Housework and Munchies...

First of all I want to answer a few comments from yesterday. I do consume a lot of water both before and during my exercising. And the day I got the dizzy spell I had just had a really protein rich meal about an hour before starting. I'm pretty sure it was my blood pressure dropping. That happens a lot with me and sometimes even when I'm just setting still. I know what it feels like, so I figure that is what it was. As for the dogs dialing 9-1-1, I wish. AND I am NOT going to start wearing one of those alert necklaces. I'm not that old!

Now on to more important things.

Durn you Katschi! You shamed me into cleaning my kitchen. I even went so far as to rearrange some stuff on the counter tops. I moved everything to a different spot except my toaster oven. Now it's all sparkly and I keep going to the wrong place to heat something or make coffee. I really think it's a better location for the stuff so I'll leave it there and eventually I'll get used to it. Please, please, please don't clean out your garage. I don't think I could do that one on my own.

Gosh, the munchies hit me yesterday, and now that I think of it the day before too. Someone must have slipped some pot in my brownies. WAIT! I didn't have any brownies. And I don't think the dogs have the money to buy any pot. Must just be that one time a month where it hits. Hope it's gone today because I have to head to the big city of Lewisburg and there are all kinds of temptations there.

Haven't weighed myself yet today but will probably do that right before I shower to leave. I'll come back then and let you know how I did on the scale.

Have a nice "hump day."

Hey Jude...

Meet the newest member of my extended family. Her name is Jude (first name Hey :o). She is a rescue puppy and is part Lab. She became a member of my closest friend's family this weekend. They lost their beloved Sophie in November and didn't even know if they would get another dog and along came Jude. She was named Jude because he was the patron saint of the lost, "and now she's found." I am so excited to meet her. They promised to bring her the next time they come to visit and I hope it's soon.

Yesterday I went a little over my calories (1730) but with the 528 I burned it turned out alright. So I'm counting that as a good day because the overage was all healthy foods. I had a little problem during my exercise and had to cut it short by 5 minutes. I got right dizzy and had to set down to keep from falling down.

I have two cats and I banished them to the outside about a year and a half ago because they are long haired and I got so tired of all the hair everywhere. Well, I have let them back in since it has been so cold and the hair is driving me crazy. I have to pick them up and throw them outside (not literally) because they are afraid they won't get to come back inside. I don't have a litter box in the house anymore and I really don't want to smell that awful smell, but they have been good and held it for the outside. I'm afraid they are now expecting to live in the house all the time now so I'm going to leave them out all day today since it is supposed to be in the thirties. Maybe I can get them used to only staying in here at night. I'll have to say it really makes for a warm and cozy bed with two dogs and two cats all snuggled up against me. The cats stay at the bottom of the bed and are really good at keep me from getting toe-cicles.

Hope you're keeping warm and having a good day.

Meant to post this picture earlier. On the day that the temp was the lowest I moved the doggie bed in front of the fire and they were happy campers all day. They didn't even go out to potty until around 5:00 that evening. They'd get up and tell me they wanted to go out then when I'd open the door they'd head back to their bed. I don't think they want to have their peepee freeze on their little bottoms. I have wonderful dogs if they can go almost 20 hours holding it and not potty in the house. I'm very proud of them.

Yesterday was a great day on plan. I ate 1386 calories and burned 568. Again I got a slap on the wrist for eating too few calories but they didn't look back at the days last week when I went over and didn't exercise. So I averaged it out for a week and all was goooooood. I even went back to the beginning of the 6 week challenge and I have averaged 87% on plan. That ain't bad. Being a retired math teacher I miss having math in my daily life so I try to find ways to add it whenever possible.

After my research on a treadmill, I found the one I want, but... It is so big I just don't think I'll have room for it. :o( The durn thing is almost 6 feet long and even though it folds up, the way I'd have to position it to see the television it would still take up too much room (because at 200 pounds I wouldn't be able to scoot it back against the wall). So I'm a little disappointed here. I will be going to Wal-Mart on Wednesday and will still check it out if they have that model in their store. I really could go with a manual one that would take up less room but I'm a gadget sort of person and I want one with lots of bells and whistles. I'm such a gadget person that I really want one of those new Blackberry Storms, even though I can't get cell service where I live. It's all I can do to keep myself from buying it anyway :o)

Think I'll make some chicken salad today for sandwiches. I haven't made it in a while and sounds like a good idea.

Have a good week.

Exercise and a Good Meal...

What is it with me and remote controls? I got all ready to put on the DVD yesterday and get my exercise in and the DVD player wouldn't turn on. I kept pushing and pushing the remote control and nothing. So I got down on my hands and knees and found the power button and hit it and voila, it worked. So off I go to the battery drawer to replace the batteries in that remote. Let's see, I think there is only one remote here in the living room that doesn't have new batteries. I might as well replace them today, because the next time I get ready to use the surround sound again they probably won't work. Good thing I picked up a 24 pack of batteries the last time I bought them.

So...

I did feel like exercising yesterday and burned 583 calories. I ate on plan too. So all in all, yesterday was a good day.

I noticed on Biggest Loser last week that Bob gave a suggestion in between segments to sing while you exercise. In case you didn't catch it, he said that singing while you exercise will help you to breath better and will allow your body to get more oxygen. That's not hard to do with the oldies, so I did. I'm up to doing all but one song on the DVD and today I'll add it to my routine.

As you can see on my side bar, I updated my 6 weeks challenge stats. And I was honest about it instead of just deleting the chart so no one would see. After all this is about accountability and honesty.

Shhhhh, be real quiet so you won't scare them away, but there are four big deer (all does) rummaging through the snow right now outside my window. They are so beautiful. And it looks like they are finding plenty to munch on too. Sorry no pictures, it's too overcast and they blend in with the trees so well, you wouldn't be able to see them.

I fixed myself my very own chicken nuggets yesterday for supper and they were yummy. I just cut the chicken up into small pieces, coated them lightly in flour, salt and pepper, then fried them in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. And I wanted mashed potatoes with them so I baked one potato in the microwave then spooned out the meat and mashed it with some low fat Carnation evaporated milk and a little light butter. Yes, I did have vegetables too, cooked cabbage. Was a wonderful meal and kept me full for most of he evening. It would have kept me full all evening but I stayed up a little late last night, so I had strawberries dipped in Splenda for a snack. There was a restaurant in Charleston that used to have whole strawberries on their salad bar with powdered sugar for dipping. After trying that there, that's the only way I would eat them afterward. Well, the Splenda is just as good, I couldn't tell the difference.

I'm nearing the end of the 'Daniel X' book and it isn't much better. It's written for teenagers or older elementary children. I think that's why I haven't enjoyed it much. But the story has me captured to find out how it ends, so I'll finish it. Since I was a teacher, I've read a lot of teenage books so that I could recommend some to the kids and if you have one out there that likes Sci-Fi, I would recommend it for them. There is no foul language or sexually explicit content at all.

I used to read most everything I could get my hands on in the Sci-Fi genre but have gotten away from it and am into mysteries now.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Keeping Warm...

I'm feeling better today, so far. I spent yesterday just laying around resting and drinking plenty of fluids. I had a little over 1500 calories and no exercise. Just didn't have the energy for it. Hopefully I will feel good enough today to get it in. Because of my body deciding to get sick my 6 weeks challenge is thrown off kilter but I'm still going to continue it and report the days that I wasn't on plan as just that. I'm not going to throw in the towel and give up just because of a few days that I couldn't complete my goals.

Sorry I wasn't able to comment on your blogs yesterday. I read a few but for some reason the brain cells just weren't working enough to come up with a comment. I'm sure you understand.

Whoa, it was 50 in here this morning when I got up, and only 1 outside (at 8:30). I immediately turned the propane up and huddled over it to keep warm until the rest of the house began to get caught up. Hope this doesn't last much longer. It is kinda hard on OLD bones. Makes me want to go back upstairs and crawl back under the covers. And speaking of covers I even had to throw another quilt on the bed the past couple of nights. Usually the dogs will keep me warm but even they were cold and needed it. I turn the propane heaters down at night for safety and even on their lowest settings, they've been burning some throughout the night.

My plans for the day are staying warm and getting into a trunk to see if I have any old "fat" sweaters to help me do that. The new sweaters that I bought when it started getting cold are light weight ones, because I usually get too hot with bulky ones. NOW I need bulky ones and I hope I've still got some. If not I'll just have to layer.

My hubby liked to keep it cold in the house and I had a lot of sweatshirts and sweat pants then but since I've been "under"growing them I've been giving them away. And I decided I didn't look too good in sweatshirts so I haven't bought any new ones. Even if I'm not at goal by next winter, I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and buy some things to keep me warmer. Especially since a heat pump just can't keep the heat up in this kind of weather.

Have a good weekend and stay warm.

BRRRRR...

Don't need to say much else about the temperature, do I?

My feel bad hurts. Started feeling really bad yesterday around noon. A headache just this side of a migraine and just plain yucky. Thank goodness there wasn't a stomach virus in there too. The headache is gone today but not the yucky feeling. Tried to exercise yesterday, but just couldn't get through the first song. I just rested and napped most of the day. And today is going to be much the same.

I guess it's the way our mother's raised us but I really wanted comfort food yesterday. I wanted tomato soup and grilled cheese. And I could have made that low fat and all but it's just not as good that way and I didn't feel like cooking. I just ate what ever I had in the house that could be heated in the microwave. Late last night the "cookie monster" came a calling. Thank goodness I don't have any cookies in the house so I was able to thwart that demon. (Cookies are definitely my nemesis.) I had fresh strawberries instead and it was just as satisfying. But the rest of the day I didn't do so good. With all the yucky feeling, I was starving all day. I ate more than I should have but maybe my body was needing it more than my head. I'm going to try to get back on plan today, but no promises.

Don't feel much like setting her any longer so I may not get to reading about your world until later in the day.

Have a great TGIF.

Remote Addiction...

Yesterday was NOT a good day food wise. (At least it wasn't as bad as the "crash and burn" day.) They surely didn't slap me on the wrist this time for eating too little. But today's a new day and it will be good today. I didn't exercise either. And this wasn't a planned day of rest. Well, at least, not planned by me but planned by my television I guess.

For some reason the remote wouldn't work on the TV yesterday at all. I had to do all the turning on and volume controls with the buttons on the side of the thing. I changed the batteries in the TV remote and the DishNetwork remote and that didn't help. At least I have surround sound that operates separate from the television and was able to take the volume up and down without walking across the room. But there wasn't an "input" button on the side that I could find so I couldn't get it into DVD mode. It all started working late last night and I just wasn't in the mood by then.

Eureka!! I've got it all figured out!! Everything went into the toilet because I didn't have my cup of coffee in the morning. That's it, I know it is. No, I'm not trying to quit the coffee, after all I only have one cup a day. I just thought that hot tea would be a nice change, so that's how I started my day. Guess the television didn't have it's high octane caffeine fix yesterday. Yea, that must be it.

Didn't get the snow accumulation that was predicted. I'm so glad they were wrong. I just hope they continue to be wrong. It is predicting snow through the weekend and below zero temps at night but a lot of you are having the same temps. We just have to put on an extra layer and keep our favorite blankie handy to keep warm, right?

I started a new book a couple of days ago and I'm not enjoying it at all. I keep reading it thinking it will get better. It's the "Daniel X" one by James Patterson and it is so different than what he usually writes. I keep hoping that it will get better, I guess that's why I'm still reading it. Gave a whole shopping bag full of books to the Orkin man boy to take home to his grandmother. We don't have a used book store here and I just can't throw them away.

Toodles Blog-Buds.

One More Gone...

One more pound gone!! Only a half a pound until I hit 70 pounds lost!! And there WAS a new number in the tens place!! (See my side bar "Weight Stats.") I got a slap on the wrist yesterday from my on-line calorie/exercise counter for not eating enough calories. I had 1462 calories! But I did expend 505 on exercise. I guess they are subtracting the numbers. Don't they realize that with this old body I need to do it that way in order to lose? Of course they don't, they are basing it all on "studies." Poopoo on them, I'll do it they way I need too in order to lose this weight, so there.

I've already run the sweeper this morning. Orkin is coming today. They come in the winter because I have a one year contract with them and I guess it helps keep the spiders out of the house and mice out of the crawl space.

Biggest Loser was a tear jerker for sure last night. I'm really disappointed it went that way. I so wanted to see Joelle leave last night. And you know me I've got to gripe about the program a little, so please don't take it as a slam on all of you BL fans. What's with Bob telling the guys that if they want a cookie in the afternoons to try to chew some gum first and if they still want the cookie then have it? I thought they were supposed to be learning to be healthy. Why didn't he just suggest a healthy snack that would put the energy back in their bodies? Since this is my first time watching the program, do they ever show their eating habits or the type of foods they eat for a healthier body? I loved Bob's comment about being possessed by Jillian for his tirade.

Weather much the same here. Cold and snowy. Still not much accumulation but it is forecast for tonight. Just hope it doesn't exceed the 3 inch prediction. Is anyone else out there ready for Spring or is it just me wishing my life away?

Have a healthy day, blog-buds!

Researching Treadmills...

I ate 1336 calories yesterday and burned 525. Thank goodness I was supposed to exercise yesterday. I was so antsy Sunday wanting to, that I should have just gone ahead and done it. I even wake up every mornin' singin' one of the songs on the DVD. How funny is that? Tomorrow's my official weigh-in and I've got my fingers crossed that I will see a new number in the tens place.

Been researching treadmills. Wow, there are some costly ones out there. WalMart does have one that sounds pretty good. Will go down there when the weather breaks and check them out. I've got one on my mind that has a lifetime warranty on the frame and a 25 year warranty on the motor. That will outlive me. And it has thingies that you hold on to that you can use for an upper body workout as well. There's also a workout fan and an iPod dock with speakers. The biggest problem with any of them is the weight of the thing. They are anywhere from 175 pounds to over 200 pounds. There is no way I will ever be able to get it out of the car, much less into the house by myself. So what ever I decide to get I will have to make a plan to do it when I have company coming that can help me haul it in here. And before you ask, there is no seller near enough to me to deliver it and I only have one neighbor that could help and I don't think just he and I could do it. I think it would take one more person at least.

I asked a question a couple of days ago that got by-passed (probably because it was buried in the middle of a paragraph), so I'll ask it again. To those of you out there that have personal trainers or belong to gyms, "How often do you measure the body parts?"

Hope you have a great and healthy day!

The Boob Tube...

I played "Suzie Homemaker" yesterday morning. While washing all the dishes in the sink (and there were a butt load) I made a big pot of Taco Soup to freeze and supper at the same time. For supper I made the chicken/noodle/lima concoction (that I will put on my recipe page later today) and cooked some cabbage to go with it. Got it all done and to my dismay there are MORE dishes. Well, I put them off and will have to get them done today, but not right now :o), I'm too busy doing the important things, like blogging.

While I was cooking and cleaning the kitchen I had the news on to listen to in the background. What I heard was so interesting that I had to turn the fires down and jump into the living room to listen more closely. They have a doctor on there on Sundays and he was talking about eating before you go to bed. He said that he tells all his patients not to eat within 3 hours before bed time because it will encourage your body to put on weight. Then the revelation! He said that there are studies out there that say that it won't! It's what you eat the whole day that puts weight on or takes it off. It doesn't matter when you eat it. He said that he has had to rethink this and now he tells his patients that it won't encourage weight gain but how much and what you munch on in the evenings will. He said that most people tend to munch in the evenings on things that aren't healthy or just down right fattening and that's counter-productive to weight loss. So for me that has been a wonderful revelation. I just can't get to sleep with a grumbling tummy, so I've always had something right before I go to bed. Only lately I've been having a healthy snack and so far it has proven to be fine. I've worked those wonderful 100 calorie packs out of my daily routine with the exception of Quaker Granola bars. And that has been a wonderful snack just before bedtime for me.

Then there was this annoying commercial that was so loud that I didn't have to come into the living room to listen to. It was Marie Osmond for Nutra-Systems. This was a new one that I hadn't heard before and I started laughing out loud and saying a few off color words as well. She starts talking about how it took her 9 looooonnnnngggggg years to put on her 30 or 40 pounds and only 4 months to take it off. Good grief! How many of you out there, did it take 9 years to get fat? Not me, that's for sure! Geesh, I put on 30-40 pounds in less than a year! I really think they should remove that ad. It is so unrealistic it's pathetic. Now I'm not knocking Nutra-Systems, so those of you out there that have used it with great success, that's wonderful. We all have to develop a system that works for us. But we also have to be realistic about our gains and losses. Ok, I'm stepping off that "band wagon."

Yesterday was a fine day calorie wise. I enjoyed my day of rest from exercising. Although I did have a kinda withdrawal feeling, not exercising. WHAT? Again in the back of my mind I was thinkin', if I had a treadmill, I'd have jumped on it and walked for a half hour or so. I guess I'd better start shopping for a treadmill.

Hope your week is a productive and happy one.