Between traveling a bit, which always leads to eating out, desserts, and no exercise, to Easter which was even more eating and even a little trip planned this week, I am way off track.  The treadmill has not been turned on in over two weeks. My diet has gone to pot. And I have had migraines and an ear infection. Ugh – But it is time. I cannot make any more excuses.

I pledge to make no more excuses. Come this weekend, I am going to be back on track full scale. And I have to do this. For the first time in my life, I have indicators of having high blood pressure. Not only does it run in my family, I am a pre-menopausal overweight woman. I have always felt great when I get my blood pressure checked because it was always in the normal range. And now, in taking it over and over, it is on the high end of normal and sometimes too high.

My doctor has given me six weeks to take my blood pressure on a daily basis and track it’s ups and downs, along with my activity and diet. I need to lose weight and get back walking. If there is no change, I will most likely have to take a blood pressure lowering medicine. I do not want to go on blood pressure medicine unless I have to. If losing weight and exercise works or helps, all the better in my book.

No more excuses people. I want to do my part in averting a health crisis. Wish me luck!

image copyright Teri Cosenzi for Burning the Scale.

Post from: Blisstree

No More Excuses!

My immediate plan is to start drinking water. More water to help me get back and track. This will definitely help me de-puff and hydrate me more to help me lose weight as well.

It is a long proven fact that hydrated people lose weight easier. And dehydrated people struggle more. If a person is dehydrated, the body overcompensates by retaining excess water as a protective measure. This alone is responsible for some excess weight. As well, a dehydrated person’s metabolism is significantly lower than a normally hydrated person. Dehydration is responsible for many people’s feelings of fatigue. Many people have lost their sense of thirst and mistake it for hunger. Drinking a glass of water will usually reduce your feelings of hunger, and at least help to make you feel fuller to start with.

My immediate plan, like I said, is to incorporate more water into my system. I am now starting my day with two glasses of room temperature water before anything else goes into my mouth. Room temperature water is less of a shock to my system and it is also known to help you “stay regular”. During the day I will be drinking water, more and more each day as I will cut down on the Diet Coke once again. My initial goal is eight glasses of water, and my glasses are larger than 8 oz., so it might be a bit harder in the beginning. But as the weather is getting warmer and I am walking outside more, and grabbing for the occasional bottle of water when exercising, it really shouldn’t be that hard.

Do you incorporate water into your weight loss plan? How much water do you drink each day?

image from stock.xchng

Post from: Blisstree

Drinking Water to Help Lose Weight.

I went on to tell her that yes, I was trying and Springing into action, so to speak. I even told her about Burning the Scale – which she still doesn’t understand. lol

It was with her urging that I run over to her house to weigh myself. Something I did not want to do this weekend, as I am just days away from that “time of the month” where everything swells and water weight is gained. But I am sooo glad I did.

As of March 16th, I have lost 9.3 pounds since the beginning of the year. Yipee!!! I have not much else to say today, as I am thrilled. And now know why my jeans are fitting more loose.

I probably would not be feeling so great if my Mom, my harshest critic, did not pay me the compliment that she did. Thanks Mom!

Post from: Blisstree

A Compliment from my Harshest Critic.

I did just come back from the grocery store, though, and as healthy snacks were on my mind, I picked up a lot of great looking treats. Tasting them might be tougher though, as I am so picky. And I hate reduced fat or calorie anything – blah – but I feel like I am doing so good with the exercise and making more sensible food choices all around (minus the Cheetos), that I need to give this a real go of it.

First off, I picked up a bunch of fruits and veggies. Apples, oranges, grapes, carrots, celery, and green peppers. I am not that big of a fruit person, but I am going to try and at least incorporate one piece of fruit into my day, along with my morning glass of orange juice. The vegetables are great – I love them raw. But the hardest part is washing them and chopping them all up. But I am going do that all at once and just store them in the fridge.

For snacky snacks, I invested (they are quite expensive) in some of those 100 calorie snack size packs. Nabisco is pretty smart, as the 100 Calorie Packs are the perfect portion and size that I should use for snacking. If only my belly tells me I am full after just one pack, I’ll be good to go. So, I picked up the Lorna Doone Cookie Crisps – this is one that I am afraid to try, Mini Cinnamon Teddy Grahams – which I am sure to love as I think they are just a bit smaller than the regular version, Cheese Nips – worried about these in the crispy chip version, and I also could not pass up the Oreo and Chips Ahoy packs either.

Lastly, I picked up a bag of unpopped popcorn. I am a HUGE popcorn person, movie theatre popcorn, bagged popcorn, microwave popcorn – you name it, I love it. But the healthiest version is just plain old popcorn. So I picked up a bag and need to have hubby go deep down into the basement and dig out my hot air popcorn popper that has not seen the light of day in years. I did look at some special popcorn salt and flavorings, but I am really going to try to just add a dash of salt to a bowl and see how I like it. Well, I know I will like it. It is just a matter of adjusting my taste to a more bland version of my favorite snack food.

I wish I had enough willpower to cut out snacking all together, as I know the pounds would come off much quicker. But who am I kidding, or most of us for that matter. We all get the munchies and should be able to satisfy our cravings, as long as we do it wisely, right?

I would love to get more healthy snack ideas, so if you have one (or more!) to share, please do so in the comments.

photos via stock.xchng.com

Post from: Blisstree

Healthy Snacking.

I do not have a scale at my house, which is probably a good thing. I hate to weigh myself, and I don’t ever want my children to stress over it. Watching your weight go up and down during the day or day to day is never good. I know that is why Weight Watchers only likes the weekly weigh-ins. And I like not feeling the pressure to be jumping on the scale.  I will admit through, I have been trying over the last few weeks, especially with increasing the exercise. This is what prompted me to get on that mean scale, though it wasn’t as mean as I thought it would be.

I will admit that I would have liked to have lost more than 6 pounds so far, as two months have gone past. But without really trying until the last two or three weeks, I can’t expect that the pounds would have just fallen off without working hard at it.

I plan to turn up the speed on the treadmill a bit. Right now, I start off slow and gradually work up to a nice pace, but it takes me almost twenty minutes before I really work up a sweat. I am going to push myself this way and not add on more time just yet, as frankly, I just don’t have the extra time to fit into my workout. So making the workout work better for me should hopefully do it for now.

I also plan to get back on the scale every weekend, basically to keep my butt in gear. I have fit in the exercise, now I need to work on the food intake and look at more healthy alternatives. That is my plan for this week and I will plan my mission and post my plan next week.

image via stock.xchng

Post from: Blisstree

6 Down – 29 More to Go!

Last Monday I took a long walk by myself. It was the beginning of school vacation, so with four kiddos home, I definitely needed it. It was great to get some fresh air, get out of the house for a brisk walk, and take the dog for a much needed walk too.

Tuesday was not so great, but as I had a last minute trip to New York City to pack and plan for, there wasn’t much time. I know, excuses, excuses. I more than made up for it on Wednesday though, with non-stop walking in New York – in a fast pace to boot. I had so much that I wanted to do in such a short period of time that I swear I was sprinting down the streets, lol. Thursday morning was a bit of more walking in the city and if you add to that pulling my luggage around,my arms certainly got a workout. By Thursday night I was exhausted and on Friday I could not have exercised if I wanted to. Besides my legs being more sore than I can remember them being in a long time, we had a winter storm that prevented me from getting back outside for a walk.

Saturday morning I made a decision to help keep my goal. I have yet to get an elliptical trainer which I still plan to get, but I made hubby drag the treadmill out from the basement and put it in my office. Yup – so it is staring me in the face and I used it for about 40 minutes on Saturday and closer to an hour yesterday. Having it right in front of me makes it easier to use it, and hopefully it doesn’t start to get cluttered with beauty products and paperwork. I swear I won’t let it – for now anyway!

Again, my goal for the week is to keep walking, and walking. I really plan to use it at least 30 minutes a day, and hopefully more. I am addicted to Y & R and I watch it every evening on Tivo, so I figured if I couple that with the treadmill, then I will be all good.

I will not get on a scale until next week, as I hate weekly weigh in’s. But twice monthly, I think I can handle.

How was your week? Have you kept any of your goals?

Post from: Blisstree

So Far So Good with the Goals.

My long-term goal is to lose 35 pounds. This I want to have accomplished by the years end. My immediate goal, is to lose 15 pounds. And by immediate, I mean that I am giving myself three months to do it. Not unrealistic at all.

You see I am going to Los Angeles for the first time in my life in the middle of May. So, that gives me three months to meet my immediate goal. Losing 15 pounds should put me down a full size to a 14, or I am hoping so anyway. I know those trendy little boutiques do not carry size 16’s, so for shopping anyway, I need to do this. Hey, anyway I can make myself do it is a good thing, right?

To jump start my weight loss – which I will do – is to make an effort to leave my house at 2:00 everyday to walk and pick up my two youngest ones from school. During the Spring and Fall, I have no problem leaving at 2:30 to get to the school and back home by 3:00. But I need more of the exercise, and I need to start it now. So, weather permitting, I will be out walking at 2:00 PM every afternoon. And by weather permitting, I am going to say that it cannot be snowing, raining, have icy sidewalks, and it has to be at least 32 degrees. Yeah – I am picky, but I know that this should allow for my walk at least three times per week. 

Baby steps, laughing as I say this. But it will certainly get easier as the days get warmer and longer.

I am curious as to your weight loss and exercise goals. Share them in the comments so we can cheer each other on and update every week.

Post from: Blisstree

Setting Some Goals.

You see, being mainly a beauty blogger, while I was in New York for Fashion Week, I was treated to zillions of new lotions, potions, and treatments that have left me with a nasty case of the hives. YUCK! I have yet to identify the culprit, and at least the hives are not all over my body, just on some select body parts but they are bad enough to leave me itchy – all over.

I have some medication that helps ease a lot of the itchiness, but it makes me feel like I am in a fog and overall sleepy – thus bitchy and sleepy. And another side effect, maybe the worst one, is that I am famished. I feel like I cannot get in enough food – not a good thing. And it is the carbs I keep reaching for. Crackers and bread, and I think I have eaten enough pasta for a month. Ugh.

The only good thing that has come of this was when I was at the Doctor on Tuesday and found out I am down six pounds since the beginning of the year! Of which I am sure five has been put back on over the past week.

I am giving my self one more week of the insanity, as I should be, at least I hope, to be cleared up of my nasty skin condition that has left me out of my element. I really wanted to do some major goal setting for the next three months, but it can wait – well it has to wait, until next week! Goals, people. It is time to set some goals.

Post from: Blisstree

Itchy, Bitchy, Sleepy & Starving.

In my search for similar options, I found a few online programs that are similar. Some are free, and some are not.

Here are the programs I am considering:

MyFoodDiary.com
This one looks to be the most comprehensive with some pretty fancy reports, but it costs $9 a month. If I knew it would be a huge help, I would not mind spending over $100 a year for it, but with so many free or cheaper versions, I would rather try one of those first.

FitDay.com
This program is free, and has an online version plus a PC version that is said to be more advanced, faster to use, and has more reporting features.

My-Calorie-Counter.com
Another free online program, that looks like it even be used as a firefox plugin. This one has lot’s of ads though, and are getting in my way as I am just exploring the site.

SparkPeople.com
The online journal and fitness tracker look to be only a part of this community – and I am really not looking for information central.

If you have tried any of these programs or are currently a user of one, please weigh in. I like real people opinions.

Post from: Blisstree

Online Food Diaries.

I started off the week with no power, so that meant two nights in a hotel – that had a very nice little gym! I forgot how much I loved Elliptical machines, and now have one on my list of things I need – really bad! I actually used that machine in the gym three times this week. The first time I got on the elliptical, I could barely make twenty minutes. But by the third time, I actually stretched my workout to twenty-five minutes, and it felt a bit easier.

I think coupled with the fact that the exercise actually made me feel better, a known fact from a report I did over on Aging Fabulous this week, I decided to start shopping for an upcoming trip to New York City. I really had to go shopping as all of my nicer, dressy pants were too big for me! w00t!!! You have no idea what this did to my psyche, and made me want to work just a little harder at getting my self into shape, down a few more sizes, and overall more healthy!

I actually jumped on the treadmill on Friday for almost thirty minutes, and I made sure to do this little fitness challenge that is on the Wii Sports. I made up two little Mii’s (little Wii avatars) and do a challenge that it sets for each one. (The system only lets you do one per person per day, so that is why I set up two.) The training it selected for me was tennis, boxing, and baseball. Each set takes less than ten minutes, but really gets me moving, especially my upper body, and I even broke a sweat in my second round of boxing. I know that if you have not used the Wii, this may sound greek to you, but I have fun doing it, and it was really simple to add it into my day.

As far as eating went, we had to eat out more than normal, and I selected salad all of the time except once, when I had lunch yesterday. We were in a restaurant famous for it’s steak burgers, but I selected a Turkey burger, on a whole grain roll, and immediately cut it in half. And I am proud to say that I only ate the half – slowly, I may add – and it filled me up. I think I had two or three french fries, and they truly did not appeal to me, so that was great too.

I am not going to kid myself, as the next few weeks will be difficult. I am swamped this week, but will make sure I fit in my Wii Challenges everyday at the treadmill at least three times this week. The following week, I will meet Christina and Shannon in New York for five days where we will be treated to a lot of food, fun, and cocktails. But I am not too worried as we will be walking most everywhere, so it should balance everything out. Well, I hope so at least.   I plan to eat more slowly, especially when going out to see if I get full like I did yesterday. And I still plan to cut down on the diet coke, which did not go at all as planned this week.

Please be sure to check out the comments on all of the posts over the last few weeks here, as I have found some great suggestions from readers, and invite you to still submit your ideas and inspiration.

Post from: Blisstree

Just a Wee Bit Better this Week!