Feeling the burn!

Oh, ouch. Definitely an effective workout! The muscles are feeling it BIG TIME! I'm OK as long as I don't have to stand up! LOL The butt and the thighs are the ones really screamin'!

Beating PMS

Well, following the advice I listed, I have noticed some differences from last month. Yesterday morning, I was running my son around on errands and started feeling crampy. So once we got home I loaded up on fresh fruits and some almonds. I also had some yogurt. Not feeling great the rest of the day, but not nearly as bad as I did last month. And this morning, I had a gain of .6lb where last month at this time, I'd gained THREE pounds. Woot!

Doing my weight lifting workout this morning after sitting outside for a bit to soak up some Vitamin D. :-D

Being Nice

One of my Tales from the Scales friends, Guinevere was sweet and gave me the Nice Matters award.

I get to pass it on now. I feel like all of the gals from TFTS who visit me and the others with encouraging comments deserve it, too. So at the risk of forgetting someone, I'll nominate everyone who has commented on my weigh-in days!

I would also nominate my friend Jennifer, but she's closed her blog for a while. I miss your musings, girl!

My sister's friend Jan has always been a true friend who steps up when help is needed.

Thanks, again, Guinevere!

Beat PMS from the Abs Diet for Women - Part 2

A yoga pose that opens up the pelvic area can relieve bloating and cramps. Try a pose called Reclining Bound Angle. To do it, sit on the floor with a long pillow behind you. The bottom should touch your sacrum, and a folded blanket should cover the top. Lie back into the pillow, resting your head on the blanket. Put the soles of your feet together and let your knees and thighs fall to the sides. Stay in the pose for 5 to 10 minutes and breathe deeply.

>A recent study found that taking 200 IU of vitamin E twice daily 2 days before -and 3 days during -menstruation can ease cramps. Those in the study who took the vitamin E experienced fewer than 2 hours of cramps per cycle, down from 17 on average. And only 4 percent of the women needed a pain reliever for cramp relief. The theory is that vitamin E hinders the formation of prostaglandins, the hormonelike chemicals that cause uterine contractions. But take E only for those 5 prescribed days each month; high doses taken over years at a time have been linked to heart trouble.

>Ask your doctor about tweaking your birth control regimen. In a Yale study, oral contraceptives reduced PMS symptoms by 50 percent in half the participants using 24 hormone pills and 4 sugar pills.

>Acupressure may also help ease symptoms. Research suggests that acupressure stimulates blood flow and releases endorphins--the body's natural painkillers. In one study, those who had acupressure had 72 percent less pain (the same as those who took ibuprofen), while those who had a false acupressure treatment (not performed on the correct spots) had a 58 percent decrease.

The Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczenko also has advice on managing menopause and workouts and eating plans for pregnant and post-partum women, too. There's also a chapter on The Stress-Busting Workout. I can't recommend it highly enough! :-D

Beat PMS from the Abs Diet for Women - Part 1

I figured people would be interested in what exactly is in this book that is recommended for that time of the month. So I'll add a whole post with the info.

Beat PMS
Popping OTC medication isn't the only thing you can do ot help alleviate the cramps, foul moods, and hunger that come with the fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone you experience before your period. Try these easy lifestyle changes that can ease some of the cyclical burden.

>Even more than you usually do on the Abs Diet, focu on eating protein and fiber to keep your blood sugar even, slow your rate of digestion, and resist the urge to overeat. The best foods include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

>A University of Massachusetts at Amherst study found that a high intake of calcium and vitamin D decreases the severity of PMS symptoms, plus it prevents PMS from initially developing. The study concluded that women who ate or drank about 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily had significantly lower risk of developing PMS. That's the equivalent of four servings a day of fat-free or low-fat milk, other low-fat dairy producst like yohurt, or fortified orange juice.

>Have the perfect breakfast. It combines vitamin B6 with magnesium (both found in salmon and avocados), two nutrients that have been shown to relieve monthly mood swings. This magical meal also includes cheese, which helps replenish the vitamin D and calcium your period can deplete. And it features fiber: A high-fiber diet has been shown to ease PMS symptoms by expelling excess estrogen. Best, it includes three Powerfoods! Here's the secret recipe.
2 slices 100 percent whole-grain bread, toasted
1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese
1/4 avocado
1 ounce smoked salmon
Freshly ground pepper
Small handful of alfalfa sprouts or fresh spinach
On one slice of toast, spread the cheese and layer the avocado and fish. Top with the pepper, sprouts, and second slice of toast.
(Note from June - I don't eat fish so I haven't tried this personally)

>You can cut down on period-related migraines and headaches associated with drops in estrogen levels by eliminating foods that tend to trigger them. The most common foods include aged cheeses, processed meats with nitrates, chocolate, excessive caffeine, alcohol (especially red wine), citrus foods, bananas, aspartame, and MSG. Exercise and meditation also seem to help reduce the risk of developing migraines, partly because they reduce stress (a migraine trigger).

Wednesday Weigh In - Look Great in 2008!

Well, I'm down a tad from yesterday so official weight is 199.6. Down 1.4 from last week's start. So I'm loving it in ONDERLAND! :-)

Go here and Everybody Dance Now

My period is coming on if the sore breasts and chocolate cravings are any indication! Bleah. So I'm going to follow some of the recommendations in the Abs Diet for Women book for this time of the month.

Just sat outside in the sunshine to drink my protein smoothie. I LOVE fall on my mountain. It's 60 degrees and a light breeze is making the aspen leaves rustle and the pine trees whisper. Life doesn't get any better! :-D

Tuesday weigh in

Same weight today, 199.8. I had an interesting night last night. I'll post about it on my family blog.

Monday Weigh in - ONDERLAND! WOOT!

Over the week, I've been holding steady at 201 and I was beginning to think my body wouldn't let me go below 200. It was a busy weekend and I didn't eat as often as I should have. But this morning, for the first time in over TEN YEARS, I am below 200 pounds. YAY! Just by .2, but I WILL TAKE IT! That ONE looks awfully good to me. ;-)

Off to do my Abs Diet workout.

Friday, Sept 21

Today's weight - 200.4 I weighed myself last night and I was 201.4, the lowest I've ever been at night, so I was SURE I was gonna hit ONDERLAND today. Pooh. I loved the Abs Diet workout I did yesterday with weights, but oh, my thighs are SCREAMING! I'm going to use lighter weights until my body adjusts. We even went for ballroom dance last night. Not sure who was in more pain, me or my husband with the arthritic hip, but we did have fun. Tango and Cha-Cha this month! :-)

Great info for today from the Abs Diet for Women book by David Zinczenko.

"DIET IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD
In all honesty, I hated to even call this book a "diet" book. That's because the word diet has been twisted around to mean something you follow temporarily - you "go on" a diet, you eventually have to "go off" it. And that's why most diets are really, really bad for you.

Most diets are about eating less food or about restricting you to certain kinds of food. Most of them work in the short term because if you reduce your calorie intake, your body starts to burn itself off in order to keep itself alive. Presto, you lose weight. But here's the problem: The first thing your body does when it's short of calories is to dump the body tissue that takes the most calories to maintain.

That's muscle. So on a low-calorie diet, your body burns away muscle and tries to store fat. Sure, you'll lose weight, and you'll eventually start losing fat as well. But when you "go off" your diet, you'll start to put weight back on. And guess what kind of weight you'll gain? Pure fat. Because you've taught your body a harsh lesson: It has to be on the lookout for potential low-calorie periods in the future, so it had better store fat just in case. You've also used up valuable calorie-burning muscle, so you're likely to end up fatter than you were before your diet. That's why people who try diet after diet not only don't lose weight but also gain it.

The Abs Diet isn't a shotgun, irresponsible approach to weight management. Oh, you'll lose weight, and you'll lose it fast. But you'll lose fat, not muscle. And you'll keep that weight off for life. You'll follow the tenets of the Abs Diet for life, too, because it's about eating lots and lots of great food in smart ways. So enjoy the Abs Diet. But let's keep that little four-letter word between us, okay?"

So doesn't this sound like a sensible plan? The Eating Guide and now the book for women is the best money I've ever spent. Total - $26 for both!

The Abs Diet for Women

I left my "Abs Diet Eating Right Every Time Guide" with my dad, so when I saw "the Abs Diet for Women" at Walmart, I snatched it up. It's even more wonderful than the Eating Guide, plus it has photos of the suggested workout. He says you can lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks following the plan, so I'm GOING FOR IT! And I decided to try and share some gems from the book every day. I have already posted the Abs Diet Power Foods in this post.

"A University of Tennessee study found that people who added three servings of yogurt a day to their diets lost 61 percent more body fat and 81 percent more stomach fat over 12 weeks than those who didn't eat yogurt. WOW! Researchers speculated that the calcium helps the body burn fat and limit the amount of new fat your body can make."

Oh, and favorite quote of the day "But almonds are like Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: They're the king of the nuts." Healthy information and HUMOR, too! ;-)

A big recommendation he makes is smoothies. And some of the recipes he gives include yogurt in the smoothie. These can be such a treat and I've made them a staple by having one for breakfast every day. This high protein start to my day gives me LOTS more energy than I've ever had in the past.

I did the week one workout today (took about 20 minutes) and my thighs are REALLY feeling it. And that's one main area I need to lose, so I'm liking this already. I just hope I can walk tomorrow. ;-)

If you really think my scale is broken, just compare the current picture to my goal weight picture. Especially compare the hips and thighs. Oh, yeah, my scale is working just fine. ;-) Take my word for it or I'll inflict on you a photo of me in spandex. LOL

Last Tuesday Weigh In - NEW CHALLENGE

OK, still at 201.0 this morning. So my total lost for the May Day Weight Loss Challenge is a whopping 8 pounds. Before I went to my folks', walking on the treadmill with varying intensity was really working for me, so I will continue that. I will also continue the eating guide from the Abs Diet. I never feel hungry and it's tasty food. He gives grocery lists, recipes and recommendations for restaurant eating. Just bought the Abs Diet for Women today and need to get another copy of the Abs Diet Eating Right Every Time Guide since I gave my copy to my dad. :-D

With the new challenge, Look Great in 2008, I plan to kick it up a notch and lose the entire 46 pounds I have to go to my goal weight. I want to be in a size 12 by my husband's company's next gala (held in February or March.)

I'll consider this photo of me and my husband as my before photo for the new Look Great in 2008 Challenge!


To see the post on my whole journey, go read
this post.

My disappearing husband

OK, I may have to kill him. Today he said, "I need to do something to STOP losing weight." WHATEVER!!! :-P

Home again

I was very relieved this morning to get on the scale and see 201.0. So that's only a .2 gain from being at Mom's. I was doing fairly well with my eating, but my only exercise was the housework and grocery shopping. Back to my normal routine!

Today's weight

OK, I'm back down to 200.8 after all of the monthly bloating. Yay! So that's up .6 from last week when I counted my low, but down almost 4 pounds from last week's bloating. ;-) And a total of 8.2 lost since the beginning of the challenge. About 1/2 a pound a week. Not great, but you can see how much progress I've made overall by looking at the photos of my husband and me below!

I am going to my folks' in Arkansas, because my dad's in the hospital. Mom has Muscular Dystrophy and tends to do more than she should and I think I could be of some help around the house. So I'm not sure if I'll be checking in very often. And I'm going to try to do the grocery shopping for them and get lots of healthy foods. Dad has diabetes, too and when he went to the ER, his blood sugar was way high.

My goal weight

I was so thrilled when Tales from the Scales chose me for their "Loser of the Week." Though I haven't lost much during this 18 week challenge, I have enjoyed the support and encouragement of the other ladies doing the May Day Challenge. When I sent my story, I included a photo of me at what I consider my ultimate healthy weight. So I figured I would put that photo here, too since some of you don't visit the TFTS site. If you are interested in this kind of challenge, do visit them because they are starting a new challenge to run through January.

Check it out - an elastic waistband, with the shirt TUCKED IN! This was early in 1997, right after Kendall had been diagnosed with CF. Doncha love the big glasses? ;-)

The incredible shrinking Burnetts

We planted this tree in our backyard on our anniversary in 2003, the year we moved to Colorado. We were supposed to take our picture by it every year, but we never remember - until this year! Now the tree is way above our heads, which you can see on my family blog (link is on the right). I wanted to crop the photos to just show our weight loss on this blog. :-) (Yes, he's waaaay ahead of me. I've lost about 30 pounds and he's lost about 90!)

Tuesday weigh-in

I'm counting my weight BEFORE my period started. I'm ignoring the scale until it's over! :-D I got down to 200.2 on Friday before all the bloating started, so that's 1.6 down from last Tuesday. Yay!

(I moved my chart to the other end of my blog.)

Sabotage!

Well, last night kind of messed up my body. At around 4pm, I had yogurt and some fruit. At 5 we left for our gun cleaning class to follow-up our training last weekend. We didn't get out of there until 11:30!!! Starving, so we got something to eat on the way home. So this morning I was up a pound. Pooh. So it's back to my good habits.

Eh. That time of the month, too. Bleah. And on my anniversary! :-(