Donica and Deb's Space

Well yesterday was another weigh in for me. I am down a few pounds but I know it wasn't what I wanted it to be. On Saturday night we went to one of our friends house for a wonderful gathering.. Including fun finger foods.... that had lots of salt, sugar and carbs... In concession to me watching what I am eating my friends had a great veggie tray, but I gave in to the chips and dip and had half of a martini..(chocolate).... which then had a rebound effect of my body holding every ounce of water it could. So I ping ponged around with weight for a few days. I know I shouldn't weigh myself like that, but I needed to see what one night of indulgence does to my body.  Then Sunday, my boyfriend and I had a very serious talk, you know the one... the one where you decide what comes next in the relationship. Well it turns out we are but aren't on the same page. Things aren't as simple as when you are in your 20's or just hitting the 30 mark. At 35 and 36 things are different. So for the past few days I have been on an emotional see saw. It really isn't bad until bedtime, when I crawl into bed alone and think this may be a reality for a long time to come. There are a few things that make me feel solid and grounded with all that is going on. 1.I know I spoke my truth and my desires 2. going to the gym 3. knowing that no matter what happens in the next few months, the reality is, I need to be healthy for whatever happens. 4. My son has been a HUGE help.. Last night as I was going to sneek a piece of candy he says Uhh uhh mom, what would Bob and Jillian and Deb think???? LOL Coming from him, that put things in perspective.  I have done really well with excercizing this week. Mostly the elliptical at the gym for 30 minutes, but this week I have also added the stationary bike in for about 5- 10 minutes after that. So Monday was gym , Tuesday was gym, today was gym, then tomorrow ( Thursday ) I have yoga class. I have also been doing some dumbbell work at home.
        I wish everyone the strength to get through the day.. each and every day.

Well, it has been a couple of days since I have written here, so I thought it was time for an update. Here in Minnesota it has been balmy for winter. It has been in the high 30's and even reached 40 the other day. So, that meant I got to go walking outside, just be careful of the puddles and ice. So yesterday I walked over 2 miles, then today I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical (including the HIIT) and then this afternoon I walked for a half hour. Part of the walk this afternoon was for stress reduction. All I wanted to do was eat spaghetti, but instead I had a pear, a water and went for a walk. I did good with food today. I made homemade spaghetti sauce yesterday so I avoid all the salt and sugar in the commercial brands. I switched the noodles for whole wheat pastaand threw in some veggies and called it dinner. Even my guys liked it. I ate mine with couscous, instead of noodles. My next real challenge will be when my parents go on vacation. It means that I will have to add an extra 2 hours to my day for a week. They run a business and I have to drive down to check on it and their animals on a 2x daily basis. This is what threw me off track so bad last year, so I am actually pretty nervous about it.

Well today Deb and I went to the St. Peter Community Hospital and had a full body scan. That was enlightening. Not only does it show your muscle to fat ratio but also your bone density. So far my bone density is good, and in the normal range. I talked to the gym that I go to and they said I can bring down some brochures for other people that want to do a scan. It is open to the public and for 30$ it is very reasonable. Well, my results were that I am obese. No other way to put it. I have a total body fat of 52.5 % but my WHO BMI classification is at 31.1% and for me, I should be in about the 25% or lower range, which would bring my total body fat down to the 30% range. Definitely room for improvement. 

Yesterday I also went to the gym and did a 30 minute HIIT on the elliptical machine. Today I am going to lift dumbbells here at home, and do some stretching with yoga. The eating thing has been pretty good. Last night I made Quinoa mixed with crushed garlic and steamed veggies. I served it as a side dish to the baked chicken I made. My boyfriend has been good about trying the things I make. Part of the problem has been that this past year that we have been dating is I cooked FOR HIM. I love to bake so he got lots of fresh apple pies, pear pies, and fresh apple sauce, which he poured over ice cream. NUMMY. Anyway, so far I haven't had to many cravings. I am making sure to eat some fruit each day as a start to the day and then also as a "dessert" at night. So far according to my home scale I have lost 4 lbs this week. I know that most of that is due to water retention/loss, so it is this next week that will be the true test. 

Well today is officially Jan 3, 2008. So far things are off to a slow start for me. Deb and I live in Southern Minnesota, Deb in Nicollet, and me in Mankato, MN. If anyone has been watching the weather channel they know it is a whopping 20 some degrees outside, but with the windchill factor it is about 11 degrees.... Right now I can't wait for warmer weather so I can be OUTSIDE! Anyway, like I said it is off to a slow start. I am not feeling the greatest, sore throat, congestion and add a little bloating, severe back ache and some cramping and call it good. I am just craving a warm bed and not much else. I am doing well with the eating portion of my plan, and tomorrow I am headed to the gym. The 20 minutes of yoga I did on Tuesday isnt cutting it for the exercise portion of things.  As far as eating plans, Deb and I have talked on the phone everyday at least one time getting things figured out. I am salt sensative so I naturally watch my salt intake. I also read something from Jillians Web site and her book, Making the Cut, that suggests keeping your salt content between 500-1000mg per day. I also don't do very well with carbs or anything white, so those are being evicted from my lifestyle. I love fresh veggies and fruits and love to cook so having those in  my diet aren't a problem at all. I don't drink caffeine anymore, so that isn't a problem either. I am pretty much down to water and an occasional Life Water, and teas.
     The part that is so hard for me is that I used to be really heavy (240 lbs) and then lost a bunch of weight and fit in my size 10 jeans. I was able to maintain for several years and now over the past year 20 some pounds has crept back on. I am needing to find my internal motivation again. I am hoping THIS... the blogging,  the pictures online, the partner... That THIS does it. It isn't just about wanting to look good in my clothes. It is about feeling good, being healthy and strong. I feel better when I take good care of myself. This past year we found out about a lot of health issues on my fathers side of the family. He is 60 an almost died this year from an abdomindal aortic anureysm. There is also a history of diabetes. My aunt on my mom's side had a heart attack this past  year at the age of 60. Scary stuff when your a single mom and wanting to teach your son the healthy side of life.