Whew!  Thankfully there won't be a plus sign next to my published weigh-in results next Sunday!  Could I have done better?  Sure!  But I'm okay with having even a small loss.   This has definitely been another weird month.  My knee injury happened on the Thursday before the February weigh-in, so I've been putting up with this for a month.  Was it the spinning classes?  They probably played a part in the injury - but probably so did the walking, jogging, the slips (but not falls) on the ice, carrying the laundry basket down the stairs and landing funny on a step, and a few other twists and turns in just getting around.    Part of the reason that Laura let me be a part of the contest again was due to the fact that a major component in my success last year is no longer available to me (Curves workouts, yoga classes, Curves boot camps).  Could I make the necessary adjustments to continue to lose weight and inches?  But another big part of the success last year was the interval workouts I did with walking, jogging and bleacher steps, and now that part of the equation has also been temporarily taken away and I'm finding it even more difficult to find and stick to an exercise routine that works for me.  This will be a major test and will take even more adjusting, both physically and mentally.  The jury is still out on whether or not this can be done--   Last year a Lighten Up contestant had a foot/ankle injury towards the beginning of the contest.  She ended up not finishing. There is a definite sense of feeling "behind" and frustration at not being able to do what needs to be done. (at least what I think needs to be done.)  And then what follows are negative thoughts:  just bag it, just forget it, who cares?  The feelings wildly fluctuate from day to day.  But I'm not going to quit.  Quitting is not an option.  Weight loss is weight loss even if it's a pound at a time - as long as it's going in the right direction.  The goal is healthy living and healthy choices for a long life not just for a six month contest in 2011.  A person has got to learn how to deal with the inevitable setbacks and obstacles called in life without making things worse.  (this is another pep talk to myself, can you tell?)   Knee surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday afternoon, March 29th.  The doctor said two to four weeks recovery time - maybe up to six weeks.  I'm going to follow his orders and not rush anything.  I'm going to follow his orders and not rush anything.  I'm going to follow his orders and not rush anything.  Barb P.S.  Yes, I did use the word "fluctuate" in this blog, you big dork (and you know who you are!) because most people will know that it means "continuously changing".  Only you think it means to pass gas which is "flatulent".  (idiot! )

Okay, the covers are off the head and the list-making has started.  Nothing can really be done or arranged until I call the doctor on Monday and set a surgery date.   Looking at the big picture, this is truly just a little blip on the radar screen and I don't want to blow it up all out of proportion and make it a bigger deal.  Just get it done and move forwards -- by doing that, I'll be ready to go when the weather is staying nice.  There are a lot more people dealing with a lot worse situations.   My mom sent a an email:  "Here are two trite sayings to remember:  "Life happens when you're making other plans" and "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade".  I also like the plaque that says:  "Put on your big girl panties and deal with it!"   AND there was no peanut butter eaten last night!!  Over and over again I kept saying to myself,  "You're mad not hungry, so don't eat" and it worked (at least for last night!). Barb

Monday afternoon of this week was spent at the orthopedic hand doctor getting another shot of cortisone in my left thumb.  Since this bum thumb has been an issue since last September, the cortisone shots have been maxed out and the next step is an outpatient procedure to fix the problem once and for all.  The plan is for this shot to get me through the organ/piano playing that needs to be done through the end of May when church services go down to one per Sunday and choir takes a break for the summer.   This afternoon was spent at the orthopedic knee doctor to get the results of the MRI done on my right knee (my "good" knee) which has been bothering me for about a month now.  Unfortunately a cortisone shot will not fix the cartilege tear and the arthroscopic surgery needed cannot be put off unless I want to make the problem worse or create new problems by limping.  So calendars/schedules have to be checked and arrangements have to be made for the two to four week recovery time after the procedure is done.   This year and this contest has presented a whole new set of challenges and lessons to be learned when it comes to diet and exercise.  So far I'm not being a very good student and right now I don't even want to study.    Tomorrow will be a fresh start -- tonight I'm just going to pull the covers over my head.  Barb

The peanut butter has really been knocking at the door the last couple of nights but so far so good in keeping it out.  The problem with deciding that you're not going to eat a particular food at all, is NOT eating nine other things instead.  I did make (and eat) two pieces of toast with sugar-free jelly and also ate a chocolate sugar-free pudding and then was okay with the Nips hard candy (two pieces).    Nips candies were recommended by Lydia (a nutritionist at Slim & Fit) last year.  It's not a sugar-free candy (30 calories per piece) but it's a hard candy with a chewy center but not as sweet as a Tootsie Pop.  It comes in chocolate, coffee, and caramel flavors and they're very good.  I also like Werther's Sugar Free candies and of course chomping on gum will also sometimes help if you think you're hungry.    I've been making turkey and cheese sandwiches for breakfasts and for the snack to keep in my purse.  I make a bunch (and even cut them into halves and quarters) on Sunday night for the week (which my son thinks is gross), but if it's not ready to "grab and go", then it's too tempting to grab something else that's not so good.  For a "splurge", I even add a pickle or two!  It has the protein that you need everytime you eat, it's low in calories (even with the cheese), and it keeps the hunger pangs away.    Did a lot of snow shoveling yesterday and planning on getting some cooking done for the week today.  Turkey meatballs for me and rice krispie cookies for the family are on the list.   Time change tonight (spring ahead) and fifty degree weather on the way! Have a good weekend! Barb

The peanut butter has really been knocking at the door the last couple of nights but so far so good in keeping it out.  The problem with deciding that you're not going to eat a particular food at all, is NOT eating nine other things instead.  I did make (and eat) two pieces of toast with sugar-free jelly and also ate a chocolate sugar-free pudding and then was okay with the Nips hard candy (two pieces).    Nips candies were recommended by Lydia (a nutritionist at Slim & Fit) last year.  It's not a sugar-free candy (30 calories per piece) but it's a hard candy with a chewy center but not as sweet as a Tootsie Pop.  It comes in chocolate, coffee, and caramel flavors and they're very good.  I also like Werther's Sugar Free candies and of course chomping on gum will also sometimes help if you think you're hungry.    I've been making turkey and cheese sandwiches for breakfasts and for the snack to keep in my purse.  I make a bunch (and even cut them into halves and quarters) on Sunday night for the week (which my son thinks is gross), but if it's not ready to "grab and go", then it's too tempting to grab something else that's not so good.  For a "splurge", I even add a pickle or two!  It has the protein that you need everytime you eat, it's low in calories (even with the cheese), and it keeps the hunger pangs away.    Did a lot of snow shoveling yesterday and planning on getting some cooking done for the week today.  Turkey meatballs for me and rice krispie cookies for the family are on the list.   Time change tonight (spring ahead) and fifty degree weather on the way! Have a good weekend! Barb

Holey Moley!  I've been phone called (cell and land line), e-mailed, texted, questioned, scolded, yelled at and literally smacked on the back for posting a weight gain!  No slack has been cut and no excuses accepted.  And since there's a different group of people every day at work, I know I'll be hearing about this for the rest of the week.  Brother!!   oh well.  It's all deserved, and good incentive to work harder since I definitely don't want to go through this again!  "way to go!!" is much preferred rather than "what the $%^& happened??!" which was how one person greeted me today! Barb

Great article in the paper today - (not so great in my one little individual line, but I survived!) Congratulations to everyone for making it through the first month - this contest and the public sharing of the ups and downs definitely makes a person think more about eating and exercising, doesn't it?    We were dog-sitting this weekend so I ended up going for a couple of extra walks even though the weather wasn't the driest (and I wouldn't have gone out on my own!).  Doing much better with healthy eating and smarter choices for snacks (and the seal on the peanut butter jar is unbroken.)   Last year for Lent, our church participated in a Walk to Jerusalem program which was really neat.  This year we're going to do the 2011 Lenten Fitness Challenge from the Painesville YMCA (with a few changes to fit our congregation).  You get a certain number of points each day for drinking water, eating fruits & vegetables, exercising, praying, reading the Bible, reading other material, and making/keeping a personal goal (like giving up something).  All ages can participate and we're hoping for a good response.  Anyway, as I'm getting the materials ready to go, there was one paragraph that hit home:   "For some of us, the word discipline is known as a "D" word.  It invokes a sense that we will be forced into a box of routines that someone else has invented.  Others of us depend on discipline to order our lives.  Wherever you fall on the scale, we all struggle in some area of discipline in our lives, whether it is spiritual, physical, or mental.  Lent is a time for soul-searching to deepen our faith and find new ways of being.  New habits only take six weeks to develop.  As these new habits begin to take place and we care for our mind, body, and spirit - our faith grows and we find balance."   Discipline, (being mindful), is a good thing when it comes to healthy living and that's hard to remember sometimes.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to this Challenge (and anyone who's a member of the Painesville YMCA can pick up their own paperwork if they want too - it's open to everyone, as individuals, teams, groups....)   Have a good week!  Here's to a successful disciplined second month-- Barb   P.S.  to fellow contestant Stephen Lambert in response to his Dragon's Blood blog:  just think how many extra calories you could burn using a mercury surfboard!!  With all the sparring you do, your fire-breathing fists will be causing people's faces to melt too.  And, of course, we're all WINNING!!

For breakfast last Saturday (before the weigh-in), I had a piece of toast with peanut butter and just happened to finish up the jar.  After the weigh-in and the not-so-great-results, I have not opened a new jar of peanut butter.  Since it seems like I go overboard every time I open the lid, for now, no more PB.  It's not going to be permanently deleted but it's definitely off the food choice list for now until I can safely open a jar without digging in with a serving spoon!   And, of course, after the weigh-in and realizing that I'm going to have to work twice as hard this month to make up for the inactivity of February, I had my resolve all strengthened and was determined to get on track and stay there -- and during one of the walking laps around the Senior Center, my right knee started to hurt (and that's my good knee!).  I'm not really sure what I did and it seems to be better -- but I knew I couldn't push it too much.  So much for the "off to a good start" plan!   It just seems when you have good intentions about doing what's right, (and not just with diet and exercise), some obstacle or roadblock falls in your path that tries to derail you.  And dealing with the obstacles and roadblocks, whether minor or major, are lessons that have to be learned. (over and over again sometimes which gets really frustrating.)  "Fall down seven times, get up eight"   Keep going! Barb   P.S. And here's a small example:  I sent this blog originally last night about midnight thinking "okay, here's two for the week - I'll send in a third one on Saturday".  This morning the failure to deliver notice was in the inbox.  !!