Holiday Havoc!

How in the WORLD are you supposed to diet and eat healthy during the holidays? This is the SOUTH! We had FRIED turkey for Thanksgiving. (and if you've never had fried turkey it is hands down the juiciest turkey you will ever eat) You see, we believe you can fry damn near anything in the south. We have fried Twinkies and fried oreos down here too. SO, we are not eating some baked sweet potatoes and some steamed green beans!! Hell no!!! We are eating fried turkey, sweet potatoes with loads of butter and sugar, green beans cooked with ham, macaroni with lots of real butter and a pound of Velveeta, and then some very fattening dessert. AND, we like it that way--don't plan on changing!

SO, the challenge is to exercise enough to help burn off some of the million extra calories you will eat from now to New Year's. For Christmas my family will eat a baked country ham. It is yummy and delicious----and LOADED with salt. There will also be homemade candy and various other goodies.

I have decided to set a little goal for myself between now and Christmas. I am going to lose 15 pounds before Christmas. This is a big goal, but if I set a big goal I'm hoping I will stay focused. I would actually like to lose 20 lbs., but given the previous paragraphs, you can see how that might be unrealistic. If I exercise daily, and eat well except for when at parties and various holiday gatherings, I think I can do this. I KNOW I can. Hold me accountable. Email me. Text me. Whatever. Just help me stay focused. I will try to blog more frequently, so if I haven't blogged, contact me to keep me in check. I look forward to it. (and I have caller id if you get a little too into it! )

Help, I'm Bent Like a Pretzel, and I Can't Get Up!

OMG!!! I did YOGA this morning! Wow! Let me just say, when you have a lot of fat around your middle (just picture the Michelin Man), you are NOT going to sit in the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, and get all flat and touch your toes. Forgive my ignorance, I don't know if that's a matter of physics, or what, but it ain't fuckin' happening! SO, I was not your "typical" YOGA student, but I liked it, and I will be doing it again. I don't know how much the skinny bitches behind me enjoyed it. I'm thinking the view may not have been so good for them. However, it may have been amusing :-))

I'm doing Zumba Monday, or at least that is the plan at this time. You have to have reservations for the Zumba classes, so I'm guessing there will be a million people in there. Guess we'll know Monday.

After all that YOGA, tonight we are going to my sister's house for Bunco. Everybody is bringing a finger food--so that equals diet disaster. AND, finger foods are my all time favorite. I will not even lie to you and say I'm going to eat veggies and hummus. I might, but I will be eating a lot of other junk food probably. Anyway, I must go now. Have a great weekend!

I Have Not Quit, but I Might Be On Hiatus :-))

I have definitely not been "on the program" lately. It is time, however, to regroup. SO, I will weigh in again on Monday morning. That gives me one week to get it together. I did not weigh this morning, but I had weighed at some point last week, and I had stayed the same. We'll see what I do this week.

I obviously need to exercise and eat better, but I'm also going to start reading my Women Food and God book at lunch again. I'm not saying that solves all my problems, but I DO believe reading on related subjects keeps you focused--at least it does for me. And, hey, whatever it takes. I also used to read Prevention all the time. That was also good for keeping you focused on your health. I haven't read that in a while. Maybe I should ask for a Prevention subscription for Christmas.

Anyway, I just have not been in the right "mind frame" lately. This is something to overcome. Its true what they say, one day at a time!

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!