Where Have I Been? Where Am I Now?

Good morning all!  This "use to be" active blogger sure fell off the deep end.  In many ways, really.  From my blog about heading to the Biggest Loser Resort to now.
{http://countdowntobiggestloserresort.blogspot.com/ (great read if you need a kick n the butt)}

If you've been reading my blogs throughout the years, you have seem many upsides and some downsides of my life.  I have picked up blogging with promise of good health only to disappear after a single entry.  And here I am once again...only its different this time...let me explain.



I started blogging at the age of 50, and here I am "58" years old, WOW!
That's 8 years of the ups and downs of Cat and her health!  I have been blessed to have no real issues to talk about.  Of course, my failing feet and the loss of my mom have been serious setbacks for me.

I am professing now that I weighed in at 196 the first week of August!  I was avoiding the scale at all cost because I knew my weight was rising for months yet I let it continue.
Not sure why I did this time, I've come to accept not having my mom anymore. I've had the joy of becoming a grandma 7 times since I started blogging, and 2 of those babies were born in 2017.  I have no real grasp on why I let myself go, "I just did", (sigh).




Now...If you know me, you know I am easily faithful to dieting and have strength in willpower.  But when you try so hard to drop weight and after a month the scale says, oh you lost 2.5 pounds after a month of  kicking butt...well you know...do you quit? do you try something new?  increase the exercise?  What?
In my case,  I have a tested RMR (resting metobolic rate) of 1200 calories, thats only enough calories to maintain.  Without exercise I never lose weight.  Weightloss has always been about working out and watching my calories.

After my successful 60 pound weightloss back at age 50 (all in my blog link above), I gained a lot of it back when I got plantar fasciitis followed by muscle atrophy in my left ankle.  Since, then the struggle has been real to take off any weight, because now I had no way of getting the kind of exercise I needed to go along with such a low calorie diet.

So here I am weighing in at 196 pounds on my small 5.2 body frame. YIKES!

What has changed?  My husband, who really knows my struggles pointed out a friend of his who

lost a crazy amount of weight on a diet. So now I become somewhat intrigued.  I don't know his friend but he shows me before and after pictures of his friend and his now positive attitude.  I immediately google the program, but dismiss it. 
What follows, is our mutual close friend on the same program and he is a changed man!  I mean every facet of his being is renewed!  This is a guy we hold near and dear to our heart, but truth is, he slipped away and we feared for his life, both mentally and physically.  But now, he was alive and well!  He was rejoicing and proclaiming his complete joy in weight loss and good health.  He was now spreading the word, and I could NOT ignore him.  Once again, I was googling the program and I decided to dive right in!
I didn't ask for assistance, I'm a very determined and independent woman and I am all the support I need.  Okay, so I learned, support is great!  I reached out to my friend and he hugged me from 300 miles away!  He was so happy that I joined the program and thanks to reaching out to him, I learned the most important thing for me was to set an alarm to eat every 2.5 -3 hours.  Wow, that has changed my life!  I use to forget to eat till I was starving because I'm a big multi-tasker and rarely relax, this really effects my eating habits.  When I am working on any given project food becomes that thing I grab when my body says "hey feed me!".
Now, I rely on Siri to tell me when to eat, and I eat! Every 2.5 to 3 hours successfully!

If you made it down to here, I commend you on reading this far as I am a bit winded about my newest life changing experience.  First of all, my plan is called Optavia, its super easy to order online, you read the food choices and pick what you want.  It comes in the mail and there you go.  You eat 5 of these very small meals a day, aka "fuelings"  and add one lean and green meal each day.  I have been on the plan 2 months now and know my "go to" favorites.  I always have a few bars in my purse because I'm always on the go and it keeps me eating on schedule. It's super easy and really keeps me grounded and able to satisfy any craving.  Financially, I spent way more money eating out and ordering in then I do now.   Oh and there is no exercise involved which is super important to me, I hope to regain my feet when they are not carrying an over abundance of extra weight. Exercise can be included, you just have an adjusted plan, and a good walk everyday is not essential but great for your muscles!
http://www.optavia.com/

I  had the mindset, that this too will fail me.  When the scale seemed slow, I felt as though the plan was failing me again.  Truth is, I splurged  a few times for my birthday week.  That slowed progress down.  I even told my coach that I was considering quitting because I was feeling that the program was not working anymore.  But I was very wrong, the scale is shocking me as it continues to drop unlike any other program I've been on.

So in this post, I proclaim to you, that as of today, I am weighing in at 176 pounds!  I have lost 20 pounds in 2 months!  I am regular (TMI), I have energy every day and I have no desire to cheat, I eat mac n cheese, brownies, ice creams and so much more.  I am so grateful to have found this program and have ordered my fuelings for month 3, which hasn't started yet, so I guess technically I've lost 20 pounds in less that 2 months.

This is a fantastic plan to help you get back your life, and I really encourage anyone struggling to do it!  There are 1000's of success stories and pictures that go with them, as well as a great support page on Facebook once you start the program.  If you refer friends, they can get a $25 credit for your next order as well.  I'm not telling you that so you can say I referred you, just so YOU know. (I'll take the referral of course lol)

 If you've been looking for real help, I truly believe in this.  I hope I reach out to some of my struggling friends and convince you to try it.  If you do, definitely keep me updated as there is a lot to be said for losing weight and gaining health with your friends.

I am so thankful, I can't even express it enough. Thank you Jimmy for sharing on Facebook your journey, you found me, it found me, and I appreciate the support you give me as well as the support I am receiving from everyone on the plan.

In closing,  I can see my future and I see it in skinny jeans and its not worlds away!

Downsizing Has Begun

I am just 4 days shy of seeing the latest work of art, my 6th granddaughter.  She will be entering the world this Friday, March 31, 2017.  I am preparing to head out for Florida on Sunday for a 9 day stay to help take care of new mommy,  her daughter, Charley and the new baby girl.  I must admit I am pretty excited.  A month ago, I was imagining it and thinking of how my weight is so up.  I was not liking the fact that I was in the 190's for this trip. I am happy to say, that I have lost about 7 pounds since then and am feeling way/weigh better!  My clothes are so much looser and I am getting excited about seeing the 170's when they arrive, maybe by late April.

When I wrote the last blog post, I was all gung-ho about getting my weight down, but the truth is, it wasn't until Ash Wednesday that it really started happening.  My husband and I decided to diet through lent, with days off on Sundays.   He hasn't been as faithful to the idea as me, but then again, when you have 15 pounds to lose and not 45 pounds to lose, I guess its easy to take breaks.  I made a decision to lose weight, look good and most importantly get healthy.  That is my goal!  I use the word diet loosely, because as my daughter Michelle has taught me, diets mean an end, like your going to eat good, then stop.  My goal is to eat healthy and enjoy guilty pleasures in small doses, in moderation.  For now, although not wanting to claim diet here, I would say, I am less about the guilty pleasures and moderation and more about seeing the 170's on my scale.  So I am more restrictive to what I am eating.  I am not really counting calories this time, but do think about not eating more than 400-450 a meal.  I think more about how much protein, vegetables and carbs.  Carbs, are my extreme moderation right now.  Although, my daily regimen starts most days with oatmeal, raisins, nuts, chia seeds and a little almond/coconut milk.  I don't want a fad diet, nor do I want to be on Atkins, I want to, you know..I want to poop!  So I am just being cautious of what I eat, how much I eat, and what it does to my body.  My body seems to be pretty happy right now!

So, yesterday was Sunday, you know "Cheat" day.  We decided to go see Beauty & The Beast, and that usually means greasy popcorn, candy and soda for my husband.  We talked about going out to dinner first as well.  As I sat there contemplating the night, I saw myself in the morning on my scale.  I got up off the couch and said, I'm cooking dinner.  I found cauliflower, brussel sprouts and chicken in the house.  My daughter taught me to make a high protein faux mash potato with cauliflower and it doesn't take long to make.  Simply steam a head of cauliflower saute an onion, take both of those add a can of white beans, mash in a processor or blender and salt to taste.  See more healthy recipes on her website:  busybeeorganics.com.  To make my brussel sprouts, I sliced them in half, and roasted them in the oven with olive oil and salt.  I made a sauce for the sprouts with a small amount of turkey bacon, a shallot and some chicken broth.  Mixed that together with the sprouts once roasted in the oven.  Now the chicken, I took chicken broth and cooked the chicken in that, seasoned with a garlic medley seasoning I love called "gobs of garlic", then a dab of half/half and made a slurry
to thicken with a lil flour.  The sauce was poured over my cauliflower mash and the chicken.  Yum what a dinner!

Then it was off to the movies...I convinced my husband to have trail mix we owned rather than buy popcorn or candy, and I had my water.

So...lets go back to me sitting on my couch envisioning going out to dinner followed by the usual poison at the movies...and how I thought about the morning scale...I decided to eat healthy at home and not eat the crap at the movies....




Today, 1/2 pound lighter!  186.6.   If you can think about the result of your actions prior to indulging you might take the lean road.  In my case, the food was so delish and the scale was my dessert!

Hello 2017, I'm going to kick you in the ASS!

First off, WOW it has been a long time since I posted anything,  so much has happened and as it does, my life has definitely changed my body and health.  2015 was both joyous and depressing.  My youngest daughter,  Morgan said her "I do's" to her boyfriend of 4 years.
Sadly, at the same time my mom went through open heart surgery and contracted a stage 4 bedsore during her 11 day stay in ICU.   I lost my mom on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2015 she never recovered from her bedsore.
I spent a good part of 2016 eating whatever, not working out.
Food has always been my go to when I am sad, angry, upset....you know when things are just not going right.  At the same time, I continued to deal with feet problems.  Waking up in the morning, a joke, a  wobble everyday.



 

                                                      I did have some happiness in 2016 as well,
                                                  my birthday gift this year was a picture of my
                                                granddaughter, Charley wearing a shirt that said
                                                                                       "promoted to big sister."                                                                       A month later, I find out my baby,
                                                              Morgan is having her first baby as well.                                                            What beautiful news about my daughters!

So here we are....January 3, 2017...WOW! So ready to kick it's ass!





I have 2 grandchildren to look forward to, so now its time to look forward to that and to feel better.
So...I hopped on my scale and decided today is the day I get YOUNGER, well at least feel younger.
So goodbye 192.9 I'm going down...

New Pant Size

Today I splurged on a new scale made by Withings. it measures your fat as well as your weight and heart rate.  I am down just about 10 pounds and a pant size, this makes me very happy!  Pants are tight, but they fit!!  Seeing the scale in February with a starting number of 200.3 and seeing that I am just a pound away from the 180's again is exhilarating.  This was a pricey scale, but when
do you put a price tag on your health?

Now Withings scale has my Body Fat % as 48%, more accurately its probably about 44% taking in account to my chest size, and as my husband said wow to me this morning  I reminded him that it was over 50% in January.

I can see my face again, not that puffy thing I became.  I am all smiles.

My daughter said, you are on the right path, now bottle up what is driving you and make note of
it so you don't fail again.

I have bottled up the joy I feel each morning as I get on the scale and see that my weight is going down, and how good it feels to see a better form, and to be reaching for smaller clothes.


I'm thankful for my strength and and the joy it brings.

Eat Drink and Be Cheering!

There is nothing quite like the excitement I feel in the morning when I wake up knowing I kicked yesterdays butt!  If I could just bottle up that feeling and remember it, it would keep me strong everyday. I am in such a great place now, I could shout it from the highest mountain, but they are all covered with multiple feet of snow...so I'll just shout it on here!

My daily routine has really set in, if I even think of just going upon my day without eating, I hear a little voice in my head reminding me that eating is GOOD!  And I find myself finding food to eat even if my tummy is not the one reminding me to eat.

H2O...vital to life

Water is in check once again, I have already drank 20 oz and will be refilling my container soon.

How much water am I drinking?  The equation is easy, simply take your weight and divide it in half. That number is the amount of ounces of water you should be drinking daily.  Truth is, your body does tell you when you are in need of water.  Fatigue is such a sure sign dehydration.  My daughter, the nutritionist, Michelle told me "mom, instead of reaching for a cup of coffee midday have water."

I thought how silly that statement was, water is going to wake me up?  No...caffeine will wake me up...then I appeased her and drank water instead of coffee...WOW...No longer the fool, water IS a go to for fatigue.  If you can't understand why you are so tired, ask yourself, did you drink enough water today?  Is it half your weight in ounces?  If you said no, go get that water and see if you don't feel better after drinking water.  Water is the essence of life, of all life...I embrace the need to stay hydrated, and my body thanks me in alertness and energy.

I'm going to do my best to do a daily check in on here as it also keeps me on track, and if I can add inspiration to someone reading this, YEAH!

Weight loss today -2/10 of a pound.  Yes!

Good bye 2014, Hello 2015!!

Hi All, welcome to 2015!!  My year went off like a BANG!..my baby got engaged on Dec 20 and with her sister visiting for the holidays we were out dress shopping on Dec 26.  Venue already picked, dress bought...and a CD released for my husbands band.  Requiring all my time when I pledged to get going as soon as 2015 hit!  I didnt mean get going with so many festivities...I meant get my life back!! but its all cool...

So on the health front...first off...the FEET...my feet have been a problem since April of 2013, so severe that I was barely able to walk a block without excrutiating pain.  As many know it put me in a downward spiral and I confessed to becoming depressed.  I was so active with hiking exercise and was so thrilled about my weight then everything fell apart.
As we begin 2015 I am proud to announce that I have not had a shot since April 2014 and my feet are on the mend.  I would say I am close to 80% better, a lil weary and afraid of relapsing but I can even walk barefoot without pain now!  I thank Merrell for their fine line of shoes as once I got rid of my $400 orthotic and started wearing nothing buy Merrrell's everything started improving...(no matter what a doctor says you know your body best)

I called my daughter, Michelle, the nutritionist and said I needed help!  I needed to get back on the right path.  For some reason I couldn't do it on my own!!
My daughter set me up with an extensive plan, similar to the "Fast Metabolism Diet".
My frig was now full of green, orange and yellow, it was time to get my mojo back!!

I woke up on January 12, 2015 to "the scale"...

"Well, hello again...are you ready...I'm going to put my feet on you now...please please please don't let me go into shock when you light up and tell me what damage I have done to myself".  Honestly, different numbers have been going off in my head now for months, along with the lack of motivation, eating right and simply feeling sorry for myself, I was ready for any number over 200 pounds.  I could see where I had taken myself, every selfie my cheeks were puffy, every time I put on my pants it was a tug and pull, and so many of my favorite clothes were collecting lint hanging for so long in my closet. So it was time to face the dreaded truth....no drum roll...but my heart..yes it was making its own music within my chest as I laid one foot, then the other on that dreaded scale.  It didn't disappoint me, it told me what I already knew...yes...that first number was a 2...can I tell you I was actually grateful when I noticed the next two numbers were 0's.  So here I sit on January 12, 2015 knowing I am 60 pounds over weight!  A whopping 200 pounds.  SMH...that is shaking my head...it was time for change!  So now my rude awakening was going to push me in the right direction and I was sure fired ready for change.

First step, no coffee till after I eat breakfast. Unlike Fast Metabolism Diet,
 which doesn't allow for any coffee... my daughter allowed me to have my morning cup but after breakfast.  I spent the next week doing my best to follow the schedule which required eating all the time!!  Well it felt like it, with eating every 2 to 3 hours.  It was extremely hard for me to juggle it on my gig nights, where I brought my own food with me to eat in the middle of my gigging.  All in all I spent the entire week hating with every inch of my being this damn plan!!  Between Monday and Tuesday it was exercise days...only 45 mins necessary and could be done in one shot or within the two days.  Tuesday was the day for me to exercise.  I first went on my Cross Fit for 5 minutes and when I noticed a bit of a pull in my heel I got off and moved to my stationary bike for the next 40 minutes.  Wow, first time back exercising and the endorphins started kicking in and reminding me of a feeling that I always loved.  After a long hiatus with exercise you know this was a huff and a puff and a definite struggle to do, but I let The Bachelor (mindless TV) entertain me while I pedaled.

Wednesday and Thursday were the worse days for me, I hated the meal plan (different than the first 2 days) and I had to get to the gym for the first time since October 2013, as they reminded me when I entered the gym needing a new pass key.  It was time for 15 mins of arms and 15 mins of leg strength training. OMG...okay...this was my wake up call...as I pushed the pin in on my weights and tried to lift the bar, I found I had to lighten the weights a few times to were a child would be lifting.  That really did it for me.  Its terrifying to think you could go so weak in a few years, and yes I am sure the fact that I became a senior citizen in 2014 doesn't help my case.  I am a weakling!! I'm an OLD weakling!!!   Well this is not going to suffice, damn it!  I refuse to let the aging process win, and I can be the me I want to be...and this is going to change NOW!!!!  My 30 mins of strength training were over and I was headed home with a definite feeling of change within me.




The weekend was much easier however, I ignored the must relax, meditate or get a massage part of the plan.  I was rushed to finish my husbands website so we could start selling his CD's online.  I worked till 9PM Sunday night and pushed it aside to relax a little before bedtime.  Morning was nearing and after a week of containing myself from looking at the scale I was about to do so in just a
few hours.....



This is lengthy so...I am going to stop now and start another post shortly to continue...
In closing...

What are your 2015 goals?  Are you going to be healthier than 2014?  Are you going to find a way to make good things happen?  And as you read this, have you done something positive for yourself?
Anyone care to guess what the scale said on January 19, 2015?

Welcome to 2015 everyone, I'm back!

Cat Litter Ephiphany

First off, I would like to say WOW...7 months have now passed since I wrote on my blog...maybe its the YOYO of my life and not wanting to write about it.  Reading how I climbed up the scale ladder...then came down...yada yada yada...in a nutshell...I can reflect on those months by remembering....events like in July, I did not like how I looked for Alan's birthday...check, I must have been up on my weight...September, went away to Florida for my birthday...again weight was up...Halloween, I remember squeezing into my costume...oh weight was up then too....I had spent the time between my birthday in September and late October trying something new, but it failed me, I wasn't losing weight although I was definitely on a decent regimen. But I wasn't stopping I had a wedding coming up on New Years, and I was the mother of the bride!  I went back to Cinch, now called S.A.S.S. and lo' and behold I lost just enough weight to feel good at my daughters wedding.  But being honest with myself, I pledged wearing a sleeveless dress to her wedding, back in February of last year, and although I did wear a sleeveless dress, I sported a small jacket hiding my unsightly arms.  As soon as the wedding was over, I enjoyed my food as we spent another week in Florida.  It was vacation, and I was now going to enjoy what I ate!....and there being the story of my life....rewarding myself after the fact...but was I rewarding myself or actually punishing myself?  Afterall, the day was going to come where I hopped back on my scale...heck I didn't even need to do that, my clothes said it all...so did my mirrors.  When the day came I let my feet touch the cold glass top of my scale, I weighed in at 188.  A whopping 9 pounds up from the wedding day!  GEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....am I ever going to learn?  Seriously?  What is it going to take?  I am not getting any younger!  If I haven't figured it out in the 54 years I have been on this earth, was I really ever going to get it?  And now at my ripe age of 54, I have major feet problems, so exercise is painful at this point.  So what now?  What to do?  Where to head...what direction.....awwww...then it hit me!

I call this my kitty litter epiphany!  This bag of litter is so extremely heavy, and although I can lift two 20lb weights at the same time, I really didn't expect this to be such a heavy bag.  From getting it into my cart, into my car, then into my house...it was awkward and heavy.  In fact, I asked my husband to get it out of my car and to the cats room.  He actually was shocked at how heavy the bag was.  Yes, and when I thought of this bag I started thinking about that extra weight on my body, which is totally there!  And then my feet, which remain a major issue starts coming to light.  Okay, so I am wearing orthotics, but still my feet are in pain.  Still I have pains when I exercise, how am I suppose to heal?  How am I suppose to get healthy?  Every single day, that bag comes to my mind.  It is what I wear on my body.  God knows my feet will start feeling somewhat better if I am not carrying that extra weight!  

That epiphany came to me 2 weeks ago, which is when I decided it was time to embrace my weight and figure out how to solve my issues forever!  I can not do the YOYO anymore!  I can not think a reward is stuffing my face with a days supply of calories in a single meal!  And then, my wise daughter is shrieking in my head...."mom stop counting calories!". Hmmm...I don't get it?  How????????  Then it comes to me, I have spent 54 years on this earth, yet doctors and scientist continually change the way we think about eating. Hopefully you know, its not FAT that will kill you its SUGAR.  Worrying about your cholesterol?  Stop the sugars, eat the fats.....well if that doesn't raise questions for you...or this one...the food pyramid is all wrong!

So about 2 weeks ago, I started the no calorie counting lifestyle.  I no longer care at all how many calories I am eating, but instead what I am eating.  I have chosen to avoid carbs after 2PM for at least 5 days a week.  I eat whatever I want 1 day a week, meaning, I will go to dinner and have carbs, even a dessert, just not a full size dessert, maybe 1/2 of one.  Or I will drink one night a week, vodka, club soda and a splash of cranberry is my drink of choice.  I have been actually planning new carb free meals for me for dinner time, and have been sharing it with the family.  Leftovers however, are for me, packed away in my freezer for days I have no time.  I have made amazing meals, like cauliflower pizza crust pizzas, broccoli cheese soup, zucchini lasagna, and just last night I made white bean and cauliflower mash potatoes with a carb free meatloaf, subbing the bread crumbs with carrots, mushrooms and zucchini and my gravy was bouillon cubes and arrowroot to thicken.  I'm no longer on a diet, because the meals I am making are better than the ones I was eating, and they are great for me!  I finally get it.   

Before 2PM, I reach for a lot of fats, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds (in low sodium shells), olives, dark chocolate with a touch of peanut butter is a yummy, mind you they are great evening foods too!  I am not one to want to cook a lot so I reach for 

yogurt and throw a tablespoon of chia seeds in it for fiber.  I have cheese here and there as well...but I don't count calories at all. Smoothies, eggs, and pretty much anything I want, that is NOT processed of course. I am finally on track eating to have a fitter tomorrow, one that makes my feet happy and gets the kitty litter off!  Yes this is my goal.  Today I type you after a 6 pound weight loss since I started this way.  I feel good, I am not deprived, and its working.  Yes no more counting calories, I can do this!

I pledge to share recipes and keep posting my success, because I really do see a skinny me with happy feet in my future.  I am never dieting again, I am living!

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!