Monday, August 31, 2009

Another app't

Had an echo done at the cardiology office today. Most of the other patients at the clinic are around 20 years older than me, so I feel kind of weird going there. ;-) Follow-up app't to get results isn't until next Thursday. The supplements the doc wanted me to stop are iodine and adrenolyph plus. I stopped them both after Thursday, but had racing heart and shortness of breath every day since, so I'm not sure they are the culprit.

I've had the mood swings, the munchies and the sore boobs, but my period is over a week late. Weird. And no, I'm not pregnant. I stopped ovulating last year according to the testing I had done by my chiropractor. Argh. Really don't want to have it this weekend, so I'm hoping it just skips this month! Too much to ask???

My son saw a neurologist on Friday. She said she's hopeful that he'll recover completely but it may take up to a year and a half. He needs to have the nerve conduction test done. We'll have to go back up to Denver for that. She also asked us to get an MRI done, which we should be able to do here in our area.

OK, Sonic advertising team, looks like I have to tell you this again. ONLY THE TWO DUDES ARE FUNNY! Couple - not funny. Two chicks - not funny. Mom and son - not funny. New couple - so NOT funny. ONLY THE TWO DUDES. Don't try to mess with a good thing. Just bring back the silly boys and no one will get hurt.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Cardiology

Saw the cardiologist today. It was basically just a get acquainted appointment and him gathering info. I'm having an echo done on Monday as a first step and he's going to try to get the details of my holter monitor results. The only thing they gave me was an overview and he said the devil is usually in the details.

He thinks it MIGHT be the iodine I've been taking and expressed some concerns about the over the counter supplements I've been taking and said that since they aren't tested, no one really knows everything they do to our bodies. I told him I'm willing to do some trials going off them one at a time to see if that makes a difference. He also said that I may just need to take a beta blocker and that if it's a switch in my heart malfunctioning, no diet or exercise steps will do anything to affect it (after I told him I didn't necessarily want to jump straight to medication.)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009



Thanks so much to Tasha at Today is for tomorrow for the lovely award. I actually did get this one a while back so already passed it on to others. :-)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

HYC check in

How does TOM come around so quickly once again???? I'm having the munchies and the mood swings, but it hasn't actually started. Urgh. So weight is up a bit, but I'm continuing the activity. Took the whole weekend off because Saturday I was fighting a migraine and Sunday I was just in a very crabby mood. Today I worked up a stinkin sweat on the treadmill, wearing 3 pedometers to just check them against the info on the treadmill. :-) They were all fairly close, other than the first pedometer I ever bought which said I'd gone 4.88 miles when everything else said 2.4 miles.

I did walk during Kendall's OT yesterday for 45 minutes, then in the evening, hubby wanted to walk so I said I'd ride my bike and yes, it started RAINING again! But we gave it some time and did get the exercise in and I finally did my 2009 inaugural ride on my Lipton Fuji bike, that I won last year in a contest that John is Fit held with the sponsorship of Lipton.

Jen at PriorFatGirl is having an awesome giveaway so go check it out. It's for a great cookbook.

Oh yeah, daughter update. She didn't get the first job, but they called her yesterday about a different admin job that starts on Sept 24 in San Antonio. Interviewed her on the spot and really liked her personable personality. I know she'd be really happy to get back to Texas, it's where her heart is, so I'm hoping it all works out. :-D She needs to be near her beloved orcas and dolphins at Sea World.

Words of wisdom from Denise Austin
Get Past Your Cravings!

Those stubborn cravings we all get can be more than just annoying. They can even derail your hard work and effort! You can get past them, though, without bingeing or racing off track. Here's how!

If you feel hunger coming on, you shouldn't automatically reach for food. Before you eat, take a minute to think about what you're feeling. Ask yourself if you're really hungry. If you haven't eaten in a while and your energy is low, maybe your body is telling you to eat! If that's the case, grab a healthy snack and you'll feel better in no time.

But if you've just eaten, you might be having a craving. One of the best ways to beat cravings is to distract yourself. Take a walk, phone a friend, or get up from your desk and move. Sometimes just changing your surroundings can change the way you feel!

Thirst can also feel like hunger! Pour yourself a refreshing glass of water and then see how you feel. Here's another simple trick: If you're having a craving, pop a piece of gum in your mouth. Sometimes the act of chewing is enough to get your mind off that pesky craving. You can do it!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Sooooo excited!

Our 22nd anniversary is coming up (Sept 1) and we decided to book a weekend at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs the following weekend. It's quite a fancy place and we've never stayed there. We also booked a couple's massage for Saturday afternoon. I can't wait! They have several types of fitness classes and if there's an aqua one on Saturday morning, I may do that, too.

Last night our ballroom dance instructor held a Latin dance from 8-11 and we danced quite a bit. It was so much fun. I even danced once with Vladimir, another instructor who has danced professionally. I was terrified but it was fun! :-)

This morning I have another migraine threatening. I'm thinking it may be a cold coming on. My sinuses are hurting. So I'm drinking the Emergen-C and taking it easy. I really wanted to go to the Farmer's Market this morning, but couldn't stand the idea of being out in the sun. :-P

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The beat goes on

We did dance on Tuesday night. Love the cha-cha, but it is pretty vigorous and I was a little light-headed so had to take it a little slow. It was a lot of fun. It had been a while since we did an intermediate lesson on the cha-cha so we really enjoyed it.

Felt better yesterday and walked over 2 miles while my son was at OT. A friend joined me on the walk, so it was a lot more fun and seemed to go a lot faster with someone to talk to! Thanks, Lynda! :-D

Tonight I have a chocolate party and my fridge is on the fritz again, freezing stuff, so the heavy whipping cream I need to make the mousse is a solid block so I need to run to the store. Sigh. One extra errand I did NOT need!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Healthy You Check in

I'm up a pound from last week, but I'm not going to worry about it. I've been really active; walking 6x and lifting weights 3x a week. I spent this morning in bed with a migraine trying to avoid throwing up. I'm hoping I'll be up for a ballroom dance lesson tonight. It's intermediate cha-cha. One of our favorites!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Word of warning

Taking the personal protection course made me think about my fellow health bloggers. Many of you go out running or walking with an ever present ipod. I would just like to put out a word of caution when using those. They do make you unaware of your surroundings at times. You can get so wrapped up in the music, you can not notice other things going on around you. This can be dangerous in an area where there aren't many other people around. You feel safe in your regular routine. But it can make you vulnerable to danger. The level of violence in our society is increasing and although a criminal may realize you don't have credit cards or cash on you while out walking/jogging, they may not be looking for money. So PLEASE, if you are out alone, pay attention to the environment around you. And realize that not everyone intent on mischief or violence may not LOOK like a hoodlum.

And of course this also applies to vehicles when the driver may not be attentive. Please be careful and AWARE!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

My head is going to explode

It's just been a wild week. Appt's on 4 of the 5 weekdays. Then last night my husband comes home with the news that his boss in San Antonio may have a job for our daughter.....in San Antonio! OK, happy if she gets a job, but it's so far away! I was so happy she was staying in Colorado for now. Sigh. I'll be happy for her if she gets hired, her dream is to get back to Texas. But I'll miss her.

I tried three times this week to get out on my bike. The first time I discovered the tires were low, so I tried to fill them and my pump hose was broken. Got a new pump yesterday at Walmart and filled the tires. Woke up this morning planning to ride my bike, but by the time I'd dressed and fixed my protein smoothie it was raining. Walked on the treadmill. This evening, hubby wanted to go for a walk, so I figured I would take my bike. As we walked out, it started raining and the wind started blowing. :-/ Hopefully, I'll get another chance before the snow flies. But the daily thunderstorms are getting a little OLD.

Definitely starting to PMS. I want to eat everything in the house! Trying to limit it to just half of what's in the house. ;-)

OK, WHAT THE HECK! As soon as I posted this, the little advertising thing on the right said HelloSanAntonio.com ARE YOU KIDDING ME???????

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

HYC check in - 176.8

Weight today is 176.8. Coming back down! I have been doing really well with my eating habits. Yesterday I walked for 40 min while Kendall was at his OT appointment, plus another 30 minute walk in the evening with my husband. There was a REALLY cool cloud over the mountains that looked EXACTLY like the clouds in Independence Day (the movie) when the space ships entered our atmosphere. It was a little freaky!

Just got some info on some incredible new products we now have with Dove. Oh, I can't WAIT to taste some of the new things. Dark chocolate caramel nut clusters. Yummmmm You can check out the new catalog here! Click on the box that says "Tour Current Catalog."

Check out All Vegged Out's Healthy Snack Giveaway.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Whew, what a weekend!

I had SUCH a great time on the range yesterday. Shot over 250 rounds of ammo with my Springfield XD 9mm subcompact. (I LOVE that gun!) ;-)


The basic pistol class where my hubby and I are instructors is sort of a beginner's class. It covers gun type, ammo, SAFETY (the most important part!) and the fundamentals of good target shooting. It is probably one of the best courses in the country. The man who owns the gun store is very committed to teaching anyone who wants to own a gun for personal protection the most stringent safety rules for gun handling. The NRA requires that this course be 10 hours. Paul's version involves over 20. And it includes a full day on the range. In the morning, we do a round robin where everyone gets to shoot all kinds of guns owned by the store. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, a muzzle loader, an uzi, an AR15, etc. Then after lunch, we have one on one instruction with a student. We do have some experienced shooters come through who have to unlearn bad habits and learn NRA fundamentals. :-D This class meets the requirement to get a concealed carry permit in Colorado.

The course I took this weekend is called Personal Protection in the Home and is geared toward training for a reaction to an intruder in your home. (There's another course called Personal Protection OUTSIDE the home.) It covers different types of situations and how to prepare and PLAN for them. It also includes a section on the law and what you can face if you do shoot someone who is in your home. Paul also works for the public defender's office doing forensics and he often testifies at trials. One of the people who went through the basic class was an 84yo grandma. She shot and killed a rapist who came into her house. The guy had assaulted several women before that.

Yesterday at the range, we did several exercises on shooting quickly, but accurately. We also practiced shooting from behind cover. After all of the various exercises, we did a mini-match. Moving from target to target quickly and safely, using cover, shooting bad guys and shooting a steel ram from a "window." (I was so excited that I got the ram on the first shot!) One of the targets was holding a hostage and we had to shoot the bad guy without hitting the hostage. The hostage didn't survive every shooter, but I didn't hit him! ;-) One target was 3 bad guys, one partly covered by a wall, one behind the other two. Yep, I got all 3 of 'em with 2 hits each. (The targets were all cardboard silhouettes, we didn't actually shoot any bad guys. LOL) Then we did El Presidente, 3 targets a few feet apart, 2 shots each left to right, then reload, then 2 shots each left to right.

The last drill was called the pit bull drill. Someone runs away from the firing line, pulls a water bottle on a rope, so the bottle is traveling toward the shooter and they have to hit a moving target. Yep, the rabid dog died! About half of the students missed the pit bull. It was so much fun and I was quite pleased with my shooting. I've definitely developed more skills than I had! And the weekend definitely wiped me out! I slept for about 12 hours last night. Definitely needed it. (And yes, we know that not all pit bulls are BAD. :-D It's just an example of a possible living animal threat.)

Didn't track my eating at all this weekend. But I packed healthy food for the classroom and for the range yesterday. Today I'm back into the groove. Did my ultimate abs ball, 1 set of lifting weights before taking my son to OT and doing my 40 minute walk around the park. Got rained on a little bit, but it kept it nice and cool and the thunder didn't start until I was done. Woot!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Sore and oh, so tired

So glad the week is done. Tonight I can really feel the muscles in my BUTT! Not sure if it's the Skechers ShapeUps or the path I took today during my walk. Probably a combination of both. I followed the sidewalk/trail in the park up through a neighborhood. It goes quite a ways further than I'd gone yesterday. There are some gorgeous, large homes along the trail and a few of them had STUNNING gardens! I power-walked up the inclines, so I'm wondering if that's where the extra stretching came in on the glutes.

Unfortunately, I won't get any rest this weekend. I'm attending a Personal Protection in the Home gun class. It's a step up from the basic pistol course where I'm an instructor helping out on the range. I didn't get home until 1am and we have to be back at 2pm tomorrow, then we will be out on the range all day Sunday. It sounds like a pretty fun time with the exercises we'll be doing. I'm looking forward to that part, but it's going to be HOT out there! I don't do real well in the heat. I get very cranky! :-)

But tomorrow before going to class, it's time for a pedicure and nail fill. Yay!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I have a referral

Finally heard about the results of wearing the holter monitor for 2 days. I got the print out from the cardiology clinic and it said something about complex tachycardia. Which basically means I have a fast heart rate. DUH! Today the nurse for my primary doc called and said she's referring me to a cardiologist. Not sure if it will be the one on base at the Air Force Academy or if it will be a civilian. If it's a civilian, I will get a letter from the insurance company in 10 days or so with a name and number to call to make an app't. If it's on base, they should call me to set up an app't. So I will be taking that next step to get evaluated, hopefully soon. I really don't expect them to find anything. But we'll see.

Hubby and I went to a ballroom dance lesson tonight so I got another hour of low-intensity cardio. Waltz and Rumba. It gets me winded when we are doing it constantly, but I notice it didn't record as aerobic steps on my pedometer. But the handbook warned that erratic steps or even going up and down stairs may not register. Whatever!

Got notice of the amount for Kendall's 8 day hospital stay that's being billed to our insurance. Can you say $98,261 and change? Can you say THANK YOU, LORD, for good insurance??? Oh yeah, I can!!!! A few years ago he was in the hospital for four weeks and that one was $220,000+. So grateful for our insurance. We meet our annual catastrophic cap within a couple of months, so from that point out, they cover 100%, even prescriptions. Whew!

The wheels on the bus go round and round

That's what my life feels like right now. Seems like I'm always in the car! Yesterday's app't went well in Denver. The risk management person at Children's said I can send her receipts or bills for the cost of our chiropractic or Occupational Therapy visits. I will include mileage, too.

Today when I took Kendall to OT, I wore my walking shoes and walked on a path in a gorgeous park behind the strip mall where the clinic is located. It included some nice inclines and a path around a pretty pond with a waterfall. His app't took about 45 minutes, so it was perfect for getting my walk in and I did 3 laps. It was a gorgeous day with lots of moms and kids playing on the playground part, guys playing basketball, and a couple of people playing tennis. Since he goes to OT 3 times a week, I'll plan to walk during those appointments.

Yesterday I lifted weights and did the Ultimate Abs ball before we went to Denver, but took a break from walking. These daily appointments are wearing me out. And Kendall's getting pretty tired, too!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

HYC check in - 177

Today's weight is 177.0 so I'm glad to be back down on the scale. I've been doing 45 minutes on the treadmill every day and lifting weights & the Ultimate Abs ball workout every other day.

And yes, the Skechers ShapeUps are weird looking, but the spongey bottom really feels good on the feet. You get a good stretch when you rock back and forth on them. (And I really don't like the black but since it's the ONLY thing they had in my size, that's what I got.)

My son saw the Occupational Therapist today and we'll be seeing him 3x a week. He wants to work on range of motion with Kendall's arm before starting to build up strength again. He also did therapeutic ultrasound and some tissue massage. Tomorrow we have a follow-up at Children's and will talk with the risk management person about the hospital's liability.

Monday, August 3, 2009

FAIL!

My heart rate monitor is no longer working. So in less than a week, the battery is drained????? What the heck? So I guess it will be returning it. :-(

I have been extending my treadmill time. Definitely feeling it in my legs. I'm sure the Skechers ShapeUps have some effect on that. They still make me feel like my feet are falling asleep. So I'm thinking anyone with wider feet might not want to go with the ShapeUps. And I don't have wide feet. :-( Looks like they are coming out with a ShapeUp Sandal, too. I still like the "unavailable right now" Mary Jane sneakers the best!

My weight had been up around 180 for several days, but the scale is going down again. I need to get plenty of sleep tonight so I get a good reading tomorrow. :-)

A very sad time

On a sad note, we in the weight loss blog world tend to become a rather tightly knit community with a few blogs that are our favorites. Jen at PriorFatGirl is one of the very best. Such a sweet young gal with a wonderful attitude and amazing inspiration as she walks this walk of a healthy life. One of her biggest fans has always been her mom, who was MY age. Over the weekend, Jen's mom was killed in an accident and those of us who have come to know her through Jen's blog are also heartbroken for Jen and her family. We grieve with her and pray that the Lord will comfort them all during this time. Jen's mom reminded me of my own. She had a warm, loving spirit and was her daughter's biggest cheerleader and I always felt that from my mom, too. And losing her in April was so difficult, even though I know I will see her again. There is nothing else like the mother-daughter relationship and there's a void in your heart when you can't call Mom with the joys and sorrows of life.

Our family had five months to prepare, cherish our limited time and say good-bye. Jen's family has to deal with a sudden and unexpected loss and I believe that is immeasurably harder. It's a reminder that none of has a guarantee of tomorrow. We should always live with no regrets, appreciating each and every day as a gift of God. God has given our family that perspective ever since my son was found to have a life-shortening, incurable illness. We've come close to losing him a few times. Only God knows the number of days He has ordained for us. It sometimes seems so unfair when loved ones have many fewer days than we'd like! May we have the confidence that we will see our loved ones again when we belong to God. He is faithful to His children.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Finally - sleep!

Slept in today to let my body recoup some of the rest I'd missed out on this week. I definitely needed it. The last two days I bumped up my treadmill to 45 minutes with interval walking. Lifted weights and did the ultimate abs ball yesterday, too.

Can you believe it's AUGUST already!?

The Skechers ShapeUps are certainly interesting. I like the stretches they tell you to do before walking with them. Not sure how much they are working my legs. It feels like they have been. I haven't been sore, but I think my regular walking has kept my legs pretty well toned and after doing the flights of stairs, regular walking feels pretty good! :-)

From the Women's Health website; The Truth About Diet Soda
The best thing you can do for your health is GET RID of this habit!
Another great article; 11 Secrets the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
Some excerpts:
Sure enough, we found that a number of popular products are heavier than the package says. And that means you may be eating more calories than you think.

Keebler; Maybe they simply don't want you to know that when they took out 1 gram of fat, they replaced it with 3 grams of refined flour and sugar.

Kellogg's; Australian researchers have shown that cornflakes raise blood glucose faster and to a greater extent than straight table sugar.

Quaker Doesn't Want You to Know; that a Bowl of Some of Their "Heart-Healthy" Hot Cereals Has More Sugar than the Same Serving Size of Froot Loops.

Researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK found that artificial food coloring and sodium benzoate preservatives are directly linked to increased hyperactivity in children. The additives included Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Red #40, and sodium benzoate, which are commonly found in packaged foods in the United States, but the researchers don't know if it's a combination of the chemicals or if there's a single one that's the primary culprit. You can find Red #40, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6 in Lucky Charms and sodium benzoate in some diet sodas, pickles, and jellies.

The Meat Industry Doesn't Want You to Know; that the Leanest Cuts May Have the Highest Sodium Levels