SMART Splurging

Since we've so recently visited the topic of splurging... :)

I'm rapidly approaching my one-year anniversary on this Me Makeover, and I'm surprised at how far I've come since this time last year. My hope was to have lost about half the amount of weight I've lost to date. I never dreamed I'd be approaching the 85-pound mark within a year!

It's not that I'm an underachiever (although I probably am, to some degree). It's that I had already decided going into the change that I wasn't going to diet. I wasn't going to slash all my favorite foods out of my life. Instead I was going to figure out some way to manage them properly. Other people did it; I knew that I could, too! And thus was born the new-to-me concept of the SMART splurge.

I borrowed the SMART idea from the problem-solving area of my professional life. When we propose a solution to a problem area, it must pass the SMART test:
S - Is the proposal specific?
M - Is it measurable?
A - Is it achievable?
R - Is it reasonable?
T - Is it trackable?

You can see where this is going, can't you? :) In order to "work in" some of my favorite foods, I had to develop a SMART splurging plan.

First I had to get specific:
- If I am following an otherwise healthy eating and exercise pattern, I will allow myself one meal per week that contains beef and/or white starch, but it must fit within my calorie budget for the day.
- If I am following an otherwise healthy eating and exercise pattern, I will allow myself one meal per month that does NOT have to fit within my calorie count.

Next, I had to figure out a way to measure the splurge. For my allowable weekly splurge, a beef serving is defined as a small steak or hamburger patty, or a serving size of meat sauce. A "white starch" product is a small hamburger bun, white pasta, one slice of pizza, or a reasonably-sized baked potato.

For the monthly splurge meal, I decided to measure by a different definition, namely that the splurge started when I sat down at the table and ended when I stood up. None of this pizza here, an ice cream cone an hour later, and potato chips an hour after that. Monthly splurge = one meal, not one night of grazing for hours.

After I'd established the parameters, I had to consider if the concept was achievable. Was it possible for me to detour from my routine for one entree or one meal, and then return to that healthy routine immediately. For so many years, I'd been conditioned to believe that one eliminated all unhealthy foods from the diet, lost weight, and then could eat what one wanted and live happily ever after. I could do the first part and a little bit of the second, before jumping ahead to the third part. That wasn't exactly working for me (hadn't worked for anyone I ever knew), and I realized that what healthy people did, in various ways, was to mix enough of the third part (a specific, measured amount of "forbidden foods") into the first two parts of the cycle. Yes, I decided, I could very possibly live a very happy and healthier life that way! :)

Then I asked myself if these splurges were reasonable. When I looked at the calories and other nutritional values of the foods I thought would be prime splurge candidates, I knew that I could have them (in SMART amounts) and still be healthy.

And finally, I needed a way to track the splurges accurately and honestly. That's where Sparkpeople's food tracker came into play. I could use it to record food values consumed, as well as record the fact that the splurge had occurred. No chance of any "Oops, I forgot I already had a burrito this week. Oh well." (I can "oh well" myself into trouble in an unhealthy heartbeat, I'm sure.) While I no longer record my daily intake in Sparkpeople on a regular basis, I do record any splurges. Just to remind myself that they occurred. :)

By now you're thinking that I waaaay over-thought this concept of splurging. You may be right. But I knew the only way I could successfully change my eating habits for the long term was to develop a way to manage them intelligently. And for me that meant I needed a plan. A SMART plan. So I built one for myself, and it worked.

Here's the really funny thing, a result I never expected. I thought the splurges might cause problems with guilt or shame over "breaking my diet", but with each SMART splurge, what I've gained has been CONTROL. I'm more strongly committed to a healthier lifestyle than ever, and I'm not sure I would've been without the possibility of tasting my Memaw's fried chicken at least once a year. :)

Some folks moving to a healthy lifestyle don't feel they're able to splurge. I understand that and respect their evaluations of their own behaviors. And for others who do build splurges into their lives, my way might not work. I share it here only because it worked for me, and it might be an option for anyone out there who is feeling deprived and on the edge of falling into old patterns.

Happy midweek to all!

~

HYC Update - Week 17

And a Happy Monday, Blog-eteers!

Things are rolling along here. Literally, now that I have my new bike. LOL Great workouts (LOVE the new training shoes--hardly a wobble during lunges!) and I'm trying a few new things here and there.

The merciful scale provided me another 1-pound loss this week, bringing me to a total of 83.4! I'm thrilled AND grateful. I see new bling just around the corner!

Or, maybe not. I have a possible splurge meal for tomorrow. I'm hoping it won't be THAT much of a splurge (I'd love new bling!), but when I learned a work luncheon was scheduled for one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, I decided to save my monthly allotment. Just in case. :) Besides, I missed my March splurge meal (never crossed my mind), so I feel completely okay with taking one now, should I need it.

Hope you all had a great week and are looking forward to an even better one!

Update 1:00 p.m.(CST) - The splurge meal designation was necessary, and it was delicious. I had 3/4 of a Mexican pizza, which is a large (think plate-sized) ultra-thin tortilla, ground beef--most of which I removed, cheese and black olives.) And about a million tortilla chips with salsa. At least that's what it seemed like, considering that I've had zero tortilla chips since August.

~

Weekend Finale

Wow, what a weekend! I have overspent and am overspent.

Pouring rain today, so no bike ride. My precious new baby is NOT going to get wet this early. Plus, I don't really think I'm ready for wet pavement. :) I did get a helmet, so Tuesday night will find me touring the subdivision again.

I did my second Elliptical 5K early, early this morning. I'm not sure how, but I cut over 1-1/2 minutes off my previous time. Today was 33:09! I suspect it was the difference in exercising early vs. after a long day at work. Anyway, I was exhausted, sweaty, and proud when I finished.

Also in favor of improved fitness today, I purchased new training shoes. These are Asics and they're a little more flexible and have a slightly wider base, which should help on the lunges and such. And Lord knows, I need all the help with those I can get. LOL

(Yo, Andrew! Might want to move on to another blog now. :))

Now, about these Lush products. I purchased the Ultimate Shine shampoo bar and Veganese conditioner. Two thumbs up for both! (Does that require four thumbs?) My hair is really shiny and soft. I also bought the Love Lettuce facial mask, and I like the way it feels (but boy, is it cold!). I don't suddenly look ten years younger, but my skin feels super clean.

Now to the problem product. I bought two massage bars--Wiccy Magic Muscles (of course!) and Mange Too. I tried the Wiccy one tonight, and I confess I'm sort of at a loss as to how to use it exactly. Do I rub the bar directly on my skin? Should I dampen my skin first? I'm perplexed and any hints or tips would be appreciated!

My To-do list still has a few things on it, thanks mostly to the rain. But some things that weren't on the list got done, so I'm pleased. One big thing I did was to finalize a master list of all the remodeling/repair projects that need to be done and began prioritizing them and listing dependencies and sub-projects and such. I hope to have a loose schedule put together by the end of the week. It makes me a little tired thinking of it all, but then again, that's why I'm committing it to spreadsheet. I'll enjoy ticking off all those items! The tippy-toe approach to remodeling. :)

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

~

Tour de Subdivision

Score! I have a bicycle. It's a Specialized Expedition Sport '08 in titanium finish. I added a rack and a small computer thingie to it that keeps track of trip mileage, total mileage, miles per hour, etc. I think it even provides a horoscope. :)

I took my shiny new bike out in the subdivision this afternoon, not venturing too far because I don't have a helmet yet. I'll fix that tomorrow. I still won't stray too far from home, though, because my technique needs a little work. I'm a tad wobbly and I can't seem to stand up to peddle when it would be helpful. I'll practice amongst my neighbors first before venturing out into the general population.

The day was so-o-o busy! I spent longer at the church rummage sale than I intended. No one recognized me, which is partially because they're an elderly congregation with poor eyesight and memories (I see most of them once a year), but also because of the weight loss. One woman who grew up with my father and his sisters says I look like my Aunt Betty. Fortunately I adored Aunt Betty, so it was a huge compliment.

One small irony about the rummage sale: I've been attending for about five years and NEVER have they had clothing in my size. This year, of course, there was an entire table of plus size clothes. LOL Oh well, I still found a couple of tops in my new size, as well as a few other items. My total purchase cost was $2.00. I love this sale!!

After a stop at McD's for a yogurt parfati, it was on to Macy's, since they opened TWO HOURS before Dillard's. I found three shirts in the Liz Claiborne section within minutes. They were on sale and tax free, so I used all my remaining gift cards and headed out the door. Well, almost out the door. I stumbled into this new section of the store featuring LUSH skin & hair care products, which I'd never heard of before. Most of their products are entirely natural and vegetarian-friendly, with many of them being vegan-safe. I can't wait to try out the shampoo, conditioner, lotion & mask I bought. (Okay, so I went a little overboard. Sue me.) I'll report back on the results.

The rest of the day was filled with chores and such. I'll update the list tomorrow. I'm pooped!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!

~

Weekend To-Do List

I love making lists. It helps me identify what needs to be done and develop a plan for accomplishing it. Pity making lists doesn't actually do the accomplishing part, because that's where I seem to have trouble.



I've always liked the quote: "Like actions create like results." It's true, and sometimes desirable, but not this weekend when I need to get quite a few things done. So I think I'll pull out the old fitness blogger trick of stating my goals and commitments and then checking back in on Sunday evening with results.



Friday evening:
1. Workout with trainer (complete)
2. Laundry (in progress)
3. Check cabinets & fridge; Make grocery list



Saturday
1. Attend church rummage sale.
2. Exercise p.m.: gym, cardio 30 minutes
3. Grocery store
4. Dillard's (tax free weekend)
5. Bike search (two stores)
6. Clean off patio
7. Clean out storage room
8. Grout shower
9. tape off master bedroom for painting
10. Measure mailbox for replacement
11. Write 1 page of fiction


Sunday
1. Exercise a.m.: gym, cardio (5k on elliptical)
2. Home Depot or Lowe's for primer and new mailbox
3. Replace mailbox
4. Pay bills
5. Prepare 4 sets of workout clothes for following week
6. Prepare 5 outfits for work
7. Vacuum back part of house
8. Write 1 page of fiction

There, that's competely do-able. If I find a bicycle to bring home with me, I may substitute the Saturday cardio with a bike ride.

Oh, and speaking of exercise, Swizzlepop is having a May Exercise Challenge. You might want to check it out.

Hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

Rest Day for Wimps

Today is my Cammy Doesn't Have to Exercise Day. And not a moment too soon! I thought about putting it off until Saturday, but my body said, "I don't think so."

For the first time in a while, I wimped out and couldn't finish all of my workout with the trainer last night. (I owe him a set of 40 mountain climbers and some makeup planks, because mine were pit-i-ful.) He said I wasn't a wimp, because we did a bunch of stuff including some sort of Hungarian or Romanian dead lifts, but I felt like a wimp. My arms just wouldn't hold me up after the first plank. Stupid arms.

In the post workout stretch and wimp/not-a-wimp discussion, we decided the likely culprit was my Tuesday night cardio workout. (I swear, it seemed like a good idea at the time.) I got it in my head to "elliptical" a 5K, since running hasn't worked out, and somewhere along the way I decided to try to do it in less than 35 minutes. I did (34.48), but I didn't realize that all that to-ing and fro-ing with the arms was a fairly intense workout in and of itself. Since I had just put those arms through a vigorous workout the day before, they really didn't need all that activity.
Add in last night's workout, and it's no wonder they wimped out. Poor tired arms.

So let this be a lesson to you! :) Rest days are important for building stamina. Don't get so caught up in challenging your new, fit self to scale greater heights that you forget to rest every now and then.

Have a great day!

~

HYC Update Week 16

Well, You People have done it now! On and on with your constant motivation and inspiration. Your "Way to Go, Cammy" and your "Keep up the great work!" I hope you're all very proud of yourselves!

I lost a cup size! How did this happen? I started out a 46C, which I know is too large, but I really just wanted the number to change. The letter was fine. 'C' for Cammy. See?

This weekend I tried on a 38C and while the 38 part fit, apparently I have plummeted all the way down to a B cup. I mean, fine. I'm happy about the 38, but was it necessary to take away an entire cup size? And to make matter worse, the bra I tried on was...God, I don't know if I can say it...padded.

::pause for uncontrollable sobbing::

I couldn't make myself buy the bra. Not yet.

On the up side *G*, I lost 1.8 pounds last week, for a total of 82.4! I'm pretty sure it was all sweat. Plus, I'm sneezing a lot. And then there's the whole fiber thing. :)

I'm backsliding a little lot on the water intake, and that's an area of focus for the coming week. It's especially important if I'm going to sweat so much in my workouts. I can't be walking around dehydrated. Probably lose another cup size. ::sniffle::

Oh, and speaking of workouts, I downloaded What I Like About You by The Romantics last week, and it is a FANTASTIC song for the elliptical. I almost catapulted myself right off the silly beast while that song was playing. LOL

Another song I downloaded last week was The Biggest Loser theme song, Proud, by Heather Small. This is a rather cheesy admission, but when I was first kicking off this makeover, I would walk on my treadmill every night until the re-run of Season 2 TBL came on the Style Network. I'd hear that theme music from the other room, and I'd feel a kinship with the contestants--we were all working at bettering ourselves.

I had never really listened to the complete lyrics until Saturday morning at the gym, and I did feel proud. Getting up on a Saturday morning and hitting the gym. Planning a healthy breakfast after my workout. I felt great! Huge smile on my face!

And then I heard this part:
Still so many answers I don't know
Realise that to question is how we grow
So I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I am on my way

And suddenly, tears were streaming down my cheeks. For the first time, I think, it dawned on me that I am freaking doing this. I've been so focused on putting one foot in front of the other, so to speak, that I hadn't really taken it all in. I am on my way!

We are all on our way. It's not always pretty, rarely ever easy, but always moving us toward a better life. I'm truly blessed to be on the journey with you.

Despite your contribution to the loss of my cup size. :)

Happy Monday (or Tuesday), everyone!

(with apologies to Andrew and Jim *G*)

~

Healthy Planet, Healthy Me

In honor of Earth Day this week (April 22, to be precise), I'm recycling a post from my old blog! These are just a few things those of us pursuing a healthier life can do along the way to make our world a little better.

1. Opt for filtered water over bottled water. In 2001, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported that around 1.5 million tons of plastic are used each year to bottle 89 billion liters of water. Yes, we can recycle plastic containers, but do we really need to? How can we use our local water supply safely? Check out allaboutwater.org for all the info you can use about making your drinking water safe. (At minimum: why not commit to reusing half –or more—of the bottles you do consume?)


2. Eat less meat. Easy for a vegetarian, less so for those of us whose bodies like meat. But did you know that reducing our meat consumption (even by as little as 15%) would greatly reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes, or stroke? Why, yes, you say, I do know that, but what’s it got to do with the environment? Some sources report that livestock production is responsible for up to 18% of greenhouse gases created by humans. Factor in the amount of water required and the number of forests destroyed in favor of grazing land, and you have even more reasons to reduce your consumption of meat. You can find more info at eatlessmeat.org (At minimum: try going meatless one day per week by following some of these great tips.)


3. Buy fewer packaged products. We need more fresh foods anyway. By shopping the outer aisles of most grocery stores (bakery, fruits/vegetables, dairy, meat), we’ll cut down on sodium and other chemicals, for one thing, and for another, we eliminate a lot of packaging that will likely end up in a landfill.


4. Buy organic and buy local, when possible. We avoid those messy chemicals used in production and the noxious fuel consumed in transportation. Oh, and don’t forget to get yourself some re-usable canvas grocery bags. Opt out on paper AND plastic.


5. Walk your errands every chance you get. I walked to the grocery store yesterday. It's only a few blocks away, and knowing I had to carry home what I bought kept the purchases to a minimum (bananas, apples, almonds, 20-oz. Diet Coke). I'm fortuante in that a pharmacy and dry cleaner are also close by, along with Subway, Starbucks, SmoothieKing and a couple of local restaurants. I'm looking forward to "walking for my supper" in the coming months.

6. Commit to carrying a sack and a pair of gloves on your walking route just one day per week. As you’re walking, pick up any trash you see and take it to your own garbage can/recycle bin. You’ll get extra exercise, your neighborhood will look better, and fewer items will be headed down the drain and into a local river or stream. I had actually planned to do this today, but when I was coming home from the grocery yesterday I noticed more people than usual out and about. Turns out it was "Neighborhood Clean-up Day", and I missed out. Still, I'll carry a small bag today, just in case they missed some stuff. :)

Those are just a handful of ways we can improve our environment as we improve ourselves. If you have more, I’d love to hear them.

Let's Talk Fiber!

Since a couple of you asked about fiber, specifically over-fibering, I thought we could turn it into a topic of its own. Besides, it was a rather bland and ordinary day and I have nothing else to talk about. :)

From what I understand, the recommended amount of fiber for adults is 20-40 grams per day. Fiber is important because it helps "move the mail", so to speak. It absorbs large amounts of water in the bowel system, which helps everything process so much more smoothly and comfortably. If you know what I mean. Studies have shown that a fiber-rich diet can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, along with a whole host of other maladies and diseases. Also, allegedly fiber "bulks" up in the digestive system and leaves the digester feeling full longer. I haven't noticed any big difference in that regard, to be honest.

I usually hit somewhere in the lower 20s. The daily menu I listed for Monday was around 25 grams. Kind of on the low end hee-hee of the range. I would like to get closer to the '30' mark on a regular hee-hee basis, and I'll be exploring different whole grains to help me get there. But that's in the future.

Too much fiber can cause a gassy, bloaty feeling, and yes, I have experienced that before. My abdomen sounds like the cat fight to end all cat fights is going on in there on occasion. Fortunately, I live alone, and at work, I have an office with a door so it hasn't become too troublesome so far. :)

Too little fiber, on the other hand, can cause constipation and bloating and has been linked to diseases such as diverticulitis, IBS (irritable bowel syndrom), liver enzyme malfunctions, colon cancer, and higher cholesterol. It has even been linked to increased PMS symptoms and acne!

Great sources of fiber include whole grains, fruits & veggies, nuts & seeds, and legumes of the beans, peas, and lentil varieties. Most, if not all, of my fiber intake is in grains, fruits, and veggies. I do have nuts sometimes, but I definitely need to explore more options.

Increasing fiber intake is one of those things that's best accomplished with the tippy-toe approach. That is, s-l-o-w-l-y. We don't want to overwhelm the system. :-)

Okay, I'm sure I left out loads of info, so feel free to jump in with what I missed, or if you're aware of any misinformation I might have accumulated over the years. Anyone with more Fiber Facts?

Hope you all have a wonderful and--ahem--productive weekend! :D

Menu Then, Menu Now

Delusional Gym Manager asked me the other night to tell her a typical day's menu for me these days. I told her what I'd had the day before, and it wasn't until I was on the way home that I thought to compare it with what I might have had a year ago or two years ago.

Typical Daily Menu Then
Breakfast: biscuit w/butter and grape jelly or a biscuit with milk gravy
Snack: something from the cafeteria (muffin, maybe) or peanut butter and crackers
Lunch: cheeseburger and fries, or slice of pepperoni pizza and a salad
Snack: oversized cookie or a candy bar
Dinner: maybe a Taco Bell run (2 tacos and an order of nachos) or fish and chips
Snack: chocolate something, or microwave popcorn (whole bag), or both
(probably around 3000 calories or more)

Typical Daily Menu Now (actual from Monday, a strength training day)
breakfast: banana, Fiber One bar (peanut butter and oats)
snack: Fiber One yogurt
lunch: chef salad, tbsp of hummus & salsa (yum!) on a pita wedge
snack: apple, New Balance protein bar
dinner: turkey & pepper jack cheese on whole wheat w/lettuce, tomato, & yellow mustard; 3/4 oz pretzels
snack: watermelon (1/4 cup) and mini-rice cakes (or was it sugar free pudding? I forget.*G*)
(Note: I wouldn't normally have two "bar" products in one day, but the cafeteria didn't have fat-free milk so I skipped cereal.)
(around 1300 calories, if I remember correctly)

As you can see, not a perfect diet, even today, but it's so much better than it was. I eat much more good protein, much better carbs, and a fraction of the fat I used to. I'm very pleased with my progress and looking forward to continuing changes for the better.

I think I've mentioned before something an ex-manager used to say frequently: "Don't let best get in the way of better." There are a lot of "right" things about striving for perfection, but we are all human. We will fail, and we will often do it spectacularly. If we're lucky, we'll learn from it, but sometimes the only thing we can do is get past it. We will know we have truly grown if, after one of those oops! moments we sometimes have, we refocus on this fundamental truth: We don't have to be the best. We just have to be better.

(All my own widdle opinion, of course.)

Wishing all of you a better tomorrow! :)

~

Body Fat Follow-up and Peanut Butter

Trainer Kevin has left me barely able to sit upright, but I wanted to get this posted before my complete collapse.


Thanks so much for your kind words and such on my body fat news. My personal trainers are a little dubious about the results, so we're going to do another test with them soon to see how close their numbers are to the gym manager's reading. Her margin of error, if there is one, wouldn't be significant enough to put me too much higher, so I'm still mighty happy with these results.


In her kind comments, Diana mentioned that the number seemed low in comparison to her understanding of what constitutes normal-healthy body fat percentage. Ditto for me, Diana. Like you, I thought low-to-mid 20s was a really good number. And it is. It turns out that anywhere between 16%-25% is good for a woman in my--ahem-age group. (If you scroll to the bottom of the link, there's a handy reference chart.)


What I didn't take the time to mention last night was that the gym lady suggested that I get to 9% body fat by losing--get this--38 more pounds!! Oh yeah, that's going to happen. For one thing, I doubt I can lose 20 more pounds. Forget about twice that. LOL Also, I don't care to BE 9% body fat. Am I crazy? I'm thinking I would look gaunt, plus the only curves I'd have left would be the skin flaps where my breasts and hips are now. No, if I can affirm and keep a body fat % under 20 and lose another few pounds, I'll be quite content. Very content. Elated even.


On to other news, and this is HUGE: The folks at Hungry Girl report that Peter Pan has a whipped creamy peanut butter that has 50 less calories per serving than most other PBs! I did not know this! Do you have any idea what this means? I can have a peanut butter & banana sandwich (on whole wheat, of course) for 300 calories! I'm in heaven!


Oh, btw, the HG folks have a new book of recipes coming out soon. I'm looking forward to checking it out. They use a lot of "shelf products", but they mostly choose healthier options. My kind of people.


Okay, I'm toast. I hope you all had a fantastic day and enjoy an even better tomorrow!



~

Stop the Presses: Late-breaking Development

From dictionary.com

cloud nine
–noun Informal. a state of perfect happiness (usually in the
phrase on cloud nine).
[Origin: 1955–60]

Okay, so if perfect happiness is cloud nine, I'm not sure what cloud number I'm on. Oh wait, yes I do. It's cloud 14, or 14.7 to be precise. That, my friends, was the news I got tonight when I had a body fat check-up at the gym. A year ago my body fat was measured at 36.3% and tonight it's 14.7%, belly fat notwithstanding.

Color me happy.

And proud.

Now seems like the perfect time to thank you all again for your tremendous support. Most of us didn't "meet" until January, but that was a bit of a blessing, I think. Getting to know all of you kept me focused and committed through the ugliness of winter. I appreciate you all so very much!

~

HYC Update Week 15

At least, I think it's week 15.

Anyway, I'm updating early, mainly because I have nothing much to report, but also because I really like keeping Tuesdays free to see what all of YOU are doing.

I'm back to a 0.2 loss for this week. I'll gladly take it, of course, but I do wish it had been more. Oh well, I'm going to pull out all the stops and see if I can double it for next week. Heck, I might even go for the triple! LOL

Everything just keeps rolling along on the nutrition and exercise fronts. I keep waiting for a big meltdown or hissy fit, but so far nothing. Welcome to the new normal, Cammy. :)

This week I plan to order the bicycle (and helmet) I won from myself in February, so I should have a new toy in May. I found a park I didn't know existed (sad, because it's less than a mile from my house!), and I'm thinking it might be a good place to ride my shiny new bike!

Other than that, no big changes on the horizon. Just business as usual.

I'm looking forward to catching up with all of YOUR successes over the next few days! Like I've said before, if you're still here and still trying, you ARE successful!

~

A Day in the Life

Before I forget, Felicia had asked about where we live, and I finally found a picture of my house:

My house is a traditional sort of house, dining room on the left, living room on the right, master bedroom on the far right. There are two more bedrooms, a den, and the kitchen & laundry room on the back half of the house. It's L-shaped, with a driveway long the left side leading to a garage in the very back. I've lived here about 5 years, and I like the neighborhood. It's only a few miles from work and from an interstate connector. I can be in downtown Memphis in about 15 minutes. It's a good place to live.

So, gorgeous day today in Memphis, if a bit cool. One of those Saturdays that was extraordinarily ordinary. I like those.

For the play-by-play:
4:30 a.m. - Woke up. No, no, it's SAT-urday! Arrgggh! Wide awake. Since I had Things To Do this morning, I got up and managed to get a few of them done before I left the house at...
6:00 a.m. - Read the newspaper to Wally, an elderly man (a former neighbor), who has macular degeneration and can't see well enough to read. About eight years ago we started meeting for breakfast every morning, during which time I read the sports page and other assorted articles to him from the paper. He's a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, so the summers can be quite long. :)
7:30 a.m. - Hit the gym for 30 minutes of elliptical and then went to McD's for a yummy strawberry yogurt parfait.
8:30 a.m. - Cleared living room staging area of all boxes destined for my father's Men's Club rummage sale. Did one last tour of the house for anything else to add to the pile and amazed myself by finding quite a few more things to donate. It's starting to look simpler around here.
11:00 a.m. - Target. Picked up a gift card for my sister's birthday gift. She's moving, and I thought she might prefer a gift card for any of those "new home" things she might want to buy.
11:30 a.m. - Subway. Turkey sub on whole wheat, fat free chips. Then home again.
12:50 p.m. - Nap. Ahhhh. A whole hour.
1:50 p.m. - Piddling around time. Read a few blogs, began getting ready to head out to an early dinner for my sister's birthday. My dad has major acid reflux and has to eat pretty early.
4:00 p.m. - Family dinner. A very early dinner. We went to Leonard's Barbecue Restaurant, a Memphis mainstay. I had the brilliant idea to order the Deep South Salad, a plain old salad with barbecued pork loin on it, with the meat on the side. About 200 calories of deliciousness! I can't ever imagine ordering anything else but this from now on.
5:30 p.m. - Reebok Outlet Store. I bought four new workout t-shirts. All of my shirts hang on me, and I thought the snugger fit on the new ones would provide a definite reminder to keep that "navel into spine" during my workout.
6:00 p.m. - Home. Shoes off. Bra soon to follow. Blog time. :)

So I'm nosy. How did you spend your Saturday?

~

On Motivation

I took this afternoon off for some de-cluttering. I hauled off 3 more bags of clothes that didn't fit, and four boxes of...stuff. More is going out the door tomorrow. ::pats self on back::

Anyway, during my breaks this afternoon I caught up on non-HYC feeds, and I found this gem on motivation from Dumb Little Man. Two points, specifically, jumped out at me:

"When you are motivated by things, ideas, the future, or other goals, your success is dependent on those things. "

and

"If you are motivated by a desire to improve yourself, you will always be accomplishing—it will be an ongoing process."

Wow. So true, and probably the reason I've recorded some successes with this life change thing. Before, my motivation to lose weight was to be thin. Following a "diet" or exercise plan wasn't success. Losing any amount of weight wasn't success. Being thin was the only indicator of success, and I was a long, long way from thin.

Now, my motivation is to be healthier and more fit, to be able to participate in physical activities, to reduce my blood pressure, to build stronger bones and muscles. And yes, one motivation is to be--no, not thin-- but, thinner, because thinner in my case translates to healthier.

When I think of it like that, I can see success all around me. It's fruits and veggies galore in my kitchen, with nary a Little Debbie in sight. It's the stack of workout clothes on the shelf in my closet. It's there every time I go to the gym or the training studio, and every time I drink another glass of water. It's a reduced dosage on my BP medicine and a doctor considering dropping the prescription entirely. It's size 10 pants on a body that wore size 22 last year. I can even see success on my beloved iPhone, where I've placed a bookmark on the main screen with a link to calorie-count.com. (In less than 5 seconds, I can order a healthier meal in any restaurant! LOL)

With this New! and Improved! motivation (so much better than the old me had), I see success everywhere! Every. Single. Day. And as DLM said, this kind of motivation never ends. There's always something to strive for, to work toward, to feel good about! A quicker mile, another push-up, a canceled prescription. Anything, to be better than I was before, to simply improve myself.

...and Break Time is over. Back to decluttering. Wishing you a hugely successful weekend! :)

~

Alphabet Meme

Shamelessly lifted from Jenera:

A is for age: 49, barely.
B is for booze of choice: Rum, but I haven't had it in ages and ages.
C is for career: financial systems manager (bo-ring!)
D is for your dog’s name: No dog of my own, but my canine nieces are Lily and Daisy. I don't know what idiot named th--oh, wait, it was me. :)
E is for essential items you use/love everyday: iPhone.
F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: "Let's Get It Started" by Black-Eyed Peas
G is for favorite games: Cribbage.
H is for hometown: Memphis, all my life.
I is for instruments you play: iPhone? :)
J is for jam or jelly you like: Grape, strawberry, muscadine
K is for kids: no, thank you.
L is for last kiss: Sadly, my mother, a smooch on the cheek last weekend.
M is for most admired trait: sense of humor?
N is for name of your crush: I don't know his name. He's a guy at work I only just noticed this week. Time will tell...
O is for overnight hospital stays: one, when I was 5 or 6 and had my tonsils out
P is for phobias: Flying (not crashing, necessarily, just the flying part. I don't like the sensation of it.)
Q is for quotes you like: "I did then what I knew then, and when I knew better, I did better." —Maya Angelou.
R is for biggest regret: A tie - 1)Not figuring things out sooner, and 2) Not going to meet my e-friend, Paula, when I had the chance
S is for sweets of your choice: Little Debbie anythings.
T is for time you wake up: between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. (Also, usually, 12:15 a.m., 2:00 a.m., and 3:30 a.m.)
U is for underwear: Hanes low-rise, all-cotton
V is for vegetables you love: Tomatoes! And any vegetable that can be eaten raw, except broccoli
W is for worst habit: Laziness
X is for x-rays you’ve had: Foot, wrist, chest, breasts, neck
Y is for yummy food you make: tuna salad and...well, that's it. :)
Z is for zodiac sign: I'm a bossy Leo!

That was a little bit fun. Like Jenera, I'll tag anyone who wants to play or doesn't have any content for today! :)

Happy Friday Eve!

On Compliments

It's amazing how many compliments a person can receive in a single day.

I don't say that to brag. I'm not sure it's something to be bragged about, because as the recipient you aren't really doing anything. It's the people who give the compliments who should be bragging.

Today, I received perhaps the best compliment so far. A whole elevator full of people, and all commented on my weight loss. Iwas starting to feel awkward about it (quit looking at me!) when one guy piped up with, "I'll keep an eye out and let you know if it looks like a strong wind is coming up. You'll probably want to tie yourself down." LOL Guys. You gotta love 'em. :)

What's the best compliment you've ever received?

Anyway, receiving so many compliments is one of the things that has helped me get this far. The sad thing is that I don't think I'm giving nearly as many as I'm receiving. That will change. I know how much they're worth to receive, and I also know how good it feels to pass them along to others.


So I commit to giving 13 compliments to people I see tomorrow. Why 13? Why, because it's Thursday tomorrow, and Thirteen on Thursday has a nice ring to it. LOL Will you join me?


And speaking of compliments: the lovely Rose has given me the Good Chat Blog Award for "People you would want to sit down over a cup of tea with and have a good Chat." How great a compliment is that! But then, I already knew she was a sweetheart, and I would love to have a good chat with her, too. (Only I'm having Diet Coke.*G*)

In the spirit of things, I'll pass the award along to a few of my favorite folks:

Selma at An Apple a Day

Irene at LoserIrene vs. the Fat Monster

Rebecca at Ready Maid on The BestLife Diet

These are all smart, funny, successful women who I would be thrilled to spend time with!


They're not the only ones, of course. If I ever can win the big lottery, I'm hosting the tea party to end all tea parties, and you're all invited! :)

~

Healthy You Challenge Update Week 14

It was a little bit of a deja vu moment. When I stepped on the scale tonight, I went through the exact thought process I did on Friday night. Stared down at the result and then thought, Nothing to do now but keep on doing what I'm doing. I actually appreciate the sameness--the routineness--of it. Consistency, that's the word I'm looking for.


Well, okay, tonight there was one difference. I showed a 1.4 pound loss from last Monday! You know what that means, don't you? BLING!! I earned my 80 pound badge!


While I did take a moment to savor it, I had to hustle out to my workout. Consistency. I've never had a lot of that before. :)


To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I offer a glimpse at the difference 80 lbs makes:

These are head shots for my work profile, so you'll understand why I'm not at my best. :) The photo on the right was taken a couple of weeks ago, just after I'd finished leading a workshop all morning (to explain the somewhat washed-out look *G*). The photo on the left is somewhat embarrassing, but I try to focus on my smile and remember that I was (and am) a mostly good person no matter the size.

(edited to fix photo size)
I thank ALL of you so very much for your amazing support, always, but especially these past few weeks while I truly tippy-toed my way to new bling. We can all exhale now; I think the next one will be a while coming. And that's okay. Nothing to do but keep on doing what I'm doing. :)

Also a thank you for the well wishes on the dental dilemma. My dentist called in an antibiotic today, and I'm already feeling much relief! I may even sleep!

Fingers crossed that everyone had a successful week, on the scale or beside it!

Go Tigers!

~

Amazon Summer Shape-up

Just a drive-by posting for tonight. I've been fighting a massive toothache for two days, and right now it's winning. I don't know what's wrong, but there's definitely a nerve involved. Ouch.

The only thing of note that I have to share tonight is that Amazon.com* is having a book sale on fitness and health books.

And now, I'm going to try for some sleep. Wish me luck.


*I receive no compensation from the Amazon people. Unless, of course, they happen to read this and want to send some $$ this way.


~

Not a Creature Was Stirring...

Okay, so it's the wrong time of year, but that's the best way to describe the city of Memphis this mild, sunny Saturday afternoon at around 5:00 p.m. It looked like a ghost town.

Where were all the people? At home or in a bar somewhere, watching University of Memphis Tigers win their semi-final and earn their way to the NCAA basketball championships.

I watched the first half of the game from a deserted gym. Usually on a Saturday afternoon, there might be 20 or so people in the gym at that hour. Today there was one other guy, and he was watching the game, not exercising. Toward half-time, two other guys wandered in. Guess they weren't basketball fans. Or maybe they're transplants and could care less about the home team. I ignored them, to be safe.

On a personal note:
The Tigers weren't the only ones celebrating victory today. About halfway through my workout, I realized that I have defeated the elliptical machine. I think I've mentioned before that my first elliptical experience wasn't especially motivating. My legs were screaming at the two-minute mark, but I made myself go to five minutes just to save some semblance of dignity. Ten months later and I'm flying through a 45-minute workout without any trouble. Yes, I'm sweaty, jello-legged, and huffy-puffy at the end, but that's kind of the point. :)

I had a similar experience working with the trainer this week. Trainer Kevin made me do 80 push-ups in one 45-minute session. At my first PT session last June, I sort of did nine push-ups. I say "sort of" because they were really more elbow-creases than push-ups. But Wednesday night, I did 80 push-ups of various types, and I did most of them well. While I was rubbing my noodle-y arms, I took a moment to savor the victory, and perhaps gloat a little. (Apparently, the effort showed. Trainer Wayne asked after the workout, "Have you been swimming?" LOL I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was wring-it-out wet.)

And a final victory, of sorts, occurred when I did my "Sneak Peak" Friday night weigh-in. It was not pretty. (If I'm going to have a 3-pound gain, I want the freaking 10,000 calories that go with it!) Probably just a freaky bounce, but definitely not rewarding. Still, as I was staring down at the ugly number, my immediate thought (after Oh, shit!) was that there just wasn't anything to be done about it. Eating more isn't going to help; neither is eating less. I eat what I eat to fuel my body. Sometimes I go a smidgen over my calorie target, but sometimes I go a smidgen under. It all averages out to what I think is the right number for what I'm doing. Anyway, I'm claiming victory in that my first reaction was to simply keep doing what I'm doing. An earlier version of me would've probably cried and/or headed for the Little Debbie aisle.

I hope you'll find a quiet moment or two to savor some of your victories this weekend. I'd love to read about them--here, or on your blog!

Sweating it Out in the Hot Seat

First of all, thanks to Erin for suggesting this bit of fun. Thanks to all of you for your interesting questions! I only wish I had interesting answers. :)

(And I apologize in advance if these links don't work properly! I copy/pasted from the original post.)


Ready Maid:
What ways have you learned to reward yourself other than with food?


Since I live by myself, rewards like bubble baths and time to curl up with a good book are everyday life for me, so most of my non-food rewards are purchased. I treated myself to having my eyebrows "done" a few weeks ago. I bought the legendary iPhone. I have a bicycle on my "to be ordered" list. Things like that. I'm pondering a way to use iTunes purchases as a reward for mini-goals. When the weather warms up, I'll be able to have some non-food/non-financial rewards like zoo trips and long walks just for fun.

Trisha said...
What kind of hobbies do you have? (Other than getting skinny!)Do you collect anything?

I love to write! Not just blogging, but fiction as well. I'm not good enough to be published (yet), but I enjoy the experience. And I love to read--mostly mysteries. As far as collecting, I'm trying really hard not to since one of my goals is a simpler, less cluttered, life. My mother, however, likes collecting and can't stand the thought of me not having a collection of something, so she collects Boyd's Bears on my behalf. :) (They are really cute!)

Andrew is getting fit said...
How old are you?


You had to go and remind me! I am clinging to 49 by the tips of my fingernails. On August 17th, I'll be 50 healthy years old!



Pattie said...
If you could spend an hour with one person, dead or alive, who would it be -- and why?


My e-friend, Paula, who died five years ago of breast cancer. I never met Paula in person, but her generosity and kindness in reading and commenting on my first attempts at writing changed my life forever. Even when she was undergoing the ravages of chemo and radiation, she still made a point of sending me thoughtful and encouraging notes. I would love to be able to give her a hug and tell her how grateful I am. But I think she knows. :)



Erin said...
What one thing are you looking forward to doing/buying when you reach your goal weight? Do you want to go bungee jumping or buy a great pair of leather pants...lol


I want to ride a Seadoo and also to go to San Francisco and ride bikes (uphill only) with my friend Morgan.



Dottie said...
do you have a job you enjoy? I feel like I'm going through a midlife crisis or something and it seems its affecting a lot... got any tips.


Oh, Dottie, my sister in restlessness! :) I'm kind of struggling with my job right now, too. Unfortuantely without that job, I'd be struggling with my mortgage. LOL I'm a financial systems manager and I also manage internal communications for my company's corporate finance department. It's not the most exciting job in the world, but I *adore* many of the people I work with, which certainly helps! The only tip I have is to look at it as a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. Life begins after work. Good luck with your own struggles. I hope you'll find a happy place.



Rose said...
What's the craziest diet scheme that you tried?andIn the words of Oprah... What was you AHA! moment, where you realized that you needed to lose weight and that it would be different?


The craziest thing I ever did was to go to some "diet doctor" and take the multitude of various pills he prescribed, not bothering to understand what they were. I still don't know, but I think that's the one diet wagon I'm glad I fell off of! As for my AHA moment, I think it was realizing that I should be eating to be healthy and exercising to be strong, instead of trying to chase some Madison Ave./Hollywood ideal of what the female body should look like. My friend, Morgan, who lost a lot of weight years ago and has kept it off, helped me see that. She was the first woman I ever met who "dieted" to be healthy, not thin. She looks great and she's so incredibly fit and strong (inside and out); I want *that* version of the female body, not the one that walks on runways in ugly dresses.




Twix said...
What's your favorite flower?
I love roses, all colors, all varieties. My grandmother (Memaw) has always been a rose gardener, and they remind me of her! In my first house, I had a few rose bushes, but since moving to my current home five years ago, I haven't planted any. Maybe this year, I will!


Takeonestripperpole said...
If you could go to any location in the world ... with no financial limitations whatsoever ... where would you go? What would you do? And who would you bring?


Provence, or anywhere in the Mediterranean region, really. I would walk a lot and eat fruit, bread and cheese. Drink good wine. And write. I would ask George Clooney to go with me, but I suspect he would say no. So I would ask one or more of my friends to go with me.


Plumptious said...
What makes you, or when do you feel, completely happy, without a care in the world?


This is kind of embarrassing, but my answer is 'never'. I'm a worrier and a fretter by nature. I try not to let it consume me, so I'm also able to be joyful a good bit of the time. But I can't say I ever really feel carefree. There's always something niggling me just below the surface. Probably the closest I've come lately is when I'm on the elliptical machine and a really great song comes on my shuffle (last night it was "These Are Days" by 10,000 Maniacs). I can just escape into the music and the rest of the world doesn't exist anymore. And then I get a muscle cramp. :)

40 by 40 said... How are you doing on the diet soda cutbacks? What has changed since you have cut back? I know--not too juicy..but as a diet soda addict myself..I am curious. :)

I absolutely rock on weekdays. Weekends? Not so much. Last weekend I had an extra Diet Coke on both Saturday and Sunday. I have decided to continue the effort, but to not beat myself up over it. If, in the end, a couple of Diet Cokes too many are my worst vice, I'll count myself successful and lucky!

That was fun! Thanks again to all of you for the wide variety of questions! If I missed anyone, let me know--please!--and I'll fill in the gap.


For now, it's Erin's turn in the Hot Seat, so head on over to her place and make her sweat! LOL

~

HYC Update Week 13

Happy Tuesday, Boys and Girls,

No new badge bling this week. I am 0.2 pounds closer (0.6 pounds away from that magical 8-0), but...***sob***...I am bling-less. I had a hellacious sneeze during my workout and I wanted so badly to go weigh again just in case that did the trick, but my rule is one weigh-in only. Stupid rule. Stupid scale.

Yes, I can see the positive in that it's better than being 0.2 pounds the other direction; however, I have to tell you: This Means War!! I will NOT tippy-toe my way to my new bling! I'm pulling out all the stops. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I'm even going to take the drastic step of...preparing some of my own meals! Two, at least.

Take that, you stupid scale!


So, as you can see, a good week overall. :-)

Now I'm off to check in on all of you while I watch The Biggest Loser (my new Tuesday night tradition). I'll also be compiling my Hot Seat answers, so if you've got any questions, tonight's the night to ask them.

Have a great week, everyone!

~