Today

I am still in recovery from the 55 minute swim.  It sure caught up to me.  I am swimming for only 25 minutes to recover!!

55 Glorious minutes

Today I swam for 55 glorious minutes.  I watch the clock as I swim, taking note of how much time is passing.  It's easy now.

I also watch for my markers, the flags at either end of the lap swimming lanes, so I don't konk my  head on the side of the pool again.  *;-.)

Since my swim clothes (shorts, top and a tank shirt) have been getting too big, I wanted some real swim wear (something modest), but on clearance since I'm losing weight.  Didn't want to put a lot of money into something that will fall off me in the pool in 2 months.  I prayed about it, and that day found on clearance a pair of boy cut bottoms for $3, a swim skirt for $3, swim shorts for $5 and a long top for $7.  My sport bras fit me again so I can wear it under the top (everything seems to be an extreme cleavage shower anymore).

notes to self:
1. Kudos for swimming for 55 minutes.
2. Kudos for being able to swim for 55 minutes
3.  Kudos for being dedicated
4. Kudos for resisting your binge urges (I want everything I love!!) and turning to your Heavenly Father to help you through them.
5.  No Hormel Turkey Pepperoni for days!  What's up with that?!

Long time no see

Knowing how to lose it and actually making yourself do it can be two entirely different things.
I've now had to be compelled.
After warnings from the Lord and His good counsel, I've had to be compelled.  But in this compulsion, I am being blessed.

I have been ignoring symptoms of diabetes for a couple of  years now and in mid-october, I was hit hard.  My pancreas had had enough of the fact that I am a carb junkie.

After mighty prayer and being totally willing to listen to the Lord, we are working on managing my glucose levels.  I was allowed to eat small amounts of only certain things.  Some days, I figure I was eating @ 900 calories, at best.  Everything made my sugar level go up. Including lettuce.  Didn't matter.  I was having to drink apple cider vinegar 3 times a day to get the levels down (it has tested out to lower blood sugar levels in obese women up to 42%).  I went back to the gym.

What is happening is that, the Lord is letting me know what I can eat and how much, until I can learn what I need to know from books.  For instance, He wants me to read labels.  So I say to Him, "according to this box of Whole Wheat Saltines, I am allowed 7 crackers for 1 serving.  Can I have that?" and He says, "You may have 5."

As things stand, I am allowed apples (small), grilled chicken in a home made marinade (sparse on the processed foods), I am allowed salad.  They glory of it all is that I LOVE  my grilled chicken salad.  I make home made soups, but have to take my soup out before we add rice or noodles (certain carbohydrates I am not yet allowed, as I have realized I am also being treated for Candida--massive yeast overgrowth throughout the body)  I can weigh out 2 ounces of home made noodles and put it in my soup after they have cooked in the big pot.  If we  have pizza, I am allowed 1 slice and a salad. *;-.(   I LOVE pizza.

I am exercising at the gym.  I was going upstairs to the machines and free weights, but it started aggravating my old snow shoveling injury, so now I am in the pool, doing water aerobics and have graduated to swimming back stroke (with a floatation belt since I am literally related to Mount Rushmore~~I sink like a boulder) for 30 minutes.

Though I am experiencing this adversity, I am being blessed.  I really do not miss all the things I can't eat right now  ( except for pizza).  I am not hungry.  I have lost 34 pounds.  20 of which have been since  mid-october.  Today is December 1.  The Lord wants this weight off fast.  I did have a plateau in mid-November, but it's going again.

2 weeks ago, my blood pressure was 120/80.  Yesterday is was 117/63.  Today I weigh 193.6 lbs.  Most of my clothes are too big.

Kudos to me for:
1. having the faith to listen to the direction of the Lord.  He is my doctor.  He is my dietician
2. exercising and loving it
3. asking the Lord what I can eat when I am not sure
4.  following His direction ( I do not want to feel bad any more for eating bad things)
5. keeping consumption of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni to a minimum

Grilled Chicken Salad
boneless chicken breast marinated for a few minutes in a mixture of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Herbed Vinegar, garlic and Italian spices, salt and pepper.

1.  grill chicken of a George Foreman-type grill
2. cut chicken into bite sized pieces to your liking
3  Add it to salad greens of your choice--skip the Iceberg lettuce as there is very little nutritional value
4.  Add yellow tomatoes for fun, green olives, black olives croutons and sunflower seeds.  '
5.  I usually pour 2 TBL of Herbed Vinegar (home made) and 2 Table Spoons of Green olive juice. (yes, sodium, sodium, but my blood pressure is okay).  Sometimes I pour a little home made dressing on.

normally what I'll eat for breakfast is:
A  2 eggs and 1 slice of double fiber whole wheat toast, buttered, cut in half. One half is sprinkled with Saigon Cinnamon and the other half covered with 1 tsp of my home made Peach Strawberry Vanilla Jam.

B  1/3 cup gOatmeal, sprinkled with 1 TBL Wheat Germ, 1 TBL Milled Flax seed. 2 TBL chopped pecans.  I add some boiling water, then 1 tsp of my Peach Strawberry Vanilla jam and leave it to sit for a few minutes to saturate the gOatmeal.  I add Saigon Cinnamon and enjoy a tasty breakfast.

I can eat graham crackers for a snack.  I can eat almonds (they are wonderfully sweet).  I can eat apple sauce.

I usually have Grilled Chicken Salad for lunch.  Leftover soups are out of the question since the broth has had time "starch up" overnight.

Dinner is soups or chicken  chilli (1 cup) or chicken with some vegetables.  I'll give more details later.

ta ta for nah

Potty Mouth

Okay, so, I just casually stepped on the scale this morning and I was UP a pound. What’s ….um..UP… with that?  I feel better, I feel minusculey (I know that’s not a word) thinner, actually, I feel MUCHO thinner, tho I’m really NOT.  I feel it.  I just FEEL IT.

Stupid scale (going to clean the toilet now for potty mouth) This must be why I never bought a new one after Buddy threw  it down the stairs when he was a toddler.  What was I thinking when I bought a new one?

Gearing up for the gym today.

notes to self:

• remember what the Personal Trainer told you a LOOOOONG time ago.  The number on the scale means nothing.  Gauge by how you feel and how your clothes fit
• stupid scale (yes, yes, getting the toilet bowl brush) 
• thank you, Katie for remodeling my equipment.

keepin’ on keepin’ on

Having to take Patrick to Dominos at 11 every day works really well for me, as I now have a reason to go to the gym.  (I won’t make trips into town just for me)

I’ve been every day this week and will go for the next 2 days.  I’ve gone upstairs to the machine room, got on the Wave machine, which simulates roller blading for me, then I get on the rowing machine.  Then on to the weights. Monday I went down to the pool for some water aerobics also.

Tell me this tho, who steps on the scale AFTER working out in the POOL?  Who gets on the scale still feeling waterlogged AND with wet hair?  Who does that to themselves?  I do.  <shudder>

Today, instead of going upstairs, I got in the pool for water aerobics, swam a few laps doing the back stroke, water walked and some resistance with noodles.

Hosed my mom with my noodle.  You dunk the noodle in the water to fill it, then blow into the hole.  She’s been threatening me, but I got her.

The chlorine level was off the charts today, I could tell, because just being in the pool room made my eyes burn.  I think it was in the whirlpool because it was way worse with the churning action.  I had to get out.  I am still feeling it.

Notes to self:

• kudos for still going and loving it.
• kudos for finding what  you like
• kudos for doing some laps. 
• You want to be able to do more
• kudos just for the sake of getting them.
• Why have you not eaten any Hormel Turkey Pepperoni in a few days?  What’s up with that?

Day 3--Going upstairs

I was going to have big day today, so I decided to take it easier at the gym.  I went upstairs, got on the Wave machine, which kind of simulates rollerblading and then got on the rowing machine, which had, like, zero resistance.  I went for endurance then.  Cooled down on the track and did some free weights.

Went to Toad Suck Park “beach” area with some friends, which was a lot of walking, especially since I had to go back to the car and go to the store because I forgot the matches for the fire.  We were roasting BIG marshmallows on the fire.  It was really loads of fun.

 Notes to self

• Kudos for taking it easier at the gym when you  had a big day planned
• kudos for planning a fun day with friends
• kudos for having fun
• kudos for going to the store for matches for the fire
• kudos for being able to eat only 1 of those big marshmallows.
• BUT you have not yet had your daily allotment of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni.  What’s up with that?

After Day 2

Been to the gym 2 days in a row.  I worked out a little too hard, but I got over it with a good 2 1/2 hour hap.

I am feeling the areas I am weak--my neck and lower back.  I’ve got old injuries and my people also get hit with arthritis in these areas.

I swam 2 laps doing the back stroke, and amazingly, I am doing it in a straight line now.  I also did water aerobics, water walking, and resistance training. 

Today, I may go upstairs to the stationary exercise area and free weights.  Might get on the rowing machine.  But I like the water so much.  We’ll see when I get there.