Tests Completed!

Well, that was fun. :)

I am here to testify that everything you ever heard about the indignity of the colonoscopy prep process is 100% accurate. I won't gross you out with the play-by-play, but let's just say that if a bus had driven by my house at 2:30 this morning, I would have happily hopped off my perch and thrown myself in front of it.

Lord. Have. Mercy.

The test itself was nothing. While some folks have told me about being awake during the process, I was completely knocked out. Start-to-finish, it was about 30 minutes (took them longer to get me hooked up to the IV and all the other gizmos.)

Truly good news, the doctor removed a few polyps which she described in her report as "benign in appearance" and also diagnosed a "moderate" case of diverticulosis. The former is common on the maternal side of my family. The latter is, no doubt, the result of years of poor diet. Dr. P. was pleased to learn that is no longer the case. At any rate, a high fiber diet is the prescribed treatment for someone like me, who has no outward symptoms, and I've got that covered.

The mammogram yesterday a.m. was uneventful. I have to say that having "less dense" breasts does seem to make the smashing less painful. Yaay! The screening center I went to was wonderful--in and out in less than 20 minutes! I had a fun tech (which we KNOW can make the process so much less traumatic), who was very impressed with my weight loss accomplishments and gave me a huge ego-boo. I'll get the results of that test this week, and I'm optimistic.

That gets me caught up on the actual testing waiting for the last results. So far, nothing unpleasant has shown up, and I'm hopeful that the trend will continue.

THANK YOU ALL for your well wishes and your encouragement! It means the world to me!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Mine at this point is a gas! (Anyone who has had a colonoscopy will know what that means, LOL)

Fun-Filled Friday

Yeppers, today is going to be a blast. Let's inventory, shall we?

I start the morning with a mammogram. It's the first one for my girls, post weight-loss, which should prove interesting since there's nothing left to smash.

Midday, I begin my colonoscopy prep. I hear it's...unpleasant, at best. The part about not eating anything ALL DAY except for banana popsicles or chicken broth is definitely not attracting me. Thank goodness the test is tomorrow a.m. early-early. I think I'll be treating myself to real breakfast after.

With events like that bookending my day, I've decided to fill the in between times with other unpleasant tasks, like starting on my taxes and plucking my eyebrows and cleaning out my car. The day should speed by in an anti-bliss-filled blur. :)

No, that's a bad attitude. I'm truly grateful to have health insurance that allows me to have these tests (at no cost to me), and I need to think of it in those terms.

Okay, that's much better.

I'll also spend some time reading a whole bunch of magazines. I may be the only person on the planet who didn't know that Google books has magazines online! Thanks to the MUO people for this article, which showed me the way. (I'll save Women's Health to a day when I'm not attending to my health, but I will probably spend a few hours perusing American Cowboy.)

I also received my copy of Career Renegade, by the oh-so-inspiring Jonathan Fields, so I'll probably get started on that.

Oh, and I'm also going to experiment with my camera. I'm taking a continuing ed class in digital photography and discovering all sorts of cool features I didn't know my camera even had!

And that will be a full day. Hopefully, I'll make it through without any major worries or undue stressors, breeze through the tests, and emerge from the test tomorrow morning with a warmer, sunny weekend (and a nap) ahead of me.

I hope you have a fun (much more fun) and healthy weekend!

~

The Tippy Toe Sock Diet

Hi, I'm Cammy and I'm a sockaholic.



Don't ask me how I came to own a mountain of socks, it just happened. I suppose it's a similar dynamic to the one that caused me to happen to become 100 pounds overweight. But that's a post for another day.

For now, I've adopted the Tippy Toe Approach and put myself on a Sock Diet. The first step was to go through the pile and get rid of the colors I wouldn't wear even on a cold day in hell. Then I eliminated all the workout socks that weren't Thorlo, Balega, or Asics. I sorted the remainder by color and style and pulled out the duplicates.

My first Sock Diet weigh in: minus 2 dozen or so pairs! An excellent start! This deserved a special treat! I got one, too, delivered in the mail on Saturday (prepare to be astounded):


I am the happy ecstatic recipient of a pair of beautiful socks, hand-knitted by the incredibly talented and generous Deborah! I'm wearing them now, and I'm not kidding, folks, these are the most comfortable (not to mention, prettiest) socks I own. They're far too precious to be crowded into a drawer with ordinary Target socks, which is fantastic motivation for more sock purging. (Think: replacing a family-pack of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls with one good piece of Neuhaus Belgian Chocolate.)

Thanks again, Deborah. You warmed my feet and my heart all at the same time.

Makeover Monday: Pucker Up!

This Makeover Monday post is brought to you by The Worst Case of Chapped Lips EVER.

Between the cold, windy weather and the constantly running heating systems, it's no wonder my lips feel and look a whole lot like snake skin. A nice look in a handbag, if you're in to that kind of thng, but not such a great look on my face.

If you've ever suffered chapped lips, you know about the vicious circular predicament they present. One of the worst things you can do is lick them, yet they're so dry you can practically hear them crying for the mercy of moisture. Instinct kicks in and before you know it, your tongue sneaks out and provides a very brief measure of temporary relief. Which only makes them dry out more quickly. Vicious, I tell you!

You know what's next, don't you? Yep, here are a few tips for fighting the discomfort of chapped lips:

1) Wear lip balm. (I know, Duh.)

2) Wear lip balm with sunscreen of SPF15, minimum. (Double Duh.)

3) Seek out lip products with alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), moisturizers, shea butter, Vitamin A and/or E, AND the sunscreen.

4) Once a week (at least), use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a drizzle of honey to exfoliate and moisturize your lips. Brush vigorously to loosen dry skin, but not so vigorously you remove skin. Remember, the lips are thin and delicate! (I've also used plain old Vaseline in place of honey with good, if less tasty, results.)

5) A friend from India uses ghee (a clarified butter) as an overnight lip moisturizer.

6) If your lips have moved beyond chapped to dry and cracked, check your diet. You could be low in B vitamins. Might be a good time to focus on healthy sources of vitamin B like broccoli, spinach, bananas, potatoes, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, fish, wholegrain cereals, and brown rice. Among others.

That's my entire arsenal of chapped lip weaponry. Would LOVE to see more tips!

Hope you all have a most marvelous Monday!

Fitness for Sale

See, we thought we had to work to be healthier. As it turns out, we can buy our fitness at Sears:


(See lower section of ad)

I really would've appreciated knowing that all the sweat of the past couple of years was entirely unnecessary. Could've saved loads of time, too. Fitness on a shelf, indeed. :)

An ordinary Saturday here. No work out, but I do plan to hit the gym in the a.m. Early a.m., so I'd better get to bed!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Weekend! and More About BlogHer

You know, on Mondays the weekend seems forever away. Then you blink and it's Friday. Kinda neat how that happens, but unfortunate that an even quicker blink brings another Monday.

I made it through the examination part of my OBGYN visit, and I'm happy to report that all my parts are where they should be. Plus, there aren't any obvious parts where they shouldn't be. We'll know for certain with test results and the completion of the mammogram. I'm scheduling that on Monday.

I'm excited that some of you are considering attending BlogHer '09! Even a few fence-sitters have let me know they're out there, and I'm looking forward to luring them in.

Anyone know how many calories nagging burns?

To answer some comment questions about my BlogHer experience:
My buddy Katschi asked which package I signed up for. Here's a link to the various options. I signed up for the Full Conference pass ($198). You can also sign up for only one day. Also, I just noticed that students get a steep discount. There's more info at the aforementioned link.

The lovely Lisa aka Water Nymph asked me (in a totally flattering and appreciated way) to tell more about my "take-aways" from BlogHer '07, and what Lisa wants, Lisa gets.

As I mentioned before, I went to the conference not knowing a soul. I left not really knowing anyone, but that wasn't a bad thing. I learned a lot at the panels, especially the geeky ones. I didn't know much about the technical side of things, and the people who led those panels were awesomely generous with their time and talent.

Anyone know if 'awesomely' is a word?

The panels I remember most:

Our Bodies, Our Blogs, with Laurie Tobie Edison, who published an AMAZING book of nude photographs, Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes and Familiar Men: A Book of Nudes. Jenny Lauck was the moderator, and Wendy McClure (I'm Not the New Me) was also a panelist. Wonderfully spirited discussion, one of the few centered on bodies, diets, fitness, etc.

Blogging Workflow Tools led by Gina Trapani, who is the founder of lifehacker.com, one of my favorite blogs.

Taking Your Blog to the Next Level, led by Nelly Yusupova, one of the founders of webgrrls, and Jenny Cisney, a web designer for Eastman Kodak. I enjoyed their panel, but needed a lot more time to absorb it all.

The closing keynote speaker was Elizabeth Edwards, who was completely captivating. It was interesting to hear HER take on the world, as opposed to Candidate John Edwards.

In addition to the panels, the conference includes several meet-and-greet opportunities. There's a "Speed Dating" exercise that's totally fun, and what they call "Birds of a Feather" Lunch Seatings. There are clipboards at the registration desk with all sorts of categories (weight loss, bloggers from Iowa, pet lovers, people with tattoos, Left-handers, and so on and so on. There's no way you couldn't find some group with which to identify. You sign up for lunch with whatever group catches your fancy, and at lunch time you look for that table (there are placards.)

Needless to say, I chose the weight loss group. There were only about six of us, but my lunchmates were very gracious. I remember specifically Carmen from The Elff Diet, Shauna from DietGirl, and Jennette from Pasta Queen. At the time, I was 80 pounds heavier than I am now, so I was more than a little intimidated by the healthy women at the table. Intimidated and incredibly motivated.

I didn't sign up for the second day's AOL lunch (mistakenly believing you had to be on AOL), and I missed lunch with Jillian Michaels. From what I heard, she was very gracious and encouraging. And tiny.

In between all that, there's an exhibitors' hall, where various vendors, sponsors, and such have booths. You even get free stuff to put in the cute bag you get when you register. (I hope the bag doesn't go the way of the economy.) You can check out the sponsors here.

At the end of each day, there's a cocktail party, but I'll admit to skipping those. I really wanted to spend some time wandering around the city, so I opted for that. (Until Saturday night, when my wandering lasted until about 8:00 p.m. , and I returned to the room. I was DONE. :)

Okay, so that's what I DID. What I GOT from all those panels and discussions was a sense of community, of being a part of an increasingly vocal feminine force in the social, business, and civic online communities. I understood the 'connectedness' of the blogosphere. On the personal side, I met and talked with some very interesting women (and a couple of men) who inspired me to continue my journey.

I hope this answers the question, Lisa. It's kind of hard to put into words, but I tried. I' m hoping this BlogHer is equally enjoyable, but if it's not, I'm blocks from Michigan Ave and a gajillion stores and shops. Or Grant Park and the bicycle rentals and sunny park benches. Or the Navy Pier and a boat ride. I won't be bored.

That's it for me today. I'm ready to start on household chores and check in on all of YOU!

Happy Weekend!

Cammy Needs a Brand New Bag

As titles go, it's bad and more than a little corny. So sue me.

Guess what I did today? Go ahead, guess.

Need a hint?



Yep, I registered for the BlogHer '09 conference being held this year (July 23-25) in Chicago. I attended the 2007 conference and learned a lot, so when I heard that it was in Chicago again this year, I had to sign up.

The photo above is a tote bag they gave us at registration in 2007. It's messenger-style and the perfect size for me! I sure hope they have something similar this year (in red would be nice), because this one's getting a little worn.

I didn't know anyone at the last BlogHer. I had just started my previous (and now deceased) blog, and I was a little nervous about hanging out with real bloggers. So I was mostly quiet and listened and learned. I plan to do a lot of that this time, too.

I will possibly be a bit more of my normal outgoing self at this conference (confidence will do that to a girl), which should enable me to meet more folks. One of the highlights of last conference was meeting Susie Bright, who is one of the wittiest smartest people I've ever encountered. Generous, too.

All of this is meant to encourage you to join me (and a 1000 or so other bloggers) for the fun, merriment, networking, and education. It's not cheap, but it's defeinitely worth the cost of admission.

And here's the really good news if you're the shy type: YOU don't have to go there not knowing anyone--YOU know ME! If you let me know you're going, we can arrange to meet that first morning and eliminate that leq-quaking experience of entering a large room of strangers.

Please consider attending and LET ME KNOW if you sign up! So help me, if you go and I don't get to meet you...well, there will be repurcussions. That's all I'm saying.

My sidebar will be wearing shiny BlogHer badge bling for a while. Click the button any time to sign up! (Hint: Early bird registration ends February 28th.)

Gosh, I'm becoming quite the spokesmodel throughout the land, aren't I? :)

Happy HumpDay!

(Edited to add, thanks to Katschi via the comments, that I signed up for the "Full Conference Pass")

Useful Links - All about fitness

I took off work today to watch the inauguration in the privacy of my own space. The idea of watching with co-workers was unnerving, since I knew I was likely to become a bit of a soggy, misty mess. And I was.

The rest of the day has been spent painting my hallway, flubbing, repainting, flubbing, repainting, and repeating that process. I have invented a whole new realm of profanity.

Since I've been so busy fussing and cussing, I haven't come up with a topic o'the day. That means, of course, that I'll just throw a bunch of useful links at you and hope for a more original day tomorrow.

First up, from Wisebread, 6 Ways to Create A Great Home Gym for Less

And then it's on to The Bargainist, which has delivered a plethora of money-saving fitness links in my reader over the past few days:
Sports Authority
Footsmart
Performance Bike
And finally, today they delivered the all important dilemma of whether or not to claim my free inauguration donut from Krispy Kreme.

I think not.

Off to eat dinner and then to paint some more. I think this is my last effort. (At least until I get some quotes on how much it will cost to have the rest of the house painted.)

Makeover Monday: Testing, Testing

A rather personal Makeover Monday this week as I have a confession to make: I'm behind on a few medical tests.

Waaaay behind.

I'm not sure how this happened—how I've let it go on this long, that is. I swear, I'm otherwise a reasonably intelligent woman. But this is my next-to-last hurdle, and I'm determined to get over it.

Some of you will understand why I avoided the annual stirrup gymnastics. For many who are overweight or obese, going to the gynecologist can be embarrassing, demoralizing, humiliating, or traumatizing. Or all of the above.

We are not alone. (Men, you don't get off the hook. Apparently, men don't go to the doctor either, but the reasons are different. )

For my 50th birthday last year, my GP (who I see at least once per year—go me!) referred me for my first colonoscopy. Yippee. I have it scheduled for the 31st of the month. Fortunately, since I don't have any apparent risk factors, I don't have to see the gastro doctor prior to the test, which means one less potentially embarrassing exam. (They call this the "Open Access Plan", which it seems to me is a poorly chosen name considering the nature of the exam.)

I have a GYN visit scheduled for Thursday with a new doctor. I don't know if she's any good, but her appointment maker is super friendly and efficient. I don't look forward to trying to explain to this doctor why I've been avoiding these exams, but all I can do is tell her the truth. Maybe I'll give her a link to this post. :) I'll schedule the mammogram through their office.

And then I'll be caught up and I'll stay caught up. I know now that I am strong and resilient, and I can overcome the fears and embarrassing. I don't expect there to be any problems, but I need to know that I'm healthy—inside and out!

So, there you have it. This week's Makeover Monday is a nudge to remind you (us) all that it's important to keep up with recommended screenings. If you're not sure what those screenings are exactly, here are a couple of informative links:

For men- https://www.harvardvanguard.org/info/infoScreenM.asp

For women - https://www.harvardvanguard.org/info/infoScreenF.asp

If you're caught up on all your tests, good for you!! Pats on the back from me!

If you're not getting your testing done because you're embarrassed or uncomfortable, and you want to talk about it (here or in email), I've got an available shoulder. No lectures, because…well, I don't have a stellar track record to stand on, now do I?

You are ALL precious to me (yes, you lurkers, too!), and I want you to be healthy inside and out, too!

Brick by Brick

Ahhh....weekend!

Brilliant guest post on zenhabits today by Ian Newby-Clark, author of an amazing new-to-me blog, My Bad Habits. (My heart is still going pitty-pat.) A teensy piece:

When you work at something day in and day out, you achieve huge positive change in your life. If you don’t stick to it, your results can be disappointing. No amount of “blitzing” a series of workouts, “cramming” for exams, or “crash dieting” will get you the results that the Power of Gradual can.

This is what it took me 30 years to learn, and it's the fundamental principle of what I lovingly (and somewhat laughingly) call 'The Tippy Toe Diet'. Success is in the approach, and small changes accumulate. You place one brick on top of another, day by day by day. Every now and then you have to stop to replace a brick that wasn't placed firmly and tumbled off. But you dust it off and keep building, and rebuilding when necessary, and one day you wake up and you've lost a hundred pounds! Or 10 or 200 or...well, you get my point.

Can you tell I listened to The Commodores' "BrickHouse" today? (And yes, I am the "she" they're referring to, thankyouverymuch. At least, as long as the song lasts.)

Anyway, my point in all this brickwork, besides highlighting Ian Newby-Clark's amazing post, is to remind those of you who might be stressing a little over your progress that slow progress is still progress, and in the long run you WILL benefit from it.

I promise. {TippyToePinkySwear}

Leaving you with this image, a photo of a meaningful-to-me sign I saw at Kirkland's:




Have a wonderful weekend! Relax and refresh, release and rejoice!

And keep building! (and dancing!)

~

The Happy Snacker

I'm in a snacky frame of mind today. It's bitterly cold (for Memphis) these days, and all this indoor time has me making a few too many trips through the kitchen to the laundry room. Honestly. I've never been this caught up on my laundry.

I thought I had made up the perfect indulgent snack: Dark chocolate sugar-free jello pudding with almonds. It's like a Hershey's with Almonds bar, melted, creamy, and cool. Not healthy, but not cruel.

And then I topped it with the indulgent AND healthy snack: lowfat strawberry yogurt, with chocolate protein powder. It's like a chocolate covered strawberry and it's loaded with protein.

Now, my friend Morgan has come up with a snack that might just top both of those: sugar-free chocolate pudding with almonds PLUS a smattering of fresh coconut on top. I'm thinking Almond Joy. I wouldn't want to do this one too often, since coconut is high in saturated fat, but it would be yummy as a once-in-a-while kind of snack. It would be healthier with plain yogurt, chocolate protein powder, almonds, and coconut. Hmmm....

One of the greatest joys of changing to a healthier way of living has been finding these little pearls--not completely healthy, but not program-busters either. Not like that bag of real chocolate I have in the cupboard that I'm afraid to open while I'm battling the hibernation tendencies that bitterly cold weather bring out in me.

Oh, and speaking of bitterly cold weather, here's an image you won't see me posting here: Me, double-layered at home in CuddlDuds and size 3x flannel pajamas. (A medium would fit properly.) So far, I am wearing only two pairs of socks, but I'm thinking of adding another pair.

And I wonder why men just don't seem interested. :)

Tomorrow morning will be brutal, with subzero windchill anticipated. I'd better go prepare some more snacks! I'm actually looking forward to temps in the mid-40s on Saturday, when I'll get outside and finish off the leaf-raking for the season. Heatwave!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

9:25 p.m. Edited to add the question "What are your not-completely-healthy-but- not-likely-to lead-to- a-complete-derailment snacks?" For some reason it wasn't in the original post. (I'm sure it was nothing *I* did.)

As Seen on TV (Possible spoilers ahead)

It was kind of interesting watching DietTribe on Monday night and then The Biggest Loser on Tuesday night. Of the two, I have to say I enjoyed TBL much more. That kind of surprised me, considering I didn't get into TBL at all last season.

As far as DietTribe goes, the only person on the show I find interesting is the psychoterapist, who had a really interesting observation with regard to the group. When one woman "called out" her friend for misreading a situation and another friend agreed, tears flowed and before it was over the accusations were withdrawn and the "accused" (can't remember names) was a candidate for sainthood. The therapist caught that and observed that it wasn't very helpful. The point of doing a program as a group was to support each other and to keep each other honest, but they seemed to be more interested in keeping each other happy.

That got me to thinking about our blogging community and how we respond to each other and wondering if in our efforts to provide unwavering support, we're helping or harming the situation. I'm still pondering that, and I suspect I will be for quite some time.

I do plan to watch at least one more episode of DietTribe, but so far I'm just not connecting with any of the women on the show.

The Biggest Loser, on the other hand, has several contestants that have captured my heart this season. Daniel and Jerry, in particular, won me over completely. Daniel, because he's so young, and Jerry, because he overcame a really rocky start.

There were two moments in last night's episode that really underscored some of the problems I have with scale-based successes. In one of the early contestant interviews, Jerry spoke with pride and awe about all the things he was doing that he never thought possible: riding a bicycle 42 miles, walking, the workouts, eating healthy, etc. You could see the profound sense of accomplishment he felt.

At the weigh-in, his body language told a completely different story. The instant that scale posted "-1", his shoulders slumped forward, his face sagged, and the sense of failure rolled off him in waves. The other contestants' reactions mirrored Jerry's. He hadn't lost any weight; therefore, he failed.

So wrong. So very wrong.

It's not that I'm anti-scale. I just think we place too much emphasis on it, when to a large degree we can't control what it shows. We can only control what WE do, and we should feel enormous pride and achievement for every step we take, every mile we run, each and every chip or cookie we don't eat--EVERY SINGLE THING we do that moves us toward our goals is a success measure. We should celebrate those and focus on creating more of them. The scale will follow.

Ooh, how'd I get up here on this soapbox? Sorry....

Fortunately for Jerry, he seems to have rebounded well. He looks AMAZING and that spark of pride is back in his eye. I'm so thrilled for him and Mrs. Jerry.

~~~

Is it just me, or has this not been the rambliest post I've ever made? I plead fatigue and an over-cluttered mind. I'll try to get back on track tomorrow. But don't count on it. :)

On a personal note, I am defeating the stair climber, bit by bit. Tonight I did 30 minutes on it, about 2/3 at level 3 and the rest at level 4. Next time out (probably the weekend): 30 minutes level 4!

One positive for the stair-climber: When I'm on it (and I'm always the only person using one), I'm the tallest person in the gym. :)

Random (following the apparent theme of the day) observation: I noticed that a lot of folks at my gym spend an inordinate amount of time sitting on the equipment at the gym, as opposed to actually using it. How odd. I know they're telling their friends the next day, "Man, I'm pooped, I was at the gym for over an hour last night." Yeah, but you were sitting around for half that time. Get to moving!

Enough rambliness! I'm off to bed. Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Freebies and Discounts

Hullo,
Nothing really new to report today (other than the 10 minutes on the Satanic Stair Climber yesterday--twice my normal amount), so I bring you word of a small freebie offer from Febreeze Sport. Thank you kind people at The Bargainist for sending me word of that offer, and for letting me know about this 15% discount from Dick's Sporting Goods.

While I'm also grateful for the tip about this $40 discount from Frederick's of Hollywood, I don't think I'm quite ready to shop there.

I had more to share, but I'm a-rushin' today, so I'll save my scintillating commentary on Diettribe until another day. I didn't particularly enjoy the show, but it got me to thinking, and that's always good. (And yes, a tad scary.)

Have a wonderful day! I'll be catching up with you tonight!

6:50 p.m. Edited to add another freebie from Hearts-n-Minds Peanut Butter, made with olive oil. (via Hey It's Free)

Makeover Monday: Looking the Part

Although I've reached my goal weight, I don't exactly have an ideal body. Lots of extra me still hanging around my midsection. Not nearly as much extra as before, mind you, but still plenty.

Learning to dress this new body isn't any easier than dressing the before body, which is why an article in this month's Memphis Health & Fitness magazine caught my eye. It offered a few tips for looking slimmer. I'm assuming most everyone who passes through here wouldn't mind looking slimmer, or maybe just as fit as they already are, so I'm sharing these tips with you.

The tips, here in italics/bold, were created by the article's author, Laura Cotton. The remaining comments are mine.

1) Wear clothes that fit. This was a problem for me before, and it's a problem for me now. I have a tendency to wear clothes that are too big. I know I'm not alone in this. But it really makes no sense, when you think about it. Wearing a 3x instead of a 2x is NOT going to result in some mathematical miracle that makes us look like a size 8. (Note to Cammy: the same is true for wearing size L instead of M.)

2) Wear heels. I know the idea is that the height will visually elongate our legs, but I'm just not going to wear heels regularly. Given my druthers, I'd live in sneakers or flip flops. I'll just have to go for the fit, athletic look.

3) Try out a new look. Self-explanatory, but it gives me a good opportunity to share a completely irrelevant bit of gossip: I've worked with a woman who has had the same hairstyle for TWENTY-TWO YEARS. And what's bad is it's not even a good style. Pretty hair, though.

Okay, enough cattiness that contributes nothing to US looking slimmer. Onward…

4) Wear brightly colored scarves. I'm not a scarf person, but I don’t mind if you wear them.

5) Wear belts. Now there are plus-sized women who look fantastic in belts, but I wasn't one of them. Maybe it's because my "worst" area was my waist? No clue. I've never owned a belt, but I keep saying I’m going to try one now. I'm thinking that with the right blouse, a belt might give me the appearance of an actual waist. I'll let you know.

6) Wear dark pants or skirts and brightly colored v-neck tops. Yaaay! I did something right. {preens} I've graduated from wearing ONLY black pants to wearing brown, grey, and even black plaid. To work, of course. Everywhere else, I wear jeans or workout wear.

7) Don't wear too many layers. Oops, I didn't think of the sweaters as adding bulk on top of my incumbent bulk.

8) Walk tall and sit up straight. I've got the walking part down, but I need to work on my posture when seated.

9) Get a new bra. She means a well-fitted one, which makes sense. Since my girls abandoned me at the first sign of good health (like I hadn't lugged them around all those years), I've been wearing cheapie Target bras. I really should get fitted for something with a little more lift and smush assistance. But no underwires.

10) Smile more. Oh, this one is easy. :)

And that's it. I don't even have anything to add, since I'm somewhat fashion-dense. But maybe you do? If so, sing out! Just because we don't have perfect bodies doesn't mean we don't enjoy looking good in the ones we have. Right? Right!

BRP: Sports Bras

BRP??

By Request Post: from fatfighter, who asked what I thought of the Champion C9 sports bras from Target (no compensation disclosure necessary.) Since sports bras are near (ha-ha!) and dear to my heart, I decided to use FF's question as it's very own topic.

My response: I like them. I like them A LOT. Considering I have eight of them, it's entirely possible I like them too much.

What I like about the C9s:
- They provide good support. (post-loss, I'm a B-for-barely Cup).
- They wick really well, even in the southern heat.
- They're durable. I toss mine in the dryer, which is usually a great big no-no for anything with spandex in it, but so far I haven't noticed any breakdown.
- They come in pretty colors and sizes up to XXL (where I started—now I wear a large, but will move down to medium next time out.)
- They're inexpensive. Target has them on sale now for $12.99.

A friend (bustier than yours truly) tried this same bra, and it didn't work for her. Not enough support and uncomfortable for her. (I'll have to ask her what kind she bought and report back.)

Champion makes other sports bras, but I haven't tried any of them. They're running a $10 off the purchase of two bras, and most look like they're in the $30 range. I mightmaybeperhaps just have to purchase a couple of the sports tanks.

The only other sports bra I've tried is the Iris Sports Top by Oiselle, which I got via a supercool giveaway over at mizfit's. (Thanks again to super-generous Ms.Sally!) I like the Oiselle bra and would buy another one if I wasn't so in love with the C9s. Also, the fact that I have eight sports bras is really kind of sad. The Iris is durable and wicks the sweat away nicely. My only complaint is that it's a little pinch-y under the arms for me. Also, XL is the largest size and when I first received the Iris, it was a bit too tight for comfort. Even now, it's the tightest sports bra I have, but it's comfortable. Finally.

Anyone out there (especially those of the more endowed persuasion) who might want to chime in with reports on sports bras you've tried? Problems? Victories? Cute colors?

BTW, if you're in the market for a sports bra, here's a link to a series of articles on how to choose the best sports bra for you.

Okay, I'm off to see how my paint (hallway, above the chair rail) is drying. I'm running late due to an unfortunate incident involving a screwdriver and my forehead. Don't worry; I'm pretty sure it won't scar.

Happy Weekend!

Links in this post:

http://www.target.com/C9-Champion-Seamless-Bra-Ebony/dp/B000Y1NENU/qid=1231616256/ref=br_1_2/602-0578062-5411005?ie=UTF8&node=370527011&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=target&field-browse=370527011&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=1

http://www.oisellerunning.com/

http://www.championusa.com/Champion/Categories/Women-Champion/Women_ShopByCategory-Champion/Women_SportsBras-Champion.aspx

http://www.007b.com/sports_bra.php

http://www.fatfightertv.com/

http://mizfitonline.com/

Spokesmodel for Hire

It seems my career as a spokesmodel has begun. My sister called me all excited last night after she and her husband spotted "my" ad in a local weekly paper.



I was on page 52. Page 53 was what we locals call "the porn page". You know, the page with ads for escort agencies and scantily clad massage "therapists." I hope readers don't get us confused.

Although given the current job situation....

All this excitement has me pondering what other products or services I might be a good spokesmodel for. (I actually prefer the label "Brand Ambassador." It just sounds classier.)(And smarter.)

Okay, after careful consideration, here's my short list of items on which I have spent a small fortune in the past year and as a result, of which I have superior knowledge:

- Champion sports bras from Target (all colors)
- Assets Camisoles from Target (all three colors and both styles)
- Almonds (yes, I buy them at Target, but since they aren't exclusive to Target, I'm willing to consider other merchants. Money talks, people.)
- Turkey sandwiches from Subway
- Sugar-free Jello pudding (just don't ask me to try to sell the chocolate mint--ick! :P)
- Worthington pants from JCPenney (straight fit)

I'm sure I have other areas of expertise, but considering I've spent about three minutes on this idea (as close to "careful consideration" as I'm likely to get this week), this list is a place to start.

If you are a PR firm representing any of these products, give me a ring and I'll consider being your spokesmodel/brand ambassador.

If you represent an escort agency or massage therapist, stand by. I'm not there yet, but that could change.

~~~
So what about you, dear readers o'mine? What product(s) could you sell as a top-notch "brand ambassador"?


Personal note: I jinxed myself with the rest-olutions. I got stuck at work until after midnight and then was back in the office at 6 a.m. the next morning. (You might have parsed a clue from the silliness of this post.) I'm catching up on sleep now and will catch up on more blogs tomorrow.)

Rest-olutions 2009

I'm still pondering my concrete goals for 2009, but one goal I'll be replaying from 2008 is a focus on adequate rest. For most of last year, I got a good night's sleep most nights and worked in nap time on weekends, if only a half hour here or there. A couple of bumps along the way, but for the most part, I felt rested, relaxed, and in control.

Cut to the last couple of weeks, with less sleep for nights on end due to the painting and the holidays and the work stress. Think there might be a connection to that and my sudden desire to nibbletoomuch? (I can feel you nodding.)

There are plenty of learned types who suggest a direct correlation between sleep (or lack of sleep) and weight loss. Here are a few articles supporting the theory:

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/lose-weight-while-sleeping

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5276.php

http://www.newser.com/archive-science-health-news/1N1-12197B5F2FA455B8/adequate-sleep-may-be-secretto-weight-loss.html

That's enough for me. Well that, and the fact that I know it worked well for me last year.

So for 2009, I'm renewing my commitment to manage my sleep schedule as part of my weight management efforts. My goals, aka "Rest-olutions"?

- 7-8 hours sleep every night
- 1/2 hour - 1 hour nap on weekends
- Use my sound machine for better sleep
- Explore the concept of the power nap
- Take a beach vacation!!! (more dream than goal, but I'm including it!)

Unfortunately, I have to work late tonight, so this will be one of those things I start tomorrow.
(Boy, does that sound familiar!) But just like weight loss/fitness improvement, it's all a process, and it's the overall improvement that will show big results. I hope. :)

What about you? Do you notice a difference in managing your fitness when you get proper amounts of rest?

Any tips on power napping or getting more restful sleep?

Makeover Monday: Optimism - A Renewable Resource

Today I realized that in 90 days or so, I will be unemployed. The job I've had for 22 years is being eliminated, and the job I was offered wasn't a good fit for me or for the company, IMO, so I'm taking a severance package and walking away.

Yikes!

Prior to this job, I worked for nine years at my previous job. Before that, I was in high school. In other words, in my entire adult life, I've always had a job.

Yikes!

What it boiled down to, for me, is that I either believe in myself or I don't…I have faith, or I don't. I advise others to do these things. It's time I walked the talk, as the corporate chatter goes. (Oooh, new #1 on the list of things I won't miss about Corporate America.)

While I'm more than a little nervous about this Big Change, I can't help but be optimistic. I've got some ideas that might be money-makers (even if they aren't likely to result in my current salary level), and this provides an excellent opportunity—maybe the chance of a lifetime—to try them out.

The trick with this, I think, is going to be maintaining this level of optimism. Sometimes I may have to reach for it a bit, and that's okay. All I need is a plan!

Cammy's (and yours if you want it) Optimism Renewal Plan
- Award credit for current and past successes. Make a list of them. (You can bet 100 pounds lost will be at the top of mine!) Post the list in a prominent place so that you can refer to it frequently. Oh, and don't forget to leave room for adding on to the list!
- Set specific and reasonable goals. Write those down, too, and refer to them often.
- Celebrate achievements and be grateful for them. Don't forget to reward yourself!
- Accept imperfection. I read a brilliant quote once:

If you're perfect, only the perfect will be comfortable with you and you'll
wind up lonely.

(Peggy Noonan, I think.)


- Challenge negative thoughts. I don't know about you, but I can become Empress of the Irrational when I'm on a roll. That never helps. We're far better off pondering the problem rationally and figuring out a solution. Now is not the time for the blame game or endless brooding. Oooh, I feel another quote coming on:

Put on your big girl panties and deal with it.

(I have no idea who originated that, but I've seen it on a jillion t-shirts.)


- Remember that lots of enormously successful people failed first. Face it, things WILL go wrong. That's a part of life, but it's not ALL of life.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Not necessarily the Pollyanna types {shudder}, but people who are good at the aforementioned tips and will gently remind you to practice them yourself.
- Restful sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise will go a long way toward heading off any moody, broody thoughts. I know this to be true.


If you've tried these out and none of them seems to be working…fake it! Pretend you're already successful. Act like you're an optimist, dammit! Remember this, from our first Makeover Monday?

We see what we believe.

(Quote was from Brian Tracy, if you don't have time to chase the link.)



Whether we're trying to change careers, lose weight, finish school, learn to cook, or any other shiny, new endeavor, optimism will be a key element in our success.

Thank goodness it's one of those renewable resources!

Before I print out The Plan, sing out in the comments with your tips, advice, suggestions for items I need to add to it! I'm all ears and eyes (and thumbs, judging from the number of typos my spell check revealed).



Happy Monday to all!


Links in this post:
http://www.suemorem.com/podcasts/Podcast013.php
http://tippytoediet.com/2008/05/make-me-over-may.html

Meet Ms. Nibblestoomuch

One of those days, as you can see from the title, one of those days....

A psychotic co-worker got tons of candy for Christmas and brought it all into the office. One of us had two too many pieces. Fortunately, today was a big cardio day so I think I'm covered calorie-wise. Still...sheesh.

On the definitely good news side of life, I maintained my target weight range (right in the middle) throughout the holidays. I was a little worried, given the sugarliciousness of Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, but I guess moderation on other days along with the exercise helped the cause. Yaay!

I am trying to tackle the stair climber at the gym, but so far I hate it. Frankly, it's boring. But it does use leg muscles differently than the elliptical, so I'll continue to use it in small doses.

This weekend is full of projects, which should limit Ms. Nibblestoomuch's activity, but tonight I'm doing nothing but reading, watching tv, and catching up on blogs (I'm under 400 posts now!). A perfect night, in other words.

Before I go, I'll leave you with this link to The Bargainist's round up of healthy discounts on health-related products and services.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!