Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Losing weight
Just in case you were wondering:
The weather is perfect. We have about 20 days of perfect weather in Davis, divided between fall and spring. These are the 10 perfect spring days. Soon we will be saying things like "gosh, it's going to be much cooler today, only 105." And, "but it's a dry heat." But right now, it's a glorious, fabulous, delightful 79 degrees. And I am happy, happy, happy.
Steve and I made it through the biggest studio project of the year. Once again proving, for some weird reason, that it is possible, and even wonderful, to work with your spouse. We were efficient, kind to each other, and at moments, slightly smart.
I was on track with Weight Watchers. For the first time in a long time, I did it all. Tracked my points, ate clean, exercised. And I did lose weight. Yes, there is a difference between 'showing up' and doing the work. This week I did the work.
Week two of meditation. Eight minutes each morning. I seem to only have two good breaths, and then the timer goes off. Which means it takes me about 7 minutes and 55 seconds to settle down.This week's lesson was 'naked noise' (or something like that). The idea was to acknowledge outside noises, and let them be what they are, and then move on. Still figuring that out.
Morning Pages. I am following Julia Cameron's book, Write Yourself Right Size, and writing three pages every morning, plus writing what I feel every time I eat. I thought it was stupid. Actually, insightful. I spent one day writing about all the foods I loved (creme brulee, german chocolate cake, cheese, cheese, cheese). It was amazingly satisfying. Like really, really satisfying just to write and imagine it.
Why I love blogging. This story is sad, hopeful, inspiring and absolutely compelling.http://www.mattlogelin.com. To me, this is the best of the blogosphere. I am hooked. (I know, it's a faux link. I don't know how to do real links. But I will learn. Soon.)
I made some other connections. Like how pushing yourself physically enables you to push yourself mentally. And how your spiritual mind can help nurture your physical self. Not new ideas, but lessons I seem to require repeating. Over, and over, and over again.
A new word, just in time for the weekend.
Cahoots.
Toby and I wish you a weekend of adventure, cahoots and as many strawberries as you desire.
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Losing weight
Yep, I guess it has been! I was very frustrated after I hurt my knee. Then we went on vacation, and I took a rest from distances. Now I'm building up again, but this Saturday, tomorrow, will only be 6 miles. So I have a ways to go. I'd like to run long beach in october. But even the other day, when I got up to 5 1/2 miles, my knee started to hurt! I don't know what is going on. I really want to do some distance running. I love my running right now, but I want to increase that mileage on Saturdays. I miss my early morning long runs!
In the meantime I have added a lot of strength and speed training to my workout and it is paying off! I've cut half a minute from my miles! I'm so excited-half a minute over 13 miles is quite a bit lol!
My schedule now is:
long on Saturday (5)
yoga or strength on Sunday
4 on Monday - speed at the end for about half a mile
swim on Tuesday
4 on Wed, with another half to a mile of speed/sprints at the end
2 1/2 run on Thursday all out
yoga on Friday
I'm also doing ab work and arm work and leg work three days a week, alternating. I am definitely seeing a change in my body now. It got used to those long distances only, and there was no change. I had lost all I was going to lose but was not shaping that baby pouch!!
In another note, are any of you work at home moms in the los angeles or orange county area? If so I've just started a yahoo group for us! We'll be doing some activities that will both improve our personal and our business lives-some with kids, some without. I'm dying to meet some other work at home moms in my area. It's tough!
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Losing weight
I'm beginning to think I have ADD ... actually, I've suspected this all along. I cannot hold still long enough and constantly try new things. My trouble is I'm juggling a full time job, three kids ranging in ages of 11 months to 5 years to 19 years. Okay, the 19 year old helps a ton!
On top of trying Murad, I took a chance and I know I shouldn't but tried the drug called rimonabant but ordered it from an Indian pharmacy (unknown it was in India until I received it). Apparently it's sold under the name of Slimona but has rimonabant stamped on the blister pack. What is probaby special about this drug in terms of why you can get it from India is it's an over the counter drug (OTC) and costs under a quarter per tablet. So when the online pharmacies are charging in excess of a hundred per "prescription," they are making a huge profit. I was very leary given it was an overseas place and did my research to see if others had used this place and this drug and others had. I know it's not the smartest thing to do but I did it anyway.
I took it today and my hunger isn't as strong as normal but that could be due to a variety of different reasons and a few hours is too early to know. However, rimonabant is approved in European countries in a prescription form (20 mg) and has proven to help in weight loss in thie obese although suicidal tendencies and depression have been reported. Perhaps these people were already depressed .. not sure. The FDA has not approved this in the US for that very reason.
I will attempt to start using exercise with the regiment of the pills. I have been exercising for the past few months just infrequent due to tiredness and other demands.
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Diet
Alison Bechdel posted this farewell . As part of my procrastination process I watched them (parts 1 & 2) through twice. Didn't think I would miss a cartoon strip so much--withdrawal symptoms showing up...
Did a 'paced' practice today--staying with the breathing I didn't attempt any of the chakrasanas which generally take me an hour or two to 'focus' myself over. Likewise my balance poses were mostly skip & swerve (But maybe that's because Alison Bechdel is going on sabbatical) but yes--got through primary series in just under 75 minutes.
Had a tough time on the phone fending off professors & video jobs till after end of June, felt both guilty (why aren't I doing more?) and resentful. Doesn't anyone understand 'emergency' means your cat is sick/there's a body in your backyard/my car's on fire, not you want to talk about 'ideas'? (But maybe I'm just jumpy & irritable because Alison Bechdel is going on sabbatical)
I want to post a decent word count on 'Fess Up Friday so I really should get down to finishing off my chapt 2 and starting chapt 3 but instead I'm surfing, listing down my food intake (agreed to list everything I really ate instead of what I planned to eat for some survey)
So far:
Breakfast: Mushrooms on wholemeal toast, fried tomatoes, coffee
Morning Snack: Wheatgrass & Veg juice, macadamia nut bar
Lunch: Ginger Tea, a whole mango (not organic), granola with frozen cherries & blueberries in soya milk.
Tea Snack: 2 Oat biscuits & black tea.
Dinner: probably brown rice, french beans, seitan, baby bok choy because that's what's in the fridge
What are they going to make of this? No idea.
Why am I writing about what I ate today instead of getting on with writing stuff to pay for what I hope to be eating in 6 months time?
(Probably because Alison Bechdel is going on sabbatical. And she procrastinates too--saw it with my own eyes on YouTube. And because I just realised that I was wrong in assuming DTWOF is one of the things I can take for granted because it would always be around... like grade school, primary series practice, the Great Singapore Sale... )
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Fat loss
I can't find the first installment of this series, but it's about , a 26 year old woman, in Bridgeport, Connecticut who had a Lap Band procedure performed by Like most future Bandees, she had lots of different health problems - frightening when you're only 26. Those have gone away, and now she's feeling (as a friend of mine put it) down right evangelical.
She said she's actually had to stop herself from suggesting the procedure to others, for fear of seeming rude.`I don't want to offend anybody,'' said Miller, a law student at Western New England College in Springfield, Mass. ``But I want to let them know that this is an option. Before I had the surgery, I didn't even know it was out there. I wish I had known sooner.''
And her health problems are now better:
Her enthusiasm is understandable, given her response to the surgery. Before the procedure, she weighed 247 pounds. She also had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which led to a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, irregular glucose levels and irregular periods.
The syndrome also made it difficult for her to lose weight, even though doctors urged her to do so.
On the advice of a friend, Miller, who works in the medical records department at St. Vincent's, decided to explore bariatric surgery. However, she wasn't interested in the more highly publicized gastric bypass surgery. That surgery, made famous by high-profile patients such as ``Today'' show weatherman Al Roker, involves rerouting part of the intestine.
Unlike gastric bypass surgery, lap-band is minimally invasive with few risks. Gastric bypass surgery, on the other hand, is a more complicated surgery that carries more risks, including possible death. Another benefit to lap-band surgery is that, unlike the bypass, it's reversible.
Miller was deemed a good candidate for the lap-band, which is most effective for patients aged 18 to 65 and having a Body Mass Index of 40 or higher. Before surgery, Miller's BMI - measurement based on weight related to height - was 42. Her health problems also made her a good candidate for the surgery, so she signed up.
One year , she's lost 72 pounds.
Since the procedure, Miller has gone from 247 pounds to 175 pounds. That's obviously garnered a lot of reaction — most of it positive — from friends, family, strangers.
And she finds herself being cheered on.
Throughout the past year, Miller's life has changed in many ways, but the thing that surprises her most is how supportive everyone has been.
"People are getting more and more cutthroat these days," she said. "But when people see me doing this, they're just so encouraging. I'm very happy.
It's a good story - always gratifying to see someone decent have things go well. In the last installment, she's about 20 pounds away from her goal weight - and wouldn't we all like to be there.
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Diet
I managed to go for my second run this week last night. It was extremely humid and hot, about 30C, but I managed to run for about 20 minutes. I was sweating profusely afterwards. I read about hot weather running and there are some good points and bad points.
Mainly I don't run enough for it to be a real issue. I'm hoping to be able to run 5K a day in a few weeks, which is what I used to do before.
I've weighed myself again just to make sure, and yes, I do weigh 79kg (174lbs).
My legs were pretty sore in the beginning of the week. That's why I didn't manage to run before Thursday night. I'm planning on going for a run tonight as well. Probably during the weekend as well. There are two options. Running in the morning and running at night. I prefer running at night, even though it would be better running before sunrise.
I've managed to stay away from too many carbs, even though at times my stomach feels empty after eating fruits. I'm working fulltime again and the schools are providing me with food. However, there is no rice on my menu anymore. This makes things a bit more complicated. Usually, I'll just take some meat and veggies, and pour some soup over that. I'll eat another bowl of soup afterwards. That's enough for lunch.
I'll eat some fruits before my 16:30 classes and I'll have another dinner at school, usually meat and veggies. When I come back home, I'll have more fruits. I eat guavas, lichis and papayas.
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Diet
Alright the day has finally come for the completion of my garden!! As promised from the it is now complete and ready for your viewing pleasure! This video is the conclusion. I actually filmed it as a 3 part video but the 2nd video was erased. It wasn't much anyway, it showed that all of the dirt was cleared of grass and weeds. Anyway, here's the conclusion and I'd like to thank Desiree for helping me on day 3 to get everything planted and for my dad helping with the installation of the fence. Thank you Izra for the fine camera work. I'd also like to thank my friends Tim & Mary over at Citrus College for the tips they gave me before I planted. They're the people that helped me get my up a few years ago.
Observations:
• After getting all of this up and going, I know I could've spent a little less money. Everything cost me about $85.
• Again, like the last time, I started my garden late. Not as late as last time but late enough. The lesson learned is you should always start your garden on time according to your season.
• Planting a garden is a great workout and I felt very sore for a few days after I started.
• Planting a garden is a great way to save money when shopping at the market. If you have enough space and a successful garden, you will save money all year long.
Now all there is left to do is to sit and wait.....well not really! I have to pull weeds so that they don't steal light or water from my plants. I also have to water daily. Oh yeah and eat from the fruits of our labor!
As always, thanks for reading and to take back your health! Make it a great day,
Jacob
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Making Diet History by Making Diet's History"
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Diet
I know that most people say they are worried about their health. They buy overpriced energy drinks and share unsanitary communal gym equipment when not shuttling the kids to soccer practice. Those people are the ones I like to call "armchair athletes." They pretend to walk the walk because it's fashionable and they have such low self-esteem they end up being as pretentious as possible about physical fitness in order to feel like they have shamed their friends into working out and they are making a positive contribution to society. Not true.
Now that I have gotten that character assassination of middle America soccer moms out of the way, I can get to the real topic at hand: me. For about a month now, I have been making a concerted effort to improve my physical and mental well-being. Why would I do this despite my self-professed perfection? I am trying to make myself better, stronger, faster so that I can feel better about myself. Increased self-esteem leads to increased confidence, which leads a better chance at a happier, more successful life. What am I doing?
I am improving my diet. This involved eliminating a few things from my diet. I also don't like to "swear off" certain things. I prefer to simply focus on staying away from them. I have stopped drinking caffeinated drinks. If you know me, you know I used to be a complete Pepsi/Coke/Mountain Dew junkie. Now I am almost completely off the juice. (I like to call caffeine "the juice.") This was a big deal. I even went through withdrawal to an extent. Crankiness, depression, and mood swings were all part of the deal, but they wore off after a few days. (I've been on the juice for a long time.)
I have also eliminated meat and become a vegetarian. This is not out of some kind of concern for the well-being of smaller, weaker, and tasty animals. This is about my own health. I am very thin, (115 lbs, 6ft) and I don't need much to keep my body running. My body is generally good about telling me what to eat: lotsa grains and bread, fruits, veggies, and dairy. I didn't really see the need to eat meat, which provides much more protein and fat than I really think I need. Plus, it makes me kinda nauseous and sluggish, which is not fun. Although I am worried primarily about my personal health, the large costs and and environmental impact associated with raising animals also played into this decision.
As a minor tangent, there seems to be some confusion on the part of my family about exactly what I meant when I said "no meat." "Does that mean eggs?" "I thought you just meant red meat." "So I guess no milk, then?" "How about chicken for dinner?" Wrong on all counts. To me, eggs count as meat, as do chicken and red meat. As for milk, I am still drinking milk and eating cheese and yogurt. Why? Because the good milk doesn't have meat in it.
As another part of this spurt of fitness-consciousness, I have started exercising regularly. I figured it would be good to start at the end of April. I can have the entire warm season to work on this, when I'm unemployed and only doing summer school. I love riding my bike, but never really seemed to use it very much while school was in session. So, I am doing pretty well at meeting my goal of riding at least 10 miles a day. It gives me some much-needed activity and lets me catch up on my podcasts. However, if you plan on doing an all day trip, be sure to wear sunscreen. This is my own experience talking.
I have thought about running, but usually talk myself out of it. It would probably be a good habit to get into. My stamina is terrible. I was hoping to start this up at the beginning of May, but chose to stay in bed. Oh, well.
I you are interested in learning about this sort of self-improvement thing, I would head on over to . They have lots of resources and advice columns for people looking to improve their lives.
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Diet
You do not need Rock Hard Abs or Bulging Muscles to be fit. And you don't need a personal exercise trainer or live your life around exercising. People do need to reset their minds in to getting in shape in a smart sensible way...unless they choose to live at a GYM.
Steps
Look around and see all the exercise that we could be getting right at home. However, we first need to reset our minds in to getting back to our daily lives, instead of focusing on going to the Gym; or spending money on costly exercise equipment.
While we are working on changing the way that we think, it is important that we all realize the importance of how we eat. Although, there are so many new studies that tell us something different everyday about food, we can figure some things out for ourselves; and find a plan that works for each of us as individuals.
Realize that it is crazy the way that TV portrays things, like someone that wears a size ten, gets down to a size one...like a size ten was too Big, Not! Then to top it off shows us someone claiming to be in a size one, when it is obvious they are much bigger. But, naturally that will get blamed away by saying TV adds (ten to fifteen) pounds on you; and if that's the case, then some people on TV look like spagetti noodles. Plus if that's the case, well some of the Movie Stars that are claiming to be over weight aren't, it's just TV...if they stayed off TV (they would look thinner); therefore, they would lose weight automatically...and a career.
Now that we are done resetting our minds lets look at simple (good old fashion) home chores to stay fit; such as, sweeping the porch, pulling weeds by hand, trimming hedges, wiping down the counter tops in the kitchen, taking down curtains and washing them, feather dusting the walls, dusting and polishing furniture. There is always something to do around the house that will keep you fit; thus you'll have a clean environment in which to live... plus you'll stay healthy and looking good.
Now since you are already working out, why not take time out from chores and hop on an exercise bike to take yourself for a ride; then later while relaxing (in front of the tube) do a few simple curls with a small dumb bell...while being proud of all that you accomplished in a days time.
If you are a video game fan, buy Dance dance revolutioin. It is fun and a GREAT way to excercise. It provides a challenge and you also have music to listen too.
If you are hyper and bored and stuck at home, jump around the house. Literally hop. Anything that causes you to sweat will help you turn body fat into muscle or just burn it off.
Tips
Be sure to stay focused on that old saying that "you are what you eat" find a food plan that works for you...in time it will become a way of life for you...you'll learn to love the self-control and improvements that you have made.
You can spend a lot of money on staying fit or stay busy improving your living environment...while staying fit at the same time...it is up to you.
Keep in mind that movement is exercising, such as when you are wiping down a counter top...your hand and arm should be moving in a circular directions...which helps to keep them arms in shape...add a few basic arm movements in with it, and you are on your way (to having toned arms).
You have probably heard or may hear someone say that they walk a lot; then somebody else will come along and say that it is not the right type of walking that they are doing, in which don't make a whole lot of sense...it is common knowledge that (walking is still putting one foot in front of the other) that is unless there is a new way of walking that just hasn't been heard of yet.
When away from home, park your car a distance from where that you need to go, such as the grocery store, etc., each step is in the right direction to staying fit.
In this Huge World that we live in there is plenty of room for all shapes and sizes of people; but at the same time, living as healthy as we can will make our time here all the better.
Warnings
Don't get too tied-up at staying home, get out and enjoy life too...keeping a balance will build a better happier you.
People should not have to live thinking about exercising all the time, relax sometimes for that is a healthy thing to do...and you still burn calories...just at a slower pace.
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Diet
Thursday
So I'm told that even though I'm not eating meat, I'm not doing a very good job of not eating meat. I'm not quite sure what that means. I know I'm not a very good vegetarian. That's why I'm doing this. That's why its a challenge. But overall, I think I did good today. I had 9 meals today. Which is nuts but hey I'm satisfied and for the first time this week, I'm FULL.
"What?" You say? No PB&J today? That's ludicrous! Damn straight. Changing the game. Bright and early, had myself a muffin. Lunch time, I had some of last nights chow mein. And around 5pm I had some Evil Fruit salad. Don't ask. Let's just say I had a gastrointestinal malfunction. Then I had an Egg tart to tide me over till dinner. So far so good.
My family had dinner at Honey & Garlic Cuisine in Markham. Every dish was very well prepared. I give it a thumbs up. I'd eaten there before during my Meat-eating days and its always been sensational. This time was no different even though I was only sampling their veggie dishes. Yea it was tough because 9 outta 12 dishes were meat dishes. I had some Peking Duck wraps without the duck. A ho-hum experience to say the least. Aside from that my selections were good. I had some great tofu dishes, lots of mushrooms and oodles of noodles. Quite content with my meals today. Have a look.