Glad it's Monday

I hope all my American Friends are enjoying the long weekend.

I had such an off week last week. I did really well up until Thursday which is when I completely went off my elimination diet and indulged in cheese, lunch meat, a few crackers and I had a cookie at 3:00p. Then that night the team went out for dinner and I indulged there too! That pretty much set the plan for the weekend. My food was off, I ate stuff that I’m not supposed to and I stuffed myself on Saturday night when we decided to have a roast with Yorkshires and gravy. Haven’t had it in ages, it was cold and rainy outside, so it was like a comfort food and it tasted so good. I ate too much!

I’m glad it is Monday cause I am back on track today. I spent yesterday getting all my foods ready for this week. Lots of fruits, veggies and salads. Evenings will be the normal Veg/Protein type of meal.

Saturday I intended to exercise, but I didn’t. I actually ran out of time. I was busy around the house cleaning, laundry, cooking etc., that I just didn’t get in any real exercising. In fact last week was not as intense as it was the previous 2 weeks. I exercised almost every day but only first thing in the morning, I never made it to see my PT at all. So on Sunday, I ran for my 28 minutes, plus 10 walking. Then I did 40 minutes of the Jillian Michaels Trouble Zones DVD. It’s like the 30D Shred, but it is 40 minutes long, 7 circuits and no cardio. I found some of it difficult to do. I could not do what she calls “surrender”. I have to work on the strength of my legs. You stand with weights above your head, then you kneel down on one knee, bring down the next knee, then stand up one leg at a time while still holding the weights above your head. I could not get back up without putting the weights down, and using my hands on my knees to push myself back into a standing position. I’ve got some work to do on these legs of mine.

This morning, I did another 35minute strength training session called “3T” by Chalene Johnson. I’ve just been feeling like mixing it up a bit. I was going to walk today at lunch but it is still raining outside so if it doesn’t clear up by 11:30, then I won’t be heading out, but if it is semi nice, then I’m hitting the paths. I missed my lunch time walks last week. After work I’m heading to HOT Yoga.

Basically this week I’m back to my 2x a day workouts – sometimes 3.

 I hope all of you have a fantastic day and I’m focusing on being on track this week and get my mojo back!

Ttyl

Sandra

My Pedometer average for last week was 9231 steps.

Look What I Woke Up To

It is MAY 28th - doesn't Mother Nature know this??

I have another lovely day ahead of me waiting around a hospital for 5 hours. Mr Sandra is now going in for some eyelid surgery to fix another issue he has. It's not cosmetic surgery, it is a required surgery for the health of his eyes.

Yesterday was my last day with my peers from Ontario and I enjoyed my week with them. My work is going to get very very busy for the next year or so. It's going to be interesting.

Anyone in the IT world - we just became a full Microsoft application house. We are going to be deploying a lot of their new products and I get to get my hands into all of it. Yeah! We are replacing our other vendor products with theirs.

I hope you have a FANTASTIC day!

Sandra

MLHAS #3

Very quick update to post my numbers then I’m off to my meeting :

Week 3 of the My Long Hot Active Summer Challenge sponsored by the Lovely Exquisite Christine and here are my results:

My weight today is: 181.3

I lost/gained (Start 181.9 – last week 182.9):    -1.6 (-.6)  I think the numbers are a bit confusing J I’m down -1.6lbs from last week, .6 in total since start weight.

Minutes exercising May 19th-25th:             645 minutes

I had to take Monday off because I just needed the break so my exercise numbers are lower than I would like. I know they are still great, but I was hoping for a bit more like in the 700’s. This week will be worse because I just don’t have the time due to my meetings and stuff.

I hope all of you had a great week and I’ll get by and say “hello” tonight.

Have a FANTASTIC Day!

Ttyl

Sandra

Busy Week ahead...

I had to take yesterday off. I worked in my yard doing a bit of yard work, but I needed to actually give my body a rest. And I hated it. I was crabby Sandy. I hadn’t taken a day off since we got back from Mazatlan on the 10^th of May and most day’s I was exercising twice. Yesterday, I needed a break.

Yesterday was a holiday for us Canadians (Victoria Day), and was the loveliest as far as weather was concerned. Saturday I took Katie and ran outside first thing in the morning, then when we came back, about an hour later, Kim and I walked for a couple of hours. I did so much stretching that day, that my muscles were sore on Sunday from stretching. I’ve been focusing a LOT on my hip flexors and that is what was sore.  So on Sunday, we walked further and for another couple of hours. The speed was slower on Sunday.

I ate really clean and healthy on Saturday but I messed up on Sunday. Mr. Sandra and I had a couple of coolers on the deck late Sunday afternoon, and again on Monday. Otherwise my food was fairly accurate with a few minor slip-ups. It is definitely harder for me on the weekend. But since I am journaling about this, I did make some notes. Alcohol is not good for me. I know, duh! something I already knew but since I closely monitoring how my body is reacting to “food”, that is something it does not like. Now if I could just convince whatever it is that makes me want to have a drink go away, then I would be very happy. The scale has been fairly consistent in a downward trend until I had those coolers (which are also full of sugar) and it brought me back up a pound. L

I did spend all weekend (it seems like it took all weekend), preparing fruits, veggies and other clean eating meals for this week at work. I am about to enter into 3.5 days of meetings which are going to be long and boring. Lunch is going to be supplied and they put out cookies in the afternoon. And they are really really good cookies. Unlike the weeklong meetings I had in March where I did eat incorrectly and consumed a LOT of sugar, this week I am prepared. I have tons of fruit, veggies and nuts to appease the hunger or snacky pains. And for the lunches, I had asked that they provide the dressings on the side for the salad as I will be adding my own and not eating what the vendor supplies. The rest of the lunch I can’t eat as it’s sandwiches, beef dip, and wraps. Not stuff that can fit in my clean eating regime. So I brought my own lunches.

I am late in posting my pedometer numbers for last week but I rocked it. I worked out a LOT last week and the steps were high every day.  This week I won’t be getting in as much exercise because I just won’t have the time or the opportunity. No lunch time walks, late days so I’m unable to work with my Personal trainer at our scheduled time. I am going to have to just try my best and get in what I can all week. I hate it when my schedule is disrupted.

Anyway….Pedometer average for May 17-23: 13521

Not sure if I am going to be able to get around to everyone’s posts until later in the evenings but I hope you all have a FANTASTIC week.

Ttyl

Sandra

Energy Levels, Great Day!

Good morning my friends, I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday. Mine has started out good and can only get better from here.

I went to Bikram Hot Yoga last night and when I first went into the room, before the class started, there was a young lady standing on her head. And beside her was a very flexible man who was contorting himself into positions I will NEVER hope to get into, and quite frankly have no desire to. But they were pretty impressive, which is what they wanted us to see.

When the instructor came into the class, she always asks who is new here and although I’m pretty sure (now) that they had never attended this type of Yoga before, they did not put up their hands. As we progress through the standing series, they started out great, they mastered the positions, which I really did expect. But then the heat started to get to them and they laid down for the last several poses.

I was proud of myself for continuing to make it through 99% of the poses and at least trying to perfect the poses to the best of my ability. It is getting better and easier each time I go. I do not think I will ever get as flexible as those two, but I am not doing this for them. I had to smile at their inability to finish the standing series and I contribute that to “showing off” before the class even started. They finished the laying series really well. The guy can bend over backwards, on his knees and touch the top of his head to the floor – that’s how flexible he is.

I brought in my little thermometer and at the hottest that I saw, it was 39.5 Celsius (103.1F) and when she finally opened the door it cooled down to a balmy 35.5 Celsius (95.9F). It was a hot one and she had left the misters on longer so it was also a very sweaty class. I was soaked.

After the class, I usually collapse on the benches outside, but not last night, I had TONS of energy and went up front to ask the ladies some questions. It was a first for me to not collapse in a puddle after class.

One of the questions I had was that when I bend over into tight positions, where my stomach is against my thighs, I get a cramp just under my ribs and I have to straighten out. They didn’t have an answer for me. I try to make sure I am breathing fully when doing these exercises so that I know I am getting enough oxygen to the muscles. They thought maybe it might be part of the detox process my body is going through.

And speaking of what my body is going through. This clean eating is working great. I’ve noticed several benefits in less than a week:

• I am sleeping really deep and and rested when I get up
• therefore I have more energy.
• Food no longer seems to be the main thought during the day.
• and it’s because I am less hungry.
• Morning breath is no longer an issue
• I don’t seem to have any body odour at all.
• I’ve lost weight.

This morning I got up early, as per usual, and Katie and laced up and took the C25KW7 outside. I started out jogging uphill so I was sucking wind right off the bat but it eventually levelled out. I also started out way too fast for me. I’ve got to start out slow and if I feel good, then pick it up. By the end I wasn’t running any faster than I did on the treadmill when I did this on Wednesday. Definitely different than the treadmill because of the varying terrain but I enjoyed it. I have to admit I sure wanted to quit about the last 10 minutes, but I didn’t.

Later this morning, Kim and I are going out walking. We have to start getting some miles in on the weekends.

I want to thank everyone for their words of encouragement from yesterday’s post. It’s really cool knowing I can share this with all of you. It is going to be quite the personal challenge to accomplish this but I have no doubt that I will be anything other than successful.

And the tent…we are going to be so tired at night, we probably aren't going to care where we are sleeping.

Have a fantastic day everyone!

xxoo

Sandra

Kidney March & Our Sleep Quarters

This is the tent that my daughter and I are going to sleep in for 2 nights during our 100Km walk in September. It is for the Kidney Foundation of Canada and starts on September 10-12 - we walk for 3 days (20 mi a day). Then at night, the above will be our sleeping quarters. YIKES!! I hope I lose a LOT of weight by then (and my daughter as well) or it is going to be a very tight fit to put us both in there. Fortunately there is a door on both sides so we don't have to crawl over each other to get out to use the facilities.

The following is why we are sleeping in these small tents and raising funds for.

From their Website:
===============================================
Why March? Why Now?

A crisis is looming

Two million Canadians have chronic kidney disease or are at risk. Most people don't know that they are at risk. Most don't know they have it until it's too late. The numbers are growing at an alarming rate. In southern Alberta alone, the number of people living with chronic kidney failure has doubled in the last ten years. 70% of people who are on the organ donor waiting list are waiting for a kidney.

There is no cure.

Kidney disease is irreversible, and each year it kills thousands of Canadians. These numbers are growing. Kidney disease cases are expected to double in the next ten years. Unless we as concerned citizens stand up and take action, this silent disease will continue to take lives and livelihoods.

Not only does kidney disease cost enormous amounts of money for our health care system, it devastates individuals and their families. More than half of the people living with kidney disease in southern Alberta live on or below the poverty line. Entire families are impacted when one member has kidney disease, and it's a life-long illness.

We are asking you to do the most you can possibly do – walk the furthest you've ever walked, raise the most money you've ever raised, and commit to truly making a difference. Walking 100 kilometres over 3 days is an intimidating feat; after all, we're all just normal, everyday people. But, we believe the only time we can be brave is when we're afraid. And we're ready to be brave for this cause.
=================================================
The following is a little information about our Kidney's and I didn't know they did this much before I got involved in this:

Normally there are two of them, one on either side of the spine under the lower ribs. They are reddish brown in colour and shaped like kidney beans. Each kidney is about the size of your clenched fist. Many other organs depend on the kidneys in order to work properly.

The main job of the kidneys is to remove wastes from the blood and return the cleaned blood back to the body. Every minute, about one litre of blood, enters the kidneys through the renal arteries. After the blood is cleansed, it flows back towards the heart through the renal veins.

Kidneys are so important because:

1. 
   
   They regulate water. For your body to work properly, it must contain just the right amount of water. One of the important jobs of the kidney is to remove excess water from the body or to retain water when the body needs more.
2. 
   
   Kidneys remove wastes and balance the body's minerals. Many of the substances in the blood and body fluid must be kept at the correct level for the body to function properly. For example, sodium and potasium are minerals which come from food. These minerals are needed by the body for good health, but they must be kept at specific levels. When the kidneys are working properly, excess minerals are excreted from the body in the urine. They also help to regulate the levels of other minerals, such as calcium and phosphate which are important for the formation of bone.
   
   Wastes such as urea and creatinine must also be removed from the body. Urea and other wastes are made when the body breaks down protein, such as meat. Creatinine is a waste product of the muscles. As kidney function decreases, the levels of urea and creatinine in the blood increase. Creatinine is a very useful measure of kidney function.
   
   The kidneys must also remove the chemical by-products that are produced when certain medications are taken; otherwise toxic amounts may build up in  the body.
3. 
   
   Kidneys produce hormones. Normal kidneys also make chemical messangers called hormones. These hormones circulate in the bloodstream and regulate some body functions such as blood pressure, the making of red blood cells, and the uptake of calcium from the intestine.

My daughter and I know several families that are affected by Kidney Disease so we are walking for them. To help raise funds for further research of this disease.

Edited Note: I was asked by several of my readers to please post a link to my sponsorship page so I have done so over on the right hand side of this page.
I am not going to post any link to our sponsorship site because it just doesn't feel right to do so here. I am sure you have causes of your own local to your area.  However if  you are interested in helping with this cause, please email me at the address in my profile and I will give you more details.

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC weekend.
ttyl
Sandra

Elimination Status :)

I FEEL GOOD!!!

Those were my thoughts as I drove to work yesterday morning. I had just completed my very first 25 minutes of jogging. I know that’s not much for you seasoned runners, but for me, it is a first. Considering a GP told me I should never run again, I decided I didn’t like her prognosis and worked on getting my hip back into some kind of healed condition. I went to a Physiotherapist, then started with deep tissue massages. I started Bikram Hot Yoga in January, and then personalized Strength training sessions this past March. I still have discomfort in my hips/hip flexors but it is SOOOOO much better than it used to be. I just know that stretching is the key for me. It is so extremely important to keep up. These old muscles don’t bounce back like they used to, they just kind of stay stuck, so they need coaxing to lengthen back out again. I have hope that one day I will run a 5K, and then I won’t be stopping there….. Nope, not me!

I am going to kick this, and get this body into the best shape it has EVER been.

I went out Tuesday night to the bar with Mr. Sandra as he was feeling very house bound as he is not much good working in his shop with one hand. So although I didn’t really want to go and risk making bad choices, I decided it was a good test for me to see who was stronger. I WON! I had club soda – no lemon or lime as it’s off limits right now, and chicken and a garden salad – no dressing. It’s actually pretty good if you don’t cover it up with stuff, you can actually taste the veggies instead of the dressing J. I did not even want a beer.

So that makes me think about the eating clean thing. It’s only been 3 days of pure eating, but I am starting to notice a difference. I am sure I have had some chemicals in something I’ve eaten because I can’t be 100% pure just yet (preservative type stuff in the chicken I buy I guess, need to find an organic place that sells good stuff). My sinuses are still funky and I’ve still got headaches but I can tell they are less intense. 99% of the time, I have to blow my nose a couple of times while running, yesterday morning not once. So there is a difference.  I am sleeping pretty good. I could always fall asleep instantly. Bugs the heck out of Mr. Sandra but I can’t stay asleep. Once my 4 hour window is over, I’m doomed…. Normally. This past week, I’ve been able to fall back asleep after I move (hip still does bug me at night so I must turn from side to side throughout the night).  And getting up yesterday morning was easy, I just got up. No arguing with myself. And I even had enough energy to get through that little jog unlike last Friday after eating crappola on Thursday.

However, I have to admit I am craving crunchy stuff – that would be the chip factor. I think it is the salt and my body must be craving salt or lacking some minerals right now. I do drink a sole mixture every single morning to get some minerals in, plus I am still taking my magnesium and potassium because I get muscle cramps if I don’t and it is important to keep my minerals up when I attend Hot Yoga. It’s all the sweating we do.  So the “craving” is something I need to figure out and make sure I don’t succumb to. It’s easy enough for me to not buy any, but if Mr. does, and starts eating them, well I’ve got to just walk out of the house. Leave the temptation. I asked him to support me in this endevour of mine – it is only for about 10 days but will see. He say’s “sure, of course I will support you”, then says in the next breath that he may tease me when he is eating something I am not allowed to. I told him that is not support. That’s cruel. So he will try his best – that’s all I can hope for J

And folks, my co-workers are coming here from Ontario next week as we are having all day meetings for 3 days. I love these guys and love hanging with them after work. 99% of the time it involves a lot of socializing. I’ve got to figure out something because I don’t want to not go out with them and I am easily tempted and especially will be by next week. I may need help and encouragement from you all – or a swift kick in the behind.

Well that’s enough for today – I hope you all have a FANTASTIC DAY!

Ttyl

Sandra

MLHAS Update #2 & It's No Wonder....

Week 2 of the My Long Hot Active Summer Challenge sponsored by the Lovely Exquisite Christine and here are my results:

My weight today is: 182.9

I lost/gained (Start 181.9 – last week +4.8):          +1 – So this means that this week I lost -3.8lbs of my vacation gain and I’m very cool with that.

Minutes exercising May 12^th-18^th:             680 minutes

The exercising also includes 180 minutes of hard yard work I did on Saturday and Sunday. It wasn’t “structured” exercise but it was a workout and a heck of a lot longer than 90 minutes each day. I just thought I’d average it to 90 minutes of hard work, the rest would have been putzing around. I wore my HR monitor just to see how my HR averaged out and I burned mega calories.  I would have loved to get on the treadmill or get out walking but I just plain ran out of time. Wanted to finish what I started early Saturday morning and had enough interruptions that going for walks/runs would have not allowed me to get it done. As it is, I still have my front yard to do but there aren’t big patches of dead grass that need raking up like I did in the backyard. It felt like I was combing knots out of my grass J

I had a tough week keeping on track. Well actually up until two days ago on Monday, I downright failed. I will tell ALL my new readers right now, I have messed up a lot over the last year and a half during my last (cause this time I’m going to the end) new journey to a healthier ME. But I just keep on plugging away and eventually I will figure out what is going to work for me for a lifestyle.

Thursday I spent the day roaming the hallways of the hospital waiting for Mr. Sandra to get out of surgery (he is getting better by the way). I ate salty fatty snacks (along with my good stuff) and it didn’t just stop there by the end of the day, I wanted chips and therefore I got what I wanted. Friday wasn’t too bad, got in some extra exercising after work as Kim and I went for a walk, and did some grocery shopping. I hadn’t eaten dinner before we left, and we got home at 8:00 p.m. As I was putting the groceries away, Mr. Sandra’s Mom came over to see how he was doing. By 9:00 I was freakin hungry and I didn’t want to be rude to her so I had a piece of cold pizza that my daughter had left in the fridge – kind off in the kitchen so she wouldn’t see me and feel like she was intruding (she’s like that). Once she left, I’ll admit I had some more chips before going to bed. Saturday evening we went to friends for dinner and they had homemade burgers, and homemade Caesar salad. We had adult bevi’s and at the end of the night, a bag of chips came out that I again indulged in. I have a thing for potato chips. Sunday was kind of like the day before you jump ship. I knew I was going to start my elimination diet on Monday where I had to eat perfectly clean and that includes not eating beef. So for dinner, we had a big BBQ steak. Which in itself isn’t bad, it was the light sour cream I put on my potatoes. J I couldn’t find any greek yoghurt to use in its place. Otherwise, I really didn’t do too much damage on Sunday (because Monday morning I weighed 185.0).

There is a reason I don’t lose weight like I want to now that I have I re-read all that crap. Thank goodness that is a very rare occurrence and I honestly am much better most weekends. This is why we are no longer allowed CHIPS in my house for awhile.

This week will be much better as long as I stay on track.

Now I’m off to read everyone else’s updates.

Have a FANTASTIC day.

Ttyl

Sandra

p.s., I just ran my first 25 minutes on my treadmill and I didn’t die. I never thought, considering my hip issues and Dr. recommendations from last September that I would ever run again, never mind make it through 25 minutes.  Friday I’m taking it outside at 4:30 and will see how I do. J

Free Digital Mag, Yoga, and Bland Food

On one of the more recent blogs I am following (Hi Lisa), she posted a link to a free subscription to a digital magazine. It is called “Oranganic Spa” and looks interesting. Right up my alley and I’m looking forward to my first edition of the digital mag. You can get your copy here.

It is so lovely here right now that I took advantage of it and went for a little 5K walk at lunch yesterday. It is a walk along a river path, through a park called “Princess Island”, then back out along the river again. It gets extremely busy at around lunch time so I left around 11:15 and got out there before I got run over by all the runners, bikers and skaters.  It certainly breaks up the day nicely.

And I went to Bikram Hot Yoga last night – the last time I was there was April 21^st.  That’s almost a whole month. I was worried I might not be hydrated enough as I haven’t drank as much water as I usually do. It was certainly nice getting back to it. I found I wanted to sit out a couple times of one set of some of the moves, but my favorite instructor was teaching and she wouldn’t let me. Kept pointing to me and telling me she knew I could do it so get up and do it. So I did. I noticed during some of the back poses that my back is still pretty tight and sore from the weekends raking and on occasion I got a twinge in my upper back. I just eased off in the move and it went away. I really pushed my hip stretches though and during last night’s sleep, it was not comfortable. I did not get up and run this morning because of that. The Studio is having another 30 day challenge going on where you attend a session every single day for 30 days. I personally couldn’t do that because of my “life” schedule but it would be challenging if I did have the time. I am not sure I could do 30 days in a row. I think by day 14, I’d be ready to throw in the towel – a soaking wet, dripping towel, but I’d want to throw in nonetheless.

When I got home I ate an apple and drank my coconut water while I made dinner. I ate really well all day, likely not enough calories but I am not counting calories right now, just trying to make the right choices. I didn’t have any protein all day and wanted chicken for dinner, so I made brown rice, chicken breast, and steamed zucchini with red/yellow/orange peppers.  I can’t have butter or margarine so it was pretty boring. I am pretty sure my tastes will change and I will adjust to it but last night I called it the bland dinner. Mr. Sandra put tons of butter on his portions so he was happy. I guess he is going to eat healthy (other than the margarine part) whether he likes it or not. Wait till he hears that I am no longer buying him S&V chips to munch on…. I don’t want anything tempting in the house while I am adjusting my eating habits.  There is a little bowl of chocolates left over from Easter, on the top of one the cupboards. I was so tempted to turf the entire thing in the garbage. I hate to waste stuff, even if it is not all that good for you.  If I don’t buy it then I can’t waste it… J

For the LMAS challenge, I’ve decided that for two hours each for Saturday and Sunday, I am counting as exercise. Even though I was out there much longer than that working, it wouldn’t have been 8 hours consistent working, but probably 2 hours each day of really hard back breaking raking, weeding, hauling dirt, mixing dirt, etc.  If anyone in the challenge thinks logging this is not fair or valid, please let me know and I will not include it.  Like Karen mentioned yesterday, if we did more of this on a daily basis, we wouldn’t need to do formal exercising so much.

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC day. I’m still trying to catch up on blogs but might not be commenting on them all. Now that it is nice out, I spend less time in front of a computer.

Ttyl

Sandra

Yard Work

Well what a weekend. I did not one minute of structured exercising. Nope, nodda… not one single minute. That is so unusual for me. Normally I’m working my butt off. But this weekend I did it outside in my yard. If anyone tells you that working on your lawn, gardening, etc., is not exercising, well they just haven’t tried it out.  Because of my lovely little Katie, my lawn looks like a patch work quilt. So I took the good ole rake and raked my entire lawn of all the dead grass. I even wore my HR monitor to see how much I was burning. It worked out to about 500 calories an hour and considering I worked on it for hours and hours, well I think I burned quite a bit J It’s tough work and I have to admit my back is sore today. I thought for sure my arms would be as well but other than being tired at the end of both days, they are not muscle sore today. But it looks so much better now and will look even better if the seeds take root.

I also got my Square Foot garden box all set up as well. Mixing different types of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite and putting it in my box – well that was back breaking work as well. This week I’ll be planting already started plants for some and from seeds for others.  I do enjoy working in my yard and gardening and since moving to the city, I’ve missed the garden part.

Saturday afternoon we were invited out to our friends who have the brother to Katie and they came to Mazatlan with us last year (and the year before). So we have a very nice visit and Katie had a very fun time with her brother. We live in the city, they live on an acreage and she gets to freedom to run to her hearts content. However, I noted this weekend, she is becoming a Mama’s girl and hung with me most of the time.  We slept over there and on Sunday morning, Katie went for a swim in their pond and a short time later, her tail was not normal. She wouldn’t wag it, and this is very abnormal for this girl, she is a tail wager of a 100 mph – but not on Sunday.  Our friends called it “cold tail”. Their dog has it as well. Something about the cold water and their tails getting too cold and it becomes very painful for them. I feel horrible for her. She is slightly wagging it today but again she still isn’t normal. I don’t like it when my little girl is hurt L

Sporting dogs may be more prone to this injury due to the way they use their tails during hunting and swimming. Studies that are being done are showing this syndrome to be similar to muscle fatigue and the overworking of the muscles in the tail. The syndrome can effect both male and female dogs and effecting dogs ranging in ages from 6 months to 9 years.

When we got home from our friends on Sunday, Kim and I left right away to go to a Kidney March information session. We got to see the tent we will be sleeping in. It ain’t going to be big enough for us two big girls. Fortunately it has a door on both sides of the tent so we don’t have to crawl over each other. And after they were doing a 5K walk, but we didn’t stay for that because I just had TOO much to do at home and wanted to finish what I had started the day before in my yard. It was such a lovely weekend, I didn’t want to waste anymore of it. The 5K would have been good for us to experience a bit of the comradeship we will experience during our 3 day walk but ….  There will be more group training sessions that we will join up with.

Today I am starting my elimination phase of clean eating. I am eliminating the following for the next two weeks:

FOOD GROUP			EXCLUDE
Fruits			All citrus fruits: oranges, grapefruit, banana, melons. Any sweetened fruit drink and dried fruit
Starch			Wheat, corn, oats, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, and all gluten-containing products.
Meats			Beef, pork, cold cuts, sausage, canned meats, egg, shellfish
Legumes			Soy and soy products
Nuts & Seeds			Peanuts, pistachios, peanut butter
Dairy Products			Milk, cheese, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, frozen yogurt
Vegetables			Canned vegetables or creamed casseroles
		* If you are experiencing inflammation avoid: tomatoes, eggplant, red/green/yellow bell peppers, potatoes (except yam/sweet potatoes)
Fats				Margarine, butter, shortening, processed oils, spreads, salad dressing (except those specifically allowed)
Beverages				Soda pop, alcohol, coffee, tea, all caffeinated beverages (green or black tea, coffee, etc)
Spices				Cayenne pepper, paprika, curry powder containing cayenne pepper
Sweeteners				White or brown refined sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup

It is going to be interesting as there is going to be a LOT of ingredient/label watching to see if I can have it. I’ve already messed up today because I LOVE to have green tea first thing when I get to work and I sip it all day long (I even like it cold).

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC day!

Ttyl

Sandra

Energy Levels...

Last year when I went to Mazatlan, it was just after the first publicized outbreak of the H1N1 Flu in Mexico City. It was very stressful just before my vacation as I was getting pressure from a LOT of folks not to go.  Mazatlan itself was very quiet as well, and quite a few shops/stores/zoo etc. were closed. This year I was talking to the owner of the deep sea fishing company we have used for the last 6 trips, and he said that although they are still recovering from that economic disaster, Mexicans themselves have learned a valuable thing. Cleanliness…. There are hand sanitizers EVERYWHERE there now. He feels it is a really good thing… so did I.

Anyway…. J back to ME!

I walked on my treadmill yesterday morning at its highest incline for 30 minutes, at a fairly easy pace (I think it was 3.0-3.2), and then I moved it back down and jogged for 10 minutes (faster of course J), then walked another 5 to cool down.  Then I paced around the hospital for hours. I had to cancel my strength training session with my PT as I knew I wasn’t going to make it out of the hospital on time. And I was correct; we got home around 6:30. I had a yucky food day yesterday. I brought some stuff to munch on but I didn’t plan on spending the ENTIRE day there. My original plan was to leave him at 11 and come in to work for three or four hours, but they didn’t actually take him to OR until 12:15 and told me he would be done at 1:30 and in recovery by 2:00 so I stuck around. Which meant I was hungry…. And bored. I did not make a good choice. I walked by a Nut Man booth and saw this snack package – I don’t know what it was called but it is like Chex Mix. Anyway, I munched on it and read my book on eating clean – how about an oxymoron that was. J  By the time I got home, I was very hungry again but didn’t want anything to eat. It made no sense to me at the time and still doesn’t. I had a fridge full of veggies, cleaned and ready to go but I didn’t “feel” like eating a salad. I wanted “crap”. That Chex like snack set off some triggers. I wanted carb filled stuff like a toasted tomato sandwich or even just a bowl of salt laden soup.  So I had an apple instead, blogged a bit, and went to bed early. I felt like crap from eating the crap.

I was tired from not doing anything all day. It is amazing how doing nothing makes one tired rather than rested. I think that is 99% of Mr. Sandra’s problem. He keeps telling me he has no energy to exercise. He doesn’t feel up to it. But I think that if you just start, get moving, you feel sooooo much better and it is easier and easier each day until you start craving and needing it. I am at that phase in my life right now. He just needs to push past that tiredness and start one day at a time – 10/15 minutes a day – just get moving…..

Today, I got up at 4 and did my C25KW6D2 run. I could tell I ate crap yesterday. I had no energy. I made it through but it was a struggle. It wasn’t like it was all that hard this time, my legs felt pretty good once I started, but my lungs were struggling. And I was bored. I need to find something interesting on TV to watch or take this outside now that it is getting nicer out. Katie would certainly enjoy a good fast walk first thing in the morning. Run for me, fast walk for her… J I’m finding my legs are stronger and not as tired these days as I jog. I also have been walking for a few minutes at a fairly easy pace, then getting off the treadmill and stretching my hams, quads and calves, then getting back on and starting up the C25K program. It seems to be really helping my legs. I stretch after as well.

I’m starting to journal absolutely everything I eat, drink, exercise, hours of sleep, quality of sleep, moods, etc....  I’ve been reading enough books lately that really advocate this practice to find the right balance for your body. I want to start finding triggers. What is making my sinuses plugged 80% of the time, my daily headaches, how I feel the day after a “binge” day or how I feel after a perfect day. How  I feel within minutes of eating certain foods.

Starting next Monday, I am going to start an elimination diet to take out any and all possible food that my body might be sensitive to and for two weeks I will cleanse my body by eating completely clean.  I will tell you right now that this will NOT be easy for me because of my nights and once (sometimes twice) weekly “date” night when we go out for beers and a steak.  I’m going to really have to work at this to make it work. After two weeks of being successful, I will add some of the trigger foods back in one day at a time and determine which foods are not good for my body. This could be things like; diary, Sugars, Yeast, Gluten products, eggs, etc. I’ve got a list of things to include/exclude. You know how much food out there has diary in it? And my Whey Protein shakes in the morning… I’ve been slowing transitioning to Rice and Hemp protein but the taste just isn’t the same.

Since this post is long enough for today, I will post that list tomorrow.

I hope you all have a fantastic day and those in the LHSA challenge – get your butts moving!

Ttyl

Sandra

Long Day

Today was a long, slow day. Fortunately I got up and exercised this morning because I spent the rest of the day at the hospital with Mr. Sandra while he had day surgery. We waited, and waited, and then waited some more. Why you have to be there two hours before the scheduled surgery, just to sit there and do nothing, well it’s beyond me.  Then when we finally got up to the OP floor and talked to the Dr. and Nurse, they told me he would be out by 1:30 and back down to the recovery room by 2:00. So rather than go to work which is about 20 minutes away, I thought I’d stick around, relax and read my book.

Then at 2 I bought him a sandwich and headed up to the recovery floor. Then I paced for 1.5 hours waiting for them to bring him down. They were supposed to phone me when he was done but they didn’t and so I actually was starting to get worried. There really wasn't anything to get worried about because it was surgery on his hand, but still, they said they would call.  He came back all bright eyed and wanting to get out of there as well but they kept him for another 1.5 hours to go through their checks.

I got in over 10,000 steps today that’s for sure.

The book I am reading is called “Enlightened Eating”. It’s another clean, raw, whole foods kind of book and on one of the pages it had a quote from “The Essene Gospel of Peace”. Personally have never heard of EGP before but I liked the quote.

“Breathe long and deep at all your meals,

that the angel of air may bless your repasts.

And chew well your food with your teeth,

that it become water,

and that the angel of water turn it into blood in your body.

And eat slowly, as it were a prayer you make to the Lord.

… And enter only into the Lord’s sanctuary

when you feel in yourselves the call of his angels,

for all that you eat in sorrow, or in anger, or without desire,

becomes poison in your body…

And never sit at the table of God

before he calls you by the angel of appetite.”

It is so true…………

I hope you all had a FANTASTIC day.

ttyl

Sandra

Challenge Updates

It is time for my first update for the My Long Hot Active Summer Challenge sponsored by the Lovely Exquisite Christine. I was on vacation during most of the first week and so I did not expect a loss for this week but rather a gain. I knew this going in to it and still made the choices I did when on vacation – you gotta admit, you only get to do the “all-inclusive” once a year and I included it all :)

I did not get in as much exercise as I wanted but I still did it. I walked almost every day along the beach for an hour (that soft sand is a killer workout on the legs) and two days we golfed – approximately 4 hours each day and I tried to walk as much of the course as I could. There was even some sporadic jogging thrown in there to catch up with the rest of my crew in the carts. I did try to work out in the gym one day but there were a lot of others in there and it was very hot. They have no air conditioning in that gym. The Mexicans might be used to it, but I am not.  Anyway here it is:

My weight today is: 186.7

I lost/gained (Start 181.9): +4.8

Minutes exercising this week (May 5-11th): ~420 minutes (which consisted mostly of walking time in the morning. I did not include all the golfing/walking time I did and only logged 2 hours of walking for both those days.

Pedometer Challenge:

I missed logging this on my blog for the two Mondays I was away. Dawn, if I am out of the challenge – that is fine – I completely understand. I am however, going to still log my steps. I find it very inspiring to try to get over 10,000 steps each day.

Week ending:

May 2  8037 steps

May 9 10125 steps

I have to admit it is good to be back and into a routine again. I got up this morning and did my C25KW6D1 program. With the hard bed at the hotel, beach walk in barefeet, and extremely uncomfortable airline seats, my hip/back were extremely sore and tight yesterday. I did not run, only walked as it hurt and I didn’t want to inflame anything. Anyway, I felt good enough this morning to get back at it.

I hope all of you have a FANTASTIC day.

ttyl

Sandra

Vacation is Over – Now the hard work begins….

I just wanted to post a quickie to let you all know I made it home safe and sound and all in one piece. Probably a bigger piece than when I left but I did enjoy myself.

The weather was hot, the company was good, and although we have some issues with our time share, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I tried to keep busy but also relaxed a lot as well.

Here are a few pictures of the last night there. From our hotel the sunset is always blocked by an island, so on Sunday night we walked 50 minutes down the beach until we had a completely clear view and setup for some pictures.

After viewing these now, on the computer, I have some filter/lens cleaning to do as there are spots. But I’m fine with them as I love sunsets and love taking the pictures.

This last one I was really playing with the light settings to make sure I had enough light to take pictures clearly. It brightened it up quite a bit and to me doesn’t look as natural. Wished now that I had kept the setting the same but I’m learning as I go :)

I have a LOT of blog posts to catch up on and I may not be able to as there is over 800 posts showing in my reader. I may just have to start current and move back so I truly hope I don’t miss anything important.

I hope you have all been doing great and I wanted to say “Hi and Welcome” to all my new readers. Welcome to my journey.

ttyl

Sandra

My Long Hot Summer Challenge Start-up Post

Because I am going to be hopefully deep sea fishing or golfing in Mazatlan on the first day of the challenge, I am getting a head start and posting my initial picture of my weight today.

So I might as well get it over and show it to the world, I am OK with this number as it has been showing a consistent downward trend the last couple of weeks. Let’s hope it keeps this up.

  

After this, every Wednesday I will be posting an update that will link to this post, show how many lbs I have lost (insert hopeful note in here) and how many minutes I have exercised during the week.  I am going to keep a copy on the page that I have created above so that I can keep track of my weeks and how I am progressing (I like these Blogger pages).

I am also supposed to show a “before” picture and so here I am today in all my after work out glory…. hate taking pictures of myself and these are horrible pictures….. no suckage going on here.

This should be an interesting challenge for me.

I likely won’t be posting again for a little over week from now (Wednesday the 12th). I probably won’t be reading very many blogs either. They do have a computer at the resort that I can use but the keyboard is Spanish and I have a tough time with it. I am hoping they have wireless (ya I know – hopeful thinking) and that I can use my iTouch to read and log my daily mile stuff but like I just mentioned, not likely they are that advanced at this place.

I am however, going to relax and have a nice time. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.

I hope every has a fantastic week and take care of yourself.

ttyl

Sandra