Christmas in July

Do you know the carol "The 12 Days of Christmas?"

Today I'm singing the most important line, slightly altered.

"Five RUNNING miles!"

In a row. At 5.4 mph. And a 4.5 incline.

Yay!

Try On Triumph

Do you know that feeling? The feeling you get when, after a long summer of not wearing blue jeans, the weather gets a little colder and you head to the closet, pulling a pair off the shelf. You're worried. It's been a few long months. You're a little scared to pull them on because deep down inside, you're quite worried that they're not going to fit.

And when they don't fit, you have to go buy a bigger size.

So with literal fear, and while holding your breath, you begin to pull them on. Some might do it slowly, to ease into the potential disappointment. I always did it quickly, to get the bad news over with as fast as possible.

Today I pulled on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in more than two months.

They fit. Better than they did when I last wore them, even though my actual weight hasn't really changed.

Sweet.

Shopping for Women at Woodman's

Tomorrow is a big day ... Jim and I are going trail riding with friends and I'm so excited! No, not on bikes. On horses! And I simply can't wait. In preparation for our big day out, we stopped at Woodman's tonight to pick up supplies for the trail lunch and the cookout afterward at our house.

As we were scurrying to get the stuff we needed (you know how this goes, you leave the produce department confident you've gotten everything and then make three trips back because you haven't), Jim stops me and says,

"See that woman over there? The one in the black pants and bright shirt?" (Boy to fashion translation: black yoga capris and a neon green tank.)

"Yeah," I say as I spot the blond woman by the chips.

"You look like her."

"Huh?" I reply. She's blond and young and there's no way I look like her. "No I don't."

"No, you don't LOOK like her. Your body shape and size are like hers. You always say you can't tell what you look like and I'm telling you ... you're the same size as she is."

I scowl at him and keep walking.

There's no way I look like that. He's patronizing me. And that irritates me.

"I'm bigger than she is. I know you're trying to be nice. But I'm definitely bigger than she is."

"No," he says. "You're the same size as her. And I'm not being nice. You're both about this wide." And he holds his hands up, palms perpendicular to the ground, as if measuring my hips.

This cracks me up. But I dare not let him see it.

And I secretly smile to myself. That chick was smaller than I thought I was.

Maybe this healthy thing is working after all.

Afternoon Delight

I tried working out in the afternoon yesterday. (So, no ... not the afternoon delight you were thinking of!) Why? Well, a dire tragedy Wednesday morning led me to skip my regular workout. Yes, you guessed it. The storms knocked out the satellite and I didn't want to be down in the basement for an hour without TV. So I skipped. Pathetic, right?

Anyway, since Jim had a late dentist appointment and since he had thoughtfully put the turkey breast in the crockpot so there was nothing requiring my immediate attention when I got home, I had a few minutes to spare before our unofficial dinner hour.

I hustled in the back door, changed my clothes, ducked downstairs, tied my shoes and ran for 2 miles.

It felt funny to be working out at that hour of the day. In the beginning, I always worked out in the early evening. But last fall I started hitting it in the morning and haven't really looked back. I was curious to see how different it would feel.

My stretching was better/easier ... after a full day of moving, I wasn't as stiff as I normally am in the early morning. I wasn't any more or less tired during the run itself. And, it made me feel like I "earned" my dinner.

In other words, it was a nice change of pace.

I was worried that I'd feel it this morning ... that I wouldn't have enough recovery time for my 4 a.m. workout (and yes, ugh!). But it was OK.

However, I'm not going back down there tonight. I'm just too tired.

New Favorites

1. Butterball Boneless Breast "roast" ... cajun flavor. OMG. This is so yummy. Stick it in the crockpot and I dare you to not eat the whole thing in one sitting.
2. Lemon Cream Pie yogurt.
3. Flavored Almonds and Wasabi Peas from Farm & Fleet ... so much cheaper than anywhere else!
4. McDonald's ice cream cones at only 180 calories.
5. Gray's Diet Cream Soda

I Love Him and I Hate Him

Dear Candy Man,

You're killing me.

You bring that little jug of assorted candy into every big meeting we have. Meetings where nerves are on edge and the pressure is high. Meetings at which we have to sit for hours on end, listening to each other babble through the same song and dance we've listened to 100 times before, with nothing to do but nibble.

You bring it because you're nice. But let's be honest ... you're like my dealer. Those little Heath bars are like crack cocaine to a former big girl. And one little piece doesn't seem like such a big deal. Not a big deal, that is, until the 7th time I take one as the jug passes by.

And as for that enormous, automatic dispenser of goodies like Mike & Ikes or Skittles on your desk ... just plain overkill.

But I'm so glad it's there. And I wish I wasn't.

Your faithful servant,

Miss Daisy

Planning a Day Off

The good news? I ran 4 continuous miles during a 5.5 mile workout Friday morning. And I walked about 3.5 miles in my butt-sculpting shoes Saturday, on a gravel road with many very steep and very long hills.

The bad news? My knees were killing me by Saturday afternoon.

The remedy? I took Sunday off. No workout. Wasn't that careful of what I ate. Just sort of took the day off.

The point? Rest is an important ingredient in your overall workout plan and it something you should actually schedule. Your muscles and joints need a break when you're hitting it hard. Your body needs good sleep and recovery time, too. Your metabolism needs a break from a regimented diet, so you can keep it guessing to prevent it from settling into a routine.

It's just good for your head, too.

You Think You Have It Tough ...

Just got back home from a whirlwind weekend trip to see my in-laws in southern Missouri. Aside from the issue of trying to find something to do besides EAT when you're in the car for 16 hours, it was a great visit.

One of the best parts was seeing my new mother-in-law.

No, my father-in-law didn't marry again. But I bet he sort of feels like he did because my MIL is looking GREAT.

For those of you who think losing weight is tough, consider this:

My MIL is over 65. On Christmas Day 2009, she and my FIL were in a pretty bad car accident in which she shattered her ankle, messed up an already damaged hip and screwed up her thumb among other things. This led to some time in an assisted living center, lots of rehab, a wheel chair, walker and such ... a really long and painful recovery. Once the ankle and thumb/wrist were OK, it was time to get an artificial hip. She knew the hip surgery and recovery would be so much better if she lost some weight before undergoing the knife.

So she did. She chose to count calories. And it's working.

Now understand ... because of the trauma her body has been through in the past year and a half, getting a lot of physical exercise really isn't an option. She's succeeding by watching what she eats and sticking to it. In other words, she's made up her mind and is doing it. Without a treadmill. Without a gym. Without a lot of hoopla

I'm so impressed. Talk about having the odds stacked against you! (And did I mention that she has a little, skinny husband who requires strawberry ice cream in the house at all times, too?) I'm happy to report that the hip replacement was a success, and she's getting around really well ... though too slow for her taste, of course. Recoveries are just never fast enough for us, are they?
Just goes to show you that your brain is the most important muscle of all. And if you can get it set right, the rest of them will follow.

Unexpected Benefit of Being Thinner #23

It's SOOOOOO much easier to tie your shoes.

Sad, but true.

More Fish, Please

Question from Anonymous: How do I work more fish into my week?

Answer: Fish is hard. At least it is for me. If we lived on a coast where it was fresh with more variety that was more readily available, it might be easier. But I have a hard time getting the timing right ... get it out of the freezer at the right time to get it thawed on a day that I am actually home to cook.

So, I honestly eat more fake crab than any other fish. It has a longer fridge shelf life, which works better with my life/schedule. But I LIKE other fish, too. So here are some options. A few of you have husbands who bring home fresh catches and I bet you have even better ideas ... leave a comment with your favorite recipe!

Fake Crab

• Flaked in ordinary lettuce salads
• Combined with some creamy and crunch stuff, then put in pita pockets, tortillas or on crackers (I usually make it like this: http://carsickcaravan.blogspot.com/2010/12/crabby.html
• Melty in enchiladas (a little low fat cream cheese/sour cream/lowfat chees and green onion combo)

 Haddock/Perch/Cod

• In "hobo packs" on the grill (make an aluminum foil pouch with lemon pepper, onions and a little butter/margarine/oil)
• Seasoned and grilled with lime/chipotle seasoning to use in fish tacos with chipotle mayo

Salmon/Tuna Steaks
I'm a recent convert here. I am actually starting to like these varieties. The texture used to gross me out, but I'm changing my tune. I like them rubbed with blackening seasoning and grilled best. Though I have baked them in the oven.

Scallops/Shrimp
Just give them a little oil, s&p and a kabob skewer and away you go!

Secret Weapon
I frequently order fish when I'm at a restaurant. Why? Because while grilling fish outside is easy and delicious, I don't always like to cook fish in the house because the smell sticks around too long. And, when I order it out, most restaurants give you too much for one meal. So I eat half and take half home. When it's leftover night, I have a fish option!

Applebee's "Under 500 Calorie" meals include some good fish options. Even Texas Roadhouse has a grilled shrimp appetizer that's yummy. You get a LOT of shrimp for very few calories.

Y'All Make My Butt Hurt

OK, not all of you. Just Amber and my Crazy Cousin.

And they make my butt hurt in a GOOD way. Here's how:

In a brief water-fountain-fly-by conversation with Amber the other day, I learned that she was still training for her upcoming 5K in this unbearable heat. She said she just waits until about 8 p.m. and then it's "not so bad."

And I told you yesterday about my Crazy Cousin's current bike riding and walking obsession ... how she just can't sit still.

Those two things planted themselves in my head and last night I decided that I should go for an extra walk once the sun began to set. After all, the Dirty Girl 5K is quickly approaching and I should log some actual outdoor miles to get in the swing of things, right?

So I put on my butt sculpting tennis shoes and a headband and hit the road.

I did about three miles, and neither the heat nor the bugs were too bad. If I had to guess, I was doing about a 4.3 mph pace on the winding, rolling road in front of my house.

The most surprising thing? Walking downhill. I felt like a marionette ... like my legs were connected with strings and didn't bend or move like they should. I think I'm so accustomed to walking at my steady uphill pitch that my body was all discombobulated on the downside of every hump. It was actually funny as I tried to put one foot in front of the other and land properly.

The other discovery? Those butt sculpting shoes, whose claims I thought were kind of bogus, might actually work. My gluteus is SORE today. It's probably a combination of the shoes and the hills.

And, like I said, I'm blaming Amber and Crazy Cousin.

I'm hoping to pay it forward, too, and now make YOUR butt hurt. Have fun!

One Good Thing Leads to Another

There's a commercial on Channel 3 during the early morning rotation that's for some healthy-ish breakfast cereal. The tagline goes something like, "One good decision leads to another." It shows a woman on a split screen, on one side she's eating said healthy cereal for breakfast, while on the other she eats a fast food sandwich. On one side she chooses healthy snacks during meetings, while on the other she grabs a donut. On one side, she plays with her kids at the park, while on the other she sits on the park bench and watches them swing. You get the idea.

I like it because I think it's true.

When I get up and work out right away, I feel like I've put forth some effort (albeit before I was fully conscious) and now I "owe" it to myself to not wreck it with a Big Mac for lunch. And if I eat a good lunch, I don't want to "ruin" the day with crappy afternoon snacks. And if I manage to avoid crappy snacks, I want to continue the run with a decent dinner. And if I can get a decent dinner under my belt, bedtime is so close that it's pointless to tarnish the day with a sugar-laden, before-bed treat.

And I'm not the only one.

I spoke with my Crazy Cousin today. She is training for the Best Dam Bike Ride, a two-day, 100-miles-per-day event. After a three-day ride in Northern Wisconsin last week where she put on 60, 70 and 50 miles respectivley, she says she can't sit still. She's been walking on these hot nights just because it feels good to MOVE.

In other words, she can't get enough and she's loving it.

To those of you who haven't started yet, know that it CAN happen. One good thing can lead to another.

But you have to start.

Fast Food Fundamentals

I received a request yesterday for suggestions on how to make sure there were healthy options on hand all the time to make meal preparation fast and easy.

See this post for some suggestions: http://carsickcaravan.blogspot.com/2010/11/staples-save-skinny.html.

And to that list I'd add a bag of lettuce, baked Scoops, light buttermilk ranch dressing and slivered almonds. When I'm in a hurry, I tend to lean toward a salad, the turkey dogs or scrambled eggs.

My salads are heavy on the raw veg and lettuce (like, fill a mixing bowl), and light on the cheese, meat and something with chew factor like baked chips or almonds. I mix and match ingredients. Two of my favorite go-tos are:

• Fake crab with almonds and shredded low-fat cheddar
• Chicken heated with a little taco seasoning, baked chips and queso fresco or feta

If there's good stuff on hand, you're more likely to eat it. 

Packin' Snacks

Like a mom with a two-year-old, I bring snacks nearly everywhere I go these days. And yes, sometimes it's even little plastic containers of Cheerios or Goldfish Crackers.

I pack my own snacks because I'm never quite sure what kind of food I'll find at any given destination and I just never know when I might be hungry.

And since I don't want to get stuck somewhere with only a vending machine filled with crap or a convenience store filled with more crap as my options, I find it better for me to plan ahead a little and bring my own.

In addition to the cereal and goldfish, here's what I gravitate toward:

• Fiber One 90 calorie bars
• Hard sour dough pretzels
• Little zipper bags of craisins and almonds or walnut pieces
• Apples
• Sugar-free watermelon hard candies
• Carrots or blueberries, when packable
• Wasabi peas

And, Dove chocolate, of course

Queen is Enough

I love sleeping. I love the process of going to bed. I love lying there talking in the dark. I love waking up and looking at the clock and realizing that I still have four more hours to go. I love dreaming. I love waking up with the sun and snuggling back down in for just a few minutes more.

But I also love my space.

I ABHOR having Jim's arm or leg thrown over me. It makes me feel trapped and suffocated and gives me a mini panic attack. I don't like to sleep all cocooned up and spooning is for the birds. I've got to be free to flop, roll around, tuck my knees to my chin and breathe!

When we were both bigger, there wasn't quite enough room in our Queen bed (Verlo version of Tempurpedic ... ADORE!!!!!), so I was thinking about getting  King. In the Queen, we sort of had to be touching all the time. Some might find that OK, but it just isn't for me.

Now that we're both smaller, I've been able to dismiss the idea of a King bed altogether. I can get all the space I need in the bed that I have.

In fact, now with the smaller me and the smaller Jim, there's room for another whole body.

But we're not really into that.

Greek Cousins

I'm sort of addicted to Greek salads in all forms. I love the salty Feta. I love the crunchy cucumbers. So I've made two variations to the straight veggie versions this week. And they're both yummy.

I think there's a recipe back in the archives somewhere for a basic Greek salad, but I can't find it quickly. So I'll give you the idea here:

Greek Salad
Grape tomatoes
Cucumbers
Red onion
Black olives
Feta
Extra oregano and/or garlic if you like
Low fat/light  Greek dressing (my favorite is Cardini's Light Greek Vinaigrette or make your own)

Variations:

• Add whole wheat pasta (I like penne or rotini) or whole wheat couscous to turn a veggie side salad into more of a light lunch.
• Add cooked chicken and put the whole thing in a whole wheat pita for a nice sammy.
• Add pasta/couscous AND chicken to make it dinner.

A New Low

And in this case, that's good.

I was officially at a new low weight this morning. Three pounds off my goal, but finally off that freaking five-pounds-to-go mark.

And, after some introspection, I also figured out why the funk came and stayed this week. It had much to do with the scale, I think.

Last weekend was good. I ate a bit off program with Mexican and pizza. But the scale Monday morning wasn't awful. And then Tuesday hit. I was up OVER my 10-pounds-to-go mark. Over a number I hadn't been over in months.

But I didn't panic. We've been down this road before and I knew things would adjust Tuesday.

They didn't. I went up another two pounds.

I didn't get on the scale on Wednesday. I was too afraid. I kept eating normally. Exercised. Thursday when I climbed back on I was down a few, but still much too high.

This process messes up your head. I was convinced my clothes were getting tighter. I was sure my body had just quit responding to anything I was doing. I was feeling like it was all pointless.

But there it was this morning. A number on the scale that I haven't seen since high school. Nine pounds lighter than last Monday.

You and I both know that I didn't lose nine pounds in a week, nor did I gain nine to get there. I'm guessing it has something to do with water and salt. I'm also going to guess that I will be up two pounds tomorrow morning ... to that freaking five-pounds-to-go mark.

But I'll feel a lot better about it.

My Friend Got a Haircut

I drove past my friend yesterday morning on my way to work. I'm not sure if you remember him, but if you want to get to know him, read here:

http://carsickcaravan.blogspot.com/2010/12/dedication.html
http://carsickcaravan.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-friend-is-packer-fan.html
http://carsickcaravan.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-friend-in-rain.html

I'm happy to report that the scruffy beard is gone. He's sporting a snazzy new haircut and was wearing a nice button-down short sleeve shirt. Blue ... which looked nice with his gray hair. And I think he smiled at me.

But, best of all, there's a new walker on his route and I think this might make him happy. She's younger than him by a few years. She wears regular exercise gear showing plenty of skin for an older lady. And she hauls ass.

I suspect he might like the scenery.

Funk Factory

I'm in a funk.

I'm tired of exercising. I'm tired of eating right. I'm tired of work. I'm tired of worrying about exercising, eating and working.

I'm just tired, really.

My head is playing bad games with the rest of me. And I need to snap out of it because if I don't, I'm going to start to undo the good stuff I've done.

And the truth is, skipping a workout doesn't make me feel better. It makes me feel worse. Eating badly doesn't make me feel better. It makes me feel worse. Fretting about work doesn't make my job better. It makes it worse.

So as my dear friend HR Girl says, via that Gabriella Volleyball Amazon Woman person: Working out (or eating right) is like going to your job. Some days you just don't want to do it, but you have to go anyway.

As with every problem on the planet, the answer is within me. I control me.

So I guess I'd better get to it, huh?

New Bad Habit

I now eat from the minute I walk in the back door after work until the time I go to bed.

I learned that I "can" and not gain during the past 6 or so weeks. This is not good. In fact, this is very, very bad.

And now it's a bona fide habit and hard to break.

I grab a pretzel here. And a chocolate there. A piece of cheese. Some peanuts. Dried cranberries. Maybe yogurt. I'm essentially shoving something in my mouth every 30 minutes or so.

And then, Jim and I have our nightly watermelon fix. Before you know it, I've consumed an additional 300 calories or more on essentially nothing.

Breaking this habit is going to suck. I'm going to start tonight by going to bed early.

Am I Wearing You Out?

I kind of feel like I'm wearing out my welcome. Like you might be sort of tired of this little ditty.

And it's OK if you feel that way. I get tired of myself sometimes.

I was hoping to hear from you regarding the "Yay Me! You?" post. I wanted to hear that you had one good eating day or that you tried a new exercise or that you had taken a little break, but were two days back on track.

Or something.

Because some of you I see every once in a while and I can tell you're doing good things. (Gary Allan Fan had a really cute new shirt on today and she actually glows from the inside, for instance. You can tell she's proud of what she's doing.)

I want to be helpful to you. Tell me if you want more recipes. Or more short posts. Or if every other day is enough. Or if anyone wants to guest post, I'd love that, too. Just let me know.

I'm all ears. With a little extra skin in between. LOL!

Noodles Secret Recipe

I'm not sure if I've proclaimed my love for Noodles Tomato and Cucumber Salad here or not. But in case I haven't ...

I HEART IT.

It's a version of a typical cucumber/onion/vinegar salad that my mom makes every summer when the garden was producing bounty faster than we could consume.

I took a stab at it today. I don't have measurements down exactly, but it's headed in the right direction. Adjust to your taste.

Noodles Tomato Cucumber Salad
2 cups Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Onions, chunked up in "forkable" pieces
1 cup rice wine vinegar
3 small glugs sesame oil
1T sesame seeds (regular, toasted, black ... whatever you have)
1/2t ginger (I used dry, but I think grated fresh would be good)
2t sugar or Splenda
1T Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime
1t chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

I'm not sure I have it sweet enough. I might try it with a glug of honey next time. Let it sit for a while, or overnight in the fridge, before serving. Or, just go to Noodles and eat theirs. So few calories and such yummy stuff!

Yay Me! You?

It was a good weekend in the Miss Daisy House.

I got to eat yummy Mexican food and pizza without breaking the scale. (And had a killer margarita, to boot.)

My darling husband finished painting my workout room, installed the ceiling fan and outlet covers/switch plates, and we finally agreed on a floor covering.

And ...

I ran a 5K this morning! Well, on my treadmill. As part of a 6-mile workout ... but it was 3.5 continuous miles at a moderate 5.4 pace. My knee didn't give out!

Now, to those of you who run outside, you know that my controlled environment of a lovely 75, non-humid degrees, with a fan blowing on me and the "ground" moving underneath me isn't exactly the same as battling Mother Nature. But it's the farthest I have run in a year and I'm thrilled.

How did you do? Any milestones met? Share them by commenting on this post so we can all celebrate!

Unexpected Benefit of Being Thinner #22

Because my thighs no longer rub together, my shorts no longer ride up into my crotch, requiring the fake "stop-mid-stride-and-turn-to-look-behind-you-while-lifting-your-butt-and-spreading-your-legs-to-allow-your-shorts-to-fall-back-down-where-they-belong" move.

Nor must I attempt to conceal the "trying-to-be-discreet" tug.

Holy Mickey D's!

GOOD NEWS PEOPLE!!!!!!

Did you know the ice cream cone from McD's is only 150 calories and 3 grams of fat? A practically guilt-free treat.

I had two this week. Don't tell anyone. Lunch on Saturday and a treat on Tuesday.

Renter's Confessional

My name is Miss Daisy, and I'm a watermelon-aholic.

(This is where you say, "Hi, Miss Daisy!")

This is my only slightly altered brief order of confession: I confess that I am in bondage to the deliciously sweet, slightly crisp, wonderfully juicy best-of-summer fruit and cannot free myself. You consume much of my day in thought, word and deed. I HAVE loved you with my whole heart. I would love my neighbor's if he had one ripe. For the sake of my overflowing-with-rind garbage can, have mercy on us ...

Yes, Jim and I are eating watermelon at the pace of one whole melon every other day. At only 46 calories per cup, it's a delicious and nutritious snack. But come on. Who eats a cup of watermelon? And you know what that means ...

There's a LOT of peeing at our house these days. I was up three times last night. But it was sooooo worth it.

After all, you never really own watermelon. You only rent it.

Exercise Snobs

During my lunch hour today, I read an article on CNN.com about a woman training for her first triathlon. She'd had a "bad" workout and was relaying her story. It went something like this:

I'm training for my first triathlon. I went for a 6-mile run, the longest distance I've gone. It was hot and humid and started raining. Then some birds came and pecked me on the head until I screamed enough and waved my arms enough to make them go away. Then it poured and my shoes were wet. I finished my run, but it sucked. It's sort of funny now. But it sucked. Some workouts just suck. But you have to persevere.

I'm paraphrasing, of course. But you can read it here: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/06/tri-challenge-not-every-workout-is-a-good-one/?hpt=hp_bn6

The photo of the author Anastasia showed that she was new to this sport called running. And all I could think of was, "Holy crap. You go, girl! Good for you for busting it out."

And then I read the comments after the story. One dude mocked her for calling 6 miles a "long" run. Another dissed her for eating before her workout. Yet another chided her for calling a run with rain and birds attacking "bad" and getting frustrated so easily.

(Umm, for the record, if birds pecked my head, I'd flip out. Then tell the whole world.)

Their smug attitudes really yanked my chain. Attitudes like that are why people like me don't go to the gym. It's why I was too self-conscious to run a block, walk a block when I lived in town. It's why I didn't want to talk to anyone about what I was feeling/thinking/doing when I first started because I thought people would mock me.

She ran 6 damn miles! That's something to be celebrated!

Do you know any exercise snobs? Don't let them get to you. Do what you do because it's right for you. And if you need a cheering section, I'm willing to scream and cheer and applaud and so are the others that read this blog.

And here's the comment I wanted to post, but didn't:

Six miles is a LONG run when you're new to training (and for 99% of everyone reading CNN.com) and rain/humidity/bird attacks are clearly obstacles. Let's cut her some slack and support the effort. Anastasia ... you already know you're doing something great FOR YOU. No one else has to approve it, like it or applaud it. It's also 100 times harder for someone to do this the first time than it is for Michael and Alan to do it the 100th time. (Isn't it funny how some people need to publicly validate their own accomplishments while putting down another's? "Look at me" much?)

Unexpected Benefit of Being Thinner #21

It amazes me how long a standard 18" necklace is.

There was a time when I hesitated to buy any jewelry (costume or otherwise) that went around my neck because it frequently didn't fit. Always felt like it was choking me.

Though I never bought an actual extension piece, I did use the very "last" hole on the little chains that come on the costume/bead necklaces.

Now I use the "first" hole and think a standard 18" chain falls to low on my chest.

That strangulation feeling has lessened, too. In oh so many ways.

Counting It

Did you know that shaking your tailfeathers at a Kid Rock concert counts as "exercise?"

It's a rule I just made up to justify not hitting the treadmill today.

Feel free to use it if you want to. (Though our friend Gary Allan Fan woke up this morning ... after getting home later than 3 a.m. ... to run her first 1M race at 8:30 a.m. She rocks. Probably MORE/harder than Kid Rock. And that's saying something if you've ever seen him live!)

Go on, wit'cher bad self, GAF!

200 Cravings a Day!

Heard this little gem today: The average American has 200 food cravings a day, spurred by things like smelling food, seeing food, being thirsty, gurgling stomachs and ... apparently ... thin air.

It's no wonder we/I eat.

I'm in the middle of a two-week jonesing for pizza (thin crust), ice cream (the heat is not helping) and a big, fat cheeseburger (with juice running down my forearms).

I'm probably going to hit one of those things this weekend. Maybe two. But I'm going to plan my day and my week around them--eating and exercise--to be sure I don't derail the whole program.
If I had but one wish for us all, it would be that the cravings we get are for things like cauliflower and carrots. But since that's not likely, remembering that they're "just" cravings and that your mind controls the arm that takes the fork to your mouth is also important.

Hungry Day

Having a hungry day today.

Woke up hungry. Ate some extra breakfast. Cheese. Stomach growled a good hour before lunch. Ate my raw veg cup at 10:45. And then was chowing down a veggie sub at Subway before noon. Left work a few minutes early and have consumed some wasabi peas and a bowl of Raisin Bran before 5 p.m.

Knowing full well we're going out for fish tonight in a couple of hours, of course.

Every once in a while this happens. I just try to make sure I'm snacking on relatively low-ish calorie, high-ish nutrition options.

Tomorrow is a new day.