Here's To Leaping!

Here I sit, workout clothes on, sneakers tight on my feet, pony tail behind me.  Soon, I will make the trek for day two at the gym.  I finally plunged back into a gym workout, yesterday.  I have been battling feet issues for months now.  In the process, my weight goes up and down within 5 pounds due to my inconsistencies.  I have done low calorie and low carb dieting for months now.  One thing is for certain, I am sinking in my own personal quick sand.

My feet started hurting on a daily basis, making it difficult to walk for more than a 1/2 mile without pain.  It takes me back to my heaviest days, when the idea of walking or hiking sounded treacherous.  I can not go back, I must move forward.  Granted I have added poundage to my body since my Biggest Loser Resort days, in fact, I am about 20 pounds heavier than the day I left the resort.  What has happened since I left is disturbing.  My feet in almost constant pain has sent me to the podiatrist where the doctor had no answers for me.  He figured I had some sort of stress pain, caused from a prior injury.  He couldn't wait to shoot me up with steroids.  Immediately, it was a fail and I chose not to return to him.  At least I knew my foot was not broken, no arthritis or bone spurs.  I decided I would take matters in my own hands, well, feet which has been an extreme fail.  Many nights I ice my feet in hopes to rid me of the pain, but it remains.  The only conclusion I have come up with is I must get the extra weight I am carrying off my feet!
Hence me rejoining the gym.  As I stepped up to the gym entrance yesterday, I felt fairly good about my decision.  Its a month to month membership so if my feet don't let me do it, I can always quit.  Only, I know for sure if I quit, I will be out of options.  To know me is to know I refuse to give up!  My weight has been an issue my entire life, and I am not going to stop striving for a better healthier life now.  So, I will go to that gym, and I will heal!  I climbed the stairs yesterday to sign up, and inside I was almost doing a crazy laughter because the stairs annoyed me!  Unbelievable, a flight of stairs to climb to get in the gym!...what? is this really me????? When did I stop looking at those extra stairs as a good thing, extra work out, more calories burned?  I did not want to be that person again, I remember a life hating stairs and climbing...but I have been climbing mountains now, this is NOT who I am!  I am on the edge of being very unhealthy if I give up, so I won't!

I use to think those that went to the gym and stayed 30 minutes were strange, what kind of work out are they really getting anyway?  Well it took the girl at the counter about 30 minutes just to sign me up, and by the time I got my start, I was ready to go home.  Due to my feet issues, I must avoid my usual treadmill, the bending of my feet is a problem.  So immediately I went to the elliptical.  After 15 minutes, I was ready to get off of it.  I then moved on to the bike, which again I was finished with in 15 minutes.  I also spent a short time doing some arm exercises with their equipment.  Honestly, I would have stayed longer but I ran out of water and wanted more for more cardio.  Regardless, I was not hard on myself and I began to understand those that do not stay in the gym very long.  At least they made an effort...at least I made an effort.
The rest of my night my feet were in horrible pain, and I concluded that doing stretching with my feet made them worse not better.  Today as I sit her typing, my feet already hurt, but I am heading to that gym anyway, this time with more water in tow.
I am going to tackle this foot problem, and help it out by taking off some of the weight my feet have to carry daily.
As I profess to you now, we may fall off our good intentions, but we can all get back to it, we just need to take the leap.
Here I leap!

Breaking My Barriers

Its hard for me to come forth and admit to all that I have been failing lately.  I have had the time, but not made the time to get a move on.  I have made time for other things, but not my exercise.  I have felt my age for the first time, and it has scared me!




I am sluggish and exhausted and do NOT want to exercise.  The winter blues play a part, but I believe that my exhaustion has been brought on by my laziness and some food choices. I have lost focus on loving myself.  There is no reward for my behavior, instead there has been this sluggish feeling gripping me and weighing me down.

The thought of exercise itself was sounding exhausting to me.  I was becoming exhausted just living.  I am pushing passed my barriers now, and making the right things happen.  I want the rewards of good eating and exercise.  The endorphin's have kicked in today, and I have gone from wiping my sweaty brow to typing my honesty to you.




I have decided I want to do the Biggest Loser Marathon in August since its just a 6 hour drive.
I will make this my goal, to be able to jog a half                                               marathon, yes, it is my goal!!!
Anyone wanting to join in, please find me on my group we are looking
for some more participants, as they want groups of 25.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/catssupportstation/
Also we share on the group, so feel free to join!!



What really got me moving today was an advertisement for a new gym, it made me reminisce my hard workouts and how much I LOVED that endorphin kick I received.  It literally made me get on some work clothes, update my bodybugg and head to my treadmill.  I was ready for a small start of about a 1/2 mile walk, but I ended up with a 2 mile walk and jog.  It felt amazing and I feel amazing!  I drank much needed water, which I also have been slacking on, and I am ready to tackle the world today.  I already feel a year younger. (giggle fit)
I feel those bricks chipping away from the wall and getting me motivated to keep moving.  I am claiming back my life this day and moving forward with a great attitude ready to get to that marathon this summer.
If you are reading this and haven't moved today...do something to forge forward, maybe just stand up and sit down 20 times, your heart rate will rise and you can say you did some extra moving.  Push through your own barriers no matter what they are, and LOVE yourself!
Thanks for letting me confess..and now I am off to make a lentil and squash soup! Yummy!

Sugar, oh! honey honey!

Last year, I had a complete physical to make sure all is good.  One thing noted was my cholesterol was elevated.  When my doctor said avoid carbs, I was completely confused...huh? what?  Wait a minute!  I thought I was suppose to avoid fats!  I was so confused.

Its not to say I haven't technically been in confusion my entire life about what to eat and what not to eat.  I concluded, if it taste good it's probably bad.  But once again I was having to re-examine the foods I was eating and try and understand that the way to heart disease is through carbs, not fats!!

I am reflecting on it today, because I saw a teaser of a TV show and it reminded me of what my doctor had told me.  The main cause of heart disease is INFLAMMATION!!!



Sugar is the #1 culprit of causing inflammation.  Sugar damages arteries, raises your blood pressure, and ages your organs.  When I think about sugar, I am not surprised of some of the damage is causes to the body, when you have a cut in your mouth, you salt it, add sugar and just watch how long that cut takes to go away.  When I eat too much sugar, I feel like I have a hangover the next day.  I am sluggish and lacking energy.  Okay so it makes sense that it is hurting me.



Of course we are being educated today on the way we end up with sugars in our body...refined carbs are HUGE in the sugar department.  Also, high fructose corn syrup, is playing a major role in foods we buy today.  Most ingredients with the ose on the end are also sugars.  And these days, its becoming really hard to identify sugars on packaging, because manufacturers are disguising it with new names.



I can only conclude, whole foods is the way to go...this is not to say I will completely remove sugars from my life, but I will consider that sugary treat a occasional visitor.

I would like to share this article with everyone, please read, it may change your life and even save it!

As always, thanks for reading and come join Cat's Support Station on Facebook where we can all interact.


http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2012/october/cholesterol-myth-what-really-causes-heart-disease/

Reflections....

Reflection...You can look at this word in 2 ways...like when you see your reflection and you question why you are not thrilled with what you see, and secondly, and for me this past week, most importantly....

Reflection...why is it NOT working? What am I doing wrong? What is stopping me from succeeding? Yes that is what I did last week, I reflected on what was causing my problems recently and I concluded, my number one is NOT willpower, I can be strong...no..my number one is timing of eating. I am a horrible on the run kind of eater and it makes for horrible food choices. So I went to the store last week and stocked up on the things that will help me to be on-the-go and healthy.





So...
R*E*F*L*E*C*T and try and pinpoint the exact problem you have with making your commitment and sticking with it.







come interact at the newly formed group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/catssupportstation/

Hump Day

The temperature this morning is 14 degrees and I am reminded how much I dislike Winter!  As with everything in my life, I try to find the positives in things.  So my number one positive has always been I love boots!  So when it gets cold I get to wear them!!  Yep its true when I can think of anything else, that is the one thing I can be happy about...its boot time!

Truth is, there is a few things that make winter acceptable beyond being fashionable in my boot collection.  Another thing I like about Winter...well really the Fall to Spring season is SOUP.  I find it an amazing way to get my vegetables as well as fullness when I need a little extra somethin-somethin!
For those that have been to the Biggest Loser Resort you know we had soup with every lunch, which was so comforting!  Especially after a chilly hike!!  I try and have soup ready to go in my refrigerator, which keeps me from reaching for the wrong thing when I'm hungry.  So many soups require no dairy at all, which keeps the fats away.  I fell in love with a squash soup recipe in the fall and I continue to use it for all types of squash, including butternut squash!  I don't really like butternut squash soup recipes but absolutely love using this squash recipe for all my squash soups.

Here is a recipe I found and use often:
Squash Soup (use with all squashes)

2-3 squashes (creamier soup with 3)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. dried ginger
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (adds nice amount of heat)
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
4 cups vegetable stock (organic is preferable)

Directions

The first thing I noted, it is much easier to get the squash out of its skin if you roast it in the oven.  In a 400 degree oven place seeded halved squash on foil lined cookie sheet. Roasting time is around 40-50 minutes, check with fork for tenderness. When cooled you can easily scoop out the insides and throw out its outer skin.

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrots, apple, shallot and onions and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Once tender, add salt, ginger, sage, cayenne, allspice, squash and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and puree mixture.  Calorie in a cup are about 75.  Of course I always have at least a 2 cup serving!  YUMMY

Another variation of this soup is to add beans such as pinto beans adding protein to the equation!  In fact, next batch of my soup will have beans in it.  Note to all I am NOT a bean person at all, do not like the texture, but it will be puree'd in it and I won't even notice!!

Lastly, although winter does make it hard to go outside, it definitely makes for indoor exercise to be cooler.  And Fall and Spring are the best time for outdoor hikes!  So these are the things that keep me accepting of cold weather.  

So me and my popsicle toes will get warm with some comforting soup and indoor cardio today.  

Hmm...I think its time for some soup!

Support on Facebook

My last year of life, was spent without reading any of the supportive post and blogs that I have always thrived on in the past.  After my reappearance I immediately felt strength just knowing others were out there, giving support and drawing support.  I was invited to join a group this week and it seemed to be a great source of support for those that wanted it, as well as a place for educators both physical and emotional to give their advice.  And there is so much to be said for those that have had the experiences that others are dealing with.  Support is key!  It shut down for a spell, but I think I just needed to pick up the ball and get it rolling.  So if you would like to come in and join our support group, please do!  I am working out the kinks of getting new members so if you have difficulty, just message me at my facebook name https://www.facebook.com/cat.chez1 or look up Cat Cee Chez.  The group if you want to join is called: Cat's Support Station and the link is below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/602509493099955/

Okay, I have a zillion things to do today, so I am off to getting things done!  Hope to chat with you in the group!!

Have an awesome Sunday!!

The Sun is Shining

Finally, the sun is shining here in NW NJ.  It seems like its been weeks since there has been any blue sky in the horizon.  Maybe mother nature was waiting for me to clear the skies by getting back on track.

No matter, as today I am feeling invigorated and know I am finally ready to move forward with my journey to better health and fitness.

If you've ever read my blog(s), you know I have been living in denial this past year, completely ignoring everything I had trained myself to believe in. So I have taken a good long look at myself and this is what I have come up with:  

1) Comfort food mentality - Definitely it crept back on me in 2012 there is comfort in food, and when I am stressed, its my number one go to.  Although my subconscious nags me to not give in, I DO! 

2) Definitely another cause of my problem is not having the right food around me so I reach for the wrong thing, because its convenient.  I need to frequent the grocery store so I have what I need.

3) Timing is everything, I can not wait till I am so hungry I grab for the wrong food, I must make a conscious effort to eat prior to being super hungry.

4) My husband, who I love so dearly is definitely another reason I make the wrong choices as he loves his evening snacking, and makes me feel like snacking too.  

5)  And lastly, not having my daughter Michelle in NJ didn't help, as she has always been a reminder of good health.  I use to feel accountable for my actions when she was around.  Good news, I have her back in NJ!!  She was in San Diego working at the Golden Door Spa (if you think BLR is expensive its NOT...this is!) as well as selling an awesome line of cookware called Saladmaster and doing extensive cooking classes.  I am so happy to have her back, I missed her not only for my healths sake, but just having her nearby is so comforting.

So I have figured it out as I type today where it all comes from, yet now I need to get moving forward and not fall back again.  I think to move forward with your health,  you must find and examine your triggers, and learn to work with them so they don't jeopardize your progress.

My daughter Meika and her husband, Warren seem to have their eating so controlled.  They count their vegetables daily, as if they can't skip one in their day.  Now that I find myself baby/Biba-sitting they cook for me off and on.  Meika will hand me my food and say, okay so we had 2 vegetables in our eggs this morning, now here is 2 more with the lunch, leaving only one more at dinner.  They are impressive, and what I really take from them, is try and get more whole foods in my diet and make sure I have them at hand.

So as I set out to have a great 2013, I have my house full of whole foods, and I will embark on eating more fruits and veggies, and less carbs and sugars.  

I have concluded that the best diet, is NO diet.  This is not a race, there is no finish line, this is a way of life.  One thing I taught myself in my old blog without even planning, the easiest way to good health is making sure my calories stay within my limit, and that I get a move on.  So I am back to keeping my meals around 300 per meal, allowing for 5 meals, which means I can snack!  I don't have any set meals this way, but I do know what meals have worked in the past, from either just experimenting, the Biggest Loser Resort, or my month on Cinch.  I also understand why breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for me, its starting my day without starving.  There is no need to starve just start eating, and plan on 300 calorie meals.  It is such an easy way to stay on track, it worked before and will work again.  My one perspective that has changed somewhat this time, is I intend on making a point of adding more vegetables to my meals.  

So 300 calorie meals + more vegetables (I don't count calories of green vegetables) + whole foods + water = 1/2 my body weight in ounces.  

As with last time, if I know I am going out and will be eating, I will cut back on the snacks and save them for going out so I can add 600 calories to my dinner.  Its going to work again, it was actually the easiest way I have found to drop pounds and not feel deprived.  I truly believe a person has to find what works for them, I have been on everything, and for me this is the way to go.

Today my breakfast was french toast = sandwich rounds (100c) 1 egg (70c) 1 cup frozen berries heated(70c) 1 tablespoon of sliced almonds (40c) laying on top of cinnamon (spices speed up your metabolism) (cooked with Pam because the equivalent of butter is 100 extra calories)  Total calories = 280 calories.  (no veggies yet so I will be making an awesome acorn squash soup to add to my veggies and my fullness today).

I am so ready for this...as when I woke up to the sun, I am reminded of how everyday I get up after having a good food day, is a sunny day.  When I eat horribly, I wake up regretting it, not today, not tomorrow...I am back on track.

Weight today...yes I did get on that damn scale 186.8.  Weight gain since Cinch, 31 pounds!

First goal...Valentine's Day...weight loss under 180. 

As in the past, tiny steps....small goals...realistic time frames...I am so there!

The Year of the Cat

I am returning back to the world of blogging, along with returning to my journey to good health.  2012 was a silent hidden year for the most part leaving those that have followed me to wonder where I disappeared to.  I think 2012 was just full of too much of everything, leaving me to be second and struggling with my journey to self improvement.  Reflecting back on my year, I would say, my self preservation was a wash!  I  pushed away the things that  I was proud to talk about within my pages.  And here I sit in 2013, thanking God for where I am today, and for letting me survive my neglect.  I'll be honest, I haven't weighed myself this year at all, I do know I am fitting in a size 14 stretch jean, and that I go nowhere without my Kimora tummy tucker.  I have taken note to the clothes that I bought after my great success with The Biggest Loser Resort, and how they sit dorment in my closet. I look at myself in the mirror and think I am not that much bigger than when I left BLR, but much bigger than my success with Cinch.  I note that my body is something I avoid in the mirror after a shower, it is a reminder of my lag.  2012 is finally over, and a new year is here.

The struggles of 2012 are behind me, and have left some great remnants to rejoice in.  My daughter Marie found true love in February, and moved away in July to be with her one true love.  This is a joyous absolutely wonderful thing, and I couldn't be happier for her although I wish she found her love in NJ.  The greatest joy came on August 9, 2012 with the birth of my grand daughter Biba Harlow May.  I can not express what this has meant to me this year and the joy she continues to bring.  You grand parents understand.

2012 brought a lot of change, as my husband stepped down from his TV stage to pursue his own band, as well as focusing on giving back to the Arts through teaching aspiring future musicians around the globe.  This is a scary transition that has been terrifying to our bank account.  Stress is a scary destructive anomaly.

We lost our golden retriever in 2012, and with all the changes accuring it was not only stressful on me, but my family.  My youngest daughter, Morgan took Alan's job change terribly, and worse was losing her best friend, our golden, Rembrandt, her companion, and confident for 14 years.  At 23, in 2012, Morgan also had her gall bladder removed, then followed it up with emergency surgery for a cyst.  And then received an overdose of medication from the hospital, which was swept under the rug.  She has pushed through and is doing well now.

My brother was admitted in the hospital with an aneurism as well, which I flew to his side to be with him. It is impossible to operate on my brother so he must control his stress as well as take blood thinners forever.  He is uninsured and never married, so his family is all he has and here I am across the country feeling helpless most of the time.

I have always been in the habit of self indulgence when I am stressed. And I found myself not caring about putting the wrong things in my mouth, and exercise was rarely achieved.  In August, I took a wonderful hike with Alan & Morgan in PA at Bushkill Falls.  It should've been the start of my recovery, but instead I hurt my knee and had to climb 1200 steps with it hurting.  Unfortunately, this time it caused sciatica damage.  I did very little exercise anyway so I didn't even really notice I had a problem till November.

November was a month of reckless endangerment to myself.  I had decided to take HCG and melt the pounds away.  So I took drops, and surely 10 pounds came off rather quickly.  I started noticing major tingling in my right leg and foot which seemed to come from my sciatica pain.  I would stretch the leg to try and eleviate the pain, and the more I did it, the more my leg and foot seemed to tingle.  I finally googled  and discovered a side effect of HCG was blod clots and everything that goes with it.  I was in the ER that night having CT work done and insuring that I didn't have a clot in my leg or brain.  I was sent home with anti-inflammatories and pain killers.  At that point I realized what an idiot I was to take the HCG in the first place and got off of it.  I followed the weaning process as necessary to reset your body clock, but it didn't work.  Even after 3 weeks of no carbs at all I seemed to continue to gain weight.  I had added insult to injury by even beginning the HCG.  Now I had to try and get back to some normalcy.

December I went to babysit my grand daughter, or as I like to call it Biba-sit.  I came home with a nasty flu that Biba and her daddy brought home from a trip to England.  I went from the flu, to a cold, to laryngitis for the next few weeks.  From there I had to shop for 15 people coming for Christmas and try and get my house in order for 8 extra people sleeping at the house for 10 days.  I had decided to avoid carbs during this hectic time and although I didn't weigh myself, I at least didn't feel that sluggish holiday feeling I usually have.  Family arrived on December 23, Christmas day was awesome, 15 family members together, including the brand new grand baby!  At 5AM following Christmas, my husband woke up sick, and was vomiting.  Shortly after that I found myself doing the same thing.  I spent the next 36 hours with a bucket on my toilet.  We managed to get food poisoning on Christmas Eve from clams, which I noticed tasted funny.  Everyone else was fine as we were the only ones to have a clam at dinner.  The following day, my brother in law came down with a flu and 104 fever.  Not long after that I was sick again with another strain of the flu, along with my parents.  I spent New Years Eve in bed, sick!

So all I can say about 2012 is good riddance to most of it!  Thank God the 2 blessings we did have in 2012.  By the way....I am extremely grateful for all I have and have received, and am very blessed,  this is just simply my explanation to where I was in 2012 and nothing more.

So WELCOME 2013, I am super to the duper excited about you being here, and getting back on track is my main priority.  I realized, that being honest with myself, was also being honest on my blog.  Putting it out there, what was going on, how I was doing, and what I was doing.  So I am back, and I am ready to tackle all of my weaknesses and strengths and get where I want to be in 2013.  When I started my original blog http://countdowntobiggestloserresort.blogspot.com/ back this month in 2010 I had no idea where it would take me.  Since then I have become a strong empowered woman who understands she can do whatever she sets her mind to, so here's to me in 2013, as I have my sights set on good health!

Thanks to all of you out there that have come to know me over the years, for reading my confessions, and as always I appreciate your comments and your support.