It is late and I am tired. I decided to rearrange my bedroom, and that led to a trip for a new bed-in-a-bag (well, not actually a bed, but rather bedding) that needed to be ironed. Then I decided to dump out all the clothes in the drawers, yada yada yada. So I may be up really late. But am I working on that? Oh no! Instead I decided to come take a quick peek at my email and now here I am posting on my blog!
I just wanted to give a quick update on how it is going with my Lifestyle Coach, Fran. It seems that everyone is asking me what she does, how it is going, etc. Nothing like a little public pressure when you are trying to lose weight!
I am happy to report that it is going very well. Like most people, when I am good and fed up with something, and I set my mind to change it, it really does happen. My Coach Fran is great. She told me yesterday that she has a Masters Degree in Psychology, so maybe she can be a one stop therapy shop next time I crack up (kidding!) Anyhow, it all basically comes down to eating fewer calories and getting more exercise. There really is no magic to it. It is pure science really. You need to deficit 3,500 calories in order to lose one pound of fat. I have apparently deficited over 35,000 calories in the last month, I am proud to report. So I have lost 10 pounds! I can feel the difference in my clothes, but I still have a ways to go.
Fran is teaching me all about how to count calories (without needing a book), what my calorie intake should be to maintain certain weights, how much credit to give myself for exercise, and how to keep from feeling hungry. Suprisingly she is not the rah rah cheerleader coach type person that you would expect from a "coach". She is full of information and I always have a full hour of questions and learning from her each week. I like having someone to be accountable to each week. Someone who answers all my calorie and nutrition questions via email.
So thanks for asking.... it is going well. I am not too hungry and I feel great about my progress so far.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
College is like childbirth - painful!
Sorry I haven't blogged for awhile.... I have been a scrapbooking fool! I moved my scrapbooking table out of the computer room and into the family room where the tv is. Then, since my husband is out of town, I scrapped most nights until pretty late. I'm pretty happy with all the progress I made. I finished scrapping the Christmas Holiday and the building of the cabin book. It was so fun scrapping all those picture - the cabin is such a blessing and a dream come true for us. When I put it in the book I relive the great feelings of creating the cabin and then sharing it with the people we love. I put a few pictures in up above. The first picture is the cabin from the top of the driveway. Alot of snow, huh? The second picture is my kids and their cousins taking a dorito break up sledding. The third picture is my son Marshall and three of his boy cousins building a snow fight fort behind the cabin so they could attack the girls. The cute little guy on the far right is my newest nephew Vu who was recently adopted from Vietnam - what a blessing he is to our whole family. They all are.
I also did an album covering my many 40th birthday party celebrations and trips last year. Then I caught up on the family album and Anne's album. Now I am going to put all that stuff away (except for when I meet with my scrapping group every Tuesday) and focus on a few other things.
First, I am going to make a few dresses to help out my baby sister with her quest to sew 100 dresses for the Ethiopian orphanage. Then I am going to get my house looking decent because my parents and in-laws are coming in 2 weeks. Then I am going to shop and pack for our Spring Break cruise. In between all that I am going to try and get ahead in my Texas Politics class.
I signed up for this on-line community college class thinking it would be super easy. Let me just say that college is like childbirth..... you really do forget just how painful it can be! It is time consuming and not as easy as I thought it would be. When I told one of my housewife friends that I was going back to college she said "you realize your going to have to, like, STUDY and stuff don't you? Why do that?" I guess I knew I would have to STUDY and stuff - I just didn't realize how much more difficult that was when you are raising kids and running a household. Last time I went to school my meals were cooked for me in the sorority. My only responsibility in the world was school. Boy howdy, it sure gives me alot of respect for people that get their degree later in life!!
The other thing about school is just how expensive it is. The class at the community college was a few hundred. The real shocker, though, was the book. It is a 1/2 paperback book and it was $95.00. That is crazy!
Gotta run.....
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Power of Selective Vision
A funny thing happens when your children get close to the age of 16. All of a sudden they start noticing cars. Anne has started to point out cars that she does not like and cars that she does like, colors she likes, colors she does not like, etc.
I have never been a big car person. I mean, if I ever was in any position of needing to identify what kind of vehicle someone was driving, it would be scary. I might possibly be able to tell you what color it was and whether is was a pick-up, SUV, mini van or sedan. Beyond that, I highly doubt if I could even begin to guess at the make or model. Just not my cup of tea, really.
Lately, though, that has changed. There is one car that I have FALLEN IN LOVE WITH. I drove up next to this beautiful, shimmering Lexus SUV in a beautiful pearly cream color and WOW - cupid's arrow struck me right in the heart. What a babe. Not the guy in it (at least I think it was a guy). The car!
After that babe sighting, this funny thing happened and all of a sudden I was seeing Lexus' EVERYWHERE. Lately it feels like 50% of the cars on the road are Lexus SUV's. Amazing, because I don't recall ever noticing a Lexus car before a few days ago. Not a one. Now they are everywhere! Maybe there was a half-off sale somewhere - ya think?
Anyhow, the point of this story is that once I put my focus on something, it seems to increase 10 fold. I won't be getting a Lexus SUV anytime soon (but I did go buy a lottery ticket today, just in case). However, it occurred to me that I might put this superpower to work. I decided to put my super selective vision skills to work today.
I decided to focus on how many people smile at me in a single day. I mean really smile - even with their eyes. It was amazing! When I decided to look out into the world and search for something, it increased 10-fold again! Pretty much everyone I encountered gave a warm smile and most even said "have a good day!" It made for a very happy day:)
Give it a try, it is amazing! Just be careful to focus on something you want to see alot of. When I noticed one pile of dog poop in the front yard, I started seeing THEM everywhere. I know there weren't that many yesterday - my superpowers have morphed to EVIL!
Happy Valentines Day - have fun with your SUPERPOWER abilities!
I have never been a big car person. I mean, if I ever was in any position of needing to identify what kind of vehicle someone was driving, it would be scary. I might possibly be able to tell you what color it was and whether is was a pick-up, SUV, mini van or sedan. Beyond that, I highly doubt if I could even begin to guess at the make or model. Just not my cup of tea, really.
Lately, though, that has changed. There is one car that I have FALLEN IN LOVE WITH. I drove up next to this beautiful, shimmering Lexus SUV in a beautiful pearly cream color and WOW - cupid's arrow struck me right in the heart. What a babe. Not the guy in it (at least I think it was a guy). The car!
After that babe sighting, this funny thing happened and all of a sudden I was seeing Lexus' EVERYWHERE. Lately it feels like 50% of the cars on the road are Lexus SUV's. Amazing, because I don't recall ever noticing a Lexus car before a few days ago. Not a one. Now they are everywhere! Maybe there was a half-off sale somewhere - ya think?
Anyhow, the point of this story is that once I put my focus on something, it seems to increase 10 fold. I won't be getting a Lexus SUV anytime soon (but I did go buy a lottery ticket today, just in case). However, it occurred to me that I might put this superpower to work. I decided to put my super selective vision skills to work today.
I decided to focus on how many people smile at me in a single day. I mean really smile - even with their eyes. It was amazing! When I decided to look out into the world and search for something, it increased 10-fold again! Pretty much everyone I encountered gave a warm smile and most even said "have a good day!" It made for a very happy day:)
Give it a try, it is amazing! Just be careful to focus on something you want to see alot of. When I noticed one pile of dog poop in the front yard, I started seeing THEM everywhere. I know there weren't that many yesterday - my superpowers have morphed to EVIL!
Happy Valentines Day - have fun with your SUPERPOWER abilities!
Monday, February 11, 2008
My Baby Girl is Growing Up!
This last weekend Marie attended her Cotillion Ball at the Country Club. She looked really beautiful in her sparkly green dress with her hair all done up.
Above are some pictures of Marie, the group of kids from our neighborhood who went, and a funny one of the boys hiding behind the food table at the pre-party.
Cotillion is a "a program that gives 6th, 7th and 8th grade boys and girls instruction in social skills that build confidence and self-assurance." She has been learning how to fox trot, waltz, and cha-cha, among other dances. They also "learn courtesies connected with dancing, etiquette like shaking hands, introduction, table manners, telephone etiquette, thank you notes, answering invitations, polite conversation and other areas of social behavior that build poise and confidence."
In other words, our little girl is becoming a little lady!
It seems like only yesterday that I wrote the following poem about my infant daughter Marie:
Marie in the Early Morning
Awakened from my deep slumber,
I realize it's you,
Not a distant cry in my dream.
And I rise to feel the sharp coolness
of the night
On my bed-warmed skin.
Light glows gently across
your pink baby room
of bunnies and bears.
There you are--blonde, peach-fuzzy
head
Pushing up on wobbly arms to peer
Over the soft pink crib bumper.
Big blue eyes wide awake,
waiting expectantly.
My heart leaps to see you smile,
my weariness dissolves
Into joy.
A bright start to a new day,
Just you and me
Early in the morning.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Ellis May 1967-September 2064
Have you ever opened the paper and looked at the obituaries? I have. Occasionally I scan over the faces and occasionally I even read them. Kind of morbid, huh?
Back in the mid 1990's, my sister and I belonged to a writing group for mothers. One of the writing exercises we did was write our own obituary. A little creepy, but the experience has really stuck with me.
Today when I saw the memorial section of the paper, I decided to write what I hope my obit will look like:
Ellis
May 1967- September 2064
Ms. Ellis died suddenly, peacefully and surrounded by loved ones last Tuesday. Born in Baker, Oregon in 1967, Ellis enjoyed a childhood filled with books, pets, motorcycles, mischief, travel adventures and a loving family. In high school she excelled academically and athletically and is probably remembered most frequently wearing her purple and gold cheerleading uniform leading a pep rally or planning her next shenanigan with her best friend Michelle. During these teen years, Ellis was inspired to "always question things, surround yourself with excellence, and thirst for knowledge" by her teacher and friend Dan Mortlock.
After graduating high school, Ellis attended OSU. She dove into college life, joining honoraries, the Alpha Phi sorority and numerous clubs. She was elected secretary and then president of the Panhellenic system. Her most meaningful involvement, however, was her time spent as a YMCA "Big Sister" to 9-year-old Kathy. She enjoyed spending time with Kathy and they had many fun times together. Ellis remained in contact with Kathy throughout her life and took tremendous pride in seeing Kathy overcome her underprivledged background and become a successful woman.
In 1987, Ellis met Bo and in 1989 they were married in the town of her birth. Throughout her life, Ellis always considered her decision to marry Bo the best decision she ever made. Their marriage was filled with laughter, love, respect, adventure and happy companionship. They celebrated with great joy and danced the night away at their 75th wedding anniversary party last July.
Throughout her life, Ellis enjoyed two things the most: time spent with loved ones (especially at Sumpter or on a trip) and time spent traveling. If she had to choose between a plane ticket or a new couch, she always chose a plane ticket. Subsequently, she lived a life filled with worn out couches.
For many years, Ellis carried in her wallet a list of things she wanted to do before she died. People were fascinated by the idea of "the list". Some things on the list were experienced and some with were not, but the list served its purpose -- to encourage her to seek opportunities and joy. Ellis always lived with intention.
After getting married in 1989, Bo and Ellis settled in the Portland area and began careers. Ellis became Manager of Sponsorship Marketing and Events for US Bancorp and Bo worked in Finance and completed his MBA. During these Portland years, they spent every Friday night with their friends the Fischer and the Adams and this was the foundation of an unconditional circle of friendship that lasted throughout their lives.
In 1992, Ellis wore a maternity suit and high heels to her downtown office up until Anne was born one week after her due date. She was a career woman through and through.
But from the moment Anne entered the world, Ellis knew that her true passion and calling in life was motherhood and she reveled in it. In 1996, their family grew with the birth of Marie, and Ellis made a career change to stay-at-home mom.
In 1997, the family moved to Texas. They met many wonderful people and enjoyed their years in the lone star state. Their son Marshall was born in 2000 - a native Texan!
Ellis enjoyed pregnancy, birth and the infancy of her three children tremendously. She had known she would. What surprised her was how much she enjoyed her children as they grew into children and then adults. Ellis had always assumed before becoming a mother that she would mold her children, like clay. But looking back, she said her children knew who they were the moment they were created. She and Bo were priveleged to bear witness to the process as Anne, Marie and Marshall became the amazing people they are.
Ellis considered her 3 children her most significant gift to this world.
In 2014 Ellis obtained her nursing degree from Texas State University. She then used her medical knowledge throughout her remaining years, mostly in volunteer work both in the US and abroad.
In 2018 Bo and Ellis returned to the Pacific NW to be closer to their family and friends.
Ellis was not perfect, and her life was not always perfect. But it was the life she wanted to live and it was a life filled with much more good than bad. It was a life that Ellis never took for granted.
Although not religious in the traditional sense of the word, Ellis believed strongly in the power of LOVE and the power of GRATITUDE. Her favorite quote was by Meister Eckhart:
"If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a program that you care about - PAY IT FORWARD - that's what Ellis would have wanted the most.
Back in the mid 1990's, my sister and I belonged to a writing group for mothers. One of the writing exercises we did was write our own obituary. A little creepy, but the experience has really stuck with me.
Today when I saw the memorial section of the paper, I decided to write what I hope my obit will look like:
Ellis
May 1967- September 2064
Ms. Ellis died suddenly, peacefully and surrounded by loved ones last Tuesday. Born in Baker, Oregon in 1967, Ellis enjoyed a childhood filled with books, pets, motorcycles, mischief, travel adventures and a loving family. In high school she excelled academically and athletically and is probably remembered most frequently wearing her purple and gold cheerleading uniform leading a pep rally or planning her next shenanigan with her best friend Michelle. During these teen years, Ellis was inspired to "always question things, surround yourself with excellence, and thirst for knowledge" by her teacher and friend Dan Mortlock.
After graduating high school, Ellis attended OSU. She dove into college life, joining honoraries, the Alpha Phi sorority and numerous clubs. She was elected secretary and then president of the Panhellenic system. Her most meaningful involvement, however, was her time spent as a YMCA "Big Sister" to 9-year-old Kathy. She enjoyed spending time with Kathy and they had many fun times together. Ellis remained in contact with Kathy throughout her life and took tremendous pride in seeing Kathy overcome her underprivledged background and become a successful woman.
In 1987, Ellis met Bo and in 1989 they were married in the town of her birth. Throughout her life, Ellis always considered her decision to marry Bo the best decision she ever made. Their marriage was filled with laughter, love, respect, adventure and happy companionship. They celebrated with great joy and danced the night away at their 75th wedding anniversary party last July.
Throughout her life, Ellis enjoyed two things the most: time spent with loved ones (especially at Sumpter or on a trip) and time spent traveling. If she had to choose between a plane ticket or a new couch, she always chose a plane ticket. Subsequently, she lived a life filled with worn out couches.
For many years, Ellis carried in her wallet a list of things she wanted to do before she died. People were fascinated by the idea of "the list". Some things on the list were experienced and some with were not, but the list served its purpose -- to encourage her to seek opportunities and joy. Ellis always lived with intention.
After getting married in 1989, Bo and Ellis settled in the Portland area and began careers. Ellis became Manager of Sponsorship Marketing and Events for US Bancorp and Bo worked in Finance and completed his MBA. During these Portland years, they spent every Friday night with their friends the Fischer and the Adams and this was the foundation of an unconditional circle of friendship that lasted throughout their lives.
In 1992, Ellis wore a maternity suit and high heels to her downtown office up until Anne was born one week after her due date. She was a career woman through and through.
But from the moment Anne entered the world, Ellis knew that her true passion and calling in life was motherhood and she reveled in it. In 1996, their family grew with the birth of Marie, and Ellis made a career change to stay-at-home mom.
In 1997, the family moved to Texas. They met many wonderful people and enjoyed their years in the lone star state. Their son Marshall was born in 2000 - a native Texan!
Ellis enjoyed pregnancy, birth and the infancy of her three children tremendously. She had known she would. What surprised her was how much she enjoyed her children as they grew into children and then adults. Ellis had always assumed before becoming a mother that she would mold her children, like clay. But looking back, she said her children knew who they were the moment they were created. She and Bo were priveleged to bear witness to the process as Anne, Marie and Marshall became the amazing people they are.
Ellis considered her 3 children her most significant gift to this world.
In 2014 Ellis obtained her nursing degree from Texas State University. She then used her medical knowledge throughout her remaining years, mostly in volunteer work both in the US and abroad.
In 2018 Bo and Ellis returned to the Pacific NW to be closer to their family and friends.
Ellis was not perfect, and her life was not always perfect. But it was the life she wanted to live and it was a life filled with much more good than bad. It was a life that Ellis never took for granted.
Although not religious in the traditional sense of the word, Ellis believed strongly in the power of LOVE and the power of GRATITUDE. Her favorite quote was by Meister Eckhart:
"If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a program that you care about - PAY IT FORWARD - that's what Ellis would have wanted the most.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Ellis the Great!
Note to self: sarcasm doesn't come across well on email/blog. I just started to blog and in the email to introduce the blog to family and friends I joked about how low my self-esteem is. I blamed it on my amazing sisters and parents giving me a complex.
I was "flooded" ( ok, a couple of people) with people telling me that I shouldn't feel bad about myself or pumping me up. I appreciate all the kind comments.
But really, don't worry about me. And NO. I never went to therapy for self-esteem issues.
I can see that my blog is going to have to hire a legal team to handle all of my disclaimers and reprints - wow.
Actually, my self esteem is fine. I am not being sarcastic when I say that I am a pretty amazing woman! Ellis the Amazing! One friend even reminded me that at Girl Scout camp about 8 years ago I was called SPIDERMOM for my ability to climb the rock wall and challenge course so quickly- I really am Great!
Uh-oh.... now I sound stuck up. Truly, I know I have faults and am definitely on a self-improvement plan at all times, but I filled out alot of those "I am good at:_____________________" forms when I was a kid. I STILL take pride in knowing that I was a great gymnast as a child.
Funny story: When I was in 7th or 8th grade, I had a really high IQ, according to the school counselors IQ test. That was before I chewed on lead pencils and lost all my brains (Blog Jolk Legal disclaimer: Ellis does not advocate the use of lead pencil chewing, does not endorse it for use as a medicinal, recreational or therapeutic purpose, .........see legal attachment 4A for rest of disclaimer....)
ANYWHOOO. My Mom and Dad sent me to a camp at the University of Oregon. They told me they were sending me to smart camp - a camp for talented and gifted kids. My roomates name was Regina..... weird chick.....(ADD moment - now I am back) Well boy--did I get an education at that camp!!!! I took ballet and the instructor lady didn't believe in shaving or deodorant - a real UofO granola woman. Let me tell you, hairy ballet instructor in pink tights and a short-sleeved pink leotard is NOT pretty.
I did have some great poetry published in the camp book (which I still have somewhere) and did discover a love of writing at the camp. Otherwise, I had 3 really fun weeks on a college campus discovering life outside of my small town rural environment. I also learned that there were alot of 7th and 8th grade kids who were ALOT more talented and gifted than I was.
Maybe that is why I suffer self esteem issues(see disclaimer below)
(Legal sarcasm disclaimer: Blogger Ellis does not claim nor intentionally unintentionally or otherwise mean to imply that all TAG camps lead to low self esteem issues in adults. Any information taken from this blog are the express opinions of the author and are not meant to provide guilt to the bloggers parents for sending poor innocent Ellis to the aforeto mentioned camp, thereby possibly incurring some type of long-term psychological damage to her or possibly leading her to chew incessently on lead ..... continued in blog legal disclaimer attachment 2B and filed in the Circuit Court of Umatilla County this day of 2/4/08)
I was "flooded" ( ok, a couple of people) with people telling me that I shouldn't feel bad about myself or pumping me up. I appreciate all the kind comments.
But really, don't worry about me. And NO. I never went to therapy for self-esteem issues.
I can see that my blog is going to have to hire a legal team to handle all of my disclaimers and reprints - wow.
Actually, my self esteem is fine. I am not being sarcastic when I say that I am a pretty amazing woman! Ellis the Amazing! One friend even reminded me that at Girl Scout camp about 8 years ago I was called SPIDERMOM for my ability to climb the rock wall and challenge course so quickly- I really am Great!
Uh-oh.... now I sound stuck up. Truly, I know I have faults and am definitely on a self-improvement plan at all times, but I filled out alot of those "I am good at:_____________________" forms when I was a kid. I STILL take pride in knowing that I was a great gymnast as a child.
Funny story: When I was in 7th or 8th grade, I had a really high IQ, according to the school counselors IQ test. That was before I chewed on lead pencils and lost all my brains (Blog Jolk Legal disclaimer: Ellis does not advocate the use of lead pencil chewing, does not endorse it for use as a medicinal, recreational or therapeutic purpose, .........see legal attachment 4A for rest of disclaimer....)
ANYWHOOO. My Mom and Dad sent me to a camp at the University of Oregon. They told me they were sending me to smart camp - a camp for talented and gifted kids. My roomates name was Regina..... weird chick.....(ADD moment - now I am back) Well boy--did I get an education at that camp!!!! I took ballet and the instructor lady didn't believe in shaving or deodorant - a real UofO granola woman. Let me tell you, hairy ballet instructor in pink tights and a short-sleeved pink leotard is NOT pretty.
I did have some great poetry published in the camp book (which I still have somewhere) and did discover a love of writing at the camp. Otherwise, I had 3 really fun weeks on a college campus discovering life outside of my small town rural environment. I also learned that there were alot of 7th and 8th grade kids who were ALOT more talented and gifted than I was.
Maybe that is why I suffer self esteem issues(see disclaimer below)
(Legal sarcasm disclaimer: Blogger Ellis does not claim nor intentionally unintentionally or otherwise mean to imply that all TAG camps lead to low self esteem issues in adults. Any information taken from this blog are the express opinions of the author and are not meant to provide guilt to the bloggers parents for sending poor innocent Ellis to the aforeto mentioned camp, thereby possibly incurring some type of long-term psychological damage to her or possibly leading her to chew incessently on lead ..... continued in blog legal disclaimer attachment 2B and filed in the Circuit Court of Umatilla County this day of 2/4/08)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Mildly Obese - chirp chirp
Every year as part of his benefits package at work, my husband and I are offered comprehensive physical exams. When I say comprehensive, that's what I mean! We are talking full body cat scans, pictures of our vocal cords, mammograms, blood work, hearing and vision screening, yada yada yada. It all takes about 6 hours and is done in one location, rather than running to all different doctors, so that is great.
This year I went and although I knew it, I didn't really ACCEPT the fact that I had gained 20 pounds in the last few years. The doctor, who I might add was tipping the scales at way over 300 pounds, labeled me "mildly obese". Can you believe it???? Mildy obese!!!! Now, my cardiovascular and other health was excellent, which is good. But that all pales in comparision to that one little line on their 10 page report of my health. - Mildy obese. According to them, a 5 foot 4" 40 year old woman should weigh 140 pounds. Well, I think I have alot of muscle and am big boned - they don't take important information like that into account - losers...
Now, although I sound outraged, I really find the label mildly obese doesn't bother me so much. I know that I want to lose weight, so now I have a little motivation.
Right after I met with the not-so-mildly obese doctor, they sent a dietician in for me to talk to. She was probably about 95 pounds dripping wet. This dietician asked if there was any reason that I believed I had had such a sudden weight gain - stress, lack of exercise, etc. I told her that I was feeling very frustrated because I have read several diet books this year about healthy eating and dieting. I have read all of the Dr. Oz books as well as the Bob Greene Best Life Diet book. Obviously just reading the books does nothing (even if you pay full price without the Barnes and Noble discount card). You actually have to DO stuff that it talks about in the book. That really sucks.
So in addition to reading about healthy eating, was there some psychological reason that I was gaining weight? Some sinister reason? Was I "eating my problems?" was I comforting myself with food?
No, I told skinny dietician girl. I know exactly what I was doing that made me gain weight so quickly.
I was EATING!
(And way too much I might add.)
I wouldn't have so much trouble if food didn't taste so damn good. I mean, who can resist those cute little girl scouts standing outside Walmart selling cookies? I can. But those cookies they are holding hostage for $3.50/ box of six????? Those I cannot resist. I explained to skinny dietician girl that I have eaten an entire box of caramel delights (over 1500 calories at least) in one sitting. Her eyes kind of bugged out of her head when I said that..... or maybe that is just what eyes do when there isn't enough fat around them.
Anywhoo... I told her that I was like a bulimic person. But I only do step one: binge. (No throwing up for me - I have enough body fluids to clean up in this house!)
At this point she showed me a plate with what size portions I SHOULD be eating at each meal. I took one look at her and asked her if I looked like my name was Tweety, or perhaps my name was Love, Cuckoo or Big.... because whoever ate portion sizes like that must be a BIRD!
So after giving it some thought, I have decided to go to an eat-like-a-bird (oops), I mean a lifestyle coach for 12 weeks. Fran is going to whip me into shape and show me how to eat healthier. I just read her whole web-site www.lifestyleconsulting.com and I think I lost a pound already.
This year I went and although I knew it, I didn't really ACCEPT the fact that I had gained 20 pounds in the last few years. The doctor, who I might add was tipping the scales at way over 300 pounds, labeled me "mildly obese". Can you believe it???? Mildy obese!!!! Now, my cardiovascular and other health was excellent, which is good. But that all pales in comparision to that one little line on their 10 page report of my health. - Mildy obese. According to them, a 5 foot 4" 40 year old woman should weigh 140 pounds. Well, I think I have alot of muscle and am big boned - they don't take important information like that into account - losers...
Now, although I sound outraged, I really find the label mildly obese doesn't bother me so much. I know that I want to lose weight, so now I have a little motivation.
Right after I met with the not-so-mildly obese doctor, they sent a dietician in for me to talk to. She was probably about 95 pounds dripping wet. This dietician asked if there was any reason that I believed I had had such a sudden weight gain - stress, lack of exercise, etc. I told her that I was feeling very frustrated because I have read several diet books this year about healthy eating and dieting. I have read all of the Dr. Oz books as well as the Bob Greene Best Life Diet book. Obviously just reading the books does nothing (even if you pay full price without the Barnes and Noble discount card). You actually have to DO stuff that it talks about in the book. That really sucks.
So in addition to reading about healthy eating, was there some psychological reason that I was gaining weight? Some sinister reason? Was I "eating my problems?" was I comforting myself with food?
No, I told skinny dietician girl. I know exactly what I was doing that made me gain weight so quickly.
I was EATING!
(And way too much I might add.)
I wouldn't have so much trouble if food didn't taste so damn good. I mean, who can resist those cute little girl scouts standing outside Walmart selling cookies? I can. But those cookies they are holding hostage for $3.50/ box of six????? Those I cannot resist. I explained to skinny dietician girl that I have eaten an entire box of caramel delights (over 1500 calories at least) in one sitting. Her eyes kind of bugged out of her head when I said that..... or maybe that is just what eyes do when there isn't enough fat around them.
Anywhoo... I told her that I was like a bulimic person. But I only do step one: binge. (No throwing up for me - I have enough body fluids to clean up in this house!)
At this point she showed me a plate with what size portions I SHOULD be eating at each meal. I took one look at her and asked her if I looked like my name was Tweety, or perhaps my name was Love, Cuckoo or Big.... because whoever ate portion sizes like that must be a BIRD!
So after giving it some thought, I have decided to go to an eat-like-a-bird (oops), I mean a lifestyle coach for 12 weeks. Fran is going to whip me into shape and show me how to eat healthier. I just read her whole web-site www.lifestyleconsulting.com and I think I lost a pound already.
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