Did you watch Dr. Oz?

Did you watch Dr. Oz today? One of his topics was heartburn/acid reflux--or my favorite word ever . . . . GERD!!!! What kind of word is GERD?? Anyway, I learned a few things, and some things I already knew. For one thing (didn't really realize this), my FAT is pushing on my stomach, which helps to force the acid up and out of the stomach. Another thing I didn't know, your digestive system slows down in the evening. The doctor said it correlates with sun up and sun down. This is one more reason not to eat late in the evening, and if you do, to eat very lightly. I knew tight clothes contributed to acid reflux. But I can promise you, if I just ate some big meal, the last thing I want to be wearing is TIGHT CLOTHES. (not to mention the fact that fat people look especially bad in tight clothing) Over time acid reflux basically "sun burns" your esophagus, and can lead to esophageal cancer, which is one of the more difficult cancers to control/treat. Oh, and another thing I did NOT know, aspirin and ibuprofen can contribute to acid reflux/heartburn, as they can be very inflammatory to your stomach.

So, from now own when you stuff your face, remember if you OVER stuff to the point of causing heartburn/acid reflux, you could be increasing your chances of esophageal cancer. Not sure if that will keep me from over-serving myself, but its worth a try. In all seriousness, they said if you have heartburn more than twice a week for six weeks, you should seek medical attention. I probably should have been a doctor :)) All except for the fact I don't really like blood and guts. If I was going to subject myself to blood and guts I'd be a CSI tech!--Naaaah. Doctors probably make much better money. Oh well, guess there's no point worrying about either since I'm currently a wanna be real estate agent, who cleans houses to pay the bills!

"Good" Breakfast is KILLING Me!

So for the last three days my husband has cooked breakfast for me. Delicious too. One day was bacon and eggs, one was sausage, biscuits, and eggs, and one was pork tenderloin, biscuits, eggs, and fried potatoes. It was absolutely delicious. He is the perfect breakfast "cooker". HOWEVER, what I have realized is this: I cannot eat that stuff. OMG! It gives me terrible acid reflux. So much so, its not worth it. As good as "breakfast" is, that stuff just KILLS me. I believe I need to stick with my WW and/or Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches on English muffins, or maybe cereal w/fruit, or maybe oatmeal, or even an Egg Beaters omelet.

I also have to exercise EVERY day--or at least 5 out of 7 days. No matter what disease/disorder/sickness you learn about, EVERYTHING you watch tells you being overweight exacerbates that particular condition, and exercise improves/alleviates that condition. EVERYTHING. There is only one thing to conclude: you must exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight. Doing it, however, is something else :)) That is what we must strive for.

Ok, the problem with counting on your workout "buddy" to keep you straight is that sometimes they get injured, and then you are on your own. So, I have not walked this week--or anything else for that matter. Of course, I must admit, every spare minute this week has been devoted to reading the book club book. So, I'm not sure how much walking I could have done this week. I have read in the mornings this week. The meeting is tomorrow night, and I MUST finish before the meeting. I'm not worried though. I'm almost done.

I definitely have to focus on changing my lifestyle. I'm a little stressed right now, and what I really want is a bag of salty potato chips--preferably with some dip. BUT that is not the right choice. I have been lax about blogging, and lax about eating healthy, and lax about exercise. (that's a lot of lax) I have not gained any weight, though. So, that's good. But, I should have lost huge amounts of weight by now, and I haven't. I can't dwell on that. I have to just move forward in a positive manner. I have not given up.

How to Keep Exercising Regularly

Make an appointment with someone. OMG! If I had not told my friend I would walk this morning, I would have SOOOOOO turned the alarm off and gone back to sleep. However, knowing she would be out there freezing her hiney off, I couldn't NOT show up. So, if you are having trouble exercising on a regular basis, find a friend/friends who will commit to exercising with you. You could let yourself down, but you probably won't let THEM down.

So, I have exercised some this week. I admit I did not walk last week on the days it was under 50 degrees in the mornings. I really have no excuse because even if its 20 degrees outside, I have a treadmill. I guess my goal for this week will be to walk Monday through Friday. I need to walk seven days a week, but one thing at a time!

I am still reading Women Food and God. I usually read just a few pages at lunch each day. Its kind of deep, so its good to read a little, and then "digest" it. For ME, its not a book I would sit down and just read right through. I don't know if you would really get anything out of it if you just breezed right through it. The part I have most recently read talks about loving yourself, and seeing yourself differently. If you love your "self" then you would love your body because your body is what's hauling your "self" around. Therefore, you would treat that body with love so as to keep it going at its best. Its kind of like trying to do for YOURSELF all the things you would insist on for people you love---your children, your spouse, parents, etc. You probably wouldn't let your child sit on the couch for hours upon hours and watch TV and eat potato chips and ice cream. You would want them to get exercise, and eat fruits and vegetables, etc. SO, why would you not insist on the same for yourself???? It REALLY is a deep book, but it makes you think.

All THAT to say, I am going to start exercising Monday through Friday, and I will also continue to improve my diet. I do not plan to be a food Nazi, but I need to eat good except for special occasions. That's my plan. Now I just have to STICK to IT!

Just checking in with everyone. Still walking more days than I'm NOT. I am actually concerned about the cold weather though. I go out in the morning, and I am FREEZING. This is saying something because I am NEVER cold. That coldness is not good for my motivation. I am planning to continue walking as long as my partner does. I am also thinking I'm going to stop at the Y on my way home from work--that's in ADDITION to walking in the mornings! That, my friends, is nothing short of a miracle!!! Of course, it also hasn't happened yet either :))

As for my eating, well . . . . it could be better, could be worse. This morning I had a Jimmy Dean turkey sausage/egg white sandwich thingy for breakfast. It was very good, by the way. For dinner, however, we are having stuffed shells. They might not be terrible. The sausage was pretty lean, and I drained and rinsed it too--when you are old, this cuts down on the heartburn/acid reflux. That and the cheese should be the only fat in the dish, and there is not a lot of cheese--seriously, there isn't.

We'll see how this week goes. My plan is to go to the Y after work, and to eat better--cut out some of the crappy stuff that I have let slip back into my diet recently. I'll let you know how that works out for me. I also need to concentrate on eating more fruits and vegetables--FRESH, that is. That's the plan.

Biggest Loser is Back!

Well, I realize we are a little slow, but we FINALLY watched last week's Biggest Loser. Its very inspirational. When you see those 400 lb people complete a 1 mile race, you know you can do it. Or, when you see them tally 500 steps, you know you can do that. I'm glad its back! Tonight they will be at the ranch, so they will experience real workouts with Bob & Jillian. On the previews on contestant said of their first workouts "people were crying for mercy in there". I went to the audition for Biggest Loser once, but was not chosen. When I watch them work out, I'm kinda glad! I might have DIED!!! OMG! Those workouts are BRUTAL, but inspirational because you KNOW if they can do that, you can surely walk around the block. (of course there were at least two people who fell out during the 1 mile walk last night, and the 500 steps)

I'm trying to get my eating back on track. God is trying to help me with that. I know this because when I tried to buy pretzel M&M's at Target, they were OUT! I took that as a sign. If you haven't tried pretzel M&M's . . . . DON'T--they are addictive.

So today I will be having an EverRoast Chicken Sandwich on a 100% whole wheat sandwich thin for lunch, and apples instead of chips, and yogurt for a snack. OH, and I have already gone walking this morning. My husband, because he is AWESOME, is making me an omelet with Southwestern Egg Beaters. They are yummy. Last night we had Spicy Potato Soup. It was great, and had to be very low in fat. The only fat in it was the hamburger meat, and I used Laura's Lean, and rinsed it. It was really good. I'm glad to share the recipe if anybody wants it.

Progress is being made. Stay tuned :)

I'm Still Here

AND, I'm still walking! This is HUGE for me. Of course I was doing so well with my eating, but not exercising. Now I'm doing much better about my exercising, and less good with my eating. So, the time has come to get on track. Biggest Loser also just started a new season, and that's always good for a little extra motivation.

Let me just say that I have been eating . . . umm . . . not great, but not terrible. However, I can tell you when I eat good I feel good, and when I eat bad I have acid reflux. If you don't suffer with acid reflux let me tell you it SUCKS! There's nothing like waking up choking because you have just inhaled this acid reflux into your lungs. It burns, and it tastes awful. It is definitely NOT how you want to wake up. It's unpleasant even when you are awake too. Fritos KILL ME! Do you know how good Fritos are with a bunch of dip???--especially if the dip is baked, and made with cream cheese??? It is SOOOOO NOT worth it. I am officially old! Actually, I think its my body, saving me from myself.

My refrigerator is fairly empty, and my cabinets need a little cleaning-out. I'm thinking its an especially good time to stock up on better, healthier food choices. Now all I need is some grocery money!