Day 11 Blogging About it. (WARNING: This blog talks about tummy issues)

 WARNING: I'll say it again, this blog talks about tummy issues, and by tummy issues, I mean bowel movements. So if you're unable to "stomach" that, you may want to move on or wait until tomorrow for another blog.  Just sayin'.

    Here in Oklahoma, which is where I currently live, we have higher temperatures now and we have had for several weeks actually. It's only the end of May and we're at 92 degrees, which in Celsius is 33. Here, a 33 degrees day would be one degree above freezing. We're not all as lucky as the Irish or as fortunate as the Scots. We have to deal with skin-melting, sun burning scorch from the last week of April through the last week of October. Thankfully (Thank you, Jesus) we do have a few days of breaks where the weather is both tolerable and even pleasant.  Today is not one of those days. It's another hot one.

    Since it is the weekend and the holiday in the US known as Memorial Day Weekend, we have parties, plans, events, festivals, walks, and all sorts of things planned. Yesterday I walked over 7 miles, half of it at the Paseo (an artsy area in OKC) Arts Festival. Today I was resting from that, as the heat and the beating of the pavement led to some stomach issues that don't usually crop up until mid June. Nope, there it was! It's lasted through today as well, so I gave up my hopes of going to the lake to watch the kids on their sail surfers and just stayed close to the toilet -- the loo for my British friends. I was not about to have to vie for a public restroom during a very busy weekend event such as that. Not happening.

    Breakfast was actually eaten today. Carbs!! I decided to fight the bowels by adding substance to them. I do that, and I take fiber to show my body whose boss! Water, water, and more water, and I was thinking a bit of lesser walking, but I'm up to 3.5 miles already and it's about 2:00 p.m.  I'll do another 3.5 by the end of the day. I walk more at night now in the cooler air and if the dog can hold out; lately she's been rather knackered at 2 miles. I need 3.5 out of her but we'll see if she's got it. I walk at least 5 and often 7 miles a day.

    OK, onto the food. I'll do a salad tonight, so I can start the blog now.

BREAKFAST:  GREAT bagel with lemon curd and butter, grapes, and cheese.

Coffee with creamer.

LUNCH: Wait. Dang, I didn't eat LUNCH!!! OMG....I need to do that. I think I'll grab more grapes, cheese, olives, and some lunch meat. That will  have to work.

DINNER:  We'll head off to Braum's later and I'll pick up a grilled chicken salad with pineapples, strawberries and blue berries in the mix. There's also lettuce, carrots, cheese, and chicken. I add walnuts and cranberries with Balsamic vinegar dressing.

SNACK: Trail mix.

WATER, WATER....100+ ounces and about 1400 calories all around probably. I went over yesterday with my big fat watermelon boba smoothie!! 

We have to have a bit of fun now and again - - and again.

Photo Credit: BestTeaSupplier.com

Days 9 & 10 I think. Blogging About it.

 Well, over the past two days I've clocked a few miles on the walking front. I think I put in 6.5 yesterday and 7 today. I went to the Paseo Arts Festival in Oklahoma City with my good friend Niki. We totally RUINED our 3.7 walking stint with a majorly sugary and carb-lit drink from Oasis Cafe! She had an avocado smoothie with boba and I have the watermelon boba smoothie. Can NOT tell you have great it was to have such an amazing cold drink after walking 3.7 miles in the 92 degree sun as it beat on us like hammers!  We loved it.

    Again, because I'm that way, I didn't eat until after 12:00 p.m. again. I made lunch for Niki and I, and it ended up being eggs with cheese, onion, and garlic with an Everything bagel. We both put lemon curd and butter on our bagels. I love good bacon, so we had to throw that in there. I think I had 2 or 3 slices. I had grapes, and coffee with cream.  GREAT food, great way to stock up on fuel before hiking it off to the Paseo!!  (It's an Artsy part of Oklahoma City)

    We walked and we hunted. We came across so many wonderful pieces and if we had $$$$ we would have purchased so many things. We love talking to the artists. That's the most fun. We walked and we wished and we dreamed and we pretended. But in the end we just clocked our steps and then went for the drinks at Oasis Cafe.  Following the drinks we headed downstairs to the enormous Asian Market which always smells terribly but we can get the best food there.  The fish market in the back is more than real, and the butchering of animals can be watched if you're into that. We are not into that.

    Sixteen boxes of tea later, I was purchasing ginger candies, maybe three different types. We both both licorice, black licorice. We love it. If you're going to do it, you do it. We do it. It's amazing. We both bought things: produce, (she forgot to split the mint with me, so I have a bunch of mint now) and we bought licorice, candy, crackers, snacks, she got a pineapple and tiny bananas. I love that store. I love that store!!  We have to go back. I'm sure there's a tea I didn't get.

Food for the day:

Breakfast: didn't eat it

Lunch: Eggs, cheese, bagel, lemon curd/butter, and grapes with BACON

Dinner: Two slices of pizza from Dominoes. It was here so I ate it. Pepporoni.

Snack: GINGER CANDY!!!

Water and more water, more and more water and the best smoothie EVER!

Photo Credit: ME

Days 7 & 8 Blogging About it.

 Yesterday I actually wrote a blog and I even posted it, but I thought about it and I may have said something mean or miscommunicated. I don't want that. I really don't.  So, here we go. New day, new two days really since I didn't post yesterday's blog.  I didn't eat much at all yesterday I was so upset about an email sent to me by a would-be could-be friend -- those hopes are gone. I'm just gonna move forward. I didn't eat anything yesterday until after 1 p.m. and it was after 3:30 p.m. today before I ate anything. I'm not sure if it was stress from the email, it probably was.  It could have been that I just felt that eating would be trapping something in my body when I knew I wouldn't be working out that much. (Rain)

    Today I started the day off in prayer and I worked really hard to go through every correspondence and exchange I have ever had with the man that was so upset with me. It upsets me when someone is upset with me. I drew down hard on myself and I searched the social media posts, I searched our emails. I went into the archives. I even found correspondences I've had with mutual friends of ours, and those who are just really his friends. I searched but I didn't find anything remotely as toxic or damaging as he was letting on that I had been - - so after 2:50 a.m. this morning, I was able to rest knowing I did all I could to assure both me and Jesus that I hadn't been the boo-bear he thought I was. "Me thinks he protested too much" is really all I can say.  I walk away. It's the best exercise available for the soul.

    Today the weather is better so I'll get out there and walk 10,000 steps. I have about 3500 started and I'll finish that up and be on track. I wanted to box and kick and go crazy in light of my heart being so hurt but I didn't do that either.  I had a friend over and we whined about men being such babies. That was so very therapeutic, let me tell you! Grab a friend and just let it out!!  Works wonders.

    So for the food yesterday maybe 800 calories and it was a tuna sandwich, cheese, grapes, and trail mix for the most part. I had a chicken salad last night. I didn't eat it all.

    Today:  Breakfast - didn't eat it. Lunch - didn't eat it.  Snack: didn't eat it. I had a trail mix scoop I guess at 3:30 and now at 6:00 p.m. I have 2 chicken strips and rice with teriyaki and I've not finished it. I don't know if I will. I like the grapes though. I could do just grapes for a day or so and be able to sustain from all the adrenaline in me. He just really rocked my spirit!! I really thought I had been mean, but turns out he's just a drama queen and needed to vent on someone so he choose me I guess. My good friend who is a professional therapist said that (after he read the letter) that the man is literally transferring all of his anger from his failed marriage onto me and since he knows I will pray for him he feels safe to do that. Wow...hate that I'm the punching bag, but it made sense.

    WALK WALK WALK and drink that water.That's all I can say, and maybe tomorrow will be a pretty and bright day to start the whole thing over.

Photo Credit: SteptoHealth.com

Day 6 Blogging About it.

 It was a funny day yesterday, and one that I am really glad to have had. I was able to relax and not really over do anything. I did the same thing today as well.  Yesterday, I was in a bit of a mood because a could be or would be friend had decided to throw his Christian witness to the wind and just live a lifestyle that he absolutely knows (since he's a Believer) is wrong. Hey, it's his life to ruin. I'm here to encourage and support, but I can't get behind anyone who chooses to spit in the face of my Lord; calling oneself a Christian, leading worship, singing and praising Christ's name and then doing a 180? No. I'm just not going to be a part of that. I sort of hit me hard and in reality, I really shouldn't even care.  I let my connection to him draw me in for far too long (prayer and support) but today is the day I walk away. It doesn't feel good -- no, it feels really sad, but it is a necessity. Toxicity is something we don't need in our lives. Not even toxic fumes from what I may or may not hear on the internet - - he's gone! I'll still listen to the old music, but the new stuff may have to be forced on me in the future. I tore up my "fan card" as it were. 

    How does that have anything to do with my diet? EVERYTHING. We are not just a body. We are a mind, a body, and a soul all collected and wrapped up into one person.  When our soul hurts, when our mind hurts, when our body hurts, we feel it all over, not just in that one compartment. Getting rid of the gunk that pulls us down mentally will help us to be more focused on the body and the soul's needs. Here we go! 

    Today I ate well, but I didn't eat anything until after I came back home from an amazing interview. I've said it a 100 times, I am so much better off working for myself because people are too peoplely, but I think I may have found a good people-place where my skills, unique perspective on Securities and trading, as well as my background in both insurance and law have a role to play! I'll find out tomorrow. Today, I had coffee until 1:00 p.m. then I made myself a sandwich. I used TWO pieces of wheat bread because I can! I'm really radical like that. I also had grapes and started the tea -- I do coffee until about 11 a.m. then it's tea, then water and lemon water to finish out the 100+ ounces of intake throughout the day. 

    Meditation, binaural beats, harp and flute music, I sat in my little chair and did a really long breathing and praying session just before bed last night. I found really good music on YouTube and just let it invade the space in my head for about an hour before turning in and finding myself more willing to let go of what I knew I should have let go of about a year ago, but I wanted to give this "friend" every chance possible. I did, and I am now walking way -- it has to be this way. For the rest of the day we have:

Breakfast: Didn't have it

Lunch: Turkey on wheat, provolone cheese, mustard, grapes and carrots.

Snack: Trail mix (2 scoops, oh my)

Dinner:  2 chicken strips (air fryer) and jasmine rice, grapes and carrots

WATER WATER WATER....and lemons.

Meditation: Harps and binaural beats for about 30-40 minutes before bed. PERFECT.

Photo Credit: Get Stencil

Day 5 Blogging About it

 Not the best day to catch a good blog. I'm not all that chipper today. I was just sort of mopey and whiney all day but at least only my dog heard me. I did take it to prayer and so yeah, Jesus put up with my complaining as well. I'm just not in a great mood after finding out that a person I respected has decided to throw his family away (essentially) for his own personal freedom and lust-following. Sorry, I'm not going to go into it really, but I will say that there are 67 verses in the Bible against his choices, and not a single verse for it -- go figure. God said NO and this guy whose supposed to be a Christian and a leader of others is now choosing to leave the ministry for folly - - yeah, sort of put a damper on my mood. 

    The weather was right there with me, but to be honest, I needed the storms. I was feeling exactly that way inside and the thunder and lightning outside my window made my self pity seem more like a natural event. I cried, it rained. I screamed a little, lightning struck somewhere. I bitched and moaned as the thunder rolled - - and then there was a break in the clouds and Jesus basically called me back to Himself and I was OK. I tell myself it's "Not my monkeys not my circus" but anymore I think the clowns are certainly taking over. 

    Health-wise, all is well. I ate well, worked on my personal space with Jesus and just sort of laid it all out there. I worked on a plan to rest my legs and get some stretching in for now. It's an important piece of the puzzle - - stretch and stretch more after that. You just can't over do that warm up unless you hyper extend, so don't do that. Just be careful and roll around if you need to. Ibuprofen works good. Hot baths and essential oils work good too.  Just needed a break. I got that break today. I'm good.

Food? I think it hit the 1500 mark with the smoothie I made. I added at least too much chocolate to it. I think it was necessary and I think it was warranted. I feel better -- I'm not even going to look at the walking count  - - OK now I have to look. Wow...yeah, not reporting that. It's a rest day. I rested. Tomorrow may be a repeat if the weather continues, and I hope I can do more stretching, that really felt great. I have an interview tomorrow too, so there's a chance I'll be smiling and making eye contact. To be honest I'd rather stay home in my jammies to work, but it may happen that the big bad wolves call me out of the cave to be a human again. Damn.

Food:

Breakfast: bowl of Oat Squares by Quaker.

Smoothie: Chocolate protein and collagen with the powders and an avocado.

Lunch: Canadian bacon, cheese and a toasted tortilla but it didn't really turn out the way I thought it would.

Dinner: Brats, cheese grapes.

Snack: Trail mix.

Photo Credit: Letterpile.com 

Day 4 Blogging About it.

 It's Sunday, May 22, 2022, and I have just finished my daily walk. I typically go all the way past 9:00 p.m. but not today. I have been walking upwards of 6-7 miles a day and my legs basically fall off my body by the end of that. I was going to be really good to myself yesterday, but still ended up walking over 5 miles. I woke up thinking today was the day I could just lay around the house and do nothing, but the weather was absolutely wonderful! There's no way I was going to waste that. It's only 66 degrees outside and coming off a nearly record high 96 average from last week - - nope, I was walking today even if it killed me....and then I stopped. LOL

    I walked about 11,200 steps I guess before stopping the official walk - - my right knee was holding out but the muscles behind my knee and going into my calf were protesting. There wasn't really much of a discussion with myself over the matter, I drug myself into the house and plopped my deadness into the hot bath water.  For those of you who don't know me, I bathe in water as hot as I can take it, and I add a cup of vinegar, 1/2 a box of baking soda, almond oil, lavender essential oil, and of course no bath would be complete without Dr. Teal's Lavender Foaming bath and pure Epsom salt. I spoil me. I love me.

    The intake of the right types of food is so very important when someone is trying to be healthy. There's something to be said about having your DNA run to find out what sort of history your genes come from so you can plan a better future for yourself in terms of better eating, better exercise, better everything. Did you know that some DNA patterns are more preprogrammed (bad choice of word I guess) towards having a disease or disorder? Yes, you knew that because we all know that some physical health traits are in fact hereditary. DNA analysis goes up those lines and finds even deeper clues to help a person determine what is and what isn't good for their blood and body. (How overly simplified was that?)

    I have Type 0+ blood and I know my DNA charts well enough to know that I actually, as a body, as a person, crave red meats, but I also know that I don't want to eat too much of it for fear that I won't digest it as completely as I need to. I do much better with pork, chicken, and fish than I do with beef even though I LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE a good steak.  That's me, I eat cows. I won't even apologize for it. I just don't eat as many or as much of a cow now as I used to, but those birds walking around the farm are certainly fair game! 

    OK, so let's call it out, this is early, but I can tell you what I've eaten today and what I will be eating later because dammit it I am a disciplined woman! I can say what I'm going to eat and stick to it! Let's go. 

Breakfast: Eggs, cheese, 1/2 bagel with butter and lemon curd, grapes and coffee with creamer.

Lunch: Left over taco salad: chips, meat, beans, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and lettuce.

Snack: Banana Protein Smoothie with powders and vitamins.

Dinner: Brats, cheese, apples with honey

1300-1400 calories tops!

100+ water/tea lemon-water

4.3 miles now, but I'll add another .7 to round it off to a 5 mile day.  

Listened to some "Bubba" music along the way. 

Photo Credit: Mark Chestnutt

Day 3 Blogging About It

 Basically, yesterday was all about putting it out there and making the most of whatever it is that I could do in terms of walking my butt off (literally).  I typically want to do 4-5 miles a day and I want to be slow and easy so I can get the knee healthy again - - then yesterday came around and nope, that went out the door. I was all about pushing it and making it happen so I could test out my new knee sleeves.  I bought two stretchy sort of athletic sleeves that go from my thigh to my ankle. They are light weight, pretty green and black, and in the knee area there is an additional bit of support and stretch! LoVe it.  Couldn't have been more happy -- even in the 93 degrees weather I didn't sweat as much as I thought I would. Goals!!

    I walked over 16,600 steps all in all. If we're measuring from the moment I woke to the moment I charged the phone and went to bed, it would be closer to 18,000 but I officially stopped around 16,660 and took photos of the success along with the other data such as step length, distance, Double Support Time, whatever that is -- and there is speed, walking asymmetry and how many flights of stairs I climbed. Did I really climb 21 flights yesterday? I don't think so. I think maybe 10, and the rest of the time it was the terrain at the lake. I walked about 2.5 miles at the lake, so maybe it was hillish. Whatever!! I did a great job and my knees were not that upset about it. 

    Eating under 1400 calories a day isn't that hard either when you are capable of flat out lying to yourself and claiming (sometimes out loud) that the ice cream, cookies, candy, and other yummies are all poison and they are all trying to choke you to death. I do actually lie to myself about my snacking, I really do. There will be a very innocent Oreo sitting happily in its little bag thing and I'll call it names and hiss at it. My daughter suffers through it all for me, she'll eat it - - you know, so it doesn't feel badly about having spent it's last few days on Earth in the kitchen of a maniac. She's very kind to me, that one. All of my kids will make the sacrifice if called upon to do so.

    I can report what I'm about to eat today a bit earlier than not because I'll be cooking later for friends and know what will be in the pots and pans. If you didn't know it by now, I cook. I bake too, but there will be very very little sugar and gooey going through the kitchen at this time; cooking will be allowed. I am making TexMex tonight, so that's what will be on the table. I will dib-and-dab but I won't do much more than a few spoonfuls of red meat for the taco salads.  I can do this! I can do this!! As long as I don't mind working out, boxing, dancing, and walking - - there will be dancing. The party is at my house and we do dance when that happens. (My poor neighbors. At least we're not drunk and falling down the stairs, we're just elephants on the roof, that's all.) There may be cigars. It's not a full blow Pyrate's Night, just maybe three of us....dancing.  (sadly, we don't have a decent pole to try to hang upside down on, but that's another blog.)

    Here we go! As always -- over 100 ounces of water, tea, lemon water, etc. At least 4-5 miles of walking, today will be closer to 5 I'm sure. Here's the foody part.

Breakfast:  I didn't eat anything until about 11:30 a.m.

Lunch: two cheesy eggs, bacon, ham, grapes, and 1/2 a bagel with lemon curd and butter.

Snack: Trail Mix 1 scoop

Smoothie: Banana Chocolate Protein with yogurt and the powders.

Dinner:  Taco salad with light chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, refried beans, meat, spices, lettuce, tomatoes and a sprinkle of corn. I don't do corn so I may literally just sprinkle it for the photo. 

1400 or less calories and about 800-900 worked out -- expected, but you never know, we could dance all night and end up burning the entire 1400. Could happen.  

Photo Credit: Bad Idea Comics

 

Day 2 of Blogging About it.

 So, I took the dog with me to walk about two (2) miles at the lake.  We have a nice little trail set up and if you were able to do so it would be a 9 mile trek.  I think I walked about 2.4 miles before the pooch gave out on me. She's nearly 10 years old, so I'll cut her some slack. She did however, stop me every 30 feet so she could smell the grass and tinkle. I may have to rethink the way I do this tomorrow.  I did (because I'm really nice) bring her water dish with me, and we stopped at a local restaurant on the trails so she could be refreshed.  That was a good thing.  She gulped the entire bowl empty in just seconds. I definitely need to rethink how I do this tomorrow.

    I stood on the scales today, you know, just to get a starting point. I wanted to scream, but instead I just blew air out of my cheeks until I felt calm enough to cry. I was just too mad. This was so upsetting for me because I had lost over 40 pounds and there I was looking at 15 of it again -- unacceptable. My clothes aren't any tighter than they were and you can tell me all day long that muscle weighs more than fat, I don't care. That was not acceptable. Something needs to go, and by something, I do mean my weight.  The thing is, I don't fret, I don't worry, I try not to get down about anything -- but this was tough. God's got it. I can rest (well, no, I won't really rest, I'll work...harder)

    I'm not going to step back on the scales again for 30 days. I figure I can give myself a solid 4 weeks of working out, boxing, dancing, riding, walking, and good dieting with low sugar, low carbs, no red meat, etc., and then I'll do the whole shock-me-to-the-core routine! Damn, that was not fun.  I'm back to it, and I'll be OK, but just to let you know, these things happen to good people too. I'm just going to suck it up and face all reality rather than pick and choose what I work on. 

    About a week ago I decided this needed to be blogged about so others can take advantage of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the success. There will be NO FAILURE on this one, maybe slower progress than first anticipated, but I will conquer this. IT WILL HAPPEN!  Today I received the 4-pound workout vest from Amazon. I don't know the brand, it wasn't expensive, and it's easy to wear. It's the 2nd one I've purchased, as the first one was snug under my armpits and it ended up going to the grands. This one has the capacity to add another 4 pounds to it, so that's good. I don't think I want any more than 8 additional pounds on me when I walk.  I have weighed wrist bands as well, they are 2 pounds each.

    That's it so far, it's a bit past noon and I've walked 3 miles today. I'll pick up another 3 this evening and just get into this routine for now. My daughter Laura and I put in 1 mile this morning before she went to work. I work from home, makes it a bit easier.  We'll get this done! It will happen.  Go  out there and get your walk on!!  Double Dog Dare you!!

Food intake:

Breakfast: Egg with cheese, ham, grapes

Smoothie:  Banana, Coffee, Protein mix, yogurt, Collagen, and the powders I use (Maca, Papaya, Ginger, Cranberry and Flaxseed)

Lunch: grapes, cheese, and a brat

Dinner: Braum's Strawberry Balsamic Chicken salad with pineapples and walnuts.

Trail Mix - 1 scoop

Total:  1400 calories 

Photo Credit: Me

Spring Fitness 2022 - Day 1 of Blogging

 This will basically be a way to keep track of the calories and the exercise. I'll throw in a few tips and hints, things that happened and all that. I have another blog that I write, but this one is just for the weight loss and I may only do this through Summer 2022. We'll see what happens.

I won't put my weight at this time, but when I reach my weight goals, which is in about 30 pounds, I'll be sure and post photos and talk about how I lost over 70+ pounds total since August 2020.  I really haven't been active in the weight loss since February 2021, more or less just coasting on the 40+ I lost and living well. I worked out, exercised, and kept the weight in place, but now I'm really wanting to get it down to what I think is more attractive on me. I don't care if anyone else finds me to be attractive, and I don't ever tell anyone when they should start losing weight - - UNLESS it has reached a point where it can be dangerous to them; then I do.

    Today I walked 5.3 miles, around 14,000 steps and I went up the stairs 15 times according to the phone's stats. I have the phone and I have the Very Fit Pro watch, so I'll start wearing it more often and see if the phone and the watch jive on what the stats are. I've been told that for every 2000 steps you burn 100 calories, so that's 50 calories for 1000 steps, and I walked about 14,000 so that's 750 calories burned. Love it.  I also boxed for about 10 minutes today and I worked out on the vibration plate. What I do there is literally do squats with a 10-pound bar either over my head, or I lift it, and swing it and all that.  If I had to guess I'd say I burned over 1000 calories today and I took in about 1200-1500 calories, so today was a great wash day! Woot!

    My goals are to lose the 30 pounds (I'm calling them points now) by Mid August 2022, but if I come close I'm good. I'm not going to ding myself for a date, it will happen when it happens. I'll keep working and keep making good decisions. I gave up the ice cream - - tough one, but I did give it up today.  I can do it once a week as a reward and that's really all I need. 

    Tomorrow Laura and I are getting up to walk around 6:15 a.m. and I'll try to get 3000-4000 steps in before breakfast, another 3000-4000 during the day and another 3000-4000 in the afternoon, and yes, another 3000-4000 in the evening. I'd love to have a good 16,000 steps 3x a week. Let's see if we can make that happen!

Breakfast:  Oatmeal with cranberries, walnuts, heavy cream and milk.

Lunch: cheese, olives, grapes

Smoothie:  Avocado and blueberry with yogurt

Dinner: Brats, grapes, cheese, and olives

WATER!!!  (Tea and water) over 100 ounces. 

PHOTO CREDIT:  Fine-Health.com