Gym Update……Back on Track :)

I finally went back to the gym today.  The last time I was there was 3 weeks ago!  Hunter and Hayley were home for a week until their summer program started and I had no one to babysit.  Then I spent a week getting everything ready for my Paris trip and ultimately it was off to Paris!

Even though I wasn’t exercising as much, I was running around a lot.  While in Paris I enjoyed wonderful food each day, but there was a tremendous amount of walking so I felt I was walking off whatever I had indulged in.

Once I got home, I immediately started to watch what I was eating for the most part (yes I had a nice slice of Hunter’s birthday cake).  I knew I had to get back to the gym, but on Sunday I started thinking about all I needed to do and was leaning towards waiting another week.  Thanks to my trainer, she emailed me yesterday saying she set me up for an appointment  this morning at 9:30. I am glad she took the initiative.  I knew then that I needed to go or I risked not going back at all.

Glad I went, worked out on the machines for 30 minutes and felt good about it.  I am now looking forward to going again on Thursday.  I also wanted to get weighed today so I would keep myself accountable.  Guess what?  I didn’t gain any weight at all!!!!  I was so excited to actually see what I thought to be true. Now it is just picking up where I left off and am really looking forward to continuing my weight loss journey.

Now, what to do about Hayley’s birthday cake on Saturday…………………………..

Over the hump! Gym update :)

It has been difficult this past month. First, the pain in my foot was hindering my exercise to a point, not to mention my right knee that has arthritis and always hurts.  I finally went to the doctor after I hurt my left knee at a wedding.  Yup, arthritis in the left as well, but the doctor said the intense pain I was experiencing in that knee was caused by a broken bone spur.  The end result……I was given the all so painful cortisone shot in both knees.  WOW, I am really good with pain but this was way over the top.  I will say the knees are feeling a lot better.  If the excruciating pain comes again, the doctor will give me a gel shot medication in both knees.  Uhhhh, I get goose bumps thinking about it, I hope this doesn’t happen.

Anyway, last Tuesday I hobbled into the gym and was only able to do the upper body workouts while sitting down.  On Wednesday, I got the shots and because I didn’t listen to the doctor and go home right away and ice my knees,  the pain became twice as bad.  Dave had to put ice packs on both knees when I went to bed.  So, on Thursday and Friday I took better care and iced my knees on and off and didn’t run around as much.  Of course, this prohibited me from going to the gym on Thursday.

I felt my eating was going pretty well, yet I kept imagining that I was gaining each pound back that I lost.  Not being able to exercise was starting to depress me, I didn’t want to start over again.

Alas, today was the gym!  I knew by yesterday that I was feeling better and ready to go back.  I even signed up for another 12 weeks of personal training.  Jess had me do some light leg machines, then we worked on the upper body and abs.  It felt really good to be back and with a lot less pain.

After the workout, I asked Jess to weigh me because I had to know for good or for bad how I have done.  After a deep breath and closing my eyes, Jess said I could look……………………2 lbs.!!!!!!!  I couldn’t believe my eyes, I was sooooo excited.  I guess I really did watch what I ate.  Now I feel pumped up again.  I even walked two miles on the indoor track after my workout.

I guess I learned to take it day by day and not to obsess over the weight or exercising.  You can still do it!!

Now I am ready to tackle my punching bag downstairs 🙂

Overdue Gym/Diet Update………

The above picture was taken last Friday before we attended a wedding.  It was the first time in years that I have worn a dress.

Now for the update……I am glad to say that I lost 1 lb. over the last few weeks.  I hadn’t lost anything and was definitely in a funk, but I think that funk is over!  My exercising has been limited because of the swelling on the bottom of my right foot, but I did what I could.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel much better, so probably a cortisone shot will be in order (HATE them).

My eating has been questionable at best over the last few weeks, but at least I didn’t gain anything.  I will admit to having the occasional pity party for myself and indulging in some…..ahem….not so good food choices.

Then at last Friday’s wedding I over extended ligaments in my left knee.  I would like to say it happened as I danced the night away, but the true fact of the matter is I stood up too fast in the restroom which resulted in a pain across my knee that almost made me faint.  I really didn’t think I would be able to walk out of the restroom, but I did hobble.  As soon as Dave saw the whiteness of my face, he came over and asked what was the matter.  I told him while breathing heavily and he suggested I try to get outside for some air.  Wow, the pain was excruciating.  I did hobble outside and sat for a few minutes (of course through the pain I still called Katie to share details of the wedding and reception) until I knew I could walk again.

I did very minor slow dancing with Dave because of the pain in my knee.  The next morning when I woke up, I had a huge swelling on the side of the knee and it ached.  Dave and I had stayed down at the Jersey shore overnight and then took a  scenic drive all the way up the coast on our way home.

Once home, I iced my knee both Saturday and Sunday.  I called the Orthopedic doctor’s office on Monday morning and was asked if it was urgent or a follow-up.  I said urgent and told the scheduler what had happened and how I felt.  Guess what?  Their first “urgent” appointment is next Thursday, May 26th.  I dropped my jaw in disbelief and repeated that it was URGENT and was having a hard time getting around.  I was told the same thing, Thursday, May 26th at 1:00.  It is very apparent that health care is going down the tubes.

I hobbled into the gym this past Tuesday and through tears, told my trainer what had happened.  She spoke with her boss who is very knowledgeable about sports injuries (I guess bathroom injuries too) and he had me put an icepack on my knee while I  did upper body workouts sitting down.  After I was finished he looked at my knee and described what was wrong and told me to get a new doctor!  He told me to take a bath 2 times a day with 2 cups of epsom salts to relieve the swelling as well as ice on 20, off 20. I followed his direction as best I could (very difficult to sit with 2 autistic kids).

In any event, things in life are never going to be perfect.  I know there will be ups and downs.  It is important that I stay focused on the goal.  I do feel much better than I did and look better too.  I have a way to go to get where I want to be, but am confident that even when life throws me a curve ball, I will be able to cope and go forward.  Just by losing the 1 lb. shows me I can do it.

Also, I keep telling myself it is 48 days until Paris!  Definitely do not want to be a fat American woman in a sea of thin French women……………..

The Four Fs – Florida, Food, Fun and Fitness

View from 1st floor deck

View from 2nd floor deck, underneath Master Bedroom

View from my bedroom deck

Florida, Food, Fun and Fitness, the four things I encountered last week.  From April 19th to the morning (very, very early morning, I got up at 3:30 am to catch my flight) of April 23rd I was in Florida. It was a two-fold visit.  Visit Craig by day and Katie by night. We have a house on Amelia Island and I hadn’t been there since Christmas.  It was a really nice break for me, I had a great time.  When I first got there the afternoon of the 19th, I was greeted by my most favorite “white pets” in the world.  Little Nova was crying and jumping like crazy, while Bernie Mac kept rubbing around my legs.  Once I gave them kisses and hugs and got untangled from them, I brought my suitcase to my bedroom and immediately took my book, sat on the deck and while over looking the ocean, read.  It was quiet except for the waves hitting the shore, pure paradise.

Katie came home from work about an hour later, and of course I was happy to see her.  She got changed and we decided we were too tired for a walk.  I had asked Katie to keep me accountable as far as my exercise goes, but it had been a long day for both and decided to start the next day.  We relaxed and caught up on things.  We popped the cork on the wine and proceeded to have wine, cheese and crackers.  It is always great talking to her, we tend to talk over each other and often have to stop and say “you go”, ‘no, you go” 🙂  That night we looked at magazines, watched Biggest Loser Couples, Housewives of New York City and Bethany.  We pretty much talked through all the shows but we did throw our eye on the tv once in a while.

On Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, I went to visit Craig (he will be in Florida for a while) during the day.  Friday, Katie met Craig and I and we went to Craig’s favorite restaurant “The Olive Garden”

Wednesday afternoon was another reading time (I read The Pack by Jodi Picoult – excellent), I just love rocking in the rocking chair reading and looking at the ocean.  Nova loves it too, she always comes out and sits with me.  After Katie got home she said “that’s it, we are going for a walk”.  So we took Nova and we walked 2 miles on the beach, it felt good, plus the weather was gorgeous.  That night we ordered Chinese food from Lucky Wok for dinner.  We watched American Idol, Glee, Bethany and Harry Potter-Deadly Hollows while we ate and of course had wine.

Thursday went the same, after reading and then a 2 mile walk, Katie and I went to the Historic Town on the Island and we ate at an Italian Restaurant named Gennaros.  It was delicious!  Katie and I split fried calamari for appetizer and then we had salad with bread.  I had Lobster Ravioli which was wonderful and Katie had Maryland Crab Ravioli which was delicious as well.  Katie chose a nice Chianti to go with the meal. We were too stuffed for dessert.  We stopped at the Redbox and rented “Splice” it was about a scientist couple that used human DNA in their work of splicing animal genes.  Disturbing but good none the same.  After that we watched various tv shows.

Friday after Olive Garden, Katie, Nova and I once again took our 2 mile walk.  We rented two movies from Redbox for the night.  The first was “Rabbit Hole” which was about a couple and how they each differently handled the death of their child, Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart were in it – excellent.  The second movie was “Grown-ups”  which was about 5 childhood friends who won a basketball championship in 1978 and how they came together thirty-two years later and rented a lake house with their families and had a rematch with the losing team.  Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider starred.  It was pretty funny.  I wouldn’t buy it or go to the movies to see it but for $1.00, it was good.

The next morning I flew home to David and the kids but I really, really enjoyed myself.  It is great seeing Craig doing so well and of course visiting Katie which always involves laughing.  We are both ridiculous and found out we both park our cars the same way – angled to the left…………………………………

Temptations

I have been doing so well with my diet and exercise program.  I am proud of the 22 lbs. I have lost so far.  Today though, I almost went off the wagon.  I am an emotional eater.  It doesn’t matter if I am happy, sad, stressed, mad, etc……I will eat.  As I have said before, the medication I have been on for depression has greatly helped me in controlling my eating and emotions.

Today was an exception.  We have an extremely serious issue going on in our family since last week that I am not at liberty to talk about.  I think I have been running on adrenaline up until today.  Once I got Hunter and Hayley on their buses I went into the house and fell apart. I cried for 20 minutes straight.  I haven’t cried much in over a month but the floodgates opened today.

Last night Dave and I made one of our favorite pink sauces that goes over Portobello ravioli.  I had eaten very carefully yesterday in order to partake in this favorite meal.  I did well and did not over eat at dinner.  I was happy to not have to deprive my self of this dish and the fun Dave and I have together making it.  Dave took the leftover ravioli to work with him today yet we were still  left with a good amount of the delicious sauce.

When I was crying I kept thinking about how I would love to take leftover pasta that was made for the kids last night, and pour the sauce all over it and stuff myself.  Once the last tear dried I did the right thing and had my oatmeal like I do every morning.  I then went downstairs and did some weight training on my own and walked on the treadmill for 40 minutes.  I now was safe for a while and felt better.

A phone call came in at lunch time pertaining to our problem.  Once off the phone, I immediately walked to the refrigerator, had the pasta container in one hand and the sauce container in the other.  I felt like I had the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other……DO IT……DON’T DO IT………  I was torn but, am proud to say that I did not succumb to the pasta and sauce.  I put it back into the refrigerator walked away and ate an apple and then made a salad as it was lunch time.  I cannot say how much better I felt in making this decision to not eat the pasta.  If I did eat it I would have thought “oh I blew it anyway, who cares”.  I decided that the weight I have lost thus far, definitely has made me feel and look better and to give in to temptation is simply not worth it.

The rest of the day has gone very well and I know I am in no danger whatsover of losing the battle today. I feel strong………

Loving the Food Network

I love watching the Food Network.  It has inspired me to cook different things, some of which have become family favorites.  I like:

Giada at Home with Giada De Laurentiis (I have all of her cookbooks). There are so many dishes of hers that I have cooked, but the one that is everybody’s favorite is, Vegetable Gratin.  It has broccoli, cauliflower, heavy cream, whole milk, fontina, provolone and pecorino romano cheese, salt, pepper and bread crumbs.  It is so easy to make. We also like, Parmesan-crusted pork chops, Chicken Florentine, Roasted Fennel with Parmesan, the list could go on and on.

Paula’s Home Cooking featuring Paula Deen of course, as well as her husband, sons, brother and others from time to time.   I have all of her cookbooks as well, and the recipes are traditional down south home cooking.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri, Next Food Network Star, any show with Bobby Flay etc.  The one show I DO NOT care for is, Sandra Lee. It isn’t the recipes because some of them look really good and they are easy to make.  She used store-bought ingredients with fresh.  The problem with the show for me anyway, is Sandra is much too perky, it looks like she doesn’t eat, and most of all……. I CANNOT stand on each show her outfit matches the kitchen decor.  This is so stupid.  It makes no sense to me at all.  Enough said.

My all time favorite show is, The Barefoot Contessa featuring Ina Garten.  I would LOVE to meet her.  I have all of her cookbooks as well and they are getting well-worn.  She is always so happy, eats her food, does really pretty table decorating (unlike Sandra Lee’s over the top “tablescapes”).   Her food is relatively simple and yet soooo delicious.  One of our favorites is a sautéed brussell sprout recipe with pancetta.  I know, most people don’t like Brussel sprouts, my husband and kids included, yet when I make this they love it.  It is so easy to make and delicious.  The recipe is as follows:

Brussels Sprouts Lardons

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 6 ounces Italian pancetta or bacon, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (2 containers), trimmed and cut in 1/2
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 3/4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the raisins and chicken stock. Lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. If the skillet becomes too dry, add a little chicken stock or water. Return the pancetta to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Homemade Chicken Stock:

• 3 (5-pound) chickens
• 3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in 1/2, optional
• 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat, and then pack the broth in quart containers.

Now I do not make the home made chicken stock, I use College in or Swanson chicken broth with works perfect and without so much work!  I am all about ease.