Where should one draw inspiration?

 One of my close friends has finally decided to start dieting.  She has kept her weight to herself for several years now, but she is willing to admit that she wants to lose at least 50 lbs and "reassess from there".  She is about 5ft 10 inches tall, so based on her sub goal amount, I'm guessing that she weighs at least 230 lbs. 

At any rate, she began dieting about two weeks ago, right after what I thought was going to be the final break up with her married boyfriend. She is already down 9 lbs, and while I am very happy for her, I am also feeling a bit envious.

In the last few weeks, I've been off again as far as the diet and the exercise goes.  I just can't seem to want to lose weight MORE than I want to eat what I want, when I want.

Knowing that my friend is currently having some success, I woke up motivated today to get going.  Is it a bad thing to feel so competitive against a friend?  I'm not quite at the point where I hope she fails. I really do hope that she succeeds... I just kind of wish I could get to the finish line first.

I was the "mean" mom this morning

We have a routine to our mornings.  Alarms go off at 6 AM.  Paul and I get up, wake the girls, make lunches and then do our individual things for starting our day. About 6:25, I tell the girls it's time to get up again.  Usually Kim arises at this point and begins her routine for the morning.  At 6:50, I'm once again trying to get Kendra moving.

To catch the bus on time, the girls need to leave the apartment no later than 7:33.  Since the school bus works on a rather fluid time system... its better to be there a bit on the early side to be sure you don't miss it.

Today the girls missed the bus.  Kim was ready to leave by 7, but as usual, Kendra was just getting up and eating at that time. Kim will not leave for the bus stop without Kendra, so if Kendra runs late enough to miss the bus, they both miss the bus. 

I will admit that for the most part, they are usually on time.  They've missed the bus about three times this year so far. 

This morning was not a good morning for them to miss the bus.  They came home, just assuming that I would jump up and drive them to school.  I didn't.  I told them they could walk.  "But we'll be late!" whined Kim.  "It's not my fault!" was another thing she whined at me this morning.  REPEATEDLY.   I had to point out to her that it was indeed her fault that she missed the bus.  She does not need to wait for Kendra if  Kendra is running late.  Her excuse?  "But if Kendra misses the bus and you let her stay home, that's not fair to me!"  LMAO.. umm... like that's going to happen.

So..  they didn't want to walk to school and it was not a convenient time for me to take them.  I made them wait until it was.  They arrived at school about 20 minutes into the first class of the day. Oh well.  It will be an unexcused absence (missing the bus is not on the list of "excusable" absences at their school). Oh well.

I am hoping that today will be the last time this school year that I have to drive them to school for missing the bus.  I am hoping that I made my point clear to both of them. 

Signed up for a 5k fun run/walk

The Naval station has a weekly paper that lists all the stuff that is going on around the base here. At least all the stuff they want us to know about anyway. In amongst the news was a blurb about a Leatherneck 5k registration.

They had a website, so I checked out the date and requirements.  As soon as they included walking as a choice, I knew I had to sign up.  So I did.

On April 21, I'll be doing a 5k in and around Patuxent River NAS.  I'm hoping to convince either Kim or Paul to walk with me. 

Vindication from Dr. Sugar

Found at eDiets.com More Addictive: Food or Heroin?.

According to the article, addiction is defined as

"Repetitive behavior beyond your control that leads to adverse consequences."

"The foods that cause the most addictive, repetitive eating are cheese, sugars, caffeine, chocolate, salty snacks and meats, which all contain chemicals that affect the amygdala, which when stimulated, reinforces behaviors that make us feel good," Dr. Sugar explains.

"A fast food value meal is the perfectly addictive lunch,"

You can become so addicted that your body will actually start "jonesing" for that next food fix. 

While the article does mention that you can break the addiction by avoiding your trigger foods, it also acknowledges how hard that can be in today's world.  It can take the body as much as a week to break the physical addiction, but the psychological addiction seems to always be there.  Eventually, I know I'm going to find myself in a quiet room with my favorite food drug of choice.   UGH!

Walking with Poles

For my pal, Sherry... here's an article on the benefits of using poles during your walks (outside, as opposed to WATP).

Walk With Poles
	Drop pounds and tone your whole body! by Selene Yeager

One simple addition to your walks can help you drop pounds and tone your whole body, without feeling like you're working any harder. The secret is pole walking--striding with special rubber-tipped walking poles. It's popular in parts of Europe and is catching on at spas across the US as a way to combine the calorie burning of cardio with the body sculpting of weight training in one easy workout. But you needn't take a pricey vacation to learn how to do it. Pole walking is based on the idea that the more muscles you use, the quicker you become fit. When 32 people performed a walking test--with and without poles--they burned 22 percent more calories when using poles. "Your upper body contains about 50 percent of your muscle mass," explains study researcher Lawrence R. Terry, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. "Regular walking doesn't engage those muscles. Pole walking does, so you use more energy." That means if you normally burn 400 calories walking, you can boost your burn to almost 500 calories by using a pair of poles--without walking faster! Although you're technically working harder, it feels easier. "You move more efficiently with poles, so it feels like less work," says walking expert Robert Sweetgall of Clayton, MO, author of Walking Off Weight (Creative Walking, Inc., 1989). Marty Anderson, 72, of Northbrook, IL, who walked off 35 lb, agrees. "Once I started using poles, I could walk a lot longer." Strength Training on the Go "As you plant and press down with the poles, you work your chest, back, abdominal, and arm muscles hundreds of times per mile," says Tom Rutlin of Madison, WI, former ski instructor and creator of Exerstrider walking poles. "Because poles improve your posture, you plant your heels more firmly and really work your butt and hip muscles. Research has shown that women walking with poles had significant decreases in hip circumference compared with women walking without poles." "My stomach is hard as a rock!" says Judy Regan, 44, of Pasadena, CA, who started walking with poles 8 years ago. "And my arms and legs have muscle definition that I thought you had to lift weights to get." Less Stress on Joints If you have painful knees or achy hips, walking poles may make exercise less painful. Poles can ease the impact on joints by transferring force from your legs to the poles, explains Michael R. Torry, PhD, director of the Biomechanics Research Laboratory at Steadman-Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation in Vail, CO. For example, the average woman walking at 3 mph may experience 190 lb of force (or 1 to 1½: times her body weight) each time her foot strikes the ground. That could add up to 425,856 lbs every mile, says Dr. Torry. Walking poles could reduce that impact by up to 5 percent, a savings of 6 tons per mile! Walk Off the Weight! After two pregnancies left her 80 lbs overweight, Kathleen Keeler, 47, of Brooklyn, knew she had to take action. "But exercise was impossible," she says. "I had arthritis in my knee, and I was so out of shape that I couldn't walk a block without pain and exhaustion." Kathleen's sister suggested walking poles. "At first, I walked for 20 minutes. I was a little tired, but thrilled that I could do it. Before long, I was walking for an hour! My clothes started getting looser, and I wasn't even dieting." Duly inspired, Kathleen began a concerted effort toeat less junk food. "Two years later, I've gone from a size 22 to a 12. My knee doesn't hurt anymore. And I'm proud of how I look!" Getting Started Proper technique is important for getting the most from your pole walking workout. The basic form is similar to regular walking, but you have poles striking the ground in time with your heels. "The most common mistake people make is swinging their arms in an unnatural rhythm--left arm, left leg--instead of alternating," says Tom Rutlin, creator of Exerstrider walking poles. "But everyone gets the hang of it in a matter of minutes." Here are Rutlin's tips for your first time out: Step 1: Grasp the poles lightly. Holding them too tightly doesn't give you more control; it only tires your hands. Step 2: Let the poles drag. Start walking as you normally would, with your arms hanging loosely and the poles dragging behind you. Do this for about 1 minute. Step 3: Shake hands. While walking, alternately extend your arms as though you were going to shake hands with someone. Don't lock your elbows. That's how high the pole will rise on the upswing. Now plant the tip of the pole on the ground as your arm comes forward. Step 4: Push off. As your arm swings back from the handshake position, push the pole against the ground, and propel yourself forward. Feel the effort through your torso. Keep your arms fairly straight, and swing them like pendulums. Quick Tip Pole walking is like a rhythmic march: Poles and heels alternately strike the ground. If you're having trouble keeping your arms and legs coordinated, try humming a marching tune. The beat will help you keep your rhythm until it becomes natural. With walking poles, you can turn your walk into a total body workout and burn up to 50 percent more calories. To learn about a variety of different poles and to purchase walking poles check out our affiliate, Walker's Warehouse.

Upping my walking strategy

Two hour delay for the girls' school today.  Which means they are still underfoot.  I'm waiting for them to leave before I start working with Mac.  Although in the meantime, he's working on some of the things he does without my help.

Okay, so for the last 12 days I've been a complete slug.  I have had no motivation since Paul came home and TOM arrived.  I'm not exactly sure which is more to blame.  But I do know that I need to get moving again.

Last night, against Paul's better judgement the girls and I went off to Walmart during the early part of our "wintry mix" weather.  This week is "Spirit" week at school and the girls needed a few things to augment their planned participation.  I thought I'd also pick up a new ice scraper/snow sweeper for the car windshields while I was there. (Thus assuring that there would be no true detectible snow for our area).

During my wanderings through Walmart (it's near impossible to make a beeline to the item you want), I found telescoping hiking poles.  These are one of the new "IT" things for increasing the calorie burn during your walks.  Now, these are clearly an inexpensive option (sold individually, they are priced at 9.95 each) and I am not sure they would work for all people (they telescope to a length that is right for me,but I'm short).  These may even be children's ... but hey.. if it works, right?   I didn't buy them last night, but I may go back and buy them tomorrow, once the "wintry mix" is past.

week recap

Paul's home again. It's been kind of crazy this week.  TOM arrived. All self-control left the building. I don't think it was the best week Paul could have come home.  I bet he wishes he missed this week altogether.  I know I wished I missed it.

The one bright spot was yesterday (Friday). There was a briefing for the spouses of the students attending this NTPS.  I actually learned some things that I hope will be helpful during the next 10 months.

Probably not so helpful during weeks like this... but during the three other sane weeks I'm allowed each cycle... this stuff will be helpful.

Now I must go gut my children. 

Portion Distortion

Found this article at sparkpeople (www.sparkpeople.com).  I felt this was REALLY worth sharing.

People are getting bigger. That's no secret. Here's something that's not as well-known: our food is getting bigger too. A LOT bigger. From 1977 to 1997, hamburgers expanded by 23%; a plate of Mexican food got 27% bigger; soft drinks increased by 52%; snacks (potato chips, pretzels, crackers) grew 60%. We're now entering the second generation of overeaters who can't believe that a fast food soft drink used to come in 10 ounce cups. There's actually a frozen entrée that proudly sells itself as "1 Pound of Food," as if its total mass was a benefit. Are they serious? This is getting ridiculous! Well, no more... The first step to diet renewal is to regain some control over what goes on your plate. With careful measurement, you'll learn exactly how many servings you're eating, then reduce portions until they're more in line with recommended serving sizes. This will be the habit that can cut the most calories the quickest. You could literally lose weight by doing nothing more than eating single servings of your favorite foods instead of the culinary pile of calories you're normally faced with. Do you ever feel obligated to finish everything on your plate, even if you're not hungry? You're probably a member of the Clean Plate Club. Formed with good intentions, this concept can cause more harm than good in this time of absurd portions. The American Institute for Cancer Research found that 67% of Americans eat everything on their plates, regardless of size. Problem is, a typical dinner plate holds three serving of spaghetti, not just one. A better strategy is to find ways to put less on your plate to begin with. Here are some other Portion Control tips: Use smaller plates and bowls. There's a proven link between the perceived size of food and appetite. Order an appetizer as an entree. Remember to stay away from fried foods though. Order from the lunch menu at dinnertime. Leftovers are okay. Ask the server to wrap up half your meal before bringing it out. Order smaller sizes such as a half-order of pasta or a "petite" cut of meat. Even so, portions may still be hefty. It's not unusual for a "smaller" portion of meat to be an 8-ounce serving. Pay attention to what you're eating. You'll eat more if you're mindlessly grazing or staring at the TV. Learn to read food labels, but be careful. Serving sizes can be misleading (for example, a can of cola is technically two servings.) A Quick Note: As you cut down portions, you may feel a little hungry at first. To offset this temporary hunger without eating more: Drink more water Eat fiber-loaded foods Eat low-calorie foods first Eat slowly, put the fork down between bites

box of pictures

Paul arrived home from Mesa on Saturday. During his week there, he was able to visit his parents (they live about 70 miles from Mesa) three times.  I'm happy to say that he found both of them in good health and good spirits.  Paul's parents are purging belongings. I can't quite decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. They sent Paul home with a box of pictures and with a quilt (Paul's mom quilts) wall hanging that I had always jokingly said that I wanted. 

The pictures have been a great source of laughs and remembrances for us. When we moved to Germany in 2004, we left all our unreplaceable things (like photo albums) in storage (our first move to Germany in 1985 saw the loss of our wedding videos) so they couldn't be stolen or lost in the move. So we've been without the family pictures for some time.  Of course, besides pictures from our travels, there were also pictures of Paul from when he was young... ones that I had never seen before. And pictures of our kids from when they had visited grandma and grandpa. I might spend my year here putting some of the old pictures of Paul together in a photo album.

Paul's mother had also kept the letters that I had sent over the years to them to let them know how things were going and what things we had seen on our trips around places.  It was fun to read these notes and see the pictures I sent with them.

Monthly Accountability

When I first stepped on the scale today I was a little disappointed.  I have the best fantasies about how easily and quickly this weight is going to just fall off of me.  And you know, it could, if I was a bit more disciplined.  If I looked at this as a diet and was always adjusting and scolding and starving, I could definitely drop some fast pounds.

The last three days I've really been thinking about this "diet" thing.  I know we give a lot of lip service to whole idea of a "lifestyle" change as opposed to a diet... but truth is, we're all geared towards dieting when we first start out. Just about every magazine seems to try to reach to both ideas.  One article will talk about making small changes, while another will scream "Lose 10 lbs in 10 days with this miracle food!"  At this point... I think I am finally ready to say "ENOUGH".

Diet with deprivation ("no, I can't have that, it's too high in calories, fat, etc") seems to be good for me for only a short time. I may see great results, but it seems like I can never hold on to them long enough to really get a chance to enjoy and build on it. 

So.. before I go further .. let me give you the statistics for my first month of 2007:

Original Weigh in (Jan 5, 2007)- 227.8

Today's Weigh in                        223.6

Total Lost for January:  5.2

Total inches lost in January: 7.5.... to include 2" from my hips and 1" from my waist.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this entry, I was not thrilled to realize that I had only lost .9 lbs since my last weigh in (Jan 19).  In fact, I was unhappy enough to debate passing on taking my measurements.  I was worried that there would not be enough of a difference to keep me going forward. You know, the whole "why bother" argument.

But I knew I needed the accountability.  So... once I finally talked myself into it, I was actually quite pleased with the measuring. Especially since I'm pretty convinced that this is all just in the last two weeks (since starting the Walk Slim program) BECAUSE before then I was really not exercising at all.

At any rate, after much pondering and debating with myself, I've decided to put this whole month into the "win" column.  I did lose weight.  More importantly, I lost reasonable weight (according to my fat percentage machine 2 of those pounds were fat).  I didn't really ever feel deprieved this month. I managed to balance the "fun" food with the "healthy" food in a way that allowed for loss.  And the exercise most assuredly helped.

So I think I'm going to continue as I have started, placing the emphasis on exercise and making healthier choices when I can on food, and kind of watching the overall calorie count.  Maybe I am ready to make that "lifestyle" change that really does bring about permanent weight loss.