I've previously mentioned that I have a son with cerebral palsy. He is now 18. His favorite past times are all related to electronics, so I've decided to MAKE him write a blog. He does, however, seem to be enjoying it. My son uses a communication device, The Pathfinder: See Pathfinder
He uses his Pathfinder to write his blog.
Please visit his blog: Matt's World
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A Little More, A Little Loss!
I've lost 7 pounds! It's not much. Losing this weight has been a huge struggle. I've been doing one of 3 things daily: running, walking, or swimming. I've also cut back on simple carbs. In fact, I'm eating almost no simple carbs. (I miss simple carbs!) Still, with all this diet and exercise....ONLY 7 POUNDS!
My goal is to weigh 170 by October. I'm focusing on making small weight-loss goals verses the daunting task of focusing on losing the whole cabana! This was an overwhelming task.
By the way, eating healthy is very expensive. My groceries this week consisted of: frozen salmon and Tilapia, fat-trimmed pork steaks, blueberries, raspberries, zucchini, peppers, frozen veggies, red wine (okay, simple carbs, but only 1 vice!), milk, eggs, cheese, and plain yogurt. I also bought ground beef and hamburger helper for my son as well as strawberry yogurt. My grocery bill was well over $90. Now compare this to a grocery list of boxed and canned goods. I could have easily bought a week's worth of boxed and canned meals for $50-$60.....Darn! But, eating healthy IS a good investment, right?
The sad part of this, buying fresh verses buying packaged, is that low income families have no choice but to eat unhealthy. High calorie, unhealthy foods are cheaper. I give monthly donations to the local food bank, but the food banks also give out a lot of packaged, unhealthy foods.....
My goal is to weigh 170 by October. I'm focusing on making small weight-loss goals verses the daunting task of focusing on losing the whole cabana! This was an overwhelming task.
By the way, eating healthy is very expensive. My groceries this week consisted of: frozen salmon and Tilapia, fat-trimmed pork steaks, blueberries, raspberries, zucchini, peppers, frozen veggies, red wine (okay, simple carbs, but only 1 vice!), milk, eggs, cheese, and plain yogurt. I also bought ground beef and hamburger helper for my son as well as strawberry yogurt. My grocery bill was well over $90. Now compare this to a grocery list of boxed and canned goods. I could have easily bought a week's worth of boxed and canned meals for $50-$60.....Darn! But, eating healthy IS a good investment, right?
The sad part of this, buying fresh verses buying packaged, is that low income families have no choice but to eat unhealthy. High calorie, unhealthy foods are cheaper. I give monthly donations to the local food bank, but the food banks also give out a lot of packaged, unhealthy foods.....
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A Little Loss
I've lost 3 pounds, which isn't much. I've had to stop exercising, so that's part of my excuse.
Recently I've had a lot of joint pain and a lot of pain in my ribs. The doctor thought the pain in my ribs and arm were related to my gallbladder, but the ultrasound for this was negative.
I had a chest x-ray yesterday and because of the results the doctor thinks that I have some form of arthritis. I started meds yesterday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping that I can be pain-free and back to exercising.
I'm going to look for some other form of exercise other than Tae Bo. I think all the kicking was making the rib pain worse. I'm going to Wally World today to purchase a stair stepper and some stretch bands.
I have an appointment in March to see a Rheumatologist.
I really want a heated pool. I'm thinking about a swim spa, but I'm not sure where I would put this. It would be quite a challenge keeping a certain Labrador and a certain Border collie out of it. My garage is my "doggie room" The backyard is the dogs' playground. So let's see....my options are: living room, front yard, or build a room specifically for the swim spa.
I'm finding that the average price is around $20,000 and this doesn't include the room I'm going to need to put the spa..... a little more than I want to spend.
I recently found an interesting website: http://www.perfectweightamerica.com/
You can track your weight loss online. The site also has meal menus. The meal menu looks interesting, but I don't know where I will get goat cheese in Mid-Missouri!
I used the coupon code for the "free year trial".
Off to Wally-World I go.
Recently I've had a lot of joint pain and a lot of pain in my ribs. The doctor thought the pain in my ribs and arm were related to my gallbladder, but the ultrasound for this was negative.
I had a chest x-ray yesterday and because of the results the doctor thinks that I have some form of arthritis. I started meds yesterday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping that I can be pain-free and back to exercising.
I'm going to look for some other form of exercise other than Tae Bo. I think all the kicking was making the rib pain worse. I'm going to Wally World today to purchase a stair stepper and some stretch bands.
I have an appointment in March to see a Rheumatologist.
I really want a heated pool. I'm thinking about a swim spa, but I'm not sure where I would put this. It would be quite a challenge keeping a certain Labrador and a certain Border collie out of it. My garage is my "doggie room" The backyard is the dogs' playground. So let's see....my options are: living room, front yard, or build a room specifically for the swim spa.
I'm finding that the average price is around $20,000 and this doesn't include the room I'm going to need to put the spa..... a little more than I want to spend.
I recently found an interesting website: http://www.perfectweightamerica.com/
You can track your weight loss online. The site also has meal menus. The meal menu looks interesting, but I don't know where I will get goat cheese in Mid-Missouri!
I used the coupon code for the "free year trial".
Off to Wally-World I go.
Monday, January 19, 2009
QUICK UPDATE
Just a quick blog update. Last week I had severe pain in my abdomen, chest and right arm. I went to the doctor and had an EKG. The EKG was normal; the doctor thinks it may be my gallbladder. Tomorrow I'm going to have an ultrasound.
This has put a dent in my exercising, but hopefully I can get back to "tae boing" asap.
Marci
This has put a dent in my exercising, but hopefully I can get back to "tae boing" asap.
Marci
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
New Lesson for New Resolution
My son had his PMR (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) appointment today. He goes every 3 months and during the day he sees a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a physiatrist, an orthopedic surgeon, a nutritionist, and a pediatrician. Needless to say, it is a very long day.
I did learn something new today. V-8 Fusion *is* actually healthy. It has no added sugar and it is not made from the juice of the fruit and vegetables, but instead consists of the actual ground-up fruits and veggies. http://www.v8juice.com/
Another one of my goals this year is to donate regularly to the local food bank. However, one of my peeves about food banks is the mass amounts of simple carbs they give out. I understand the need for this since they give out mostly packaged foods, however, I would like to personally donate healthier foods, so maybe some of these V-8 juices can be included with my donations.
We also went to eat at Burger King. I had a veggie burger and a salad. The burger was actually quite good, but I wish BK would have offered it with whole grain buns. The veggie burger came topped with a tomato and a leaf of iceberg lettuce.
Speaking of iceberg lettuce, it has very little nutritional value. I learned this in college when I took human nutrition. More nutrient dense lettuce would be the leaf lettuce, especially the darker green varieties.
On the other hand, iceberg lettuce is a good filler, so it would work well with the Volumetrics diet.
And who said 3 years of nursing and psychology classes were wasted? Just wait until I tell you about the psychology of over-eating....but that is for another day.
I did learn something new today. V-8 Fusion *is* actually healthy. It has no added sugar and it is not made from the juice of the fruit and vegetables, but instead consists of the actual ground-up fruits and veggies. http://www.v8juice.com/
Another one of my goals this year is to donate regularly to the local food bank. However, one of my peeves about food banks is the mass amounts of simple carbs they give out. I understand the need for this since they give out mostly packaged foods, however, I would like to personally donate healthier foods, so maybe some of these V-8 juices can be included with my donations.
We also went to eat at Burger King. I had a veggie burger and a salad. The burger was actually quite good, but I wish BK would have offered it with whole grain buns. The veggie burger came topped with a tomato and a leaf of iceberg lettuce.
Speaking of iceberg lettuce, it has very little nutritional value. I learned this in college when I took human nutrition. More nutrient dense lettuce would be the leaf lettuce, especially the darker green varieties.
On the other hand, iceberg lettuce is a good filler, so it would work well with the Volumetrics diet.
And who said 3 years of nursing and psychology classes were wasted? Just wait until I tell you about the psychology of over-eating....but that is for another day.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Volumetrics
Recently I've seen a "Jenny Craig" advertisement advertising their new diet plan-Volumetrics. The name speaks for itself, but I still decided to do a Google search and here is what I found on WebMD: "The hook of Volumetrics is its focus on satiety, the feeling of fullness. Rolls says that people feel full because of the amount of food they eat -- not because of the number of calories or the grams of fat, protein, or carbs. So the trick is to fill up on foods that aren't full of calories. Rolls claims that in some cases, following Volumetrics will allow you to eat more -- not less -- than you do now, while still slimming down."
The diet plan creator's last name is "Rolls." How funny is that?
Here is the link to the complete article: http://www.webmd.com/diet/volumetrics-what-it-is
I did a 30-minute workout video this morning. I also went outdoors to practice agility with my dogs.
The diet plan creator's last name is "Rolls." How funny is that?
Here is the link to the complete article: http://www.webmd.com/diet/volumetrics-what-it-is
I did a 30-minute workout video this morning. I also went outdoors to practice agility with my dogs.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Dreaded Scale
January 3rd, 9:00 a.m.
I'm going to go out and buy a scale to weigh myself. I need to be more goal oriented with this weight loss challenge, so I'm going to force myself to crawl on that scale to get the dreaded 3-digit number.
Be back in a bit....
Okay, I'm back and it is 5 days later. I have the scale and the news is not pretty. I went to the doctor this morning and was weighed by the professionals. I weigh a lot more than I originally thought....183 pounds. (It's even more on my new Wal-Mart scale). I was 170 pounds on my April visit. How could I have gained 13 pounds in 9 months when I've been eating less and exercising more? The nurse tried to pacify me by telling me that muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm not seeing much muscle so I don't think I'll be using that excuse. Then she (the nurse) tried calming me with the menopause/ weight gain spiel. I'm too depressed to explain this in much detail but basically menopausal women have less muscle mass as well as slower metabolisms. This, in short, is a recipe for weight gain.
So get this, she told me that I need to eat EVEN less and exercise EVEN more. What joy! Must this be so difficult? I guess the answer is YES.
I'm going to add an extra 30-minute exercise session into my daily work schedule so it's going to have to be something I can do in a small office.
I'm thinking of using a stair stepper, or exercise bands, or maybe both.
I'm going to go out and buy a scale to weigh myself. I need to be more goal oriented with this weight loss challenge, so I'm going to force myself to crawl on that scale to get the dreaded 3-digit number.
Be back in a bit....
Okay, I'm back and it is 5 days later. I have the scale and the news is not pretty. I went to the doctor this morning and was weighed by the professionals. I weigh a lot more than I originally thought....183 pounds. (It's even more on my new Wal-Mart scale). I was 170 pounds on my April visit. How could I have gained 13 pounds in 9 months when I've been eating less and exercising more? The nurse tried to pacify me by telling me that muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm not seeing much muscle so I don't think I'll be using that excuse. Then she (the nurse) tried calming me with the menopause/ weight gain spiel. I'm too depressed to explain this in much detail but basically menopausal women have less muscle mass as well as slower metabolisms. This, in short, is a recipe for weight gain.
So get this, she told me that I need to eat EVEN less and exercise EVEN more. What joy! Must this be so difficult? I guess the answer is YES.
I'm going to add an extra 30-minute exercise session into my daily work schedule so it's going to have to be something I can do in a small office.
I'm thinking of using a stair stepper, or exercise bands, or maybe both.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Rang in a New Year
Today I rang in the New Year by completing the "ENTIRE" Billy Blanks exercise video!!! It took me a week to work up to the entire 30-minutes, so I was quite proud of myself.
When my son calls and asks what I had been doing , I proudly announce " I did Billy Blanks."
FYI-I have 1 quick-witted son who waits for the opportunity for me to say something like this.
ANYWAY, my son (who I won't name) put great emphasis on the word "DID" and said, "So mom, you *DID* Billy Blanks?"
No, son. I meant that I completed the entire Billy Blanks workout video.
BUT, I suspect that if I actually *DID* Billy Blanks I would not be 50 years old and 170 pounds. Hello? Hello!
And on to my bloggish theme:
At 7:00 a.m. I ate 1 slice of white bread and drank 1 cup of coffee. Around 9:30 a.m. I ate a slice of whole-wheat chicken pizza. At 10:30 a.m. I ate a small piece of lean ham and drank a bottle of water.
I'm cooking black-eyed peas, corn bread and greens for dinner, so we'll see how that goes. In celebration of the holiday and in celebration of the completion of the entire Billy Blanks video I might allow myself a little dessert!
Happy New Year!
Marci
When my son calls and asks what I had been doing , I proudly announce " I did Billy Blanks."
FYI-I have 1 quick-witted son who waits for the opportunity for me to say something like this.
ANYWAY, my son (who I won't name) put great emphasis on the word "DID" and said, "So mom, you *DID* Billy Blanks?"
No, son. I meant that I completed the entire Billy Blanks workout video.
BUT, I suspect that if I actually *DID* Billy Blanks I would not be 50 years old and 170 pounds. Hello? Hello!
And on to my bloggish theme:
At 7:00 a.m. I ate 1 slice of white bread and drank 1 cup of coffee. Around 9:30 a.m. I ate a slice of whole-wheat chicken pizza. At 10:30 a.m. I ate a small piece of lean ham and drank a bottle of water.
I'm cooking black-eyed peas, corn bread and greens for dinner, so we'll see how that goes. In celebration of the holiday and in celebration of the completion of the entire Billy Blanks video I might allow myself a little dessert!
Happy New Year!
Marci
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Chiquita Mama
I think I was 47 in this next photo. I don't normally dress like the Chiquita Banana girl, but I was at a Halloween costume party. The entire night a young, handsome gentleman continually kept asking me to dance. I wasn't much of a dancer, so I actually convinced myself that I was cute, a magnet to young, handsome men. However, at the end of the evening I discovered this young, handsome, talented dancer was actually a dance instructor looking for students. I must have looked like a good "dance student" prospect.
Ninguna manera, chiquita mama.
I probably weighed 155 pounds in this picture.
There was actually a banana on my head, but I don't see it in the picture. I probably ate it! Now that explains the weight gain from 150 to 170.
No más plátano.Welcoming of the Jowls
I'm probably around 42 in this picture. Who knows? After 40 I quit keeping track of my age. When anyone asks my age I always do the math: 2008-1959=49....
UH OH!! Guess what? I Just did the math AND I'M NOT 50. I'm only 49!!! Let's try that 1 more time.... 2008-1959=49.
I'm not kidding. I have been telling people for months that I am 50, and I'm only 49! How cool is that? I am so unintentionally hilarious! So do I go back and re-inform everyone? I don't think so. Next birthday, I'm just going to repeat the *50* spiel.
Back to my weight: This looks like the 150# era, and also the beginning of facial jowls (I think the prim-and-proper pose I was sporting accented these. I'll remember to ditch this pose for future pics. A big smile seems to give those jowls a face lift).
Mini-Me
Now I'm jumping ahead more than 10 years. This next picture is at a family reunion in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm around 38 years old. I think this was my 135 # era. I like this era....not too skinny, not too heavy. As baby bear said, "just right!".
I remember those yellow shorts. I now could not get my left toe in them. Yes, this is the mini-me that I want to be.
Who Is This Girl?
Running on the beach in slow motion, men falling over as she slowly jogs by. Is it Bo Derek in "10"? No, it's Marci in "Me Versus Me!"
I wonder what Bo Derek looks like today? One moment while I check on that...
Here we go: http://officialboderek.com/Bohome.html
(See Bo on AMC)
No offense Bo, but you are not my goal- no bleached blonde bouffant hair, mini skirts, or GoGo boots for me. The 60's are gone, girl.
I was 25 in this picture and the mother of a 3 year-old son. This was a visit to the beach in West Palm Beach Florida. No kidding myself here, I will NEVER be this girl again.
A Smile
"Start every day with a smile and get it over with. " ~W.C. FieldsI'm 22 in this next picture. This is me at my baby shower 2 weeks after my first son was born.
I love the smile; I look happy. I think I want to hang on to that smile, even though the smile now has different packaging.
The Promise of Plumpness
"The future is plump with promise."Maya Angelou
I've been looking through pictures this evening. I've taken few pictures of myself in the past 30 years, since most of the picture taking have been of my boys!
I no longer know the person in these pictures; somewhere along the way I've lost her. But FYI, I don't want to be the girl in this picture again. She was too skinny. I believe the pants I had on were a size 1. I barely ever ate, which probably explains the mean looking face!
I'm now more like the Chiquita Banana girl. I like food, wine, living and laughter... No more starving myself to be thin. "The future is plump with promise!"
Fessing Up
December 31, 2008.
Today is New Year's Eve. This morning I did about 20 minutes of the "Billy Blanks Tae Bo Live! Basic Volume 1" video. The entire video is only 30 mintues, but I'm not there yet. It's a good start, right? For breakfast I ate 1/2 cup of oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar. (I should have skipped the simple carbs) For lunch I had a large bowl of vegetable soup with 3 biscuits. (I should have skipped the biscuits. Those dang simple carbs).
Tonight I may eat a 2 slices of pizza and a salad, if I'm a good girl, maybe 1.
At bedtime I always have a glass of red wine.
My goal is not to necessarily limit calories. I'm miserable when I do that. Instead I'm going to try increasing fruits, veggies, and whole grains while limiting unhealthy foods.
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
~Albert Einstein
Day 1 confession. I never weigh myself. I have no idea how much I weigh; I don't even own a scale. My best guess is that I weigh around 170-175 pounds, and I am only 5 ft/5 inches tall. What I do know is that I don't like what I see in the mirror. I also don't like the way being heavy makes me feel.
I only weighed 135 pounds 15 years ago. . I never thought I would be over weight, but I am. Over weight is not a proper description, I am obese. So I said it...I am obese! Reality is only an illusion. Huh?
Today is New Year's Eve. This morning I did about 20 minutes of the "Billy Blanks Tae Bo Live! Basic Volume 1" video. The entire video is only 30 mintues, but I'm not there yet. It's a good start, right? For breakfast I ate 1/2 cup of oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar. (I should have skipped the simple carbs) For lunch I had a large bowl of vegetable soup with 3 biscuits. (I should have skipped the biscuits. Those dang simple carbs).
Tonight I may eat a 2 slices of pizza and a salad, if I'm a good girl, maybe 1.
At bedtime I always have a glass of red wine.
My goal is not to necessarily limit calories. I'm miserable when I do that. Instead I'm going to try increasing fruits, veggies, and whole grains while limiting unhealthy foods.
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
~Albert Einstein
Day 1 confession. I never weigh myself. I have no idea how much I weigh; I don't even own a scale. My best guess is that I weigh around 170-175 pounds, and I am only 5 ft/5 inches tall. What I do know is that I don't like what I see in the mirror. I also don't like the way being heavy makes me feel.
I only weighed 135 pounds 15 years ago. . I never thought I would be over weight, but I am. Over weight is not a proper description, I am obese. So I said it...I am obese! Reality is only an illusion. Huh?
Welcome to Marci's Weight Loss Challenge. I'm a 50-year-old mother of 3 beautiful boys ages 26, 23, and 17. I'm also a mother of 3 beautiful dogs- 9 y/o Standard Poodle, Monty, 10 y/o Labrador Retriever, Tilly, and 3 y/o Border collie, Freeman.
My youngest son has cerebral palsy, and because I want to stay around a long time to care for him I am motivated to improve my health. I've also started competing in agility with my Border collie, and my weight has made it difficult to keep up with his speed.
So here I am on December 31, 2008 pledging my challenge to blogspot! I don't have specific goals. For instance I don't have a certain amount of weight that I want to lose in a certain amount of time. I do however, want to continually improve my health with weight loss, improved my diet, and increase the amount of exercise tht I get. So here I go...
My youngest son has cerebral palsy, and because I want to stay around a long time to care for him I am motivated to improve my health. I've also started competing in agility with my Border collie, and my weight has made it difficult to keep up with his speed.
So here I am on December 31, 2008 pledging my challenge to blogspot! I don't have specific goals. For instance I don't have a certain amount of weight that I want to lose in a certain amount of time. I do however, want to continually improve my health with weight loss, improved my diet, and increase the amount of exercise tht I get. So here I go...
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