Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. exercise
12,546 steps
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
minestrone soup, saltines
italian steak sandwich, rice, broccoli
chocolate covered strawberry

Well, I made chocolate covered strawberries with the berries Sam gave me. They're a fruit, right, so are healthy for you

I decided to step up my exercise with a more intense workout and tweaked my back yesterday. Guess I'll take it back a notch. Maybe I'll just do some gentle stretching today.

Looks like we're in for a nice warm-up this weekend.

Exercise
45 minute walk

Meals
Berry drink
Veggie sub
Mock fish nuggets
Mini carrot muffin

Wow, you put in a lot of steps yesterday. That is good.
Yikes, sorry to learn that you tweaked your back.
I hope it doesn't cause you too much pain and heals fast.
I don't think one chocolate covered strawberry will hurt you.
It probably was really good, and yummy.


Tip of the Day from Self magazine, August 2013
Choose Protein

Its amino acids that rebuild muscle tissue.
They are crucial, because if muscles break down,
metabolism slows. Women should eat 70g a day.

Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
chicken noodle soup, saltines
cheeseburger

I spent most of yesterday doing nothing. My back is real sore and it feels best if I lay flat on the bed. I do get up and walk around and just do what needs to get done. Hopefully it will feel better in a few days.

Exercise
30 minute walk

Meals
Egg and cheese whole bread sandwich
Mac & cheese, breaded okra, cabbage/carrots/potato mix
Bean enchiladas
Banana

Oh Renee! I am sorry your back hurts so much. That is just horrible.
I hope you just take it real easy and relax and heal.
Get well soon.


Tip of the Day from Self magazine, August 2013
Eat Often

Your body needs a little energy to digest food,
so having small, frequent meals (around 200 calories)
stokes your metabolism.
Don't cut out calories; split them up.
For example, eat half of your lunch at 11 AM
and the rest at 2 PM.

Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. of painful barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
pancakes
pineapple, spaghetti, stringbeans

I doubt I will see anything positive on the scale tomorrow. I have done nothing most of the week. Still in a lot of pain when I try to do anything. I know it will get better, but I'm not one to just lay around.

Did you find a couch?

Exercise
30 minute walk

Meals
Berry drink
Tortilla Chips
1 cupcake from baby shower
Mock crab bites
kale & pineapple bar
chia & date bar

You poor woman. It must be murder on your back doing those barn chores. Especially when you have to lug things around and shovel too. I hope you can figure out a way to take it easy so your back heals. I know you don't like to sit around, but you don't want to re-injure it. It will take even longer to heal. I can say that because I speak from bad back experience.

No couch yet, but we plan on shopping for one sometime this weekend. I hear it will be in the 60s over the next few days, so there should be plenty of nice weather too to enjoy the weekend.

Lets hope the scale stays put or squeezes out a smile for us both this week!

Tip of the Day from Self magazine, August 2013
Drink more water

It's key to fueling metabolic chemical reactions-if you don't sip enough, your metabolism becomes less efficient. Try to drink two quarts of fluid (8 ounces times eight) daily. Fruit, veggies, and other liquids count too.

1 1/2 hrs. barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
chicken rice soup. roll
graham crackers
mac & cheese, broccoli

No change for me....hope you do better

I think I have less pain this morning

Exercise
15 minutes stretching
30 minutes jog
1.5 hour walk
15 minute walk

Meals
Berry yogurt
Lentil vegetable soup
Egg salad, lettuce, pumpernickel bread sandwich
Sweet potato baked chips

Renee, staying the same is still good. Especially since you have been limited on movement and in such pain. I am glad you are feeling better today. That's good. My scale reported down 1.5lbs today. I hope that is real weight loss and not water loss.

Are you still okay to meet up next Saturday? Will you be feeling up to it? We can always postpone the visit to a later date if need be. I'll understand. I do have it on my calendar so I'm available if you are. It will be fun to meet up again.

Do you ever do any pottery or painting? I have done both in the past. I guess they would be hard to do though when your back hurts. Perhaps you are able to catch up on some reading.

Tip of the Day from Self magazine, August 2013
Fill up on fiber

It's not easy to digest, and that's a good thing. You burn extra energy processing fiber, keeping your metabolism humming. Aim to get 25-30 grams daily.

Exercise
11/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. walk
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
chicken soup. saltines
salad, leftover spaghetti

I think I'll be fine for our visit. I'm looking forward to it.

I did get out for a little walk yesterday. The weather was beautiful. And, it's supposed to stay warm for quite a while

Exercise
1 hour walk

Meals
Tofu scramble
Bite of banana, Strawberry Fruit strip
Tomato and mozzarella flatbread, Tomato soup
Mock crab bites
2 Mini berry muffins

Saturday it is then. I look forward to it too.

We went shopping today for a couch. We really wanted to find one today, but none fit the bill close enough. I am getting tired of looking. However, I don't want to make a compromise. Couches cost too much money, and I don't want to buy the cheapest I find only to have it fall apart or wear out within a year. So I guess I will have to be patient.

Our hot water/heating element went out again this morning. This is the third time this year. So it was a cold shower for me today. Luckily we bought a spare heating element last time, so we replaced it this evening. Now we will have heat in the house tonight and hot water tomorrow. This last element we bought is suppose to be a new and improved version, so we shall see. I am glad today was a warmer day. It was up to 70 degrees. Crazy weather.

Tip of the Day from Self magazine, August 2013
Lift weights

Sculpting and maintaining lean muscle keeps your metabolism on high, because it uses more energy (as in burns more calories) than fat. Aim to strength train for 20 minutes, three times a week.

Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1 hr. walk
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
orange
chicken soup, roll
banana
salad, mac & cheese, spinach

Went for a nice walk yesterday. The fields are really wet so I had to be careful not to get stuck in the mud.

Hope you find a couch soon. We bought one last year from Ashley Furniture. So far, it's holding up very well.

Enjoy your Monday!

Exercise
1 hour walk/jog

Meals
Tofu Scramble
Yogurt, Bean burrito
Swiss cheese, tomato, pumpernickel sandwich
Mock fish nugget,
Tortilla chips & guacamole

Yesterday the weather was fabulous. Today it was nice, but just cooler than I expected. Glad you were able to get up and out for a walk. Has all your snow melted?

I had hoped to get out today and do a bit more walking, but was busy catching up on bills/errands. Hope you have a terrific Tuesday.

Tip of the Day from AARP magazine, Feb/Mar 2017
Are You Sleeping Enough

Lack of sleep can do more than make you cranky; it could also be thwarting your best weight-loss efforts. In one recent study, adults who got just four and a half hours of sleep for four nights straight ate significantly more than they usually did. In another study of older adults, regularly getting five hours of sleep instead of seven or eight tripled obesity risk in men and doubled them in women. About a third of Americans get less than six hours of shut-eye a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- and about a third are obese.

Balance the Scale
Establish a healthy sleep routine. Aim to get seven or eight hours every night, and stick to a schedule in which you go to bed and get up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. That helps regulate sleep-wake cycles and other body rhythms, including your appetite.

Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. walk
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
pizza
orange
chicken, sweet potato, corn

It's a bit colder today, but is supposed to warm up and be very warm Wednesday and Thursday. Right now they are calling for very heavy rain on Saturday. Please don't feel you have to come, especially if the weather is bad. We can make it for another time.

I think I am going to do a bathroom update. I want to change my tub to a walk-in shower. I have 2 companies coming to give me an estimate this week. I never take a tub bath and it will be easier for me to step into.

Exercise
15 minutes stretching
1 hour jog

Meals
Berry Drink
2 spring rolls, fried rice, cabbage
Swiss cheese, 3 pierogies (onion)

I am looking forward to a little bit warmer weather. I am tired of being cold.
As far as our visit, we will see what the weather does as the day approaches.
I am excited about Saturday.

I rarely use my tub too. I prefer the shower, and have for years.
I do use the tub to give my dog a bath during the winter though.

Tip of the Day from AARP magazine, Feb/Mar 2017
Bump your thermostat lower.

One small study found that being exposed to 10 hours of 66-degree
temps each night for a month boosted participants' fat-metabolic activity by 10 percent.

Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. walk
1/2 hr. evening barn chores

Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
chicken soup, saltines
banana
salad, flounder, baked potato, lima beans

Warmer today with a few sprinkles. I think I will go to the pet store and get some snails for my fish tanks. The algae is starting to build up and a couple of snails should take care of the problem.

I love the tips you post everyday. They help keep me motivated.