BONNIJEAN's SparkPeople Blog

Gratitude

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:48:08 EST

I know that I am richly blessed. I have the normal challenges of life, and I have challenges that are the result of poor choices in the past. Nonetheless, I have much for which to be thankful.

This is not a complete list and it is not in any special order of priority. It's just what comes immediately to mind.

1. My husband - Scott is patient and kind. We are approaching our 33 anniversary.
2. My 4 daughters - as different as can be, they bring joy to my life.
...

Need Knee Advice

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:35:37 EST

Has anyone who has had knee replacement surgery willing to share her/his experience?

My orthopedic doctor is recommending knee replacement surgery because I have no cartilage in either knee. I saw him 3 years ago, and I had some cartilage then. But the last 3 years have seen the cartilage completely disappear.

I feel as if I am in a vicious cycle. I try to lose weight so my knees will hurt less, but the exercise makes my knees hurt worse than ever. The doctor thinks that...

New experiences

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 21:26:32 EST

This weekend I have had 2 new experiences.

1. I attended a 5K.
2. I attended a Civil War reenactment.

I enjoyed both experiences.

The reenactment looks back in history. It is admirable how much care the reenactors put into their apparel. No polyester lace there.

The 5K made me look forward. One of the participants had just celebrated his birthday and came in 1st i...

Thankful for another day - close call

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:16:19 EST

Yesterday right after my daugher got her driver's license on the first try, a hit and run driver narrowly missed our car. His momentum was slowed by hitting the car in front of us, and we escaped serious injury.

Our mood went from happy - celebrating my daughter's new license - to serious and shaken - we could have died.

This event served to remind me to make the most of my blessings. There is no guarantee of tomorrow.

Just another day

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:51:34 EST

I think I know why some people are uncomfortable when a friend or family member makes changes in his/her life to become more healthy. Those people are uncomfortable because they feel as if they are being left behind. They see positive things happening to someone else, and they are jealous because they don't see similar positive things happening to them.

While I don't want to make others uncomfortable, I cannot allow other people's discomfort to be my problem.

I've picked my reward

Sun, 6 Jan 2013 22:06:32 EST

I have always had problems picking a tangible incentive for weight loss. After all, isn't losing weight a reward in itself? And if I need a new pair of shoes, then I don't want to delay getting them till they can be a reward.

But when I thought I had lost my favorite earrings, I realized that I love new earrings and they are not something I actually need to have. So I have decided that I will treat myself to new earrings when I lose 5 pounds. And I will not buy new earrings till it...

2013 New Year's Day Thoughts

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 11:17:25 EST

January 1 is not a magic day. Resolutions or wishes don't just happen, a person has to take action to make the resolution or wish become reality.

Although, I have been with SparkPeople a long time, I have yet to be where I want to be physically. I don't consider myself a yo-yo dieter, but anyone looking at my weight chart would think I am a yo-yo. My pattern has been to get serious about food intake and exercise, lose some weight, sustain an injury, then gain back all the weight. I...

Really?

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 21:25:54 EST

Today a friend asked me how much weight I had lost. Whenever anyone asks, I always try to remember how much I weighed when I saw her last before I answer. I did the math and answered, "about 5 pounds." She replied that it looked as if I had lost much more than that.

Well, how should I react? After gaining and losing and gaining, I am only 5 pounds down from the highest I've ever been. In fact, I may be a couple pounds heavier than I was when I saw her last.

Maybe it was ...

Exercising in Middle Age

Thu, 1 Nov 2012 23:43:13 EST

No excuses.

http://www.crankyfitness.com/2012/11/mid
dle-aged-exercisers-on-not-throwing.ht
ml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=em
ail&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CrankyFitness
+%28Cranky+Fitness%29

Another new start

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:30:59 EST

A friend challenged me and some mutual friends to set a weight loss goal for the rest of the year. I joined in, but today I found out that I had even more incentive to be serious. I decided to check in with Wii Fit Plus today. Wow! In the 200+ days since I last used it, I have gained 12 pounds. Oh my. That would account for the pants and skirts being a little snug.

Since I had the Wii up and running, I did basic step and the obstacle course. I could tell I was out of shape, but I ...

Adding Insult to Injury

Sat, 7 Jul 2012 11:10:48 EST

My knee is still hurting. Hurting a lot. So I'm not doing much walking for fitness or standing on it for a long time.

When people ask how I hurt it, I tell the truth. The original injury came from a misstep in my driveway. The most recent problem happened after I sat at my desk all afternoon without getting up to move.

I wish I could say something both honest and dramatic such as

I injured my knee rescuing a child from a burning building, or
I injured my...

Prone to injury

Mon, 2 Jul 2012 23:12:23 EST

I can't seem to get ahead. Almost every time I start up exercising, I wind up with an injury. I had recently started back at the gym, but last Monday my knee pain returned with a vengeance.

I am focusing on eating right till my knee heals. Something is better than nothing.

Random Father's Day Thoughts

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 17:42:36 EST

This doesn't really have anything to do with exercise or fitness, but it's what's been on my mind today.

Naturally, I think about my dad, Eugene Hemphill Marlowe (Gene), on Father's Day, but I think about him on other days as well.

I still miss being able to call him to find out the best route to anywhere.

He was a faithful deacon and later lay pastor. He and I were baptized during the same service.

Gene loved corn - corn on the cob, creamed corn...

Yes, I can tell a difference

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:44:24 EST

For a long time I wondered if going to the fitness center or exercising made any difference. Well, in a perverse sort of way, I now know that it does.

Because of my daughter's health issues, I've put my own exercise on the back burner. I haven't been to the gym in 4 months, and walking or exercising at home hasn't happened either. And guess what! I feel a lot worse both in over all health and specifically in my knees and legs.

I am seriously looking forward to going bac...

Just the reverse

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:45:05 EST

Many people step up their exercise in January. I have had just the reverse experience. With so many appointments this month for myself and for my daughter's physical therapy, I've not been able to go to the fitness center at work. I'm glad that I'm not gaining weight, but I'm not losing anything either. I want to get back to exercise. I enjoy the freedom of movement that I get when I am active.

10 Weeks, but still waiting for results

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:23:36 EST

I have been going to the fitness center 4-5 days a week for the last 10 weeks. I've been riding the bike for at least 30 minutes and doing some stretching and strength training. I have lost only 2 pounds. I'm so discouraged.

And out of the blue, my hip has started hurting. It hurt so bad when I woke up on Tuesday morning, that I wondered if it were possible to break one's hip just lying in bed. I am going to see the doctor tomorrow. I hope she gives me clearance to go back to the g...

New Bike at the Fitness Center

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:13:27 EST

As soon as I walked into the fitness center, the attendant said, "I've been waiting for you. I wanted to tell you that we got three more bikes." (side note - someone actually notices that I've been going to the gym for more than 4 weeks no.)

I tried out the second recumbent bike this morning. It had a flashier display, but the display was just barely not level. The slight tilt made me feel a little off center myself, but other people might not have noticed. The newer bike was sturd...

That was unexpected.

Wed, 25 May 2011 09:23:48 EST

This morning I was scheduled for a stress test.

315

I'm thinking, "ok, I'll just get my exercise on the treadmill rather than on the bike this morning."

After getting connected to a dozen electrodes, I started the test. After listening to the explanation, I expected the test to take 15-20 minutes, but it was over in 8 minutes, maybe less. The treadmill starts out slow and level and then increases speed and incline slightly. Every 3 minutes, the spe...

Is vanity a motivational tool? Do compliments from others help me stay on track?

Mon, 23 May 2011 11:43:00 EST

334

I went to the fitness center every day last work week even though I felt unmotivated for part of the week. After a few days of exercising, I knew I felt better, but the scales weren't cooperating. In fact, the numbers were heading the wrong direction.

316

This weekend, however, I got a great deal of positive feedback from an unexpected source: friends and family. At a funeral on Saturday, several family members commented on how great ...

Day 5 - Staying Alive

Fri, 20 May 2011 13:25:19 EST

Well, I finished strong this week. I made it to the fitness center 5 days in a row.

I can hardly believe it myself! Four 30 minute bike sessions and a 5th session of 20 minutes with a daily strength training session alternating upper and lower body exercises.

The early morning time is working well for me. I think I might just keep this schedule after my daughter's classes are over.

Now the challenge for the weekend is to make good food choices so I don't undo ...

Return to the fitness center

Thu, 19 May 2011 20:44:13 EST

I had to take a break from the fitness center because of family medical issues, but I made a plan for my return. I decided that when my daughter started summer school (to get ahead) that I would drop her off at school then head for the fitness center before heading to work.

So for the last 4 days, I have been putting on my workout clothes and then heading for the car first thing in the morning.

Day 1 - I'm going to do this!

Day 2 - I'm determined. This is it!...

Things I have learned from going to the gym

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:42:05 EST

None of the following observations are unique or even new.
But now I'm finally realizing what people have been saying is true.

1. It's easier to exercise if I treat it as an appointment and actually schedule it in.
2. I feel better exercising if I am wearing clothing made for exercising. Sweat pants and a tee shirt are ok, but exercise wear looks better and feels better. It holds its shape and is thinner and more comfortable.
3. Exercising is more fun with a friend. ...

Wow! So many SparkFriends

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:24:32 EST

I totally enjoyed getting all the birthday comments on my SparkPage. Thanks.

2010 reflections

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 09:13:22 EST

I did not make much progress in 2010. In fact, I lost ground. I developed a painful condition that required physical therapy and limited my ability to exercise. Those factors combined with a disappointing lack of wisdom in food choices means that I am ending the year heavier than I started.

I am not wanting to make grandiose resolutions, but I am resolved to start using the food tracker and the exercise tracker again. I want 2011 to be the turn around year for me.

Small changes in one month

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:03:22 EST

Today when someone asked me if I had lost weight, I was surprised that she had noticed because 5-7 pounds doesn't seem like that much to me. But when I looked at a picture made last month and compared it to the one I made today, I could tell the difference myself.

Now I'm excited. I've lost this same weight before and gained it back, but I'm encouraged to keep tracking my food and exercising. I know I ca...

April Goals

Sat, 3 Apr 2010 20:09:27 EST

My goals for this month are
1. Drink 8 glasses of water every day. It was too easy for me to slip back into the soda habit. Drinking water may or may not be better for my health, but it is certainly easier on my budget.
2. Exercise at least 10 minutes a day/ 5 days a week
3. Avoid eating fried foods. Another easy slip up. I've got to start paying attention to what I'm eating.

Roadblock

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 10:21:52 EST

Why is it so hard to get started and so easy to quit?

Why can't I be the kind of person who enjoys exercise so much that she HAS to fit it into her day?

A day off becomes a couple days. A couple days slides into a week. A week grows into two. Then before I know it, I've lost momentum completely. No matter what precipitated the time off, it's hard to get going again. I'm starting small again. 10 or 15 minutes a day, minimum. I hope that soon I'm back up to enough exercise...

Slow start this year

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:51:36 EST

Ok. We are 2 weeks into the new year. I've gotten clearance to exercise. I went to tkd for the first time on Tuesday. I want to go today, but I don't think the schedule is going to work. I've done 10 minutes of advanced step on the Wii and 1 session made it on the Leaderboard. It's not much, but it is a start. The next step is to move away from the computer and be active elsewhere. Here's hoping that a slow start will be sustainable.

Random January thoughts

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 10:49:59 EST

Today is my husband's birthday, but I won't bake a cake for him. By the time it got to Iraq, it wouldn't be edible.

Yesterday was Kerry's 15th birthday. That means we've been coming to Massanutten for 14 years. Coming here is definitely more fun when Scott is with me. Coming here as the only parent with 4 girls who want to do various activities closely resembles regular life at home - driving people places, fixing food, doing laundry . . . . The main differences are the gas firepla...

Yay! I'm cleared for takeoff

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:30:51 EST

I've been a member of SparkPeople for a while. I've collected more points than I've lost weight. I have been sidelined for about 6 weeks due to a torn ligament, but today the doctor said to try going back to normal exercise. YEA! I've been feeling so lethargic without exercising. Being in pain makes it hard to be excited about exercising.

I'm happy that I can participate in the new boot camp. I'm excited about it.

knee trouble

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:06:38 EST

I haven't been exercising because I tore a ligament and cartilage in my knee. I've noticed I don't have as much energy and I have less stamina. I'm ready to be better and get back to exercise. This sluggishness is slowing me down.

Where has the time gone?

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:24:05 EST

It's been over a month since my last post to this blog?

My youngest will turn 10 on Monday? How did that happen?

Keeping it in mind

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:51:54 EST

It's easy to talk about goals when I'm sitting at the computer, but it's much harder to do it in the grocery store. However, because I had published my reasons right here, I was able to resist ice cream at the store last night even when my 9 year old asked sweetly.

Behold the power of the written word.

Behold the power of making my goals public.

Testing

Sat, 8 Aug 2009 19:22:54 EST

TKD testing went well this morning. All three of us passed. More reason to sick with the weight loss plan.

I'm done with coasting! I'm resetting my personal goals.

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:03:25 EST

I have been coasting along here at SparkPeople for 3 years. I have lost as much as 15 pounds, but then I stop exercising and recording my foods and the weight comes back. I'm done with coasting. I need/want to be healthier and leaner.

Here are my reasons for wanting to lose weight.
Of course there are the usual ones . . .
1. Be healthier
2. Be more flexible
3. Have less pain
4. Be a good example to my daughters
5. Reduce need for some medicines
6....

Which direction?

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 13:00:01 EST

I am temporarily advancing in the opposite direction of my intended goal.

Why is it so much easier to put the weight back on than it is to take it off?

Ice Cream + not exercising for a week = weight gain.

I'm back to exercise and have quit having daily huge serving of ice cream, so I hope to start seeing results soon. Too bad the positive results take longer to show up than the negative ones do.

People I admire

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 15:37:27 EST

I admire my mother. She married young, but managed to finish high school. When I was in 5th grade, she started college and became and RN. She worked while she was going to school. It seemed she was always working or studying. I admire her for sticking with her plan and achieving her goal despite the difficulties.

People I admire

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:17:44 EST

I think I'm going to do a series of short blogs highlighting some of the many people I admire.

I'll start with my sister-in-law. I admire my sister-in-law Karen for her consistency and structure. I think that she is doing a great job. I wish I had been more consistent with bedtimes when my girls were little. Karen works hard and does a great job with her home and family.

Kudos to Karen.

Exercise = Escape

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 07:15:44 EST

Those who've exercised all their lives know this, but I'm just learning about the extra benefits of exercise. I knew the health reasons for exercising, but the psychological reasons? Well I guess I'd read about them, but I had to experience them for myself.

Monday night at our house was filled with teenage angst and bickering. I had been thinking about skipping tae kwon do class, but decided to go just to get out of the house. I went to class, had a great workout and return to a ca...

Independence Day

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 07:37:58 EST

283

This American is declaring her independence from being controlled by food. I am fighting the excess weight with exercise and eating right. This time it's for real!

283

I'm glad

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:48:25 EST

Monday I was so frustrated, that I was tempted to chocolatize myself. Since then I found out that one person who seemed a little snippy had a really bad day at work. Another person has gone out of their way to clear up the misunderstanding. So I'm really glad that I exercised instead of eating. No after guilt, only good feelings from exercise.

When did my attitude change?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:06:31 EST

Exercise used to be a chore, but it isn't any more. I find that I look forward to it and am disappointed when my schedule is disrupted.

Today was full of frustrations, disagreements, and disappointments. By evening, I was discouraged and angry. Previously I would have turned to chocolate or other sweets to enhance my mood, but today I really wanted to go to my tae kwon do class. I wanted to kick and punch away the frustrations and tension. When I realized that I couldn't go to my T...

A Bump in the Road

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 16:33:42 EST

After my pity party was over, I decided that I really do enjoy TKD and as long as I'm enjoying it, I'll stick with it. At today's secondary testing, I did ok. At least I did the right moves even if some of them weren't as sharp as I would like.

So now I'm glad that it's over, and I am a brown belt. My daughter broke her board with the first kick and she's a black belt. Woohoo!

Dealing with setbacks

Sat, 30 May 2009 20:00:04 EST

Even in the beginning when I struggled with the concepts and moves of tae kwon do, I always managed to pass testing. Today was a different story. I've done my form hundreds of times in the last 4 months, but this morning I stepped out with the wrong foot and didn't pass my form. Not once, but 3 times. I felt very frustrated when I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Now I'm vacillating between "oh well, you have to have your first retest sometime" and "maybe I've need to redirect m...

Mother's Day - Hooray!

Sun, 10 May 2009 22:15:43 EST

A dozen roses, a sweet card signed by all 4 girls, lunch at IHOP, an afternoon nap, and a DVD from DD. What more could a mom want?

I know I'll have to do lots of exercise to work of that lunch, but I'll think about that tomorrow.

Good workout today

Sat, 2 May 2009 17:04:58 EST

216

I thought about skipping TKD today, but I'm really glad that I went even if I did get punched in the nose.

I have to work with what I have

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:10:15 EST

Being jealous because someone else is younger, faster, or more flexible than I am gets me nowhere in my journey to fitness. I have to start where I am and keep moving. I need to remember how far I've come, but keep going further. I can't stop before I reach the goal.

Sew frustrated

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:44:43 EST

24

I have 3 sewing machines but can't sew because they all need service.

46

Why did they have to all act up at the same time?

It wasn't worth it.

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 18:09:05 EST

76

When I was in the grocery store today I picked up a pack of Klondike bars. I ate one and recorded it on the food tracker. Ok. I admit that I usually track only the first 5 things I eat in a day. I saw what a big part of my daily calorie allotment that that ice cream took. The momentary pleasure of eating the ice cream definitely was not worth the calories.

Walking the dog

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 20:29:16 EST

68

Today my dds wanted to ride their bikes to the park. I went out to ask DH something and discovered that he had gone with them. So I got Gypsy and walked to the park too. I walked for 45 minutes. I'm glad I did.