A Healthier Me: Day 5-7

I didn't think I'd make it to ONE WHOLE WEEK. I battled fatigue, flu-like symptoms, backache, leg cramps and insomnia. But I wanted to finish.

I DID IT. ONE WEEK. Now, just two more weeks and I can reset my attitude, lifestyle, and body to continue working out and eating healthy.

WORKOUT: Average 1 hour a day

Wii Fit- Basic, Advanced and Free Steps/ Basic Boxing/ Hula Hoop Challenge/ Ski Jump

Stairs- Average of 7 sets of up and down on 16-step plight

Dancing-Waist and Hip gyration/ Salsa Combo

Stretching for warm-ups

MEALS:

I enjoyed pasta, rice, garbanzo beans, barley, veggies, nuts, milk, cheese, bread, fruits and beef, salmon and scallops. One medium portion, chewed slow and tons of water.

I feel great; I'm not as sluggish nor prone to light-headedness lately. Thank goodness. Enduring my caveman-like slow movements were harder to endure during the day than when I put in an hour's worth of non-stop aerobic exercise.

I also find myself being more discerning with what I will serve my family. We've always eaten sensibly, but I'm a believer of "there's always room for improvement".

I can't wait for tomorrow!

A Healthier Me: Day 4

Insomnia hit me again this morning and I didn't fall asleep until 3:30 AM. Grrrr!!!

Woke up @ 6:15 and stayed up until 9:30. Fell asleep and didn't wake up until 2:30, just enough time to meet my son at the front door. Also had a bit of a stiff neck.

IT BEGINS... Every year, I start to be more active. But the first two weeks are a real pain. Literally! But it goes beyond pain for me. I get sick!

Stiff necks, sniffles, muscle aches, light-headed, fever, cold sores, coughs. The yucky stuff!

So, just like always, I have to stop the workouts and rest until I feel better. In other words, no difference.

But this time, I want to get to three weeks, at least and know that I've conquered something.

WORKOUT: (1 hour total)

Wii Fit: Basic and Advanced Steps, Hula Hoop Challenge, Basic Boxing

Stair-Climbing: 5 sets

Upper Arms: Mixed with both arms for tonight's menu

BREAKFAST:

Honey wheat toasts-2 slices

Laughing Cow cheese- 1 wedge

Milk

LUNCH:

Leftover- Mushroom & Onion couscous- 1 cup

Grapes- 1 cup

Water- 4 glasses

SNACK:

None

DINNER:

Two-egg cheese omelette

Steamed broccoli

Strawberries- 3

Water-4 glasses

DESSERT:

2 choc chip cookies (I splurged... :-D)

(The recipe yielded 5 doz since I used a small scoop, but don't worry; I have the hubs sharing most of it at work and the kids bringing some to school tomorrow. )

My BMI is 24 at 119 lbs. I need to be at 22 BMI at about 109-110 lbs. I have a looong way to go!

I hope I can keep this momentum despite the oncoming symptoms. I will have to take Tylenol to head them off. Wish me luck!

A Healthier Me: Day 3

Today was very exciting! The treadmill didn't work. Wait, no... That wasn't the exciting part.

I tried the Wii Fit again today and you know, it's been 569 days since I last been on it. No, that's not the exciting part either.

It said the following:

BMI= 24.04 Normal

WEIGHT= 119.3 lbs.

DID YOU READ THAT?!!! I thought I was in the 130's! Last time I had a BMI of 27.41 OVERWEIGHT

But I guess between this last move, hauling boxes from the storage, home repairs and having a staircase, working for a couple of months of graveyard shift, I must have lost weight.

Well, the exciting part continues... I was so happy to know that I lost so much weight that I only have 6 lbs. to lose, I managed to work out for 2 whole hours!!!

WORKOUT:

Wii Fit-Basic Step 3x, Hula Hoop Challenge-3x, Basic Run

Staircase-5 sets (up and down)

Netflix- Crunch Salsa Combo

Stand-up Stomach Crunches

BREAKFAST:

Special K Oatmeal Crunch

Milk- 1 glass

Water- 2 glasses

LUNCH:

Beef Barley Soup- 1 bowl

Oatmeal Wheat Rolls- 2

Water- 2 glasses

SNACK:

Water- 2 glasses

DINNER:

Rotini with Mushroom Cheese Tomato Sauce

Oatmeal Wheat Rolls- 2

Red Grapes- 1 cup

Water- 3 glasses

I wasn't hungry, I wasn't beat, I wasn't craving any sweets. I didn't get tempted looking at all the ice cream tubs we got at our Albertson's store that's closing, (if not closed already) last week.

I can't wait to workout again tomorrow! I feel great!

A Healthier Me: Day 2

Since today is Sunday, no workout for me, but rather I made sure that I baked my own bread to exercise my arms.

One thing I'll definitely won't do is to do anything drastically. No too small portions, and definitely no skipping meals. No one food diet- I will have the whole pyramid covered in sensible meal plans and enough portion so I'm not sneaking any sugar packets in the middle of the night.

BREAKFAST:

Cereal

Milk- 2 glasses

LUNCH:

Honey Wheat Bread- 2 toasted slices

Laughing Cow Cheese- 1 wedge

Honey

Water- 3 glasses

SNACK:

Blackberries-1/2 cup

DINNER:

Oatmeal Wheat Dinner Rolls-2

Beef Barley Soup- 1 bowl

Water- 3 glasses

DESSERT:

Fusion Smoothie(fruit and veggie)- 1 glass

I know it takes about a week to lose all water weight, another week for muscles to rip enough for reformation and about a zillion months to shed tummy fat, but if I can get to three weeks of uninterrupted workout-filled, good eating, and water-chugging habits, I know I can reach my goal of going to size 4, fitting in my dream dress, and that much closer to my dream date:

Going to an opera and a fancy dinner

Dressed formal and in heels

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

A Healthier Me: My Fitness Journey

Today, I decided that I will make that BIG leap into a more active and proactive healthy lifestyle for myself. I normally eat sensibly and do my obligatory chores as my workout, but I know I can be better.

I'm about 136 lbs and barely under 5 feet tall. I am currently size 6/8 and have been since December 1999. I AM OVERWEIGHT.

For my height, my max healthy weight is 112-115 lbs and max of size 4.

I AM OVERWEIGHT. I need this as a reminder.

We got this treadmill for FREE, so I am determined to use it everyday to help whip my body into a lighter version.

(excuse my LR/Library walls, we're still figuring out paint color.)

Starting today, I will take you with me as I journey into this mostly painful, obviously funny and hopefully not empty attempt at reaching my goal. I have no set time to reach it, but rather I wish to get into a habit of wanting to be healthier.

DAY 1-- 30 mins

TIME: 8:00 AM

WALKING-25 mins/2.0 mph
RUNNING-05 mins/4.0 mph

CALORIES BURNED: 166 fat/cals
DISTANCE: 1.5 miles

BREAKFAST:

1. Water-3 glasses
2. Strawberries-7 whole
3. Eggs- 2 sunny-side up/no salt/pepper

LUNCH:

1. Water- 4 glasses
2. Spinach Salad w/ Craisins & oat crunch cereal & homemade dressing
3. Hershey's Kisses- 3 dark chocolate

DINNER:

1. Water- 3 glasses
2. Baked Salmon (cumin, garlic, lemon, evoo)
3. Spinach & Strawberry salad
4. Mushroom & Onion couscous

Extra Workout:

Walked around the grocery store before getting and carrying mushrooms, a gallon & a quart of milk. NO cart or basket.

I'm Grateful For... #25

Energy and Good Health! For anything that I get to do... I'm so glad to have the focus and energy to get things done.

Getting Better- In Style!

We will be finished with I-Dude's 6x/day nebulizer treatment by 12:30AM. And we start the 4x/day set of treatments for the next three days.

We haven't really done this intense therapy for him since he was about 3 years old. I, for one, forgot how truly exhausting it is. Both for us and him. It was heartbreaking to wake him up at 12:30 this morning and trying to get him to wake up long enough to breathe the Albuterol mist in.

So for his posterity, I share with all of you how he has found a way to take his treatments in style! Being seven and easily distracted, we want him to be able to sit still for about 5 minutes. Plus, the mist gets into his eyes sometimes and it quite bothers him; so... with his newly found Hot Wheels shades, and Fish mask, I give you...

I-Dude, the ever cool "Fish Face" Boy! ;-)


Look, it's not comfortable enough unless he's also got a great book to distract him. LOL
I can't stop myself from thinking, while I took these pictures, of how his own children someday would react to these pictures. I think they're gonna declare him "stylish in the face of inconvenience" as well. ;-)

Ok, I'm off to get ready for bed now. The last week of school awaits us and Summer's peeking around the corner. I need to get on the Summer mode so we can at least feel that we're on vacation. My patio needs to be readied and more herbs need to be planted. I miss my fresh basil!

Of course something else happens...

What is a week without someone getting sick in our household during a hectic week?

I-Dude awoke to coughing fits and difficulty breathing. Gave him his breathing treatment of Albuterol and sent him to school. On the way there, I had this inspiration to write down both of our cell numbers and to have him hand it to the school nurse.

Mr. Man and I had errands and projects to do. We ran out of Bissell Steam Cleaning solution. Our cat hasn't been eating very well which meant new brand of cat food to try. Mr. Man's busy getting ready for his new work schedule and location, the patio still needs cleaning for the summer and clothes had to be sorted for donation.

But I knew somehow that I needed to write down our cell number to the nurse. And guess what, the moment we got in the car to start our day, the nurse calls and tells us I-Dude's oxygen is at 96% instead of 99-100%, temp of 99.2 deg F, and he's not breathing very well. We were able to pick him up in three minutes. We observed him first while we did our errands. Got home and gave him another dose of Albuterol. Let him rest and play a little on the Wii. Yet he still didn't get better...

So like most times that he gets sick, we found ourselves at another Urgent Care and he had to have another round of nebulizer treatment of Zopanex and Atrovent. His stats by the time he was checked, 94% oxygen and 99.3 fever. Zopanex and Atrovent combo worked within 10 minutes but only opened up his airway back to 96%, hence the round-the-clock, 6 times a day, nebulizer treatment routine again. This time, coughing is a good thing, a very good thing...

For now, he feels better but he's back to having these treatments every four hours for the next three days. But that's ok. He's better and in the next few days, he'll be much better. Until the next time... But we'll be just as inspired by then.

We thank thee, with all of our hearts, Heavenly Father for helping us keep our I-Dude cared for. We sure do love him!