Sugar Lips

The best kind of sugar to touch my lips on Valentine's Day would be the SUGAR LIPS my silly sister (you know, the one checking on my game plan) sent me and hubby for Valentine's Day! Thanks!

Motivators

Let me tell you about my biggest exercise motivator.  It is not the slim and sexy visions of me I have in my head when I get in shape.  It is not the several sizes smaller new clothes I might buy when the weight is off and I'm buff.  And just to be healthy, it's not the vision of me walking strongly with even steady breathing up the hills at work.  Nope, my biggest motivator is the threat my oldest sister has over my head... "I'll be checking on you tomorrow to see if you stuck to your game plan for tonight."  I would rather exercise til the cows come home than to have to explain to Ellen why I didn't stick to the "game plan".  At 45 years-old, who would of thought this would be my biggest "fear".  Thanks, Sis!

It only takes a minute

Yesterday, I had the heart wrenching job of having my oldest dog put to sleep.  He was very ill and it was time but neither reality made it any easier.  The reason I am passing on this personal news is to discuss how I handled the situation...with food. 

Stuffing my emotions with food (my usual pattern) hasn't worked for the last 45 years so I've been trying to change this behaviour...and I have been moderately successful.  But yesterday, it only took a minute for all the bad habits to come back.  Last night, I devoured an entire package (minus 5) of double stuffed Oreos.  Luckily, I threw the remaining 5 out once I started really feeling ill because I was looking for them this morning.  Today, I had ice cream for breakfast and a handful of butter cookies for lunch (my husband is out of town so technically, I don't have to cook if I don't want to). 

Well, now that all this damage is done, I will climb back on the proverbial horse and start relearning better habits again.  Just remember, it takes a while (3 months, I think) to learn a habit but it only takes a minute to demolish it. 

Habits

Today, I was excited because I lost 1.8 pounds.  After the last few weeks where I see-sawed with my weight, I knew I had to get more serious than I was (which, truthfully, wouldn't take much).  So....I buckled down...I recorded what I ate in my food diary, I packed healthy breakfasts and lunches, I watched snacking, drank no wine last week, ate healthy dinners, and (finally) ate dessert (I love dessert!!!) but in small portions.  I did this almost all week, falling gently off the wagon later in the week but all in all doing a very successful reining in of my overindulging habits. 

BUT, then I had to find out what my citation fee was for the accident from 1/4/11.  Ooooooohhhhh, what a mistake...I wasn't prepared....$231.00 dollars???!!!  Are you kidding me???!!!  OOOKAY...Get out of the way...GIVE me that piece of cake...Chomp, Chomp Chomp......

My, my, my...how easily those bad habits come roaring back!!  Well, thank goodness I have a whole week ahead of me to get it all back under control. 

Temptations!

Sundays are my weigh day.  And this Sunday I put back on the weight I lost last Sunday!

I could blame it on being stuck at home all last week...I could blame it on lack of exercise...I could blame it on not keeping my food journal....(all of which are very true)...but I think I'll blame it on temptation.  While stuck at home, instead of exercising, moving my food journal off the counter (because it was in the spot I wanted to put the mixer), I baked temptations...and then I ate those temptations. 

Thank goodness, today, in Sam's, I looked lovingly at the box of glazed lemon filled Krispy Kreme donuts...and then moved on....with no donuts in my cart.

Take that temptation!

Puttering is good for the Soul

I have a tendency to lament "I never seem to have any time!"  Well, I'm finishing up Day 3 of being snowbound at home.  Do you think I did anything on my long list of "I never seem to have any time" chores?  Of course not!  However, I did hike around a lot in the snow (I really love to hear my boots breaking the ice as I then sink down into the snow.  It taps into the little kid in me...kind of like stomping in a rain puddle).  I did putter around the house in long johns, t-shirt and my sock monkey slippers.  I did cook a wonderful pot of P.S. Soup.  I did keep my hands from mindless snacking.  All in all, a good day.

The Big Freeze

Okay, here it is, Day 2 of the 1st BIG FREEZE for 2011.  It is the...2nd day I have been unable to get out of my driveway...2nd day I have been unable to get to work...2nd day I have been unable to destress by giving my dogs a good walk.

My one dog loves the snow.  He could run in it forever it seems.  It's not only good exercise for me, it is a pleasure to watch his pure joy in running around in the white stuff.  This time, though, ice formed very quickly on top of the snow and he was having none of it.  He reminded me a lot of Bambi when Bambi hit the ice and all legs went askew.  Potty breaks now consist of stepping off the porch and back in. 

Well, stuck inside, trying not to eat everything in sight (with a million things I can constructively be doing but not wanting to do any of them), I decided I could take no more.  At 8:00 a.m. this morning, I took the dogs out for their potty time, brought them back in and went back out with my husband's stopwatch (I wanted to know how long I hiked around).  I hiked all over our two and half acres.  I followed deer tracks, I followed coyote tracks, I followed my own tracks.  Up the hill, down the hill.  Each step, I crunched through ice and at least 4" snow. 

When done (12 min and 41 sec later), I felt better for having done something, having moved around, having stopped the creeping crazies.  I then had a cup of coffee and began, again, to try to keep myself busy until the next time I just had to get out of the house.  At least at this point, I'm not mindlessly eating.