I was reading a "testimonial" on Calorie Count and there was something there that I wanted to remember so I'm putting it here.

This one was "Committing to Recommit"

My biggest changes were subtle ones.

And I took the advice of a good friend who had been in my shoes and successfully lost 134 pounds and has kept it off through 7 years and a pregnancy. She told me to choose one thing every month to change in my diet or in my attitude, and make the choice to stick to it until I reach my goal.

The biggest challenge for me was to "Commit to Recommit." I had to come to terms with failure, that I was going to fall off the wagon, that there would be days I wouldn't be able to exercise because of my kids or that I would eat the house if it were made of food. I had to make the decision that I was going to "Commit to Recommit" over and over again. I wasn't going to let a setback - no matter how big it was - make me quit. I refused to let the disappointment of failure keep me from my goal.

How do I prevent relapse? I follow my new saying, "I Commit to Recommit." The reality for me is I will have relapses, I will not always follow my calorie requirement everyday, but I keep trying. Wallowing in feelings of failure won't do anything but discourage you and waste your time. Pick up and keep going!

Fill Up to Slim Down

From The Ladies Home Journal June, 2009 issue

Fill Up to Slim Down

This simple gimmick-free healthy-eating plan helps you shed pounds without feeling deprived, thanks to a satisfying mix of lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and veggies. (Bonus: You can have ice cream and cookies, too!) Choose one breakfast, lunch, and dinner and two snacks from the choices below, aiming to eat about 1,500 calories a day.

By Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD

Breakfast: Approximately 300 calories each

Maple pecan waffle with bananas
Top 1 toasted whole-grain frozen waffle with 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and 1 small sliced banana.

Cottage cheese with blueberries and almonds
Top 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 cup blueberries and 3 tablespoons slivered almonds.

Berry smoothie
Blend 12 ounces skim milk with 1 cup frozen raspberries and 1 packet plain instant oatmeal.

Spinach omelet sandwich
Scramble 1 egg and 2 egg whites with 1 cup baby spinach and place on a toasted whole-grain English muffin. Serve with 1/2 grapefruit.

Almond butter and orange marmalade toast
Top 1 large slice whole-grain toast with 1 tablespoon almond butter and 2 teaspoons orange marmalade. Serve with 1 small orange.

Peach and granola yogurt
Top 8 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt with 1 diced medium peach and 1 crumbled low-fat oat-and-nut granola bar.

Apple nut oatmeal
Prepare 1 packet plain instant oatmeal with water and top with 1 chopped small apple, 2 tablespoons chopped nuts, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar.

Bacon and egg breakfast burrito
Scramble 1 egg and 2 egg whites with 2 slices cooked and crumbled turkey bacon. Wrap in whole-grain tortilla with 1 tablespoon salsa. Serve with 1/2 cup diced cantaloupe.

Pancakes with vanilla-blackberry syrup
To make syrup, heat 1/2 cup blackberries in microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, then mash with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon honey. Pour syrup over 3 whole-grain pancakes.

Lunch: Approximately 400 calories each

Turkey, swiss, and pear sandwich
Make sandwich with 2 slices whole-grain bread, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 ounces sliced turkey, 1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese, and 1/2 small sliced pear. Serve with 1/2 cup baby carrots dipped in 1 tablespoon low-fat ranch dressing.

Guacamole veggie burger
Top a heated plain veggie burger with lettuce, tomato, and 2 tablespoons prepared guacamole and place on a whole-grain hamburger bun. Serve with 1 small apple.

Mediterranean tuna sandwich
Mix together 3 ounces drained canned tuna (packed in water), 2 tablespoons full-fat Italian vinaigrette, 2 tablespoons sliced black olives, and 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper; place in 1 whole-grain pita. Serve with 1 medium plum.

Bean and cheese burritos
Top each of 2 small whole-grain tortillas with 1/2 cup fat-free refried beans, 4 tablespoons salsa, 4 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, and 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce.

Greek salad
Combine 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, 1 small diced tomato, 1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained), and 1/4 cup croutons. Top with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese.

Veggie chili
Prepare 1 1/2 cups canned low-fat vegetarian chili according to package directions and serve with 8 whole-grain crackers.

Chicken Caesar wraps
Fill each of 2 whole-grain tortillas with 2 cups romaine lettuce, 3 ounces skinless rotisserie chicken, and 4 teaspoons light Caesar salad dressing. Serve with 3/4 cup grapes.

Dinner: Approximately 500 calories each

Salmon with pesto fettuccine and garlic spinach
Serve 3 1/2 ounces baked or broiled salmon on top of 1 cup whole-grain fettuccine tossed with 1 tablespoon prepared pesto. Serve with 2 cups baby spinach sauteed in 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic.

White bean and basil pasta
Top 1 cup cooked whole-grain pasta with 1/2 cup marinara spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup canned white beans, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

Chicken and asparagus with loaded baked potato
Serve 4 ounces grilled chicken breast with 8 medium-size grilled asparagus spears and 1 medium baked potato topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives.

Broccoli-almond stir-fry
Saute 2 cups frozen broccoli, 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, 4 ounces cubed firm tofu, 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Serve with 1 cup cooked brown rice.

Grilled steak and arugula sandwich
Make sandwich with 1 small toasted whole-grain roll, 3 ounces grilled sirloin steak, 1 thin slice part-skim mozzarella cheese, 1 cup arugula, and 2 slices tomato. Serve with 1 cup low-sodium minestrone soup.

Shrimp tacos
Fill each of 3 whole-corn tortillas with 4 grilled shrimp, 3/4 cup shredded carrots and napa cabbage, 3 tablespoons salsa, and 3 tablespoons chopped avocado.

Spinach with grilled chicken
Toss 4 cups of baby spinach with 1 cup strawberries, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons chopped pecans. Top with 6 ounces sliced grilled chicken breast.

Snacks: Approximately 150 calories each; choose two each day

- 2 whole-grain fig cookies served with 1 cup green tea with 1 teaspoon honey

- 4 whole-grain crackers, each topped with 1 thin slice low-fat Cheddar cheese

- 4 ounces low-fat cottage cheese served with 4 ounces no-sugar-added pineapple cup

- 1/2 cup low-fat chocolate ice cream topped with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries

- 12 ounces skim latte with 1 packet sugar

- 2 cups veggies dipped in 2 tablespoons low-fat ranch dressing

- 1 small whole-grain wrap filled with 2 tablespoons hummus and 2 tablespoons shredded carrots

- 1 small whole-grain tortilla filled with 2 tablespoons melted low-fat Cheddar cheese and salsa

- 6 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons whole-grain cereal

- 1 small sliced apple topped with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

- 3 slices tomato, each topped with thin slice part-skim mozzarella and 1 fresh basil leaf

- 1/2 cup grapes with 12 almonds

- 1 low-fat granola bar

- 4 ounces fat-free chocolate pudding topped with 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts

Originally published in

Ladies' Home Journal,

June 2009.

© Copyright 2009 Meredith Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.

Plantar fasciitis

I walked 30 minutes on two days this week in my Birkenstocks. They felt all right while I was doing it, but this morning for the first time in I can't even remember how long, when I got up I had heel pain again. So I guess I must have inflamed by heel by not giving it the right kind of support it needed while I walked.

I don't want it to get as bad as it was before so I sure won't be walking in those Birkenstocks again and I suppose I need to stay off the treadmill until I've had some healing time.

Women's Activity Challenge

I signed up for the Women's Activity Challenge which means for the next eight weeks I'm supposed to be more active and keep track of how "more active" I'm being.

I noticed that walking just 20 minutes yesterday morning before I went into work at 12 increased my stamina for the day. I was not dragging when I left last night at closing even though I was pushing myself to do a lot.

One step forward

Hopefully one that will work good for me.

I moved my tread mill to a place where it's more easily accessible and I WALKED ON IT THIS MORNING.

Now, if I can just keep it up.

And increase my time.

I need to find something to listen to while I'm walking.


The weather is good and it would be nice to walk outside, BUT-- and this is a big but-- sometimes when I'm walking (for fitness) I'll get a ways away from home and my knees start acting up and giving me pain. When they do that, it's hard for me to walk and I draw back from walking half way around the circle and then having to crawl home. (Or take baby steps very slowly.)

One Purpose: GET THE WEIGHT DOWN

This week I've been single-minded in one thing. I had to get some weight off. Actually, I think the "weight" I needed to get off was just fluid accumulation. But, nevertheless, I HAD TO get it off.

I had allowed myself to get up to a weight that is as high as I can go without causing myself real knee problems. I have found out what that "line I can't cross" is in the past, by crossing it. I've made up my own diagnosis and it is that my knees just can't handle any fluid accumulation when I get to be that heavy.

I've been up to and holding steady right at that "dangerous point" for awhile now. I've intended to work on getting my weight back down but first one thing and another caused me to put it off. Anyway, here I was right at the edge AND THEN....

Then I got into rush-rush-rush mode trying to help out both my older boys move. And in that rush-rush mode, I didn't drink enough water and I ate too much fast food. Both worked against me in a HORRIBLE way and when I stepped on the scales, I knew exactly why my knees WERE SCREAMING "I am not going to take you anywhere else until you STOP AND DO SOMETHING" about what's happening here".

I had to.

I could hardly walk.

It started getting bad toward last weekend when I went to get the kids to keep them on moving day. Of course, the hour drive to the new location also caused the fact that I CANNOT SIT over 30 minutes without getting all stiff and "stoved up" to kick in, but my real problem was that my right knee was in pain.

On Sunday, at church I was having real "issues". Of course, once again the sitting for a long period kicks in. But I knew it was more than that. So I began my "get the weight down" effort by carefully selecting what I ate on Sunday.

Monday was miserable too because I hardly move at all as I'm going through doing my order and STANDING in one place seems to compound the problem.

On Monday evening, I went to the store after work and bought myself three cans of pineapple chunks, some cottage cheese, grapefruit, asparagus, 100% cranberry juice, eggs and some prepackaged meals and I implemented the plan that I've posted in the top of the sidebar.

I've had boiled eggs for breakfast. Fruit for snacks and a sandwich for lunch (so I've not gone tee-totally no-carb). Mainly I've been drinking a lot of water and 100% cranberry juice and eating things that are considered "natural diuretics".

This morning I am down SIX POUNDS from what I was on Monday! I can walk again without pain.

Look at the plan and you'll see that it's carbohydrate poor. I chose to do that on purpose because everywhere you read about low-carb diets, they'll say, "Yeah, you lose a lot quickly but it's because when you cut back on carbs you lose water weight."

GREAT.
That's just what I need to do.
Until I can walk normally again.

So, I thought I'd just do this for a week and get the fluid off. It HAS worked.

Of course, NOW I need to get started on the long-haul plan. I will do that after this week is up.

Links:
Diuretic Diet
Natural Diuretic

List of Natural Diuretics
Natural Diuretic Foods that Prevent Bloating
Alternative Medicine

Natural diuretic foods for your diet plan
Trailfire

Diuretic Delight Salad

1 large bunch of watercress, stems removed

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

1 red onion, sliced thin

½ cup diced celery

1 cup cooked asparagus, cooled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces

¼ cup olive oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbs chopped fresh basil

Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a shaker jar and pour over the vegetables. Mix well and chill.

One Thing that Has Always Amazed Me

has been the fact that AT MY AGE, I seemed to have so much more stamina than most of the people I work with... more than anyone but the boss. They just seem to not be able to make it through the day without getting all worn out and draggy. (I even fare better on freight day, when I DO get very tired, but they seem to be even worse.) But this week I've been running neck-in-neck with them. I really don't like looking at my watch and hoping for the day to be over because I'm tired.

I decided I MUST walk. So last night even after a day at work, I came home and did my walking routine with Leslie Sansone. And I got up and did it again this morning. So far so good. Hopefully the walking will energize me. Actually, I'm not so sure it's the walking that does it as it is getting the heart rate up and "getting that oxygen to the brain" and all through the body.

Now I just need to KEEP IT UP.

Dieting or Exercise for weight loss?

Q: Which is better for weight loss:
dieting or exercise?

Tuesday February 10, 2009

A: This is absolutely no doubt that dieting is the best thing for weight loss. Many people fall into an exercise0based weight loss plan. The math on exercise and weight loss just doesn't work. Weight loss is all about reducing the number of calories you consume. If you are trying to lose weight, eating fewer calories is the fastest (and possibly only) way to weight loss. Here's why: to lose a pound, you need to burn 3500 calories. Intense exercise for one hour burns, say, 400 calories. That means that it takes almost 9 intense exercise sessions to burn one pound (or three weeks, if you exercise three times a week). If you can cut 1000 calories from your daily diet, you'll "burn" a pound every 3 and a half days.

That said, exercise has a role in weight loss, just maybe not the one you think.

Exercise to Feel Good:
Exercise improves your mood. If you exercise, your body releases chemicals that make you feel good. This is great. Let's face it, dieting is no fun, so work some exercise in to lift up your mood.

Exercise for Energy:
  Exercise improves sleep. If you can sleep better each night, you'll feel great throughout the day.

Exercise for Muscle:
  It is true that muscles burn morecalories. If you can increase the amount of muscle on your body, you burn more calories everyday just sitting still. The bad news is that, for weight loss, it takes pretty significant muscle growth to shed some pounds. Building muscle is a good weight maintenance strategy and can be a focus when those last few pounds are in site.

Avoid "Exercise Math":
When you are dieting, don't get trapped by "exercise math." Many people think "Oh, I can have this cookie because I exercised today."  Banish that thought from your mind. Exercise never justifies food. If you let it, you'll slow your weight loss down to a creep. Stick to your diet and don't reward yourself with food.



The above article was copied from the Longevity website at about.com.

Wow

Time gets away quickly...

It's hard to believe I've let another whole week slip by and I have not added to my "shaping up" commitment. Not only have I not added, I've neglected to keep track of what I've eaten for a whole week. (Part of the reason for that is because of WHAT I was eating. Lasagna. Birthday Cake. Hotdogs and potato chips.)

The other part owas because I got so busy getting ready for the weekend. All my spare time was taken making sure the guest room was ready for sleepers, the dining table and kitchen were cleared for a "party" and then the rest of my time was taken with the work I laid out for us all to do.

Monday I should have jumped back into the saddle. (I don't even remember Monday. I can't bring back what I did on Monday after I got home from work.)

Tuesday I went into Huntsville to watch kids while Jeni went to the dentist and then went by Walmart to pick up some much needed items.

At home, where I fully intended to jump into "doing something constructive", I turned instead to a book. Books and "doing something constructive" don't fit together with me. Once I started the book, it was all over. I read it all the way through, finishing around 10pm and thus ended my only day off for the week.

At Jeni's I did get on her WiiFit and checked out my physical condition and it IS as I supposed it was in need of being shaped up. This is the eleventh day of February and I have NOT yet begun that five day a week walking routine that I had pre-determined I was going to begin in February.

When I went to bed last night, I also remembered that I had done nothing about contacting my doctor to set up an appointment for a physical.

Sigh.

Tuesday

This morning I had the girls come and help me do some cleaning and it threw me all out of whack. That plus going into work at 11:15

I ate a bologna and cheese sandwich for breakfast while we were working.
I had a breakfast bar as I drove to work.
I think I may have eaten an apple later.
I had soup for lunch. And a Diet Mtn Dew. And a couple of bite size Snickers.
Then around 7 I ate a banana and some saltines and a Bite Size Snickers.

Now I'm home, hungry and wondering....

Fiber One Cereal with pecans... that sounds good.

On line walking

Clicking around from my own links on this site, I found another Leslie Sansone walking video. To get to Leslie Sansone, you'll have to click on her workout just to the right of the video that begins when you load the page. (The one that starts automatically is a work out for Beginners that is promoted on the "You: on a Diet" link under Get Moving.) When you click on the Walking Video, it will stop the first one.

Anyway, it looks like this particular walking video of Leslie Sansone's is almost 15 minutes. It's based on the same steps that the other one was that got taken down on her site--which is the one I have at home. This one is at Real Age. There's a number of exercise videos there along with hers.

I found it by doing a google search of "You:on a Diet" which was mentioned on the link I have at Fat Secret

At Fat Secret they do not promote any one diet but give the results of whatever diets their members are using. One of the diets was "You: on a Diet"-- a diet I'd never heard of so was going to check it out.

One Advantage of Writing Down What I Eat

Knowing I'm going to write down what I eat causes me to stop and think about whether I really want it that bad.

Monday

Every morning I have two cups of coffee which I think I figured at one time are about 4o calories each.

I ate a breakfast bar as I was driving into work (160)

About 10:45 I ate a banana

For lunch I had soup (Campbell's beef vegetable of some kind. It was good.) and crackers. A few saltines.

Later (about 3:45) an apple and about 175 calories worth of mixed nuts. And a Diet Mt. Dew

For supper I grilled a chicken breast and had that with turnip greens. But I made a sauce from mayo, ketchup, mustard, sugar, & hot sauce to dip the chicken in. ( I didn't eat alot of sauce.)

I also cooked some apples that had gone soft on me. ( I don't like soft apples.) I used brown sugar. (Duh. I just realized I totally forgot to put margarine in them.) I put about 3 tablespoons of vanilla ice cream on them.

So far I haven't walked.

"The Plan"

What I'm working toward doing-- at least in my mind-- is doing more at night that I used to do in the mornings so I'll have time when I get up to walk for 15 minutes before I go to work.

There's things like--

• setting up my coffee pot the night before so all I have to do is push a button
• finding what I'm going to wear and being sure it gets ironed the night before
• fixing my lunch bag the night before with those things that do not have to be refrigerated
  
• reading my Bible in the evening, instead of the morning. (I've already noticed that's good because I don't have a deadline and I can just keep on reading and reading and reading.) As for prayer, since I've gone to work, I'm almost scared to go to work without praying before I go. There's too much that comes up that I need God's help with.
• whatever blogging I do--- like now :D. (It seems I just have to sit here for a minute while I drink that first cup of coffee and wake up a litte. The important thing is that I not linger more than a few minutes.) Do my blogging in the evening.
  
• taking my shower at night (although I must confess, in the winter time, my skin is so dry that when I take a shower at night, I have a huge problem with dry skin and I feel like a dog with fleas. I itch, itch, itch. So if I don't want to deal with that, I wait and shower in the morning.Besides, if I walk like I need to, I may NEED a shower when I'm done.

I think if I did those things in the evening, I'd add back 15 minutes to my mornings in which I could Walk with Leslie. It looks like she took down her video clip of the original Walk a Mile that you could get online, but I have it so no matter.

It's February

Time to start living up to my commitment to "Get in Shape"

I'm not sure I started off with a bang.
I pushed up against leaving time for church too close to eat at home so I grabbed a banana and a couple of breakfast bars and headed out.

Let's see that would be 160 calories each for the bars and about 105 for the banana.
For lunch I had a piece of cornbread (with olive oil margarine moderately applied which is a change for me) and soup. Milk to drink. About 8 ounces I'd guess. 2% (110)

I wanted something sweet and opted for an apple.

So far so good.

After a nap, I had one of Orville Redenbacher's mini bags of Butter popcorn (210 calories) with milk (about 10 ounces-- about 125 calories)

I also drank a cup of Cappuccino-- the powdered kind you mix up. (80 calories)

After church, I ate a bologna sandwich on white bread (gasp) and had coke mixed with lemon lime twist to drink (non diet)

But then I quit eating... unlike normal. I usually end up with some nuts and ice cream.