DEBRAC219's SparkPeople Blog

A little under the weather

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 21:19:09 EST

Not feeling too well today; I was unable to eat much...some oatmeal this morning and a little soup this afternoon. Not up to much exercise so I got in about a half hour walk. I work 12-hour shifts this weekend, hopefully my eating will be a little better tomorrow

Planning

Thu, 7 Mar 2013 20:19:30 EST

I did well yesterday with my eating, got in my exercise, all good.

Today I woke up with the alarm going off....which had been going off for quite some time. I rush through getting ready for work, and took off without packing my lunch. So although I ate a healthy but quick breakfast, I totally missed lunch and any snacks through the work day. This is something I've struggled with in the past.

I just need to PLAN to avoid the issue. Tonight I packed a lunch and a healt...

New beginnings

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 08:25:06 EST

I have a new beginning today. My background check FINALLY came in, and I go in for orientation for my new job this morning.

New beginnings and fresh starts are always exciting things. With each new beginning, a new horizon of possibilities opens up.

I think it is a great idea to look at each morning as a fresh start. We have the whole day ahead of us, full of possibilities and choices. Each new day, we make our choice as to how we are going to live our life in THIS...

Perfection?

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 20:33:24 EST

Strive for progress, not perfection. -Unknown

For so much of my life, I felt that everything I did had to be as close to perfect as I could make it.

I naturally want to be a perfectionist at work and in my goals. There's kinda a problem with that, though.

There's no such THING as perfection. So you never fully reach it.

So now, I'm accepting that doing my best is enough.

That I don't HAVE to see tons of weight loss in order to bel...

A rough day, but all in all successful

Mon, 4 Mar 2013 22:02:47 EST

It was one of THOSE days. Family drama going on. Can't start my new job yet because my background check hasn't gotten back as yet. Things going on that I'm frustrated that I can't just FIX.

Had a healthy breakfast and thought about unhealthy foods.

Cleaned house, considered going to town and getting chocolate and potato chips.

Wanted Diet Dr. Pepper and forced down water.

By midafternoon, I was pretty sure I was going to make a trip to town, and ...

Who says I can't?

Sun, 3 Mar 2013 15:45:40 EST

Clear your mind of can’t. -Samuel Johnson

Who says I can't do what will change my life for the better?

Well, in the past...that would have been me. Each time I would start to change my life for the better, when it got to be a little effort, before I gave myself time to establish new habits. I always pulled out the old belief that I couldn't do it.

No willpower.

Not good at change.

Too weak.

Etc., etc., etc. ...

Building a Vision

Sat, 2 Mar 2013 09:04:25 EST

I think that letting go of the thoughts that weaken us is an important thing, and one that in the past I have not done. The belief, the knowledge, that we can get back to a healthy, strong place is a HUGE tool and all too often, we don't hold it close. I've spent entirely too much of my life giving in to the negative thoughts I allow into my head (just before I give up on my goal).

I know that if...

Being present in the moment

Fri, 1 Mar 2013 08:03:46 EST

I've done a lot of thinking this morning, about how I have "started" this journey so many times, and one question comes to mind: How do I let myself fall back into bad habits over and over? I know that there is a huge history of heart disease in my family, that I am overweight and have high blood pressure, stress, and high cholesterol. Thanks to Spark People and other sources of information, I know exactly what it takes to take back my health. What possible excuse can there be that pulls ...

August 13, 2012: Reworked goals

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:03:57 EST

My long-longterm goal is to get to a healthy weight and become as fit as I can. That is a LOT of weight to lose, so I'm accepting that in order to get there I need to do it in a lot of steps.

Goal 1: Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

Goal 2: Ease off drinking diet Dr. Pepper

Goal 3: Exercise on most days at least a little. Get in at least 3 good workouts weekly, to start. I have issues with arthritic knees, so I accept that it needs to be low ...

August 8, getting back on track

Wed, 8 Aug 2012 11:17:20 EST

Having recently moved back home to West Virginia to be near my family, I am finding that the beauty of home and the time spent with family and old friends are great motivators. These are some of the many views that continue to inspire me. I want to be healthy enough to walk the woods and hills as I did years ago. I want to be healthy enough to truly enjoy time with my family and friends. I want to be an example...

Grasping the moment

Wed, 1 Aug 2012 20:04:04 EST

What makes us backslide? Why do we suddenly give up a course that is working for us and drop back into destructive habits? We know in our minds that if we eat healthy, live an active lifestyle, we are going to look and feel better, lead healthier and longer lives.

Do we just deny this to ourselves, refuse to look at it? I mean...who truly WANTS to enter our later years fat, unhealthy, and disappointed in ourselves? Who wants to bring on themselves heart disease, diabetes, immo...

Getting back to a healthy lifestyle

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:22:44 EST

Well, it's almost August. I had been making successful changes with the help of SP, then allowed stress to sabotage that and regained a bunch of weight. So I'm done with kicking myself over that, and ready to do something about it!

I've moved back home to WV and am near my family again, yay!

Recently went through the frig and cabinets to clean out the sugar after joining the Official Tame Your Sweet Tooth Challenge. I'm working to resist the goodies that people brin...

Friday

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:39:45 EST

8 glasses of water today, stayed within a healthy calorie range

Activity:
Weight training 30 min
Walking 30 min
Cycling 30 min
Stretches

Enjoyed several nice long telephone conversations today with family members that I don't get to see on a regular basis. I'm hoping to be able to make a trip north in the spring and get some quality sister time in!

It's been so nice today. Not hot and muggy, but coolish with a nice breeze. Great day t...

Wednesday water and exercise

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:53:12 EST

Walking 30 minutes
Exercise bike 30 minutes
Strength training 20 minutes
8 glasses of water

Now if I can just keep my eating on track as much as my exercise I will lose more weight!

Monday 9/12

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:15:37 EST

9 glasses of water today, no soda

60 minutes aerobic exercise with DVD
Alternating dumbbell biceps curls 2 sets 12 reps
Dumbbell triceps kick backs 2 sets 12 reps
Modified pushups 2 sets 12 reps
One arm dumbbell rows 2 sets 12 reps

Thursday and Friday exercise and water

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 19:23:57 EST

Thursday 9/8/2011

60 minutes aerobic exercise with workout DVD
Strength exercises; maybe 15 minutes
8 glasses of water

Friday 9/9

60 minutes aerobic exercise combined with planks, pushups, crunches
Dumbbell side bends 2 sets 15 reps
Dumbbell chest press 2 sets 15 reps
Hamstring flexion 2 sets 15 reps
Stretching

Now I'm wiped out! But I feel GOOD about keeping on track.

...

Monday~

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 20:11:50 EST

Today I had a headache most of the day, so didn't eat as much or as often as I know is healthy. This evening, though, I was able to get in some exercise to keep up with the pre challenge.

Aerobic warmup x 8 minutes on exercise bike
Dumbbell side bends two sets of 15 reps
Dumbbell chest press two sets of 15 reps
Hamstring flexion with ball two sets of 15 reps
Aerobic exercise with exercise DVD x 50 minutes

I did get in some vegetable soup and a ...

A new week

Sun, 4 Sep 2011 20:06:54 EST

Well, it's Sunday night and we're starting into a new week. I got a lot done at work today, kept my food healthy. I'm doing the pre challenge for the Biggest Loser Black Panter team, and adding my own cardio as well. So for today:

Warmup before strength training; 15 minutes on bike.
Reverse crunches 2 sets of 15 reps
Seated dumbbell rows 2 sets of 15 reps
Lying Single Leg Raises 2 sets of 15 reps
Aerobic exercise with exercise CD: 50 minutes
Stretch...

Pre Challenge!

Fri, 2 Sep 2011 18:47:21 EST

Couldn't wait to start off with the pre challenge, since I'm really looking forward to our BL fall challenge with the Black Panthers. These are also exercises I've already been doing with out trainer at work a couple times a week, then at home on our own along with other exercises.

Breakfast this morning: Oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries, 1 glass of skim milk, one small apple and a cup of coffee at 4:30 am.

9am: Small serving scrambled egg and plain toast 1 slice...

Almost September!

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:45:13 EST

And it promises to be a busy month at work. Therefore, I know I need a game plan. So here are my pledges for the month of September:

I will take a few minutes when I can to just de-stress. I will do a few yoga stretches before bedtime on most nights.

I will keep plenty of healthy foods on hand and carry a cooler to work with healthy meals and snacks, and keep my water bottle with me.

I will do my best to organize my days so it isn't totally insane.

Long day

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:46:15 EST

I always work on the weekends, and for some reason, Saturdays are often totally crazy busy. When I got home this evening, the LAST thing that I wanted to do was fix a healthy meal and work out. But I pushed myself to do the workout, and of course now I'm glad that I did. I was so tired though that I decided against any actual cooking, and I had a turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato and a salad, with an apple for dessert. I didn't manage to eat every 3 hours at wo...

8/7/11... Starting the new week

Sun, 7 Aug 2011 06:15:29 EST

Sunday morning!

I like to think of each new week as a fresh page, on which I can write the life I choose to have. I can backslide, eat junk, or not exercise.

OR. With this fresh new week, I can choose to make every day count toward a healthier life. I can choose to eat healthy foods. I can choose to work out and make my body healthier. I can choose to spend time with others who have the same goals, which will help both me and them to get where we want to be.

Here Comes August!

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:26:07 EST

It's August in a couple days! Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year.

I want to start off the season by keeping up my momentum. By this time next summer, I plan to be down quite a few pounds with lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and a lot healthier!

It's been a good week. Keeping going on my exercise, which I'm switching up by working out with a trainer at work once or twice a week, and working out with DVDs at home or going to the gym on the other day...

My Friday Rededication

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:01:14 EST

Wow, this summer is nothing if not hot! All the more reason for making sure to get in enough WATER, which is always a challenge for me. I'm tracking it here on SP, and in addition I'm keeping a paper on the frig and checking off every 8 oz., because if I don't keep reminding myself I will drink tea, coffee, everything except enough water.

My biggest challenge in getting in enough water is at work. I take my big water bottle to work with me (well, most days I remember), but I ...

July 15, enjoying the day off~

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:46:05 EST

Another hot, rainy day in Atlanta! But I'm feeling better every day. I've been working out at home with DVDs, going for walks when I have the time, and at work a group of us have gone in together to work out with a trainer a couple of times a week. That and all the great support here at SP have really added up to help keep me on my journey. It's a long one, I have plenty of weight to lose and health issues ...but the health issues are just that much more motivation!

Sticking wi...

A month without bread...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 05:20:20 EST

So, my coworkers and I have been working out together with a trainer twice a week. He's a great guy and really challenges us while working each of us at our personal level. So those afternoons we work out together have been a big step on my way to being healthy again.

Of course, we are tracking what we eat. He suggested that for snacks, we utilize fresh fruits and veggies, a good suggestion and one that I was largely already following. Then for a few of us, he asked us to tak...

Clean Eating Guacamole

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:56:28 EST

This is a healthy take on guacamole from the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook. It cuts out some of the usual fatty ingredients that tend to make this dish so unhealthy

3 ripe avocados
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 red or purple onion, minced well
1 clove garlic passed through a garlic press
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cut avocados in half. Discard the pit and scoop flesh into the bowl. Place all ingredients in...

April 20, 2011

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:50:04 EST

Long, long day! Wanted to post this recipe for the turkey burgers I made; another Tosca Reno recipe from The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook

Low Fat Turkey Burgers

1 cup high protein cereal flakes
1/2 cup skim milk
3 tsp low sodium chicken bouillon
3 Tbsp minced onion
2 egg whites
1 lb lean ground turkey

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Let the milk soak into the cereal flakes for 5 minutes. Add lean ground turkey. Mix well ...

Today's cooler contents

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 06:00:37 EST

I've been packing a cooler to take to work for lunch and snacks to keep myself eating healthier, along with a big water bottle. Today's cooler includes:

A baggie of walnuts
A baggie of grapes, I love the black grapes
Baby carrots and hummus to dip them in

I'm also taking an egg salad sandwich on whole wheat. The egg salad is made from a recipe I found on Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet website.

Eat-Clean Egg Salad

1/4 cup fat-free cottage ...

Ahhh...a day off!

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 14:34:23 EST

Yay, two whole days to get my own personal things done, relax, work out, get groceries and plan food for the week, all that fun stuff we work in on our time off. It's a beautiful day outside and I plan to enjoy some outside time as well.

I really was seriously tempted today to go grab some fast food, I could almost taste it! But then I remembered hey, I have just a few pounds to go and I can be UNDER 200 for the first time in ages. Fast food isn't worth it at this point. So I...

Egg White and Turkey Scramble

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 06:45:24 EST

I got this recipe from Tosca Reno's The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook.

8 egg whites
1 lb. of lean ground turkey (you can use tofu instead)
2 cups of shredded spinach
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cook the ground turkey or tofu in a medium skillet until cooked through and lightly browned. Drain any excess juices from the pan. Place the turkey in a bowl and set it asid...

Monday evening, April 4

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 22:33:30 EST

It's been just a crazy day! Insanely busy at work, and when I got home I was so wiped that I didn't want to do ANYTHING, let alone work out. I could feel the urge to get some disgustingly fattening food and eat tons of it.

But then, I reminded myself of what it feels like to be 56 years old and terribly out of shape, with a lot of nasty health problems already set in. I reminded myself that I've been working out, eating healthy and feeling better. I've gone down from 240 lb a...

Clean Eating Fish and Chips

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 06:17:52 EST

For our SparkAtlanta monthly challenge, we're posting some of our recipes. I've been trying several from Clean Eating magazine, so will be posting a few on my blog.

CE Fish and Chips

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
•2 cups multigrain loaf, cubed
•1 extra large sweet potato, peeled
•4 3- to 4-oz white fish filets (such as Alaskan pollock)
•1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning or paprika
•Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
•2 egg whites

April's here!

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 18:13:28 EST

And it's time to post my goals for the month. (Thanks for the motivation, JulieIrene)

There are so many things that I want to accomplish, but these will be my main focus for April.

1. Limit myself to 20 oz of coffee daily
2. Cut out the sodas
3. Work out at least 6 days each week
4. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
5. Do my best not to eat anything within 3 hours of bedtime

Also, I mean to try to stress less about the job. ...

September beginnings

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 19:39:08 EST

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year! I just love when it starts to get a little cooler, but isn't yet COLD. And fall has a special essence to the air itself that always just makes me feel good.

Well, I've discovered at my last doctor appointment that I have COPD. So it's no longer a case of gee, I really should quit smoking...it's a case of, I HAVE to quit and should have done it long ago! So many unsuccessful tries have got me to where I am today, so now it's time to m...

Getting excited about this new life

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 08:22:07 EST

Yesterday I worked out with a trainer, and I'm really excited about it. From our first session, I get the feeling that this trainer is really going to help me keep motivated about my exercise, and that's going to give me a great head start!

I have a long way to go but these harder workouts are going to give me a jump on it. He's going to give me advice on what I can and can't do to work around my knee problems, and also once we really get started he's going to look around for so...

Monday morning and we're into a new month!

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 05:41:02 EST

It's the second of August already! I wanted to take a few minutes before heading off to work to recommit myself to my goals, since it's the first of the week. Today promises to be crazy busy at work, so it'll go fast! I have a healthy lunch packed to take with me because it's all too easy to eat at work, and though their food tastes good it is NOT the healthiest, with the fried foods and sauces. So my cooler is packed and ready to go. I have a 30oz Nalgene bottle I fill up and take with ...

A little self-reflection...

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:17:09 EST

I decided I needed to take a look at how I got here..way overweight at age 55 with a lot of weight to lose. After I had all my girls, I got down to a healthy weight fairly quickly. Then my marriage got to be a really bad thing, and I started the whole emotional eating trap. Why? Why DO you suddenly begin to eat a bunch of junk when you're sad, when you're upset, when you're angry or whatever?

Did I feel like I didn't deserve a happy, healthy life? I know that I definitely had se...

Slump unslumped~

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:30:42 EST

This morning I DRUG myself out of bed (after resetting the alarm for a half hour later) to get ready for work. I really enjoy my work; it was a busy day and went quickly . But after work, I SO did not want to work out.

I considered just taking the day off; I considered spending the evening on the couch in front of the tv or reading a book; I even considered potato chips and ice cream. This all sounded really really good at the time.

Then I looked at the possible result...

Healing..

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 13:14:36 EST

I just came from Tai Chi class a couple of hours ago. I'm really surprised how much I'm loving the yoga and Tai Chi.

Now, I'm new to Spark People and my body's still in pretty crappy shape, still showing the effects of years of neglect and downright abuse I've given it. After I leave these classes my mind and spirit are calmer, I have a general feeling of just....feeling good... and pretty much every muscle in my body aches from the stretches.

But I love it. This is ...

Woohoo!!!

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 19:16:44 EST

July 5th, and DOWN FIVE POUNDS! Yes! Now only ....oh, around 85 to go lol

Just finished working out, got in 9 cups of water today. Still hot here in the Atlanta area but not as nasty muggy humid hot as it was a few days back. I had a good day at work, am gradually building up time on my workouts...of course, in the shape I'm in at the moment, it's taking a while to get that time up to where I'd like it to be, but the journey's begun.

I broke a toe the other day, of all...

Happy Fourth

Sun, 4 Jul 2010 05:45:01 EST

Here's hoping everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day.

I work today but plan to get in a little exercise after work. Have packed a healthy lunch to take with me and my big water bottle to remind myself to get in that H2O. I did a few yoga stretches this morning to start off my day, I've really been enjoying the yoga and Tai Chi. The positions are good for the body and it's really helping with my stress level!

Relieving that stress is another of my goals along wit...

Here's to a healthy Wednesday

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:18:47 EST

Checking into SparkPeople for my motivation for the day before heading off to work! Just packed a healthy lunch and filled up my water bottle. I have a Tai Chi class this evening, love those! This afternoon after work, I plan to hit the gym for some aerobics and weight training.

My grandkids from Ohio have been in town for a couple of weeks, they are heading back to Ohio early this morning. It's been wonderful to see them, and reminds me of another good reason for my healthy lif...

Here we go!

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:09:03 EST

My first 3 pounds down since joining Spark People! I pledge to do my best to live in the healthiest way that I can. I want to eat healthy foods, get in exercise on most days of the week, drink plenty of water. I'm trying to cut out the diet sodas, but thus far I do give in to those several times a week.

I've been going to the gym and have started yoga and Tai Chi classes, which are fun; I've always wanted to try both! My knees are pretty bad from osteoarthritis, and I recently had...