Hormones - ugh

Had terrible cravings over the past week and I look forward to getting past this period. TOM sucks! Bad snacking habits -it's time to stop! This morning's weight was 195.2. Have felt cruddy lately and woke up with a migraine this morning. Did range day yesterday and that tends to take a lot out of me. It's a long, hot day. Took migraine medicine and slept for another couple of hours. Feeling a little better now.

The Mood Booster!

From Denise Austin this morning:
Exercise: The Mood Booster!

While it's not news that exercise is good for the body, researchers say it's also good for the brain! One study divided a group of depressed patients into two sets — those who walked on a regular basis and those who took medication. To their surprise, researchers found those who walked recovered from their blues just as well as the antidepressant group!

Even if you're not clinically depressed, regular exercise will strengthen your mental reserves against the stresses and strains of everyday life. While scientists don't understand exactly why this is, they know exercise sets in motion many chemical reactions in your body that work to your benefit. So when you're feeling overwhelmed, try taking a walk instead of a nap! You'll be surprised how much calmer and in control you'll feel!

Diet Saboteurs?

From Denise Austin this morning:

Diet Saboteurs?

Is someone in your life — your spouse, your mother, or a friend — secretly sabotaging your efforts to lose weight and get fit? There are many reasons it happens, from fearing you'll change if your appearance changes, to wanting to avoid facing their own weight issues, to feelings of jealousy.

If you learn to recognize it when it's happening, you'll be much less likely to derail from your goal! When a coworker who knows you're dieting brings in home-baked cookies, politely (but firmly) say no. When your spouse tries to talk you out of exercising to go get a burger and fries instead, offer to spend time with him or her after your workout — doing something besides eating. When someone makes a derogatory remark about how they think you've changed since losing weight, just chalk it up to envy rather than letting negative comments get you down! Bottom line — even if the changes you're making don't make everyone happy, give yourself permission to make them anyway! You're worth it!

Broken promises

OK, remember the doctor who PROMISED it would be comfortable???? So NOT! It was just as bad as last time. But he did get the procedure done. However, that's not the end of the story as I'd hoped. He said it looks like there's a hernia, so I need to get a barium enema, which involves another two day prep. Ugh, ugh and double ugh! I also have diverticuli, which could develop into diverticulitis, so I'm supposed to go to the ER if I get bad cramping and a fever. I'm not even fifty yet, what the heck????

Healthy You Challenge update - 192.2

This morning's weight 192.2. A liquid diet is a wonderful thing - not really! :-) And no, I'm NOT doing this for dieting purposes, I'm prepping for a colonoscopy with a 2 day prep. Yuck.

Once I start eating again, hopefully I can start slowly and maintain the loss!

Healthy You Challenge

I'll check in tonight. One day of a liquid diet, one more to go. Having to do a two day prep this time to hopefully avoid the disaster of last time having to get a colonoscopy two days in a row! :-P

After a few days in a row of weighing 196, I was down to 193.4 this morning (before the liquid diet started.) Onward and downward!

Exercise Keeps Your Brain Young!

From Denise Austin today:
Exercise Keeps Your Brain Young!

Exercise doesn't just keep your body looking young, it keeps your mind young, too, according to researchers from Ohio State University. With just 10 weeks of regular aerobic activity, they found study participants significantly improved their emotional, physical, and cognitive skills! Even more importantly, when researchers followed up a year later, those who were still exercising had maintained the positive mental gains, while those who had stopped had lost them!

Researchers still aren't sure exactly why exercise perks up mental prowess, but they speculate that increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain may be the key. Mimic the study results by working out at least three times per week for an hour. Aim to work up to a daily dose of brain-boosting movement! Don't you feel smarter already?

Portion Distortion

From Denise Austin:

Portion Distortion!

Did you know that most restaurants have increased the average serving sizes and calorie counts of many foods by 100 to 300 percent (or more) since the 1950s? On top of that, the average dinner plate has increased from 10 inches to 12.5 inches in diameter. It's true! No wonder the FDA claims Americans are becoming supersized!

Don't fall victim to the "get more for your money" mentality. Take a look at the then and now totals for these common foods:

Food Then Now
Soda 6 oz./85 calories 20 oz./300 calories
Chips 1 oz./150 calories 1.75 oz./260 calories
Pasta 2 cups/280 calories 4 cups/560 calories
Burger 2-oz. patty & bun/270 cal 4-oz. patty and bun/430 calories
Fries 2 oz./210 calories 5 oz./540 calories

Close Down Your Kitchen Early!

From Denise Austin today:

Close Your Kitchen Down Early!
We all get the munchies from time to time — even the most disciplined eater occasionally gets that nagging urge to snack, often just before bed! The problem with this unhealthy nighttime habit is that if you eat high-fat, high-calorie foods, like cookies, chips, or popcorn, you will most likely gain weight. And since I've given in to a p.m. craving a time or two, here's my simple solution to late-night snacking: After enjoying an early sit-down dinner with my husband and daughters, I literally close down my kitchen at 8 p.m. sharp! Yep, that's it! If I do start fantasizing about a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, I drink plenty of water, and I brush my teeth, floss, and rinse with Listerine.

Give it a try! After a while, your body will get used to not having a bedtime snack. If you do feel a craving come on and my little trick doesn't cut it, then I suggest having a piece of fruit, such as an apple, or a handful of veggies, like some cut-up carrots, instead of giving in to an entire bag of potato chips! Trust me, your waistline will thank you!

A needle in the neck

Wow, so not fun, but definitely not the worst thing I've ever experienced. :-P I've got a lump and a good bruise on my neck. It only hurts if I touch it so I try to remember not to! Not sure when I'll get the results. I always forget to ask those kinds of things.

I felt pretty yucky all day yesterday so I didn't get a mini-tramp workout in, but we did go to dance in the evening and spent an hour doing the foxtrot. This morning I did the mini-tramp circuit training and one of the resistance bands snapped. The gal on the dvd is probably only about 5ft tall so when she stretched them out over her head, they went all the way up and I could only get them up to my shoulders. I may be able to get replacement tubing and I'll definitely make it a little longer!

Had a chiro adjustment today (greatly needed) and then went to my prep class for my 3rd colonoscopy. Ugh. I get to do a 2 day prep this time. And the doctor promised it would be safe and comfortable. Definitely what I needed to hear this time.

OH, and I had a thought while we were visiting the hematologist for my son and talking about the bleeding that's been going on around his mediport. The port is under the skin on his upper left chest. I realized that since he was hit on that side in his car accident I asked the doctor if he could have been bruised and the blood was dispersing around the port. The more I thought about it, the more I think that's what has been happening. When we put the needle back in Monday night, there was small bruising around the port. So far, so good, no more bleeding and his INR was at the desired level.

New month - new start - 195

OK, this is where I recommit and get serious! Down to 195 after a high of 197.8. OUCH! Did my mini-trampoline circuit training workout today and will alternate days with the cardio workout. Plus dancing twice a week. That's the MINIMUM I will do. One good thing, even with this gain I am still wearing the same size clothes, so I haven't fallen too far back.

I slacked off on journaling my food and was snacking way too much on cookies and chips. No more! Got a fresh new notebook that will be by my side constantly. I'm also going to pay better attention to how much water I'm drinking. I may have been falling back on that, too.

On another subject, today is my 21st anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been more than 2 decades! I'm blessed with a WONDERFUL man.

Early tomorrow morning, I have the biopsy on the nodule in my thyroid. I may ask if they'd be willing to drain a cyst in my breast, too. (Can I get a two-fer, doc?? LOL) Guess the iodine isn't helping that issue much yet. :-P In the afternoon my son has an app't at the Children's hospital in Aurora with the hematologist. I'm really glad it's scheduled for tomorrow. We've been having problems with bleeding around his mediport.

On Wednesday I have the prep class for my THIRD colonoscopy on the 17th. Ugh. But hopefully it will be successful this time and I won't have to worry about it again for a few years. I'd like to get all of these health issues resolved. I am once again having the side/chest pains, so I think it is pulled muscle/cartilage around my rib cage. It started when I started lifting weights again.

Oh, and Happy Labor Day. Hope you enjoy the holiday with your loved ones. And do drop some change into the MDA cups or firemen's boots you see everywhere. My mom has MD, so this one hits close to home, too.