! Here's some things I'm doing right now to get it going.

1. Before I work out, I eat a carb (bagel, english muffin, or something like that). After I work out I fill up on protein. I don't eat anymore carbs until later in the afternoon. I don't mix carbs and proteins--more about why later!

2. I'm trying to eat six small meals a day.

3. Working out is great for boosting your metabolism. I'm working out at least 4 times a week.

I need to research this more, but, I'm starting to learn. As I find out more information, I will post it here!

Water, Water Water

2008-06-19T20:11:00.000-06:00

Someone recently e-mailed me this:

WATER

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population.)

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism to 3%.

#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic maths, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

I'm not sure where this particular article comes from, it wasn't documented when I got it, but, even if it's schewed a little, it's still sobering to realize the importance of water. Right now, when I'm hungry, the first thing I do is drink a glass of water. Icy cold water. It's helping me as an appetite suppressant. A lot of times, I'm not hungry anymore after drinking.

When the doctor at the gym was examining me, he said that I don't drink enough water. Now, I live about 5,000 ft. up in the mountains. Dehydration is common here. I do drink at least 6-8 glasses a day. But, that wasn't enough for me personally. I'm really overweight. My metabolism is barely functioning because I've abused my body for about 15 years now. I need more water. So I've upped it! I now drink at least 10 glasses a day. I choose water over anything else to drink. I only allow myself a diet soda (or pop if your from MN like me!) 2-3 times a week as a treat. That's it. Other than fat-free milk, limonada con soda (recipe to follow), or fresh-squeezed juice, I drink water.

Here's a recipe for Limonada con soda (lemonade with soda):

Squeeze the juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on how tart you like it, I like it tart!)

add about 2 Tbsp. of simple syrup (1c. water and 1c. sugar cooked together on the stove top, seal in a container and keep in the refrigerator)

fill the glass with soda water (my glass is about 12 oz.)

Sometimes, I crush ice in the blender and add the lemonade mixture over the crushed ice! YUM!

Anyway, just a post on why water is so important! Make sure you're drinking your share!

PS. About the picture below, how sad is that? It's the only picture I have of me right now. I'm, understandably, a little camera-shy. More to come!

It's Good To Face Reality

2008-06-19T19:41:00.000-06:00

It's good to face reality. For so many years I had one excuse after another why I wasn't losing the weight--"I just had a baby." (now my baby is 10 and people aren't buying it!) "It's water weight." (Ummm. Yeah.) "I don't know why I can't lose it, I don't eat enough to keep a bird alive." (Noone is buying that either).

Bottom line. It's time. It's time to face up to the fact that you are 39, and 265 lbs. That's right, I said 265. For at least 5 years I had no clue what I weighed. That was a part of not facing reality. If I knew then I would have to do something about it. I would have to admit that I'm obese. I've gotten out of control. I'm absolutely threatening my own life.

Here's what got me to this point. I have a heart murmur. I've known about it now for 13 years. There isn't an excuse anymore for making my heart work harder and making my life shorter. I love my life. I have an amazing husband. I have incredible children. I want to see them grow up, I want to have that empty nest with my husband. I want to experience grandchildren. These are things that, if I don't start getting serious, I won't have or maybe I'll have them but I won't be able to enjoy them because I'll be sick. I could easily become a burden to the people I would willingly give everything for. Not a pretty picture.

So, here it is. Time to face reality. I have 3 really amazing friends who made me face it. They love me. They want what's best for me. They forced me to the gym and sat there with me when the doctor weighed me and measured me. It was absolutely one of the scariest things I've done. I couldn't hide anymore. It was there, slapping me in the face. 265. Time to get serious.

There are things I will do to lose this weight:

1. I'm working out at least 4 mornings a week at the gym. I do cardio and strength training. It's important to do both.

2. I'm starting to eat a low-fat, low-carb diet and I'm trying to watch my calories. More about that later.

3. I'm going to journal my journey. That's what this is for. I want to be able to see the process.

4. I'm going to start regularly doing something for me. Moms don't take care of themselves enough. I became a martyr to my family. Why do I feel like that makes me a better person because I give up stuff for my family? That's going to take some journaling!

5. I'm going to get enough rest, and I'm going to drink a lot of water. More on that later, too.

Is this going to be easy? If it was, I would have done this years ago. I know that it will more than likely be the most difficult thing I will do. It's not just the weight. It's why I allowed it to get to this point. That's the journey. Let's see where it goes!