I delayed walking today because it was very rainy and windy. Finally, I decided it was never going to let up, so I took a walk anyway. It’s not always safe to go out walking in the wind around here because we have a lot of trees that throw down some of their branches in the wind. Every time I head a crack, I jumped a bit before continuing on my way.
I was reminded of a story read to me a very long time ago when I was still in grade school. I can’t even remember the name of the story It was about a contest between the sun and the wind. They were trying to see who could get the hat off of a man who was walking outside. Of course the wind blew and blew, but the man just held onto his tighter and tighter. When the sun took his turn the man rejoiced in the sunshine and took off his hat. Of course, the story wasn’t literally about the weather, but the weather did remind me of the story.
I don’t particularly like walking on treadmills. It seems that if I’m going to use all that energy, I might as well be doing something enjoyable. I did get wet outside, but I enjoyed the fresh air. Even though they were tucked under their various covers, I could see the dogs, llamas, sheep and horses along the way. I could see how the pond and the creek have changed. The world around me changed as I took each step.
Also, I need that exercise. I need to exercise to stay healthy. Staying healthy doesn’t just mean taking care of my physical body. Walking outside for me gives me a mental health boost. Even though it’s rainy outside, that little bit of light that shines through comes through is a great booster. Even just a tiny bit of sun makes me feel good.
Now that the weather is changing, I know that I won’t be walking nearly as often as I did. I will be heading off to the swimming pool a few mornings a week. When the weather is reasonable, maybe a little wet, but not too windy, I’ll walk.
Nothing should deter me from getting the exercise I need. The man’s hat in that story was not nearly important as his determination to do what was necessary to keep on going. If I’m willing to get wet to go swimming, why shouldn’t I be willing to get wet to go walking.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Mother and Daughter Blood Tests
My daughter has to get her blood drawn tomorrow to test her blood glucose levels. She had the finger prick test. The test result would have been more troubling if she hadn’t just had a Strawberry Crème from Starbucks. The results were high enough that she needed to get a fasting test.
She had a shot today and a finger prick test. Both the shot and the finger test were traumatic. It was touch and go on whether she would actually let the lab technician prick her finger. Her doctor had waited around for the results and was debating whether or not to give her the fasting test. I did explain that my blood cholesterol test was scheduled for the middle of October.
When we came home, I found that the doctor had left a message on the answering machine saying that she thought the blood glucose test was needed and would I please call back. When I called back she asked if I thought my doctor would change my blood draw to tomorrow. Since I didn’t think my doctor would mind and both my and my children’s doctors work in the same building, she called my doctor.
It looks like my daughter and I will be fasting together and going together tomorrow to get our blood drawn. Of course, she has to get her blood drawn twice. I promised her since we have to fast until we finish our blood tests that we could go out to breakfast together after were done.
Although it’s not exactly typical, I guess it qualifies as mother and daughter togetherness time.
She had a shot today and a finger prick test. Both the shot and the finger test were traumatic. It was touch and go on whether she would actually let the lab technician prick her finger. Her doctor had waited around for the results and was debating whether or not to give her the fasting test. I did explain that my blood cholesterol test was scheduled for the middle of October.
When we came home, I found that the doctor had left a message on the answering machine saying that she thought the blood glucose test was needed and would I please call back. When I called back she asked if I thought my doctor would change my blood draw to tomorrow. Since I didn’t think my doctor would mind and both my and my children’s doctors work in the same building, she called my doctor.
It looks like my daughter and I will be fasting together and going together tomorrow to get our blood drawn. Of course, she has to get her blood drawn twice. I promised her since we have to fast until we finish our blood tests that we could go out to breakfast together after were done.
Although it’s not exactly typical, I guess it qualifies as mother and daughter togetherness time.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Turmeric Powder, Alzheimer’s Disease, Cholesterol
I was just reading an article today in the September 15, 2007 (Vol. 172) issue. On page 167 they have an article titled “Curry Powder”. The article discusses the beneficial effects of regular consumption of turmeric.
Apparently in India, turmeric has been used as an anti-inflammatory for a long time. Researchers began investigating the anti-inflammatory properties in the 1990’s. I had already heard that turmeric was a great anti-oxidant and thus worked well at getting rid of free radicals. This article was the first time I had heard of the potential for Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.
Alzheimer’s has been thought to occur as a result of the buildup of plaques in the brain. The article says that researchers have done tests on mice who have been genetically engineered to have the same gene that makes human’s susceptible to the plaques that cause Alzheimer’s. The studies showed that turmeric not only help prevent the formation of plaque, but it also was helpful at getting rid of existing plaque.
As a side note, the article also says studies have shown that people with cholesterol problems are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Reducing cholesterol might also reduce the plaque in the brain.
Researchers have started looking at Alzheimer’s rates for people who regularly eat turmeric. In countries, such as India, where people who regularly eat yellow curry containing turmeric the incidence of Alzheimer’s is much lower than the U.S. The data is not conclusive. They still need to do more studies.
A study is currently underway studying the benefits of turmeric on Alzheimer’s patients. The study will be complete next year.
I was fascinated. My grandmother had dementia that started to get bad in her 80’s. She lived to be 97. My mother, who is in her 70’s is already starting to forget things. I do eat yellow curry. I don’t know if my mother has ever had it and it’s unlikely that my grandmother ate curry. I’m definitely calling her to tell her about this article!
Apparently in India, turmeric has been used as an anti-inflammatory for a long time. Researchers began investigating the anti-inflammatory properties in the 1990’s. I had already heard that turmeric was a great anti-oxidant and thus worked well at getting rid of free radicals. This article was the first time I had heard of the potential for Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.
Alzheimer’s has been thought to occur as a result of the buildup of plaques in the brain. The article says that researchers have done tests on mice who have been genetically engineered to have the same gene that makes human’s susceptible to the plaques that cause Alzheimer’s. The studies showed that turmeric not only help prevent the formation of plaque, but it also was helpful at getting rid of existing plaque.
As a side note, the article also says studies have shown that people with cholesterol problems are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Reducing cholesterol might also reduce the plaque in the brain.
Researchers have started looking at Alzheimer’s rates for people who regularly eat turmeric. In countries, such as India, where people who regularly eat yellow curry containing turmeric the incidence of Alzheimer’s is much lower than the U.S. The data is not conclusive. They still need to do more studies.
A study is currently underway studying the benefits of turmeric on Alzheimer’s patients. The study will be complete next year.
I was fascinated. My grandmother had dementia that started to get bad in her 80’s. She lived to be 97. My mother, who is in her 70’s is already starting to forget things. I do eat yellow curry. I don’t know if my mother has ever had it and it’s unlikely that my grandmother ate curry. I’m definitely calling her to tell her about this article!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
When did I stop doing cartwheels?
As I were waiting for my eldest daughter to finish swimming, I sat on the grass and watched my youngest doing cartwheels and back flips. She was smiling and giggling. She tried over and over again to do a back flip. Most of the time it looked closer to a summersault except her knees were bent so that her shins were at right angles to her thighs.
When was the last time I did a cartwheel? I can’t remember. I don’t think I consciously made a decision to stop doing them. It’s like I crossed some threshold between childhood and adulthood and just forgot about cartwheels. I don’t know if it was a gradual thing. Maybe I went from doing cartwheels every day to once a week to once a month to once a year and finally just forgot to do one the next year.
I thought about whether I would do a cartwheel now. I decided I wouldn’t. Granted I am an older mom, but it’s more than that. I’m frightened now of tumbling head over heals. I don’t think it’s anything new. I think I would have been frightened to do it 10 years ago. When did I start becoming frightened of injury myself?
Cartwheels used to make me happy just like they make my daughters happy. How many of those wonderful things have I abandoned? Am I destined to abandon even more as I get older? Maybe I can recover just a few of them.
When was the last time I did a cartwheel? I can’t remember. I don’t think I consciously made a decision to stop doing them. It’s like I crossed some threshold between childhood and adulthood and just forgot about cartwheels. I don’t know if it was a gradual thing. Maybe I went from doing cartwheels every day to once a week to once a month to once a year and finally just forgot to do one the next year.
I thought about whether I would do a cartwheel now. I decided I wouldn’t. Granted I am an older mom, but it’s more than that. I’m frightened now of tumbling head over heals. I don’t think it’s anything new. I think I would have been frightened to do it 10 years ago. When did I start becoming frightened of injury myself?
Cartwheels used to make me happy just like they make my daughters happy. How many of those wonderful things have I abandoned? Am I destined to abandon even more as I get older? Maybe I can recover just a few of them.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Health Benefits of Green Tea
As I’ve mentioned before I need to have my cholesterol checked next month. I’m a bit worried about it, especially since my husband keeps buying pork when we go grocery shopping. He loves to barbeque, especially pork. When I complained he said I needed to start drinking green tea again.
I usually drink green tea when the whether starts to get chilly again. I love jasmine green tea. The real stuff that comes from China rolled up in little green and light green striped balls. I drink it because it warms me up when I’m cold. I don’t have to worry about added calories because I love the taste without adding anything.
I drink one cup of coffee a day. I justify my coffee intake by pointing to all the wonderful heart and health benefits related to drinking one cup a day. The realty about my coffee intake is that I’m not very good in the morning. I’m slow to wake up and sipping that coffee (with a little vanilla soy milk) gives me a chance to relax and slowly wake up. Coffee has a little more “meat” to it than tea. It makes me feel like I’m getting more in my cup.
So, the weather is changing and my hands are freezing. I’m starting to drink my green tea at lunchtime. Since my husband mentioned that green tea does something to help metabolize fats and lower the bad cholesterol and maybe even increase the good stuff, I decided to do a search.
About.com always has an article or two about these things.
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm
They say it helps reduce cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune function.
I usually drink green tea when the whether starts to get chilly again. I love jasmine green tea. The real stuff that comes from China rolled up in little green and light green striped balls. I drink it because it warms me up when I’m cold. I don’t have to worry about added calories because I love the taste without adding anything.
I drink one cup of coffee a day. I justify my coffee intake by pointing to all the wonderful heart and health benefits related to drinking one cup a day. The realty about my coffee intake is that I’m not very good in the morning. I’m slow to wake up and sipping that coffee (with a little vanilla soy milk) gives me a chance to relax and slowly wake up. Coffee has a little more “meat” to it than tea. It makes me feel like I’m getting more in my cup.
So, the weather is changing and my hands are freezing. I’m starting to drink my green tea at lunchtime. Since my husband mentioned that green tea does something to help metabolize fats and lower the bad cholesterol and maybe even increase the good stuff, I decided to do a search.
About.com always has an article or two about these things.
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm
They say it helps reduce cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune function.
They sited the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, http://www.ajcn.org/, so I did a search on that site. It seems a lot of sources on the web quote them, including my favorite, Science News. You can do a search for articles on green tea on that site.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/2/355
The article above claims green tea lowers cognitive impairment, which I assume means Alzheimer’s and related conditions. I think it's easier to read the articles that site the AJCN studies.
If you want a good article about getting rid of the fat with green tea, try Science News. They’re articles are much easier to read.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050212/food.asp
Ah Hah! Here’s some articles about Green Tea and it’s benefits including Lower bad Cholesterol and raising the good stuff.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm
http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/tea_time.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/green-tea/NS_patient-green_tea
OK, I can’t argue with any of that. Dust off that box of green tea. Brew yourself a mug. Cheers!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Weight Loss, Sagging Ta-Tas
Ok, I’m trying to keep it real, so here it goes…
I know people who lose a lot of weight really fast end up with a lot of extra skin. We had a model in my figure painting class who had obviously lost a lot of weight quickly. The skin on his arm, belly and legs sagged horribly.
I’ve been diligently exercising and allowing my weight to come off gradually, but there is one area that just won’t spring back to where it used to be, my chest. Yep, my ta-tas. Now I’m not about to make the cover of National Geographic yet, but they just aren’t as perky as they used to be. I was never a Dolly Parton, but I used to have a pretty shapely figure.
Unlike Dolly Parton (and a few others), I don’t think I’m likely to go under the knife to keep my girlish figure. Still I wonder…can you get your ta-tas lifted without adding extra padding? Many of those women with implants look like they have two softballs glued to their chest.
I know people who lose a lot of weight really fast end up with a lot of extra skin. We had a model in my figure painting class who had obviously lost a lot of weight quickly. The skin on his arm, belly and legs sagged horribly.
I’ve been diligently exercising and allowing my weight to come off gradually, but there is one area that just won’t spring back to where it used to be, my chest. Yep, my ta-tas. Now I’m not about to make the cover of National Geographic yet, but they just aren’t as perky as they used to be. I was never a Dolly Parton, but I used to have a pretty shapely figure.
Unlike Dolly Parton (and a few others), I don’t think I’m likely to go under the knife to keep my girlish figure. Still I wonder…can you get your ta-tas lifted without adding extra padding? Many of those women with implants look like they have two softballs glued to their chest.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Pumpkin Curry
My husband had been planting the garden every year for the past 3 years. Three years ago, I tried to plan it all out. He likes to start everything inside weeks before it needs to be planted outside. I like to plant things outside when it warms up. He won. Every year he plants so many seeds that the garden is full of his starts. As a matter of fact the seasonal garden overflows into our orchard space. It's less stressful for me to just let him do the garden. I have plenty of other hobbies to occupy my time.
This year he planted so many winter squash, I'm having to think up new recipes for cooking them. The other day on my walk I was pondering those darn squash. I remember eating the most wonderful pumpkin curry at a Thai restaurant.
When I came back from my walk I immediately headed to the garden, even before going inside. I picked a couple of small spaghetti squash and one very large golden acorn squash. I chopped onions and garlic, browned them with some olive oil. I cooked up some boneless chicken breasts and threw them in with the garlic and onions. I added some water and tomatoes from the garden and cooked it all on low. I seasoned the pot with Thai curry paste. I sliced open the acorn squash, removed the seeds, chopped it up in chunks, put it in a pot with water and steamed the acorn squash until it was just soft. I cut away the flesh of the squash from the skin and chopped it into chunks. I put the squash in a bowl in the fridge. When the tomatoes in the pot cooked down, I turned off the heat. I put the chicken curry mixture in the fridge.
When it was time to prepare the meal. I put the curry mixture on the stove to heat is up. I added the acorn squash and a few basil leaves (from the garden). We ate the chicken and pumpkin curry over spaghetti squash. It was pretty good. The meal was low in fat and calories and high in nutrients. I would have probably preferred the curry over rice, but what would I do with all that spaghetti squash.
Just some of our harvest...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Fueling Our Bodies
I have two children that swim on a swim team. They’ve been asking for bags of chips before they go swimming. They usually eat a 100-calorie bag of chips and a piece of fruit before swimming. Swim practice lasts for between 1 and 1 ½ hours.
I’ve noticed when they are finished they are hungry and extremely grumpy. The carbohydrates just don’t seem to stick with them long enough. They’re great when the kids are competing. They give them quick energy needed to do their best. When they’re swimming for an hour straight, they run low on fuel.
I’ve decided to try giving them some nuts and fruit leather. I think they might need a little fat and protein to sustain them a while. The fruit leather has enough carbs to give them a quick pick-me-up after school.
Sometimes you just have to experiment with these things to really understand what their bodies need. I think the same is true for me. Because I’ve slowly made adjustments to my diet and exercise routine, I’m getting a better idea of what to eat when. I try to get a good balance of nutrients in my body everyday. I’m slowly getting rid of some horrible habits.
The wonderful thing about making changes slowly is that I can finally get my carb cravings under control. I love carbs, but I’ve learned how to get a good balance of carbs and proteins (and even fats). I’m no longer continually “starving” for something sweet. I’ve also been able to eat a small portion of a sweet treat without feeling like I want to gobble up the whole thing. I think it takes a body some time to adjust to a healthy way of eating. The scary part for me is that it seems to take so little time for it to get out of whack again.
I’ve noticed when they are finished they are hungry and extremely grumpy. The carbohydrates just don’t seem to stick with them long enough. They’re great when the kids are competing. They give them quick energy needed to do their best. When they’re swimming for an hour straight, they run low on fuel.
I’ve decided to try giving them some nuts and fruit leather. I think they might need a little fat and protein to sustain them a while. The fruit leather has enough carbs to give them a quick pick-me-up after school.
Sometimes you just have to experiment with these things to really understand what their bodies need. I think the same is true for me. Because I’ve slowly made adjustments to my diet and exercise routine, I’m getting a better idea of what to eat when. I try to get a good balance of nutrients in my body everyday. I’m slowly getting rid of some horrible habits.
The wonderful thing about making changes slowly is that I can finally get my carb cravings under control. I love carbs, but I’ve learned how to get a good balance of carbs and proteins (and even fats). I’m no longer continually “starving” for something sweet. I’ve also been able to eat a small portion of a sweet treat without feeling like I want to gobble up the whole thing. I think it takes a body some time to adjust to a healthy way of eating. The scary part for me is that it seems to take so little time for it to get out of whack again.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Trans Fats, Cholesterol, Fiber, Nutrition ~ More Questions
What’s a trans fat?
I read that trans fats lower HDL, but what are they exactly?
Here’s what this website says…
http://www.personalbest.com/yourhealth/library/trans_fat.html
Trans fatty acids are formed during hydrogenation, a process that turns liquid oil into a solid product such as margarine. Hydrogenation helps stabilize fat, and improves the texture and shelf life of processed foods.
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat, which produces trans fatty acids, is widely used in deep-fried foods, such as French fries, as well as many commercial, packaged chips, cookies and crackers.
Full hydrogenation produces more saturated fat, but does not create trans fat. Note: The term hydrogenated oil can refer to either process on ingredients labels.
Very tricky…It looks as though if it says hydrogenated oil, I don’t really know if that means trans fats…
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/trans-fat-free-food-whats-the-truth
This website explains that not all trans fat foods are healthy. They also say that it’s the artificially created trans fats that are a problem not the naturally occurring ones. Meats and dairy contain natural trans fats.
Both websites say that if a product has up to .5g of trans fats, it can be labeled as trans fat free.
More Articles
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52186
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002327.html
http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/cholesterol.htm
Why does fiber increase HDL?
http://bodyecology.com/07/05/31/too_much_fiber.php
Although this article doesn’t specifically tell us why fiber increases HDL, it does indicate that fiber cleanses the digestive tract. HDL’s are little cholesterol cleaners, so maybe some component of fiber is an HDL.
I have to give up. I can't find specific answers to this question.
More Articles about Fat and Cholesterol
OH! I like this one. Every wonder why we get conflicting data about what is good for us.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0854/is_3_24/ai_n18611910/pg_2
Here’s a good overall nutrition article.
http://www.healthynfit.com/HealthyHeart.shtml
Back to does eating foods with cholesterol increase your cholesterol…
I don’t know why they can’t write these articles in plain English. If you can manage to get through the article, it indicates that someone who eats foods with cholesterol probably also eats other fats that increase LDL and lower HDL.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/80/4/855
Here’s another good article on fat and cholesterol. It gives some concise answers to questions I had earlier about cholesterol, fat and weight loss.
http://www.torrancememorial.org/dietary.fat.and.cholesterol_134.tmmc?PHPSESSID=0e95bfb.
More well-known inspiring woman over 40…
Oprah Winfrey
Mary Engelbreit
I read that trans fats lower HDL, but what are they exactly?
Here’s what this website says…
http://www.personalbest.com/yourhealth/library/trans_fat.html
Trans fatty acids are formed during hydrogenation, a process that turns liquid oil into a solid product such as margarine. Hydrogenation helps stabilize fat, and improves the texture and shelf life of processed foods.
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat, which produces trans fatty acids, is widely used in deep-fried foods, such as French fries, as well as many commercial, packaged chips, cookies and crackers.
Full hydrogenation produces more saturated fat, but does not create trans fat. Note: The term hydrogenated oil can refer to either process on ingredients labels.
Very tricky…It looks as though if it says hydrogenated oil, I don’t really know if that means trans fats…
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/trans-fat-free-food-whats-the-truth
This website explains that not all trans fat foods are healthy. They also say that it’s the artificially created trans fats that are a problem not the naturally occurring ones. Meats and dairy contain natural trans fats.
Both websites say that if a product has up to .5g of trans fats, it can be labeled as trans fat free.
More Articles
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52186
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002327.html
http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/cholesterol.htm
Why does fiber increase HDL?
http://bodyecology.com/07/05/31/too_much_fiber.php
Although this article doesn’t specifically tell us why fiber increases HDL, it does indicate that fiber cleanses the digestive tract. HDL’s are little cholesterol cleaners, so maybe some component of fiber is an HDL.
I have to give up. I can't find specific answers to this question.
More Articles about Fat and Cholesterol
OH! I like this one. Every wonder why we get conflicting data about what is good for us.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0854/is_3_24/ai_n18611910/pg_2
Here’s a good overall nutrition article.
http://www.healthynfit.com/HealthyHeart.shtml
Back to does eating foods with cholesterol increase your cholesterol…
I don’t know why they can’t write these articles in plain English. If you can manage to get through the article, it indicates that someone who eats foods with cholesterol probably also eats other fats that increase LDL and lower HDL.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/80/4/855
Here’s another good article on fat and cholesterol. It gives some concise answers to questions I had earlier about cholesterol, fat and weight loss.
http://www.torrancememorial.org/dietary.fat.and.cholesterol_134.tmmc?PHPSESSID=0e95bfb.
More well-known inspiring woman over 40…
Oprah Winfrey
Mary Engelbreit
Monday, September 17, 2007
List of Inspiring Women over 40
Today while I walking I thought about the women I see at the swimming pool. Since I often go swimming later in the morning most of the women are "older". At first I felt very self-conscience about showering and undressing in the locker room. I started to notice that most of the women don't give a darn. They are very comfortable with their aging bodies...and why not, short of massive amounts of surgery, we can do little about it.
I decided to start a list of admirable women over 40 that I could find on the internet. Here's the beginning of the list.
I decided to start a list of admirable women over 40 that I could find on the internet. Here's the beginning of the list.
Athletes
Article from Hawaii about older women athletes
Here's some inspiring women I've always liked
Maybe the women aren't over 40, but I thought Dove did a nice thing when they made their ads using real women.
I think I need to work on my list a little more.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Feeling Good About Myself
Feeling good about myself is essential (for me) to staying on a path to better health and fitness. Until recently I only briefly glanced at myself in a mirror as I was washing my face or brushing my teeth and hair. I’ve had to learn to look at myself in the mirror and see the good physical things about myself. I see things in the mirror that are very different than what I see when I look at a photo of myself.
Today I looked at myself in the same old clothes, but to me they looked different. The shirt went in a little more at the waist. My logical side tells me that I’m only a little overweight now, but for a long time my emotional side has been telling me that I don’t look good. I see a healthy looking woman staring back at me and though I still have some weight to lose, I feel much better about myself.
I will hold off taking another photo of myself for a bit. I need to hold on to that image of myself in the mirror for just a bit longer. I know once the extra weight is gone, the journey to maintaining this new lifestyle will be very long. I don't need to discourage myself now.
Today I looked at myself in the same old clothes, but to me they looked different. The shirt went in a little more at the waist. My logical side tells me that I’m only a little overweight now, but for a long time my emotional side has been telling me that I don’t look good. I see a healthy looking woman staring back at me and though I still have some weight to lose, I feel much better about myself.
I will hold off taking another photo of myself for a bit. I need to hold on to that image of myself in the mirror for just a bit longer. I know once the extra weight is gone, the journey to maintaining this new lifestyle will be very long. I don't need to discourage myself now.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Weight Loss Rewards, Pigeons and Other Musings
It was drizzling outside when I went for my walk. I was a little earlier than usual. The weather was cool. I wondered how long before the cold wet weather would sap enthusiasm for walking early in the morning
I checked the pond and didn’t see the skunk or the man this morning.
I noticed that all the llamas were all out close to the house looking longingly toward the door. They are normally quiet, but this morning they were making little humming noises. I figured they were calling because they were hungry.
Funny, but I thought about sewing and my friend Belinda. I was thinking of posting another message asking her to begin a page to answer reader’s questions. Thinking about Belinda, and sewing, I was reminded that I need to find a reward for reaching my goals.
I’ve thought often about getting a glamour shot when I finally reached my weight goal. My weight goal is near the top of the recommended weight range. Once I reach that goal, I may want to lose a little more depending on how I feel. I thought maybe I should make myself a custom outfit tailored to my own measurements. It could be a while before I reach my goal, so I wondered if that one reward was enough. Maybe in the mean time I could make myself a wrap with that beautiful weave I bought at a rummage sale. Someone imported two bolts from Scotland and didn’t even fully open the package. I have to ask Belinda if she knows anything about it. I continued toward the hill thinking about the need for rewards to keep me going.
As I rounded the curve and headed up the hill, I saw something unusual on the ground ahead. It looked like critter, but it wasn’t moving. When I was closer to it, I saw a small movement. Slowly the object became clearer. It was a pigeon. We don’t have pigeons out here. Pigeons are city birds. Both of the pigeon’s ankles had tags, a white and a yellow. I know people keep pigeons. I know sometimes the fish and wildlife tag birds, but I’ve never heard of them tagging pigeons. I was relieved that pigeon flew off as I approached. I was worried that someone would run him over. After he was gone, I worried that he was lost and now I scared him further away. The pigeon occupied my mind on and off during my whole walk.
I left my thoughts of weight loss and cholesterol today and actually started to think about work. I was planning my next 2 or 3 projects as I walked. It felt good. I don’t want my eating habits and fitness to consume my life. It’s time for me to stop thinking so much about it.
I realized today as I was climbing the last hill on my way home that I was not nearly as exhausted as I used to be.
I checked the pond and didn’t see the skunk or the man this morning.
I noticed that all the llamas were all out close to the house looking longingly toward the door. They are normally quiet, but this morning they were making little humming noises. I figured they were calling because they were hungry.
Funny, but I thought about sewing and my friend Belinda. I was thinking of posting another message asking her to begin a page to answer reader’s questions. Thinking about Belinda, and sewing, I was reminded that I need to find a reward for reaching my goals.
I’ve thought often about getting a glamour shot when I finally reached my weight goal. My weight goal is near the top of the recommended weight range. Once I reach that goal, I may want to lose a little more depending on how I feel. I thought maybe I should make myself a custom outfit tailored to my own measurements. It could be a while before I reach my goal, so I wondered if that one reward was enough. Maybe in the mean time I could make myself a wrap with that beautiful weave I bought at a rummage sale. Someone imported two bolts from Scotland and didn’t even fully open the package. I have to ask Belinda if she knows anything about it. I continued toward the hill thinking about the need for rewards to keep me going.
As I rounded the curve and headed up the hill, I saw something unusual on the ground ahead. It looked like critter, but it wasn’t moving. When I was closer to it, I saw a small movement. Slowly the object became clearer. It was a pigeon. We don’t have pigeons out here. Pigeons are city birds. Both of the pigeon’s ankles had tags, a white and a yellow. I know people keep pigeons. I know sometimes the fish and wildlife tag birds, but I’ve never heard of them tagging pigeons. I was relieved that pigeon flew off as I approached. I was worried that someone would run him over. After he was gone, I worried that he was lost and now I scared him further away. The pigeon occupied my mind on and off during my whole walk.
I left my thoughts of weight loss and cholesterol today and actually started to think about work. I was planning my next 2 or 3 projects as I walked. It felt good. I don’t want my eating habits and fitness to consume my life. It’s time for me to stop thinking so much about it.
I realized today as I was climbing the last hill on my way home that I was not nearly as exhausted as I used to be.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Finding Balance with Overweight Children
I have a daughter who is slightly overweight. She also is on a swim team and practices between 6 and 8 hours a week. We control her food intake and make sure she eats a healthy mix of foods. We've been trying to insure that she eats healthy most of her life. She loves food, especially starchy foods like potatoes, chips and pasta.
In the last year, she's become very sensitive to anything we say concerning her eating. When we tell her she can't have thirds, she becomes sad and defensive. She's told us on and off that she wants to diet; she wants to stop eating totally. Yesterday, she confessed that the kids at school are teasing her. I've told her many times that I don't think it's a good idea for her to diet, she still growing and she may need that little bit of fat as she enters puberty. I tell her to just eat healthy and continue exercising. I tell her some people are just meant to be on the heavier side. I tell her she looks fine, only a little overweight.
Today she went to one of her doctors and she brought up her weight. He isn't her pediatrician, but she does see him regularly and he weighs her every time. He told her that he thought she looked fine, a little overweight maybe. He explained to her that kids just like to tease. I was so relieved to have someone else, someone she respects, reassure her.
It's hard to find that balance with my children. I don't want them to be so over concerned about their bodies that they damage their health trying to achieve unrealistic goals. I also want them to know how to take care of themselves, how to live a healthy lifestyle.
In the last year, she's become very sensitive to anything we say concerning her eating. When we tell her she can't have thirds, she becomes sad and defensive. She's told us on and off that she wants to diet; she wants to stop eating totally. Yesterday, she confessed that the kids at school are teasing her. I've told her many times that I don't think it's a good idea for her to diet, she still growing and she may need that little bit of fat as she enters puberty. I tell her to just eat healthy and continue exercising. I tell her some people are just meant to be on the heavier side. I tell her she looks fine, only a little overweight.
Today she went to one of her doctors and she brought up her weight. He isn't her pediatrician, but she does see him regularly and he weighs her every time. He told her that he thought she looked fine, a little overweight maybe. He explained to her that kids just like to tease. I was so relieved to have someone else, someone she respects, reassure her.
It's hard to find that balance with my children. I don't want them to be so over concerned about their bodies that they damage their health trying to achieve unrealistic goals. I also want them to know how to take care of themselves, how to live a healthy lifestyle.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Body Image - Who is Target Targeting?
Just today in the mail I received a catalog from Target. I decided to wait for the kid's bus to arrive. As I was waiting I flipped through the ads. I had a few thoughts.
They have one picture of a plus size model in the magazine. Now I'm not a plus size, but I thought "WOW! A lot of my friends would like to be that size." Either they doctored that photo or she wears that absolute smallest plus size. Maybe she's above average size, but I've seen a lot of girls and women her size and larger.
As a matter of fact, the models in the magazine didn't at all represent what I see when I'm out and about. On average, the women I see are heavier and not quite so young.
Speaking of young, I only saw one, OK maybe 2 models that might be older than 40. One of the models was wearing a plaid coat, which you'll never catch me in. The other model was wearing a sweatsuit. What does that say about the 40+ female crowd?
As I closed the magazine, I realized that I'm just not part of the right demographic for Target. What does that say to my children who read and watch the advertisements? What can I say to them when they wonder allowed if they are too fat or not perfect enough?
The catalogs that clog my mailbox starting around this time of year confirm what I've known for a long time. It's up to me to be a good role model for my kids.
They have one picture of a plus size model in the magazine. Now I'm not a plus size, but I thought "WOW! A lot of my friends would like to be that size." Either they doctored that photo or she wears that absolute smallest plus size. Maybe she's above average size, but I've seen a lot of girls and women her size and larger.
As a matter of fact, the models in the magazine didn't at all represent what I see when I'm out and about. On average, the women I see are heavier and not quite so young.
Speaking of young, I only saw one, OK maybe 2 models that might be older than 40. One of the models was wearing a plaid coat, which you'll never catch me in. The other model was wearing a sweatsuit. What does that say about the 40+ female crowd?
As I closed the magazine, I realized that I'm just not part of the right demographic for Target. What does that say to my children who read and watch the advertisements? What can I say to them when they wonder allowed if they are too fat or not perfect enough?
The catalogs that clog my mailbox starting around this time of year confirm what I've known for a long time. It's up to me to be a good role model for my kids.
How much Cholesterol? Good or Bad?
As I was walking, I worried about my next visit to the doctor. My year of lowering my cholesterol is almost up. About a year ago, I was given a sheet of changes I needed to make to my diet, mostly avoiding certain food. This was to lower my bad cholesterol. I was also told to exercise to increase my good cholesterol. “How can this be? Why would exercise increase my good cholesterol and changing my diet decrease the amount of my bad cholesterol?” I realized that I still didn’t really understand how the connection between cholesterol in the food I eat with the cholesterol in my bloodstream. I decided to read more…a little late I know.
About.com was the first thing that showed up in Google when I did a search using the term “Increasing Good Cholesterol”, http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cholesterol/a/raiseHDL.htm.
The article says that the HDL molecule’s job is to scrub the bad cholesterol out of your blood, so the HDL is actually carrying bad cholesterol. They say the way to raise HDL is to do Aerobic exercise (why aerobic?), lose weight, stop smoking, remove trans fats from your diet, drinking one or two glasses (and no more) of alcohol a day (huh?), increasing the monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, avocado, some nuts) in your diet (bring on the peanut butter), and eating more fiber (does fiber contain HDL?).
I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I am losing weight. I avoid trans fats. I use the right kind of oils. I don’t know if I increased my fiber enough. Argh! Now I have to figure out how much fiber is enough.
In that same article they have a pointer to another article that explains what is meant by cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL. The article says that the body needs cholesterol and triglycerides. The liver plays a major role in doling out the cholesterol we need (or don’t need). The article indicates that they aren’t sure exactly how HDL works. It also says that not enough research has been done on triglycerides to know if high levels are an indicator of heart disease. You can read the article if you want more information.
More articles
http://heart.health.ivillage.com/cholesterol/increasehdl.cfm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/26/earlyshow/saturday/main608953.shtml
(LOL, I think journalists pick up some off-the-wall things. I never know if I should believe them)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hdl-cholesterol/CL00030
(always very short and to the point articles)
http://www.umassmed.edu/uploadedfiles/raisinghdl.pdf
(looks like one of those pamphlets you get from the doctor)
TOO MUCH INFORMATION…I’m getting brain overload. I think I’ll switch to how much cholesterol I should consume on a daily basis.
I put in “How much cholesterol should I eat”
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/fatintakefaq.htm (about dot com says we should consume less than 300mg)
http://www.ynhh.org/cardiac/risk/eating.html (Yale-New Haven says 300mg, 200mg if you have coronary artery disease. By the way, this article also tells you how much fat you should have in your diet based on your calorie intake)
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/heartdisease/HD_cholesterol.html#foods (this article tries to answer my question about whether the cholesterol in the food you eat affects the cholesterol in your blood)
One last question before I call it a day, “How much fiber should I eat?”
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=447 (20-35g of fiber)
http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/articleView.asp?MessageID=1882 (20-35g again)
http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070515_350_103.jhtml (Oprah? 25 g)
That’s it! I’m done for the day. I need to actually get my day started.
Skunk Pond Update:
Instead of the skunk this morning I saw a man standing contemplating the water in the pond. Just beyond the man sat his coffee cup and a rifle. I asked him if he was shooting the skunk. He said he was shooting gophers because they were digging holes around his pond. He said they get lots of skunks including a mom and little ones. I think he likes having the skunks visit his pond.
About.com was the first thing that showed up in Google when I did a search using the term “Increasing Good Cholesterol”, http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cholesterol/a/raiseHDL.htm.
The article says that the HDL molecule’s job is to scrub the bad cholesterol out of your blood, so the HDL is actually carrying bad cholesterol. They say the way to raise HDL is to do Aerobic exercise (why aerobic?), lose weight, stop smoking, remove trans fats from your diet, drinking one or two glasses (and no more) of alcohol a day (huh?), increasing the monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, avocado, some nuts) in your diet (bring on the peanut butter), and eating more fiber (does fiber contain HDL?).
I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I am losing weight. I avoid trans fats. I use the right kind of oils. I don’t know if I increased my fiber enough. Argh! Now I have to figure out how much fiber is enough.
In that same article they have a pointer to another article that explains what is meant by cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL. The article says that the body needs cholesterol and triglycerides. The liver plays a major role in doling out the cholesterol we need (or don’t need). The article indicates that they aren’t sure exactly how HDL works. It also says that not enough research has been done on triglycerides to know if high levels are an indicator of heart disease. You can read the article if you want more information.
More articles
http://heart.health.ivillage.com/cholesterol/increasehdl.cfm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/26/earlyshow/saturday/main608953.shtml
(LOL, I think journalists pick up some off-the-wall things. I never know if I should believe them)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hdl-cholesterol/CL00030
(always very short and to the point articles)
http://www.umassmed.edu/uploadedfiles/raisinghdl.pdf
(looks like one of those pamphlets you get from the doctor)
TOO MUCH INFORMATION…I’m getting brain overload. I think I’ll switch to how much cholesterol I should consume on a daily basis.
I put in “How much cholesterol should I eat”
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/fatintakefaq.htm (about dot com says we should consume less than 300mg)
http://www.ynhh.org/cardiac/risk/eating.html (Yale-New Haven says 300mg, 200mg if you have coronary artery disease. By the way, this article also tells you how much fat you should have in your diet based on your calorie intake)
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/heartdisease/HD_cholesterol.html#foods (this article tries to answer my question about whether the cholesterol in the food you eat affects the cholesterol in your blood)
One last question before I call it a day, “How much fiber should I eat?”
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=447 (20-35g of fiber)
http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/articleView.asp?MessageID=1882 (20-35g again)
http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070515_350_103.jhtml (Oprah? 25 g)
That’s it! I’m done for the day. I need to actually get my day started.
Skunk Pond Update:
Instead of the skunk this morning I saw a man standing contemplating the water in the pond. Just beyond the man sat his coffee cup and a rifle. I asked him if he was shooting the skunk. He said he was shooting gophers because they were digging holes around his pond. He said they get lots of skunks including a mom and little ones. I think he likes having the skunks visit his pond.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Meditative Power Walking
I walk alone. I walk alone because I can go as fast as I like. I can relax and let my mind wander to whatever. Sometimes I run into a 1 or more people at the top of the hill and walk with them a while. They never accompany me on my entire journey. The woman that lives in the second house I pass on my walk has asked to walk with me. I’ve thought about it, but I would miss that time by myself.
When I walk I’m pass in and out of consciousness with the outside world. I walk in a constant steam of observation and babble to myself.
I hope my husband doesn’t lock me out while I’m gone. Sigh, I really need to paint those things. I hear two bells. Both cats must be outside. How am I ever going to finish everything today? I have to pay the website bill. I wonder if they’ll take a credit card. I have to go to that meeting tonight and fill in the paperwork. Hmmm, is the neighbor home? Where’s Jack? Oh! I hear him. <> He just realized I was walking by. He only gets a little bit of a run along the fence and barking. Uh Oh! The neighbor. Is that bird making that noise? Yes, yes it is that bird. I hope she’s not out. I don’t want to walk with her. I want to think. I like to walk alone so I can think. The llamas are in the shed out of the sun. They must be hot. That white one is still out! The pond…no skunk…swimming…Next week swimming starts again. I really need to register the girls…the meetings tonight…I need to fill out the forms…I CAN DO IT WHEN THE GIRLS GET HOME…school gets out early today…SQUEAK…what is that noise…all I see are sheep…there’s that noise again…what is that…oh well…I love swimming…which swimming pool should I choose…I could pay my out of district fee at the thprd…I don’t have time for masters swimming…I’m probably out of shape for swimming after 3 weeks off…hmmm, the two border collies aren’t out…no barking…I really miss swimming…I like to swim alone too…I love swimming…I wonder if I could do my mile in a 50 M pool. Is the distance too long? Boy, my legs are sore from hiking…one more week before the pool opens…I could work while the girls are swimming…maybe I can bring a laptop into the library…the girls could do their homework while they wait for their swim practice…I see two people talking at the top of the hill…I see the little white dog…that must be Sue…is that a man or woman she’s talking to…he/she’s wearing shorts…ah, it’s the husband…what’s his name…are they done walking or just starting…oh he’s walking away…he must be done…maybe she’s done too…
I run into Sue at the top of the hill, her dog comes over to great me. We talk about pets, coyotes, aging pets, the wind, the trees, cleaning up branches, dying pets. She walks with me until the hill starts back down.
I have to do my journal entry…maybe I’ll write about meditative walking…about the stream of thoughts…about my neighbors…about the noises…the noises are so gentle when I walk alone…chirp chirps, birds, chipmunks, the breeze…I like swimming alone too…I can really think!…dead snake…very flat dead snake…pretty coil…no rope…no coil…trim…braid…yeah braid…pretty blue…no cool blue…no robin’s egg blue…pretty robin’s egg cool blue braid…flat dead robin’s egg cool blue and black braid snake…border collies are still not out…maybe they’re inside…I’ll write in my journal right when I get home…maybe I remember more when I look than when I talk…walnuts…they’ve been pruning their walnut tree…dead flat rodent…furry gray on one side blood and guts on the other…that’s probably too gross to talk about…looks like he was flattened from this direction…sheep again…no noise…huh? Cackle…sounds like laughing in the bushes. What happened to Dot Com? I haven’t seen him for at least a month? Maybe he was sold? That brown llama again. He’s always out…he likes to watch me…the llamas are still in the shed…the white one is still out…I some beep beep, no cheep cheep, no more buzzy…I don’t know…birds or squirrels…can’t see them. the pond…no skunk still…the water looks cool…nice shade…where’d Jack go…I don’t mind him…don’t shush him up…passersby are the only entertainment he gets while the kids are at school…I think I hear him…the neighbor must be out with him…
I’ll stop. You can think about a lot while your walking alone. It helps me work out the daily stresses. I always feel much better about the tasks the lay ahead. I’m now done with my daily journal and I’m greatly relieved.
When I walk I’m pass in and out of consciousness with the outside world. I walk in a constant steam of observation and babble to myself.
I hope my husband doesn’t lock me out while I’m gone. Sigh, I really need to paint those things. I hear two bells. Both cats must be outside. How am I ever going to finish everything today? I have to pay the website bill. I wonder if they’ll take a credit card. I have to go to that meeting tonight and fill in the paperwork. Hmmm, is the neighbor home? Where’s Jack? Oh! I hear him. <> He just realized I was walking by. He only gets a little bit of a run along the fence and barking. Uh Oh! The neighbor. Is that bird making that noise? Yes, yes it is that bird. I hope she’s not out. I don’t want to walk with her. I want to think. I like to walk alone so I can think. The llamas are in the shed out of the sun. They must be hot. That white one is still out! The pond…no skunk…swimming…Next week swimming starts again. I really need to register the girls…the meetings tonight…I need to fill out the forms…I CAN DO IT WHEN THE GIRLS GET HOME…school gets out early today…SQUEAK…what is that noise…all I see are sheep…there’s that noise again…what is that…oh well…I love swimming…which swimming pool should I choose…I could pay my out of district fee at the thprd…I don’t have time for masters swimming…I’m probably out of shape for swimming after 3 weeks off…hmmm, the two border collies aren’t out…no barking…I really miss swimming…I like to swim alone too…I love swimming…I wonder if I could do my mile in a 50 M pool. Is the distance too long? Boy, my legs are sore from hiking…one more week before the pool opens…I could work while the girls are swimming…maybe I can bring a laptop into the library…the girls could do their homework while they wait for their swim practice…I see two people talking at the top of the hill…I see the little white dog…that must be Sue…is that a man or woman she’s talking to…he/she’s wearing shorts…ah, it’s the husband…what’s his name…are they done walking or just starting…oh he’s walking away…he must be done…maybe she’s done too…
I run into Sue at the top of the hill, her dog comes over to great me. We talk about pets, coyotes, aging pets, the wind, the trees, cleaning up branches, dying pets. She walks with me until the hill starts back down.
I have to do my journal entry…maybe I’ll write about meditative walking…about the stream of thoughts…about my neighbors…about the noises…the noises are so gentle when I walk alone…chirp chirps, birds, chipmunks, the breeze…I like swimming alone too…I can really think!…dead snake…very flat dead snake…pretty coil…no rope…no coil…trim…braid…yeah braid…pretty blue…no cool blue…no robin’s egg blue…pretty robin’s egg cool blue braid…flat dead robin’s egg cool blue and black braid snake…border collies are still not out…maybe they’re inside…I’ll write in my journal right when I get home…maybe I remember more when I look than when I talk…walnuts…they’ve been pruning their walnut tree…dead flat rodent…furry gray on one side blood and guts on the other…that’s probably too gross to talk about…looks like he was flattened from this direction…sheep again…no noise…huh? Cackle…sounds like laughing in the bushes. What happened to Dot Com? I haven’t seen him for at least a month? Maybe he was sold? That brown llama again. He’s always out…he likes to watch me…the llamas are still in the shed…the white one is still out…I some beep beep, no cheep cheep, no more buzzy…I don’t know…birds or squirrels…can’t see them. the pond…no skunk still…the water looks cool…nice shade…where’d Jack go…I don’t mind him…don’t shush him up…passersby are the only entertainment he gets while the kids are at school…I think I hear him…the neighbor must be out with him…
I’ll stop. You can think about a lot while your walking alone. It helps me work out the daily stresses. I always feel much better about the tasks the lay ahead. I’m now done with my daily journal and I’m greatly relieved.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Changing Eating Habits is Time Consuming
Since we took off all day yesterday to do some hiking and exploring, I had a lot of catching up to do today. My kids have school tomorrow, so the laundry absolutely has to be done. I also needed to hem 4 pants for my eldest. I really needed to start listing some of my estate finds on eBay. I can no longer keep them stuffed away in various closets. I also needed to put away some of my projects. ( I lay things out and move them around to figure out how to create new recycled art pieces). The house needed some attention as well.
I was so busy today that the only reminder I had that it was time to eat was my growling stomach. Of course the kids ask me for food every 2 hours. They're request for food has no bearing on when I'm supposed to eat. They're like baby birds, always hungry. I ate a light breakfast because by the time I remembered the fruit I set out, it was past lunch time. I ate my breakfast fruit for lunch. I ate my lunch in a hurry and was hungry 2 hours later, so I had a snack. At dinner time, I hadn't had time to figure out the nutrient value in pesto, so I ate a small portion with a large salad.
I'm hungry. It's now too close to my bedtime to eat anything else. I don't eat within 2 hours of my bedtime. I just caught up with my food log and approximated the values for the pesto I ate. I'm just now writing my journal entry.
I'm tired. I'm hungry. I have another load of laundry to do because my family members "forgot" to put some of their dirty clothes in the laundry room...and my house is still a mess....BIG SIGH!
I was so busy today that the only reminder I had that it was time to eat was my growling stomach. Of course the kids ask me for food every 2 hours. They're request for food has no bearing on when I'm supposed to eat. They're like baby birds, always hungry. I ate a light breakfast because by the time I remembered the fruit I set out, it was past lunch time. I ate my breakfast fruit for lunch. I ate my lunch in a hurry and was hungry 2 hours later, so I had a snack. At dinner time, I hadn't had time to figure out the nutrient value in pesto, so I ate a small portion with a large salad.
I'm hungry. It's now too close to my bedtime to eat anything else. I don't eat within 2 hours of my bedtime. I just caught up with my food log and approximated the values for the pesto I ate. I'm just now writing my journal entry.
I'm tired. I'm hungry. I have another load of laundry to do because my family members "forgot" to put some of their dirty clothes in the laundry room...and my house is still a mess....BIG SIGH!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Family Hiking Trip
Before I married my husband, I enjoyed doing many activities. My husband was not nearly as physically active. We did windsurf many weekends in the summer and we sometimes went on short hikes in and around Portland, OR.
We moved, had kids, and the windsurfing stopped.
When the kids were little, we lived on a small sparsely populated island. When the first one came along, I put her in a pack on my back and took almost daily walks that lasted anywhere from 40 minutes to several hours. When the second one came along, we bought a double stroller and I pushed them along on the mostly deserted paved roads.
As they got older and were able to walk, we would walk to the beach. They would see the beach then want to stop and play. I would want to continue walking, but I often just stopped and played on the beach with them. When my husband was available to watch the kids, I would take a longer walk.
Moving from the island, 4 years ago, really changed our lifestyle. We still live in a rural area, but the streets are not deserted. Everyone is in a hurry and they drive like speed demons down the road that runs by our driveway. I now have just one walking route that provides just the right amount of physical exercise for me. I get tired of the same old walk.
Having just that one route makes me realize how much I really miss walking. Recently, our family has started trying to make one long hike once a week. We pick a place to go and make a day out of it.
We might stop at some interesting garage sales, stores or just sites along the way. We do our hike. Today, we did a 4.7 hike near a lake between Hood River and Mount Hood. We stop for dinner on the way home.
To me, it's great that the kids are at an age where they walk on their own, carry their own pack, and enjoy spending time with us. This hike was a tough one with two very steep climbs. I think we all felt a sense of accomplishment when we finished.
For some great photos and more information about our hike around Wahtum Lake, you can visit my Recycle and Travel blog, http://perpetualplum.wordpress.com/.
We moved, had kids, and the windsurfing stopped.
When the kids were little, we lived on a small sparsely populated island. When the first one came along, I put her in a pack on my back and took almost daily walks that lasted anywhere from 40 minutes to several hours. When the second one came along, we bought a double stroller and I pushed them along on the mostly deserted paved roads.
As they got older and were able to walk, we would walk to the beach. They would see the beach then want to stop and play. I would want to continue walking, but I often just stopped and played on the beach with them. When my husband was available to watch the kids, I would take a longer walk.
Moving from the island, 4 years ago, really changed our lifestyle. We still live in a rural area, but the streets are not deserted. Everyone is in a hurry and they drive like speed demons down the road that runs by our driveway. I now have just one walking route that provides just the right amount of physical exercise for me. I get tired of the same old walk.
Having just that one route makes me realize how much I really miss walking. Recently, our family has started trying to make one long hike once a week. We pick a place to go and make a day out of it.
We might stop at some interesting garage sales, stores or just sites along the way. We do our hike. Today, we did a 4.7 hike near a lake between Hood River and Mount Hood. We stop for dinner on the way home.
To me, it's great that the kids are at an age where they walk on their own, carry their own pack, and enjoy spending time with us. This hike was a tough one with two very steep climbs. I think we all felt a sense of accomplishment when we finished.
For some great photos and more information about our hike around Wahtum Lake, you can visit my Recycle and Travel blog, http://perpetualplum.wordpress.com/.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Finding a Healthy (Food) Balance
I know the most important thing for me to do right now is to concentrate on the quality of the food I let slip by my lips. I'm not supposed to sweat the little mistakes, like an extra 200 calories one day... however; going out to dinner with my family is nightmarish.
I have a hard time relaxing when we decide to go out for a meal. I really want to find a healthy restaurant to visit. I live in fear that I won't be able to calculate exactly how many calories I'm getting, that I'll overdo it, and that I'll be starving by the time dinner arrives. (I tend to want to consume large quantities quickly when I'm hungry.)
To further complicate things, nobody else wants to eat healthy. They want greasy, salty, deep fried, creamy, and dense. They don't want a small handful of lean meat with 4 cups of veges. Skip the water and the fresh fruit. They want an extra humongous, high fructose sweetened, artificially flavored and colored, bubbly soft drink with their meal and of course dessert.
I usually win the battle, but I have to pay the price. I get a lot of "Can I have" and "They don't have anything I like" and "Pretty please please please".
Tonight I gave in and went to a place where you pick out your own meats and veges. You pile everything in your bowl(s) and add some oils and other liquids. You stand in line and some guy (how come it's never a gal, anyway?) grabs your bowl(s), throws them on the communal grill and cooks them all at once.
The various liquids that I add are never enough seasoning for me, so I end up pulling out the plum sauce, adding it to my plate and... VIOLA! I'm eating 200 or 300 calories more than I wanted. Of course, I have to have that little serving of soft serve ice cream that comes with the meal.
I feel terrible and I'm the only one around here willing to try to talk myself out of feeling guilty. I look back at what I ate the for the last 4 days. I realize that I've made a trade-off. Today I made up for the one day early this week that I ate 300 or 400 calories less than I needed.
Changing eating habits for good is a slow process. If I didn't keep track of what I ate everyday, I couldn't even point myself in the right direction. Someday, I hope to unplug myself from my food diary and intuitively navigate this food maze.
I have a hard time relaxing when we decide to go out for a meal. I really want to find a healthy restaurant to visit. I live in fear that I won't be able to calculate exactly how many calories I'm getting, that I'll overdo it, and that I'll be starving by the time dinner arrives. (I tend to want to consume large quantities quickly when I'm hungry.)
To further complicate things, nobody else wants to eat healthy. They want greasy, salty, deep fried, creamy, and dense. They don't want a small handful of lean meat with 4 cups of veges. Skip the water and the fresh fruit. They want an extra humongous, high fructose sweetened, artificially flavored and colored, bubbly soft drink with their meal and of course dessert.
I usually win the battle, but I have to pay the price. I get a lot of "Can I have" and "They don't have anything I like" and "Pretty please please please".
Tonight I gave in and went to a place where you pick out your own meats and veges. You pile everything in your bowl(s) and add some oils and other liquids. You stand in line and some guy (how come it's never a gal, anyway?) grabs your bowl(s), throws them on the communal grill and cooks them all at once.
The various liquids that I add are never enough seasoning for me, so I end up pulling out the plum sauce, adding it to my plate and... VIOLA! I'm eating 200 or 300 calories more than I wanted. Of course, I have to have that little serving of soft serve ice cream that comes with the meal.
I feel terrible and I'm the only one around here willing to try to talk myself out of feeling guilty. I look back at what I ate the for the last 4 days. I realize that I've made a trade-off. Today I made up for the one day early this week that I ate 300 or 400 calories less than I needed.
Changing eating habits for good is a slow process. If I didn't keep track of what I ate everyday, I couldn't even point myself in the right direction. Someday, I hope to unplug myself from my food diary and intuitively navigate this food maze.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Where Does the Fat Go?
My husband and I had been having a discussion about weight loss. This spurred my youngest to ask the question, "Where does all that fat go when you lose it?"
I gave her an answer off the top of my head. I said "Well it comes out when we go potty and it comes out of our pores when we sweat. After a while, I started thinking about that answer. “I forgot about breathing”, I thought as a mentally slapped my palm against my forehead. Geez, you’d never know I studied microbiology in graduate school!
Normally I contemplate these things on my long walks in the morning (sort of meditative power walking) and then forget about them, but her question stuck with me. I decided to look up some answers on the internet. I found some well thought out answers and a whole lot of controversy. It seems that many adults are confused about how their body functions.
Here’s some wonderful answers for questions about fat,
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=57797
Here’s an example of people getting confused,
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question62182.html
Here’s a short sweet answer to where the fat goes,
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/body-fat/AN01327
Here’s a different answer, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_you_lose_weight_where_does_the_fat_go
My mom was right “You can’t believe everything you read”. I guess there's hope for me afterall.
I gave her an answer off the top of my head. I said "Well it comes out when we go potty and it comes out of our pores when we sweat. After a while, I started thinking about that answer. “I forgot about breathing”, I thought as a mentally slapped my palm against my forehead. Geez, you’d never know I studied microbiology in graduate school!
Normally I contemplate these things on my long walks in the morning (sort of meditative power walking) and then forget about them, but her question stuck with me. I decided to look up some answers on the internet. I found some well thought out answers and a whole lot of controversy. It seems that many adults are confused about how their body functions.
Here’s some wonderful answers for questions about fat,
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=57797
Here’s an example of people getting confused,
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question62182.html
Here’s a short sweet answer to where the fat goes,
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/body-fat/AN01327
Here’s a different answer, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_you_lose_weight_where_does_the_fat_go
My mom was right “You can’t believe everything you read”. I guess there's hope for me afterall.
Skunks, Rear-Ends, Bugs & Power Walking
My post from yesterday's journal entry...
I put on my sleek black stretch pants, laced up my shoes and started on my regular power walk on a side road about a half city block from my house. We don't live in the city, but everyone has some idea of the distance in a city block.
Just slightly down the road is a pond where I've often seen a skunk sniffing around the grass near the water. Normally, I just smile to myself as I see the wondrous site of the skunk by the pond. Today, however; the skunk decided to cross the road in front of me as I approached the pond. Thinking that the skunk would run when he saw me coming, I just continued at my normal pace.
Unfortunately, my skunk was not in any hurry. When he sensed I was getting too close he would raise his tail. Panicked, I slowed. I picked up speed; he raised his tail; I slowed, he lowered his tail; I picked up speed. We did our little dance until he was safely across the street and into the brambles.
I picked up my pace and continued up the hill.In the near distance I heard the rumble and hum of machinery. I figured the guy with the land for sale on the right was clearing brush and continued on. As I turned the bend, I see a little pickup truck with yellow lights on top and John Deere tractor with a side mower creeping along. The road crew was clearing the sides of the street.
As I pass the mower, I see the beer-bellied man sitting behind the wheel and I think to myself, "That man is going to be staring at my booty the whole way up this darn hill". I pick up my pace. I speed walk all the way to the top of the hill. As I'm making my way down the hill, I run into the mower guy again heading the other direction. Great! I set my dials on super speedy and zip down the hill.
Now this time of year is hard enough on me. I'm allergic to most grasses. I try hard not to disturb the vegetation at the end of summer. Mowed grass is a real hazard. My eyes are watering. My nose is running. I'm walking as fast as I can so the man can't stare at my rear end. My mouth is open so I can actually breathe and... a bug decides to collide with the back of my throat.
So, as I make my way back to my starting point, I'm practically running while I'm wheezing, trying to spit the bug out, and wiping my nose and eyes with the back of my hand (I didn't bring a hankie). As I make it back to the pond, I take a deep breathe, realizing that someone or something pissed off that skunk. hmmm....maybe it's me?
Do I need to count the calories in the bug I swallowed?
I put on my sleek black stretch pants, laced up my shoes and started on my regular power walk on a side road about a half city block from my house. We don't live in the city, but everyone has some idea of the distance in a city block.
Just slightly down the road is a pond where I've often seen a skunk sniffing around the grass near the water. Normally, I just smile to myself as I see the wondrous site of the skunk by the pond. Today, however; the skunk decided to cross the road in front of me as I approached the pond. Thinking that the skunk would run when he saw me coming, I just continued at my normal pace.
Unfortunately, my skunk was not in any hurry. When he sensed I was getting too close he would raise his tail. Panicked, I slowed. I picked up speed; he raised his tail; I slowed, he lowered his tail; I picked up speed. We did our little dance until he was safely across the street and into the brambles.
I picked up my pace and continued up the hill.In the near distance I heard the rumble and hum of machinery. I figured the guy with the land for sale on the right was clearing brush and continued on. As I turned the bend, I see a little pickup truck with yellow lights on top and John Deere tractor with a side mower creeping along. The road crew was clearing the sides of the street.
As I pass the mower, I see the beer-bellied man sitting behind the wheel and I think to myself, "That man is going to be staring at my booty the whole way up this darn hill". I pick up my pace. I speed walk all the way to the top of the hill. As I'm making my way down the hill, I run into the mower guy again heading the other direction. Great! I set my dials on super speedy and zip down the hill.
Now this time of year is hard enough on me. I'm allergic to most grasses. I try hard not to disturb the vegetation at the end of summer. Mowed grass is a real hazard. My eyes are watering. My nose is running. I'm walking as fast as I can so the man can't stare at my rear end. My mouth is open so I can actually breathe and... a bug decides to collide with the back of my throat.
So, as I make my way back to my starting point, I'm practically running while I'm wheezing, trying to spit the bug out, and wiping my nose and eyes with the back of my hand (I didn't bring a hankie). As I make it back to the pond, I take a deep breathe, realizing that someone or something pissed off that skunk. hmmm....maybe it's me?
Do I need to count the calories in the bug I swallowed?
Double chins & Flabby Thighs
I posted one of my "Staying Healthy" journal entries in on of my internet groups. A few people suggested I put the posts on my blog. My regular blog is about my life's work, not my life, so I thought I would just start another blog. Here's a condensed versions of my journey back to a healthy lifestyle.
I was never a fat kid. I was never a really fat adult until later in my 30's. My mother was always heavy and her struggles (and nagging) had kept me slim and fit most my life. In my family, gaining weight was a horrible sin that opened you up to all kinds of ridicule. I just didn't want to go there.
Everything changed starting in my mid to late 30's. I had some medical issues that were finally resolved after 3 operations in my early 40's. The last operation was drastic (for me) and left me wondering who I was and where I was heading. Adding to all of that, a member of my immediate family has a medical conditions that needs a lot of special care and attention. I cringe when I read this, because I'm not a member of the "Lay it all out There" generation.
Last year I went to the doctor. Because I'm middle-aged and hadn't had a blood screen in a while, I had one done. My blood sugar was ok, but my cholesterol was borderline. My doctor suggested a new diet and some exercise. It took me six months and a horrible picture of me with my double chin to convince me. I've since deleted that pictures.
I do have one of me (above) 20lbs lighter. I still have 20 more to go. I still look like I have an extra chin and although my legs aren't as fat. I still have flabby thighs.
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