Updates: Mom, Nutrition Class

I've got a few loose ends to tie up, and now seems like a good time.

First, my Mom is home from the hospital and at last report, soaking in a real tub and getting ready to get in her very own bed. No evidence of a stroke or of blockage in her neck arteries. They did observe some minor instances of plaque behind the brain, which will be handled through her blood pressure medication. (If I understand correctly, that is. Remember, my medical knowledge comes mostly from Reader's Digest.) Thanks for your well wishes for both of us! Kelly and June, know that you and your families are in my thoughts.

Up next, the follow up to the nutrtition class I took. First half notes are here, but I totally forgot to post what we covered in the second half of the class. That's mainly because we spent most of the class discussing how to read food labels, which I already knew about. :( But, I did enjoy the class overall and I'm glad I took it. For one thing, that moment of joy when I fit into the chair (with room to spare!) was one I'll never forget. Ever!

Leslie did share some useful weblinks with us, and I'll share them here, just in case you haven't seen them before:
— http://www.mypyramid.gov/
— http://www.nutrition.gov/
— http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/
— http://www.eatright.org/
— www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition

One other interesting thing she discussed briefly in class was the increase in portion sizes in the U.S. over the past 20 years. She even had pictures of a 1970s ad for an order of fries as compared to an order of McD's super size fries. Amazing! According to Leslie, if you want the proper portion sizes, at most restaurants you'll want to order the kid's meal. (I've been doing that for years, anyway. ::pats self on back::)'

And finally, following up on the two fitness challenges I started at work, I'm pleased to report that I have 21 people climbing stairs with me and 10 people joined in on the Hundred Pushup Challenge. Plus, some folks on other floors in the building are expressing an interest in the stair challenge. For the stair challenge, I've made everyone badges that fit on top of their nameplates, and I made stickers for the 100 pushups. I get reports all day long of how many stories people have climbed. I'm at 27 stories through today, which puts me on track to reach the top of the St. Louis Arch by Monday. :)

Does that catch me up with follow-up stuff? I can't remember anything else, but then again, I have difficulty remembering yesterday.

In new news, I'm mourning the loss of a long-time fast food favorite from my past life: the Taco Bell Burrito. I had one today for lunch (strange circumstances), and it was the last one I'll ever have. The lettuce and tomato were nice and fresh, but the rest of it? Greasy, greasy, greasy. Maybe it was just this one, but I suspect they were that greasy all along, and I just didn't have a clue. If I'm caught at TB again (which I hope I won't be), I think I'll follow a tip I read somewhere, which was to get a couple of Fresco tacos and merge the fillings into one shell. But I really think I'll limit my Mexican food to homemade or a couple of local places that go heavy on the veggies and lighter on the greasy stuff.

Other than that, nothing really new to report. I had a great workout with Trainer Kevin tonight, who murdered my poor widdle arms. Really! And he did it gleefully, too!

My word, I can ramble on, can't I? Sorry about that. :) I'm off now to continue catching up on blogs. It's so easy to get behind, isn't it? I also have to start shopping for a virtual outfit for the party Ready Maid is throwing me when I hit the three-digit mark. Okay, maybe it's a little soon. At my current rate, we may be in fall or winter wear by that time. LOL But that's okay, too.

Hope you're all having a wonderful second half of the week!

~