Doctor's visit

As I expected, got no wisdom from the medical community. Sigh. When I told my doc what the ER visits entailed, she did order a holter monitor for 48 hours. Go in to get that on the 13th.

I find it totally predictable that with the 3 doctors I've seen in the past month with shortness of breath, dizziness and racing heart - not ONE of them asked me about my diet or exercise habits. Grrrrrr.

I've felt better after starting the past couple of days with toast and eating crackers during the day. So I think part of this is the lack of carbs. And remember that study that found women had memory problems when they were doing low carb diets? Wonder if that was why I was having trouble finding words and getting paper towels when I needed toilet paper? Hmmmmm????

I'm going to see my regular chiropractor tomorrow. I'll see if she has any ideas.

Hubby is home. YAY!

Ugh

Yeah, that time. Hideous headache and cramps. Bleah And up a few pounds, but still down from the pre-diarrhea day. I consider that a victory. ;-)

I was looking back at my food journal and I may have been kind of light on the carbs and starches. So I started my day with toast and made sure to eat crackers later, too. Not sure if that will make a difference with my light-headedness or not. I have my follow-up with my regular doc tomorrow (Tuesday) morning so we'll see what she says.

TOM blues

OK, I'm due to start my period tomorrow. I'm not only retaining water, I'm retaining other things since my horrible day last Sunday. ;-) Yuk! We had our pistol course on the range today, so it's been a long, hot day and I feel even more bloated because of that. I actually only went for the second half of the day when we did individual shooting instruction with a student. I don't think I'd have made it through a full day! But I had an awesome student who scored 237 out of 250 on her qualification. Time to get to bed now!

Good news - the other day, I went to a local Kmart because they carry the long Lee Riders jeans. Well, turns out that store is closing, which was nice because everything was at least 25% off, but bad that they didn't have a very good selection of jeans left. I did get some khakis, capris and shorts - all in TENS - which was REALLY REALLY good. (Happy feet dance!) But I am disapppointed they are closing down. And I did notice that they had NO longs in size 8, so I'd better quit dropping sizes. :-D

GREAT news - hubby gets home on Tuesday. He's been gone for over 2 weeks and it's been years since we've been apart for that long. I don't like it! (And bad timing because of the first issue I mentioned!) ;-P And then my sister and her kids will come on Wed or Thurs. It will be fun to have them here for the 4th. Our little town has an awesome fireworks display and the adjacent small town has a fun street fair and parade during the day.

My cat is lying on my arm and she keeps biting my thumb. I'm thinking it may be because I'm typing and not petting her??? Goofy cat.

Not sure if any of you out there are fans of the channel TCM, but they have had some AWESOME movies on all weekend. Yesterday was Hitchcock all day. I LURV me some old movies!!!! :-D Hitchcock totally ROCKS! I DVRed the ones that were on in the middle of the night.

Well, really need to get to bed. G'nite all!

SIZE TEN BABY!!!!!!

OK, by request from Patty, I'm posting a before photo. I really dislike this photo of us on the left. I'm down 55lbs, hubby is down about 100 from this day in 2005. Photo on right is August 2008. And no, I'm not quite at goal. My number goal is 165. There are a few jiggly bits I still want to firm up and I think that will lower the weight a bit. ;-) I'm happy with the size, though. I don't think I can get below a 10 at my height without looking like a starving refugee. ;-)














The 8/10 Danskin capris. And they aren't even skin tight! WOOOT! Shortly after taking these, I sat down and my kitty climbed in my lap and covered the black with white hairs.












OK, I decided that no one is EVER allowed to look at me straight on when I'm wearing jeans. It's just NOT a flattering angle. So I will be turning slightly one way or another when I take updated photos.

Feeling a little better

I ventured out today to get my nails done and pick up some stuff at Walmart. Still got a little short of breath, but I just took it slow. A friend of mine got a pedicure at the same time so it was good to catch up and chat! (Hi, Lynda!)

Had a senior moment and bought Brawny paper towels, when I really NEEDED Charmin! Dang it! Didn't realize it until I got home. Yesterday while at the ER, I was telling the kids about Marley & Me and I said "infected" when I meant to say "neutered." What the heck?????? The virus must be moving to my brain! But I resisted the Cheetos, that I passed TWICE, thank you very much! Very proud of myself.

Found a beautiful pearl ring on clearance, too at Walmart! Woot! I'm excited to get that as a mom remembrance thing. Needed to get it sized, so they sent it off to do that. Hope to have it within the next two weeks.

I called a friend of mine whose hubby does some unorthodox health stuff and I'm going to try to get in to see him. Unfortunately, they are going to be out of town until after the 4th, so it'll be a while. I just don't have a whole lotta faith in the conventional medical system.

Another ER visit

Today I was really light-headed and short of breath every time I stood up, just like yesterday. So I got out the oximeter and checked my O2 level and pulse rate. O2 was 94-95% and pulse rate was 135, which is a little high with no exertion. My sister called and asked what I was up to and when I told her, she made me promise to go see the doctor. I woke up my son and asked him to drive me to the ER and my daughter met us there.

Once again, no real answers, but they ruled out an imminent heart attack. :-P The doctor said dizziness is very difficult to find a reason for. My blood work all came back fine and my heartbeat was regular, just a little fast once in a while. EKG was done, too and that was fine. She recommended following up with a cardiologist and getting an echo and ultrasound done on my heart. At least this visit was under 4 hours instead of 8! So tired of not feeling good.

Today I had a serious craving for Cheetos. Thankfully I was not well enough to traverse the aisles of the grocery store. ;-)

Lose 4.4lbs in 24 hours! - 173.4

No crunches, No cardio!

Yes, you can do this, too!

I just don't recommend it.

Spent all day in bed yesterday other than the 100 or so trips to the bathroom with explosive diarrhea. I was having flashbacks to the preps for colonoscopies and barium enema. NOT COOL! Actually when I was at the ER last week, when the doc said it was probably a virus, he said he was surprised I didn't have diarrhea. So is this the same bug and it took a week to travel through my digestive system?????

I did eat some toast and applesauce throughout the day. Later on figured I should get some protein so I had some peanut butter on toast. In the late evening, started feeling nauseous, too and regretted the peanut butter, but never did throw up.

Today, I'm having to take it really slow. Every time I get up, I get a head rush and everything goes black for a bit. And once again, I'm short of breath. I don't buy this as a virus! I think something else is going on and I REALLY want to figure out what it is. I have a follow up app't with my primary doc next Tuesday. Not sure I want to wait that long, but I have a feeling the only way I'll get seen before that is through the ER and I really don't want to go sit there for 8 hours again!

So anyway, my weight this morning is 173.4, which would be totally fantabulous if the cost wasn't so terribly high. And it probably won't stay that low. I need to get some fuel in me so I have the energy to go downstairs to let the cats out!

For the HYC check in, last Tuesday's weight was 180.4, so that's a seven pound loss for the week. Not a healthy way to lose, but a loss is a loss, I guess.

Low fat snacking

Here's an interesting fact. And a good reason to stay away from those packaged "low-fat" snacks.

"Even those of us trying to picks "healthy" snacks are often fooled by packaging. For example, Cornell University researchers found that people tend to eat an average of 28 percent more calories when snacking on low-fat foods. After all, flavor has to come from somewhere, and when food marketers eliminate fat, they often make up for it with sugar. "

Check out the Survive any snack bar list from Men's Health

TEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it the pounds I've lost?


No


Is it how I rate my pain on a scale of 1 to 10?


No


Is it the miles I travel to buy fresh fruits and veggies?


No


It is the SIZE of the long, non-stretch Levi jeans I bought today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also got size M (8/10) Danskin workout capris. WOOT! I can't tell you how hard it was not to scream and holler in the dressing room!
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!

Didn't like the pic from the front. It was difficult trying to get good photos with the tripod, so I'll try again tomorrow.

Today - a new low! - 177.8

Woohoo! Today's weight is 177.8 so I'm doing the happy dance. And when I went to bed last night, weight was 179.8, so I was totally psyched to be in the 70's at night. :-D And that put's my BMI in the NORMAL range. Woot!

Edit: Yes, my fridge got its new thermostat today. $249 for a piece that's about 4 square inches. :-P He said the water line for the ice cube maker may take a week to thaw. He said trying to thaw it quicker could rupture the line. Definitely don't want to do that.

A few bloggers have posted lately about decluttering and that is the subject of today's email from Denise Austin.

Feel Great!

Clear Out the Clutter

Keeping your home clean and free of clutter is a key component to healthy living. Clutter builds up quickly; most people don't even realize that they're pack rats until they start going through closets and realize they have shoes they haven't worn in a decade or piles of newspapers dating back to 2000!

If this is you, it's time to declutter your home. Remember the old adage "Cluttered home, cluttered mind"? Rejuvenate your peace and well-being by vowing to clear up the clutter. To decide whether something is worth keeping or not:

• Go room by room, tidying each room completely before moving on.
• Establish zones or boxes for trash, recycling, charity, sentimental or monetary value, and undecided items.
• If an item is going into the sentimental box, ask yourself what you plan to do with it. Will you give it to your children or a friend? Is it really worth keeping? For example, do you think your child will want your fifth-grade report card?
• If you think an item has monetary value, consider having it appraised. You may learn it has none, or you might decide to sell it for some extra green!
• For items in the undecided box, give yourself a deadline. If you do nothing with the items by your next decluttering session (say, in three to six months), consider tossing or donating them to charity.

Remember, coming home to a clean and clutter-free space will leave you feeling calm and relaxed. Embrace the concept — you'll be glad you did.

Today's weigh in

Back into the 70's. Whew! Barely - 179.8, but glad to see the 7 again.

Here's Denise Austin's Fitness Flash

Is Your Scale Stuck?

Many times, people who start my plan become worried when they notice a weight gain instead of a loss after their first few weeks of exercising. Or they're concerned because they've added plenty of movement to their day, but the pounds just aren't dropping off.

If you're exercising and eating right, the most likely explanation for why you don't weigh less is actually good news: your increased activity is building muscle! Don't panic: Additional muscle mass can cause you to weigh more, but it looks much more trim and fit! Muscle tissue also uses more energy than fat, meaning you'll be burning more calories even when you're not exercising.

So try to focus on more than just the scale! Don't forget to measure lost inches with a tape measure and the Inch Tracker, and remember that even if you're gaining muscle weight, you're increasing your fat-burning potential and reshaping your figure at the same time. Be proud — you're working hard and your body is changing for the better. Keep it up!

HYC check in

Up a little this morning. But since I'm sick and resting to get better, I'm not going to fret about it.

Took my son in for a follow-up and he's doing much better. Since we had to drive an hour it helped me realize, I'm not at 100% yet! Wiped me out!

My fridge is broken, it's FREEZING everything. Not good! The repair guy came yesterday after 5, so the parts store was already closed. He called today and can't get the part until THURSDAY! So I went and bought a mini-fridge so I can have some milk and my son's IV meds aren't blocks of ice. :-(

Enough!

Dang! Another day with rain, hail, lightning and thunder. EVERY day lately! Just getting a little old. Hope the weather is a little better in Denver. My kids went to Elitch Gardens today. It's a Six Flags park. (Edit later: my daughter called to check on me and said they had twisters overhead a few times and they were herded into buildings on one occasion! Sheesh! Glad they are all OK. I was very surprised to hear that she was quite calm about it. Wind usually puts her into a panic attack.)

The good part about rain - the rainbows!

I'm starting to find health blogs amusing in a certain way. Many of them have photographs of what they ate and many more TALK about what they ate. Some of them talk about what they USED to binge on. And what do all those photos and words do? THEY MAKE YOU HUNGRY! So I'm thinking I should limit my time of reading them to only when I've already eaten a good meal or while I'm eating. :-)

ER visit

After feeling weird all day Thursday, I felt better yesterday, but still a little wiped out and had some dizziness when I got up. After I changed the cat's litter box late last night, I felt like I had a stitch in my side. It was hurting pretty good and I had to do some deep breathing to get my bed made after washing the sheets. I figured I would get to bed and sleep it off. Ha ha. Terrible cramping kept me up all night and I finally decided I should get checked out. Called the AF Academy urgent care clinic, but they said to go to the nearest ER. I asked Kendall if he'd be able to drive me, but he'd taken his Ambien not too long ago. There were a couple of moments when I wasn't sure I would be able to make it driving myself, but I did. When I got there around 6:30 or so, the nice thing was, there was no one else there, so I got right in.

They gave me some morphine, zofran and some other drug I didn't know for the cramping. I got SUCH a dry mouth almost immediately, and of course they told me not to eat or drink anything. They did a CT scan 2 hours after I drank some contrast stuff (looked just like water) and I asked if I could drink when the CT was done, but she told me I had to wait for results - another 2 hours almost. Argh. I had to ring for the nurse and ask for something for a headache. I don't do well not eating or drinking anything! Once the nurse brought that med, I asked if I could have water and he brought me some. Kisa came by to take me home. After getting all of those drugs, I wasn't allowed to drive myself. I have a very sore throat from going that long without fluids, so my voice is pretty hoarse, too.

The results - I have inflamed lymph nodes in my abdomen. Doc said it seems to be a virus that should go away in 4-5 days. (Wonder if it's the same virus that had me dizzy and short of breath for the last few weeks!???) He gave me ibuprofen for inflammation, vicodin for pain and miralax for cleaning out the bowels. Yay.....not. I asked if I could workout, nurse said I should probably listen to my body and give it a rest and Kisa said she's going to call and make sure I'm resting. ;-) I'm in trouble for not calling her before I went in, but I figured she was home and fast asleep. Turns out, she was driving past our exit around the time I left, so if I'd have called, she'd have been able to take me in. Oh well. :-)

I now desperately need to get some rest so I'm off to bed.

Soap and Chocolate Giveaway

I love reading Mizfit's blog. She always has amazing info, amusing videos and guest bloggers.

One of her guest bloggers is Diana at Soap & Chocolate and she created a "You might be a health blogger if...." list. It's quite hilarious. Read it and add a comment to be entered in her Soap & Chocolate giveaway!

Feeling blech

Not sure why I'm feeling like this. My neck has been spasming and it feels like when you have a fever, feels like a cold knife stabbing you. Went to the chiropractor today and she manipulated it some. It probably is stress accumulating in my neck. Then my stomach has been feeling weird. Thought for a while I might throw up, but my abdomen just continues to cramp up.

The lab called yesterday and when they took my son's blood on Tuesday, they used the wrong tubes, so they wanted us to come in and do it all over again. Kendall didn't go for that AT ALL. He was so mad. So I talked to the nurse and we're going to skip getting the levels and she put him on another antibiotic and we're supposed to go in on Tuesday to see how he's doing. He's feeling better so hopefully we can avoid a hospital stay right now.

I had my lung function test today. I think I did pretty well. Won't find out any details until my follow-up app't on the 30th. (The same day hubby gets back from Korea - he left tonight.) I spent a lot of time napping this evening. Today really seemed to wear me out.

I read the article about Kirstie Alley gaining her weight back in a magazine at the doctor's office. She ate whatever she wanted and didn't exercise at all after her contract with Jenny Craig ended. She never got on the scale, and thought she was up to 190. Finally got on a scale and was 224! That's how easy it sneaks up on you. She's moved her gym equipment back into the living room from the garage and has a trainer again. She said she won't do it just by herself, but will push herself to the max with a trainer challenging her.

MamaBear says no to scale today

I got about six hours of sleep for two hours at a time, so I avoided the scale today. I'm always heavier when I get less than 8 hours of sleep. Had to get up and hook up my son's IV med, then get up and take him to the lab to get blood drawn, then go again 4 hours later.

Oh, and an added comment about weight loss surgery. I do think that it may be the only way for some people who need to lose a great deal of weight and I think it can be a great option. I had a cousin who was well over 400lbs who had it and she was sooooo happy afterward. But then she got a blood clot in her leg and died at the age of 40. It made me so sad. A friend of hers told my sister that she hadn't been taking very good care of herself or following doctor's orders. So if anyone out there has had it, please, please, please do what the doctor recommends. And take good care of yourself.

Oh, hey, I just found out. We don't need to work out anymore. There's a Nivea cream that will get rid of your cellulite and get you ready for a bikini! ;-) Sheesh!

HYC Check-in

I'll weigh in the morning and update. Today (Monday morning) I was up a bit from my low, but less than one pound. No biggie after a munchie-craving week at TOM. This month is going to stink in that hubs will be in Korea from the 12th-30th. Boooo. We thought it would just be 10 days. Well, maybe we need the distance to appreciate each other more. ;-)

Then right around the time he gets back, my little sister and her kids will be coming to Colorado to stay with us for a few days until her husband flies in and then they'll all go to Breckenridge for a vacation. They sure deserve it. She did a LOT during the past few months of Mom's illness since they live in the same town.

Hey, have you checked out the Calorie King website? It makes searching for fast food items a lot easier than the separate chains' websites, which some of them don't even have. By the way, my FAVORITE onion rings are the towering stack at Red Robin. Yummmm. The stats on those???? Sit down. 1837 calories, 124g of FAT, 160g total carbs. Holy freakin' crap! And yeah, I could eat an entire order by myself! But that's the reason I don't go to Red Robin anymore. Cuz when I walk in there, I can't stop the words from coming out of my mouth to order these suckers!

New show on Discovery Health TV

New to me, anyway! It's called "I Lost it!" and they have 2 weight loss stories during a half hour. I was disappointed that the first one was weight loss surgery. I don't mean to diminish their accomplishment, I just like hearing about the people who did it strictly with hard work. It seems like two different categories to me. There were 2 episodes on and I did enjoy hearing about the journeys of all of them. One man lost over 100 pounds in six months without surgery! (And I thought my hubby did it fast in a year!) The guy on TV did it the low carb way, which I really don't care for. I just think cutting out anything like that can be unhealthy and after reading about the women who had memory problems on the low-carb diet, but regained it as soon as they started eating carbs again, it seems like something to avoid. Just sayin'. :-)

And a totally random thought - I love the two Sonic guys!!!! The other pairs just AREN'T FUNNY! :-D

More awesome info

Love the Eat This, Not That lists. Now, find out what to eat or NOT eat before donning the swimsuit.

Sounds like the really bad boy to avoid is Chicken Caesar Salad!
"Salt binges can lead you to retain more water than the Hoover Dam. This one should be obvious. With parmesan cheese, fried croutons, salty dressing and anchovies, chicken Caesar salad is one of the most sodium-packed foods out there. (Versions at certain sit-down chains can contain more than 1,900 mg of sodium!) But it's not just the salt; Caesar ranks right up there with taco salads as one of the most misbegotten "health" foods out there. Some versions at sit-down chain restaurants have more than 1,000 calories, 75 grams of fat and nearly 2,000 milligrams of sodium. (YEOUCH!) Chicken can be a great option, though, because it's a lean meat with protein that fills you up and helps you fight belly fat. Grilled chicken sandwiches can give you the same full feeling as the Caesar salad, without the huge caloric load and bulging belly. Add a side salad with vinaigrette dressing, and you've got a more complete meal with only about 200 extra milligrams of sodium."

Rise to the challenge

From Denise Austin's email
Rise to the Challenge!

Ever wonder how professional athletes are born? Sure, they have tremendous talent that lets them run faster, jump higher, or hit the ball harder than the average person. But these men and women couldn't reach their level of success if they didn't push themselves — physically and mentally. And that's really the key to accomplishing any feat!

If your workouts aren't challenging enough, you risk getting bored and then losing interest altogether. And when you perform the same routine over and over again, your body gets used to these movements and eventually starts running on cruise control — and that's when you might notice that the scale isn't budging.

Never be afraid to turn things up a notch! Switch up your routine — in every aspect of your life! Do things you've never done before. Tired of the treadmill? Get in step with salsa dancing! Sick of cooking the same meals? Experiment with different flavors by using vegetables, herbs, and spices you've never tried before!

And when you meet these challenges, you'll see that the rewards are huge! You'll improve your body, expand your mind, gain self-confidence — and you'll be living proof that anything's possible! Give it a try!

June contest

OK, John is fit is having a new contest and since I won a BIKE in his contest last summer, I'm not going to pass up the chance to win again! Yeah, I'm greedy! ;-) And I REALLY like cash!

And since I'm so greedy, I'm going for the 3 extra entries, too. To get those, I need to write about John's Product reviews - like the pedometer review. I obviously was not smart enough to read John's reviews and just picked one up at Walmart. First one, lost it while shopping one day. Stupid clip on thing that doesn't hang on very well. Plus it was a talking one and several times it scared the crap out of me, so good riddance! :-P The second one, it took me almost half an hour to figure out how to set it up. But the clip is more secure and it hasn't yet been knocked off by any of my daily activities yet. And it hasn't scared me, but it does rattle a bit. Annoying. But what do you do when you are wearing a dress with no belt???? Maybe I should get a holster for my thigh. Whaddaya think???? ;-D

Son is sick

My son has not been doing well and we went to the Children's Hospital yesterday. His weight was down and his O2 sats weren't very good. He has Cystic Fibrosis, a lung disease. When we first moved to Colorado, he averaged 3-4 hospital stays every year, but it's been TWO YEARS since his last stay, so we thank God for His mercies. We've got extra IV meds and the inhaled antibiotic that was unavailable for a while, and Kendall thinks that's why he's been coughing so much lately. We go back on Friday and if he isn't better by then, he'll have to be admitted, so prayers are much appreciated. He and his dad went car shopping today. He ended up with a brand new purple Hyundai Elantra. He's pretty excited, naturally. He'd saved some and we gave him the same amount we spent on his sister's car when she graduated high school. (Minus the repairs MY car needs after he backed it into a fence last weekend.) :-)

I've decided that I need to avoid all alcohol while I'm still grieving my mom's passing. Tonight I had a couple of glasses of wine and got very weepy. It may be a coincidence or hormones or who knows what. It's that time of the month, but I'm usually most emotional 2 weeks before, not during. (This week did include Mom's b'day so that may be a big part of it, too.)

This week I've alternated cardio and strength training. Did my weights today and we did some ballroom dancing tonight, but got there late because of the car shopping excursion, so we didn't get as much dancing in as we normally do.

Musings and a look back

As I take a break from challenges, I'm trying to catch up with the bloggers I adore. There are SO MANY of you who are talented writers and deep thinkers about your journey. I feel like my blog is often pretty boring in comparison! :-) And it's hard to keep up with everyone.

Then, someone new comments on my blog and I find a new friend and I just have to read her entire blog. My new friend is Diane. Check out her fit to the finish blog and program. She's lost 150 pounds! WOW! AND, kept it off for 12 years.

I decided I would give a recap of my path to health. Also have some health issue updates. This will be a long one, so get a big glass of ice water or a cup of green tea and kick up your feet! ;-)

My journey has taken quite a while. It took a certain photograph (isn't that usually the story???) to make me stop and find the determination to change my health and that meant changing habits! When we lived in Texas, we bought a treadmill, mainly for our son who has serious health issues. That treadmill stood in our very large master bedroom and was rarely used. And who wants to walk OUTSIDE in south Texas where summer lasts 11 months out of the year? Well, in our house in Colorado, the treadmill now stands in the finished basement and the first habit I started was walking on that treadmill. Started out slow, but walked six days a week for quite a while. Lost a couple of sizes and about 15 pounds, then stalled. Sigh, OK, guess I'll need to start eating better. I also started doing stability ball workouts. (I'd bought one when we lived in Texas and a bunch of us homeschool moms got together once to learn how to use them from a personal trainer. But it was about as neglected as the treadmill.)

A few books that have helped me along the way:
Flip the Switch by Robert K. Cooper, PhD - has lots of great ideas for fueling your metabolism & burning fat 24 hours a day. It also has lots of tasty, healthy recipes.

the Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczenko - love the list of the Abs Diet power foods that have so many yummy options. Also has lots of tasty recipes. This book has some great weight-lifting routines which I continue to use.

Flat Belly Diet by Liz Vaccariello - the one book that really helped me turn the corner and up my weight loss to more than a couple pounds a month! Many, MANY wonderful recipes and the specific portions and calorie counts were what made the light bulb come on for me. I had been eating a LOT more calories than I realized, so that explained my snail's pace with the weight loss in the past. This book had pages for journaling about your emotions before and after meals, plus gave you some little steps to take that helps you notice your patterns with meals. AND get rid of the unhealthy habits you may have incorporated.

And not a book but the magazine Prevention has been one of the best magazine subscriptions I've ever bought. They have wonderful food advice, different workouts to shake things up a bit if you get bored with your current routine, and it's MUCH cheaper than a gym membership. ;-) I do almost all of my working out at home (other than the ballroom dance lessons my husband and I take.) :-D Most of the new things I try are fairly inexpensive, like my latest toy, the Ultimate Abs ball by Danskin. I think this is the best workout I've ever done for abs, especially the obliques!

My body seems to be breaking down, the more I incorporate healthy habits. Seems SOOOO not fair, but maybe I'd be a lot worse off if I didn't have those healthy habits. Digestive issues led to an endoscopy and THREE colonoscopies within 3 months last year. Ugh. Nothing serious was found, but I did have to get a barium enema as a follow-up and that's where it was discovered that I have a tortuous colon that is QUITE long. Any future colonoscopies, I'll be insisting on general anesthesia. Nuff said.

Lately I've had some shortness of breath with very little exertion, like taking a shower or just walking from the living room into the kitchen. I went to the urgent care clinic a while ago and that doc thought it was just a virus. I saw my regular doc today and told her it's continuing. Not constant, just enough to make you go - huh??? As the day went on and I was thinking about everything, I'm wondering if I'm breathing too shallowly when I'm at rest. Today the doc did a peak flow test, an EKG and a chest x-ray. Also ordered pulmonary function test and I have that appointment next week. I'll have a follow-up app't with her on the 30th. I also told her that it should probably be noted in my records that my mom died of ovarian cancer and 3 of her sisters have had cancer, two of them breast cancer, including my youngest aunt who is only 10 years older than me.

With all of my frustration over slow weight loss, I knew that I couldn't quit if I wanted to be healthy. So on I go. I'm not going to obsess over every little thing I eat. I still want to be able to enjoy life, time with friends and family and be able to splurge on a treat now and then. Everything in moderation. :-)

Fitness Flash from Denise Austin

Fitness Flash
Are You Committing a Fitness Faux Pas?
Are you sabotaging your own fitness agenda? Lots of people make certain mistakes when working out. Learn how to avoid these exercise pitfalls — your workouts will be safer and more effective! Here are six common workout problems — are you guilty? — along with solutions.

* Working out while tired: Not getting enough rest can lead to sloppy technique and an injury (not to mention crabbiness!). Get your rest the night before, or take a power nap right before exercising.
* Forgetting to warm up: Skipping a warm-up can lead to injury. It's best to warm up with dynamic stretches — moving stretches — and/or light cardio for about five minutes — your body will thank you later!
* Using momentum to lift weights: If you jerk your motions, you're not working your muscles and you could hurt yourself. Make sure your movements are slow and controlled — when you lift and when you lower weights.
* Leaning on the handrails of the stair-climber, elliptical trainer, or treadmill: This weakens the effect of your workout and can even injure your wrists and back. Instead, stand up tall and lightly hold the handrails for balance.
* Locking your knees: Always keep your knees slightly bent to prevent an injury.
* Getting stuck in a workout rut: Bordeom leads to quitting! Keep things fresh and interesting — change up your routine!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday, so I'm going to be laying low. I'm a little envious that she gets to celebrate with Jesus this year. I may go shopping for a pearl ring to remember her by since that was her birthstone.

Love you, Mom and miss you terribly.

Productive

Yesterday I got a ton of stuff done. I remembered to put on my pedometer in the morning. I boxed stuff up from my office that I don't need daily (hardly EVER!) and put it all downstairs in my daughter's old room. She had two large closets, one with large shelves, so I'm going to store stuff in there. I also bagged up a lot more clothes to give away - all of my size 14 jeans are gone! :-D So with all of the trips up and down the stairs I got in more than 10,000 steps. And my daughter came by to spend the day with us and visit the kitties, so all four of us had dinner together, which was very nice.

In a box of summer clothes, I sorted through some shorts and found some 16s and held them up to the size 12s and was really surprised by the difference. Love it! I ended up staying up way too late because I have a hard time stopping in the middle of a project. Sigh. But I did get a lot accomplished.

Started my period this morning, so feeling blah all day, but I did do my ultimate abs ball workout (the stretches do feel good if you get back cramps) and my weight-lifting routine. Then I went to my hair appointment and got to watch another thunderstorm. Seems to be a daily occurrence lately!

I was a little shocked the other day looking at my ticker when I realized that I have less than 15lbs to go to goal! When it's 30 or 40lbs away, it seems like SO MUCH and all of a sudden it feels doable! (OK, it's a little more than 15 with the TOM bump. Still doable.) ;-)