Posts Tagged ‘Weight loss’

I’ve talked off and on about my attempts to be a healthier person and thought you might be ready for an update. Since I had my annual physical earlier this week, the timing seemed appropriate.

And there is good news and bad news to report.

For the past 5 weeks, I’ve been unable to go to the gym and do my usual routine on the treadmill, strength machines and elliptical machine because of needing to get home to attend to the puppy with the broken leg who has to be confined while he’s in the cast. Since he has to be in said cast for 6 more weeks, I guess my exercise program is curtailed somewhat for that duration. I’m still doing some exercises but the routine is not as beneficial as working out at the gym is. Note to self: GET OUT AND WALK DUMMY!

But, according to the doctor, I’ve lost 8 pounds since I last saw her. My blood pressure is excellent for my age (124/82) and other than my arthritis, I don’t have much of anything to complain about. I last saw her in March for strep throat, so I’ve been very healthy!

The lab work shows that my cholesterol is elevated and according to the message she left on my answering machine yesterday (why can’t they call my cell?? I give them all the numbers to contact me with but they always choose the one where I’m not it seems. ) I need to be on cholesterol medicine. I was on some once, but it made me feel weird so we’ll have to wait and see what this does.

Other things I’ve done to be healthier is to eliminate nearly all sodas (even diet!). I drink coffee, green tea, water and fruit juices limiting sodas to only those occasions when that’s the only thing available to drink. I use Splenda in anything that calls for sugar, limit my consumption of ketchup (which contains LOTS of sugar) and pretty much stick to a soup-and-salad lunch menu. We’re eating a lot of fish and chicken instead of red meat and I’m trying to stick to fresh vegetables or frozen instead of canned ones.  I find a lot of wonderful, low calorie recipes at Gina’s Weight Watchers Recipes that even Ken is enjoying (whether he knows it or not).

Something I NEED to do (especially since there’s a sale on it right now and who can resist a SALE??) is to order Debbie’s A Lean Healthier You. While it might not be the cure-all, it will definitely help me to reinforce my better habits.

I know it’s the holidays and food is of paramount importance during this time, making it really hard to stick to a diet. So, what are you doing to help keep those unwanted calories out of your mouth and off your hips? I’m open for suggestions to help me stay the course!

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Gosh! It seems like everything you hear in the news is more about how food is going to be or is in short supply.

“They” blame everything from global warming to ethanol production on the shortages.

From what I can tell, it’s a combination of factors that include those things and also wars, catastrophic weather events (drought, flood,  storms) and political machinations.

While nothing much can be done about the weather or earthquakes, we as the inhabitants and stewards of this world have a lot we can do about political machinations, war and what crops we’re planting. And if we don’t start getting our house in order, the whole world is going to look like it’s been on weight loss pills.

Things that need to be done include:

• Getting governments to help farmers plant crops that are needed to feed the communities they live in
• use effective and efficient farming methods to get the most out of what is planted
• encourage farming in general
• making the community safe to plant crops

If these things are not done and done soon, we’re going to lose a significant number of the world’s population to starvation and disease.

It doesn’t help that we are in crisis in other areas as well as food. Having prices in general be so high world-wide and every country’s economic forecast looks bleak. It’s frightening to think the entire world may go bankrupt!

I’m not exactly sure how we as individuals can get these changes to come about. Certainly helping the many humanitarian organizations that directly deal with this sort of thing would be one place. Writing to your Senator and Congressperson is another. Just writing about your concerns on your own blog will bring these issues to the attention of many people who may not even be thinking about them.

Like the man said — “Just DO IT!”

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Image by nycgeoff via Flickr

I think I’m becoming a vain person.

I looked back through and I have nearly a dozen posts that have something to do with my body.

Who wants to read that stuff? I mean nothing I said in any of them were uplifting or educational as far as I can tell. I just go on about how buff I’m getting (not very yet), how I’m losing weight (big whoops, all of 8 lbs!). Next I’ll be yammering about how my teeth aren’t white anymore and I need to seek out a charlotte cosmetic dentist or something.

Now won’t that be a big turn off?

Ok, so my teeth AREN’T as white as they used to be - they’re 50+ years old for crying out loud! You show me any ivory that isn’t yellowed after that many years of (hard) use!

No, I don’t smoke (and never have). I guess the staining is coming from the coffee and tea consumed over the course of those years. And I have no intention of giving up either beverage either. A person has to have some vices after all!

And yes Mother, I brush regularly with a good toothpaste — none of that crap from China that has plastic or lead or whatever it was in it. I also go to the dentist twice a year for cleanings. And I switched to one of those toothbrushes with the twirly heads that are supposed to clean better. Per the dentist, those really do the job as I had much less plaque on my last visit.

According to an article I read recently, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce tooth staining. One that’s enjoyable and not what you might expect is to eat raw strawberries. Since I love strawberries, that’s an easy one to comply with. Other tips included drinking coffee and tea with a straw (not something I usually do with hot beverages!) and carrying a whitening toothpaste with you to brush after every meal, snack or beverage — a bit extreme if you ask me. I noticed there are some tooth whitening chewing gums out and I won’t mind having those at hand since I do chew gum (hey! If you’ve got the teeth with no dental work for the gum to stick to, why not??)

Even though they aren’t white anymore, they are all mine and besides that, they don’t have but one filling in any of them either. How many people in their 50s can boast of that I ask you??

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Well, you can tell by the way I wield my fork,
I’m a dieting lady; no time to talk.
Low carb bread there is no harm
I’ve been gaining weight
Since I was born.
And now its all right. its ok.
And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand
The effect Lipovox has on man.

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother,
You’re stayin alive, stayin alive.
Feel the records breakin’ and the fat cells shakin’,
And we’re stayin alive, stayin alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin alive, stayin alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin alive.

Well now, I look low and I look high,
And if I can’t lose any, I may try.
Ephedra or Slim Fast they’re better than booze.
I’m a dietin’ man but I just can’t lose.
You know its all right. its ok.
I’ll live to see another day.
We can try to understand
What effect Hoodia has on man.

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother,
You’re stayin alive, stayin alive.
Well the scales are breakin’ and the fat is shakin’,
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive.

Diet goin’ nowhere. somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah.
Diet goin’ nowhere. somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah. stayin’ alive.

Well, you can tell by the way I weild my fork,
Im a dieting lady: no time to talk.
No carb bread there is no harm
I’ve been gaining weight
Since I was born.
And now its all right. its ok.
And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand
What effect Lipo suction has on man.

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother,
You’re stayin alive, stayin alive.
When the scales are breakin’ and the fat’s a-shakin’,
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive.

Diet goin’ nowhere. somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah.
Diet goin nowhere. somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah. stayin’ alive.

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