182.6 What If...

This blog is so weird! It is all over the map, and much of the time I don't acknowledge my weight in my posts at all. So what if I didn't publish it and just carried on, sharing with whomever bits and pieces of my life?

Off to the elliptical. It doesn't care at all what my weight is. Which reminds me that a couple of days ago a blind woman was doing the elliptical. If she can, I certainly can. (Her husband set it up and helped her on and she was on her way. It was great to see.)

181.4 A New Taste Treat

A couple of weeks ago I visited my wonderful, inspirational friend Barbara in southern California. She, like my sister Priscilla, has managed to keep her weight under control for most of her life. She told me about one of her new favorite combinations that she eats for breakfast and/or lunch. I came home and tried it and have been hooked ever since. I feel compelled to share it :).

Mix about 1/4 cup Greek non-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt is much higher in protein so you'll feel fuller longer than if you use regular yogurt) with 1/4 cup non-fat or low fat cottage cheese. Then add sliced fresh tomato and about 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado. Add salt and lots of pepper and enjoy! She feeds this to her 18 month old grand-daughter who loves it. I also the eat the yogurt and cottage cheese combo with fresh berries. I sprinkle Splenda on it and think it's heavenly.

I have a hunch that you'll really like both of these options if you like yogurt and cottage cheese. Oh, I just remembered... I also ate it with fresh figs and that was so good!

182.8 Acceptance and Confidence

I'm just learning to accept that going out with friends often ends with two things...having a great time, and a little bump up. I also know that I can get it headed down so there is just more confidence and acceptance.

Yes, I do want to get rid of the 10 plus pounds, but even with that, I am not going to throw myself into a whirlwind of desperation. I just came back from the Y and my favorite elliptical and am just breathing easier. I'll take this new place I'm in... at least for today :).

181.6 From Bad To Good!

Having a flat tire is no fun, anytime, especially far from home in 102 degree heat. But today things went from bad to good! As soon as I realized something was seriously wrong with my car, I pulled off and checked the tires. And, I had a major flat. I had to drive on it to get to a safer place to wait for help which was fairly unnerving as cars going very fast had to go around me. I called AAA and was told it would be up to an hour before they could get to me. Oh, I forgot to say I was on my way to a physical therapy appointment. So I called my PT office and explained I could never get there on time. As I'm sitting in my car, looking down, there was a loud knock on my window. With fear and trepidation I rolled down my window a little bit, and a young man offered to change my tire for me. I was so surprised and I must admit a little fearful, that I said no thanks and explained that AAA was on the way. He pressed and reminded me that I could be waiting for a long time for them to arrive and that he'd be happy to do it for me. I don't like to admit that I was suspicious and uncomfortable about agreeing to having him help me, but finally said I'd really appreciate it. This guy changed it within 10 minutes, wasn't carrying a gun, didn't try to rob me or hurt me, and was extremely competent. He said he'd just finished mechanic school and that's why he could do it so fast. So there you go! You never know when something wonderful will happen. And, I was able to get my PT appointment, after all. Now I want to find a way pay it forward.

181.4 Does It Matter?

My sister asked that question in response to the question I asked yesterday about why working out on the elliptical versus walking briskly seems to help me sleep better. And her response of "does it matter" also goes for lots of things I write about. But some things do matter to me because I'm always trying to figure out what is best, why I gain or lose at a specific time, etc. I don't know why my weight popped up this morning, but at least it's not horrific (does anyone say "oh horrors" anymore?) and there is probably not a lesson to be learned...everyday.

So I did the elliptical today for 30 minutes and I'm off to get a mani and a pedi!

I just like this picture. It symbolizes how much I hope to touch Zuzu's life, and how important her touch is to me.

180.6 Sleep and Exercise

I woke up this morning weighing less than I have in a while, and realized I had the longest, best sleep I've had in a long time. So many of my gal pals complain along with me that we can't sleep through the night. I've never asked them about how much they exercise, but now I'm wondering if, in spite of all of the hormone issues that I read get in the way of a good night's sleep, a lack of exercise also plays a part. For me the real challenge (there's that word again) is about balancing what I do in terms of exercise while taking care of my arthritic spine. One reason I love the elliptical is that there is no impact so it is gentle on my whole system while at the same time it gets my heart rate up and just feels good. But I do need to walk so that there is some impact to strengthen my bones. So here's the question... why do I sleep better after doing the elliptical for a half hour versus walking briskly for a half hour?

On that note, I'm heading out for a walk.

182.0 The Elliptical Even With My Edgy Back!

Today I went back to the Y and spent more time on the elliptical and marveled at how good it felt to be doing it and how good I felt that I accomplished it. I still remember not being able to do it for more than one minute when I started. I was just beginning to lose the weight and I was so out of shape. Today I did it for 25 minutes and quit only because my back is being edgy and I don't want to irritate it.

I think that a good challenge for me is to keep heading over to the Y and staying with the elliptical at least every other day. It does really pick my spirits up when I do it and that's a very good thing for me.

182.8 It's About Challenges

As a part of my ESL class I've asked the students to come up with a challenge for themselves that they talk about in class. I haven't started doing this yet this semester, but yesterday two of my students talked to me after class about their challenges. One gal challenged herself to do special things for herself. She's raised two children, and always put her husband and children first in her life. One of the things she did for herself was to take Zamba lessons... and now she is teaching it! She's so proud and excited. Another student has already chosen a challenge without me even bringing up the subject. She's going to learn to cook new recipes from her husband's country as a surprise for him. The best challenge story I have is the one about my student who took on the IRS over the phone, got the information he wanted, and was given more help than he thought he needed. I don't know how many folks have even gotten through to the IRS much less been helped graciously and generously.

I find it interesting that I am good at helping others formulate and accomplish their challenges. Maybe I have found something I'm good at :) ! Maybe I could do this for myself, again?

182.4 Feeling Alive

I think my spirit died a little this summer. I have lots of reasons I can think of as to why that happened and none of them are very good. Jeff and I are already thinking about next summer and changes we might make so that this doesn't happen again.

Today, as I was leaving the college after teaching the ESL group, I was struck by how alive I felt at that moment. I could teach over the summer and perhaps that is something I might do next year. And I want to find other activities even now that give me that sense of aliveness that I seem to need.

My time with my children and grandchildren always gives me that sense of feeling alive and of being in the moment, and I cherish that time with them so much.

So I am grateful for so much today. I even did the elliptical and realized how alive I felt while doing that. Why don't I do it more often and more routinely? That's a good question. So I'm working on lots of things mentally and physically. Welcome back to life, Sue!

182.2 Back In Familiar Territory

At least I am back in familiar territory and life is beginning to return to some sort of normal routine. I met Jennifer for breakfast as we usually try to do on Wednesdays so that piece is back in place after 3 weeks of missing it. She's a great friend and knows how to help me become grounded and looking forward. Thanks, Jennifer.

I was talking to my chiropractor this morning about the challenges of food/weight gain when traveling. He then confessed he gained 12 pounds in one Thanksgiving Day celebration. He blamed it on the wine and salt. I've heard that one before! He may hold a record. I have yet to gain 12 pounds on a trip or during a holiday and am counting on that never happening.

So life looks good today, very good. Thanks to all who wrote notes of condolence regarding the loss of our friend. Your caring and reaching out has been greatly appreciated by Jeff and me.

Remembering and Acknowledging Change - It's Hard!

As one of my friends wrote, this has been a very bittersweet time for us. Spending that wonderful time with our daughters, Jud, Scott, and little Zuzu was so much fun. As a family, we all get along so well and really enjoy being together. I'm so glad we were able to spend that time in Bar Harbor with the fam!

Attending the memorial service for our friend was hard. The service was very nice and it was good to see JJ's wife and family and the friends that we had in common. When we arrived in LA, we drove around UCLA for old times' sake. But nothing is ever the same and I always want it to be. (And the sun wasn't shining - in my mind's eye it was always sunny at UCLA!) UCLA has grown and the old UCLA Med Center where I worked to help put myself through school is no longer standing. The Medical Center is now many centers and that original building has been replaced. Westwood, the "village" of LA where UCLA stands is nothing like I remember it. There are high rises where my favorite coffee shop was, and the shops are very different. We then drove out to Pacific Palisades to stay with my dear friend Barbara (from UCLA days) and her husband Fred. Barbara and I have known each other since 1961! Now that's a long time. We had a great visit with them, as usual.

Feeling Much Better... About Everything!

Today was a great day. My weight dropped somewhat, but not enough to post. I walked yesterday and today first thing in the morning and so I felt good all day long because I was taking charge instead of feeling helpless.

I returned to Paradise Valley Community College today to teach ESL after being away since the spring semester ended in early May. It just feels great to be appreciated. There were hugs from students I had last year, and there were many new students that I look forward to getting to know. I had more students today than I've ever had. There were students from China, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Mexico, Palestine, and Peru. The students include a 20 year old from China, who had arrived in the U.S. last month. I also have a Russian chemistry professor, who wants to improve his English so that he can work as a scientist here. Each student has a story to tell and I applaud their courage and initiative, and their desire to improve their lives as evidenced by their hard work to improve their English.

I'll be gone for the next few days as I mentioned in yesterday's post. I'll connect at the beginning of next week.

OUCH!

No, I'm not posting my weight today. I don't think I have ever not posted it. But it's too painful to acknowledge. On the other hand, I had an absolutely wonderful time with my family on the east coast. No, I didn't binge, I didn't go crazy, and we didn't eat out all of the time. But being away from home gets me out of my routine and "that's" what happens.

I am on Twitter and constantly get invited to follow various Twitter sites. This morning I checked one out and loved this quote that read: "The road to success is always under construction". Lily Tomlin is credited with this quote. I doubt she had weight loss/maintenance on her mind when she wrote it, but I find it comforting.

And, we are traveling again but just for a couple of days. We will be attending the memorial service of a dear friend from our UCLA days. In fact, he and his wife introduced Jeff and me to each other. We are saddened by this loss. So, there will be some days without a post.

181.2 On The Road Again

Heading back to see family on the east coast including the wee little Zuzu. Check in now and then but for sure I'll be back at it on the 15th of September. I'll be weighing everyday and watching those carbs. How can I fail?

181.2 Carbs and Fat - Yikes!

My brother in law Phil sent me this article from Men's Health magazine. (http://www.menshealth.com/travel-center/diet-strategies-travel-and-weight-loss?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-MensHealth-_-Content-BestLife-_-TravelingMansEatingPlan.) I am reprinting a portion of it, because it really makes sense about the carbs in our diets and how they work against us as we try to control our weight.


"Rules of the Road

Any man who travels regularly needs a flexible, no-thought eating strategy. So we asked Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut, to create an effective diet that allows for indulgence without the need for calorie counting. His solution: a low-carb diet with benefits.

A quick explanation: Every time you eat high-carb foods—bread, pasta, rice, any product made with sugar or flour—the level of insulin in your blood rises. Insulin is a powerful hormone that signals your body to stop burning and start storing fat. How powerful? Volek and his colleagues asked 20 men to follow a strict low-carb diet for 6 weeks. But instead of telling them to downsize their portions, the scientists encouraged the study participants to eat all they wanted. When the results were tallied, the men had still dropped an average of 7 pounds of fat and had significantly lowered their risk of heart disease. "We calculated that 70 percent of the variability in fat loss was explained by the reduction in insulin levels," says Volek. "That's a powerful effect."

Now think about that in reverse. If you're constantly downing carbs, as most Americans do, you'll be in fat-storing mode all day long. And you don't need a study to tell you what that's done to our collective waistline.

So Volek counseled Baier to adopt low-carb eating as his default diet and to make high-carb meals an exception. Try it yourself and you'll limit your number of daily insulin spikes, keeping your body in fat-burning mode most of the time. After all, when it comes to your gut, "most of the time" is what matters."

This explanation of carbs in relation to storing fat will really make me think twice before eating carbs. I'm still hung up on wanting to eat a lot of fruit, but I guess I will have to become very aware of how many carbs a given serving of fruit has and plan well.

182.6 Labor Day and a Clean Closet

I don't know if it's because this is Labor Day weekend, or if we just got the bug, but today we tackled our closet which meant I had to face getting rid of more clothes. I don't know why I have hung onto so many things that don't fit anymore. Part of it is that I don't want to have such an empty looking closet. But we rearranged, sorted out, and ended up with a couple of big bags to go to the Goodwill and it looks so much better.

I still have a few things that just fill me with great memories when I look at them. I think it's okay to keep them a while longer.

182.4 It's Late!

I think this is the latest at night that I have written a post for this blog. I had a great day, a busy day, and we just returned home after being out with friends. So life is good even if my weight isn't where I want it to be.

My walking buddy has returned and we walked this morning. It felt great and we are heading out tomorrow morning, too. But before long, Jeff and I will be flying to Boston and my routine will be totally thrown up in the air - in a very good way! We'll be with our east coast family and that is always very special. I think I will be careful about what I eat (lots of great seafood), but wait until we return and then put some serious thought and ENERGY into getting back to where I want to be!

181.2 Is This Okay?

A week ago I accidentally spilled bleach on my favorite pair of black cargo shorts from Chico's. I loved these shorts and am brokenhearted that I can't replace them. Chico's doesn't have any more black in my size, nor can I get them on line. If you can feel devastated by this kind of loss, I do.

Wednesday I went shopping and bought a top that I just love! And today I went and bought another top, just like the one I bought on Wednesday. (I know that this behavior was triggered by the bleach incident.) This is not a T shirt. This is a special top to wear with dress pants or jeans, depending on my mood and/or the occasion, and it is distinctive. I have bought several pairs of the same pants/jeans if they fit well, but I've never done it with a special top.

I just told my daughter Miranda about my purchase and how I felt like I have done something bizarre and extravagant, and that I feel a little guilty. She listened well and then with a smile in her voice agreed that it was okay, but cautioned me that two were enough! Love that girl!

180. A New Normal

My friend Loretta and I have both had our share of medical issues over the past few months and we've been each others cheerleader and confidente through it all. Today we were talking and I told her I just wanted everything to get back to normal. We both started laughing because now we have no idea what normal is and we are wondering what the new normal will look like. I think it is going to look just great and that's all that really matters, right? :)