Ending July with Just One "C"

This has been a really long month. Pneumonia, pain issues the doc thought was shingles, pink eye or allergies, sick kiddos, and more. But it is ending on a high note. A few days ago, I asked Grand#1 to read me something and her comment was that she didn't how to read Roman Numerals. I guess that is not something that gets emphasized any more.

So here is my Roman Numerals lesson for the day.  The number 201 is written CCI (hope I got that right!). My good news is that for today, there is only one C showing on my scale. It took two months to drop 13.5 pounds but this morning the scale said 199.8.  I hope to be able to get it below the CC point forever. I know my weight bobs up and down so if I do go back up I will retain my focus to get back to single C status.

I'm pretty tired tonight. I walked 2.6 miles tonight which put my total step count today over 12,000 and my total miles walked at 5.1. My right foot is still bothering me so I hope it will be better by morning so this doesn't wind up being the only real walk this week.

I know I did not eat enough today but I have no appetite. I had a cup of raw cauliflower for breakfast, two cups of smoked chicken breasts for lunch and a grilled lean burger patty on a sandwich thin for dinner. I should have had something else but I just could not make myself eat. I have been sneezing a lot today so the allergies may be kicking back up again. Gotta love pollen.

//k//

Weight Loss When You Eat the Wrong Stuff

It has been a few days since I had the strength at the end of the day to actually write. I know I overdid it on the exercise earlier this week because by Thursday walking was beyond painful. My feet were swollen so I had to wear sandals to work since they would not fit in my tennis shoes. That might sound reversed; it would seem I would always wear the dressier shoe to work but my feet are so bad that wearing sandals for the day can easily throw me into a sleepless night of massive bone pain and foot cramps. I didn't walk a lot. I took lunch with me and I stayed at my desk most of the day only getting up to go to the bathroom. I guess the swelling and extra fluid prompted my body to want me to flush it out because Thursday and Friday both I was constantly thirsty.

My Thursday morning weight was .7 lbs lighter than Wednesday. I really thought it would have been even less but with the feet swelling I am lucky to have recorded a loss at all. Even though I did no walked on Thursday other than the routine stuff, I did stay on track with me food intake and drank more than 80 ounces of water. My Friday morning weight was a tenth of a pound higher than Thursday.

Friday I had a prepackaged Cesear salad for lunch. Even though the package said it was 230 calories, the sodium count must have been high. I did not even finish it because it was just to salty to eat. I had another salad on Friday night because we were out and had to grab something to eat on the run. My best choice was an Apple Pecan Chicken salad from Wendy's. I got the half size and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was only 170 calories. The dressing they offer would have added another 60 calories and they forgot to give me the pecans so I did not have to  count those extra calories or fat. I added a little balsamic dressing to the salad but again, it just seemed so salty. I think this "everything tastes salty" stage was telling me I was dehydrated, though I can't figure out how since I was drinking so much. Thankfully the swelling in my foot was decreasing so at least the fluid was not mounting there.

I thought with two salads and a protein breakfast I would have at least held a steady weight on Saturday morning but I was wrong,  I gained .8 lbs. Things like this make no sense to me but it could be anything that causes that small of a gain I suppose.

I started off Saturday thinking I needed to get myself back on track walking wise or get in the pool. My feet instantly said no to the pool in the a.m. because it was cold. My toes cramped up almost immediately and  I could not work them out to release without getting out of the water. I thought I would get back in as the heat of the day rose but the lightning storms rolled through ruling that out. By last night, I ached all over so for the third day in a row, I skipped exercise and went to bed. To top off the fact that I could not get myself to the exercise mode, for the first time since setting this goal and changing how I eat, I went off the deep end food wise. Maybe it was the pain, maybe the boredom, or maybe just a weakness over the sugar cravings. In addition to munching on dried mangoes(dried with honey on them) all day long, I caved in and had my first ice cream in a couple of months. Sadly it was not even that good so I don't know why I finished the bowl. I fully expected after gaining from eating salads the day before, this step would put me up multiple pounds. Strangely enough, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was exactly the same as yesterday.

So my first weight of the day as of July 29, 2012 is 201.5.

Today when I woke up, my entire body hurt. I started to just stay in bed but I know from having had a Psoriatic Arthritis flare this bad before that laying in bed just makes it worse. So I got up, started the coffee and listened to the news. Weather forecast said heat index of 103 today and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Since the swelling in my feet had gone down, I decided if I planned to walk, I had better get it done. So I started the day with a 1.5 mile walks. I took it slow and did not even consider the longer route. I came home and cut the back yard using the riding mower and then did some raking. Later in the afternoon, I took my granddaughter shopping. All total, my fitbit says I walked 6.5 miles today. Thankfully it was spread over the day and my feet are not yelling as loud as the other days. Hopefully tomorrow gets me back to a normal pain threshold.

I'd love to see the scale tomorrow show at least a 1.5 lb loss and show me the 200 or below numbers. I am not holding my breath through. Even though what I have eaten doesn't come close to the calories I have burned, I know from experience that means nothing to my body.

//k//

Low Carb, Low Sugar, Low Fat, High Cardio

So far my analysis of what works best for me loss wise are the things in title. I've know for years I felt better when eating low carb. Now that I have cut major amounts of fat from my diet and cut out sugar almost completely, the weight is slowly disappearing. The exercise part of the title is what I think is making the most difference right now. Unfortunately, my feet are not happy with the exercise and tomorrow will probably be a down day from walking. Today I walked 2.4 miles in 40 minutes and then spent some pool time afterwards.  I passed 12,000 steps on my Fitbit ultra. My steps were up because I walked around the building before going to by desk this morning, did the same walk inside the hallways twice, and walked outside at lunch. Yes, my feet are screaming!

For food today I had toast and cottage cheese for breakfast. I had leftover meatloaf with a piece of quiche for lunch and for dinner I grilled some pork chops and had steamed vegetables and sliced tomatoes.  I had a slice of cheese for a snack.

I was very happy to see another loss on the scale this morning. Today's weight was 201.3, an 8/10 pound loss from yesterday.

I'm beat, bedtime for this tired girl!

//k//

Evening Coffee, Increased Water, and Weight Loss

It would sure be nice if I could equate an evening cup of coffee with weight loss but I don't see that ever happening so today's title is about the three parts of today's post.  A few days back, I wrote that I would not give up the cream in my coffee but I thought about it and the days I was drinking black coffee were the days I lost. That is not the only thing that could have prompted a loss those days but it is one factor. So I made a new decision. I drink my day time coffee at work black with a bit of splenda. I don't drink as much as I used to and I try to drink more water instead. When I come home, I enjoy one cup of coffee with a small amount of powdered creamer. It has 10 calories per tsp and I'm willing to take the chance on that small amount for the relaxation I get just by sitting down to drink it. I might reassess again but for this moment, this is my coffee plan. I talked to someone today who mentioned that if she gave up her nightly wine or sangria, she might lose more. I don't drink wines or beers etc so coffee is my vice!

On to the water...I have been noticing that I do tend to at least lose something (even if it is only a half pound) on the day after I have consumed more fluids.  Most days when I hit the 64 ounce mark, I am losing something. With the coffee at work, I am not allowing myself to refill it until I finish the waterbottle beside it. I don't always make it to the 64 ounce mark. Today I have only managed a bit more than 40 ounces and I don't think that will change much before I call it a day. We'll see if the lower amount of fluids has an impact on the scale tomorrow a.m.

And now for the last title subject. I saved the best for last. This morning the scales made me happy. I am 202.1 as of this morning which is a 1.5 pound loss since yesterday. Today I had basically the same meals as yesterday and I walked for 2.2 miles this evening in 30 minutes. I've increased my distances and my speed both but boy are my feet screaming at me.

Today I ate:
1 cup raw cauliflower
2 slices light bread (45 calorie each)
Cranberry Walnut salad
2 broiled hamburger patties (93% lean)
3 slices tomatoes
1 cup steamed broccoli

I will probably have a boiled egg before I go to bed if I am hungry at all.  Eating a small amount like this helps me to not wait up munchy during the night. Hope the scales are happy with my exercise today and show me nice results again tomorrow!

//k//

More Than a Half Pound

Yesterday, I mentioned that it would be nice to see more than a half pound loss after days where I ate right and exercised. Well the scale fairies were listening I guess - I weighed in this morning a big SIXTH TENTHS of a pound less! Don't get me wrong. I am happy for any loss but I thought it was just funny that since I asked for more than a half pound loss, I got a tenth of a pound more.

Loss is loss and for that I am thankful. My weight today was 203.6 so I at least got to see the 3 again. I am anxious to see the 3.6 gone and reintroduce myself to the 100 series again.

Today I started back on the Scarsdale Medical Diet phase. I decided my breakfast of two bananas is not helping my weight loss effort. The plan says a grapefruit or other in-season fruit so I have been having bananas because they are readily available and portable. I had grapefruit until I wound up on a medicine that contradicted with it. I considered going back to grapefruit but it is hard to eat at my desk. Something I was reading about Scarsdale adaptations suggested cauliflower as a substitute breakfast item. I know a lot of people who could not handle cauliflower in the morning but I love it so that is what I did today. I intended to have my protein toast with it but we had a morning briefing so I was late eating and bumped the toast to lunch.

My lunch was a salad which was pretty good but the packaging uses a classic marketing tool that I should not have fallen for. The front of the package in big letters IDed the calorie count as 210. That was a good count as far as I was concerned. What I neglected to do after seeing the 210 was turn the package over to notice the salad had 15 grams of sugar. Of course if I had read that before I used the vinaigrette, I would have skipped the sugary sauce all together.

I snacked on some carrots this afternoon and drank more water. I finished the day with about 65 ounces. Dinner was meatloaf made from a lean ground beef with onions, seasonings, a bit of ketchup and egg.  I used pork rinds instead of bread crumbs or oats. I realize this isn't on the SMD plan but it worked for me when I did Atkins years ago. I had steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes with it.

After dinner, Johnnie and I took a 2 mile walk. It felt good and without pushing the stroller I was able to walk at a good pace. I would still like to pick it up more but we finished the two miles in less than 30 minutes.  My right foot, which is normally my good one, is giving me fits tonight though. It aches and now I think it has blisters on the sole. I can't see them yet but it sure is tender. Hope it feels better by morning.

//k//

Pendulum

Up and down, down and up...a pound here and a half pound there. This whole weight swinging thing is tough. I know I gained it a little at the time but some days when I feel like I worked harder than normal at calorie burning and refrained from things which are not good for me food wise, a little loss would be promising. But that has not been the case lately.

This morning I weighed 204.4. That is a tenth of a pound lower than Saturday but still higher than the earlier 203 weigh in.

Tomorrow I am starting back on the stricter food regiment of the Scarsdale diet. I hope to add at least a mile walk every day. Scarsdale says average loss in the two week period should be between 7 and 14 pounds. That would be nice, but I'd be happy with anything more than the 2 pounds a week I have been seeing.

Today was furniture moving day. It was not a lot, just the remaining items we had at the house on base. I cleaned the fridge out, packed some boxes, loaded the vehicle and did a good bit of walking from house to car to get everything done. The process was repeated in reverse to unload it all.

I also managed to get a two mie walk in tonight after the storms rolled through. I topped 13,000 steps today according to my fitbit ultra which equals 5.6 miles. My feet feel it for sure.

Hopefully the exercise produces scale movement in the right direction!

//k//

Just Can't Predict Weight Loss

Some things just continue to mystify me. My ability to gain and lose weight is definitely one of them. Yesterday was a lousy day. I went back to the doc to have my eyes checked again. She agreed it seemed the previous treatment was not giving me any relief and also agreed it seemed more like allergies. So I got new eye drops and a referral to an ophthalmologist just to be sure this is not the psoriatic arthritis flaring up in my eyes instead of my feet where it usually rears its ugly head.

I needed to go get the paperwork for turning water on in the house where we'll spend the school year and do some other stuff so I took the afternoon off so I could get those things done, get home and get the drops in. I won't do the first eye drops sitting at my desk staring at the computer screen waiting for a possible reaction.

Because my appt took nearly 3 hours and I still needed to get the prescription, my packed lunch, which was sitting in the steaming car, was not consumable. On my way to the water company, I stopped by McDonald's and grabbed lunch. I ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich. Some day I will learn to say "Hold the Mayo!" but yesterday was not the day. I took off most of the offending sauce by removing the lettuce but there was still some left to be consumed. I have only had fast food once in the past couple months so you would think I would have enjoyed it. Quite the opposite was true. The sandwich was just so salty I could hardly finish it.

When I logged my food last night and added that chicken sandwich, I was shocked to see that it was more than 500 calories and almost 1500 mg of sodium. WOW. I could have eaten a double cheeseburger for fewer calories and less sodium. Granted the cheeseburger is higher in fat but since neither is a good choice, it would have been less expensive and I would have enjoyed it more. There wont be any more McDs stops any time soon.

I fully expected to see a weight gain of a pound or more this morning but in spite of the McD intake, more than a cup of cheerios late last night, and not getting a walk in, I weighed  3/10 of a pound less than the previous two days. Like the title says, I just can't predict weight loss.

Today I remembered my FitBit Ultra so I was able to see how my activity level rated for the day. I was able to walk 1.2 miles tonight but it got to dark for a swim before I was done so I had to leave that off today. I managed to cross the 10,000 step mark again today. For breakfast I had a banana, for lunch I had steamed zucchini, green beans and a slice of pizza topped with veggies. Dinner...I don't think I actually ate dinner and that is not good. I had a headache when I got home and that normally curbs my appetite more than anything. It is really to late to eat but maybe I will have some cottage cheese or something lite like that.  If I were reviewing this day, I would say there is a good chance the scale could show positive results in the a.m. But with the way my body responds, the more likely scenario is that I will be a pound or two heavier!  Let's hope not.

//k//

Lightning, Storms, Windshields and Painful Eyes

Today was one of those days where I would have preferred to stay in bed. It was gloomy a lot today and started raining about noon. Rain is ok but lightning and thunderstorms are a pain.  I had some paperwork to do this afternoon so I didn't take my normal route home. I crossed a different causeway. The last time I drove that causeway in a storm, this was my experience:

Yes, that is the Durango windshield with a huge tunnel grooved into it.  Lightning struck one of two power lines on the causeway, the line snapped and came down across the windshield.  We were very lucky to not be hurt. But today, watching those lightning strikes and the rain pour as I passed the location where this occurred was a stressful moment for sure. In those few moments of stress spent crossing the bridge, I wondered how our military guys and gals who have been through so much trauma can cope when they find themselves in a circumstance that reminds them of something horrible they encountered.  My little experience doesn't even come close to the stress those folks are going through.

The lightning and storms continued until it was to late to get my afternoon walk or swim in. I hope for drier days tomorrow.

I've had a month of health woes so far and it is only mid July. After the pneumonia battle, followed by what they thought was shingles pain, and the kiddo with major congestion and ear infections, I either picked up the viral or bacterial pink eye (which the pediatrician says he may or may not have had) or my eyes decided to take part in the allergies which were driving my nose and throat crazy. Either way, last week my right eye was very painful and red. I went to see a doc and was given eye drops and an ointment. I used them religiously and was very cautious about reusing washclothes or tisues or scratching the other eye without washing my hands.  Yesterday, the left eye started hurting and today it is red. The right one is still blood shot. I remember reading about the possible link between psoriatic arthritis and eye issues before so I booked another appointment for tomorrow.  I have not seen this many docs in such a short period of time in many many years.

So anyhow, back to the weight and food intake part of this blog.  Although my calorie intake was not very high today, I don't expect a loss tomorrow morn because I did not exercise.

July 17 weight: 203.8 (.3 lb loss)

What I ate today:
Two bananas
One cup chicken thighs sauteed with green peppers and onions
One cup mixed vegetables
One lean broiled hamburger with a slice of cheese on a sandwich thin
One cup cheerios

//k//

Settling in with the New Scale and Pedometer

I have to admit I was a bit frustrated when I stepped on the FitBit Aria scale on Saturday morning. I feel like I struggle for every pound I lose so seeing the numbers higher than the old scale was tough. But I've decided that knowing what an accurate weight is would be better than thinking I weighed less.  Maybe now when I go to the doc, their scales will be a closer match to mine.

So my Monday morning weight count, first blogged weight from the new scale is 204.1.

I am happy with the FitBit Ultra. I don't find the stair counting feature to be useful but the steps taken and the distance walked is good. And since I can either clip it on my bra or on the waistband it is easy to see progress through the day.  Tonight I waled 1.24 miles. I thought I was making good time but it took 22 minutes so I think I really need to improve and walk faster. I sure wish my feet did not hurt so bad.  Maybe as the weight comes off, they will hurt less.  My total steps today exceeded 10,000 again. I hope to be able to keep this as a goal.

After the walk, I swan for 45 minutes. I wasn't as paranoid about the deep end but I think I get more exercise when I am in the shallow end concentrating on the movement I am doing. In the deep end, I concentrate on how fast I can get out of there, no matter how I do it.

I was a little low on calorie intake today in spite of eating a bag of baked potato chips (the 1 oz size) so I had a bowl of cheerios with some fiber one tonight. I hope the scales show positive results tomorrow.

What I ate today:

Breakfast:
2 Bananas
1 sandwich thin

Lunch:
Spinach salad with egg, beets, broccoli, carrots and a splash of vinegar

Snack
Baked chips

Dinner
Small amount of baked chicken breast, no skin
1 cup mixed vegetables

Snack
1 Cup cheerios, 1/2 cup Fiber one and 1/2 cup 2% milk

Tired tonight so getting in bed before 11 pm...a rare occassion!

//k//

Fit Bit Monitor and Scale

I have been researching pedometers and heart rate monitors for a while but finally decided on the FitBit. It is a rare occasion that I buy things for myself but felt this would be useful in helping me see where my exercise (or lack of!) is failing me. I decided to by the scale too since we would be able to both use it and the one we have has been having some issues. It was more expensive than most scales I have bought before but it will also measure body fat. OUCH on that!

The monitor and scale arrived on Friday so I have spent the weekend getting used to what I can do with them and the site.  I have more time to exercise on the weekends so it will be interesting to see how much activity time I log on week days. I have been walking more during the day at work though so maybe this will be my incentive to get out of my chair every hour and move.

The scale is a bit off from the other one I was using so I will start with a new weight tomorrow and begin tracking my loss from there.

Today we had a very busy day but in addition to the other things we had to do, I was able to get in a mile walk before the rain started and then a little more than 30 minutes in the pool after the rain. I ventured into the deep end with the life jacket today and joked with my better half that I should deduct calories expended for the anxiety! It's definitely harder to move myself around in the deep end so I did get more exercise but it will be a long time and require a lot of practice before I get anywhere close to comfortable with it.

After spending a couple of hours waiting for vehicle repairs after a blow radiator hose we didn't have time to roast the chicken as we planned. Instead we cooked it in a bag. It was ok but the roasted is much better.  I had mine with a half cup of green beans. There is enough chicken left for a second meal so buying a whole one is definitely an economical choice.

Back tomorrow with an update on how the fitbit tracking for a work day went and a new scale report.

//k//

Lifestyle Changes

It took me a really long time but I do realize I can't lose weight or be healthy by dieting with a fad plan or pushing myself to the point I give up on the latest way people say they are losing weight. I've known for years that I can't tolerate carbs like potatoes, rice or bread. It isn't rocket science and I have to accept that.

So why is this time different? I can't say there is one specific reason why I am willing to do what it takes this time but I have come to the point where I am able to say no to the foods I know are not going to be good for my body.

So what did I change? I am no longer a box person. In these past six weeks I have not made my meals from anything packaged or processed by some company who vowed to make my cooking life easier. And in doing that I eliminated loads of the chemicals they used as preservatives and a whole lot of sodium.  I am amazed now to read the sodium count on some of the items I ate regularly.

To replace those quick meals, I buy meats and fresh vegetables. We are eating foods which are seasoned with fresh herbs, peppers, onions, and less salt based seasonings. If an oil is needed, I am using small amounts of olive oil instead of the vegetable oils, butters, and margarines. I unpacked the George Foreman grill and have been cooking burgers and chicken breast on it.

My grocery trips now consist of the outer aisles of the store. I stock up on fruits and fresh vegetables twice a week. The bread we do eat is a low calorie thin slice of whole wheat or a sandwich thin in either whole wheat or the one with flax seed.

To begin with I eliminated creamer from my coffee. That is the one change I have not stuck with. I do plan to figure a way to change to a skim milk or low fat milk instead of the powder cream but I decided if I have to have one vice, it is going to be my coffee the way I like it.  I have cut it back to 2 or 3 cups a day though (as opposed to the two pots a day I was drinking a year ago.)

I think dairy may be a problem for me weight wise too. I don't eat a lot but if I have a glass of milk or more than a small amount of yogurt, sour cream etc, I seem to gain. I am having a low fat cottage cheese as a snack right now. It's basically a test to see if I wind up gaining again tomorrow.

I still have a long way to go, but the small steps are best for me. The foods I have eliminated are not a problem.  There are times when I miss the cookies or snacks but if I take the time to have something that satisfies the sweet urge like fruit or sugar free jello, the craving will pass.

This morning I weighed 203.5 (.7 lb loss from yesterday)

Today I ate:
2 bananas
Beef and cheddar sandwich on cibatta (not my best choice for sure!)
Ham and cheese sandwich on sandwich thin
cottage cheese and sugar free jello

This was not my healthiest eating day for sure. I had the sandwich at lunch because I could not handle walking in the sun because my eye was watering so bad.

I had the sandwich at dinner because I was rushing to get out the door to go to a 24 hour doc to get the eye checked. This whole be-sick-in-the-summer is getting old FAST!

//k//

SMD Days 9 and 10 Recap

Yesterday was another pain filled day so I didn't make it here to update the blog. I feel better joint wise today but think I am on my way to a case of pink eye like little guy had. 

Day 9 I drank 64 ounces of water again after starting the day at 204.4 pounds (.9 lb gain). Here is what I ate:

Breakfast: Two Bananas
Lunch: Spinach Salad
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli and sliced tomatoes
Snack: Ice Cream (ugh the cravings!)

Day 10 started with the itchy eyes and that residual dragging feeling from pain meds. The scale wasn't as high as I expected since I had a salty dinner the night before. Weight on July 11, 2012: 204.2 (down .2 lbs)

What I ate today:

Breakfast: One Banana
Lunch: My left over banana from breakfast and a greek yogurt
Dinner: A turkey burger on a sandwich thin

I will probably have some cantaloupe or watermelon later if I am still awake but I have this urge to just keep my eyes closed so I think I am making it a very early nite.

//k//

SMD Day 8 Session 2 Hunger

The body is just so unpredictable - at least mine seems to be. Today has been a starving hungry day. I would say it might be lack of water or dehydration on most any day but not today. I have been overwhelmingly thirsty today too. It was hot in the office this morning - hot like 88 degrees inside the bldg hot- so I drank 32 ounces of water before 10 AM. Total water consumption has been more than 80 ounces today. I stopped counting at that point.

With all that water it would seem I would not have an appetite but I just can't get past the hunger pains today. Sure hope it is not a sign I am getting sick. I have had enough sick time lately.

The scales looked good this morning with another pound lost but my appetite today will probably reverse that by morning!

What I ate today

Breakfast: two bananas
Lunch: two boiled eggs made in egg salad using dijon mustard and a teaspoon greek yogurt. Served on sandwich thin with sliced tomatoes.
Snack: 3/4 cup cheerios, donut (wasted calories, it wasn't even good)
Dinner: meatloaf and one wedge of potato to see if they were done enough for everyone else.

At 9 pm I was still starving. I do t want sweets or snacks but am hungry so the late evening snack was a sandwich thin with sliced tomato and a bit of cheddar.

Weight 9 July: 203.5 (1.2 lb loss)

//k//

Sixty-Four

Sixty-four: Yes, it is another goal but no, not pounds lost. That would definitely be nice but I am no where near that point! Sixty-four ounces of water. I did it. Can't say it was easy but I did it. Can't even promise myself that I will do it again tomorrow but I do know that I can do it.

It seems like it has been a really busy day here but I can't say why. Trying to summarize the things I did, it doesn't seem like it was much.  I slept until 0830 which is unheard of in this house but little guy went back to sleep after his initial 0630 wake up screams and so did I. A lot of what I did today involved the continuing battle of cleaning his eyes up. Thankfully they are a bit better today.

I got a swim in today with the life jacket. It didn't work out as well as I thought. I thought since I can do the kickboard and it doesn't send me into full blown panic, I would be better with the life jacket. Not so. I just have so much fear of the water, I don't feel in control.  But I will keep trying and maybe I can get to where I can do laps with the life jacket and get some arm use too so it is more of a cardio activity.

What I ate today:

Breakfast: Toast with banana and tomatoes (yes I know it is a wierd combination!)
Lunch: 1/2 cup broccoli and carrots and a pita with tomatoes and thin sliced turkey deli meat
Dinner: Roast sticky chicken, sauteed green beans in a dijon sauce, and sliced tomatoes

Okay, so I did not notice until now that I had tomatoes three times today. Yes I do love them!

Weight July 8: 204.7 (1.8 lb loss)

//k//

SMD Session 2 - Day 6

I honestly feel like I have done pretty good on food intake and not eating things I should not for the last few weeks. But the scales are not showing it. I need to learn patience and how to maintain persistence I guess. I'll get there, but it is just gonna take time. I know part of my frustration right now is that I am just tired. When the baby is sick, I don't sleep well because I am constantly listening for him. I suppose I did this when my kids were little but in my 20s I coped with sleep loss a whole lot better than I am in my 50s. His eyes really still look horrible and are draining so bad.

We walked for about a half mile today around 10 AM but the heat had already moved in and neither he nor the dog were handling it well so we came back home without finishing the trek. I thought we would do more tonight, but as we were getting back to the house, I noticed his little eyes were weeping worse than ever. I don't know if it is the heat or being in the sun or being out among the grass and trees. I truly believe he is allergic to them because every single time we spend any time outside he is sick with massive congestion. This time has been the worst so far. I thought I would walk after I put him to bed but he didn't give up tonight until 9pm and now, just after 11, he is awake again. I suspect it is going to be a long night.

I gained a half pound since yesterday. July 7 weight: 206.5

What I ate today:

Breakfast: Toast, blueberries and grapes

Lunch: Thin whole wheat Pita stuffed with ham, spinach and carrots with a bowl of steamed broccoli and carrots

Dinner: Two boiled eggs made into egg salad by adding Dijon mustard and a teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt, Served on a sandwich thin bread.

Water: 48 ounces - Had hoped to make it to 64 ounces today but better luck tomorrow!

//k//

Day 5 - SMD Phase - Session 2

It's been a long day. The little guy is home sick. He has a double ear infection, eyes are infected and he has more congestion than one little one should ever have.  So he's not his normal happy self which has slowed down the typical progress of my day.

I didn't wind up with any exercise time today other than chasing him around the house. I'm sure my step count was up but not for extended periods of time. Hopefully I managed to keep my calorie count in line with what I was expending.

One thing I did today was try to increase the water intake. I am not quite finished with my last large glass but will do so before I go to bed. Today's water intake, when done with this last bit, will be 48 ounces.

July 6 weight: 206 - (.4 pound loss)

What I ate today

Breakfast - Papaya and toast

Lunch - Tossed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and balsamic vinegar

Snack - Cheerios

Dinner - Baked chicken, cauliflower and broccoli

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Day 4 - SMD Session 2 - Another Gain

Ok so I said I was not going to focus on the negative but it is hard not to. I know there will be days where I gain and knowing my up and down weight I know I should just expect it to happen. But no matter what I "know," it is still discouraging to get on the scale in the a.m. and see a weight gain. But that was the case on Thursday morning (I am a day late in getting this published!) The scale result? 206.4. Wow, that is a 2.2 pound increase in one day. For 2.2 pounds, I wish I had eaten something I really enjoyed a lot!

So what did I eat that caused the gain? I have no clue.  I did end the day with two Oreos but while I know I should not have, I also know they did not cause that much gain by themselves.  Maybe it was the mayo in the cauliflower salad even though it was no fat, no sugar. Who knows - but it happened and I need to take it back off.  I did end the day on the 4th in the pool. I don't swim but with a kick board I can do laps of sorts on the shallow end. I did more than I have ever done on that night, going across the pool 50 times each way. It was good exercise but I am thinking of getting a life jacket for floatation instead of the kickboard so I can include arm activity too.

So after seeing the 2 pound gain, I focused on increasing water intake on Thursday. I have a horrible time drinking water. So while others say they increased water intake and talk about 80 ounces or more, my increase took me to 32 ounces for the day. Yes, I know that is still way to low but it is 32 more than I do most days. Baby steps - that is what I have to do.

What I ate today:

Breakfast - Banana
Lunch - Toast and salad
Dinner - Roasted chicken, spinach, and tomatoes

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Happy Independence Day

As a child, July 4th meant family reunion time for my Grandmother's family. It was always fun to see cousins we only saw once a year, eat brunswick stew, and play for hours. I had hoped to be at the reunion this year but was afraid to fly not knowing the amount of fluid left in my lungs. So I didn't go and figured this would just be another hang out day off.


This morning I felt a bit better after taking a pain pill last night. I really don't like feeling medicated but I could not handle the rib cage pain any longer. Reminds me of when I had costochondritis and I sure hope that is not what this is. Of course since I have never had shingles before, I don't know if it is worse than the costo or not. I am just hoping it is neither and soon the pain will be gone.


Just as I got dressed for an afternoon walk, we got hit by a major lightning storm. Winds were pretty high this time but thankfully we didn't lose power. I am still contemplating swimming before the night is over to burn a few calories.


Rather than stick with the standard Scarsdale menu today, I opted to go a little more traditional. I made burgers from a lean beef and cooked them on the Foreman grill. I also made cauliflower salad using potato salad fixings. It is a good substitute for the starchy salad. I found no fat, low calorie mayo so it wasn't as bad calorie count as it could have been. I had more cantaloupe for breakfast, with a banana and piece of toast. For lunch, I broiled tomato slices with provolone cheese.

July 4th weight: 204.2. No change.

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Scarsdale Medical Diet Day 2 (Session 2)

SMD Day 2 - Tuesday menus on tap for today so I started my morning with cantaloupe since I thought an extra day or so away from the grapefruit would be good. I didn't feel quite right when I woke up this morning but trudged on to work hoping to get my energy going as the day progressed.  By 10 AM, I felt lousy with rib cage pain and stabbing pains. My right arm has been bothering me since Sunday in the forearm part and today the pain increased to the muscle of the upper arm.

I've not been sick much in the past ten years but this seems to be my year I guess. I decided it best to call the doctor since I was not sure if the rib pain was the pneumonia talking to me again. They scheduled me for a walk in appointment just after lunch so I skipped the trip to the dining hall for salad and just grabbed a Burger King tendergrill sandwich on the way to the clinic.  I only ate the meat and the vegetables but I have to say I can't do this often because it was so salty it was tough to even finish it.

I had more xrays and thankfully the lungs are clear. On the downside, she thinks the pain could very well be shingles. I really didn't need another possible diagnosis but I guess knowing what to watch for is good. She gave me meds which would treat shingles so I can go ahead and take them and not wind up with a major break out on the holiday with no one in the office.

Johnnie made dinner tonight since my arm is really bothering me. We had broiled steak and steamed broccoli. I finished the night up with a small piece of crustless quiche I made earlier this week. It just doesn't seem like I ate enough today.

The scales showed a loss this morning - July 3 weight - 204.2 (.5 lb loss)

Off to take meds and get some rest.

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Second Session SMD Day 1

Today is my first day back on the Scarsdale Medical Diet (SMD) phase. If you are not familiar with Scarsdale, for two weeks I will follow a set diet plan each day. I  find the food offered is plenty to eat in spite of it being a lower number of calories than I normally consume. The plan has a standard diet, a money saving version, a gourmet plan, an international plan, and a vegetarian diet menu so there are plenty of choices available.

Breakfast is always fruit.  Because I am just finishing up on the prednisone, I can't eat grapefruit right now. So this morning I started the day with two bananas. For lunch, I walked to the dining hall to mix a little exercise into the day while grabbing a spinach salad topped with mushrooms, sliced beets, carrots, broccoli and vinaigrette. I cooked Basil Mayo Salmon for dinner and had roasted cauliflower and carrots with it.

Tonight, we took a walk. My intent was to walk the short route as my first time back on the road since the pneumonia. But when we got started, I felt pretty good so we headed out on the 2 mile stretch. When we came to the turning point, we decided to just go ahead and walk to the main road before turning around.  My feet are regretting it now but we walked three miles. Next time I need to wear difference shoes, but all in all, other than the aching burning feet, I feel really good.

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Milestones - Twenty Pounds

In my mind, I have certain milestones that are big goals. The big goals of course are made up of multiple little ones so there is a sense of accomplishment more frequently. Today was a milestone achievement day.  Just a little over a year ago, our household goods were packed to leave the Philippines and move back to the U.S. It was at that point, when I weighed before packing the scale, that I hit the 225 pound mark.

This morning, as I stepped on the scale, the weight came in under the 205 mark (204.7). I have lost 20 pounds in the past year.  Now this milestone doesn't exactly match up to the 53 pound loss I am shooting for by March 23 because I had already lost some of the weight before I set the 53 pound goal. Nevertheless, it is big to me. Twenty pounds is more than I imagined I could take off.

On to the next twenty!

Yesterday was July 1st. This year is flying by. I intended to update last night, but the tired stages from the pneumonia are still with me. I probably overdid it as I definitely feel it today. Yesterday I helped cut grass and cleaned out some of the stuff from the garage which has been calling my name for months. Then I went grocery shopping so I could start back on the diet phase of Scarsdale today. Grocery shopping is always rough on my feet but it has to be done, so off I went - toddler in tow and procured what we'll eat at least for the next few days.

On the way home, I measured out a path to walk that would give me two miles. Last week I remeasured what I thought was a half mile trek and it is just over a mile. So since I have been doing that mile without to much trouble before this pneumonia bout, I wanted another plan in place for when I feel better. I am hoping to do one of the two routes later tonight when the heat settles.

Sunday's food intake included bananas for breakfast, coffee with creamer on several occasions. Cottage cheese with sugar free jello,  split pea soup, and crustless quiche.

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