Challenging Challenges

Bodies are strange … well, my body is strange.

About 10 days ago my sister-in-law challenged me to lose 2 lbs in 2 weeks, a challenge that I accepted with alacrity. And so I weighed myself at the start and posted the result – 126.8.
So, I worked my ass off (don’t I wish!!) at the gym and, for the most part, ate right and first the scale said 125.6 and then, on Monday 122.4. I couldn’t actually quite believe the 122.4 but it stayed there for 4 days straight so I figured that I could believe it (I even tried to check the scale by picking up a heavy book to see if the scale would move).

And then …

This morning …

128.8! 128.8!

What the hell????

How could I gain 6 lbs overnight?

I don’t even feel bloated. I admit that I have been sick all day but honestly 6 lbs? 6 lbs???

I can’t wait to see what it will be tomorrow.

Aggg!!!!

Ella

I Choose A Ripe Old Age!

Prince Charming and I stopped at Frye’s (Super humumgo electronics shop that I refuse to go into because it is way too ridiculously big and, more importantly, it has a restaurant inside (come on!!!) so they won’t take pets in the store (makes it way easy for me to choose Best Buy which does allow Boop-a-doo in the store)) on our way home from the beach (Wonderful!). I just read that sentence over and it is soooo packed with brackets it is hard to follow … hope that you’re up to the challenge.

Anyway, while I was sitting in the parking log waiting with Boop-a-doo in the convertible (not hardship duty as I had a crossword to tie my brain up around) I saw a couple and their twin toddler girls and it gave me pause. The dad was huge (at least over 300 lbs) and the mom was even bigger (probably upper 300s). The little toddler girls couldn’t be more than 15 months old and were just cute buttons in their little matching outfits. It broke my heart to think that these little girls, so full of promise for the future, are probably going to end up as fat little girls probably sooner rather than later. What made me sadder was that their parents were so big that they probably won’t be around or around and healthy when the girls are teens. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the parents had all sorts of weight-related medical conditions (dare I use the term “Metabolic Syndrome”?) and are probably spending a ton every month on medications.

If we imagine the best that this couple are (is the correct grammar here to say is?) terrific, loving parents that provide a wonderful home for their little girls will they be around to actually see them grow up? And if we imagine that they are currently feeding their toddlers healthy food how long will it be before that changes? Before they are getting too big portions and not enough exercise? Before their diet isn’t all peas and carrots and squash? Where will their good diet and exercise example come from? What will stop them from just gaining and gaining? How hard will it be for them to learn healthy eating habits later? How hard will it be for them to lose their weight before they have their own children? How many medications will they be taking by the time they are in college? It's really scary!!

When I watch the show Biggest Loser and see the young 19 year old who has already lost 120 lbs (YES – 120 LBS of FAT) in 9 weeks and still has at least 100 lbs to go!! (That's him in the picture) When I watch You: Staying Younger and see a couple with 68% body fat, a 49” waist, and blood test levels through the roof. When I go to the mall or a store or a restaurant and see that over 50% of the people that I run into aren’t just overweight but outright fat it just depresses me especially when I see so many young boys and girls, teens, and pre-teens with rolls of fat and obvious weight issues. And it depresses me even more that in Texas people are somehow proud of their obesity. It is somehow validating of themselves as Texans (BIGGER is BETTER) and a way to "weigh-in" with their prosperity. This is a totally fraked (can you tell that I have been watching Battlestar Galactica for 3 days!) up attitude!!!

I know that I have my own body image issues and weight issues. I know that I don’t eat the way that I “should” eat for my best health. I know that I don’t exercise enough for my best health. I know that I don’t take my vitamins regularly and I know that it is damn hard to shed pounds. I know how hard it can be to change habits. I know how challenging it can be to exercise or eat healthy when it is so much easier and “funner” to eat ice cream or chocolates or fried chicken or pizza and sit around with a good book.

It IS challenging! It does take work! But I also know that I work on it! I work on it! And I work on it some more! Every day!

The question that we each have to ask ourselves is “What is our life worth?” Is eating a salad every day worth 5 years of productive life? Is the prospect of being a healthy active 85 year old worth exercising every day? If you knew ABSOLUTELY that eating that fried chicken today would directly result in a heart attack in 5 years would you still eat it? What if you didn’t know which fried chicken (name your poison … it doesn’t have to be fried chicken) would do it?

The biggest challenge is that it all doesn’t seem real, at least to me. I “know” the facts but I can’t necessarily grasp the “reality” of my old age and what that might look like if I eat ice cream today over spinach salad. I guess it all comes down to faith. Do I have faith (backed up by a lot of medical science) that it is going to make the difference? I guess that I do, sorta, kinda … I wish that it was more believable (NO that doesn’t mean that I hope that I get some sort of personal medical issue to “prove” it to me) because it would make it all a little easier.

Perhaps my issue is really that I often look at the food issues as “sacrifices”. Just as with the couple I was trashing earlier I find it a challenge to give up some of the “goodies”. I know, I know! I don’t have to give them all up. I know all those things but it still seems like sacrifices sometimes. I definitely also know that this is an extremely limiting belief. However, sometimes "knowing" something doesn't make you actually choose it or want to.

I will plug away at it all though. I recognize that I have made huge strides towards health and a healthy lifestyle. I recognize that I am making lifestyle changes and little-by-little the small changes that I make every day will gradually make huge changes later. I recognize that ANYTHING that I do to improve my health and fitness is infinitely better than doing nothing. I recognize that this is the only course that I have available to me if I want a long, healthy and productive old age. And that folks makes it ALL worthwhile after all!

Thanks for indulging my rambling today! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it all.

Have a succulent salad-filled day!

Ella

The Search for The Lost Blog Topic

I’m sorry dear readers today you were to have read the best blog with the best blog topic ever conceived in the Blogging World. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the topic and, thus, the world has forever lost the opportunity for this most wonderful blog.

I didn’t blog yesterday because I was cooking all day. I was cooking soooo much yesterday because I was too busy to cook some the day before and so I had to cram all my cooking into one day. I am not exaggerating when I say that I only sat down for 15 minutes (except for when I was in my car driving to get last minute groceries) from the time that I got up until the time that I sat down for dinner. I was completely wiped by the end of the day. As dinner time approached and Family Night diners started to arrive I became more and more convinced that the entire meal would be crap and that the food would taste terrible; the roast over done, the vegetables bland, the salad dressing too vinegary, the chocolate icing too grainy, and the sorbet too soft. Luckily, culinary disaster was averted and everyone loved the meal. It is the mental and emotional crazies that I go through (and put my friends and family through) when I am cooking for people that helped me decide that I couldn’t continue as a caterer. It is just not worth it. But, Family Night is definitely worth it. I just have to remember to always spread the cooking over multiple days!

An update on my pound weight loss commitment that I made here a week or so ago … I have gained a pound. And, yes, this is a pound that isn’t just a fluctuation pound but one that has endured for 3 whole days! It just pisses me off so much!! And, it makes me want to eat chocolate and butter and chocolate because WHAT THE HELL! Which is what I did yesterday – I just didn’t give a SH*T. And, now that I have had this rant I am going to get back on the good girl bandwagon and go and eat a salad for lunch. I have been exercising and so I am not going to beat myself up about it but I am entitled to be just a little pissed off (mini mini pity party too).

I did my step class today and worked out with Little John and now I am just exhausted. I think that I am going to indulge myself this afternoon and do absolutely nothing except watch some TV and perhaps have a nap. That sounds really good!

Have a super terrific Friday!

Ella

Vampires and Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to Me! Today is my birthday, my 48th, and I am not sure what I think about that. Why does 48 seem so much “older” than 47? I know that when I am 68 I will be smacking myself upside the head for even having a twinge over 48 but, for today, I can reflect on life and getting older.

Perhaps instead of thinking about that I will think about … being a vampire. Slightly off topic you might guess but you will see that it is actually bang on! I have been reading a set of books lately featuring vampires and other creatures. They are actually quite amusing (Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris) and I have enjoyed them immensely. In them vampires have “come out of the closet” because they now have synthetic blood that is basically as good as the real thing so people are “safe” to be around vampires now. Anyway, in the stories the vampires look how they did when they were “turned”. It got me thinking … oh my God! … If I were “turned” now I would have to live with these thighs and these little chicken-finger hanging down flabby arms for eternity (or until I was staked or got caught by sunlight) and that is just too scary to think about. I mean if there was EVER a reason to get in shape I can’t think of a better one than having to live for eternity carrying around this extra 10 pounds and looking at saddlebags in the mirror each day. Go and look at yourself nude in a full length mirror tonight and just reflect on how happy (or not) you would be if you had to live with your current body for the next 100, 200, 1000 years.

And then I think, is it better to get “turned” at 70 or 80 when you might look like a shriveled old thing for eternity but that you actually get to live for eternity or better to get “turned” at 20 looking amazing but not having really “lived” at all. I still can’t decide. I also have to really think about whether I would take the existing 40 or so years that I have left with all the associated aging issues over getting turned (the quotation marks were starting to annoy me) with my current thighs but getting to live for eternity. It is a tough one (I will let you know when I decide).

Megara (my sister-in-law, if you remember) said that she was ashamed of me (life coach) looking at this issue with such a glass-half-empty attitude. She pointed out that even if I had to live with the extra 10 pounds and the thighs and the flabby tummy that I wouldn’t ever have to worry about GAINING weight. I would never actually look worse than I do now. She was right, of course, that is definitely a consideration. That said, this is MY birthday vampire fantasy and I can look at it any way that I want to, being a life coach notwithstanding! And, that said, I will add it as part of my decision equation.

I would love to hear what y’all (a little Texan there for all y’all) think about this most pressing philosophical issue (of today anyway).

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes, birthday telephone calls, birthday cards, birthday presents, birthday flowers, birthday visits, birthday lunches and birthday dinners. It was a wonderfully great day made even better by all of my terrific friends and family. Thank you!!!

Here’s hoping that your day was even ½ as great as mine was!

Ella

Time Flies When Your Kids Are Growing Up

It is my son Abu’s 26th birthday today. Happy Birthday Abu!! I am so proud of you!!!

I can’t believe that he is 26, I mean … 26!!! How did that happen? I can still hear him singing his little “where is pointer?” song and being so cute and innocent. I know that during his teen years that it seemed like time was standing still (kind of like you imagine time would be in Hell) but overall these 26 years seem to have passed in a blip. Time is funny that way, don’t you find? Day-to-day or hour-by-hour can seem like an eternity or a heartbeat (depending on what you are doing or how consumed you are with doing it) and a minute can seem like FOREVER when you are doing pushups or “the plank” but when you look at 26 years it seems like no time has passed at all.

I have been pretty darned good today if I do say so myself. I went to step class this morning, did over an hour on the Wii, cleaned up the kitchen, did some laundry, ran a few errands, went through my in box, did some filing, organized my bedroom closet, spoke to 2 clients, read my book, wrote this blog, and the day is only 2/3 done! Yeah me!! I would still like to do a bit more in my office, especially dealing with a few things from my inbox.

I am serious about losing this pound. It sounds silly just saying that but as I explained yesterday, 1 pound to me takes real effort. I have been maintaining my weight (with some fluctuation) for the past few months but I would love to make some more progress before I go to the cottage. I know that my body is changing (even if it isn’t reflected on the scale) so that makes me feel good and I know that this is all more about health and fitness rather than a number on the scale. I keep on looking at my body fat percentage which, unfortunately, hasn’t really shifted like I was hoping that it would. I wish that I could get back to Fitness Ridge because I know that I could make some real progress with just a few weeks there. Oh well I will just keep up what I am doing and know that my body will eventually just get better and better and better. That’s the plan anyway.

Here’s to a wonderful rest of your day!

Ella

Reducing Your Debt ... 1 Calorie At A Time

I’m beat! First it was Pilates, then some Cardio, and finally an hour with Little John. Whew! I tell you, you want motivation to work out and eat right … go on a Carnival Fun Ship out of Galveston!

I’m glad I am finally healthy and in one place long enough to get my schedule back. I feel like I have been off track lately and it is time to get back at it. Pumpkin told me the other day that this blog has also been getting off track lately. So, with only minor references to the Ecstasy, I will attempt to get this blog and my life in order.

Thankfully, I haven’t gained any weight over the past few weeks so I won’t have that battle on my hands also. In fact, I have stayed amazingly steady which is both good and bad. I think that it is time that I got serious about taking some of these extra pounds off though. Therefore, I commit to losing 1 pound by February 28th. This doesn’t sound like much of a challenge but it is to me. This is because I will have to exercise it off and then some. This might be the right time to discuss the Debt, Income, and Expense approach to understanding weight loss (the I learned at the Fitness Ridge Boot Camp). I will go through the basics of it and then will do an example.

Accounting Approach To Weight Loss

1. Take the number of pounds that you want to lose and multiply that number by 3500. This is your DEBT.
2. Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in Kilograms (approx).
   Multiply your weight in Kilograms by 24. If you are a woman multiply this number by .9 This is to account for women’s slower metabolism (Sad but true).
   The resulting number is your INCOME. This is the approximate number of calories per day that your body expends just for being.
3. Your EXPENSES are the number of calories that you EAT on any given day.
4. Just like in real life there are only 2 ways to reduce your debt. The first is to spend / eat less (than your income) and the second is to earn / exercise more. When eating less please remember that it takes at least 1200 calories for women and 1400 calories for men to stay safe nutrition-wise. You should not eat less than this on any given day if possible.

My Real Life Example

1. I would like to lose 10 lbs. Therefore 10 * 3500 = 35000 (Debt)
2. I currently weight 125lbs. Divide 125 by 2.2 = 56.82 (kg). 56.82 * 24 = 1364 * .9 (woman) = 1228. (Income)
3. Although I would love to say that I eat about 1500 calories per day I really end up eating about 1800 calories per day on average (Expenses). This means that if I don’t exercise at all I will increase my debt by (1800 – 1228) 572 calories every day which means that, if a pound is 3500 calories, that I will gain 1 pound every 6 days if I don’t exercise. That isn’t good at all!!!
4. So what it means is that I have to burn (through exercise) at least 572 calories EVERY day, 7 days a week, just to maintain my weight. And, in order to lose 1 lb in the next 12 days I will have to burn 572 + (3500 / 12) = 873 calories per day (Additional Income) for the next 12 days. It shouldn’t seem daunting but it is somehow.

I know that this way of looking at controlling or losing weight has helped a lot of people understand either why they have been struggling with their weight loss. It also helps one get a really good idea of what they have to do to lose or control their weight. It becomes concrete. It doesn’t allow for excuses. The numbers don’t lie!

I think that I might have my 873 calories for the day already but I think that I might just put down the computer for a bit and go out for a walk (walking or running burns about 100 calories per mile) or do a little Wii-ing. Can’t hurt to get a little head start!

Other than getting some more exercise I think that I will:

• Call the contractor to set up an appointment
• Call my mom
• Apply for NEXUS
• Call Connie re my visa application
• Read my book
• Unpack from the cruise
• Answer a few pressing emails

Nothing exciting or pressing. I will save that for tomorrow.

Until then, have a wonderful day!

Ella

Hula Girls and Hoochie Mamas

I made a terrific discovery today … drum roll please!! … I can fit into some pants that I have NEVER worn from about 5 years ago! That doesn’t sound very impressive but, believe me, it is! These are pants that I bought in a “skinny” moment of weakness; in fact, I have NO idea what I was thinking! One pair is a flowery kind of tropical island meets Spain capris and the other is a shell dangling (no kidding), beaded cuff, tropical palm frond decorated hula pair. Both are way more “out there” than I normally am … at least where clothing is concerned. I tried them on for a lark this morning as I was going through potential “cruise” wear and, lo and behold, they actually fit!! Fit!! On my used to be fat ass! And without the “this is really too small for you” pulling at the crotch and everything. They legitimately fit. I modeled them in front of Prince Charming and he gave them the cruise-worthy okay so in my suitcase they go! I think that they will be perfect for a 4-day cruise to Cozumel especially with the crowd that we are going with (tending to favor loud Hawaiian shirts and drinks with umbrellas).


As you may have guessed Prince Charming and I are going on a cruise. It will be our first one and we are looking forward to checking it out. We like active vacations so this will either fit the bill or we will be the first on the gang-plank when we get back. Either way, a 4 day cruise is a good way to get our cruising feet wet. People that I have talked to either love them or hate them so we shall see. We are cruising to Cozumel (1 day in port) and otherwise will be at sea. I will definitely make sure that I have plenty of Dramamine on hand for sea sickness (another reason that we haven’t done a cruise before).

We chose “Amazing Race Cozumel” as our in-port activity. It is the only activity (and there were a lot to choose from) that I thought that Prince Charming and I would enjoy. In fact, we are both looking forward to it. Here is the description from the website:

Play Amazing Cozumel Race - an interactive, clue-based adventure game that's like a reality show! Equal parts live-action mystery novel, and scavenger hunt, it's the best and most fun way to experience Cozumel.
On this excursion you will:
Form teams of two or more, with a maximum of 10 guests per team.
Be met at the pier and taken to the starting line.
Spend an exciting day racing throughout Cozumel, solving devious clues each step of the way.
Try to be the first to unlock a secret code and defeat an ancient Mayan Curse.
Enjoy a brief snorkeling adventure.
Use your wits, energy, and sense of adventure as you race against time and your shipmates.
See a side of Cozumel most visitors never get to see.

So, it is off cruising we go tomorrow. I am not sure about on-board Internet access but I will post if I can.

Have a fantastic day!!

Ella

Project 365 Photo of the Day

Pumpkin has accused me of falling down on my duties both as a blogger and as a Project 365 participant. She says that I am like a Project Whenever you like participant which might not exactly be the same thing. I plead the flu and its lingering influence. In the spirit of participation I took this picture after returning from a Laser Hair Removal treatment (just be happy that I passed on the Pube appointment today). Enjoy :)

If Anyone Deserves a Pity Party I Do!

Okay so I have been having a big old pity party for myself. I have the flu for the second time in about a month. Honestly!

I have been sitting on the couch or sleeping all day. And with sitting comes eating. And with pity parties come BIG calorie eating. Akkk! So, I have the flu, am eating a ton, and am burning about zero calories. AKKK!!!

Consequently I have nothing to say except to gripe more and I don’t feel like taking a picture either.

Thanks for all of the good wishes. I hope to be up and around a bit more tomorrow.

Have a healthy day!

Ella

PS And to make myself feel worse about EVERYTHING I think that I have gained 2 lbs this week! I am declaring this "My Life Sucks Day!!!!"

Cold 2 Ella 1/2

My cold/flu is still winning although DayQuil is allowing me to delude myself that I might just be gaining ground. I am so glad that I decided to take it easy yesterday as I think that this might also have helped. Plus, I got all my goals work done and so I feel much better about that.

This year I decided that I was going to take my coaching and cooking businesses completely out of my 2009 goals. I want to give myself time and space to work on me, this house (Ike & builder recovery), the cottage (my "baby"), and the various traveling that I will be doing. It was really when I wrote down my travel schedule that I started thinking about my business building and how it would fit in. Every time I thought about it I felt pressure and a little panic. I finally decided that I didn't have to worry about it and that the skills required to be a coach and a chef didn't go away. As soon as I gave myself permission not to work on my businesses I felt much better and ... immediately got a new coaching client and a new job teaching cooking. Funny how the universe works!

Prince Charming leaves tomorrow for Japan and whereever else so today we have a lot of "what needs to be done that I don't want to lift, haul, etc. while he is away so I need him to do it before he leaves" jobs. A lot of that list centers around the storage area downstairs. This area used to be so organized before me piled it high (again) with stuff that used to be in the Sweet (the room that we built that we now call the "Sweeeeeet") or outside on the patio or that we just got lazy about putting in their designated places. It kind of looks like an oversized junk drawer. Today I also want to reorganize my cottage-bound boxes stored there.

Other than that I am going to rest, rest, and rest once again.

Oh, before I forget, I am going to get a Wii Console and Wii Fit. Pumpkin convinced me that I would really enjoy it. Her roommate got one for Christmas and they have been "playing" it ever since. It sounds like it makes fitness fun which is something that I crave. It also sounds competitive which I think that I will respond well to. I am hoping to convince my sister-in-law to get one also so that we can "compete" against each other. I think our natures are such that that kind of competition would spur us on ... in a good way, of course!

Doing my food journal I realized that I added 440 calories yesterday with the juice that I drank!! Even though it is 100% juice with no sugar added it packs a lot of calories. I was trying to drink lots of fluids for my cold and the juice helped me do this (I wouldn't have drunk as much water although I did drink 2 bottles). Unfortunately, it also helped bring my calorie count for the day up to 1899!! A 699 calorie deficit as I did NO exercise yesterday!!!!! Ackkkkk!!! I can hear Prince Charming (in my head) saying "Lighten up Francis" :) It is good to have that mental check but I can tell you I won't be sucking back the juice today!

Have a terrific day!!

Ella

Cold 1 Ella 0

My cold / flu didn't seem to understand that it was to have been vanquished! I am sicker than ever and will put myself back to bed as soon as I have written my blog entry. Between the rest and the chicken soup I will be back to normal in no time (I hope).

Despite being sick and tired yesterday I still managed to get almost all of my To Dos done (just the 1 hour Storage organizing left to do). Today though I am going to take it easy and do mostly sit on the couch with a laptop things:

• Create my RPM daily templates. I realized that I am far more effective if I have a strong and busy structure. These daily templates will help speed up my weekly planning.
• Transfer my written running To Do list to my existing RPM running To Do list.
• Type up my 2009 goals and print.
• Order Soldier donations boxes from post office. Our good friends Beauty and Beast decided to donate Soldier Boxes this year instead of getting each other Christmas presents. How nice and terrific of them! Although Christmas is past I am sure that some soldiers out there would still appreciate a package.
• Rest, rest, rest and get better.

Before I sign off for the day I want to reiterate how important I am finding the calorie counter. It is amazing how little food can add up! It is also answering soooo many questions about why I can maintain my weight but not necessarily lose it. And the thing is ... I eat pretty darned good! For instance, here is what I ate yesterday:

• My typical oatmeal breakfast which consists of oatmeal, raisins, blueberries, raspberries, ground flax seed, ground almonds, yogurt, and a little milk (349 calories)
• My non-fat latte (200 calories)
• Bean & Vegetable Quesadilla with 1/2 avocado (390 calories)
• Shrimp Gumbo (300 calories)
• Snacks consisting of 1 apple, 2 oz peanuts, and 1/2 cup cherries (434 calories)

That sounds pretty good doesn't it. Pretty healthy, not going overboard. Well, I think that it is. But it adds up to 1673 calories!! Which wouldn't be too bad except that I can only have 1200 calories (without exercising) without gaining weight. Which gives me a deficit of 473 calories. Yesterday I worked out to the tune of 488 calories. Which means that I contributed to my weight loss a measley 15 calories (out of 3500)!!! Heck, if I am off just a bit on my portion size that 15 calories could be gone in a biteful! And, each day is about the same. Today I am not working out at all so I will have to be extra vigilent.

So what am I going to do about this so that I can lose the 10 lbs that I would like to? Here are some of the strategies that I am going to try for the next week or so:

• Cut out raisins from my oatmeal. The raisins are contributing 74 calories. I don't think that I will miss these (and, in fact, this morning I really didn't)
• If I am going to eat nuts I will choose to eat only 1 oz. which should cut about 150 calories.
• Be careful of the avocado. While I only had 1/2 an avocado yesterday the day before I had 1 1/2 which adds up big time.
• Ensure that I exercise for at least 500 calories per day (not including today when I am kicking this cold). I will do this by wearing my heart monitor every time that I exercise to get a true count of my calories.
• Track my calories during the day to know where I am at at all times.
• Keep tweeking :)

On a happier note: I did get another compliment at the gym yesterday. Another one of the gals in my class mentioned that I looked like was really slimming down. I will take comfort in the fact that even though my scale isn't showing changes my body must be.

Have a good one!

Ella

P.S. I just came across this and had to share it:

"You are the only problem you will ever have and you are the only solution." Bob Proctor

Challenges with Journaling!

Okay so yesterday I was all keen on my food journaling and thinking about menus and food. And that got me to thinking about food ALL DAY LONG!! It was like the food in the house was the last food on earth and if I didn't eat it then ... This morning while I was laying in bed I spent a bunch of time analyzing what happened, deciding whether I would admit it or not, and thinking about how to avoid this type of thing in the future as it is exactly this that sabotages me so often.

So here we go - Analysis time.

1. When I think about the fact that I need to write my food down and then I think about the fact that that probably means that I shouldn't eat certain stuff and that since it is Little John reading the list that it really has to be good stuff I immediately start to crave EVERYTHING! The adage that "energy flows where focus goes" is very true. To help avoid this "scarcity" feeling that triggers desire I must ensure that I menu plan weekly so that there is no question what I will be eating so that I can then forget about eating.
2. When I create a menu it has to be for every meal and snack of the day in order to be most effective and to ensure that I am getting the right combination of hi-low glycemic foods, the right "food pyramid" foods, enough variety to please me, enough food to fill me up but not make me fat, and have enough "fun" food included so that I don't feel panicked about never eating yummy, fun food again :)
3. Yesterday I ate breakfast but then I didn't eat again (even a snack) until almost 2pm when the contractors left. When I did I ate cauliflower with low-fat cheese on top. By 3:30pm I was hungry again probably because I hadn't eaten any carbs with it. So at 3:30om I inhaled an avocado, then some peanuts, and then some more peanuts. At about 6pm I had more cauliflower and cheese with a little salmon. Still wanting to chomp down food I ate 2 Fudgesicles (left over from the kids) and then, and this is the truly embarrassing part, even though I was full I ate the last Fudgesicle with the excuse that it was the last one and then I wouldn't be tempted any more. This could all have been solved if I had had a menu plan in place. Big lesson there. I just signed up at http://www.everydayhealth.com/ in order to use their free calorie counter. I think that this will help me also.
4. If I am going to make a success of this I have to put it out there warts and all. There is no use in me hiding my Fudgesicle eating or other "bad" things and still expect this blog to serve its purpose or for me to see any improvement. In fact, the reason that I am writing this blog is to almost force myself to take a good look at the reality of what it going on and why. So expect to see a lot of warts in this blog :)
5. I just signed up at http://www.everydayhealth.com/ in order to use their free calorie counter. I think that this will help me also as it is important to have a clear understanding of the number of calories that I am taking in especially since, without exercise, I only burn 1200 per day. Based on the food that I ate yesterday (1577 calories) I am happier than I have a right to be because I thought that it was going to be WAY worse, excited about using this new tool, and sad because I don't think that I burned an extra 377 calories at the gym yesterday (between Little John and the Elliptical trainer I don't think that I burned more than 300). This means that I had a deficit yesterday of 77 calories and that is the road to gaining rather than losing.

I have a client in a minute and I still haven't eaten yet so I am going to post this (so that I don't lose it ... I still haven't figured out how to get a post out of "draft") and then edit it later to add my To Do list and my Menu plan.

More to come ...

Bad news! I forgot to add the avocado and my calorie count jumped to 1899! That means that I have a 399 calorie deficit instead of the more reasonable 77 calorie one. I am so glad that I am using this calorie counter!!

My lunch today was really good. It was a sweet potato with avocado, green onions, and cheddar on top. Tonight, in following with my menu I am going to make Bean and Vegetable Quesadillas from the Canyon Ranch Cooking (CRC) recipe book.

And that leads into my menu for the next few days. I noticed that this blog was extra long so I am going to only include the dinner items:

• Thursday: CRC Shrimp Gumbo and salad for dinner
• Friday: CRC Chicken w/ Potatoes and Oven-roasted Vegetables
• Saturday: CRC Bulgur Lentil Salad
• Sunday: CRC Barley Risotto with Shredded Chicken

And my To Dos for today:

• Clean and organize pantry
• Organize tupperware cupboard
• Chop veggies to have available for salads
• Put away kid-left items
• Organize book cupboard
• Clear basement entry shelf

I don't know if I will get through all this but I will give it a shot!

Have a wonderful day!

Ella

A Good Day!

I just met with some contractors (post Ike) and I really liked them. They are with Sanctuary Homes which is a name that I can appreciate. They stayed for 2 1/2 hours talking to me, looking at the damage, taking measurements, etc. I think that they are pretty high end but they are willing to work with the insurance adjustors and hopefully we can get a better settlement than we were offered before (a settlement that barely covered ANYTHING).

So I feel buoyed! They had some definite thoughts about what is causing the leak in the laundry room! We have identified previously unidentified roof leaks that were caused by Ike and would have cost us a bundle. For the first time in a long while I feel hopeful where this house is concerned.

This morning I worked out with Little John the trainer from 24H Fitness. He is a young little hottie but seems to know his stuff. Most of the 50 minutes was spent evaluating my fitness. I am a little sad to report that, despite working out fairly regularly for the past two months, I have A LONG way to go! The good news is that I can only improve!! I promised Little John that I would keep a food log. I think that he was a little horrified that I had 28% body fat. My body is a little deceiving in its looks. It doesn't necessarily look like I am carrying around that much fat or that much weight and so people are often surprised when I tell them the actual numbers. I am used to it by now but he definitely was a little shocked. I have a few main food issues that I am working on that hopefully the food log will help keep in check -

1. I love sweets and am a sucker for chocolate. This is something that I have been working on for a while now. I am definitely MUCH better than I was. This holiday hasn't helped my cause but I am ready to get back on the chocolate / sweet limit bandwagon. I believe that an allowance of 100 calories per day on sweets would be reasonable.
2. Portion Control! I believe that this is an important contributor to my difficulty in losing weight. By being more aware of my portions I can reduce my calorie intake. Keeping a food log will definitely help me here.
3. I need to increase the number of fruits and vegetables consumed each day. I have not been as vigilant about this as I could have been over the holidays.
4. Menu planning is key. Before the holidays and since Fitness Ridge I had been very good about menu planning for the week and making sure that the menu was "Fitness Ridge approved". As long as I keep up with the menu planning I have a much better chance of succeeding not only with my weight loss but also with making sure that I have a healthy balanced diet.
   

My sister-in-law emailed me the other day to tell me that she has been steadily losing a pound a week for the past 5 weeks through healthy eating and exercise. This is TERRIFIC as I know that she has been struggling in the past. I think that if we keep each other accountable through our email updates we will both succeed. I am looking forward to showing off our hot bods to each other at the cottage this year :)

And how does my To Do list look today?

• Little John the trainer (9am)
• Meet with contractors (11am)
• Drop off library books
• Clear fridge
• Clear kitchen island
• Blog
• Menu planning (remainder of week)
• Christmas tree denuded
• Christmas ornaments away in boxes
• Pay Gap bill
  

I hope that you have as terrific a day as I am having!

Ella

January 2nd, 2009 - My First Day Blogging

This morning I woke up and, as usual, my brain seemed to already have been awake for a while. No ease into the day brainwise just full tilt with thoughts like:

• “What’s on the agenda today?
• Do I really have to work out? (Yes)
• What time is it?
• I wonder what the temperature is like.
• How can I improve?
• Hercules (my eldest ) wants me to start a blog with him to keep us on track …

And then I was away to the races. The blog idea took hold and, as I lay in bed, I thought of a Canadian food writer’s blog called “Dinner with Julie” (http://dinnerwithjulie.com/) (very good) where she blogged about cooking every day. Now, I know that I am “supposed” to keep a food journal so that I can stay on track with my eating, and journaling in general is a great form of meditation and self-improvement, and I know that they would both be good for me but I just haven’t found myself naturally drawn to doing them on a consistent basis. And yet, the idea appeals to me. So this morning I made a commitment to myself that I would blog every day for the coming year. It will help me connect with my eldest son, Hercules, and help us both keep on track (as long as he keeps his blog up too :)) and I am hoping that it will also help me get out of the rut that I have been in since last year.

I am a great one for tracking things. I think that it helps keep me on the straight and narrow and if I am going to be exposing myself to the world with this blog I hope that it will do an extra bang up job with just that. One of my goals this year is to continue what I started at Fitness Ridge (http://www.fitnessridge.com/) in October. I went to Fitness Ridge to jump start my weight loss and increase my fitness as only a place like that can. It was terrific and I learned a lot! Since I have been back I have been trying to keep the following schedule:

M/W/F 24 Hour Fitness Step Class / Abs Class / Strength Class (2 hours)
Tu/Th Fitness Center Cardio / Pilates Class (2 hours)

And, I am happy to report, I have been pretty darned good about sticking to this. I have also been trying to eat healthier. Unfortunately, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I haven’t been as good about this aspect and have gained 2lbs. When the kids leave on Monday though all the “junk” food is going in with Princess Charming to his office and I will get back to my healthy menu planning. And now for the starting stats:

• Height: 5’ 3”
• Age: 47
• Current Weight: 125 lbs
• Goal Weight: 112 lbs
• Waist: 27 ½” Belly: 32 ¼” Hips: 37 ½” Thighs: 22 ¼”
• Fat %: 27.5 % Water %: 52.5 % Muscle Mass %: 35.7 % Bone Mass: 3.7
  

** I need to find the booklet for my scale to tell me what the bone mass number means.

What these numbers tell me is that I still have a long way to go but that’s okay because I am working on it one day at a time.

New topic: My To Do List for the day

I am still working on how best to create my weekly / daily / yearly / monthly to dos. I really love the Tony Robbins RPM method and it works for me (when I take the time to do it) but I haven’t been able to keep up doing it lately. At least until I gear up I am going to create my To Do list when I get back home from working out. I find that when I get back home from working out / running morning errands I need a bit of a break so I use that time to putter around, look at my email, think about things, and create my to do list. This isn’t the best way and I realize that. This too will change :)

Today’s To Do list includes:

• Creating and writing the first day of this blog
• Doing the dishes (I usually leave dishes at night and do them while my oatmeal is cooking)
• Watering my orchids (I soak them once a week)
• Putting away the platters and bowls from our New Year’s Party (I took yesterday off)
• Returning library books and picking up new ones
• Grocery shopping
• Going to the Chinese Embassy to pick up my daughter’s Chinese Visa
• Returning a pair of jeans for my son at the Galleria
• Updating my iTunes with playlist from upstairs computer (I am doing a massive reorg)
• Downloading an audio book from the library to my upstairs computer
• Going to Radio Music Theatre tonight with the family

And now that I have the list and this blog is off to a good start I will get cracking on it :)

Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you again tomorrow.

Ella