Sunday, September 13, 2015

Physical and emotional health

The reason I started this weight loss journey was because I was not happy with myself at the weight I was at, plus we would go on vacation and I would lose weight and when we got back home, my weight went back up.  At home, I deal with my husband and daughter, who are on the Autism Spectrum and I am my husband's caretaker and not his wife.  He expects everything done for him.  My daughter deals with major anxiety, so this makes for a very stressful household.  My hiking/walking is the way I deal with my stress, which has helped tremendously and I have met some awesome, supportive people in the process.  I have learned my rest is major important.

Sunday-my weight is up, as the girls birthday was yesterday.  I did not make bad food choices, but the food was heavier than what I eat on a normal basis.  I will get somewhat on track today.  I was up at 6:15 this morning.  I do not use an alarm, but allow my body to wake up when it wants to.  There are times, I would like to sleep later, but my husband is on a "schedule" and wants to be up around 6-6:30, so he can watch his TV.  Breakfast, snacks and lunch were on track.  I did a hike this afternoon that was hard and injured my knee.  Dinner was what people brought.  I did not get to bed until 1 a.m. and did not sleep the best.

Monday-my weight is still up.  This morning I was up at 6:30.  Knee was really bothering me during the night.  Breakfast, snacks and lunch were on track.  Originally, I had planned to go out to dinner, as I thought I was going hiking, so we went out to dinner anyway.  Not a bad choice, but not hiking did not help the weight.  Very much needed a nap, which I got.  Rory has been on my case about going to the doctor for my knee, but I know enough of what to do and have enough friends, who have been through this, that I am following their advice.  I am not a good patient and so used to doing things, that it is hard for me to do nothing and have my daughters do things.  Marissa is not used to this as well and it is causing her anxiety.  Fell asleep while icing my knee about 10:15.

Tuesday-my weight is up.  My sleep was pretty good, but I got tired of the bed.  Slept without the brace.  Got up at 6:20 a.m.  Kept on track with food.  I am sleeping soundly with my naps, as I feel like my body has been tired. The knee is getting better everyday, which I am happy about.  Starting Monday of next week, I am going to do some stretching exercises on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and do walking on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays.  If I have a small hike on Saturday, I may do a small hike on Sunday afternoon.  Took the girls to our Tuesday night walk and while they were walking, I edited pictures and talked to a friend, which was really enjoyable. Marissa did the whole walk, but had an anxiety melt down when she got back.  Mari and I were trying to find out what was causing the anxiety and she would not talk about it.   Went to bed around 11:30.

Wednesday-my weight is still up and I am beginning to see the effect my walking/hiking has on my weight.  Got up about 6:30.  While I am getting ready, Rory is watching the news and making comments about things on the news and putting down people, which gets annoying.  Made some decisions about some things, such as exercise during the night, which helps.  I have made a promise to myself and several others, that I will rest my knee this week, but I knew this would happen and it is, that I would get restless, but I am keeping my promise.  The food was on track today.  Marissa had an appointment with her therapist, which was helpful for all of us.  Went to a new small group, which is based on my hiking group, which I am excited about.  Getting frustrated with the knee, but I know it is improving.  Went to bed around 11.  My nap did not really exist, but I did rest.

Thursday-the weight is slightly down.  Got up at 6:30 a.m.  Kept on track for food today.  The knee is getting better everyday.  One of my goals is that I can climb stairs normally by the end of the weekend, as it is getting annoying to climb stairs one step at a time.  Made some plans for the weekend and one is to go walking at the beach on the boardwalk with my walking group.  Had counseling and then came home and picked up Mari and we went to our Thursday night walk.  Mari did the walk and I hung out and edited pictures at Starbucks.  It was nice to hang out with the group.  Came home and lights were out by 11:30 p.m.

Friday-the weight is starting to go down.  Got up at 6:30 a.m.  Kept on track for food today.  I am tired of the pain with my knee, as it feels like a pulled muscle.  Had a mammogram and then came home.  Did get a nap and then went to do some errands.  I got done the things I wanted to get done.  Rory frustrates me with his non-stop talking.  Went to bed at 10 and got a good nights sleep.

Saturday-the weight is down to what it was last Saturday.  YAY!  Got up at 6:30, mainly because Rory turned off the fan in our room.  I could have slept longer.  Breakfast and snacks were the only part of my food plan that was on track.  We went out for lunch and then for dinner went to an end of summer bash with my hiking group.  I did walk 2 miles and the knee feels tremendously better.  It was not really enjoyable to come home after having so much fun yesterday.  It is very difficult to live with someone who really does not want to interact with other people. I am very thankful to have found my hiking group.  Got to bed around 11:30.

DINNER MENU

Sunday-Chicken with salsa and spinach with rice
Monday-Turkey tacos
Tuesday-Chicken, spinach, diced tomatoes, mushroom risotto
Wednesday-out
Thursday-salmon
Friday-Turkey chili
Saturday-Chicken, Spinach, Bell peppers and eggs

EXERCISE

Sunday-None
Monday-walk
Tuesday-walk
Wednesday-walk
Thursday-kayak
Friday-None
Saturday-walk



Sunday, September 6, 2015

My goal is within reach

Sunday-my weight is slightly up.  Breakfast and snacks were on track.  Lunch was the leftover sandwich from Friday and I went out to dinner after the hike and dinner was later than I usually have dinner.  Did a harder hike this afternoon.  I am learning things I need to bring with us on hikes, which is a good thing.  Went to bed at 12:30 and had a hard time sleeping, as I was sore.

Monday-weight stayed the same.  Food was on track today.  Did my usual Monday evening hikes and surprisingly this one is getting easier.  I was able to go up a hill that I usually have to stop halfway up.  My confidence is getting stronger in doing the harder hikes.  Went to bed at midnight.

Tuesday-weight dropped half a pound. Breakfast, snacks and dinner were on track.  I had lunch out today.  Did my usual Tuesday night hike.  This walk is a beginner walk and usually I work on speed on the beginner walks, but felt like being social today.  Went to bed around 10:45.

Wednesday-weight dropped .4 pound.  Food was on track.  No hike today, as I needed to give my body a rest.  Went to bed around 10.

Thursday-weight dropped another .4 pound.  Food was on track.  Trying to drink more water.  My usual Thursday night hike at Shady Canyon. This is my one night for frozen yogurt and socializing.  Got to bed at midnight.

Friday-weight dropped another .2 pound.  Food was on track.  No hiking today.  Got to bed around 10:30.

Saturday-Got up around 6:15 and my weight has stayed the same.  Today is the girls birthday, so sticking with food plan is not going to happen.  Breakfast and snacks were good, except I did have a churro with afternoon snack.  Lunch was good, as I had a turkey wrap and then for dinner I had chicken tikka masala with rice and we had cake for the girls birthday.  We went to the San Diego Zoo and walked a lot.  Got to bed around 10:30.

DINNER MENU

Sunday-Out, because of a hike
Monday-Out, because of a hike
Tuesday-Teriyaki chicken
Wednesday-Taco Pizza
Thursday-Chili
Friday-Chicken with zucchini, diced tomatoes and rice
Saturday-Chicken with peppers, onions and rice

EXERCISE

Sunday-hike
Monday-hike
Tuesday-walk
Wednesday-off
Thursday-walk
Friday-off
Saturday-off

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Continuing on

Sunday-the weight is staying the same and slowly going down!  Stayed on track with breakfast, snacks and dinner.  We went out for lunch and I did have a salad, which was a good choice.  I did have an black, iced tea, which had caffeine in it, which caused some issues, as I felt like I was having some spasms.  I did take a walk and I fell asleep at 10, but did not do my whole night time routine.  I really did not sleep the most soundly.

Monday-the weight is staying the same.  Stayed on track with breakfast, snacks and dinner.  We went out for lunch and had two very small tacos and a green drink that I got at Target.  I did one of my harder hikes tonight.  Turned off the light at midnight, but had a hard time sleeping.  I am really trying to figure out why I am tired, but my body will not relax.

Tuesday-the weight dropped to one of my lowest.  Stayed on track with food today.  I went shopping this afternoon for pants and I have dropped a size.  I was jazzed.  Did a walk today.  Turned off the light at 11 and slept pretty well.  Overall a good day

Wednesday-the weight is down this morning!  Stayed on track with food today.  I am not walking/hiking today, as I had small group.  This is one of my down days.  Came home from small group and walked in the door and met a wave of anger from Rory.  I did not respond, as I knew that would just escalate things.

Thursday-the weight is the same as yesterday.  Stayed on track with food today.  I did my usual Thursday night hike and stayed for socializing, which was really nice.  Went to bed around midnight and slept very well.

Friday-the weight is down and I have 6 pounds to go to reach goal weight.  I CAN DO IT!  The girls birthday is a week away and Mari had requested going to a brewery in Escondido, CA, so we went to the brewery for lunch, which was enjoyable.  Breakfast, snacks and dinner were normal.  I did not walk, as Friday, is being my down day and the temperature was way too hot.  Went to bed around 10 and slept very well.

Saturday-the weight is slightly up.  I hiked today and had lunch with my hiking group at Gelson's.  I had a turkey sandwich and some fruit.  I did not have my morning snack, as the snack melted while I was hiking.  Breakfast, snacks and dinner were normal.  Got to bed around 10:30 and slept really well.

DINNER MENU

Sunday-Chicken tacos
Monday-Chicken with couscous
Tuesday-Turkey with Bell Peppers, Rice and Diced Tomatoes
Wednesday-Chicken, Zucchini, garlic potatoes
Thursday-Shrimp and Veggie Tacos
Friday-Salmon
Saturday-Out

EXERCISE

Sunday-Hike
Monday-Hike
Tuesday-Walk
Wednesday-Walk
Thursday-Walk
Friday-off
Saturday-off

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Feels so good

Being almost to normal weight, feels so good with clothes, as well as being able to do things, that I have not been able to do.  I am enjoying being more positive.

Sunday-the weight is up and I know it will go back down.  Periodically, it is nice to eat certain foods that I don't allow myself to eat on a normal basis.  No walk or hike today!  Trying to find a balance between doing house stuff and things I enjoy, such as editing pictures or things I do at home.   I deal with two people with mental illness, which makes home life difficult, so most of the time, I would rather be out with others, than home.  The stress of living with mental illness, also affects my eating and weight.  I would like to be at home and enjoy my home.  I am more my husband's caretaker, than his wife.  His enjoyment is television, in fact, his dream, would be to be in a closed up, air conditioned room with a TV, going all day and all night.

Monday-the weight is still up.  Stayed on track with food today.  I tried something new today of starting to speed walk, plus I had an intermediate hike tonight, which is good for me.  After I got home from my hike, I had to deal with stress from Rory, who wanted to talked politics, which I don't enjoy, as well as talking finances and his finding a job.  His version of finding a  job, is finding something, where he really doesn't have to work.  Didn't really sleep well during the night.

Tuesday-the weight is going back down.  Stayed on track with food today.  Did some more speed walking today.  The whole stress with Rory affected me in regard to my energy level.  Did get a good nap, which helped.  My walk tonight was easy, so I try to decrease the speed on these walks.

Wednesday-the weight stayed relatively the same.  Overall, stayed on track with food.  Did a bunch of walking today, including my speed walk, a walk in Corona del Mar with sand and hills and a walk around Balboa.  Dealing with a bunch of stress today.

Thursday-the weight is staying relatively the same. Stayed on track with food.  Did my usual Thursday night walk in Shady Canyon.  Dealing with my usual stress with Rory and trying to help Marissa deal with her anxiety.  It is very difficult to watch my daughter struggle.  It gets exhausting, always having to be the strong one.  Some of the stress came out in my walking tonight, especially in how fast I was walking.

Friday-the weight is staying relatively the same.  Breakfast and snack was on track.  Lunch, I made the decision to go out to The Melt and have a grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms, which was really good.  Afternoon snack and dinner were as planned.  Did no walking today and made the decision to not do any planned hikes this weekend.  I need some time to not be on a schedule.  Starting to keep track of my sleep.  Went to bed at 11.  I would really like to get to bed around 10:30 on a regular basis.

Saturday-the weight is staying relatively the same.  Food was on track today.  I did take a walk today with Mari.  Went to bed at 10:30.  The day was relatively relaxed, as I did a couple of errands in the morning, got a nap and we got hair cuts today.

MENU FOR THE WEEK

Sunday-Shrimp Nachos
Monday-Chicken Wings, Potato Salad
Tuesday-Salmon
Wednesday-Chicken, Bell peppers and Orzo
Thursday-Chicken, Spanish Rice and Veggies
Friday-Chicken Quesadilla
Saturday-Chicken Pad Thai

EXERCISE FOR THE WEEK

Sunday-Walk
Monday-Hike
Tuesday-Walk
Wednesday-Walk
Thursday-Walk
Friday-Day off
Saturday-Hike




Sunday, August 16, 2015

Being healthy

My life, nowadays, has become a life of eating healthy and making wise choices and not being afraid to try new things.  Since doing two hikes that I was afraid of doing,  I feel more alive and my new saying is "I can do it."

Sunday-Weight is slightly up, but I am still down 60+ pounds.  Today was definitely a day of rest.  Ate according to plan, but no walk, which is fine, as my body needed the rest, after Saturday.

Monday-Weight is back down, which is 62 pounds, gone away.  The girls and I went to lunch with a friend who is leaving for Boston and I made wise choices.  No exercise today.

Tuesday-Weight was down slightly.  Stayed on food plan. Went walking today.

Wednesday-the weight is down to the lowest it has been on this journey.  If I was to look at BMI range, I need to be down another 7 pounds, which I can do.  Did an intermediate hike today.

Thursday-the weight stayed the same.   Stayed on track with food today. Mari and I were getting tired of frozen yogurt after we did hikes, so we tried something new.  We took yogurt from home with us, as well as a banana and got an iced tea, which was nice, as the temperature is hot right now.  Did our usual Thursday night hike, which I enjoy.

Friday-the weight is down .2 pound.  Overall stayed on track with food today.  I did go out to lunch today with Mari and made wise choices.  Did a 4.5 mile hike tonight and had frozen yogurt after the hike.  Tonight's hike was one of my harder hikes.

Saturday-the weight is staying relatively the same.  Breakfast was normal, but we went hiking in Torrey Pines and had a late lunch consisting of pizza, so I did not have dinner.  It was a fun day!

DINNER MENU

Sunday-Chicken Wings-Potato Salad
Monday-Chicken and curry couscous
Tuesday-Chicken Marsala
Wednesday-Shrimp with Lemongrass and Basi
Thursday-Sweet Teriyaki Chicken
Friday-Chicken Nachos
Saturday-Chicken Tostada

EXERCISE

Along with my walking/hiking, I do 140 leg ups and 150 sit ups, as well as an arm exercise and 30 seconds of wall squats.

Sunday-No exercise, mainly due to the heat.  I will not walk/hike, when it is over 90 degrees, plus Sunday is my day for resting
Monday-Hike
Tuesday-Walk
Wednesday-Walk
Thursday-Walk
Friday-Walk
Saturday-Hike

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Stepping it up

Sunday-the weight is up, but I am not surprised. Back to routine. Food was good today and Mari and I went on a hike in our own neighborhood.  I feel good about the hike, as we accomplished somethings with this hike.  The hills were not that bad and we went all the way to the top without stopping.  I am trying to say, I can do this, rather than I can't do this.

Monday-the weight was back down.  Food was good today.  We went out for lunch and dinner and I made good choices.  I did a hike with my hiking group and I surprised myself with what I did.  I, also, found that I need to eat a little more food, when I do these type of hikes, as I felt a little light headed after I did one hill.  I did drink water, which helped quite a bit.

Tuesday-the weight is down to another low.  Food was good today.  I did a walk with my hiking group and my pace was really good.  I am trying to keep it below 18 minutes.  This one was 16:47 per mile.

Wednesday-the weight is continuing to be low.  Food was good today.  This morning, I walked Balboa Island and then tonight, I hiked Turtle Rock and accomplished a goal of climbing French Hill and Suicide Hill.  I am proud of myself for doing this.

Thursday-the weight continues to be low.  Food was good today.  I did go get a salad out at lunch.  Did my usual Thursday night at Shady Canyon.

Friday-the weight was the same as Wednesday.  Food was good today.  Today was a rest day, when it came to exercise.

Saturday-the weight was slightly up.  Went to Los Angeles on a field trip and had lunch and dinner out.  Enjoyed and made wise choices.  I walked between 7-11 miles by doing a Secret Stairs walk.

MENU FOR THE WEEK

Sunday-Lemongrass and Basil Shrimp with Veggies and Rice
Monday-Tikka Masala Chicken
Tuesday-Korean Stir Fry with Chicken
Wednesday-Southwest Chicken
Thursday-Mediterranean Chicken
Friday-Italian Chicken
Saturday-Chicken Nachos

EXERCISE

Sunday-walk
Monday-Rest day
Tuesday-Walk
Wednesday-Walk
Thursday-Walk
Friday-Hike
Saturday-Hike

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Where will this week go, one day at a time!

Sunday-weight was up, which was not surprising, considering I was out on Saturday.  I did not really make bad food choices, but, overall, going out and not really walking will raise the weight. Today was back on track with food and I did a 4.5 mile walk.

Monday-weight was down.  Stayed on food plan today.  I did get a walk today, that I found was easy, which didn't used to be easy.  I look at how far I have come in less than a year and I am proud of myself.

Tuesday-weight is down.  Overall stayed on food plan today.  Did my usual Tuesday night walk and was hungry after the walk, so I added an appetizer to my frozen yogurt and also had a Thai Iced Tea.

Wednesday-weight is down.  Met up with some friends for lunch today, which was fun and made a wise choice with a chicken cobb salad.   Did an almost 7 mile walk with a friend tonight and of course, had frozen yogurt.

Thursday-weight is slightly up. Today was a nice relaxing day at home and I stayed on food course.  The girls and I went out for dinner and I made a good choice for dinner.  I did my usual Thursday night walk at Shady Canyon. Had frozen yogurt after the walk.

Friday-the weight is back down to the lowest it has been on this journey.  I stayed on food course, except for dinner, when we went out.  I made good choices. We did another walk at Turtle Rock,which I enjoyed.

Saturday-the weight went up, but I am not surprised, as the salad I had on Thursday night was mainly vegetables.  I did a 3.88 mile walk that was too slow for me.  It was enjoyable, but I was frustrated with the walk.  I am definitely past beginner walks, so I am going to work in some intermediate hikes during the week, with my regular hikes.  Overall, I stayed on food plan, but went to a BBQ and enjoyed.

MENU FOR THE WEEK

Sunday-Mexican chicken
Monday-Curry restaurant
Tuesday-Chicken with Peanut Sauce and Rice
Wednesday-Turkey Burgers
Thursday-Shrimp Tacos
Friday-Lemon and Garlic chicken
Saturday-Chicken Marsala

EXERCISE FOR THE WEEK

Sunday-neighborhood walk
Monday-hike
Tuesday-weekly walk
Wednesday-hike
Thursday-weekly walk
Friday-None at this point
Saturday-Field trip to LA