Still here

The news is I am still gluten and sugar free and I am not keeping up on my commitment to walk every day.

I'm back........I Ate French Fries.

Ugh.

Horrendous weekend and I am just now (Thursday) able to write about it.  Warning:  There is nothing uplifting about this story and I am going to whine....a lot!

The story starts on Friday afternoon which is when I intended to start the four to five hour drive to Richmond, Virginia.  To do this, I am going to have to drive through our nation's capital, Washington, DC.  Absolutely daunting at any time of the day or night.

I found out that our very first baseball game will not be until 9 p.m. Saturday night!  I immediately postpone the trip to Saturday morning, fully knowing too many people will be driving South of DC to the beaches.  I will deal with it, I think.  This move saves us a night in a hotel room and we can sleep in our own beds.  I'm doing well.

On Saturday morning, we skated through DC to Northern, VA, .....uh-oh.  Now we are stopped in bumper to bumper traffic and people in the HOV lanes are flying by us.  Frustrating.  We finally make it to Richmond at about 2 p.m.  My son's team wins all of their games and are in the championship game scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday night!  We finish at 11:30 p.m. and I think it will be a good idea to drive two hours to get north of DC to avoid Monday morning rush hour.  We will stay on Kent Isle, Maryland, Garsonville.

However, my GPS refuses to take me through Washington DC toward Annapolis!  It just couldn't find it's way.  After the third time around the Washington Monument, I ignored the GPS, turned North on 495 and drove home for the next three hours, angry, tired and upset.  We arrived home at about 4:30 a.m.

Food:  Over this grueling, physically demanding chaotic weekend (did I mention the heat?  95 degrees 100% humidity?) I was trying to stay on my food plan, but after the late game Saturday night I ate french fries from McDonalds, I had no resistance to ordering them.  That is one of the items I promised not to eat for my 96 day reduction effort.  I am so disappointed in myself.

Exercise: I have not been able to exercise this week because I am completely wiped out physically by this experience.  I can't wake up in the morning and when I do I am in physical pain.  And, the heat is unbearable.

Trying to keep positive.......

BAD night.

I have to report a very bad night.  There was nothing I could do to stop the food thoughts last night.  I think it's biological (hormonal).  I came very, very close to eating something not on my food plan-refined sugar! Candy!  I-wanted-CHOCOLATE.  I thought maybe if I had some dark, dark chocolate in the house, I would have allowed myself to indulge.  To soothe the craving, I over ate on things I am allowed.  Very dangerous behavior.  But not as dangerous as sugar and refined carbohydrates.  There was just nothing to satisfy my craving, finally I went to bed.

Many people would say "What harm's a little piece of chocolate going to do?"  I can tell you that at my weight and with my history, it is always the start of the next year-long binge.  I just can't have it.  I know my body.

Exercise:  Nice fast paced walk yesterday.

Food:  Well, NOT good.

More exercise!

There are some great work out moves at this link:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/you-can-do-it/tighten-it-up-workout/?page=1

I hope to add them into my routine this week.  It's been raining so much here, I need to have an alternative to going outside for my walk.  And when winter comes, an indoor workout seems like a good plan.

All of the moves in the article seem very workable with the equipment I have at home.

Finding inspiration!

Add a Bicyle

I really beat a craving for sugar the other night by eating dried apricots.  I have to remember that one!  They do have a lot of sugar, but at least it's not refined sugar and has some redeeming nutrient value.

Things are good.  I walked again on the beach yesterday, came home and hopped on a bicycle for a nice ride. Great!!!   I love the shore.  The Jersey shore.  It's home.

Food is good.  I could be eating a lot more fresh vegetables.  But I have managed to stay away from sugar, flour and fried foods.  It's going well.  The weight is not falling off, but this is all I promised myself - to cut out the junk.  Let the scale fall where it may, I can only be true to a food plan that is not too restrictive.  It won't work otherwise.  I like to eat!

It was raining this morning, I was groggy and achy, and had a funeral to sing.  I didn't walk yet today.  I should do it....still raining.

Back At It!

Holidays can be very hard on my schedule.  When I am trying to stick to a routine, holidays throw me for a loop.  Routine and schedule are really helpful when I am trying to lose weight.  In fact, losing my  routine is usually what makes me fall off the wagon, give up, then gain weight.

So, it has been five days since I last walked.  Friday - early baseball, Saturday - I don't  walk on the weekend.  Monday- a real story!  4:00 am wake up call to take hubby to the airport.  Only a few hours sleep because I let my son's friends sleep over - and I use the term "sleep" loosely!  Monday was a mess.  So, I used that as an excuse not to walk.

Today, I am again at the beach!  I am so lucky to have access to a beach house that let's me take advantage of a change in my walking routine.  Their was no hard sand today because it was high tide.  That makes walking a little more challenging!

Food:  Good.

Not Losing Fast Enough

I am at THAT point.  24 days into the new eating plan and my psyche says "Is this over yet?  Have we lost all the extra weight?"  NO, we haven't, not even close.  So, no - body, - you cannot start eating the bad stuff you are craving like a crack mama.  Keep eating whole, natural foods and you will reach the goal you have set for yourself.  So, you're feeling a little bloated.....DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

Exercise:  NONE.  Maybe this is why I am feeling a little frisky about food?

Food:  A little too many complex carbs yesterday.  Maybe this is why I am feeling a little frisky about my food?

In just 24 short days, I am already feeling and looking better.  I will not give up now.  Imagine the transformation come September?  It will be awesome!

Feeling guilty

I didn't walk yesterday and I am feeling a little guilty about it.  This is where my obsession kicks in and self defeat can take over.  I went to my son's early baseball game and missed my regular walk time.  I told myself it was too hot and muggy and I was too busy to walk any later in the day.  Was that really true?

So, I need to let it go.  I need to trust I will pick up on Monday right where I left off, no harm, no foul.

Food:  Good.  I chose 2 hard boiled eggs and a banana when I picked up my morning coffee at the local convenience store. Later that day we BBQ'd.  I had 2 hot dogs and a salad and roasted peppers.  I had two ounces of Swiss Cheese while I prepared dinner and one serving of apricots earlier in the day.  I was going to have my cereal with blueberries at night, but I passed out while watching tv and woke up at 3:30 a.m....

 Exercise: see above : (

Just Keep Plugging Along

Day 20........76 more to go.

I have not eaten sugar, flour, tortilla chips or potato chips or pizza, cake, ice-cream, well you get the picture.  And, IT'S WORKING!!!!  My stomach is definitely a more comfortable size.  Shorts I bought two weeks ago ......the dreaded size 16 ....are too big and falling off.  Please God let me continue to have the grace needed to follow my plan and be successful.

Food:  1/2 C oatmeal, 2 eggs, 1/2 large apple and 1/2 C milk;  salad with lettuce, tomato, chicken, peppers, rice, sour cream and salsa;  tilapia, broccoli with cheese and tomato for dinner.  Cheerios milk and blueberries for snack.

Exercise:  Walked in the pouring rain.  I will do this!!!  I cannot be stopped.

My 16 year old son got his driving permit yesterday.  Eager to take me on all my errands : )  I was in the passenger seat when I felt an itching sensation on my neck, I reached back and found what I thought was a skin tag, I pulled on it and tugged it from my skin......A TICK!!!!!!!!  Ugh, watching for a bullseye, but hoping my doctor will give me a round of preventive antibiotics for Lyme's disease.  I am freaking out.  It was so disgusting.  Do not want Lyme's!   Praying.

On the Road

Exhilarating!  Wow, what a weekend.  Side note:  My son plays competitive baseball.  We live in the Northeast.  Not a baseball powerhouse like the south and the west, but we have fun......  We travel a lot and we spend a lot of money to do it.  This weekend finally paid off.  My son joined a new team after four years of frustration with an organization that just did not appreciate him.  Traveling and spending money for him to play is fine, but, traveling and spending money and winning a championship - priceless!  Five come-from-behind games, including a heart attack championship.  I am exhausted.

Back on point:  My food.  I managed to eke it out and stay on my plan.  It was not as pristine as prior weekends.  Eating out for 6 meals in a row is quite a challenge when you are not eating sugar, white flour and trying to eat more fresh foods.  But, I did do it and probably had too many complex carbs like baked potato, rice and oatmeal.  I was most proud of my choices at the hotel breakfast buffet:  Egg omelet and oatmeal (plain), both mornings.  The smell of freshly minted Belgian waffles was a little distracting to say the least.

Exercise.  None on the weekend, and I feel headachy this morning.  But, I will force myself to take that 20 minute walk.