A Spark of Something New

I discovered sparkpeople.com a few months ago when, like the rest of the dieting world, I was setting myself up for the disappointment of not losing weight. I played around a bit, but it seemed so overwhelming to learn and to do so I just let it slip by. Now I am back on the wagon, a really pretty wagon that is, and have been getting more connected and seeking support.

One of my biggest hurdles with getting healthier is the self talk and self doubt. But I am at an age that says “you need to do it now before something goes wrong.” So I am. By checking in to sparkpeople each day, I am feeling more motivated and finding that I am not alone in my quest to eat yummy foods and be healthier at the same time. Plus, not being part of the gym rat crowd, I have found that there are things to do here, there and everywhere that help me get to the place I want to be.

It’s all baby steps. This week on the “Get Healthier” agenda is waling 10,000 steps at least 5 days a week. So far I have come close (3 days into it) and yesterday I did it. How? Well, it all started by cleaning the hell out of my living room. Allergies are strong this year and my living room was crying out to be de-dusted. What I thought would take an hour turned into a 5-hour project. Everything was dusted, vacuumed and mopped until spotless. And it knocked off about 4,000 steps taking garage sale items out to the garage, and stepping back and forth as I vacuumed. Add on some strength training from moving furniture and you get a good workout and a very nice room.

Next was dog walking 3 times during the day and waiting for them to do their business. I’m getting more in the habit of walking them instead of just letting them out in the backyard since it is so nice lately. This took off another 3,500 steps.
With only 2,500 steps to go, I continued de-cluttering my home and taking all the remnants to the garage. Add in moving stuff around in the yard and finally taking a quiet walk by myself at sunset and I had 10,000 steps done for the day. Today, I am doing it again by taking short walk breaks at work (they are my non-smoking smoke breaks), getting the puppies out and about , and tonight taking a relaxing walk with my honey.

So far this is more than just a counting ritual. It has really helped me focus on the right choices and has kept me on track for drinking lots of water. And it’s not so hard.

My satisfying treat:

Chinese Chicken Salad
3oz cooked chicken breast
handful or more of lettuce
3 or 4 radishes
1 stalk of celery with the frilly top
A bit of chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup canned mandarin oranges
2TBSP of lite sesame ginger dressing

You know how to make a salad. I just love the spicy radishes mixed with the sweet oranges, lovely.

*Note: I wish I had more time to check out other fitness, health and food blogs, but I am just too busy. I keep telling Paul that he can make me a kept woman so I don’t have to work all day, but he only laughs and says he was thinking I would make him a kept man. Damn, wrong guy again – oh well I love him anyway. Do you have any you would like to share?

Shorts

What does a relatively healthy 40-something foodie do when she can no longer fit into her favorite shorts and can’t stand the skin she’s in?

She re-evaluates and comes up with a new plan. I am very experienced at creating new plans. But this is a new, new plan. What makes it new? I had some new help in crafting it (instead of on my own) and I have new support to help me (Paul).

Instead of trying to keep up with my friends who are doing a million things at once and still have time to party, I am focusing solely on my health. I have been overweight all my life. When I tried to put on my favorite shorts to welcome the warm weather they didn’t fit at all, like they were a couple sizes too small. These used to be my favorites that emphasized my curves and made me feel just that much more confident. It was the last broken cheese straw.

My helpful cohort in this plan suggested I do just one thing at a time. My first translation read: Get a good weight loss plan, stick to it 100%, workout 2 hours a day, walk 10,000 steps a day, don’t drink or eat anything “bad” and also do everything else on your to-do list. I was lost.

What she really meant, in her chuckled manner, was eat more of the healthy stuff, less of the not-as-healthy stuff (about 80/20), get moving in fun ways and forgive.
The patience factor kicked in and I wanted to fit in those sleek, black shorts now, but realized that it took a while to put on these pounds and it will take a while to get them off. This was the turning point, because instead of being sad about it, I also realized that if I did make an occasional slip-up, that it wouldn’t matter since it took more than a slip-up to get me here.

So I am taking it slow. Baby steps. And I am starting with these shorts. They are a size 14 and would look great with a cute black top, a snakeskin belt, flats and my tortoise-shell look sunglasses. The perfect summer date night outfit.

I’m not stopping there. This is a 60-pound journey, but it begins with those hot shorts. Each day will be the adventure and it already has been with getting back into the flow at the gym (the elliptical for 30 minutes), eating more veggies and drinking more water, and accepting myself as I am now. It also helps to have wonderful friends and a great lover around to make you feel like you can do anything.

Note: Yes, I know it seems like I am starting over again, but this time I will stay focused. I promise.

Pucker UP!

Some staples are good for those select favorite culinary treats, while others are good for just about everything, like lemons. I could not cook without lemons. I am an all-around citrus junkie, but lemons are my favorite. I counted this past week and noticed that I used at least one lemon a day from adding to my tea, to zesting up my fish and chips, to adding some sunshine to my vodka and even preventing scurvy by dousing my broccoli.

Lemons are such happy fruits and they lend their happiness to everything. In the morning, I add some zest and juice to my vanilla yogurt and blueberries to make it even more fresh and healthful. For lunch, my hummus sings with joy as the olive oil and chickpeas dance with zest and juice. Need a snack? I love sliced apples, but they turn brown so quickly. A dose of lemon juice and they stay appetizing until the afternoon. After my hard day, a vodka martini with a lemon twist is the perfect cure to block the pain and then dish it up with dinner as it turns my healthy fish and chips into something so much more.

Fish and Chips (on a budget and still keeping the heart pumping)

I have been working out more which only encourages me to eat well. The martini withstanding, was a single occurrence this week and well worth it, but since I had exhausted myself during dance class on Monday, the one libation was good enough.

Money is tight and I am pulling things from the freezer – namely grouper filets and French fries. I love fries, but only enjoy them once in a while and I figure if I make them myself at least I know they aren’t so bad.

Fries
I use the frozen kind, but dress them up.

1 lemon (juice and zest)
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Cook the fries as directed on the bag, but before you put them in the oven, toss them with zest, salt, pepper and paprika. Bake halfway and add fish to the pan.

Fish

A couple grouper fillets or any white fish you like
1 beaten egg
1 lemon (zest and juice)
Bread crumbs and/or your favorite crushed up cereal (I used Fiber One once and just couldn’t get past the bran taste so I don’t recommend it.)
Garlic powder
Dried herbs of your choice
Cayenne pepper or hot sauce
Salt and pepper

To the beaten egg add half of the lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce if using.
To the bread crumbs add lemon zest, garlic powder, herbs, cayenne (if using) and salt and pepper.
Dry the fillets with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Dip in the egg and then in the crumbs and put on the baking sheet. When the fish is done and the fries look crisp, douse the fries with half a lemon’s worth of juice and toss. Put back in the oven to crisp under the broiler – DO NOT WALK AWAY! Now look to see the golden goodness. The lemon juice caramelizes on the fries and is just so good!

I usually add a little homemade tartar sauce (low fat mayo with dill pickle relish and scallions) to the dish and all I am missing is a pint to wash it down with.

Which citrus is your favorite? And why?

18 days of Christmas

The clock is ticking and the brilliance of the bathroom looms before me. My arms are aching, as are my hands, and I still have so much to do. Tonight is dedicated to the end of the scraping and caulking. This will make it easier to just jump into priming tomorrow and painting on Wednesday.

On top of this I need to get my house ready for the kids’ birthday party on Saturday. That means getting the backyard organized, the patio cleaned, the house in some state of order and of course food prepped. It seems like a lot and it is, but I have done several soirees and I somehow get it done. I am pushing to have it done before schedule so I can relax with Paul on Friday night.

Even as tears well-up with my “to-do” list growing, I have to be thankful that I have the gumption, resources and time to do these things. If I trudge on each evening for 3 or 4 hours, I should get it done and keep my sanity somewhat intact. Plus going to the gym each morning, like this morning, helps. I wake up feeling beaten down. Once I get to the gym I can walk or bike away from all that stress, push it away with weight training and wash it away with a nice shower. I feel a lot better even though I got started late and only did a half hour, but every minute counts.

I promised pictures. Here’s where I started and here is where I am at right now.

Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                   Now

 

There is still a bit to do, but soon, very soon.

Making Work Into Play

Even though I am part of the Y, I still prefer to play at getting my exercise instead of working out. I like the dance classes and even weight lifting, but other than that, I get bored – quickly.

So instead, I sweat and do cardio cleaning and landscaping my yard. Raking for 30 minutes really gets the heart going and doing squats while picking up those leaves gives my thighs and buns a real burn. Digging holes for new plants and trimming hedges puts the umph back into my arms, and the walking back and forth is great for intervals.

As I catch my breath and inspect what I have done I feel good in at least two ways.

Walking the dogs and running errands can be fun to as I recycle and grocery shop on my bike. My pups usually get two walks a day to wear them out and to get my day started as well as relaxing when I get home.

Inspired by the two hours of dancing I did at the Depeche Mode concert, I have been dancing around the house like crazy adding in some of those sensual stripper moves to tone my abs. Maybe I’ll be good enough one day to do a performance for my next boyfriend.

Play spurs on the other workout kind of things that will keep me healthy as I do push ups, sit ups and lift weights in the back yard after cleaning it and do yoga on the deck when the morning is nice.

But I want to do more. Kayaking with Chris. Walks to the park with Ren. Doing consecutive martini glass lifts with Guy. Plus, mattress calisthenics are always effective as well.

What is your favorite way to stay fit?