Giving my Body the Chance to Fight!

I am on the road to recovery! I’ve been sick for what seems like a month, but I know I had a good stretch of time that I wasn’t as sick, but I am so done with the cold and flu season. I started out the year with a stomach virus, and we remember that very well still. Now, this past 2 weeks I’ve been dealing with a respiratory infection. Since beginning my journey I have found myself becoming less ill from all the germs that come my way, even with these past two stints of illness. I found that as my body became stronger and my lungs breathed better I was not getting chronic bronchitis anymore, and unable to get up off the couch from a bad cold. But, this illness put me down for the count. I attempted to fight through it the first part of last week, thinking that a little Zumba would do me some good. By the end of the week I was barely breathing well, and coughing so hard my head would spin! So, off to the doctor I went and out with 4 new prescriptions and a diagnosis of respiratory Infection and an Ear infection. Also, I was told no exercise for 3 or more days, until I began to breathe better. Monday came around this week and I was feeling dramatically better, so off to Zumba I went (even on Valentine’s Day, yes) and continued to keep my routine going into Tuesday. As of this morning I do not have the burning cough in my chest anymore, and am only battling with the drainage from my sinuses and a minor cough. I’m still bringing the inhaler with me into the gym the rest of the week though, but I am on the mend and feel great for giving my body the ability to fight!

Stomach Flu....oy!

This past week I’ve had the stomach flu and have managed to loss any progress I’ve had in my fitness program. Although losing 10 pounds in one day was easy on the spirits, I’ve felt completely ill and lethargic for more then 3 days now. Some of the things I’ve been doing to keep myself sane and not go into starvation mode was sleeping a lot and eating the B.R.A.T diet. The BRAT diet is short for banana, rice, apple sauce, or toast. I’ve also added in Jell-O and trying to keep water in me. Seeing as that my Biggest Loser weigh in was only 36 hours after the virus hit me, I couldn’t afford to lose all that weight right before. So, I did my best to get my body back in order. Coming up is the quick advice from the trainer who weighed me in.

The Journey Continues

There you all are asking me how I am doing with my “diet” and how my exercising is going out in the real world. I knew you were out there thinking of me. It’s been interesting to have taken a break from the blog, but continue on my journey. I have managed to step away from the thoughts and focus more on the actions and the lifestyle. More of you have been coming up to me to talk with me and see how I’m doing, because you haven’t heard. I’m so glad you are still interested, and wanting to hear my story. So, here it is.

I’m doing great! I haven’t had any significant weight loss in the past month because life has been taking priority over my gym time, but as part of my journey I’ve had to except that and find other ways to burn those calories. Some ways I have managed that burn in recent weeks includes walking the mall for several hours with the stroller, cleaning the house (moving furniture, dusting the ceiling, vacuuming, and scrubbing floor boards), church garden work party, and church yard sale. You would be surprise at how sore and fatigued I became after some of these activities. I didn’t get my heart rate going, but I worked my muscles and made sure they remembered they were still in use. I didn’t sit on the couch, I didn’t even sit at the computer for long periods of time, and I just got out and did stuff. I’ve been to farmer’s markets; I’ve been walking around town; and even riding public transit so that I don’t just sit around all day.

My journey with food is still a struggle at times. I find it difficult to eat on a budget due to several factors. One, my daughter has certain foods that are guaranteed winners that I know she will eat, which aren’t salads and low fat foods. Two, fish is not cheap. Three, when life has you out and in the world away from your refrigerator and pantry the healthy stuff is twice the price then the junk food. This part has been the struggle. Doing a yard sale for two days and not remembering to pack healthy options to snack on resulted in fast food lunch and a quick hunger only an hour later. And going to the mall to play and walk results in greasy, fried, or expensive options. Where’s the happy medium? I’m sure the easy answer would be to plan for these events and bring along your food, but any mom would tell you that answer is just not realistic! When your kid's hungry and all she wants to eat is pizza and fries that really sucks, or you could drive the 45 minutes home while she screams in hunger and give her the healthy turkey sandwich or fruit and vegys you know she will eat at home. So, the journey continues with more insight into how hard it will always be and a quest to make not just me, but my family healthier!

Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I promise to post my current weight and any exercise that I have been getting. Wish me luck in some loss; I haven’t seen a lot of it lately.

Calories In VS Calories Out

First things first, I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July and that they enjoyed all the wonderful food that goes along with it. I absolutely went overboard with food, all due to emotional eating. I have to admit I did not have a handle on it yesterday, and it was pretty difficult to have control when I was so upset with things.

I did however have some thoughts on how we should eat and how to eat when there are days we do not exercise. Do we limit our calories when we aren’t going to “burn” any? Or do we keep the same amount of calories we consume on a daily basis? Consuming calories provides your body with the energy it needs, while physical activity burns off calories. So the key to successful weight loss is finding the right ways to balance the calories you take in with the calories you put out. When we take in to many calories during a meal the end result is Fat storage, and no in the usage of energy the calorie in intended to be used for.

So, how many calories should we be consuming? Your energy needs take precedence over all other body functions. For an adult, there are three factors that determine your total energy requirements. The first is your Basal Energy Requirement. This is the minimum amount of energy needed by the body at rest in the fasting state. It includes basic body functions such as respiration, cellular metabolism, circulation, gland activity, and body temperature control. It is affected by such things as age, gender, pregnancy, body composition, nutritional status, sleep, climate, and fever. The second energy requirement is your Physical Activity. The amount of calories needed for physical activity depends on the type of activity or work, the intensity and the duration. The last requirement is Specific Dynamic Action of Food. This is the amount of calories needed to manage food intake and includes digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food. Now, we’ve talked about that if we burn 500 calories a day for 7 days we should in theory lose 1 lb if we have not taken in more then our allotted daily calories.

But, some of you still think that to lose weight, the lower the calories, the better. Ironically, the key may be eating more calories. You can actually hurt your body's ability to lose weight by going too low. Here's why. The body has a protective mechanism. When calories drop too low (it’s recommend a minimum of 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men) the body reacts as if it is starving and tries to conserve energy. It will lower your metabolism, conserve calories and fat, and you will NOT burn calories as quickly. This results in a slower weight loss or even no weight loss. This is what’s known as "Starvation Mode." When calorie intake falls below 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day, it is also extremely difficult to follow a balanced diet and obtain all the nutrients that are needed by the body to stay strong and energetic and prevent disease. These very low calorie intakes can also lead to other health problems such as eating disorders, gout, gallstones, and heart complications.

Hitting a plateau during a weight loss program is normal (though it can still be frustrating). Your body requires fewer calories to function as your weight decreases. It needs time to adjust to all the healthy changes that are occurring due to the weight loss. So continuing to follow the same eating and exercise patterns won’t work forever. Your body will adjust differently then those around you, and that can seem unfair and frustrating. To jump-start your metabolism and break out of the plateau, you may need to select a different form of exercise to stimulate other muscle groups to become more active. Do not become discouraged; this may take several weeks or months. Stay focused on all the positive things you have accomplished. Your goal during plateaus is to try not to gain any pounds back. Keep your calories around the same range EVERYDAY in order to keep you metabolism working at its fullest and allowing your muscles to grow for you burn more fat.

So, even if you are not at the gym today keep your eating habits the same as you have been. Your resting metabolism is still working hard at burning that fat and making your body adjust to al your changes. Keep up the hard work.

Considering Pregnancy?

I recently was thinking about why I’m on this journey, and for the most part it’s due to wanting to just lose the weight and get healthy but the small picture in this is I want to have another baby! I want to not be a high risk case because of my weight, and I want to not gain 50 lbs during and after my pregnancy. There are so many reasons all women who are looking to becoming pregnant should focus on their fitness levels and eating habits before the blessed beginnings of pregnancy.

Here are some alarming facts about obesity and pregnancy. A child is more likely to become overweight is the mother was prior to becoming pregnant, and the more over weight the mother was the greater the chance the child would become overweight as well. Now, I know what I’m thinking, my child has a huge chance, except for the fact that I’ve already made the changes in our lives not to let that happen. (Plus the fact her father was a bean pole most of his life and she was a preemie.) But, what about those of you who haven’t made that change in your life to insure your children don’t become overweight by the age of 7?

Planning ahead for your pregnancy is such a great step in making sure your family will be healthy and active as they grow. If you’re already at a good weight, just keep it up and watch what you eat. You really only need to increase your calories by 300-400 each day to grow your baby healthily and maintain your weight. Add ankle weights for your walks, or just do some light weight lifting with your cardio workouts. If you are still working towards getting to a healthy weight then keep up the hard work. Eat a low calorie diet and exercise every day as much as you can work into your schedule.

Once you are pregnant and are maintaining a healthy weight you will you will feel better, it will help you keep your weight gain during pregnancy within a safe range, it will contribute to a greater sense of well-being, and it can reduce your postpartum recovery time. This last one is so important to me. I think it’s so important to be able to recover from the trauma your body goes through and for me the depression that can follow.

The journey we are on is so important, and if you are working towards a future pregnancy then it can be even more important for you. Keep up your hard work and dedication, and remember the end results will all be worth the effort you put in.

6 weeks to a healthier you - The Biggest Loser Book

I’ve been reading The Biggest Loser 6 weeks to a healthier you book and am about finished, as well as shopped for the first 2 weeks of food from the meal plans. I am nervous about the challenge this will be and impressed with the details that are given in the book.

Each week is broken down into a specific area of health concern that is related to obesity; cancer, heart disease, blood pressure, and mental health are some of the areas of concern. I was interested in reading the meal plan for the week focusing on high blood pressure, since this is something I struggle with. Most of this chapter was information I have known and written about before and nothing really new to me. The exercise for this week was a high difficulty then the week prior, using a resistance band in each exercise, and this made me eager for week 4!

Each day of food is completely laid out for you, consisting of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and then dinner. There are no days were you exceed 1,600 calories at all, and more days are just over 1,400 to 1,500 calories. This will be a struggle for me at first, just to see the diminished amounts, but with much more whole grain along with more fruits and vegetables I feel confident that this will not be a huge factor for me.

Overall I am excited to begin something more structured in this journey. I don’t feel like this is a gimmick that I am taking on, but a tool in the many I already possess. I have made some substitutions in the meal plans when necessary. These substitutions come from not wanting to purchase expensive ingredients, not found of a particular food, or unable to find particular ingredients. I also made adjustments for days that I want to feed more then just Jon, Julia and I, and enjoy the company of my friends. This will most likely increase the calorie intakes of the day, but with extra work at the gym I shouldn’t see much from that. Another book I want to try in The Biggest Loser series is the Family Cookbook. This book is focused on bargain AND healthy meals for the family. Once I am done with these 6 weeks of meals I am going out to get it and make my own meal plans!

Here is a sample of week 1 meals -

Monday 1,470 Calories

Breakfast:
Southern Start (recipe with oatmeal & peaches)
½ grapefruit sub. w/ orange
2 oz Canadian bacon sub w/ turkey bacon
1 cup fat-free milk
Tea or coffee

Snack:
½ turkey sandwich: 1 oz lean turkey, 2 tomato slices, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard on 1 slice of whole grain bread.

Lunch:
1 serving Broke Bean Strew (recipe w/ beans, spinach, tomatoes, and spicy spices)
2 cups mixed green salad with 1 tbsp low-fat Caesar dressing sub. w/ ranch dressing
1 large apple or ¾ cup cherries
Iced Tea

Snack:
1 serving Sunrise Shake (recipe w/ Biggest Loser protein powder)

Dinner:
6 oz lean flank steak, grilled
1 cup steamed broccoli with 1 tsp minced garlic and 1 tbsp toasted almond slivers
Sliced tomato salad with ¼ cup sliced green bell pepper and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Green tea or coffee
Ice water

Help me De-Stress!

Ok, so apparently I didn’t get the message that I gained weight yesterday since I baked chocolate chip cookies tonight. I only had 2 cookies, but it’s just not something I should be eating. I know that this journey is not suppose to completely restrict me from enjoying life and all that it has to offer, but I feel guilty for eating them. I should be proud that I only had 2, and that I didn’t sit and eat the whole bowl of batter instead.

I’ve noticed that my stress tolerance is much lower the past few days and that usually leads me to eating and stress is a huge factor with your body holding onto fat instead of allowing you to shed it. It can cause blood pressure increases, headaches, fatigue, and digestion problems. I’ve probably had all of these issues this week, so I need to distress some how. My at home exercising doesn’t seem to be allowing for the distressing that I need at this point, and I’m not sure where I can get it from. Some people drink, I usually eat, so I need to find some better coping mechanisms. I love to scrapbook and usually it’s a great outlet for me, but I’m at a pass in that road for the time being as I wait to pick up new photos I’ve printed. So, any suggestions followers?

Other things I’ve been trying include cleaning, sleeping, longer walks, zoning out, baking and not eating all the food, and of course the useless crying jag. I might go track down my knitting and try to finish the baby hat I started in the hospital 2 years ago.

Stressful End of the Day

Sundays for some reason are always very hard for me. I can’t seem to put my finger on what makes it such a stressful day. It should be a day that I am rejoicing in my faith and enjoying my family, but for some reason it’s become the day of stress for me.

Most of the day went off without a hitch. Julia woke up really good, but was quite a picky eater for most of the day. During church though she had this panic attack that we were going to leave her, which of course she was about to be taken down to the nursery and be left there, but she always gets over it and is happy again. Today wasn’t as easy, but she did eventually get over the anxiety and play. The message at church was, as usual, something I really needed to hear, and that always brings me closer to God and gives me a calm spirit.

Once we came home today Jon and I put Julia down for a nap and he made homemade French fries (I love these things!) and we had turkey burgers for lunch. I scrapbooked some during nap time, and then we all went for a walk when Julia woke up (including the dog). After the walk though I started to feel really sick again, and was experiencing some pretty bad ear pain and body aches. So, I laid down for awhile, and Jon was wonderful enough to play with Julia while I did this. When I woke up though it was dinner time, and I hadn’t had any plans yet. This is where life became stressful again.

Having meals planned out are essential to my lifestyle now. It helps me to take a lot of stress way from the day, and gives me back control of the food that I am eating. Today was not the case. I was still slightly sleepy, and said I had wanted Julia to have some mac & cheese (her favorite), and so Jon went ahead and began to make that. This made it so stressful for me because that wasn’t what I wanted to or should eat. So, we were defrosting chicken to make BBQ chicken and the mac & cheese is finished, and now we’re all jumbled up with our dinner schedule and Julia’s eating while we’re making our own food. It just became to overwhelming for me, and made me feel frustrated. I ended up having some of the mac & cheese and chicken, but I am still feeling out of control and just plain sad.

My ear is continuing to bother me, so I will sleep in to get some more rest of my immune system. I will go for my walk tomorrow though, and try to make the best of my frustrations.

Just trying to make it through the day today

It has been such a beautiful day to be outside and enjoying the sun. I certainly felt this way when I got around this morning, but just went down hill all day. My ear hasn’t been feeling any better yet, and I think I’m having some side effects from the medication as well. Poor Julia had to deal with a sleepy mommy today, and I had a very hard time finding much effort to get up and go today.

I was able to make the walk before it got to late this afternoon, but it had already become quite chilly by the time we got out there. I suppose that’s why I walked so quickly though, and we managed to stay out for 30 minutes.

I made a turkey meat loaf for dinner, which probably took most of my energy just to make by the way. It was alright, wasn’t my idea of exactly the perfect healthy meal (especially with the mashed potatoes), but it was very low in calories.

I’m just going to keep working at the level I can while I’m dealing with the infection, and watch what I eat. I’m also getting back into my favorite hobby, scrapbooking, and it has given me so much pleasure to get back into it. Having a passion for something like this has always given me more drive for the other things in my life. I also have to say that my faith has continued to grow, and this is major reason why I am feeling so successful in life right now.

Total Daily Calories: 1,646

Friday Weight in- Maybe I should be sick more often!

February 19 Loss: -4.6
February 12 Loss: -2.4
February 5 Loss: -4.4
January 29 Loss: -2.1 lbs
January 22 Loss: -4.4 lbs
January 15 Loss: -6 lbs

BMI Today: 48.74
BMI Last Week: 49.53

Total Weight Loss: 23.9
Oh wow, I can’t believe how successful I have been this week in weight loss. Like I’ve been saying I have been trying to keep my calorie intake down to counteract the lack of exercise that has been during my horrific sore throat and ear infection now. Yes, I said infection. I am now on antibiotics for the painful and clogged up ear that I have been dealing with for a week. Maybe now I will get better by this Monday and be able to get back all the way on the exercise horse. I felt so good to have lost this weight this week, and know that I am truly making a difference in myself.

Time to call the Doc!

Unfortunately I am still dealing with a major pain in the ear, and a minor cough. I do not feel 100% at all, and plan to call the doctor in the morning. I have been walking every day this week though, and feel good about how my diet has been going.

Since I haven’t been as active as I had been I attempted to lower my calorie intake some to insure that I would be burning close to the same percentage of calories. Most days have been less than 1,800 calories or just at, so I’m hoping the scale shows my minor efforts.

Tonight I made some beef kabobs from a fajitas recipe by Sandra Lee on food network. I marinated all the ingredients for several hours, and then Jon grilled them up on the BBQ. We added some white rice to it all, and had a nice dinner.

When to know if you should exercise during your cold/flu

Exercising when you’re sick is a huge gamble for most people. You feel like you’ve been so diligent with your new routine and stopping that routine for a couple of days can really take the enthusiasm out of your goals. So, how do you know if you should take a nap or go for a jog?

Since I’ve been sick this has been a huge question for me. How do I know when I’m ready to get back on the horse and get back to my hard work? The first few days I decided that any fever, body aches, or couching was just a blockade to any exercise for me. Once my fever was gone, and I no longer felt like I had been thrown around in the boxing ring I felt like I could do some limited exercise again. So, I began to take my walks outside, but not at a fast pace. I was coughing still, and continue to have a cough today. So, making sure not to increase my congestion I kept the intensity low, and just went for a slightly longer time.

So, how long do I go on this limited exercise routine? Well, since I have a cough and it appears that this was a flu bug (hello, I got a flu shot!) this may linger around for another few days or longer. Even though regular exercise is said to increase the body’s immune system, but I seem to have a long ways to go before I can fight off the flu with my exercise.

Long day, let's make this short

Well, I'm still sick but I managed another walk for about 30 minutes. My cheats (yes that's plural) are a slice of garlic bread at dinner, and a tiny slice of brownie at my Financial Peace class tonight. It's time for bed, since we had to go pick up Julia tonight from her babysitting at her grandparent's house. No idea my calorie intake either, since I don't have time tonight to count up dinner. More to come at another time.

Almost back to the grind

Today was not as productive as I had hoped just two days ago, but at least I didn’t sit around all day coughing my head off. I managed to get a nice half hour walk in this afternoon, and kept control of my calories. I am still feeling pretty sick though, so I will not be working out on the Wii just yet. I am now experiencing an ear ache and pain, continued with my persistent cough and sore throat.

I haven’t had the experience of dealing with cold and flu when I am having a regular exercise routine before. The last time I was this active I seemed to be pretty immune to getting most viruses. Maybe it’s because I fought off so many healthy problems for the past 3 years now that I just can’t bounce back as easily as I use to, or maybe it’s just because I’m getting older.

I did stay in my calorie range, and had a wonderful dinner of homemade chicken burgers and French fries (Jon fried up some potato slices) and it was all so good. Felt like comfort food that I shouldn’t have been eating, but I could. Don’t you love that?

Today Daily Calories: 1,887 Total Burned: 198

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s been a hard day, but it was such a loving day. My darling daughter wasn’t feeling well most of the morning, and after some medicine and a nap she was all about today. My mom and us all went to dinner (we actually called it linner, because it was between lunch and dinner) and I got to indulge myself in sushi! Later in the evening my mom stayed with Julia to allow us a much needed date night. We went out to the movies, and I again indulged in popcorn. I am going to will myself to get back to work tomorrow, and hopefully I will have it in me. Still feeling sick with a very sore throat, and again I’m hoping this will pass soon. No calories tonight again with all that has been going on.

Still Sick - Day 4!

Well, today I continue to be sick, and am missing the walks and the morning workouts. I am also missing a good night’s sleep due to being sick. It was difficult to be home alone with my sickly daughter as well. We were both tired from coughing all night, and it’s so much harder on her because she can’t communicate how she feels besides being naughty.

I did well with food, but continue to not count my calories due to lack of energy. I am hoping to be back in the groove of things by Monday. But, I also know that if I’m still not sleeping well at night I have to take it light. Another thing I need to start focusing on is my blood pressure. Since I went into the doctor’s with cold medicine in me and feeling very sick it was hard to know what caused my blood pressure to be high, but I do have a history of a bouncing blood pressure. Once I am feeling better I will go in and have it checked, and then I’ll see if anything needs to be done about it. Knowing that I am working on my self with such focus gives me a good feeling that even if I do have to take some medication for awhile, it won’t be for long.

Well, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I’m going to have sushi for dinner and go to a movie with Jon. I am going to indulge myself and have popcorn at the movies, but not have the large like I use to get. And, of course no soda but water to go with my popcorn. I hope everyone has a great day with their loved ones tomorrow.

Friday weight & Sick

February 12 Loss: -2.4
February 5 Loss: -4.4
January 29 Loss: -2.1 lbs
January 22 Loss: -4.4 lbs
January 15 Loss: -6 lbs

BMI Today: 49.53
BMI Last Week: 49.95

Total Weight Loss: 19.3

I’ve been sick for most of this week, and have had little exercise besides what I at the beginning of the week. I haven’t been over eating, but tonight we did take the easy route and have a take and bake pizza. I’m proud of having any weight loss this week, and know that I am doing the best I can with what I have in me.

When I went to the doctor this week about being sick of course I had to step onto the dreaded scale. The last time I was at the doctor was back in August of 2009. Since that last visit I have lost 30 pounds! Before I even began my journey I was already walking into it without even knowing. Somehow I was already on the right road, and now I’m just in control of the speed.

Since I’ve been sick this week I haven’t been completely keeping track of the calorie intake. I start to at the beginning of the day, and then just run out of energy to finish counting the end of the day foods. I guess I’m just in a school zone of my journey this week.

Continueing to be sick

I went to the doctor today and it's just a virus, nothing serious. But let me tell you that this virus kicked my butt, and I just didn't feel like it was something simple. So, I became my usual hypochondriac. Still low on the appetite, so hopefully I don't have a poor weigh in tomorrow. I'll write more tomorrow.

Sick Day

I’m still sick, and had no exercise today. I had little appetite during the day, so I suppose I did well on my calories. Most of calories came from chicken soup and stir-fry for dinner that Jon made. God Bless my wonderful husband for taking care of me.

Total Daily Calories: 1,810

Just a quick check in

I’m not feeling so well today. I think I over stretched a muscle in my shoulder and I have a sore throat, so in order to take charge of my health I am going to make this short tonight.

I did my morning exercise, and then this afternoon I got a nice walk in. I ate some great food and stayed in my calorie range. We also had our Financial Peace Class tonight, so little Julia got to spend the evening with her Grandma Roxanne. Other then that I am ready for bed, and took some nightquil to make my sleep last tonight.