Health and Fitness, March, 2010

[Nancy]

Yesterday I realized that I have more strength and can do more
this year than that past two springs so that is good news! Yea!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

<skippable rant ahead>

My New Year's health goal was to lose 1 pound a week until my birthday. That would put me at my WW goal weight, and I should fit most of my clothes so I wouldn't have to buy all new things for the cruise we are taking the week following my birthday.

Started off fine and lost a few pounds, then went away and came back to find myself 4 pounds heavier than my start weight. I'm now 2 lbs lighter than my start weight (and not sure that number is true since my weight is up and down like an elevator.)

So, to make my goal, I now have to lose 1.5 pounds each week until my birthday. And I leave on Thursday on a trip. At 5 p.m. So I can't eat dinner before (I'll have to be at the gate by 4:30, and the reliable low cal food in outside security which means I'd have to finish my meal by 4 in order to be at the gate on time.)

If I wait and hope for a low cal meal on the plane, I'll be done the meal service 3 hours into the flight, have 2.5 hours to sleep and then be waken for breakfast. So that doesn't really work either.

All this to say, that those 2 pounds I'm down will probably be erased on the first day of my trip and then I'm in Prague, the land of the most amazing breads in the world (there are 4 dozen different kinds of loose breads/rolls in the grocery store for instance.) And schnitzel.

I'm not a happy camper today. I've stuck to WW for three weeks in a row now and am pleased to see 6 pounds gone in that time. But I have no idea how I'll keep this up while traveling. Even breakfasts are a challenge since Muesli is so terribly high in fat and calories and they don't "do" shredded wheat type cereal in Europe (actually, in these areas of Europe they don't do hardly any cereal because breakfast isn't cereal and milk, it is coffee and a sweet roll.)

Sorry to dump on you all, I just needed to rant.

</rant>

[Harriet]

Indiana, I am going to show dd11 that site when she gets home, too! Very nutrition savvy.

Nancy, won't your yard and walkways/porches look lovely this spring, with more outdoor-energy from you! And you'll get more enjoyment.

How is the technologically enhanced exercise equipment working, OKay?
*\o/* cheerleading for you.

Kathryn, I'm glad you found some ranting space, because "talking it out" will help your thinking process about schedule. Re: weight thinking, perhaps forget what happened before this recent 6 pounds loss and start from that point mentally instead? Look at the timeline/weight-line as how many you need to lose having already lost 6. Nope, you can't enjoy those breads. I'd advise not even the first bite, ya know? And don't watch dh eat one. What else do you admire in/about Prague, either foodwise or otherwise? Plan on appreciating that as your alternate treat! Take home a postcard with a bread picture.

Harmony, your measurements are on a trend! The wonderful report about your eating and feeling well is very encouraging to me. I read it twice.

[Nancy]

I found chocolate Cheerios at the store yesterday very yummy
the carb count etc. is for 3/4 c. instead of 1 c. glad I caught that before
I took my insulin instead of after! Reading labels is paying off!
I just wish it was with out the sugar I can add my own or sweetener
so now I"m wondering how to give my customer feed back.
heading to find the general mills site ok I can check that off the list!

[Harmony]

Nancy, did you know SpecialK cereal now has one with little chocolate chunks in it? It's supposed to be low calorie but I don't know about the sugar.

Indiana, that sandwich link was so much fun! I made a cheese sandwich, ah - more calories than I'd thought!

[Nancy]

Harmony thank for the tip I'll have to keep my eye out for that.

K in C Can you pack a box of your favorite cereal, or food you can have?
Dd & sil packed a satchel of food for their trip to Mexico.
Jerky snack crackers string cheese etc.

I made a tasty dinner salmon, canned spinach I might add that we both like it;
a salad and some pudding. Did not exercise much today except for going up and down the
stairs to do laundry and spiffing up the kitchen. It was just too cold for me to head out
with this cough.

We have given up soda this year I drink more tea than any thing when it's cold.
We just have it occasionally when we are out now.
It has not been such a sacrifice as I thought it would be.

[lucylee]

Well... embarrassing problem, I guess... and I know Harriet will say DRINK MORE WATER... which I am going to try to do...
BUT...
I am having a lot of trouble lately with with feeling very uncomfortable -- bloated and gassy.
Any other suggestions besides water & exercise, maybe?
I have not changed any of my eating habits at all in the last month or so, but this problem has gotten worse & has really begun to annoy me.
I imagine I do have some form of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and this is probably just another symptom of that. Maybe not quite as troublesome as the horrible nausea I have experienced before... but in other ways, this is bad, too.
Sorry if it's TMI!

[Harriet]

lucylee, I got this list of possible food causes of gas from "health911.com".

beans, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, peanuts, and raw apples are some of the main offenders They mention milk and other dairy products as well. Also sodas that have been sweetened with fructose. It said "Fructose intolerance is rapidly rising due to the tremendous increase in soda consumption." For something to take with meals, they mention tablets of either betaine hydrochloric acid or pancreatic enzymes.

My problem is acid, of course, but I did want to mention to you that I am very pleased with both almond milk and soy milk as substitutes for dairy milk. A favorite addition to my early meals is flax/oat cereal with a combo of soy/almond milk over it. Also, HRH and I are both convinced that 2.5 months without sodas has been generally good for us. He only had soda on Jan 1 and at the hospital in recovery room.

Just for information, if you were to actually get a diagnosis of IBS, you might well be prescribed Citrucel, which is a fiber supplement that does not cause excess gas.

[Nancy]

I walked today, then had to eat b/c of low sugar.

Soy milk gives me gas but rice milk does not.

[Harmony]

Harriet, I'm in serious trouble because your list is all my favorite foods! And the hydrochloric acid is what I had read helps to digest foods more easily if they're sitting in your stomache not digesting due to not enough acid, and this is supposed to help with AR if that cause is a problem.

I am still continuing to do well. Yesterday it occurred to me that my chronic little cough from AR has just about gone away. That is a huge thing to me. I believe the no coffee thing and the more water thing has helped me the most. I had a little carbonation (soda) and I believe that the bubbles is a trigger. I've given up most soda and only have a juice glass full maybe once a month if that.

TADA: MORE WEIGHT OFF! TODAY I WEIGHED 147.5!