LAUGHINGROSE's SparkPeople Blog

Spring sunshine

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:32:23 EST

All geared up for trip to MD for my dh today. We had a good visit and then took a drive in the sunshine through the countryside and on back roads. Signs of spring everywhere. What a beautiful day. Also found a CSA (farm that raises organic chickens, cows, lambs, pigs) and makes their own cheese - all natural. Came home with fresh eggs (they brought them directly from the chickens in a big steel basked just as we drove up), plus a roasting chicken and two types of cheese. Looking forwar...

two day streak!

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:32:52 EST

I had a good day from the standpoint of my goals - good on food (mostly), on water and on exercise. Did some weights this morning, and then, after work, walked my 'circuit' again -the 1 1/2 mile loop...

Of couse, I did forget to meet my friend, Kath, whom I haven't seen in ages...as I was intent on getting home to walk and forgot we had agreed to meet right after work...

Also fighting my computer - a Mac Probook, but I'm having trouble with the Windows Vista software th...

Baby Steps

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:39:51 EST

So, with daylight saving time I finally persuaded myself to get out an walk after preparing dinner for my dh, but before I ate my own. I have this 'round' which is about 1 1/2 mile door to door...and even though I walked fairly slowly I made it all the way round...really helps me wake up and be more alert in the evening. Have accomplished a lot this evening whereas usually I am sleepy and sluggish. Now that is good progress, but the food situation is still an issue. Finding it hard to get...

Doldrums

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:12:26 EST

It's spring break and I'm not out walking like I promised myself - seem to be in the doldrums...waiting for something, I'm not sure what...And now the sunny weather is passing...so I'll be walking in the rain, or back to the treadmill -

Have a long list of 'to-dos' and am making very slow progress on them. So it seems like I'm squandering this 'free' week...I wonder if this is how I'd spend my 'retirement' years? If so, then I'd better stay working because this is not fulfilling...

King Corn and me!

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 16:04:26 EST

Just watched the movie - King Corn...the bottom line is that practically everything we eat today is based on 'corn'....it's either animals fed corn and corn by-products to fatten them up; or it's fruits and other processed plant foods that have corn by-products added for various purposes - this includes high fructose CORN syrup. And, believe it or not, they add this syrup to our fruit and vegetable juices as well, even though other fruits are very sweet already.

And the truth i...

happy day...

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 22:03:30 EST

I feel pretty good today, even without exercise. Got everything ready for my class and caught up with some bills and projects...Sun shining bright (although very cold out) always lifts my spirits high. Class went well and guess I'm like the kids looking forward to the 'break' next week. No plans or anything just no classes.

Seem to be getting my 'plans' for work lined up for next year. Now I need to figure out how to travel to Oregon for my mother's 90th birthday...whether to...

Let every day be a sunny day!

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 23:51:54 EST

I keep working on all my projects, teaching, reading, writing, cooking, cleaning, bill paying, ...late hours, early hours...somehow, I can't get myself to take the 30 minutes each day to exercise. This is so aggravating - and then I wanted to keep this blog, but it's hard to be recording my failures to honor myself, each day....Of course yesterday, when I went out to head to a board meeting, the car wouldn't start...the battery was dead...so after AAA came and started the battery, I drove to...

Twighlight zone

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:04:23 EST

So I've been feeling great about exercise and not so great about food. Monday night I ate a whole bag of popcorn - plain, salted, but the WHOLE BAG?

Set a goal to walk 10 miles per week (and have already done 3.72 in 2 days...).

Not tracking my food very carefully. If anything I'm eating too little or eating too late.

And as for 8 hours sleep - it's 1 am and I'd have to sleep until 9 am to get 8 hours and that's just not feasble...so it's off to bed late...

Finally, Friday

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:28:25 EST

Good day overall for my commitments to myself. Except I still didn't really eat breakfast. I get hungry around noon so had a big lunch, but that was after walking over 1.75 miles on the treadmill - 33.5 minutes...So the pace of walking picked up today, and included a brief cool down at a slower rate.

It has been a sunny, blue-sky day and that makes such a difference in my mood and motivation. My dh slept late, too, so I had the morning totally to myself. 30

Some good, some not so good.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:13:03 EST

Got my exercise in this morning -30 minutes on the treadmill. Plus a little of the Chi gong I learned that is supposed to lead to natural weight management...I tracked along doing my morning chores - breakfast for Andre, dishes, laundry, lunch for Andre...getting ready for work and getting to my office at 1:45. It was only then I reliazed that I hadn't had anything to eat for breakfast or lunch. So i went to the cafe downstairs and bought a chicken salad...Dinner was a little better - but ...

Re-focus...relax...review...

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:09:54 EST

Past two days were devoted to catching up wiht my work...lots of extra activities related to the class I teach, other work projects, and a conference that was held today in which I was the MC and convener...Art & Science of Aging: Staying Healthy, Wealthy and Wise in Tough Economic Times...
Took guest speaker out to dinner last night and we both ate lightly - nice to have someone support that goal....Then grabbed a light breakfast at home this am, before heading out to the conference......

Running - on empty?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:01:14 EST

Trying to get everything done this morning that I had on my list, guess what I missed - no breakfast, no exercise. Instead, breakfast and meds for my dh, dishes into dishwasher, trip to the hair salon, trip to the pharmacy, phone call with my dear daughter #2 and reviewing notes for today's class, papers from students, and getting a package ready to mail (left behind items from Christmas - the charger for the camera, so need it to get back to Nikki, so I'll get more photos of dear grand-twin...

So it's midweek and I'm feeling better.

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:32:18 EST

Managed to convince myself to walk on that treadmill yesterday and today, for at least 20 minutes or one mile. Today went better than yesterday, as I sped up a bit and went a bit farther and bit longer. It's great how my mind clears up when I'm breathing deeper and my muscles are warm.

In my effort to find supports for this commitment, I read about a Jorge Cruise program that focuses on losing belly fat - directed at women over 40. I surely qualify for THAT program. Also liste...

Whew~ Monday!

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:35:15 EST

Seems hard to believe how hard it is to get myself in gear on Monday...late getting up, slow with breakfast and getting organized in my work. Could not find time for exercise other than some weights and a very brief Chi Gong routine.

My work is demanding - trying to write a report for someone else, making sure I'm being true to his intentions; preparing for my class, re-reading my assigned readings, and preparing for the class discussions tomorrow. On the way home I stopped to ...

Thinking about progress and gratitude

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 12:25:28 EST

This past year has been incredibly challenging and difficult on both the personal and professional fronts. Andre, my husband, has entered into a deep dementia due to his cardiovascular problems including diabetes and high blood pressure, leaving me to be his primary caregiver, as he no longer remembers how to cook, or many other activities of daily living. On the financial front, I discovered that my husband's bills had gone unpaid, and on the health front, he had stopped taking his medicat...

Slow start...

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:32:29 EST

Sitting in West Michigan, land of lake-effect snow, watching the Monster blizzard in DC and along the Atlantic coast.

Had oatmeal with blueberries and nuts for breakfast...

Time on Sparkpeople...and it's already 11:30 am.

Strangest dream in the last hour of sleep - hard to explain but had someone dropped 5 bedridden patients on my front porch and couldn't figure out who or why or how to move them on!

Friday night and slipping

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 00:28:00 EST

What a busy day this has been...and I didn't get to the exercise part, although I'm doing pretty well with the energy (my HappyLite helps) and water (if you count herbal tea). But meals and exercise still don't 'flow' automatically into my life.
After a week of doing really well, I just downed a small bag of donut holes!

Worrying about family in DC in this monster snow storm, and also in NYC... I think my exercise time is being undermined by Scrabble (not so much) and Cafe...

On the road again

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 10:26:37 EST

I've made a quiet resolution this year, after reading the January chapter in The Happiness Project, to take steps to 'be happy'. The January challenge of the author was to 'have more energy'. Wow, is that an important project for me, as January in Michigan is typically a gray month and all my SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) lethargies set in.
Now, I resolved to be more active and to eat better...with a goal but not a resolution (?!) to reduce my weight one pound a week by my birthd...

Believe your own eyes and heart

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:05:26 EST

I think I've learned an important lesson this year. The twins are so nearly identical but the 'science' of pregnancy said that they were 'fraternal' not identical twins. Everyone looking at their pictures or seeing them together could see how alike they were, but being a 'believer' in modern medicine, I told everyone faithfully that they were NOT identical...separate placentas, separate sacs, and so on. The truth is now revealed...again science, DNA evidence this time, says that these bea...

Eat More... Advice for the new year...

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:53:13 EST

Saw this advice this evening, after reading many posts on my new teams. Hope we can all benefit from this reverse way of thinking about eating and food....

"Ring In The New Year By Eating More, Moffitt Dietitians Recommend

When it comes to fruits and veggies, less isn’t the best for healthy nutrition

Tampa, FL (December 28, 2007) – Have you eaten more chocolate than you thought humanly possible? Have you been munching on left...