6/26 Today I will...

Happy Thursday morning everyone!  Looks like it's going to be another scorcher.  All of my flowers are looking pathetic.    I was trying so hard to keep them looking nice this year.  Oh well, hopefully they will come back. Today and this weekend are going to be very busy.  I have some significant stuff going on at work and I'm going to need to haul to get everything done on time.  So, if I'm quiet for a few days, that's why.  Enjoy the peace!  LOL! My first name is Jen, BTW.  Sorry, I thought that I had mentioned it enough, but I haven't. Here goes... Today I will... 1)  See my therapist and keep working on getting myself emotionally strong as I can be right now.  Although, even on my own, I'm feeling a *ton* better. 2) WORK, WORK, WORK!  No more slacking and procrastinating.  Big changes coming at work and I need to be prepared for them and I need to get my employees prepared for them! 3) Since I work so many hours today I won't be able to exercise, but I should be getting up and moving about the building as much as I can make excuses for. 4) Drink 80oz. of water and follow my meal plan. Yesterday I... 1) had my dental cleaning at 7am. 2) had my post-op appointment with my surgeon.  3) Drink at least 80oz. of water - did just 80oz.  Need to continue to work on this. 4) Do some type of exercise today - it wasn't much, but I spent a lot of time looking for healthy foods in the grocery store.  Two months ago I wasn't able to navigate the entire store without leaning on the cart.  Now, not a problem.  I'm ashamed that I ever let it get that far, but this is a big WOW moment for me.  I used to order EVERYTHING (including groceries) online so that I wouldn't have to walk through a store. 5) I think that I am going to try chicken tonight to see if it agrees with me - I tried turkey with a little bit of gravy.  It tasted pretty good (for a processed turkey roast), but it was moist and it stayed down.  I did get full quite a bit earlier than I had with softer foods, so it looks like Dr. was on to something. Enjoy your day everyone!

Sun is shining again!!!  lol I kept putting off my inside wor****il it rained thinking it was suppose to do that by now... well, I don't think I can put it off any longer!  So I'm going to hustle and get it done early so I can still get out and enjoy the day! Didn't sleep last night.  Roger has been sleeping out in the camper so the basement dogs are barking and howling all night.  He is being interviewed for a house sitting "job" this morning so we shall see if he is moving out or not.  He was supposed to be gone long before this but has refused to leave.  Stress has been super high and I think that is in part why I have been so topsy turvy.  Hopefully that will change.  If he's not here to do things *I* have to do them and then things will get done or I have no one else to blame.  It will be good. Good luck at work Jen!  Hope everything comes together for you! Have a good one all and will keep in touch throughout the day  :) Today I WILL: - water - take all my vitamins today and keep at it     *morning - CHECK     *evening - - track my food        * 20oz coffee with sf/ff creamer        * South Beach Cinnamon Creme bar (19gr protein)        *  33oz water        * 1 onion ring        * 2oz steak        * 1/4 bun with cheddar cheese melted on        * 18oz water        * 12oz iced tea        * 1 piece boneless chicken "nugget"        * 3/4C salad with French and Blue cheese dressings        * 2 crackers with egg salad        * - clear my desk of food - exercise - do stuff I've been putting off - rearrange the bedroom and living rooms - finish laundry and work in the gardens Yesterday I:
- vitamins     *hangs head*
- water     did well here again!  Good grief can I only concentrate on one thing at a time??  lol  need to use some of tha****er and take the damn vitamins!
- track my food including protein intake     Some good choices and some I could have done without.  Over all not that bad and I'm loving that flax bread!!  Will be staying home for meals today though.  Going out kills me but that is what we have been doing for years now.  It's a hard habit to break it seems.  Need to pack the fridge with good stuff that I WANT!        * 20oz coffee with SF/FF creamer
       * 1/4C Egg Salad        * 1 piece flax grain bread (this stuff is just jam packed with grain!!)        * 1t ICBINB lite        * 18 oz water        * 1/2 bowl pasta fagoli at Olive Garden        * 1" of bread stick        * 1C salad        * 2 small pieces mini bread with smoked cheese dip        * 16oz iced tea        * 18oz water        * 8 baby carrots        * 2T ranch dip        * 12oz coffee        * slice of flax bread / 2T peanut butter / 1/2 banana        * 1t ICBINB lite        * half dozen potato chips        * 1 Russell Stover's SF coconut candy - walk     I missed my walk as time just got away from me and I was able to watch Domi for a couple of hours!!  Missing my walk was worth it  :)

- check out different spot exercises to work on my arms and sides     going to do this now - I don't feel right on the exercise board here... they are all out running full marathons  lol  *wave Nicole!*  At least with you I feel fully relaxed    Need to see which exercises I can do while walking or on the bowflex will help with the batwings or the boobs on the sides of my boobs  lol

Lori~I am so glad to hear that Roger is hopefully going to be gone soon I think that will help a lot!  A positive environement really does make a big difference.  I agree that the Exercise/Fitness Forum can be a bit intimidating at first especially with everyone posting about marathons, half-marathons and triathalons, but I have come to realize they have all been on the same journey I am on they are super supportive, but it took me a while just lurking before I really posted a whole lot.  In order to get rid of the bat wings you want to work your triceps and two good exercise for that are listed below.  First take a weight (probably 2 or 3 pounds) in each hand and raise arms above your head with your upper arms right next to your ears, then bending at the elbow lower arms behind your head (making sure your elbows stay right next to your ear) then bring them back up.  Repeat 10- 15 times.  Second stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold a 5- to 10-pound dumbbell in each hand with arms down at sides, palms facing in. Bend elbows and curl dumbbells toward shoulders, keeping palms facing in. Keeping abs tight, knees slightly bent, and back straight, hinge forward 45 to 90 degrees from hips.  Press dumbbells back, extending arms. Don't move upper arms. Stand back up to starting position and repeat.  Some non-weight lifiting exercises include kneeling pushups or table push ups (these are just push ups done against a table) and Sun Salutation in yoga.  I am not sure if you are familiar at all with yoga but the flow is from Mountain Pose - Forward Fold - Half Lift - Plank Pose - Chatarunga (aka yoga push up) - Upward Facing Dog - Downward Facing Dog.  The last 4 poses are going to give you the major workout for your arms!  I hope this helps some! 

Can you recommend a good book or DVD for yoga?  Not sure about classes here just yet but i would like to familiarize myself with some of this... to see if it's something I want to pursue!  Sounds interesting!! Thanks hun!!

Lori~That is actually a really good way to start out with yoga is to familiarize yourself with it where you feel comfortable.  I really like the dvd's produced by Gaiam they have dvds that are specific to different levels and focuses (strength, flexibility, stress, upper body, lower body, am/pm, weightloss) and are very reasonably priced.  You can either order them online at their website www.gaiam.com or pick them up at any Target in the sports section they will also have mats, blocks, and straps (blocks and straps can come in handy for modifications in the beginning).  I would reccommend specifically the AM/PM Yoga for Beginners with Rodney Yee he is a great instructor and uses the english names for the poses.  The website also has 2 Vinyasa Flow dvd's but I have never tried them so I don't know how good they are.  Another website to check out to familiarize yourself more with yoga and the different poses is http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories here you can see different poses how to do them and how to modify them.  I hope these help!

Good Morning,

Hope this finds everyone well....Me I am doing okay, trying to cut down on the coffee so am not getting my kick first thing in the morning......feels kind of odd.

Today I will.

1. watch what I eat, get in my protein.

2. Walk

3. water

4. be good to myself.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Diane~Glad to see you here this morning!  I have recently started drinking the Crystal Light Focus drink in the morning it has some caffiene (80 mg per packet) and B vitamins to help wake you up and keep you focused I love it!

I will have to try that. Thanks

Wow I am behind this morning!  I had a rough start since my computer didn't want to turn on at work this morning I lost about 1/2 an hour right away trying to get that fixed, but it's better now.  I agree Jen, today is supposed to be another warm day, but as I keep melting I mind it less and less.  Just think next summer you might actually enjoy the heat!  Good luck with getting everything done at work, big changes can get a bit stressful so don't forget to take sometime for you and make sure you set aside some quiet time when you eat.  Well, here goes!  Today I will...drink at least 100 ounces of fluid (water or Crystal Light), make good food choices, go to yoga (they are having an open house with free massage/facials, champaign and free classes), go for a walk, keep practicing knitting, journal food, and clean out the cupboards.  Yesterday I...get in 100 ounces of water (this is a must to stay hydrated in the heat)--yep I actually got in 112 ounces finally, go to PNC support group--yep and talked a lot and got a lot of support around stopping the snacking, track all of my foods for the day and post here--well I did track my foods, but the spreadsheet is on my computer at home and I forgot to forward it to my work email so I will post it later tonight, go to bed by 10:30 to avoid the late night munchie attacks--didn't get to bed until around midnight again, snack attack hit at 9:00 when I got back from my 3 mile walk but I was much better than I have been, and make good food choices--yup I think I did pretty good went out for lucnch w/co-workers and had schezwan beef and an egg roll (could have done without the egg roll though). Edited to add food journal from yesterday.

Time	Breakfast	Calories	Fat	Sugar	Protien
7:20 AM	Special K Protien Bar	170	6	15	10
	Pistachio salad	91	2	10	2.5
	Lunch
1:00 PM	Schezuan beef	175	9	0	20
	1 small egg roll	113	6	0	5
						Liquid intake
						water	52 ounces
						Crystal Light	60 ounces
	Dinner					Exercise
4:45 PM	Grilled chicken breast (3 oz)	110	3	2	19	Activity	walking 3.5 mph
	Baby Spinach/Spring Greens (3/4 cup)	10	0	0	1	Time	50 minutes
	baby carrots (4)	13	0	3	0
	Light Asian dressing (2T)	60	3	7	0
	Whole wheat crackers (3)	60	2.3	0	1.5
	Snacks
9:00 PM	BB Raspberry Crèmesicle	100	1	0	3
9:30 PM	Baked Ruffles (10) *got sick & half came back up	60	1.5	0	1
4:00 PM	LiveActive Co-Jack Cheese stick	90	6	0	8
	Total	1052	40	37	71