I joined a Facebook group…mainly because it is about losing weight, and it has a military theme. Not sure why, but I have always been fascinated with the military, and if not for my fear of weakness, I probably would have joined the army when I graduated from High School. Unfortunately, I knew a woman who went into the army and got discharged, so that kind of scared me. What  different life I would have had…so there, that is the reason!

I joined this group and took the nickname Hawkeye, after my favorite character from MASH (could be part of my military fascination, MASH was popular and one of my favorite shows when I was in my young impressionable years). The military group is fun to be a part of, but the main reason I joined it, was for weightloss motivation and support. It is a challenge, and those seem to work well for me.

I think I would feel so much better if I could shed some more weight. I think about how others view me, not just people of the opposite sex, but all people. If I want to get a position as a substitute teacher, what if the hiring person has a bias? But then I saw the following article and honestly, it kind of scared me….like the people who take kids to a jail to “scare them straight”, I feel like I have been shown the real truth, and now I must face it.

http://on.mktw.net/1c68Mme

You can click on the link and read the article for yourself, but according to the study, it is apparent, if you are overweight you are less likely to get into Grad School, and less likely to get the fellowships/assistantships, I desperately need. No matter if I can keep my 4.0 GPA for my Master’s Degree, I am still viewed as lazy and not able to control myself, if I am overweight.

Are they right in this way of defining who should get into their program? I hear age is one of the less likely ways grad schools discriminate, but not sure of that either. I almost feel like I am up against the odds on this whole plan….but this would not be the first time, and ironically, this type of thing is exactly what motivates me the most!

I was working at the bowling center when I determined I wanted to work in radio. I was told then, for many reasons, including, my age, the major market we live in, my family, and my lack of (at that time) a college degree, I would not make it, and would never work in radio in Chicago. Ha! I worked for not one, but two top stations in Chicago and had a blast, so it sure was a good thing I did not just listen, look at the statistics and then give up!

So, as my Drill Sargent has informed me, I better get my act together and get on board with the plan! I have always done better with a goal, and now I really have the motivation I need. I finished up my final projects for the summer semester yesterday, so now I am ready to focus on the plan at hand.

See you all around the barracks.

PS I did pick Hawkeye, so if you come around and I have a still set up in the RV, I am just acting out my part!!

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  ~World Health Organization, 1948

Portion control is the real reason I do not weigh what I did on my wedding day, (132 lbs). I felt fat that day, because I was always comparing myself to my skinnier friends. I have not weighed that little since then, although I got down to 135 after each pregnancy, until the last baby, and for some reason I have not been able to get within 25 pounds of that weight since. I would blame it on my underactive thyroid, but I know only about 20 pounds is due to that terrible twist of fate. The rest is because I eat a lot. I wish I did not like to eat huge portions, and I wish 2-3 bites of some delectable food would suffice, but for me, more is better.

As a kid, I was the star member of the clean plate food club, and I reveled in pleasing the adults in my life with the huge portions I could consume. It should have been a sign that at 12 years old I could eat the same amount of food a grown man could eat, yet, I was praised for my “healthy appetite”, which only made me seek more of the same.

I know we are a product of our past, but it should never be an excuse, once we learn better. My thyroid condition is not good, in fact, I know it has many side affects which I cannot control, despite taking the medicine prescribed, religiously for the past 26 years. And then there’s my genes, which are not the best. Every female in my family tree is at least 50 pounds overweight, some many, many more.

At my heaviest, I was more than 110 pounds over my wedding day weigh in, and the most unhealthy I have ever been. I managed to shed 60 pounds from that high, unhealthy weight, but I have been at a standstill since then.

I have not been perfect, because every now and then I want some treat, but I have been pretty good about eating a much healthier diet, with more fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. I have practically eliminated all dairy and meat, eating them only on special occasions, and adding juicing when possible. All of this, in addition to 4-5 trips to the gym weekly, with other daily exercise, has still kept me at a standstill, and I know why.

I started following my exercise with the fitbit by BodyMedia earlier in the year, but started to record the food I ate a couple of weeks ago. I put in all of my food and when I checked, even with a mostly vegan diet, I managed to take in as many calories as I was working off! And despite what some people think, it is all a matter of calories in and calories out. Eating 2500 calories is not going to move the scale, even if the calories are made of wholesome foods.

The bottom line is this; I have realized the real problem, and now I need to address it. I can work out, and be in better shape, have more muscles, but until I quit eating such large portions, I will remain overweight. This is hard to face, and even harder to deal with, because I am that person who eats when I am tired, bored, stressed, anxious, etc. I am an emotional eater and I know it. Maybe admitting it and working harder on that will help?

I remember in the series Sex and the City, Miranda attended Overeater’s Anonymous and had to pass a Donut place to attend the meetings, and finally she and the guy she met there, split a donut at that place. I liked how Mike and Molly met at an OA meeting too, so maybe it is a great pickup place? I should look into meetings once I get to St. Charles, because they may help. I am a part of a couple of groups online, and have seen others with this same struggle. Having a support system and accountability seem to help a lot of people.

Writing about this is not easy. It is hard to admit that each day, my food choices take up so much of my mental energy, and are so hard to get a hold of. I am going to continue to record my food, and keep track of my exercise, in hopes of making strides toward my goal. I have set my goal of weighing what an average American woman weighs, by my birthday this year (October). I saw an infograph which told me I needed to lose a few pounds to get there, and it made me decide to make that my goal.

I hope you will join me on this quest for eating more whole foods, in smaller quantities, and exercising to feel better. I will keep you posted on my progress.

The news here is fascinating to me. Watching Chicago news for my whole life I am used to certain things, and here in the Valley of the Sun, they have different expectations. The latest news is centered around the weather person promising we will get down to the 80s soon. It is with apology she announces another day with a high in the 90s. She seems to not know how some parts of the country are struggling in the 40s and 50s and would welcome the 90s. Today is supposed to be the last day in the 90s, and yet, it is another beautiful day, which I would feel guilty complaining about.

I feel alone often, but not really lonely. I feel a definite difference in the two. I have friends I can talk to, my kids and all the people here at the resort who are more than willing to spend time chatting, mostly when I am in a hurry to get things done. But I feel alone a lot. I go to the gym where I purposely shut the other people out, and try to concentrate on getting fit. I am getting stronger, but not really losing any weight for the past month. I am sure it has to do with my extra evening munching while doing my school projects.

I took the scooter last weekend and went to the closest casino (where I left with a little more than I came with) but gambling is a solo event, where I even go alone when I am with people. I had joined a couple of meet up groups but they didn’t really workout for me, as they had back in Chicago where I met some great gals.

Today is my birthday. This is not the first birthday I have spent away from Chicago, but this one seems different. I am not sure what I want to do, but maybe the fact that my day has been exactly like every other day, can be interpreted to be I am living a pretty great life, or I am uninspired to find something better to do.  Thinking about how I want to spend the day, all I could come up with was the food I wanted to indulge in.

When I was a kid, my grandpa had a birthday and when I wished him happy birthday he answered, “It’s just another day, no reason to make a fuss.” and as a kid, I could’t understand how he could think that. I really liked presents and getting to pick my dinner back then. Now, I just want my kids to call me, and send me a card which makes me feel appreciated. I have received a couple of gifts already, which are very nice and thoughtful, however, the son who called me first thing this morning to ask for my help with an email, and did not wish me a happy birthday, kind of made me laugh. He just wasn’t thinking, and I am OK with that, because he calls me all the time, and always answers my texts and stupid emails I send him, so he gets a pass on this one.

My plans have changed throughout the week, and evolved into taking a scooter ride, having ice cream, and pizza and wings. I am not sure what else I will decide to do, but I am kind of sorry I got all of my work done, so I could do whatever I wanted today, since I don’t know what I want to do. Having nobody to do things with, makes it harder to have fun. I was laying in bed, thinking about my birthday this morning, and I was thinking about my favorite birthday; It was the year I turned 19, because I had wanted to see the play “The Odd Couple” and Chuck gave me tickets for my birthday. I had never been to a live play, and I loved it. We went out to eat afterwards and stayed out til 4am. Later that same date, he asked me, unofficially, to marry him. It was a great birthday.

It is this yearly celebration where most people think about their next 30 years, and vow to make their lives better. I know I need to eat better, be kinder and try to give back, more. I will work on being more positive and forgiving myself for my past, and moving forward, embracing whatever the future holds. I know I will be in a different place the next birthday I celebrate, if I am so lucky to do so, so I should enjoy my next trip around the sun, and be grateful for all the blessings I have.

While I am working at “the resort”, I am not making a lot of money. I am making just enough to pay all of my bills, (cell, insurance, etc) but with just a little left over for food each month. Since I love doing the work here, and I am able to take online classes to earn my Masters degree at the same time, this is a great place for me to be.

In order to make the most of my time here, I am trying hard to not use any savings, so this means I need to figure out how to eat healthy, for as little as possible. Because I cannot do anything halfway, this has become my second hobby. It is not easy to eat healthy, in a frugal way, in these days and times, when everyone is offering $1 menu items at fast food places. At the expense of my health, I could easily never make another meal and spend less money most weeks, by eating these cheap, easy meals all day.

I have had this argument many times over the past few years, and the usual response is about making soups, stews and other cost cutting meals, out of fresh ingredients. This always was something I did, just because I liked homemade soup every now and again, but when you spend $15 in veggies and meat, and then spend a lot of time making this soup, it is more costly than buying the top brand soup in the can on sale, and then you can get different types.

I have found 3 keys to assist me in meeting my budget: Market, Coupons and Meat. Here in the desert, I have found the one thing, I have not seen anywhere else in the country: the cheapest fruits and vegetables. There is a small market, and it is an enclosed store, not a farmer’s market, where I can get a basket of fruits and vegetables for less than $15-$20! I have never seen such low prices, in my life. Everytime I go, I expect someone to come and tell me there has been a mistake and I owe 3x the price on the register. This has really helped make my healthy eating possible. But this alone would not be enough to help me make my budget.

Second, in my battle to keep my money in the bank, has been working the coupon edge. Now, I will never be one of those Super Couponers, for various reasons, the number one reason being I do not own a printer! But here, there are more coupons in the newspaper each week than I have seen anywhere else. This week on the front of the newspaper was a coupon good for a free sandwich at a local shop! I am amazed at the 3-4 coupon flyers in each Sunday paper, and if they do not offer $1 coupon, the stores double the less than $1 coupons to $1, so almost any coupon ends up getting you $1 off the product! And, not only do they give you the coupons, the stores build their sales around the coupons, and even advertise this, by printing “savings with the coupon found in today’s paper” right on their ads! So while I am watching Sunday football, I try to match the sales with the coupons and this is key, for ONLY the products I will buy anyway. I struggle to keep this part of the deal, because sometimes the deals are good, but if I am not going to buy it normally, only spending $2 for a $5 product is a deal, but that’s $2 I did not need to spend. Now, this is the part that works for me; I can go to a few stores, which are all within 5 miles of my resort, and get the best deals, because I pay so little for gas in the scooter, and for me, it is fun to drive to these places to get a few items. This would not work if I was going to work downtown for 40 hours a week, but then I would have a bigger paycheck so the neeed would not be there, I guess. Sometimes I happen upon deals, such as the Green Giant vegetables which are the microwavable bag kind with seasonings, and they were $1.50, with a $1 off coupon on the bag itself in the frezzer section. I bought 3 of them, only because of room issues, otherwise, I would have bought a dozen! If I go back there soon, I will check and see if there are more.

I paid 50% off this price with the sticker the lady at the register took off.

My third weapon against the high price for eating healthy, is in the meat. Since I go to the various stores to get a few coupon/sale items, I have found they all have wonderful meat items which will get marked down because the date it must be sold by (not used by) is coming up. With your store card (yes, you MUST have one of these to save money), you can get a discount, and then a further reduction, making high quality meat, as cheap as ground beef. I n addition to buying this reduced meat, I have also started cooking in larger quantities and freezing, so I can have a varied menu, and when I cannot find a great deal, or don’t leave the RV for a few days, I pull out the frozen food, made with quality ingredients and enjoy my frugal meal.

This last part was a result of reading a blog, where a mom makes meals for four, all at once, in four hours, all for $95, and there were 46 meals in her freezer!! So, on my last trip to the store I saw 2 packs of meat which were great deals and I had to try it out myself. I bought a whole chicken which was marked down and then 50% off that final price making it less than $3. I cooked up the whole thing, in the crockpot (how easy is that?) had some for dinner, gave the dogs some, and then sauteed up some onions and peppers and bagged up and froze 5 servings to use for fajitas, tacos, or whatever I want later. The dogs also had more from the bones this morning, and I bottled and froze the pure chicken stock to use for future recipes.

I also bought the ribs I am making today, which were half off the price shown (they remove the 50% off price tag at the register), making them quite the deal, and hopefully a tasty 2-3 meals for myself. The portion control part, also helps save money, because if you watch portions, you will eat less, and that will save money.

So, with all of this saving, I am happy to report I have enough shampoo and toothpaste for the next year, due to coupons, and redemption gift cards. I have stocked up on some non food items we all need to have, and I am spending about $50/week on actual groceries. The first few weeks I did some stocking up, so the prices were higher, but now it has settled some, and I think I may be getting the hang of this. I am hoping to get my total cost below $30/week. This may take more work, but I am thinking I can do it with a little effort.

Today I am heading to the fruit and veggie market, last time I spent $16 and it all lasted me one full week!

 

I walked into the bowling alley, in shock. I had left the Doctor’s office where I had a routine blood test and the results were not what I was expecting. I had started bowling in a league next to my Doctor’s office for something to do, since I had given birth to David, and was looking for ways to socialize. The bowling alley had a nursery where a kind lady would watch the kids while their moms bowled.

I made the appointment before my league on Tuesday, so I only had to make one trip to the mini mall which housed both of my destinations. I was not sure what exactly was wrong with me, but I listened as the Doctor told me I had a thyroid problem, and then again as he informed me my cholesterol was higher than it should be. He told me I would take medication for the thyroid problem for the rest of my life, and if I couldn’t get the cholesterol problem under control, he would give me medicine for that as well.

With the presciption dropped off at the convenient drug store between the bowling alley and Doctor’s office, I asked my teammate about the thyroid issue. She was a nurse and explained that basically it was lifelong issue that would make my life more difficult. Reading about it showed her words to be true. I could expect weight gain, thin hair, cold body temperatures and “brain fog” to name the most common problems. Common knowledge suggested that it would be hard to lose weight while having this issue and it was considered an excuse for many obese women to claim they could not lose the weight.

My maternal grandmother had heart problems, including a pace maker, and my mother has high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, diabetes and cancer. Obesity runs in my family, and so does cancer and thyroid disease. This means I could take the medicine for choesterol and give in, or I could fight. In less than six months, I lowered my cholesterol to a respectable level, and the Doctor said I would not need the medicine.

That was more than 24 years ago, and just last year, while checking my blood once again for the thyroid level, so the daily dose of medicine I am taking is the right dose, my Doctor looked at the cholesterol numbers and told me they were not good. There was too little of the good cholesterol and too much of the bad stuff. The levels were not so bad that he would write a prescription that day, but he warned me, if they were not improved by my next visit, I would be on another medication daily.

Every morning for the past 24 years I have begun my day by taking a tiny pill, trying to take it on an empty stomach. I usually have water next to me and upon waking, I pop the pill in and then go about my day. While traveling, getting the prescription filled has been a priority more than once, because I am not sure what happens if I do not take it right. I already have gained too much weight, have thin hair and ‘brain fog” is a regular occurrance for me. What else is there?

Fear that I will gain more weight, or never be able to lose the weight I have accumulated has been a concern for me. About 8 years ago I lost the extra weight I was carrying at that time, so the thyroid is not an excuse, though I do believe it is harder for me. I knew I needed the exercise component to be a part of my plan, because I can’t just eat less and lose. In fact, sticking to a 1000 cal/day diet for a month with no loss, was why the Doctor originally checked my thyroid. I know my battle is not as difficult as others, but it could be easier.

The trip back to Chicago gave me enough time (barely) to get to the Doctor’s office and have them draw my blood. I made sure they were checking for everything, and I was anxious for the results. Waiting until the Doctor called seemed to take forever. While in the office he reminded me of the higher levels and our “deal”. I said nothing, but I hoped I had worked hard enough to keep the medicine away. One pill a day was enough.

I waited each day for the Doctor’s call. Finally today, the call came. I was nervous as I dialed the voicemail number to hear the message from the Doctor.  My family has cancer, heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, obesity and high cholesterol running rampant, and though I could not do anything about my thyroid, the rest of those issues can be fought. A good diet and exercise would be my best chance to avoid those hereditary complications.

I have lost more than 35 pounds, and many inches while exercising and trying to eat better. I was hoping the number on the Doctor’s pad showed I tried to fight back. I listened to the Doctor go through telling me my liver, blood sugars, and thyroid (on the medication) were all good and then he said “your cholesterol is….VERY good, both kinds!” He even sounded surprised at this. I was so excited I barely heard what else he said, but I did listen enough to know I am in better health than I was at the last visit, before I left Chicago.

I can continue to improve my health, and I plan to do that. I will continue to take the one little pill my body needs to function properly, and which there is no cure for, but despite how easy it would be to use my thyroid as an excuse to be overweight, or to reference the many overweight women in my family who have the same genes, as my reason to be fat. I will not.

I have never felt better than I have since I have been working out and getting stronger. Being able to perform 10 “girlie” pushups, properly as well as extending my runs have made me feel so good about my strength. There was a time I felt old and ready to “give up”, but now I feel youthful and anxious to start each day.

I was not feeling well today, just having a cough, headache and typical sick feeling. After I got the call, I looked up the Bataan Memorial Death March which a friend had told me about. I read more about it, and even in my sick state, I wanted to do it. I wanted to prove I would not lie down and let all the sicknesses in my family take over. I want to fight for my health and this march is a good way to start. It seems kind of rough, but I will do my best. I am going to start training as soon as I feel well enough. I will have to put the incline up on the treadmill and keep adding the miles.

Dierks Bentley has a song called “Every Mile a Memory”, and for me it is like every mile walked/ran gets me farther away from those hereditary issues I am fighting against. I would like to think each mile will make a future memory for me, maybe one I would not have been able to have, had I just given up.

Visiting my kids, and running around, barely sleeping, really was a fun time, but it also taught me a lesson.

Living a few miles from town, I have been able to learn how to only buy food which is good for me, and to live without eating out. Learning to eat out with others, is much harder for me. While eating with my thin kids, I tried hard to order good food, and I made sure they noted that I skipped the sweet potatoe fries I love. They weren’t watching when I flew home, yet  I did manage to turn down the snacks on the plane, since there were no healthy options.

I planned to start my “clean eating” plan on Thursday, and the traveling made it harder. I usually give in and have some “treat” while in the airport, or on the plane. Instead, I made a plan, and stuck to the plan, even when I got very frustrated at the LA airport when the car rental place was out of cars!

My only real letdown for the day was when I got back to the RV, finally, and needed to take a nap. I opted to sleep and rejuvenate my body, rather than try to workout while feeling so sleep deprived. The few hours of interrupted sleep I managed to get on the plane was not enough for the day. I have learned that sleep should be a priority when trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I enjoyed going out with the kids and finally making home at 5am after only getting limited sleep on the plane ride in, but that is not a good long term plan.

I have discovered getting adequate sleep has really helped my health. I feel so much better, and a day or two of shortened sleep will not affect me in the long run, since I will be returning to my good habits.

Friday, the workouts resumed, and I am training in earnest for the upcoming 5k I will try to run, in February. I can walk it, but my goal is to run the entire course.  I have made a list of goals for the year, and I am going to make this year, the year of the goal. I am setting the goals and going to make sure to celebrate every one I reach.

My goals for 2012:

*Reach recommended weight for my height (I broke this down into smaller goals)

*Run a 5k in February

* Run a 10k in October

* Perform 10 real pushups

* Finish my book

* Get paid to do what I love

For tonight, my goal is to get enough sleep to get up early and head to the gym. Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep.

I am sure everyone has certain foods they like to have in certain areas. I remember when I discovered White Castle was only available in in the Midwest, with the last one right outside of St Louis on the way to Kansas. It’s funny how much you want, crave, need the food you can no longer get.

I am starting a new way of eating on Thursday. I want to make it a 90-95% of the time lifestyle, but I would not start it while visiting my hometown. I wanted one last chance to get in my vices before I make this change. The change I have chosen to try out is a “clean eating” plan, where you basically only eat natural foods. I am anxious to see how this works for me the next 6 weeks, before I go to Vegas, where I plan to deviate, some, but not completely.

My trip back home to Chicago to surprise my kids went well. The look on Jonathan’s face was great, and Sam was quite surprised as well, although both asked where Wrigley was, within minutes, which made me wonder how I barely rate above the pooch?

We have been bowling, ice skating, and go cart riding, but the real tour had more to do with the food we ate. I chose to have smaller portions, but some of all the things I really love, before I start the new food plan. We had sushi, chinese, white castle, Rosie’s and pizza from my favorite pizza place. These are all foods I have not had while traveling, and have missed, however I tried to not go crazy.

This visit rejuvenated my soul, and now I am ready to go back to doing the same for my body. I enjoyed my visit, I enjoyed my food, but tomorrow, Thursday, I leave to head back to California and my new food and exercise regimen will be my priority. I cleaned out my freezer before I left, so it now only has some frozen fish in it. I will add all the fresh ingredients and I will return to cooking my meals, and exercising daily. I have missed it while visiting.

I hope when I weigh in for my wii Biggest Loser, I have not ruined my previous hard work, with this short hiatus, but I know I will get it back soon. The determination is there, and the next six weeks will be quite a ride. I am anxious to get started.

Grocery shopping is one of those tasks which I put off as long as possible. I had stocked up before I got here last week, and though I have a lot of those items still available, I was in need of some necessities, so after I went to the gym, I was heading to the local grocery store.

It seems out west, many of the stores have Starbucks. In this small town of Santa Paula, the only Starbucks resides in the Vonn’s. I found this out when I took the certificate in for my free coffee.  After buying 16 cups, they will give you the next one free, and I always savor the one I did not have to purchase! So when I decided I would go grocery shopping I chose to get my coffee there too.

Grocery shopping for one is a challenge. I will admit, I still think I am buying for six at times. Cooking is like that too. After years of trying to make enough, I am now trying to not make too much! The more challenging part of this trip is buying even more nutritious food than I have been eating…and I was eating OK , so stepping it up a notch, will require more effort.

Since I have been staying in one place, I have not been eating out at all, which helps my eating plan a lot. I have found the best time for me to go shopping is right after I have worked out. Not only do I feel good, but I also feel healthy, so when I shop I do not want to buy everything. In addition to shopping after I worked out, I also have the scooter, which means every item must be needed, because I do not have room to put frivolous purchases.

On this day, my mission was to buy fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, and cereal. I had hoped to buy my favorite new cereal, Chocolate Cheerios. However, my latest plan to omit unnecessary sugar, and the inflated price of this after dinner treat, made my choice to buy the shredded wheat seem like a good idea; it was on sale. I even vowed to eat some of it for breakfast. I stopped on my way in, to buy my coffee, and I put it in the special holder on the grocery cart and set off to buy nutritious food. I am used to sitting down and enjoying my coffee, while working on my computer, which is what I have done at most all of the Starbucks I have stopped at throughout the country. Taking my coffee and walking with it was something new for me. Oh, and despite my saying otherwise, I enjoy the music in the Starbucks. Over the course of my trip I have heard every imaginable genre, and I like it. I like my routine, and this Starbucks does not support it, so I will try it their way, and drink my coffee as I shop.

I started my shopping in the fruits and veggies area, where I found some sale items. I did buy one of those large trays of cutup fruit because it is easier, takes up less room, and was on sale. My almond milk, which lasts a long time, tastes good, and has fewer calories than regular milk, was on sale, so I had to get another half gallon. Oatmeal, rice cakes and some frozen treats were all thrown into the cart, and then I bought some salmon, which was on sale, and of course turkey. I was having a good time, getting all good foods, while sipping my coffee. Life was grand.

At the checkout I had to get one of the special customer Cards for the store to get all my sale prices. This is the biggest joke there is. I hate that they take your information, and track your purchases. They can do this because we, as their customers, hand it all over, in return for their special prices. It should be illegal, but instead, every store around the country has adopted this process, and it has become accepted. I gave them my information to save $24 on a $50 grocery bill on this visit alone. Small price to pay…or is it? I have accumulated a dozen cards from various places I have shopped across the country, which I may never visit again, just to get the deals.

When I left the store, I tossed my empty drink cup into the garbage…perfect timing! Then, I looked at the groceries and sized them up in my head, as I walked toward the scooter. Under the seat of the scooter, there is more room than you would think, but I had brought a gallon to fill up with water and I had my bag from the gym with the clothes I had changed out of, as well. When I left in the morning, it was cool out.  I wore my heavier coat, so I would not get cold as I zoomed 45 mph down the winding road to get into town. It is such a great road with no stops, but if it is chilly, the wind does get to you, so wearing a warm coat is necessary. Now, however, it had warmed up considerably, and my hoodie was more than warm enough, even on the scooter…

I filled up the water gallon, which costs .30. The water is important, because the tap water tastes awful and even with two filters on it, I do not trust it to be clean enough. There are Glacier water stations everywhere, so others must agree with me on this. The .05 deposit on each water bottle makes it a better deal to fill the 1 gallon and 2 gallon containers I have and reuse them. Greener too, I guess.

After filling the water, I looked at the items I had and tried to fit them into the space under the seat, but they would not all fit. And finally, for one of the few times in my life, I had been prepared. Last week one day, I took out the bungee cords and put two of them under the seat, for just such an occasion. Today was the day. I took out my bag I had for the gym, which is a string backpack, and I put the gallon of water in it, and strapped it to my back. I put the coat on the seat and secured it to the luggage rack. On the rack I secured the bag with cereal, rice cakes and two boxes of approved frozen treats. They were secured by the two bungee cords. All the fruits, veggies, oatmeal, meats and almond milk all fit under the seat.

As I drove down the Main Street, I imagined people saw me all loaded up and saw the Illinois License plates and assumed I had ridden all the way from the Land of Lincoln to California!! I smiled at this idea as I listened to my ipod play songs I have chosen on the beautiful ride back up into the mountains. I think this was a pretty fun trip to the grocery store after all.

 

 

 

Wise Yoda

“Do, or do not, there is no try.” Yoda, the wise little character known for his huge ears and intelligence from Star Wars is the famous mastermind behind this saying. Like millions around the world I have posted this saying on my Facebook Wall. It is amazing the interpretations you will get for this famous quote. Personally, I like the try, try again philosophy and use that as well. You would think that would be a total contradiction, but I do not see it that way.

Yoda’s saying is what you use for inspiration when there is a black and white issue, when you either choose this road or that, but you don’t TRY to choose the right road, either you do, or you don’t. and if you don’t, you cannot say, “well, I tried”, because, either you did or you didn’t.

Fresh, lean ground chuck on the mini grill

This is a long way to get to my topic today, which is taking better care of myself. One of the reasons I am taking this adventurous ride, is because my Doctor warned me my lifestyle was not conducive to a long life and I would like to give that a shot, therefore I promised myself I would take better care of myself. So, I am making myself DO, and quit trying, because I was not trying, I was not doing.

I made three rather general rules to follow: I would get proper sleep, I would eat more fruits and vegetables and I would get more exercise. These seem so easy when typed on a screen, but to actually follow through and make them happen, takes a bit more effort, and maybe the try, try again mentality when you do not DO.

I started off determined, and I stocked the RV with mostly good foods except for a few gifts which I would save for guests. I would say with the exception of one day, which was a mess, I have eaten more fruits and vegetables. I have not been eating too many bad things, but I did some damage with the Fannie Mae candy the first couple of days, but since then I am eating pretty good foods and nothing processed, so I would give myself a B for this effort.

Exercise has been my nemesis while working downtown. Having a gym 2 floors below me and the ability to use it during my workday did little to get me in there. Since leaving Chicago, I have exercised daily and Wrigley makes sure I don’t forget down here where it is warm and there is no excuse. Each day I have been stretching first thing in the morning which feels good, and is making me more limber. Today I walked more than 5 miles total just to go to the post office. Wrigley still expected playtime and of course another walk before bed. I would give myself an A in this category.

Sleep is the one category I knew would improve. I am no longer having my sleep interrupted by phone

Homemade chicken veggie soup

 calls and I am sleeping until Wrigley is ready for me to get up and that is long past my needed 7 hours of sleep. I have not been waking up in the middle of the night, and laying there trying to go back to sleep for hours anymore and I might credit the exercise with this development, or maybe the lower stress levels. I have to think I deserve an A for my improvements in this area.

I made burgers on the grill one day, they were lean ground chuck, and I made some homemade chicken soup with spinach, and lots of fresh veggies, which tasted very yummy. I am happy with my choices mostly, and I think I am doing the most I can to improve my health. I am not forgetting as many words as I was, and my mind is starting to clear up from some of the fogginess I was experiencing. I am not sure exactly what I should credit with that, but I am glad it is improving. It is not about expecting change to take place immediately, but I am hoping other changes occur as I continue to follow these rules. I will add some more “mandates” a little further down the road, but I am concentrating on these as a good starting point.

Looking at Yoda’s expectations, so far I would say I have done it! Now to keep doing it….

The most often "What's for Dinner?" query came from Sam

The restaurant downstairs at the Boeing building has some of the best food at reasonable prices you can find in downtown Chicago. Not only is it made fresh, you get to pick your own ingredients. They make a stir fry with fresh veggies and there is a salad station.  I figured out long ago, that for the prices, I could not get all those fresh ingredients and make lunch myself, so I have been getting a large dose of fresh fruits and veggies during my lunch.

Today I was waiting to place my salad order and the line chef said hi to me. We have exchanged hellos for all the time I have worked there, it’s what we do. So I said to him, “Have you ever thought of trying out for the show Chopped?”  I am not sure if he is a “chef”, but he is a great line cook and makes a mean omelet. He looked back at me and said “What is that?”

“It’s a show on the food network, you’d be great!”, he smiled and said he’d check it out.  Then I wondered, who doesn’t know about Chopped?

When you are counting down the days until you vacate a house, one of the first things you do is start eating the food that you have accumulated.  About 3 weeks ago I quit going to the grocery store. OK that is kind of not true: Anyone who knows me well will tell you I quit going once I could bribe Sarah to go for me, or when I could rationalize the delivery charge from Peapod. I hate the grocery store, so I usually only go when I absolutely have to.  I do what I have to, and that includes the cooking part.  After years of cooking six nights a week, I enjoy not having to worry “what’s for dinner?” Since I grew up working in a restaurant, I feel I have paid my dues and have no desire to cook anything unless I really want to.

So, I cannot really understand my infatuation with the Food network’s show Chopped. I have been watching for several months now and until recently could not relate to anything on the show…but have been glued to the screen with my jaw wide open while they open their basket and try to determine what to make with the odd assortment of ingredients they were given to work with. They rush around and try to make an appealing plate in the allotted time. Maybe I did this on a smaller scale when the kids were young. I remember making grilled cheese and green beans for lunch, not quite chef food, but they liked it.

Looking through my cabinets and fridge, you’d think I had quit shopping many months ago. All that’s left is an odd assortment of food which doesn’t seem to go together. The other day I was hungry so I decided to play the Chopped game myself.  Taking out the roll of sausage, a box of grits, a can of beans and some frozen bread, I narrated a full entrée portion of the show while Wrigley sat there wondering how he got stuck with “the crazy one”. Of course, at the end, when I had assembled a not-so-bad plate of food, Wrigley wanted in on it…but I stuck to my guns; since he did not want to play the part of the judge earlier, then no, he would not get to taste my show winning creation!

Getting down to just a little over a week before I leave, I have worked out most of the problems I might run into: mail, internet, phone, etc. I have decided on wii Netflix for movies and shows I need to watch. But I don’t think I can get Chopped, and now I am getting nervous.  If someone should ever drop a basket on my RV doorstep filled with four unusual ingredients and asks me to make an appetizer in 30 minutes, I want to be ready.  How will I get my Chopped fix in?