day 16

Good afternoon everyone!

I am so excited! I ordered a new pair of tennis shoes in the mail last week: a pair of new balance cross trainers “women’s WT560 trail running shoes from New Balance®” <http://www.zappos.com/new-balance-wt560-blue> That I found at zappos.com. They came yesterday, and I got to use them at the gym for the first time today. They are awesome! I love NewBalance! I always have. Their shoes fit my feet so well.

There is a second reason for my excitement as well. In addition to the shoes, I found out some information that seems to be helping me. I have known for quite some time that I am lactose intolerant, but have always been careful half-heartedly. I figured out through trial and error that yogurt (except greek yogurts which I can eat without issue) and milk bother my stomach the most, and my low fat cottage cheese, and skim milk string cheeses do not seem to create much of an issue if I use them sparingly. I found the chart below at WebMD.com. Now I understand why Yogurt bothers my stomach so much. Just look at the amount of Lactose there! And milk feels like it is punching a hole through my gut every time. I figured this out in ninth grade.(btw- I found out that the reason I can eat my chobani greek yogurt is because it contains live cultures and is more easily digestible for the lactose intolerant.)

Lactose and calcium in food

Food	Serving size	Lactose (g)	Calcium (mg)
Milk	8 fl oz (240 mL)	10-12	290-300
Yogurt	8 fl oz (240 mL)	10-15	300-400
Ice cream	8 fl oz (240 mL)	10	160
Hard cheese	1 oz (30 g)	0-1	150-275
Cottage cheese	8 fl oz (240 mL)	3	126-155
Cream cheese	1 oz (30 g)	0.8	23

Anyway, to get back to the issue, my lactose intolerance, according to the research I have done here, could be significantly contributing to my asthma problems which hold me back almost every time I exercise. I decided to get almond milk instead of skim milk. There is a bit more fat, but if it helps me exercise, I’ll burn it anyway, and I figure I can just be careful someplace else to make up the difference. Anyway, I have been on this almond milk for a week now, and I have been going to the gym and finding that, so far, my asthma has not flared up. In fact, I have been able to go faster and farther than I have in years, even times when I had been regularly exercising. I finally have hope that someday, as I become more fit, I will be able to run! How AWESOME is that?!

For lunch I had 10 small asparagus blanched, wrapped in 1/2 slice of lean turkey each (total of 2 oz); 1 small sliced gala apple, 1/2 cup skim cottage cheese.

Well, looking forward to tomorrow. If I can finish my lesson on rosetta stone early enough, I may just make it to a hike later today. 🙂 Gotta go 🙂

day 15

I am so psyched! I am feeling so much more healthy than I was when I started. I have been watching what I eat and exercising. Most recently I went to the gym and near jogged (which, with my asthma I have not been able to do for quite some time) for thirty minutes! I also went to the store and bought healthy foods to snack on, including low cal snacks so that ,when I do get a craving, I can eat something and not ruin the work I have done throughout the day. 🙂

I have lost two pounds in all. Not exactly where I wanted to be, but it is something. At least my body is starting to work with me. I’ll just have to keep at it. I like a saying I heard on the biggest loser several seasons ago. To summarize, it goes something like this: It doesn’t matter whether you are the turtle or the rabbit. If you keep moving, you will get there.

I am moving. I hope to pick up the pace but I will get there.

day 3

Yes, I skipped my writing for day 2. By the time I had time to write yesterday, it had already passed 12 o’clock and it was not yesterday anymore.

Brief review of what I did yesterday: I went through a lot of research and found a 2 day cleanse I wanted to do. printed off a lot of motivational quotes that I now have hanging around my house, and stayed away from soda for the first day. I also ate healthy foods 🙂

Today: I started my 2 day cleanse, and I feel so healthy so far! Once more day to go. I also went to the gym. I did strength training/toning exercises for 1/2 hour and then cardio for 1/2 hour. When I got home, I went over calories per day and other types of specifics that I am going to have to follow if I want to lose weight. Can’t wait to get up tomorrow and do the same thing. 🙂 One day closer.

Recipe I made up today:

finely chop

-1 lemongrass

-3 bulb headed green onions

-1 Tbsp fresh ginger

set aside-

-4 oz white fish defrosted.

-1 cup spinach

put 1 tsp olive oil in a pan and preheat on medium hot.

put vegetables in pan and stir until green onions soften

place fish in pan on top of vegetables and cover for 5 minutes

open, stir in 1 tsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp natural peanut butter (the type that is peanuts and salt only)

put spinich on a plate

pour fish and veggie mix over spinach

salt to taste

enjoy!

day 1

Success on healthy food yumminess! Substituted whole wheat for white tortilla in my burrito I made tonight, also cut fresh veggies and pressure cooked and then shredded chicken. Put 1/3 cup chicken on burrito, the rest veggies. had one for dinner. Finished everything off with a slice of watermelon. Took my sister’s advice and put vinegar on shredded chicken for sauce instead of ketchup. Also used a bit of fat free sour cream. everything else was spices. no oil at all when cooking. 🙂 I am happy with myself today.

I had a very active day, but did not make it to the gym. Going tomorrow.

Awakening

I have no excuse for the past year. I have worked off and on at a gym plan. I am not losing weight. Although I have been pretty good with the gym, I have not been diligent at all with what I am putting in to my body. I need to do better. I will do better!

So, Starting afresh, I claim that failure is not falling, it is staying down after we fall. In all humility, I am attempting again the task I have found so overwhelming in the past.

Goals will be

-2 lbs a week

-8 lbs a month

This means that it will take me about a year to get to where I am wanting to be.

-end goal= 135 lbs

-starting weight=255 lbs

Small rewards will be gotten for each small goal achieved.

Rewards cannot consist of food.

After 1 day following program= taking time for myself

After 1 week with completed goal= go out somewhere fun (if it has food, still must stay healthy)

After 1 month with completed goal= allowed to get myself a piece of jewelry, or piece of clothing

After each 20 lbs lost= romal does something special for me (surprise and unknown)

Goal of balancing toning and strength training exercises with cardio workouts. Cardio will be done five times a week. Strength training also five times, but I will switch back and forth between upper body and lower body.  In the evenings, I want to focus on stretching and toning muscles doing things such as Pilates.

I will be working out with my mom and possibly my dad. When my hubby is not working he will be coming with me to the gym as well.

Cardio does not have to be at the gym. As much as possible I want to do things such as kayaking, hiking, etc to do freestyle workouts. fun fun fun, but if I can’t get one in during the day, I have to go to the gym. 🙂 No excuses.

If I must miss out on life for a while, that is just going to have to be the way it is so that I can focus on what needs to be done, and lose this weight and get fit. (and so that my back gets better.)

Once again determined Carey