Friday, October 22, 2010

Don't Tempt Yourself


Here I am with my friend, Elmo Williams. Elmo is 97 years old and still going very strong. Funny, I don't think Elmo looks any older than I do in this picture! Elmo just wrote a play that opened locally here in Brookings. I loved it; as it was all about what Elmo believes. He is a rare person, who has not lost his belief in the good in people. I have seldom heard him utter any remark showing his dislike for someone and he doesn't complain about life. Sure his knees hurt and I'm sure he feels old every once in awhile, but we don't hear about it. He isn't one to give an "organ recital". We ate lunch with two other friends up in Gold Beach at Rollin Dough. Thank you Laura and Geoff for driving us up there! Laura took the picture of Elmo and I. I am afraid that I didn't leave bread on my plate and I succumbed to a dessert that I shared with Elmo. At least I shared it. The moral of the story is for me to find other activities other than eating out! Apparently my self control does not exist!

Yesterday I met up with June Ruby-Bloom , our weight control coach, and some of those that are on the same diet plan as I am. It was good thing to hear what others are doing, how much weight they have lost and their goals for the future. It has slapped me across the head the reality that I need to stay on track and not to fool myself into thinking I can fool around with the fat in my gut. I need to just plain loose it!


Cora was so inspirational. She has lost 25 lbs. I could not believe the difference in her face alone! She is wearing a loose size 6 pants! I need to go where Cora has gone. She is dedicated to staying on the plan period. I fool myself into thinking I can eat a little of that and a little of this....but in reality she has succeeded and I have hung out with self satisfaction of being just thinner instead of as thin as I need to be! I will think, "Cora, Cora, Cora" whenever I head for the few almonds or the extra vegetables. At least I haven't found myself eating a peanut butter sandwich! Whew missed that bullet. Cora is a senior citizen like myself. If she can do it, I can! I can! I can!


We are meeting again next on November 10, at 2:00 at Mo Joe's on Chetco Avenue next to the theater. They have a conference room they let us sit in. I will be at least 5 lbs thinner at that next meeting! I am bringing a couple friends so they can see the possibilities for themselves.
It isn't raining this morning so I am soon to be out on the Winchuck River Road doing my three miles with our little Maggie. Maggie now expects to go for that walk; which is a good thing. I seldom will ignore the needs of my pets, but easily blow off what I need!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Jillian Michaels Kicked My Butt





I did Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred video this morning learning that I am not any shape at all! I walked a total of 14 miles last week feeling pretty dern good about myself until Jillian woke me up with her kick butt workout.

It has been at least ten minutes since being in the living room making a fool of myself with an effort to follow this video. My legs are still wobbling about as I walk into the kitchen to get another glass of water.

I have decided that sweat is a good thing, so the fact that I stink is no problem at all. It is that I know just how far I must go before I can say, "Yes, I am fit". I may never have a rock hard body like Jillian. After all, I am almost 70 years old. I imagine that the skin will still flutter while riding a motorcycle down the highway or catching a breeze at the beach. I don't even think in terms such as "rock hard" when it comes to my body. I have a goal to be fit. Fit will have to take into account that I am a senior citizen.

I will not give up. I believe that if I do this video 10 times within a reasonable time period, I will see that the legs hold up longer and maybe one glass of water will be enough to recover. I can still feel my calves feeling like mush as I sit here. Let's see what I have to say about Jillian's torture next time! LOL

Monday, October 18, 2010

The Pleasure Wearing a Size 8

I had a luncheon to attend on Saturday, where spiffing it up a bit was a requirement. I pulled on my rather new Ann Taylor black slacks in size 12 to find that I could not wear them. They were not only baggy, they looked awful! I was upset facing the wardrobe challenge in front of me, but being pleased with being too small for the pants. I found another pair of pants that passed making only minor changes to what I was wearing necessary.

I am a three minute woman. I wash, slather on a layer of makeup, grab something to wear and out the door I go. I had to ponder, plan and work much harder on the end result than I am used to. Change is uncomfortable even if it is good change.

After the luncheon, I stopped at our local CC's Consignment Shop knowing they would have a good selection of pants to choose from. I was right. There were several pair of black pants to try on. I chose some 10's and one pair of size 8. Ya sure, size 8 was only a dream! To my surprise, the size 8 pants fit perfectly! I didn't even put on the size 10's. Needless to say, my husband and anyone else that came within ear shot heard about the size 8 pants. I was on cloud 9!

I am no longer round. I am no longer pudgy. I am no longer wearing long sweaters or jackets to hide the truth of who I am. I still could loose a few pounds in my middle. But, I am no longer feeling unhealthy and unfit.

I walked 5 miles on Wednesday, 2 miles on Friday and Sunday and today I walked 3 miles. My two miles can now be 3 and my 5 can be further if I want it to be. The only bread I've had this last week was the wrap on the luncheon plate sandwich. I don't miss bread, but I do miss fruit; which I am about to re-introduce in my diet this week. I've only had a few blueberries in a shake once in awhile. Now, I plan to eat an apple from my orchard enjoying every bite! I want an apple before the bears find them.

On my walk this morning I saw two large bear piles along the road. Bears don't digest very well showing off clearly what they last ate. Our local bears have been eating local apples! Not mine, thank you. Mr. Bear, go find someone else's apples. Mine are taken!

I made a plan to walk to Gold Beach, a town 25 miles North of me. I am almost there! Now I will plan to walk to Port Orford; which is 50 miles North of me. The trail will go on until I reach Washington State. Maybe by then I can plan to walk to the East Coast! I love walking with our little Maggie. Maggie loves the walks as much as I do sniffing the local wild life, and finding interesting left behinds from the bears and deer.

I'll plan another "short" walk tomorrow and then on Wednesday; I am going to Gold Beach (in a car) with two friends for lunch at Rollin in Dough. We all know how fabulous Rollin in Dough is!! I bet even their lowest calorie dishes will be to die for.

Onward marching I shall go forward with my mouth kept in check and body moving as much as the old bones will go!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Just How Far Can I Walk?


I made the five mile walk up the Winchuck River Road with hardly any sweat; which clearly means I need to step up what I expect from myself. I did a two mile walk today trying to increase my speed. It also was easy for me. I can feel myself improving on a daily basis! I wonder just how far I can walk and still feel pretty good? I will do 6 miles next Wednesday and if that feels OK, I will increase it by a mile each Wednesday until enough is enough. On other days, I will do the two miles time permitting or I will be sure to get no less than 30 minutes of something cardio every day. I have that dreaded treadmill, 4-5 videos and my Wii Fit. I can keep busy!


I am still not able to start the weight loss again. I know this happens to everyone at some point, so I am just holding on waiting for the weight to start falling off again. I will not quit. That is not an option. I am drinking over 8 glasses of water a day since reading that it can increase your ability to loose weight. No worries, I won't drink enough to hurt me.


I used my new hand weights yesterday and watched what I ate. I didn't eat over my 1200 calories. I went to bed hungry. I decided that feeling hungry is a positive instead of a signal to stuff something into my mouth. I plan to feel hunger in my life without feeling the need that has always gone hand and hand with that pang in my stomach. One doesn't have to eat just because your body tells you that it wants to. Get over it, Karen.


Taking a shower the other day, I realized that I didn't recognize my legs. They belong to the new me....the thinner me! I wear smaller t shirts that hug my body without showing off disgusting rolls around my middle. I have lost most of my excess midriff. I still have a belly, but that will also leave. I wonder if my toes will get thinner. Does that happen?


I took a necklace that hung all wrong with the weight loss and removed some of the links. It worked and now I don't have to give it away as I had planned. It fits the thinner me.


I am aware that I am hungry as I type this. It must be the walk that used up the shake and bar that I had earlier. I will drink two glasses of water to see if the feeling leaves. If it doesn't, I will find pleasure knowing that hungry means thinner. It isn't a bad thing to be hungry. I will not submit to instant gratification. I have a backbone. I can be in control of what I do.


I am going to a luncheon tomorrow. I will not eat the dessert! I will not! I will give it to someone before I take a bite. I will not eat the roll and I will not eat anything unless I can look at it and know it will be a healthy choice and not a crap choice. I look forward to the fashion show. Maybe it will even encourage this "diet" of mine. I won't be buying any new clothes until I find myself at a good weight where I feel good, pass my cholestroel test and before my skin is hanging around my ankles. I am not going to be obsessive about my weight. I will be obsessive about being fit and healthy whatever weight that is.


I have bought some clothes at the thrift store. I haven't lost my need to have fun looking for bargains. They were things that will fit now and later like a pull over silk sweater and pull on cool lime colored linen pants to wear on hot days. I love loose linen pants that allow the breeze to float up and around. They were size 10. I believe that I will be wearing an 8 when I am through...possibly a 6, but that might be thinner than I need to be.
More later. Come back to see my progress. Holding pattern at the moment.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Taking a Walk on the Wild Side

The person on the far right is me at age 17 with my girlfriends. Look at that body! It is now approximately 50 years later. Where did the original me go?
I am getting myself ready for a 5 mile walk this morning. I figure that 2.5 miles is easy enough so I'll walk up river until I get that far. Maggie will enjoy sniffing her way along; if I don't end up dragging her because I'll be walking so fast! LOL That will be the day. Maggie has more energy than she knows what to do with.


I will need to get home somehow, so I will huff and puff my way back the 2.5 miles home. I'd love to take a trail into the woods, but something in my old mind keeps thinking about turning my ankle, Maggie getting hurt or a cougar following us and just what would I do about it if I was alone, unseen and unfound? Those anxious feelings will keep me on the road. Ten years ago, I would head into unknown territory without hesitation. Am I wiser or am I just more chicken? The Winchuck River Road is beautiful going up river, but Mags will have to stay on a leash all the way in case a lumber truck or a late riser deciding to go into town zooms by.


Salmon season has ended so our daughter will be heading back to the Bay Area. Jim will be free to take a hike with me then. Fishing always comes first in this family. Jim will willingly go into the woods with me and Mags. One of our favorite places is Wheeler Creek, where you can end up at the only place the Japanese bombed the United States in WWII. That can be next week.


Meantime, I will be safe alone on the road or at least some place where someone might notice me sitting crying because I turned that right ankle again. Funny how once you turn an ankle pretty bad, that ankle will hang on the rest of your life just waiting for a slight mistake in footing. It crunches and brings tears to my eyes each and every time. If I wait a few minutes, I often have no problem walking on it, but it is sore for a week or two afterwards. My fear is that one of these days, it won't let me walk like when I fell stepping into the boat 20 some years ago. Our first lab, Molly, sat in the boat with me while I laid there unable to move for at least an hour. Jim helped me hobble to the car. I had to fly to Indiana for a furneral a few days later. Without 500 mg of Tynenol, I could not have made that trip.


I read a list of ways to burn 500 calories per hour on the web this morning. It was funny that I can not possibly do any of those activities such as play squash for an hour, run at some impossible pace, or get on a bike and ride faster than I can drive our road. I guess my fate is to burn no more than 100 or so calories per hour and be satisfied that I can still do that! Just to walk 5 miles will be enough satisfaction for one day.


I received my heart monitor and hand weights I ordered. I have to set up the heart monitor this morning so I can see if I get my heart rate up to where the walking is actually a cardio workout. Somehow, I now look at sweat as a good thing. It usually means I am at the level of movement I need to be. I'm leaving the hand weights home for today. Can you imagine huffing up that last hill towards home lugging those things? I can't. My fat *** will be enough to haul up the hill.


Have a good think-thin day on me!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Travels to Thin




I'm going to use the blog to write down my random skinny thoughts while on my journey to be thinner.




Yesterday, I got to walk on the beach since the bar was closed for ocean fishing. Jim was home to watch my mom. When I got home an hour later, the bar opened. Mags and I did our 1.58 miles from the parking place to the Winchuck River and back to the car. Walking the beach is so much easier than using the treadmill. I can get off that treadmill any time; which at the beach I have to get back to the car + I have to go to the bathroom like crazy making me hurry as fast as I can.
I meet up with Mary pictured above on most early morning walks. You can see that she is in pretty good shape. These morning walks are amazing and so good for me and also for Mags, my canine companion. I plan to double up the walk as 1.58 miles only takes approx. 30 minutes. I need to walk for an hour to burn more fat and calories.
Today, Jim got out on the water early so I was forced into getting on the treadmill. I find it boring. I also need to move a lamp, so I have a clear view of the TV screen. Something has to make it better. I can't leave my mom alone to do what I wish I could. I plan to use a DVD of Jillian Michaels on days I have to stay home, but could not find the controller to the DVD! Hopefully, Jim will know where it is. I want to work out in the living room where I have more room and also mom won't be in her chair snickering at me. I cannot stand snickers from my mother just like I couldn't stand it when I was a kid. Some people love making fun of others...remind me not to do it! It is hard to jump around sweating like a pig knowing how clumsy you are looking and listening to someone laughing at you. Some day, when I am skinny and fit, maybe I will feel differently??? LOL
I'm doing good watching my intake of food today. I left my log book open on the counter so I can write down everything that goes in my mouth. That certainly helps and keeps me from lying to myself. I'm good at that.
Since August 25th, I have lost 1 inch around my waist and 4 inches on my hips. No wonder my pants feel baggy in the butt! They are!! Yae!!
I'll come back in a day or two to update my travels to the thin side of the world.
Weight today 143 Goal Weight 122

Saturday, October 09, 2010

A Journey to a Skinny Me



June Ruby-Bloom Before






June Ruby-Bloom Looking Good

in size 6 pants! She started with size 12!




I was introduced to a Take Shape For Life by June Ruby-Bloom (pictured above), who I have known for a couple years here in Brookings, OR. June isn't quite as old as me, but she suffered from that dreaded midriff bulge that we often find as part of being a senior citizen. I laugh when I think of becoming a box. Being short at 5'3", it doesn't take much to get me to look square with my boobs, midriff, waist and hips all becoming the same size around.




It didn't take the inner scientist in me to see that the product she was using worked. The before and after pictures told it all. I took the leap into dealing with that dern midriff of mine. I ordered the product and found that it didn't taste yucky like I thought it would. I wasn't hungry following the plan and that energy that I am infamous for remained intact.


In the first weeks, I lost weight amazingly fast getting down 18 pounds and most of it seemed to come off of that tire I was carrying around my middle. Sure, now that the initial weight has fallen off, my weight loss has slowed down. I am now committed to an exercise program that will help get me to that next level. My goal is to loose 15-20 more pounds. Don't worry, I will stop before my old skin starts gathering around my ankles.


I discovered that square women lack owning belts. Why would we emphasize our middle? I found my pants feeling like they would fall off whether they would or not...the feeling was there. I had to buy a belt after wearing Jim's belt one day to get my pants from feeling too big. I really don't plan to purchase new clothing before I end up where I want to be. I'll just gather it up with my two new cute belts that I found at Ross for Less at approximately $20 for both.


I wore one of the belts last night and was delighted to notice that even with the belt, you could see that the pants were baggy on me! I love baggy at this point. Baggy is a statement of success!


My jackets can now be zippered up without disclosing what I use to hide. I am no longer the open jacket queen often including a scarf hanging down to elongate my look and hide the bulge above my pants. Last night I wanted to wear this over sized necklace that I love. It appeared too big...too much for me and hung differently no longer content to lie across my upper chest. It wanted to hang lower. I didn't end up wearing it and think it will be a gift for someone larger than me! I don't have the necessary shelf for it to sit on.


I'm not interested in selling any product, but I do want to share my success. If it looks like a good choice for you, I'm sure June would be pleased to sign you up.


I am due to go for a check up with the doctor in about 9 weeks. I plan to pass my cholestrol test with flying colors. I will not need to take stantons if I can help it! I will not follow in my family tradition of developing diabetis because we would rather eat than be healthy. The tradition stops with me. I am already beating the loss of bone mass. I am active. I do many things that are weight bearing and I credit my active lifestyle for not copying my mother's severe bone loss. Her bone images look like spider webs! I have no bone loss in my hips and only slightly in my lower back; which the doctor says is normal for my advanced age. I plan to keep the old bones as solid as possible.


We all die, but I plan to die healthy as can be. I will die because it is time; not because I didn't care enough to do my best with the life I have been given. Amen


I will keep you updated on my progress and post a before and after picture soooooon!

We Welcome You to Our Blog!



We blog about our rural area in the Pacific Northwest . This blog is all about my life and the places where my mind wonders from day to day. Have fun reading and looking at pictures. We welcome comments.

Be sure to watch, just above this blurb, my husband, Jim, using his 10 foot hands-free electric fishing kayak

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Be sure to check out the separate blog to find out about our electric kayak, Kingfisher 10! You can find the blog at http://electrickayakkingfisher-10.blogspot.com . You can also read the features list on this kayak and purchase building plans and building kits at www.winchuckriverstore.com .

About Me

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We moved to our current home on the Wild River Coast of Southern Oregon from San Jose, CA. Our family consist of Jim and Karen, two dogs and two cats. Karen's passion is gardening. Jim's obsession is building electric powered fishing kayaks and fishing.