Day 40 Blogging About it (Jogging About it)

 I have pockets in all of my yoga pants and in all of my yoga shorts (OK, for the UK friends I should say yoga trousers 😅)  When I work out I put my phone into my pocket so I can officially count my steps. Jogging in place counts! Running in place counts! Boxing counts, and going up and down the stairs checking the mail and picking up my Amazon packages count!!  Today, even before lunchtime I was able to count the steps and I put in over 3500. I bet I do that most days and wasn't even counting the workout steps. That's crazy!!  From this day forward I will count every step I take if I can. (Maybe not the steps I take in the shower)

    Speaking of lunchtime, I just had my lunch and I am so very pleased to say that I just finished the last of the spaghetti squash that I cut up and ate for the past two weeks in the form of smoothies.  I'm not kidding. I paid $1.70 for a big fat yellow spaghetti squash, cut it open, scooped out the seeds and sprouts, and then cut the thing up, separated the pieces, stored them in bags, froze them, and used them in my fruit smoothies. Sometimes I added an avocado, other times I added strawberries, blueberries, peach, or mango.  I always add my powders which consist of 1/2 tsp of Ashwagandha, 1/4 teaspoon of papaya, 1/4 teaspoon of Kacip Fatimah, 1 full teaspoon of cranberry and flaxseed, and 1/2 teaspoon of the psyllium husk.  That's some powder mix right there. For the milk, I use almond with macadamia nuts or just almond milk.  I also add filtered water and because the squash and fruit is frozen, it gives it that slushy texture.

    LET ME TELL YOU -- it is such a wonderful smoothie and it's literally always under 250 calories with the avocado and about 175 with the fruit. Amazing! I top it off with whipped cream (15 calories) and a few pretty colored sprinkles. I'm worth it. I figure if I am not eating something big, fat, juicy, and deliciously bad for me, I can do a few sugar sprinkles. I have them in many colors just for that purpose! Fun and more fun.  After a great workout and hot shower, I'm absolutely ready for a cold icy smoothie these days.  Yes, please, and thank you.

Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, coffee 

Snack: Trail mix

Lunch: Squash / Strawberry smoothie

Dinner: Chicken, rice, grapes, and cheese.

1300 calories today, and more than 16,000 steps! I'm already up to 5,000 and it's only 2:00 p.m. we'll put in 10,000+ this evening for sure at the lake. BOOYAH!

Photo Credit: ME

Day 39 Blogging About it (Walking the Lake)

 As soon as I came home last night from walking about 6.5 miles at the lake my legs were reminding me why it is that we don't walk 6.5 miles around the lake! Then, today, after soaking in the bath (Epsom salt and vinegar) and taking enough Naproxim Sodium to do the job, my legs were begging me to go back to the lake again this evening and walk again. We did about 5.5 miles today (not me and my legs, but me and my friend Niki).  It was GLORIOUS!  Apparently, on Wednesdays, they do the boat club regatta races.  So pretty.  So cool.  Great photos.

    Earlier today Niki had come over and we talked about the bennys of not being employed at the moment. Neither she nor I have steady work at the present, so we're studying to learn new things so we can be more marketable. I'm learning how to trade the Forex and she's learning more Microsoft Office stuff - - it's good to know! Maybe someday we will both be happily employed again, but this time may be working for ourselves or in positions where we are appreciated. Teachers (both of us) are rarely appreciated like they should be nowadays.  More and more teachers have left the profession than any other profession, I'm told.

    The lake was full and I do mean FULL today with walkers, joggers, runners, bikers, and even a man on a true unicycle -- it was motorized!  So cool. We saw a girl having her photos taken for her Quinecera and we saw people being proposed to!! WHAT? It was a wonderful day in deed at the "golden shore" in Oklahoma City at Lake Hefner. We also saw a live cover band at Louie's on the Lake, a good family restaurant. LOVED IT. Dogs were playing on the lawn, and children were darting in and out of the place laughing. I really enjoyed myself.

Breakfast: Didn't have it.

Snack: Plum!!

Lunch:  Aloha burger (burger with cheese and pineapple)

Dinner: 4 oz chicken and rice.

Water, tea, water, and more water and lemon water. (and coffee)

6.1 miles total today walking - - NO stretching today!! I will tomorrow.

Photo Credit: Me

Day 38 Blogging About It (No Scales for Me)

 About a month ago or so I said I was going to wait until July to step back onto the scales because seeing the number last time was so devastating! I had lost inches, I could tell because my clothes fit differently. In fact, I had to change my wardrobe somewhat to accommodate for what I thought was weight loss. It wasn't weight loss, it was body shift. I hadn't lost a single pound. I had GAINED weight because of muscle mass.  I won't be stepping onto the scales until I am the size I want to be and I'm not there yet, but I can tell I'm making headway!!

    I still walk every day, but for the past week I've had to do more indoor exercise not only due to the extreme heat, but because we also had some neighbor issues. We live in a really sweet and quiet complex but the new neighbors have had their teenage sons over and they've been not only rowdy but a bit on the dangerous side as well.  I haven't felt comfortable walking at night for sure, and my anger about the situation has stopped me from (basically) doing much more than just the yoga and the stretch routine. I put in about 40-50 minutes a day now doing that. I love it, but I need to walk. I walked 10,000 or so steps yesterday and said to myself that I need to pick it back up. 

    Today, my friend and I will meet at the lake and walk 3.5 miles so that will suffice for now. It will be around 10,000 steps. We can do that in an hour or so and I can feel pretty good about the fact that I can find alternatives. I need to find an alternative to being upset about the weight gain too. I know I'm in better health, but we're all conditioned to seeing numbers and those numbers represent certain things. It didn't help that while growing up I'd watch a show and then read an article in a magazine where the actress from the show was claiming to weigh a certain amount -- there was NO WAY she was that thin, but everyone liked to say that the TV adds 10 pounds.  It was a lot closer to 30, to be honest.

    I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that I am no longer as large as I was, and I'm really super happy about it. I have that pouch still in the middle, but I think I can save up and have that removed with cool sculpting. I can do that for myself, but I want to be sure and get rid of as much as I can before doing it so I don't spend as much and I don't have to rely fully on it either. I want to be superhuman, but we all know that's not going to happen. I will settle for healthy-human instead.

Breakfast: Didn't eat it

Snack: Trail mix / and a tiny little sweet cake from Trader Joe's

Lunch: Pancake!! It was a chocolate sour cream darling and only 310 calories.

Dinner:  Two chicken strips, rice, brown gravy

WATER....lemon water, tea, and more water. One coffee.

50 minutes of yoga/Doga and then tonight's 10,000+ steps at the lake. WOO HOO!

1200 calories max! (You'd think I'd be a waif by now, but I'm not!)

    Photo Credit: Unknown

Day 37 Blogging About it (Del Taco! Who Knew?)

 Could it be that there is actually a fast food restaurant out there that isn't all that bad for us? I don't mean to sound too enthusiastic about it, but there just may be.  My daughter decided to go to her new favorite fasty today and she insisted I go along with her. They have a stuffed grilled chicken quesadilla taco that is only 320 calories and believe it or not, it's both tasty and affordable. It was $2.29 I think. I only had one and I'm OK, I don't eat much these days. Laura had two, she's that way.

    When we think of fast food we think of greasy places with bad meat and foods full of sodium. I did check and this one does have about 800 mg of salt so that's a bit much too, but not as bad as it could be.  I didn't have to add tomatoes, I didn't have to add cheese, I didn't have to add sauce, it was good. There you have it, a good all-around quick and easy fix for dinner or lunch if you just can't think of what you may want.  I won't do it every day, no way, but it is something we can keep looking into for a fast fix. We went yesterday and I had two regular party-type soft tacos. They had about 250 calories a piece and I didn't want to do that again. I really didn't want to go again, but our apartment has had some issues with the water recently and we had maintenance in and out of it all day.

    That's it, we have a fix.  Today was a great day for meditation, Doga, studying, and anything that didn't require a bunch of water! (Well, drinking water is excluded, we have a filter for that, but we also had a few bottles stashed for these types of emergencies.)

Breakfast:  Didn't have it

Snack:  Trail mix

Lunch: Squash and cherry smoothie 

Dinner: a stuffed grilled chicken quesadilla taco and tea! 

A few glasses of water, teas and one coffee - - exercise was Doga and yep, that's it. I have really been a bad case of laziness these past few days.

Photo Credit: Del Taco 

Day 36 Blogging About It (Kifir!)

 A friend of mine had not been to Trader Joe's for a very long time. I couldn't let that continue, so I did the only right thing I could, and took her to the store! If you have never been to a Trader Joe's you need to go.  First, you want to just walk through it without a basket, just taking in the smells, the colors, the textures, the essence that is wonderfully Trader Joe's-ish and you'll find yourself mentally spending money while at the same time you'll be mentally enjoying all the fresh flowers, great produce, dairy products, chocolates and then you'll imagine yourself firing up the oven for a fresh Greek cheese roll! Oh, you will thank yourself.

    After you have the imaginary trip completed in your head you'll need to go back to the front of the store and grab a basket so you can load it up with all the goodness you find.  I can't get out of that store without blowing through at least $100.  I also say to myself I need to try something new, something I've never tried before. It's not hard to find in Trader Joe's!  This week it was Kefir.  I have seen it, I have heard about it, and I have even checked it out online, but I had not tasted it. I bought the strawberry-flavored Trader Joe's brand Kefir; or is it Keifer? Anyway, it's tangy!

    If you need something fun and exciting in your life you can try skydiving, but if you're just really needing something more grounded and good-natured, please find the nearest Trader Joe's!  I think the first one I ever went to was in Indianapolis back in 2010. They've been around of course, but I was in Oklahoma before that, and am back in Oklahoma now.  We didn't have the store until 2018 I think It was a while later. I left Indianapolis in 2015 and had to go an entire 3 years without my Trader Joe's coffee -- such a shame.  The Kefir is good and it's good for you. It's rich in anti-oxidants as well as probiotics. LOVELY.

Breakfast: Didn't have it.

Snack: Trail Mix

Lunch: 1/2 of a tuna sandwich, the dog took the other 1/2

Dinner: Two tiny party chicken tacos (soft) with lettuce and sauce.

1000-1200 calories all day and I'm not really hungry.

EXERCISE:  YOGA/DOGA and by that I mean 1 solid hour!! I am not walking these days due to a neighborhood event that has to settle down before I can feel safe out there. I may take myself to the lake tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be good.

WATER, tea, iced tea, water, lemon water...and one coffee.

PHOTO CREDIT:  portly adolescents

Day 35 Blogging About It (Making Plans)

My friend wants to take me to Scotland in a couple of weeks, and I will not stop her. I won't be that friend who says "No, no, it's not necessary, you don't have to do that". I will be that friend that packs her bags and waits for the hour to strike so I can drive to her house and take both of us to the airport!  I am not above being pampered and taken care of; nope, not me. I will allow this!  We'll see if it happens or not. We're in the maybe stage right now.  She's thinking about it from all the angles and if it strikes her fancy to do it -- we'll do it.  

    We've done this before, and it always works out.  Once we jumped on a plane and headed out to Vegas together. We didn't have much time to plan, and we didn't have much going on in terms of winning at the slots, going to shows, or even just walking the streets to find cool and exciting things. I had to be there for a television show with my dog, and I said she was the handler, so she was allowed to hang with us! Gotta love show business.  That was a while back, and we've had too many setbacks to spontaneously just go - - so we're possibly going!

    Trust me when I say we won't do all the typical touristy things. We'll walk the streets, of course, see what we can see, find kirks, churches, and other really cool buildings to look at, and we'll hit the closes and the cobblestones.  We will spend a few days in Edinburgh, but I want to use most of the time scoping out areas I will soon be deciding between, as I plan on making Scotland my final home in spring 2023. I'll need to see flats, terraces, semi-detached, bungalows, and even detached houses, but I think to be honest I'll rent for the first six months and then do all the touristy things around Edinburgh to get all that out of my system. This trip will be a recon trip for sure - - and a bit of fun! You can't go to Edinburgh without stalking a few really handsome men in kilts and smiling a bit too much. 

Breakfast was with my buddy, we had bagels and coffee.

We didn't do lunch really - - had a tea at 2 p.m.

Dinner was a wee chicken strip, biscuit, and grapes.

Water, tea, tea, water, coffee.

Less than 2 miles of walking and NO other exercise. I was a TOTAL BUM today.

1000 calories though -- that's not the best thing to do for a body now, is it?

Photo Credit: Unknown Pinterest

Day 35 Blogging About It (Cheat Day!)

 Most people look forward to "Cheat Day" like they were having a birthday or something! It's that day, it's the one day they can have anything they want! There is a diet out there that is conditioned to starting the diet with such an incredibly unbalanced cheating period that it literally calls for a person to stuff themselves with upwards of 5000 calories a day for two days. I can't imagine doing that, but I can think of the great food I'd be doing it with if I could do that to myself. 

    When I have a Cheat Day I use it sparingly, and try to be a bit careful not to overdo it so my body doesn't reject the food and cause a meltdown. Been there, done that! I prefer to just step outside the boundaries a bit, and do a bit of fried food, or making get an ice cream sundae....or both.  Today, it was both. I went to Braum's, and I did the right thing for Cheat Day.  I ordered the #10, which in OKC means I get a four-piece fried chicken strip dinner served with fries (which used to be mashed potatoes) a bread roll, a pudding cup, and sauces. It comes with a medium shake as well. Yes, thank you.  German Chocolate for me!

    I knew I wouldn't be working out today, so I didn't want to go too hog wild on the Cheat Day thing - - don't want to be backed up or not be able to live with myself. I guess the entire day was a Cheat Day, so my lunch at Boomerang (yes, again) with my friend Niki was the setup for what would become a full-on CHEAT. It was wonderfully worth every bite.  I'll get back to the walking and Doga tomorrow. I'm wallowing in my piggy-ness today!  Just shocking the metabolism! 

Breakfast: Nothing.

Lunch: Burger and fries with EXTRA pickles at Boomerang.

Snack: Sonic cranberry limeade 

Dinner: Braum's #10 Chicken Strip dinner with a German Chocolate Shake!

LOVE IT.

2000-2150 calories

Water, tea, cranberry limeade, coffee, and sparking water.

ZERO exercises. I don't think I walked 1000 steps today. LAZY as ever!

Photo Credit: Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy

Day 34 Blogging About It (Burgers and Fries)

 My ex-sister-in-law turned friend, Delores, came by this evening so we could hang out. We get to see each other a couple of times a year. She's a traveling healthcare person, and she takes an assignment near my house about once or twice a year, and when she does she stays for 3 months or so in the neighboring areas. I like it. We have fun. Today, we went to a really cool burger joint called Boomerang. There are many of them, it's sort of a '50s and '60s throwback sort of diner. LOVE IT. The vibe is great, the food is wonderful, and the prices are even better.  You can still get a burger and fries for about $7.00!  

    Since both of us drink water with lemon and eat extra pickles on our burgers we tend to have the same thing when we go out to places like that. She likes my burger toppings of lettuce, onion, and tomatoes. I don't ever eat them, and for the past 34 years she's eaten mine, so it's all good.  I have been cutting back (way back) on beef, but I will eat it now and again, and I just can't help myself, I love a good steak, and I do love a good burger with extra extra pickles. 

    There was little to no walking done today. I think the temperatures were just under 100, and the wind was down, so it was TOO HOT to do much of anything until after 8:00 p.m.  I walked about 1.7 miles, did my stretching and Doga exercises for over an hour today inside, and I finally got in the pool for the first time this season.  It was supposed to be open on Memorial Day, but we had to wait!!  I spent another hour in it tonight just running in place and doing the aquatic fun exercises you see people do when they really don't know what they're supposed to be doing. 

Breakfast:  2 eggs, cheese, 1/2 a bagel with butter and jam. Coffee

Snack: Trail Mix, grapes

Lunch: Avocado/Squash/blueberry shake with my powders

Dinner: Burger and fries!!

1500-1600 calories total -- still under 2000 recommended, so I feel pretty good about that. I gotta get this deficiency in somehow.

Photo Credit: Me

Day 33 Blogging About It (Aerial Yoga)

 Being as old as dirt never really stops me from doing what I set out to do, so now that my mind is set on wanting to do aerial hammock yoga, that is precisely the goal.  Now, that being said, I won't try to compete in the sport. I won't try to outdo anyone. I am only doing it for two reasons, to be more healthy, and to strengthen my body to the point that I can do it and not kill myself. That's the goal, and I believe it is worth attaining.

    Today, I went online and I priced the rigs. I have the actual hammock. It's green, but I can deal with that. I think I wanted pink but they didn't have any in the price range and by the manufacturer that I had heard of. I don't know which is good and which is not, so I decided to ask an expert. She suggested what she did, and that's what I bought.  Now, when the time is right, I will buy the rig and set it up so I can do the basics. The problem is that I'm not physically ready to even begin doing that, so I'll take this time to diet, exercise, build up, and watch videos. I'm a good student.

    Aerial yoga is one of the most beautiful forms of exercise out there, and it will kick your butt to the moon as well. This is one thing you can't just decide to do and then not work your body up to the point of accomplishing. If you don't do the work and put the time in you could end up hurting yourself either by twisting your neck off, breaking your limbs in the wrap, or falling and really doing damage. You really do want to stop and study before attempting it. That's my public service announcement. 

    I'm setting the goal for next spring. Spring 2023 should find me in the yard (if I have one) with the rig set up and the hammock hanging down. I hope to set it at 10-12 feet and do what I can, but I want to start out with it at 8 feet so I can get the gist of it first. We'll let gravity have its say, but I want to at least have a fighting chance at making this happen. I'd say "Wish me luck" but that's for the Irish! Scots blood runs through my veins.

Breakfast: Pancakes!! I made two and ate one, that's because I have dogs.

Snack: Trail mix

Snack: TINY cheesecake

Lunch:  Tuna on wheat with herbs

Dinner: Braum's Chicken salad with fruit.

WATER, Water, water, and more water, tea, and coffee.

I exercised indoors today with Doga and stretching. I'll walk about 4 miles by 10 p.m.

Photo Credit:  Pinterest

Day 32 Blogging About it (Kacip Fatimah)

 If you know me, you know I'm always up for a new herb that I have no idea what it is or what it can do. As long as the advertisement is being honest and they haven't been sued for a really bad reaction by several people, I'm going to think about giving it a go. Well, that's the case with the ancient and oh-so-wonderful herb out of the Indonesia area called Kacip Fatimah. It's been used for centuries there (and in Maylasia) for female (hence the Fatimah) needs pre and post-menapause.  It's one of those herbs you read about and think may work, but there's no way to get it since it's not popular or grown in the U.S. Well, thank you Etsy!  It wasn't fast delivery, I think I waited three weeks, but it did arrive today!  I've already made a smoothie using it. We'll see what happens.

    Kacip Fatimah is said to help with so many female issues. It produces a type of hormone kin to estrogen and helps with the regulation of cycles if you have them, but I don't do that.  It assists with skin tightening, cell restoration, and anti-inflammatory issues, and this is really cool (sorry if it's too much information) it helps build up muscles in the abdomen and vagina. Wow...that's gotta be a good thing, right? I mean, that part of my body doesn't really get the exercise or weight lifting that it could use, so yeah, anything to boost that would be welcome! Again, thank you Etsy.  Definitely worth the look-see.

    Kacip Fatimah is strong, and like anything else you're not used to ingesting, you should always consult your doctor before taking it.  I take 500-560 mg a day, and since I use a really cool tiny spoon that is actually measured for things that are 500 mg, I feel pretty confident that I'm not overdosing myself.  It doesn't seem like much when you put it in the smoothie, but if that's what the recommended dosage is, that's what I'm doing. I'm so not a scientist. Although I will say, that SCIENCE has not been doing his/her job lately with my body! It's supposed to be that if you take in less calories and work it off with exercise you're supposed to see the body shrinking!!  C'mon Science!! Do your job!

    Let's see if the stress-relieving, body-toning, anti-inflammatory herb can do its job. That would be great...really really great. 

Breakfast: Didn't have it.

Snack:  Trail mix

Lunch: Squash and cherry smoothie with Kacip Fatimah and other powders.

Dinner: Pork, cheese, grapes, bok choy.

Calories: 1200 to 1300.

Not really walking today so I can let the body rest. REST. I like that.

Water, tea, coffee, water, and more water.

Photo Credit: halalfoodmaster.com

Day 31 Blogging About It (Stretching / Walking)

 I woke up with the intention of studying for most of the day. I'm learning to trade on the Forex, the Foreign Exchange, so I have a lot to prepare for. It's not easy; if it were everyone would be doing it. It's hard, and it's purposely that way, I suppose. It's not the route most people take, but it's for me.  A lot of people who attempt the trading gig fail because they aren't willing to study and research. That's what I love most about it. I can study and research!! I can pour myself into it, and learn all day long for as a very long time. This is perfect. 

    Most of the day was spent studying, but I also made time for the stretching and the walking. I'm doing more and more stretching these days, and I'm doing wall push ups. I have done them in the past, but now I'm really getting into it. I think I'm doing better so that always makes it more fun to try.  I'm stretching, wall pushing, walking, and I need to get back into the battle roping, but not in this heat!! I'll have to wait for a better time of the day to do that. I guess if I were honest I can do it - - I'm just lazy. OK, fine, I'll do it tomorrow.

    I only got 9100 steps in today, that's really very very light for me, but I did stretch for 40 minutes too, so I don't feel too badly. With the temperatures as hot as they are I'm not about to take to the pavement and let the sun beat down on me. NOPE. It's all A/C for me!!

Breakfast: a chocolate pancake crepe. Made with a mix, water not milk, and thinner. I drizzle chocolate syrup over it, and add whip cream. Good, and lower in calories too.

Snack: Trail mix / chocolate (not going to lie)

Lunch: Pastrami and Havarti on wheat.

Dinner: Pork with Romano cheese and grain crumbs, not bread crumbs. Baked with a side of butternut squash soup and grapes.

1400 calories - no cherries today!! Sad.

Water, tea, coffee, and I had an extra coffee at 4! What was I thinking? LOL

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com

Day 30 Blogging About it (Steps and more)

 Working out is fun and everything, but you need to rest as well. It's just as important to do so. It's also important to stretch and not just leaning over and touching your toes (if you can) but holding the position for a while, returning to a stand, and doing it again, and again. It's important to sit, stretch, stand stretch, lean stretch, bend and stretch, and even to lay down and stretch too. You have a bunch of areas that need to be pulled and tested before you subject them to working out and crunching up or lifting.  (This has been a public service announcement ....)

    I don't stretch as much as I should, and I don't do the whole yoga thing as often as I should either. I tell myself I will do it. I get up in the morning with grand expectations of using the vibration machine while I lift my 10 or 15-pound bar over my head and out to the front. I do curls with it too.  I tell myself I'm going to do that for 15 minutes, then lay down and do the stretch thing - - maybe 10-15 more minutes. I tell myself I'll do it right after coffee.  Then it's right after I write. Then it's right after I take the dog out again. You get the picture. 

    Today is Sunday, it's the lazy day, and it's already 3:00 p.m. and I am NOT stretching. I need to do that. I have walked 5000 steps, and that's good. Steps are really really important, but I need to lift a bit, dance a bit, jump rope, and do the battle ropes. I need to do much more than just walking. I can always say I'll start that tomorrow, but I think I'll stop what I'm doing now (in a minute) and do it today.

Breakfast:  Didn't have it

Snack: squash and cherry smoothie

Snack: Cinnamon roll -- WHAT? Oh, I'm the worst!

Lunch: Peanut butter and honey sandwich.

Dinner: Ended up with butter squash soup with cheese and crackers.

Dessert: Tiny (tiny) chocolate cheesecake

I'll keep it under 1500 calories today even with the cinnamon roll and cheesecake. Did I mention it was TINY?

WATER, Water, tea, water, coffee, and water.

I'll end up only walking 10,000 so I can get the rest of my work out in as well. I'll do the stretches in a few minutes, the vibration plate with bar lifting and this evening I'll dance. (after I clear a space to do that) I need to do laundry too. Too bad that doesn't burn calories.

Photo Credit: Huffington Post

Day 29 Blogging About it (Spaghetti Squash)

 My new hero is spaghetti squash, even though I've eaten it for about 25-30 years.  I don't remember the first time I had spaghetti squash. I don't remember who introduced it to me. I know I had kids, even if it was just one, I know I had kids because I put the thing in my diaper bag when I carried it home. I remember that much.  I am super happy I have met this squash! It is one heck of a fun vegetable.

    It's Summertime almost, and I want to do the best I can at feeding myself foods that are lower in calories, and lower in carbs, but with the fiber I know I need to help me poop better, feel better, and that will help me with weight loss. I have another 30-40 pounds to go if I want to hit the original goal.  I was a bit upset to find that I was over 12 pounds heavier than I should be but it's all due to muscle mass. I can live with that, but I don't know if I want to do it to the extent of weighing as much as a freaking linebacker! I do love the muscles I'm finding though, those are really nice.

    So, spaghetti squash is cool, it's also cheap, it's really fun to cook and eat, and you'll love it if you're a veggie-head like me. I am not a vegan. I am not even a vegetarian. I am a person who loves to eat vegetables.  I've decided to go as meat-free as I can for the summer months and probably for as long as I can.  I think maybe the winter months will find me cooking with beef again, but I can cut back and do more fish, eggs, and chicken. I can cut back on that too, but won't give up the eggs, sorry.  That's where things like spaghetti squash come into the picture. Besides being amazingly awesome for me, it takes the place of a meat source now and then.  Some people cook meat with it too, but if I do that it's rare.

    For the most part, and this is odd, I use spaghetti squash in smoothies with fruits like strawberries or mangos. I haven't tried peaches yet, but I bet it's about the same. I have plums I'm going to try tomorrow. The thing is, spaghetti squash is dense and it's thickly and wonderfully filled with fibers that can really help so many parts of your parts.  The benefits of eating any yellow vegetable for that matter, include, assisting with eye health, providing good energy, helps to stabilize your gut and digestive system to help you poop better. It helps to hold your belly from craving to eat, and since it has very few calories, you can eat a whole lot of it, and not overdo it!  It also helps with arthritis, and gout prevents certain cancers, and has a host of benefits for the brain! You can't go wrong with spaghetti squash.

    Most people bake it after they've scooped out the seeds and sprouts.  They add meat sauce and peppers, season it just like they would a bowl of pasta, and they call it done. Some put brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon on it, and some cut it into cubes for toppings for summer salads. I do those things too, but I use it mostly for smoothies. I can buy a big fat yellow spaghetti squash for about $1.70 and I can make 10 smoothies out if it. That's amazingly cheap folks. I throw in fresh or frozen fruits, add ice and water and my powders, and BAM! It's an awesome smooth icy drink to keep me cool and make me healthy. You can't beat it.  TRY IT. 

BREAKFAST:  I ate at 12:30 p.m.  eggs, bacon, bagel, butter with jam (and coffee)

Lunch: Didn't eat it.

Snack: Spaghetti squash and strawberry smoothie.

Snack: Trail mix

Dinner:  Market salad from Chick-Fil-A.  It's a chicken salad with spinach, lettuce, strawberries, pineapples, blueberries, and feta cheese. I add walnuts, cranberries, and vinegar dressing.

1200 calories to 1350 today!!  WATER, WATER, more water, tea, and then I think WATER would be great.

Walking about 5 miles today. I'll have to wait until about 8:00 p.m. to do most of it. It's 96 out there right now. I'm not taking my chances with the Sun.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Day 28 Blogging About it (Beast vs. Man)

 I was working out this morning, as I do, and I was reminded of the time(s) I had a gym membership and how I'd go there to work out, to get fit, to be with myself, and there would always be some man pumping iron, throwing weights as if he were trying to impress, and there he was now, looking at himself in the mirror, taking pictures, and then turning to see me or the others to see if we were looking back to him! No. We're not looking. At least I'm not looking. I think about it, and I am so happy I'm not at the gym these days. I could never enjoy a beast. I might consider a man, but I would never be impressed by, want, or otherwise crave a beast. Not in my DNA.

    Maybe 25 years or so ago I would have thought it was sexy to be all built up, buff, and full of endless muscles. Don't get me wrong, I may look, but I'm not about to touch. Touch would imply that I wanted to be touched, and if I do, (and I do from time to time want that) I will take a man over a beast every single time - - not that there's been a time recently, but I have a good memory. I can conjure up the image of my fantasy husband Craig Alan Mackenzie when I need to see a real man. I laughed just now because I said I conjure up a fantasy to see a real man. That was me...being me. 

    Craig only speaks Scots Gaelic so sometimes it is really difficult for me to make out what he's saying, but when he's smiling and folding his kilt in the corner of the room I tend to use my eyes to communicate. He works out right alongside me.  He lifts, sweats, bulges, and heaves just fine. I don't need to go to the gym to get my mind full of what I think a man should look, smell, sweat, and sound like. Besides, if any one of those guys who think they're God's gift to the universe would decide to speak to me at the gym about my reps and/or tell me how dedicated I am, I may have to nod politely and walk away. I don't do small talk. I know, it's a flaw, but it's my flaw. I don't go to the weight room to chat. I don't go to the gym floor to be seen. If I go I work out and it's hard to talk and do what I need to do. That's where Craig is so satisfying. He's talking the entire time we're there, but I only catch about every 15th word - - when I piece them all together it seems as if he's saying he's had enough of the gym for now, and he wants to go home and have lunch. 

    It's not that I don't enjoy looking at a perfectly sculptured body, I do. I've owned horses all of my life. I know a good ass when I see it. I also know how to handle a beast and keep him in his place. I won't budge or back down for one. I just might (someday) decide to submit to a man, but not today. Craig understands that. Oh, gotta go -- he's about to dance. I love that man's legs. Sigh.

Breakfast:  Didn't have it.

Snack:  Trail mix and cherries

Lunch: Avocado and Yam smoothie (yes, really)

Dinner: pork chops, mashed potatoes, light gravy, cheese and grapes.

1600 calories Max.

6 miles today walking. WATER WATER WATER and then more water. That's the plan. 

Something like this.

Photo Credit: 5Monique5 (Pinterest)

Day 27 Blogging About It (OUCH!)

 Ouchy!  I dropped a two-pound dumbbell weight on the pinky toe of my left foot.  NOT fun.  I was pretty quick in moving it out of the way so the full weight of it didn't smash into me, but damn, it really hurt and now I'm sitting over here laughing at myself. It's 100% my fault. My phone rang, and since it was in my pocket recording my steps, I had to set the weights down to pull the phone out of my pocket. In doing so I missed the edge of the desk by a tiny fraction of an inch and bam! I mean BAM!!!  I sort of caught it in the corner of my eye.  I simultaneously saw it, screamed, and moved at the same time.  Then I dropped my phone too. It's a thing. I'm a dork. It's official.

    Today it is going to be another scorcher outside so I decided to walk inside with my phone in my pocket, and with my little tiny weights since I'm just in my room.  I've been doing this thing where I hook up the good headphones on the 10-foot cord, put on my LED red light mask for staving off wrinkles, and I walk, listen to Steven Hart of The Trading Channel as he teaches me how to trade on the Forex, and I get the beauty treatments all at the same time. You can't eat or drink with the mask on, but it's a give-and-take thing. When the phone rang (Thank you, Niki) I instinctively just grabbed it, but missed the desk with the weight. I'll learn. It won't take more than say three or four times to get through to me. 

    Can you just imagine that image now? I'm pacing back and forth in front of my computer while wearing really cool headphones, my face is covered in a thin plastic LED light shield from forehead to chin, and I've got little weights (I can use 5 or 8 pounders, but do the 2 pounders for the lighter stepping) and I am listening to my guru coach telling me that the second shoulder of the H&S pattern has to break through the lower low of the first shoulder in order to be considered valid. This condition must be met or we can't call it an H&S (Head and Shoulder) pattern. We can do inverse patterns too, you know. We can! We can put trades in both ways. We can feed both the Bears and the Bulls. I am not against that! What I am against is me not being able to pay attention and hurting myself.  It's OK, I can rewind Steven, and I can cuss while talking to Niki, she doesn't care.

    For breakfast, which was after the noon hour, I did the following:

BREAKFAST:  (12:10 p.m.) Eggs with gouda cheese and ham, 1/2 bagel with cream cheese and grapes.

SNACK: trail mix

LUNCH:  Oh my gosh, I didn't eat lunch!! It's after 4:00 p.m. I think I'll hold out until 6 and eat dinner instead.

Dinner:  I'm doing a totally cool summer thing and just having 1/2 a spaghetti squash with oil and basil. I will have cherries or grapes I'm sure, and probably a chunk of either Feta or a few Mozza cheese balls. I spoil myself.

1200 - 1300 calories. 

I'm into lemon-lime water today and have already taken in more than 30-40 ounces. It will be well over 120 by the time I sleep - - but then I'll be up in the middle of the night to pee because of it. Oh well.

I'm at 4500 steps now, but I'll click off another 10,000-12,000 before the night is here and I must say goodnight. Until then. 

    

Photo Credit: Weider.com

Day 26 Blogging About It (Walking Again)

 Woo Hoo!!  My legs and joints are feeling so much better. Yes, I am so glad I took a few days off. The rest and relaxation were well warranted. I was walking upwards of 7 miles a day and often 8 or 9. I'm OK with just doing 5 a day and letting the body work its way back up to another level. We're about to have the pool open again. We're a bit behind the times at my complex. When the pool is open I tend to do the last 3 miles in the pool so it won't register on my phone. I mean, I guess I could splurge for one of the water watches with the pedimeter on it, but I won't be doing that. NOPE. I'll just have to know for myself and report it as it is.

    What a glorious day! I spent it with the videos. I'm teaching and training myself to trade on the Forex, the Foreign Exchange. I'm doing demo bidding and playing about with time frames, time(s) of day, markets, currency pairs, and the like. It's just too much fun, but it does take a solid 6-9 months of learning before you want to settle into it with real money. Fake money with demo accounts is the way to go. Before breakfast now I'm walking the first 2 miles, and after journal writing and coffee I head off to the office (room) for my video lessons with The Trading Channel's Steven Hart. So good. He's just simply the best. 

    For the count:

Breakfast: I didn't eat it.

Lunch: Peanut butter and black currant sandwich!

Snack: Avocado and chocolate protein shake.

Dinner: Braum's chicken market salad with strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, almonds, and cranberries.

1400-1500 calories and WATER WATER tea and WATER.

I walked 5 miles and lifted weights today!! Fun times.

Photo Credit: Steven Hart The Trading Channel (YouTube)

Day 25 Blogging About it (Back out there)

 Well, it's been a few days since I stopped the power walking due to the muscles hurting, the tendons hurting, the joints hurting, and then there was the heat! Wow. So I decided to take a break from the whole workout thing, and just relax, but let me tell you - - that's not easy to do when you move as much or as often as I do. My knees were swelling; one more than the other. I looked it up to see if it was just me getting older or what. NOPE...and I was super happy to find out (if you can be happy about a thing like this) that the sun and the heat can actually make things so much worse on you when you exercise due to the fluids in your body (in the muscles and around the joints) that lessen and thin out making it less lubricated.  The fact is, the sun is not your friend when you're out there playing in it!

    Heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses should always be on your mind and in your plan when you're out there having fun or working. You'll want to bring plenty of water, and wear loose and light clothes. You'll want to bring a hat, wear the proper sunscreens, and just stay out of it if you don't need to be in it. Workers have it so much worse than the rest of us. We really do need to pray for them as they're out in it for extended periods of time. Oh, and one other thing that you NEED to realize when you're in the sun folks, it can and it will upset your belly and your intestines.  You will have gas, and more than normal most of the time. It can be both embarrassing and harmful if you don't release it in a timely manner. Just be careful!  It's really really important. 

    Here in Oklahoma, we have had several days of near triple-digit weather. We've had at least six days of over 95-degree weather, and three days over 100 degrees. NOT a fan of heat, and NOT a fan of heat this early in the season. Summer isn't officially here for another week. We're way over the top early for this sort of misery, and it reminds me of why I'm moving soon to Scotland. Just not soon enough!!  For the day, I had a good bowl of oatmeal for breakfast with cranberries and walnuts, honey, cinnamon, and flaxseeds. Let's roll out the stats, shall we?

Breakfast: oatmeal, cranberries, cinnamon, walnuts, honey, and cream. (coffee with cream)

Lunch: Pastrami sandwich on wheat bread with Havarti cheese, spicy mustard, and avocadoes.

Snack: Avocado and chocolate protein shake with my powders.

Dinner: two boiled eggs, bok choy, ham chunks, string cheese, grapes, and dates.

WATER, water, water, tea, and more water!!

1400 calories max - - maybe 1500 if I include the handful of spice candies.

I will finish off with 10,000+ steps today. I'm at 8800 now at 8:35 p.m. and will walk another 1200-1500 when I walk the dog at 10.  Good day!! Happy FLAG DAY!!

Photo Credit: Unknown. 

Day 24 Blogging About it (Heat!)

 OMG...it wasn't as hot today as it was the past two days. We didn't hit 100 today, but the day is young!  We hit 103 and 102 respectively this past weekend. I wanted to call it quits and move to Alaska, but alas, that's way too expensive. I think I'll settle for Scotland, but it will be Spring 2023 before that can happen. I can plan, I can plan. The planning is the fun part.  The waiting is the hardest part. I would have put that in quotes to give Tom Petty credit, but he didn't really come up with that, he just used it in a song. Great song, too!

    I was actually quoting another Tom Petty song today to a friend of mine...now I just realized I could have said "I was talking to a friend of mine..."  Never mind, if you're not into Petty you may not get that one. It was funny though. It really was. Anyway, I was actually writing to a friend of mine today to let her know that we all have had things to fight in order to break chains that would have held us back. We all have been lied about. We all have been trampled on and pushed away. We've all been hurt, but it doesn't mean that the person who lied, carried on, or told rumors about us is right? We don't have to accept the way they treat us. We don't have to allow friends, family, or good people we've known for years be the hurting sources or the deciding factors in our lives! We don't have to continue to live like refugees; "No baby we don't"...OK, I'll stop.  

    We choose who we will be. We show our colors when we want to, not when others expect it. We say and do what we want to do because it's the right thing(s) to do, not because someone wants it. If we lived our lives to please others we would not be living OUR lives. We are to be honorable, truthful, mindful, and thoughtful, but we don't have to be spat on, lied to, mentally or physically abused, and we don't have to put up with memories expecting them to change over time. That time is OVER. It's best to turn the page. No, I won't start quoting Bob Seger, but you know, it may not be a bad idea. I did, however, today, with the same friend, quote Getty Lee of Rush. I am always using this one; "To choose not to decide, you still have made a choice".  It's so true. Life will move on, move ahead, and leave your ass right there if you don't pick yourself up and make things happen! Preparation is key. Be alert and be aware that you are you, no one else has that right, and no one else has that privilege. 

    Breakfast today was a cupcake thing I made yesterday, and I ate 1/2 of it. The dog had the rest.

Lunch: a piece of pizza from the store, it was nasty, so I only had about 3/4 of the slice.

Snack: Vanilla ice cream with chocolate and peanuts! Yum

Dinner: Burger! I was going to do Ramen but didn't have the noodles. Ugh. 

Calories: 1500 tops and only about 3 miles today folks. It's both too hot and the knee is on the mend.

Photo Credit: Tom Petty estate, ONE damn good LP

Day 23 Blogging About It (I skipped a day)

 Yes, I know, I skipped a day of blogging. Shame on me. I didn't even have an excuse. I did, however, make it sort of a cheat day. I ate about 2000 calories and I didn't do squat-diddily when it came to exercise. I think I walked about 2 miles the entire day.  It is what it is. I am still nursing my sore knee. That will teach me to walk nearly 4 miles at one time and take harder bigger steps! I was at the lake with my friend and just really having a grand ole' time until I got home and my knee told me to sit down and shut up!

    I need a hot tub! That's what I need. I do soak in the bathtub every night for 20 minutes in hot hot water with vinegar, baking soda, oil, and Epsom salt - - I was putting in fragrance, but I had to stop that! Girly issues. Don't get me started on what is and what is not fair about being a woman. I can't wait for the rapture! I am one good rapture away from having every last problem simply melt away....FAST.

    I won't try to remember what I ate the day before yesterday. Today I had a breakfast cupcake/muffin thing that I made. It had 150 calories in it. I made them using butter, coffee instead of milk, cake flour instead of regular flour, eggs, Stevia, nuts, cinnamon, and baking powder, and I threw in a bit of molasses. They were good, but I do believe an extra egg would have been better - - have to try again next week maybe. I won't use cake flour either, not a fan. 

    Snacks were grapes and cheese. I ran out of trail mix, so I had to wing it. Lunch was leftover mince and tatties from the night before - - and dinner was an interesting spaghetti thing that my daughter threw together using brats instead of hamburger meat.  She added mushrooms! Total again around 2000 for the day, and I walked just under 3 miles today  - - again, resting the freaking knee. Today's temperature was 102 degrees (F) so yeah, not much walking!!  I stayed inside and watched FOREX trading videos. 

    Hope your day was fun! I did order another DAY TRADING t-shirt from Amazon this time. I wanted it to be delivered a bit faster and I'm wearing it Wednesday to a thing we're doing. I don't usually go to trading parties; I don't discuss my practices with anyone. I just do me, let them do them. It should be fn to network though! 

Photo Credit: Warrior Trader

Day 22 Blogging About it (Gunpowder Green Tea)

 OMG...I love tea. I love buying it, shopping for it, looking at it, making it, drinking it, and even researching it. I love my hot tea. I know, most Southern women are into cold iced tea with plenty of sugar in it, sweet tea, but I'm so not that. I am into hot teas even when it's over 90 degrees outside. I'm that gal. So today, I'm doing the best dang green tea found on the planet. It's Gunpowder Green Tea, and you can buy it online if you want, but I go to the Asian market here in the city. They have a box of it, always loose, and it's so cheap I could get a year's supply for literally $10. NOT kidding. 

    What at the benefits of drinking green gunpowder tea? Well, according to author John Staughton, "There are many benefits to drinking gunpowder green tea which may include preventing chronic disease, soothing arthritis, stimulating the metabolism, aiding in weight loss, preventing tooth decay, protecting the heart, lowering blood sugar, and improving the appearance of the skin, among others."   His article can be found at: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/gunpowder-green-tea.html#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20benefits%20to,of%20the%20skin%2C%20among%20others.  It's really worth the read. If for no other reason, I drink it for the weight loss component, but hey, lack of tooth decay is a winner in my book, too.

    Basically, Gunpowder Tea is loose leaf tea that has been processed in such a way to roll the leaves up into tiny tight balls. They are released when the hot water hit them, and yes, they are leafy and green and full of all the goodness that implies. You can check it out, decide for yourself, but that's what I'm doing today.   I can't walk yet, knee is still really sucky, so I'm waddling around the place looking like an old goat, but at least I'm happy, drinking plenty of green tea, listening to my Forex trading mentor Steven Hart, and just living the dream.

Breakfast:  2 crescent rolls rolled out with stevia and cinnamon on them.

Snack: cherries later on, and probably some trail mix.

Lunch: Haven't decided, but I'm pretty sure I need to eat the left over beef stew as well as a brats that been calling my name.

Dinner:  Something with hamburger meat, maybe spaghetti. I need to make Ramen tomorrow!!

Calories: 1400-1500 tops.

Water, tea, tea, tea, water, and yeah, the one coffee with cream in the morning!

NO WALKING sadly, but I do waddle about 4000 steps.

Photo Credit:  Shutterstock from the article mentioned

Day 21 Blogging About it. (Needy Knee)

 SUCH a great day!! It was so pretty, and just hot enough, just breezy enough, and just wonderful enough for my friend Niki and I to meet at the lake near our houses, and walk 3.3 miles. It never feels like you walk that fair when you do it at the lake. We put in about an hour I guess. I got there a bit earlier, maybe 10 minutes, and we just walked up and down the road a bit. It's so easy to do when conditions are perfect, and they were.

    There are at least 4 good restaurants on the lakeside and we have to try each one. She has gone to some of them, I have not. I have just been so stingy with myself that I haven't truly enjoyed going out or spending money.  I'm saving it so I can trade it soon.  I think this weekend I'll go to at least one of the good lakeside restaurants and put that on the checklist. I have to say, I don't mind checking things off, but I don't get around to it much.

    There it was, the perfect situation, and we walked 3.3 miles. We did it all in an hour which means I was walking a bit over 3 miles per hour and my knee thought I was abusing it so later in the day it decided to rebel against me and quit. I really do and I could go to the knee shop and get another one, but that too takes a bit of planning and finance!  It will happen someday, but not today. Besides, I'm not about to slow down long enough to be off the pace. NOPE. 

    Breakfast was NONE existent again. I did manage to have a tuna sandwich for lunch and I did manage to have a good snack and a good salad for dinner. I think as Americans we tend to go out more than they do in Europe. We hit up the fast food places for salads as well as burgers and fries. My chicken salad from Braum's has less than 400 calories and is a full chicken breast on a plate of spinach and lettuce with strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple. I add walnuts and cranberries and Balsamic dressing. So good.

Breakfast: Nothing

Lunch: Tuna Sandwich (lemon pepper tuna on a light bun)

Snack: Cherries!!  (and trail mix)

Dinner:  Chicken salad

Water, tea, water, water, tea, and more water.

1400 calories today.

3.3 miles today, bummer, but OK.

Photo Credit: Me  Lake Hefner Lighthouse 

Day 20 Blogging About it

 Such a day!! God showed up big time, and we had thunderstorms, lots of rain, and big flashes of lightning with rolling loud thunder. LOVE IT. I couldn't walk of course, but in the afternoon I was able to get out and make it happen.  It's a bit past 7:00 p.m. and I've walked just over 5.3 miles. I'll go back out in an hour or so and pick up another 2 miles. I'll finish strong.  

    What I did today that was a bit different, was to wear 2-pound wrist weights on my wrists while I went for the walks. I had a 4 pound vest as well, but it seemed to put a bit of extra strain on my chest and heart so I took it off after the first 2.5 miles. I walked the rest without it.  Which is funny when you think about it, because I know I've lost more than four pounds in my upper body, so I guess it's true what the doctors tell us about losing the extra pounds and being as healthy as we can be. When I see the photos of myself from even 2020 I want to cringe. I'm not where I want to be now, but I can't believe I was as heavy and as unhealthy as I was.

    A "friend" of mine online said about himself, speaking about how he was about a year ago, that he looked like a penguin trying to escape whenever he would take off running or jogging. I absolutely see that in myself as well. I'm not running, but I know I couldn't do much of any type of exercise back then without looking like I was struggling to move, to breathe, to even keep it going. I was really only able to dance for a few minutes without sweating and needing to rest. I took it one song at a time. It's hard to get back into shape once you've let yourself go! The same friend has dropped over 40 pounds and he could be described as a gazelle leaping now! He's really awesome. So proud of him. 

    The weights really helped to keep me focused today too. I had to keep my arms out from my body a bit when they were on my wrists. I didn't want to smack into my legs. I think it's going to be a great addition. I bought a second 8-pound weight to use when I'm watching YouTubes at night too. I can do this!! I will be a beast soon! Well, maybe not, but I'll be a bit healthier than I was in 2020 when I decided to change things for the better.  You can do it too. It takes time, yes, but it's so worth it. You're worth it.

Breakfast:  Bacon, Eggs, cheese, grapes, and coffee with creamer.

Snack:  Banana smoothie with chocolate and my powders.

Lunch: Tuna sandwich (but I shared it with the dog)

Dinner: Beef steak (4 oz) rice with lentils, grapes and Bubly!!

Snack tonight: cherries.  I'm the biggest bing cherry fan!!

1500 calories and lots of water water water, tea, and a Bubly! (and coffee)

Miles: I'll finish with 7.

Photo Credit: ME!