Monday and Tuesday journals

One of my goals (not resolutions!) for the New Years is to be more consistant with my blogging. Especially the food and fitness journals. Here are this weeks so far:
Monday
orange
Steel cut oats
3 pecans
honey
green tea
roll with butter
spinach salad
2 oz cheese
olives
croutons
meringue cookies
mini candy cane
sugar cookie
cheesecake
homemade potato soup
popcorn
total calories for the day: 1763
Tuesday
banana
hard boiled egg
1 oz cheese
orange
Haelthy Choice Sesame Chicken (steam fresh type)
green tea
non fat yogurt
olive oil
spaghetti with marinara sauce
lean ground beef
4 saltine crackers
Neufachatel cheese
Total for day: 1483
Exercise:
Monday: 30 minutes walking
20 minutes on stationary bike
Tuesday: 60 minute workout with trainer.

There it is so far this week. I will post a typical routine with trainer in my next post and what my "homework" is.

Upping the ante!

It's all good! Had a greta workout with Paulette today. She upped my weights and/or reps depending on the exercise. Also did more cardio whew! I appreciate the challenge though! I know she isn;t going to ask anything of me that I can't handle.
Food today was ok I guess. I had eggs and whole grain toast for breakfast and then a banana after workout. Lunch was a salad with some cheese on it. Dinner was mixed veggies, red potatoes roasted in olive oil and some ham. All very good. Not sure about the sodium for the day though. But I think calorie wise I am still in the clear.
I can't believe I only have 3(?) more sessions with her. :-( Wish we could afford to join the fitness center.

Saturday

Saturday already! This morning I went to the Women's Fellowship breakfast at church. Food-wise it really wasn't too bad. I had some egg cassaroles and a small bit..about 3 bites of a homemade cinnamon roll. And black coffee. Before leaving home I ate half a banana so I wouldn't over do it. After getting home though I was munching on a gingerbread cookie and had 2 whole wheat polenta cookies. I suppose as a whole my calorie count has not been too outragous. I drank broth for lunch, had some crackers with cheese. I don't know what it is, just not too hungry. Oh--had a nice salad too. Tomorrow may be an eating day LOL! I am trying to listen to what my body says it wants. So that may mean a day where I don't eat as much and days where I do.
So not much to report here. I have not veen sleeping well the last couple weeks. Probably longer actually. Seems like since we went out of town for Thanksgiving I am "off" sleep and food wise. I am praying I can get back on track soon!

No Excuses!

No excuses. I have no excuses for not blogging. Yesterday I had some friends over for lunch. Some were from the church I used to attend, well ALL were. But all but 3 of us still go there…for now. Most are overweight and/or have health problems. I sat there listening as they asked one friend how she had lost all her weight, and then listened to their excuses as to why that wouldn’t work for them. I wanted to yell out—“What is wrong with you people?” But I didn’t. I just listened. “I’m too old” “I’m too fat”, “I’m too unhealthy”, “It’s the medication I’m on”, “It’s in my genes”, “I’m thinking of lap band surgery”, etc. I have heard them before, perhaps even used some of them. I realized how far I have come the last few months and ridiculus the excuses really are. I may not be losing a lot of weight for whatever reason, but I have not given up! I may not have lost a lot of weight but I have improved my cholesterol, my blood pressure and my blood sugar numbers. I will keep exercising, I will keep eating healthy. I am not perfect, in fact I had KFC and David’s homemade chili today. (I was proud I took most of the skin off too LOL!) And I did not add extra salt to the chili. And yesterday at the lunch I ate one cookie. (today I had a couple ginger bread though) :-O I just wish they would not give up on themselves and on life as a healthy person.

This week’s workouts:
Monday: At home strength training
Tuesday: Training at Grant with Paulette
Weds: Cleaned house
Thursday: lunch with the ladies, no exercise
Friday: Recumbant bike 30 minutes, level 6, Cross Training program. Strength training.

It's almost November!

Oh MY! Just a few more days and it will be....NOVEMBER! Where has the year gone? I think I say this every year since I turned 30. November 1st is our 10 year anniversary. Even with the ups and downs of life--it has been a good trip! I love my David and would not trade him for anyone or anything! I also can't believe it is this close to Tahnksgiving and the preverbial question from family has not come up yet! "Where is Thanksgiving and Christmas going to be? Whose coming? I want it here...no--me, me, me!!!!" LOL! I am waiting. Maybe I will say "We are staying home gonna have fun ourselves" ha ha! Like that'll happen! I like going but it is the chaos they make of it beforehand that drives me nuts. And it is just my side of the family that does this. So I am waiting to see where the Holiday celebrations will be held this year and when.
Today this is what I have had so far to eat.
Breakfast
homemade granola and 1/4 c of 1% milk
banana
Black coffee

Snack
no sugar applesauce
hot tea with Stevia
7 walnut halves

I hope to post the rest later. David is off tomorrow and all next week.YAY!!! I am praying for nice weather to get outside for a bit. He does want to go swim though! another YAY! Then we will travel north as he will be preaching the 8th.

Love, hugs and prayers!

Getting myself together again.

OK--here I am again after weeks of no postings. I need you to keep me accountable! LOL!
Well, I DO have good news to blog anyways! October is my "exam month". Typically I have most of my mammos, PAP tests and follow ups to the docs in October. Oh..and the dentist! LOL! My blood work was actually in September. But the great news is:
1. I still show no signs of cancer.
2. My cholesterol is down to 171
3. My A1C is at 5.8!!!!!!
4. My doctor decided she could put me on a lower dose of my blood pressure meds!

I have also lost a total of 13 pounds since the end of May!
That being said...I am going to start blogging my journals again. There will be days I can't since I will be out of town but I am making an effort to stick with it. I think I need to do this to keep on track better. I have noticed some things slipping back into my old ways and I don't want that--not after such great reports!

Lot's of hugs!!

Away but not lost

I have been away from my blog for awhile now..about 11 days or so. Been busy getting ready for the IN-laws who came this weekend and for my nephew's wedding next weekend! I will be AFK again in a few days!
The past week or so has been fairly well for me. I am having sciatica pain in my left leg again/still. This makes walking very painful. Good news is--my back pain has stopped, so I don't know which is worse LOL! I did do walking this weekend with MIL, we went shopping and to an Arts Fest. But we also ate out alot! I did not eat until I was sick--good! But I did eat some off my list of things I eat..not so good! Olive Garden always seems to make me feel sick afterwards. I told David last night that I don't think I want to eat there anymore. The soup did not seem to bother me but it is the pasta sauces that do. Saturday we grilled steak, potatoes and had a nice salad to celebrate my in-law's 45th anniversary, I ate half my steak and am planning on having the rest on top of a nice salad today for my lunch. David did a great job on the grilling too!
I was looking at First Place 4 Health again today. I just don't feel right about a Christian Weight loss group charging so much money for the books etc. I guess I will continue my own Bible search for weight and food issues.

Some thinking

I have been thinking about something. A couple weeks ago I started attending a Women's Bible study at church. My neighbor leads it and it has been a great study and group of ladies so far! This last week's has been on Lot's wife. She was the one you may remember who looked back when feeing Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt. The real question was "why did she turn back to look?". Not much is really known about her, where she came from, etc. It is thought that she must have had some connections with the people of Sodom, maybe she came from there. We don't know. Anyways--some of the questions at the end asked what we held inportant, what takes up our time that we don't spend it with God. One of the suggestions was weight and diet. Have I been so absorbed in trying to lose weight and keeping the journals that I am forgetting to stop and pray about my food and exercise? I think maybe I have! Maybe the stress of that is why I am not losing as much as I would think. So, I am going to be a little more laid back in the food journals. I have been keeping them and have lost 8 pounds since May. The number of calories I am on I should be losing 2 pounds a week! So from now on I will talk about the food here but maybe not as much as I was.

Fitness this week!

I think this week was pretty good fitness wise!
Monday
10 minutes on stationary bike
10 minutes Gazelle
10 minutes walk/jog
10 chest presses on soloflex
10 lat. pulss on soloflex
TUESDAY
some yoga from Biggest Losers weight loss yoga DVD
WEDS
30 minutes walking
THURS.
30 minutes walking
FRIDAY
Biked with friends on Rails to Trails path 10 miles

Tuesday -Friday food

Tuesday
BREAKFAST
cooked cereal 200
SNACK
banana 110
LUNCH
homemade stirfry veggies 100
chicken breast 185
1/4 cup chow mein noodles 65
brown rice 150
DINNER
Homemade pizza 420
Snack
Philly swirl pop 14
Total 1344

WEDS.
Breakfast
cooked cereal 200
SNACK
hard boiled egg 70
LUNCH
Rye bread 70
turkey 100
Swiss cheese 70
fresh peach 80
Snack
Cocoa puffs 250
cheese 70
muffin (see recipe) 100
DINNER
chicken 159
potato 150
Olivio spread 50
muffin 100
SNACK
Cheerios and milk 250
Total 1710

Thursdays
1 cup of 1% milk 100
muffin 100
peanut butter 150
SNACK
hard boiled egg 70
LUNCH
tortillas 150
chicken 150
cheese 140
Dinner
Mac and cheese (homemade) 400
bread 70
Olivio 50
TOTAL 1380
FRIDAY!!
BREAKFAST
Homemade chili 100
toast with jam 200
LUNCH at Andie's
Whole grain bread 200
tomatoe slices 15
bacon 250
lettuce 5
mayo 50
DINNER
Chili 500
SNACK
Popcorn 250
TOTAL 1570

Muffin recipe

Most of you know I list muffins in my food journal. The recipe I had been using was 165 calories. I found a different recipe in a Weight Watchers recipe book I had that is 91-96 calories each depending on the version you make. here is the recipe for the plain ones.

Just PLain Muffins
makes 12
1 and 3/4 cups flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fat free milk
1 egg
4 teaspoons unsalted butter..melted

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Spray 12 muffin tins with cooking spray.
Mix dry ingrediants first and then add wet to make a batter. Spoon evenly into muffin tins. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean.

Now for my changes! LOL! I use part whole wheat and part Spelt flour. You could use oat flour or any other you want to experiment with. I also use honey instead of sugar and Canola oil instead of butter.
The book says the basic recipe is 91 calories each.
Fo chocolate muffins...
Use 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 Tablespoons of sugar. Also add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to mix.

The lowly potato

I have been thinking lately about potatoes. Now I know that may sound odd but the past few years, diet "experts" have vilianized the poor potato. Why is it included in "bad" foods? Jillian and many other experts say "If it has a momma or comes out of the ground" then it is ok. Well--people--potatoes come out of the ground!! And on top of that--God created it! I found the following on a website Worlds Healthiest Foods. It has alot more info on the website about various foods and is interesting reading. http://www.whfoods.com

Potatoes' Phytochemicals Rival Those in Broccoli
Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds' phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). How much kukoamine is needed for a blood pressure lowering effect in humans must be assessed before it can be determined whether an average portion of potatoes delivers enough to impact cardiovascular health. Still, potatoes' phytochemical profiles show it's time to shed their starch-only image; spuds-baked, steamed or healthy sautéed but not fried-deserve a place in your healthy way of eating."Phytochemical Profilers Investigate Potato Benefits,"Agricultural Research, September 2007

This is just some of the info about potatoes. It isn't the potato--it is what we traditionally put ON the potato.
Just some food for thought!

Monday's food

Breakfast:
small baked potato 150
2 eggs 140
1 oz. beef round 46
1TBS Olivio spread 50
SNACK
small banana 110
LUNCH
1 slice rye bread 70
turkey 80
lowfat swiss 70
tomato 30
pretzels 110
SNACK
Cheerios and milk 160
DINNER
3 oz round steak 140
potato 150
green beans 30
tomato 30
olivio spread 50
SNACK
cheerios 150

Total for day 1566

Exercise

I have not been keeping up with my workouts as well as I had. Today though I did do intervals of Biking, Gazelle and jogging. 10 minutes each for a total of 30 minutes. Then I did some upper body strength training on the Soloflex. I am still looking at different way to set the machine up in order to do different exercises. It's hard to tell by watching the YouTube videos how they have it set. I pause and study the set up when you CAN see the details. MAny are old commercials and are grainy to view.
Tomorrow a friend is coming over to walk.

Saturday August 29, 2009

I opps in yesterday's when I posted Friday's food. The date should be August 28th. That being said... here is Saturday the 29th!
Breakfast
Cooked cereal 200
Lunch
Chicken soup 150
Homemade muffin 165
SNACK
apple 70
walnuts 80
DINNER
2 all beef hot dogs 280
2 hot dog buns 240
2 tomatoes 60
mustard, onions, dill pickle 20
SNACK
1 Cup 1% milk 100
muffin 165

total for the day: 1530

Friday's Food August 29, 2009

Finally a day I feel better! (Saturday) So I will post yesterday's food. I was not feeling well yet and it is not the greatest but what I needed.
Breakfast:
Golden Rod eggs 235
bun 120
smoked sausage 70
Snack
1 Cup of 1% milk 100
6 raw almonds 35
Lunch:
pretzels 200
beef broth 20 (?)
Dinner
Mott's apple sauce (no sugar added) 50
Homemade Chicken rice soup 150(?)
Homemade whole wheat muffin 165
Snack
Bowl of cereal corn flakes---200

Friday already??

It is Friday already! Where did the week go? It has been busy here. I have been working on my nephew’s wedding flowers and have it halfway finished. Last night I got a call from someone asking about a May wedding. She said she will call back and make an appointment. It was the mom I talked to. She sounded nice and the prices she told me a retail shop was quoting sounded very high! But then, they would be. I’m sure they are average. Anyways we will see if the Mom talks the daughter into a consultation with me.

Once again we were blessed with FREE exercise equipment! A co-worker of David’s gave us a Soloflex. David brought it home last night and set it up—we *think* correctly! Then we watched Soloflex infomercials on YouTube to see what to do next! LOL! Not too awful hard but confusing without a manual to look at! May try to buy one on Ebay or something. I did some upper body exercises on it this morning. Warmed up by biking on the recumbent bike 10 minutes on the cross training program. Feeling a little *strange* now but not sure what’s up. I did wake up and stay up at 5:15 today so maybe I need more sleep. The weather was rainy last night so maybe that has something to do with it.

Health wise I still have not heard back about my MRI. I am going to call the oncologist today and see if he knows anything yet. I will post as soon as I know anything.

VB

Thursday's food and exercise

BREAKFAST
Cooked cereal 200
SNACK
Tomato 30
LUNCH
Ranch salad with
Grilled veggies 200
1/8 C. cheese 50
2 strips bacon 90
Cherry tomatoes 30
SNACK
10 grapes 40
PB & crackers 190
DINNER
Baked fish 240
Green beans 35
Summer squash 30
Homemade muffin 165
1 C. 1% milk 100

TOTAL 1385

Walked 30 minutes. Didn’t have pedometer so not sure of distance
David got the Soloflex machine set up and we messed with it a little. We need to find out instructions on how to use it!

Weds. August 26th 2009

BREAKFAST
½ cup of cooked oats with walnuts 200
1 hard boiled egg 70
Black coffee
SNACK
5 grapes 20
LUNCH
Romaine lettuce 10
Cherry tomatoes 30
¼ cheddar cheese 110
Ranch dressing (lowfat) 75
1 8” flour tortillia 75
SNACK
Granny Smith Apple 70
Fresh tomato 30
DINNER
3 oz. pork loin chop 180
Rice pilaf (homemade) 200
Broccoli 30

Total for day: 1250

Exercise--I must admit I did not do any extra workouts today. Unless you count some yoga stretches in the morning.

Food:
Breakfast
Rolled Oats 150
2 egg white omelet 70
spaghetti sauce 70
cheese 110

Snack
6 grapes 24

Lunch
Summer squash 31
onions 29
spaghetti sauce 100
whole wheat muffin (homemade) 165

Snack
Low sodium V8 juice 70

Dinner
Boneless grilled chicken breast 150
small baked potato 150
1 TBS Olivio spread 50
1/2 c. corn 70
muffin 165
1/2 creampuff 200

Total for day 1604

Exercise:
30 minutes on exercise bike, level 5 Cross training program

First posting

OK so here is my first blog post on here. I have taken several months to figure out what I wanted to blog about and I still don't really know. But I am planning on posting my daily food and fitness journals, recipes, and vent or rejoice! I need an outlet for my stress and this will sort of be one.