Hi, Everyone! First, a brief update - after having surgery yesterday to clear a second blockage, uncle should be going home today, yay!
So, it's website Wednesday, and today I'd like to share something I find inspirational. If you watch much of the Today Show in the mornings, you've probably heard of this before. It's the Joy Fit Club, and I like to browse through the myriad examples of people who have lost over 100 hundred lbs. and kept it off. In particular, I like to look for people in similar situations as I'm in - women in their early 30s of around the same weight I was when I started or that I weigh now. I find it helps motivate me to read these stories and see that I'm not alone and that it can be done. There are also some good articles on health and fitness tips, too, so check it out!
Happy Wednesday!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday Treat of the Week
I think one of the important things about making a lifestyle change is not to deny yourself your cravings, whether they be sweet or salty. If you do, you're only setting yourself up for eventual disaster! The good news is, there are still ways to indulge, but indulge smartly. Take Jillian Michaels, for instance. In her diet tips on Self, she says, "I try to get my dark chocolate in somewhere throughout the day. I have to have it. I work it into my calorie allowance and I will always have 200 calories of chocolate...always!"
So today's smart snacking treat of the week is Dove's Promises in Dark Chocolate. 5 squares are only 210 calories, which means you can spread them out during the day, or enjoy them all during your peak craving period. I know the time I usually crave something sweet is right after lunch, but this allows me to have two or three then, and then the rest of them after dinner, if I so desire. Although I don't usually like dark chocolate, these are creamy and delicious. Give them a try the next time you have a sweet tooth.
So today's smart snacking treat of the week is Dove's Promises in Dark Chocolate. 5 squares are only 210 calories, which means you can spread them out during the day, or enjoy them all during your peak craving period. I know the time I usually crave something sweet is right after lunch, but this allows me to have two or three then, and then the rest of them after dinner, if I so desire. Although I don't usually like dark chocolate, these are creamy and delicious. Give them a try the next time you have a sweet tooth.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday Morning Check In
Good Morning, Everyone!
So, the end of last week kind of fell apart. My uncle had his second massive heart attack in five years on Thursday afternoon. He died and was revived three times. Essentially, there was a blood clot lodged in one of the stents from his last coronary, and there was 90% blockage. So, they cleared the clot, put in a new stent, put him on a respirator, put a balloon pump in his aorta, and kept him sedated. I took the day off from my FT job on Friday to go visit with him.
I'm happy to say at this point that things are looking good. They've taken out the balloon, removed him from the respirator, stopped the sedation, and he's eating. I'm planning to go visit after work today, provided he's still there. The last time he was given his last rites, he was out of the hospital in three days. Of course, not many people live to say they've been given their last rites twice, and I hope this time he'll make the changes he wasn't ready to make after the last incident, mainly to stop smoking.
Of course, this also calls to mind the fact that life is short (he's in his early 50s... way too young for this) and that we need to take care of ourselves and the gift of life we've been given. That being said, I'm glad to be on this journey to improving my own health right now. I weighed in when I got to work this morning since I wasn't here on Friday, and I'm down 4 lbs. I seem to be right on track with my goal so far. Yay!
So tell me, how are you doing with your goal? Or how was your weekend? Check-in time!
So, the end of last week kind of fell apart. My uncle had his second massive heart attack in five years on Thursday afternoon. He died and was revived three times. Essentially, there was a blood clot lodged in one of the stents from his last coronary, and there was 90% blockage. So, they cleared the clot, put in a new stent, put him on a respirator, put a balloon pump in his aorta, and kept him sedated. I took the day off from my FT job on Friday to go visit with him.
I'm happy to say at this point that things are looking good. They've taken out the balloon, removed him from the respirator, stopped the sedation, and he's eating. I'm planning to go visit after work today, provided he's still there. The last time he was given his last rites, he was out of the hospital in three days. Of course, not many people live to say they've been given their last rites twice, and I hope this time he'll make the changes he wasn't ready to make after the last incident, mainly to stop smoking.
Of course, this also calls to mind the fact that life is short (he's in his early 50s... way too young for this) and that we need to take care of ourselves and the gift of life we've been given. That being said, I'm glad to be on this journey to improving my own health right now. I weighed in when I got to work this morning since I wasn't here on Friday, and I'm down 4 lbs. I seem to be right on track with my goal so far. Yay!
So tell me, how are you doing with your goal? Or how was your weekend? Check-in time!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Website Wednesday
It's my intentions to post on the blog nearly every weekday, but unfortunately I didn't make it here yesterday to post. However, I'm back today for our first Website Wednesday. I'd like to spend Wednesdays sharing with you different websites I find inspiring or helpful in some way to help us with the motivation and tools to achieve the goals we've set for ourselves.
Today's website is The Daily Plate. I was first turned on to this website a year or two ago and loved it right away. The free part of the site allows you to keep track of the calories you consume and expend on a daily basis with a huge, searchable database of foods (even brand names, stores, etc.) and activities, track your daily water consumption, set a weekly weight loss goal and track the daily caloric goals that should be followed to meet that goal, and input and graph out your daily/weekly weight totals. And that's just scratching the surface of the free possibilities and doesn't include the additional benefits you get with a paid membership. The site has since joined forces with Livestrong to provide even more services and support.
I hope you find this site as helpful as I do. :o) Let me know what you think. Also, if you have any suggestions for sites you use for resources and motivation, let me know so I can check them out and potentially highlight them here on the blog.
Happy Wednesday!
Today's website is The Daily Plate. I was first turned on to this website a year or two ago and loved it right away. The free part of the site allows you to keep track of the calories you consume and expend on a daily basis with a huge, searchable database of foods (even brand names, stores, etc.) and activities, track your daily water consumption, set a weekly weight loss goal and track the daily caloric goals that should be followed to meet that goal, and input and graph out your daily/weekly weight totals. And that's just scratching the surface of the free possibilities and doesn't include the additional benefits you get with a paid membership. The site has since joined forces with Livestrong to provide even more services and support.
I hope you find this site as helpful as I do. :o) Let me know what you think. Also, if you have any suggestions for sites you use for resources and motivation, let me know so I can check them out and potentially highlight them here on the blog.
Happy Wednesday!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Manic Monday
I was hoping to get this posted earlier in the day, but it's been a little busy today, and so I'm just now getting to it.
The weekend was pretty good. I was at the PT job till after midnight on Friday night, then an 8 hour shift on Saturday, but then I went dancing after that on Saturday night (my second favorite way to burn calories). That was fun. I worked again Sunday night, but not before I got out and stocked the fridge and cupboards with some healthy foods for the week. Oh, and I slept in a bit on Sunday, too.
All in all, a decent weekend. How about you?
The weekend was pretty good. I was at the PT job till after midnight on Friday night, then an 8 hour shift on Saturday, but then I went dancing after that on Saturday night (my second favorite way to burn calories). That was fun. I worked again Sunday night, but not before I got out and stocked the fridge and cupboards with some healthy foods for the week. Oh, and I slept in a bit on Sunday, too.
All in all, a decent weekend. How about you?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Just do it!
It's Friday morning and I'm raring to go! I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, but instead of splurging on my venti Starbucks white mocha, I sprinkled some of the Via instant coffee on my oatmeal for the caffeine boost with significantly fewer calories. Definitely a good trade off on the health-front, but 4 hours of sleep is just unacceptable. The experts are saying these days that a good night of sleep is important in weight loss and being healthful.
So how am I going to fix this? Well, I can't guarantee myself 7-8 hours of sleep per night with my two jobs, but what I can do is make some changes. Last night, I got home from the PT job at about 12:15am. As usual, I needed some time to unwind, so I turned on the laptop and the TV/DVR. And I went to bed at 2:30am when I had to be up at 6:30am for the FT job. So, the new plan is to get home, get ready for bed, slip between the sheets, and read for half an hour. With this method, I should be relaxed and ready for bed by about 1:00am, adding an hour and a half of sleep to my total. It's a start!
Anyway, I got in to work and weighed in on the hospital scale so I have a starting number. Friday mornings will be weigh-in days, and I'll be sure to keep you all apprised of my progress. And if you're joining me, I'd love to hear how you're doing, too! Happy Friday, friends. Have a great, healthful weekend, and I'll report back on Monday!
So how am I going to fix this? Well, I can't guarantee myself 7-8 hours of sleep per night with my two jobs, but what I can do is make some changes. Last night, I got home from the PT job at about 12:15am. As usual, I needed some time to unwind, so I turned on the laptop and the TV/DVR. And I went to bed at 2:30am when I had to be up at 6:30am for the FT job. So, the new plan is to get home, get ready for bed, slip between the sheets, and read for half an hour. With this method, I should be relaxed and ready for bed by about 1:00am, adding an hour and a half of sleep to my total. It's a start!
Anyway, I got in to work and weighed in on the hospital scale so I have a starting number. Friday mornings will be weigh-in days, and I'll be sure to keep you all apprised of my progress. And if you're joining me, I'd love to hear how you're doing, too! Happy Friday, friends. Have a great, healthful weekend, and I'll report back on Monday!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Empowering
The other day, I started thinking about my 33rd birthday. It occurred to me that 33 is a nice number. It has a quiet beauty to it. And 3 is my favorite number, which makes 33 doubly good, right?
I embarked on my 32nd year 2 weeks freshly divorced from the person I thought was the love of my life, the person I had spent the last 12 years with. I knew 32 was going to be a challenge of healing, re-evaluating, and redefining myself as a person. And so far, it's been all that. I also made the decision back then that I was going to give myself that full year to do all those things uninhibited. I didn't want to jump into any long-term relationships or fetter myself with deterrents to that path of growth that I desperately needed. It was a good decision.
But now that I've been able to do some of that growing and healing (don't worry, I know I'm not done yet!), I find myself looking outward a little more to the future that lies ahead of me. I think that 33 has the potential to be the best year of my life so far, and what's even better is knowing that I have a lot of control over making it happen!
So here I am. Tomorrow, I will be 22 weeks away from my 33rd birthday. And I am challenging myself and empowering myself to start laying the path that will ensure an incredible 33rd year. My first goal in that direction is to lose 66 pounds in 22 weeks by re-establishing a healthier lifestyle. I'll be chronicling my journey here, as well as any other goals I add as additional bricks along the path, and invite you all to come along.
How about you? What goals do you want to achieve? Will you challenge and empower yourself to achieve them alongside me? Let me know in the Check In below. And maybe then, we can prepare for our best year yet, together.
I embarked on my 32nd year 2 weeks freshly divorced from the person I thought was the love of my life, the person I had spent the last 12 years with. I knew 32 was going to be a challenge of healing, re-evaluating, and redefining myself as a person. And so far, it's been all that. I also made the decision back then that I was going to give myself that full year to do all those things uninhibited. I didn't want to jump into any long-term relationships or fetter myself with deterrents to that path of growth that I desperately needed. It was a good decision.
But now that I've been able to do some of that growing and healing (don't worry, I know I'm not done yet!), I find myself looking outward a little more to the future that lies ahead of me. I think that 33 has the potential to be the best year of my life so far, and what's even better is knowing that I have a lot of control over making it happen!
So here I am. Tomorrow, I will be 22 weeks away from my 33rd birthday. And I am challenging myself and empowering myself to start laying the path that will ensure an incredible 33rd year. My first goal in that direction is to lose 66 pounds in 22 weeks by re-establishing a healthier lifestyle. I'll be chronicling my journey here, as well as any other goals I add as additional bricks along the path, and invite you all to come along.
How about you? What goals do you want to achieve? Will you challenge and empower yourself to achieve them alongside me? Let me know in the Check In below. And maybe then, we can prepare for our best year yet, together.
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