The Sunny Side of Life

Well, my mom and I will.  I took this picture Mother’s Day Eve, 2008, on the highlight day of our 15 days transatlantic cruise together.   Don’t get me wrong:  I don’t have lots of money….Mom paid my entire way!  And Mom grew up in the Depression, so she and dad were great at saving.  Anyhow, Paris has been on my mind a lot this month, because of our trip a year ago.  That was was the highlight of a very bizarre cruise (maybe some day I’ll share all the sordid details LOL)…we had a twelve hour trip off the boat to Paris, which included a lunchtime cruise down the River Seine.  (that’s the way they say it, not Seine River.)  The moment I first glimpsed the Eiffel Tower on the tour bus, I started crying.  It was THAT emotional for me.  I’ve always loved the Eiffel Tower, and was so amazed at how it looked when they celebrated 2000 there…  and I NEVER thought I’d ever get to Europe or to see it live, so it was just an AMAZING day.  I wish I’d had longer there than simply a few short hours in the town, and I wish Mr. Sunny had been there.  He has promised me that some day he and I will go, and I hold dearly to that promise!  It was THE most amazing city I’ve ever been to, and I wasn’t even there to see it lite up, and it was seeing everything by bus drive-by, except for the Seine cruise and the 20 minutes we got to stop at the Eiffel Tower.  Still, it is a memory I will hold dear until Alzheimer’s or some other dementia hits.  (I know, I shouldn’t joke about that, but I guess it’s gallows humor, since Dad had it at the end before the ticker got him, so I kinda assume there is a good chance I’ll get it too, but I digress….)

Anyhow, on this last day of May, one year later, I wanted to pay tribute to the City of Lights and my eternal love for it.  Next time I see Paris though, I’ll be spending a week there, REALLY seeing it, and I’ll be fit and trim and in great shape for LOTS of walking.  Funny, that Seine lunch cruise was my last real foray with wine, and lots of it.  How appropriate is THAT? 

Anyhow…..memories.  That was one of the very best days of my life.  But I KNOW better times in Paris are yet to come, and that is so cool!

One more photo of the Tower….for old time’s sake….

See that FINE piece of jewelry (bracelet) up there?  THAT is going to be my reward for losing (the first!) twenty pounds!                     It’s my plan to give myself something NICE for every 20 lbs. lost.  I can’t put it on, though, until I reach that milestone.  (well, it won’t arrive for a week anyhow, so I shouldn’t be salivating too long.  LOL)

That should occur in the next week-week and a half, because today was weigh-in day, and I lost 2 lbs. this week, bringing my total to 17 lbs. lost in 6 weeks!

Of course, THAT was before the trip to Portillo’s for my son-in-law’s birthday lunch today.  ALTHOUGH, I did only eat the equivalent of half the Italian beef sandwich.  I gave Mr. Sunny literally half of the beef, and barely touched the top half of the bun, and only ate 4 onion rings.  I DID have a bite of the carmel pecan cake and 1 piece of See’s candy.  I’m going to give myself 200 calories for dinner, and call it a day.  There was no breakfast.  I’ll come in, within my caloric guidelines.  That said, I CAN TASTE, almost 3 hours later, the SALT dehydration in my mouth.  Yuck.  I’ve been drinking water nonstop.  No way/weigh I’m stepping on a scale before Wed. or so.  LOL

It was SO fun to see the baby, and we took my mom who hadn’t seen him since I think Easter, and he’s walking now!  Hard to believe his first birthday is right around the corner!

So, we are going to see Angels and Demons tonight, I think.  I’ll take my bottle of water with me. 

Now, I’m heading off to dance for half an hour, if my knees will cooperate.  (will get in another half hour, I hope, later today.)

Well, have a lovely rest of the day!  STAY TRUE TO YOUR GOALS!   

Yes, that’s another photo I took… on the last night of our honeymoon.    

Happy Friday!!!!!  Got any cool plans for the weekend?  For me, the highlight will be tomorrow afternoon; we are meeting my baby girl, her husband, and my baby grandson at Portillo’s to celebrate my SIL’s birthday.  Portillo’s out here is a transplant from the Chicago area, and my hubby, who lived the first 30 some odd years of his life in Chicago….well, it was one of his fav restaurants, so he was thrilled to find one out here!  They specialize in KILLER Italian beef sandwiches.  (and, in my opinion, onion rings.)  Yes, I’m going to have BOTH.  But, hard as it will be, I’m only going to eat the bottom part of the bread on it, and only 3 onion rings.  It’s all about choices.  At least that way, I’ll enjoy the flavors, but minimize the damage.  My daughter and SIL haven’t eaten there, but he was pretty excited about it when we described it to him.  And ANY chance to hold that grandbaby makes it a stellar day for me!  Can’t believe he’s almost one!  Here are both my grandsons:

I know.  I breed well.  LOL

Anyhow, other than that, the weekend will be same ole, same ole.  I’m going to try and get in some killer hours exercising to finish out May, but my R knee hasn’t been too happy about it the last couple of days, so its health takes precedence over stars, dammit.  LOL

Anyhow, have a GREAT weekend, and stay true to your goals!!!!      

ETA:  DOH!  I forgot we are going to the Angels game on Sunday! 

Wanna know what THAT is?  It’s what’s left at the top of a pot of water AFTER you boil 6 beef ribs in it.  Yep!  That’s the fat that boils off of six measily beef ribs!  ICK.  I started boiling my ribs a few years ago, simply because I don’t like rare meat, and I wanted them grilled all the way through without having to char them, so I started boiling them for 45 minutes prior to grilling them.  The first time I left the stock pot unwashed overnight…the next morning I found a layer of this sitting on the top of the water; the congealed FAT.  And this doesn’t even count the fat layer that remains on one side (I never eat that part, either.  But there is still plenty of meat remaining on the other back and sides!)  THIS is the crap that if you aren’t boiling your ribs, goes into your body.  THIS is the stuff that blocks your arteries.  Attaches to your heart, your liver, everywhere.  It’s really, really disgusting, isn’t it?  So if you are going to eat ribs (especially the beef kind), PLEASE BOIL THEM FIRST.

Ok, that’s my Healthy (well, healthier LOL) Eating Primer for the day.  That said, I love big beef ribs.  BBQ beef ribs is my favorite meal of all time, and I will NEVER give them up.  There are some lines in the sand one must draw, and by God, this is one of them for me.

Anyhoo, that said….that’s all I have for today.  At lunch, the girl in the office who just got back from her wedding/honeymoon in Florida is going to show her photos up on the screen in one of the conference rooms.  Well, I’m going to go a half hour beforehand to my little deserted room and do my usual dancing.  I’m only going to spend a half hour eating and watching photos.  (how many photos can there be?)  Again, I’m just a changed woman.  I’d never even considered this 2 months ago!

Have a GREAT day, and stay true to your goals!!!! 

Well, the beauty of a four-day work week is how short it is!  (Thank you, Captain Obvious! LOL)  I was really emotionally dragging yesterday afternoon.  Couldn’t WAIT to leave work, and I like my job.    At least my gut feels back to normal.  I danced my usual half hour at lunch, and did a solid 45 minutes of dancing in the evening before it was time to start dinner.  I think I’m about ready to move that 45 minutes up to an hour.  I’m going to try tonight.  That will be my high point. (time-wise)  I want a regular routine of half hour at lunch, AND an hour in the evening.  As I adjust to that, I can work the intensity even higher…and then start to add weights.  But I’m not going over those time amounts on either.  Of course, with errands after work and what not, I won’t be able to do that every night.  But that’s the goal.  It isn’t even so much about earning the stars anymore (not that I don’t want them LOL)…it’s about what I feel I need to do, to be getting in optimal physical activity both to reach my goal weight, as well as to firm as I go (since age is probably going to be working against me in that regard) and, most importantly, for my heart’s health. 

I stepped on the scale, and it was only down 1/2 lb. since my weigh in on Saturday morning.  I would’ve liked a little more, given my gut issues, but I also know I was eating a few more low-fat Wheat Thins than normal to help my gut heal/settle down….apparently that caught up to me.    Still within my calorie allowance, but probably a tad more starch (even if it was a good whole-grain kind) and sodium.  So back down off that.  Just my normal amount starting today.  Otherwise, my intake and quality of food has been stellar.  Only 1 day (Mother’s Day) in May did I even come close to blowing it.  (and I bet I didn’t even hit 1600 calories that day!)  I’m really, really proud of that.  I have come an enormous way in less than 6 weeks.  My diet has become an enjoyable lifestyle; I don’t feel I’m really missing out on anything.  And the exercise?  I feel like a sports car going from 0-60 in a few short seconds.    I went from zero exercising less than 4 weeks ago, to now almost an hour and a half EVERY DAY.  That’s amazing!!!  And that will be what extends YEARS onto my life….I’m sure of it! 

Have a BEAUTIFUL day, and stay true to your goals!!! 

Funny….I didn’t eat poorly, but I didn’t eat up to the standards I have set for myself the past five weeks.  I had a small amount of sweet, bottled BBQ sauce on 2 ribs yesterday.  I had 1 Jimmy Dean sausage with my egg and a small amount of hashed browns for breakfast, too.  (no lunch)  I had 3 onion rings with a hamburger patty and 1/2 the bun on Sun. for dinner, and carne asada steak & eggs with a tiny amount of hashed browns on Sun. for breakfast.  Each day I DID stay within my 1200 calories, and the rest of the weekend was spot on.  But my stomach reacted pretty poorly to the extra grease from Sunday and Monday.  My energy level was down too, and my desire to exercise wasn’t as burning as it was prior to those meals.  It’s funny how the slightest bit of eating not so perfect/healthy so drastically affects me now.  It doesn’t kick my motivation or dedication off the charts or even back to the starting line, but it most certainly deflates both a bit.  As with the last time I “indulged” even slightly (Mother’s Day), I feel it’s going to take 2-3 days to get back in the swing of things mentally, emotionally, and physically.  It just goes to show how weeks, months, years of eating crap was responsible for making it so hard to start this path.  No, all but impossible.  It just further bolsters my belief that I simply can’t eat white flour, or anything sugared or even artificially sweetened.  My body, my mindset…is all or nothing.  Even tiny bits of sugar weakens my resolve.  And medical tests have proven that even the artificial sweetners have the same effect…that’s why I’m 100% water 100% of the time.  I can’t afford diet sodas.  I can’t afford 100 calorie snack packs.  They get my taste buds back to craving the damned poisonous sugar, and then I have to go through the withdrawals and re-dedications all over again.  It’s simply JUST.NOT.WORTH.IT.

But somehow, even though I wasn’t feeling 100% yesterday and the gut was still hurting, I still DANCED.  This is SO foreign to me!  It’s not even just a desire to work out; IT’S A BURNING NEED.  I’d always heard about getting addicted to exercise and the endomorphine high, and although I’m certainly not to the point of addiction, I could see how it happens now.  Well, I guess better to be addicted to exercising, eating healthy, and blogging about it (LOL) than being addicted to sugar, alcohol, THE COUCH. 

So, it is onward and upward, even when I’m momentarily down….two steps forward, only a half a step back.  STILL forward progress.  I don’t quite know who this new woman is residing in me that is becoming so dedicated to exercising and living a healthy lifestyle, but I really like her.  And I’m proud of her!  Not easy to go to your favorite restaurants and turns down food that you’ve spent years and years loving…but know you must because they just are WRONG.  Wrong, wrong, wrong!  Who gets up and exercises simply because she knows she needs it.  Who likes the probably infinitesimal changes she’s seeing in her profile in the mirror…already. 

Have a great day, and a great rest of the week!  Stay true to your goals! 

Well, happy Memorial Day, everyone!  Don’t forget to take some time out to memorialize all the dedicated men and women who have sacrificed for our freedom, over the years. 

Didn’t blog yesterday because, frankly, just too busy to get around to it, which was a good thing.  We drove down to San Diego in the morning, and went out to breakfast with my eldest daughter and grandson to my favorite breakfast place.  My fav there is a carne asada steak and eggs, with their version of hashed browns and flour tortillas - warmed and buttered.  Well, being on South Beach, I did not have the tortillas, and only a very tiny (1/4 cup?) portion of the hashed browns, but something did NOT agree with me…and, without TMI (too much info), suffice it to say over the next 1.5 hours before we went to see Star Trek, my intestines gave back most of the meal.  Over the past ten years or so, I’ve had this problem occasionally to often when I eat out; fresh produce of any type can give me a (thankfully short-lived) bout of the runs almost immediately afterward.  I know to stay away from certain chains.  I now work in the corporate office of a restaurant chain, and asked my boss about it.  He says that the fresh produce isn’t washed or rinsed with anything that would cause it, but the sinks that they set the produce in obviously is, and if the kitchen help aren’t meticulous in rinsing that cleanser out of the sink when they wash the sink, it could be that leftover cleanser that is causing my stomach upset, especially if the restaurant fills the sink tub with water and sets the produce in it.  Actually, I know quite a few people that have this problem, too.  Oy vey.  Hate to lose going to that breakfast place, even if it’s only once or twice a year, but it’s not a fun problem to have. 

ANYHOW, moving (less grossly) right along….fortunately my problem passed after 3 trips to the loo, and I was able to REALLY enjoy the new Star Trek movie.  And I am NOT a Trekkie fan.  But this was my fav of all the Trek movies I’ve been forced to see.  LOL  However, my hubbster who IS a Trekkie, all but hated it.  So there you have it.  I’d go into the reasons why, but I don’t want to spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen it.  So afterward, we hung around with them longer than we thought, and didn’t end up leaving San Diego until around 6 pm.  That would’ve made it too late to drive home and cook dinner as planned, so we decided to stop for fast food.  I had a cheeseburger minus the lettuce (still nervous about that) and bun, with 3 of the best onion rings in the West.  LOL   Of course, I got home, and paid the price for THAT.  I guess my gut isn’t back to normal, or it was all too much grease in one day….I dunno.  My tummy hurt all night, to one degree or another.  Oh well, at least I ate two great meals (going down) and lost a half a pound yesterday! 

Oh, and the Fleetwood Mac concert on Saturday night was AMAZING.  We had awesome seats, and I danced a good hour of the over 2 hours they performed, because everyone was on their feet for much of the concert.  Guitar and drums performances that defied their ages and were perhaps the best we’d either seen, and we’ve seen everyone from Clapton to the Eagles to Craig Chaquico, to Jose Feliciano, to Rod Stewart and many, many more over the years.  Awesome time!

Today we are just hanging low together, enjoying the extra day off.  Looking forward to BBQing big ole beef ribs tonight (gut be damned. LOL)  Need to putz around shopping at a few places, too.  Should be a lovely, relaxed day.

Hope you are all having a marvelous,  long weekend.  Weather hasn’t been quite as warm here as we’d like (probably topping out in the low 70’s), but it’s been sunny by noon each day, so that’s at least good.  And my 34 year old daughter loved my new hair cut, and / but even over and above that said “Mom, you are looking REALLY good!”

Have a wonderful day, and stay true to your goals!!!!! 

ETA:  ick…stomach still hurting.  Still having lower intestinal issues, if you know what I mean.  I think I’m going to just veg until I feel better.  At this rate, if I don’t get much better fast, no exercise today. 

Another ETA:  Well, I was feeling better, so I got in an hour of dancing!  True, it wasn’t nearly as high intensity as usual, but it was “fast” dancing, and certainly more intense than walking.  I probably overdid it; my belly started to hurt a tad again at the end.  But I just couldn’t go a whole day without exercising unless I was laid up in bed!  Who IS this woman I’m becoming?  She would NEVER have considered even five minutes of exercising when she was feeling fine, and now gets up to dance an hour when she’s not up to snuff?  I don’t know her, but I am impressed by her, and proud of her!!! 

Yep, that’s how much I’ve lost!  In exactly 5 weeks to the day!  THREE pounds this week!  For a 57 year old post menopausal gammi, NOT BAD!!!!  Hell, DAMNED good!  I give all credit to my competitive spirit; i.e., wanting more exercise stars in Eileen’s May Weight Challenge!  Here’s a link….in case you are interested (yes, there will be a June challenge you can join!):

http://www.w8challenge.com/index.htm

About 3 weeks ago, I didn’t exercise at all.  AT ALL.  ZERO.  NADA.  NUTHIN.  BIG FAT GOOSE EGG.  I am on the highest dose of my bp meds, I was (unofficially) pre-diabetic (dad and aunt and other relatives died of it, and we won’t even discuss what my waist measurement was or is but look at my “before” pic in the “about me” section)…and I needed to do something pronto, or I was going to die prematurely.  After returning to 3FC (wasn’t ready the first time, back in 2005), I hooked up with Eileen, found her challenge, and thought, well, why not?  Maybe I can at least get started with this exercise thing.  I was forgetting all about my natural competitiveness!  I’ve gone from 0 minutes a day exercise to 1 hour - 1.5 hours of exercise a DAY in these 3 (or less) weeks!  Amazing!  I know I won’t win the month (I doubt, actually, I’ll ever win a month), but that’s ok.  My initial goal was 30 stars for May, and with 8 days left, I’ve already hit 37 stars!  (you get a star a day if you meet your food goals, and 1/2 star for every half hour of exercise a day…no limit on the exercise stars.)  My goal for June is 55 stars.  July and on 60+ stars.  (actually, I want to make 60 the June goal, but I don’t want to bury myself.  LOL)  ANYHOW, I’m totally into it!

I love to dance.  And Augustine, trust me-I’m not coordinated either!   I still HAVE to hold onto the treadmill when I’m on it!  LOL  But I don’t care how I look.  I only care that the blood is flowing and already I can exaggerate my moves (legs and arms) more than I could 3 weeks ago when I started, which pumps even more blood.  I have a GREAT iPod playlist (see that page) that I have on shuffle, and I use my Bose over-the-ear headphones in a deserted room at work prior to eating lunch on weekdays, and at home nights and weekends in the living room with the iPod plugged into the SURROUND SOUND system on our TV, crank it up, and just rock out.  Exercising is fun!  I can adjust my tempo up or down depending upon any tiny aches or how much I love a particular song.  It’s all good.  With dozens and dozens of songs that I all love, that rotate differently every time, no fear of getting bored.  The one caveat is that the first song is always “I Feel Like a Woman” by Ms. Twain. 

Anyhow, I’m pumped.  I know what I’m going to eat all weekend, and I’ll be fine.  Perhaps the BBQ sauce on Monday will be a tad wrong, but I got the lighter (calories and sodium) of my two favs, so what the hell.  It’s just on 2 ribs.  With a great, healthy salad.  NOT with a loaded baked potato, a large helping (or two) of brown-sugared-up baked beans and 2 buttered up dinner rolls like it always would’ve been in the past.  And I’m normally barely 1200 calories a day, so I’ll be just fine. 

Anyhow, have a glorious day!  Hope the weather is great where you are!  (actually going to be a tad cooler here than the last few days, but still in the mid 70’s…)

Stay true to your goals, my friends!!!!  Prove to yourself you can enjoy the holiday and still be true to your healthy goals!

Yes, TGIF indeed!!!!  GOTTA love not only a 3-day weekend, but getting off Friday at noon, to boot!

LOL  Well, last night was the 2 hour premiere of SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance)….loved it!  LOVE the host Kat Deely, love the judges, love the talent, love the wannabe talent faux pas.  LOL  I loved the passion judge Sonya showed over the talent.  It was so cool.  I didn’t put in that extra half hour of dancing during the show:  I just wanted to sit and enjoy it.  I still got in 2 half hours of dance during the day, so I wasn’t a slouch or anything.  LOL

Weekend plans:

Friday:  get off at noon today.  Gotta run to the market and pick up those big, beefy ribs for Monday’s bbq.      After that, will come home and dance for a half hour (minimum) and then eat a light lunch.  Then, either take a nap (BECAUSE I CAN) with the girls (our 2 dogs), or go to the pool.  I’ve made it a conscious goal to take advantage of the 2 pools here this summer.  Never have.  Too embarrassed to get in.  How stupid is THAT?!    After that, just lay low and enjoy the extra time off until hubby comes home.  Normally, on these early days (we get to leave 3 hours early on work days before a paid holiday, so by working five hours straight-no lunch-I can leave at noon), I go to the movies with my mom, but I didn’t mention it to her early enough, and she’s already got plans today.  Normally, I don’t have a problem going to a movie alone, but I don’t want to see the Matthew McConahy (sp?) movie bad enough to go alone.  LOL

Saturday:  no real plans during the day outside of a normal Sat.  HOWEVER, Saturday night we are going to see Fleetwood Mac in concert.  I can’t wait! 

Sunday:  we are driving down to San Diego and will see Star Trek with my older daughter and older grandson.  I don’t know if we are going to see it in IMAX or not.  I guess it depends upon the timing.  But it’s a possibility.  Might have lunch or dinner with them; again, it just depends on timing of the movie, etc.

Monday:  just the two of us (plus dogs LOL) hanging out and BBQ’ing my favorite meal of all time:  beef ribs.  BIG ASS BEEF RIBS.  God bless South Beach. 

Well, that’s it. THAT, and seeing if I can work myself up to 1.5 hours of exercise a day.   We’ll see.  I can live (and benefit) from even staying at this 1 hour a day.  Heck, 2-3 weeks ago, I didn’t exercise that much in a whole WEEK! 

Have a GREAT holiday weekend, and try and stay faithful to your own goals!!! 

ETA:  OMG OMG OMG!  Some (assnozzle!) brought in WINCHELL’S MUFFINS.  You can literally SMELL the sugar/vanilla!  NO NO NO NO I WILL NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT EAT ONE.  Criminy on a biscuit!!!

I will NOT eat one, dammit to hell!  (and I will feel virtuous about that.  I will I will I WILL.) 

p.s.s.  Leaving work in FIVE MINUTES AND I DID NOT TOUCH A CRUMB OF THOSE DAMNED MUFFINS!

Thanks to a FABULOUS American Idol show last night, I danced an extra half hour!!! 

The musical entertainment was AWESOME!  How could one NOT get up off the couch and rock out?  I mean, seriously!!!  I had to stop myself at a half hour, but I’d already done my hour for the day, so I thought….hmmm, better not OVER do it.  But it was hard not to.  Those two hours SAILED by.  It ought to win an Emmy! 

Beyond that, another spot-on day re food.  I’m falling into a pretty good pattern re my meals:

Breakfast is always 20 natural, whole almonds. (not salted or flavored.) (that alone dropped my cholesterol by 40 points in 2 months last year!)  Plus either a whole wheat English muffin with ICBINB lite, or 12 low-fat Wheat Thins with 2 slices of nonfat cheese.  Weekends-one day is same as above, one day is bacon and eggs and a 1/4 cup hashed browns cooked in light extra virgin olive olive.

Lunch is fresh fruit, the low-fat Wheat Thins or a 94% fat free tortilla, with 2-3 tbsp. guacamole, or 2 lite Laughing Cow cheese triangles.  Or a romaine salad with either tuna salad on top (low fat mayo, chopped onions, and 1 tbsp. relish) or a skinless grilled chicken breast on top.  Dressing is 2 tbsp.-mix of lite ranch or blue cheese mixed with the guac.  yummers!

Dinner is usually a romaine (SO healthy for you!!!!) salad with some broccoli slaw on top (only way I’ll eat broccoli and cauliflower  LOL), a 1/4 C. of low fat grated cheese, and litely salted tortilla strips with same dressing as above.  Sometimes 4 oz. of meat, too.  Occasionally I’ll replace the tortilla strips with more Wheat Thins.  (yes, I adore them.) 

Afternoon snack is either a half dozen more almonds, or a nonfat Yoplait yoghurt.  (the Key Lime is my favorite.) 

It’s the same ole thing, but I am BIG TIME a creature of habit.  It’s that OCD kicking in.  (which, by the way, should be spelled CDO…OCD’ers will “get” that.  LOL)

Anyhow, that’s about all I’ve got for now.  Tomorrow I’ll discuss what’s going on this weekend for me.  HOWEVER, I cannot wait for the premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance” tonight; I sense another 1.5 hours of exercise in my future after that! 

Have a GREAT day, and stay true to your end goals!!!!