Off the Deep End

Post Number: 35
Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 48 of 71 (Goal: 15)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Meetings Attended: None Scheduled
     Exercise Completed: YMCA Aquatics Class

As a college instructor, I have been witness to many situations in students lives: Joyful, frustrating, sad, heart wrenching, etc. All things from astoundingly sad to wonderfully good. I witnessed this most directly and personally at ITT, but I saw it at CWI and TVCC, although not as much at BSU. Even before teaching, I came to the conclusion that when someone starts to push their life in a better direction, the universe tends to push back. It seems to me, that the universe is testing change seeker to see if the change seeker is truly serious about the changes. This happened yesterday with my tummy not needing to explode until right before my OA meeting. And it lasted for most of the length of the meeting to keep me tied down. And it happened again this morning. I leave at 7 am for a 7:45 am class, having learned the traffic lesson on Monday. And a train came through to keep my parked for 20 minutes. But I went on to class. The aquatics class was too important to miss. I was late, but I joined in. These aren't the only examples of the universe pushing back. And they are minor in comparison to how serious it could be. Among my ITT students that have been pushed out of school, the example of one of the most serious situations happened to a lady with three kids. Her husband left her, so she moved in with her parents. Then her parents kicked her out of the house, so she was moving into a shelter. And with the loss of husband and parental support, she lost her transportation. I still sometimes wonder about her and others that have faced serious issues that pulled them out of school. And I am grateful that though I am feeling opposition, it is both easily overcome and I am also well supported against it.

There was also large amounts of support at the Aquatics class. The exercises varied from traveling exercises (speed skating, skiing, and others) and stationary exercises (jumping jacking, kicking a foot forward and then sideways, etc.). While I was the youngest by far, as a middle aged man among senior citizens, I was made to feel very welcome among this very friendly group. Everyone was introducing themselves. There was Diane, Lisa, Wayne, and several others. I liked the activities but not that pace. I was also surprised at how much my knees and ankles hurt when I was done. I spoke with Deanna, the instructor, she said it was okay to push past people or to turn the corner early when the exercise involves traveling. She also recommended staying at the deeper side of the pool as much as possible to help with the knees and ankles. The instruction pool is between 3' 0" and 4' 0" across the short length of the pool. The depth doesn't change going along the length of the pool except near the ends. I'm wondering if bending my knees to be deeper in the pool will help. I also asked her about the deep water class that was going on at the same time. I'm thinking I might try that eventually. I want to work the current class for one week before trying the other. Deanna said this group is very friendly and very chatty. I had observed the same, with so many people introducing themselves and small groups in corners of the pool or traveling along slowly.

I was traveling slowly the rest of the day. But I was grateful to have been able to attend the class. I am looking forward to attending next week. I hope I can convince MBWM to join me. That would be the icing on the cake.

Hmmm... I need to start a new metaphor...

That would be the fat-free cottage cheese on the salad?
That would be the weight loss not on the diet plan?

That would be the sugar-free cherry syrup in the diet coke?

That would be the no-sugar-added peanut butter on the celery stalk?

That would be the unlimited talking on the free data plan?
That would be the carrot stick in the fat-free humus?

Hmmm... This really isn't going where I wanted it to.

In other news, I am going to post my actual tracking one of these days. That would allow me to show how I am tracking my food selection. Hopefully, I will be able to work in how I am selecting the foods that I eating. Since I am fasting today and tomorrow, I will post my food selection and point values another day. Probably Monday.

Yours in the joyful experience of gettin' 'er done,

Eliot

P.S.:

When it comes to dieting, it's not the minutes to spend eating, it's the seconds.

Short and Sweet

Post Number: 34

Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 16 of 71 (Goal: 15)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Meetings Attended: Missed Overeaters Anonymous
     Exercise Completed: None Scheduled

I started every one of these entries this week with the idea that I would only spend 30 minutes on them. I even took notes and built an outline over the course of the day before to ease shortening the time to write the post. And I am still hitting an hour every day. And the length of those entries. Too much. So today, no preparation. Just sitting down and writing about yesterday.

3...

2...

1...

Yesterday was...

I am so tempted to just leave it at that existential statement. Yesterday was...

Yesterday was many things, good and bad. To only focus on a couple of events, I have long run out of supplements that I encapsulate myself for the family: Ginger (intestinal), St. John's Wort (mood), Cayenne (heart), Spirolina (heart), and Jatoba (anti-fungal). I sat down to make more. It took my several hours, but I did 50 - 100 of each. I did watch Price of Egypt while working on the pills. Some very good music in the movie. My favorite is Through Heaven's Eyes. I put some links to the songs in my postscript in no particular order. It was nice having the music to help through the monotony of encapsulating herbs. And after all of that, did I put them in my pill box? Of course not. Doh!

After the pills, it was on to the organizing of the house. I managed to get quite a bit done in preparation to be able to organize the kitchen, but didn't actually do anything to the kitchen. That will have to happen today. Unfortunately, the tummy bug hit with a vengeance not long before my OA meeting. In the end, I need to be better prepared for more possibilities.

Even if the preparations arise from perverse ideas of an experiment. Having hit so many leftover points for several days, I chose to get closer to 15 than I have so far this week. To do that, I ate ham lunch meat slices. The Pocket Guide says it is 3 points per 2 oz slice. Not sure I believe the point value. Turkey lunch meat is 2 points per 2 oz slice. And beef pastrami is 2 point per 2 oz slice. But that didn't seem to raise the points fast enough, so I put a half slice of sharp cheddar cheese in each piece of ham. That increased the pace of the points, but it wasn't really all that enjoyable. And I shudder to think of the salt content. It was a healthier ham, in that respect, but still ham.

With OA missed and perverse experiments, I may be somewhat behind. But I am ready to push forward again.

See? Short!

Yours in the peace of getting things done, even if it's not absolutely ever planned moment,

Eliot

P.S.:
We know what the speed of light is. But what's the speed of dark? After all, it's always there before the light arrives.


Price of Egypt

• Through Heaven's Eyes
• Let My People Go
• When You Believe
• Deliver Us with River Lullaby
• All I Ever Wanted

Weighty Matters of Today (A Better Title for the Blog than This Post)

Post Number: 33
Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 33 of 71 (Goal: 15)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Meetings Attended: Weight Watchers
     Exercise Completed: Walked the neighborhood with each kid individually except Quail

My exhaustion has finally beaten my body clock into submission and forced it to update to the end of daylight savings. I slept until 6:30 am. Now I need to find something that will beat my exhaustion into submission so I will feel rested. Wouldn't that be a neat trick?

I looked at the page views earlier for the first time since returning. 350 page views. Wow! That's great. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Right after posting yesterday, I did something I hadn't done in ages. I went and read the comics. I have my favorites bookmarked. And I enjoyed the quick chuckle. If you're interested, you'll find them in the Notes section below. The list hasn't been updated in quite some time. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some comics out there that I'd enjoy. Feel free to recommend your favorites.

I have said many times, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." I have lived both the failing and the planning many times in the past, and returned to the failing part again yesterday. I rushed off of my computer with a plan for getting on the road in 30 minutes or less to leave for the Y for my aquatics class with 45 minutes or more of travel time. Well, I had no clothes put away in my closet. No problem. There's a load in the laundry room. I'll wear my stinky clothes from yesterday taking my clean clothes with me and wear clean clothes home carrying my stinky clothes. I charged from my from room, dressed and ready to tackle the day. Except there were no dry clothes for me. And while I found the load of towels properly cared for after Monday's playful wetness, I couldn't locate my swim trunks. And my lock for the lockers was missing. Okay. This was a fail. Change of plans. I'll walk around the neighborhood with each kid. And I will locate and pack up the materials needed for Friday morning's class today. And how did that work out? Well, I did walk the neighborhood with all but the youngest one. I even took my GPS with me. I walked at a steady 2 mph with surges of speed reaching 3 mph. I was winded each time I came home. And the next kid in line was anxious to get out on the walk with me. That kept me motivated to go again and to keep my breather between kids short. I only walked to the end of the block and back. I'll have to work in these walk. My knees weren't happy with me. But I think I'll be walking to keep spending the time I have with the kids before a job intervenes. Eventually, my knees won't be quite so upset. As for the clothing, I have located it all. My swim trunks were in a bucket never used for laundry before. Some shortcut taken by a kid not wanting to search out a laundry basket. I still have the towel. The lock has been returned by the curious kid that was playing with it. And my clothes are clean and dry, although not yet in my closet. I am going to go swimming tomorrow. And my knees will be grateful for it.

I am also grateful for the success I am have with the Kimkins program still in full swing. I am not missing carbs yet. And I've been able to work my foods into the family's meals. For example, I cooked onions and pork in the crock pot for dinner. I added broccoli, mashed potatoes, and stuffing to the dinner table. I ate the onions, pork, and broccoli while avoiding the potatoes and stuffing. I was curious what the stuffing tasted like because we haven't eaten the Savory flavor in quite some time, but I didn't taste it. Too interested in keeping the carb low. I am looking forward to the next weight in. Even if I didn't hit as low carb as I would have liked, I am definitely below points for Weight Watchers.

Weight Watchers was wonderful. It was nice to see a different dynamic. Still enjoyable, entertaining, and informative. My notes are in the Notes section below. The common recommendation was for soups made from only chicken broth and every imaginable 0 point vegetable. That means no peas. And I suspect that means no corn. Meant to look it up. There was also talk about Power Foods. Those are foods that aid weight loss while being low in points. There are power foods in every category (fruits, veggies, dairy, ...). But the topic really revolved around eating slowly. I slowly in the sense that it takes quite a bit of time to finish my food when the family is eating together only because I eat quickly but with quite a few interruptions.

There was an interesting interruption near the end of the meeting. An older lady came in. She had been a regular. But she had moved into an assisted living home. It's actually one MBWM was hoping to get her parents into. Having given up her car and license, she was dependent on her daughter to transport her one last time. She expressed gratitude for the program, describing her successes. She playful avoided speaking the word fat, using instead, "that word." She had lost 25% of her weight. She needed to run off, but expressed how much she would miss the group and asked for rides. I meant to talk to MBWM to see if she might not join me on Wednesdays at Weight Watchers. Then we could take her to the meeting as well. It's only a little way out of the way.

A long way out of the way was MBWM's running of her parents around to appointments yesterday. She was still run down from her bug and pushing too hard too soon. But, as adults, we have to push ourselves because the grandparents needed attention and the kids will run amok. And the kids did just that yesterday and it took both MBWM and I to move them to action. Just because we are living among goat trails downstairs, doesn't mean those trails need to be littered with that day's debris.

I was clearing debris out of the second drawer of my night stand when I came across an article while sorting, cleaning, and removing items from my presence. I had printed and placed the article in my drawer for transfer to my health files. I have included it in the Notes section. It is entitled , "10 Best Foods for Your Heart". Some of the items, most notably oats, olive oil, legumes, spinach, and flax seed are already a part of our diet. Salmon, nuts, and berries, especially blueberries and strawberries, are a part of our diet when we can afford them. Avocados work their way into our smoothies sometimes, but for the most part, they are not eaten. No one likes them. For my part, it's the texture. And I'm still researching soy. For quite some time, we were drinking soy milk and working tofu into our meal plans. We had already worked cows milk out of our diet and have now worked soy milk out by using almond milk. The problem with soy milk is that there are chemicals naturally found in soy that mimic estrogen. That's fine for MBWM and our girls. And it's not much of a problem for me. But for my growing boys, I was concerned. We may work soy back in once I have completed my research, but my initial findings were enough to push soy out of our diet except in the form of soy beans.

While typing up my thoughts on the article, I remembered something I was hoping to push into our diet. It was discovered at a Farmers Market in Kuna: Golden Raspberries. Quite yummy although no longer in season. And MBWM enjoys them much more than Red Raspberries. The lady that sold them said we might be able to have a cutting next year. Which was great while we were living in our prior home with its garden space. That's not going to work here at our new place. But still, I look forward to their return next spring. They are much too expensive at Fred Meyers, when they carry them. And the Farmers Markets that we've attended in the valley take Food Stamps. Although, admittedly, being back on Food Stamps is a relief while self-employed, I am going to work with the plan of being off of them come spring because I am full employed.

And speaking of food, the kids, except for Asian Red Fox, have all be tromping into my room with concerns related to breakfast. And that has woken MBWM. So I am heading downstairs to not only make my own breakfast, but choral the kids for their breakfasts.

Yours in the joyful exuberance of youth,

Eliot

P.S.:
Good news: Bacon has been found to be good for you.
Bad news: Only if it's boiled.


NOTES
Weight Watchers, Wednesday, 6 November, 2013

Simply Filling Program: Eat power foods and track only the 49 points. Power foods are listed with Green Triangles in food section of the Pocket Guide or the orange section of the Pocket Guide on pg 103.

Put down your fork and sip water between bites. Mindful eating. Slow down.
We tend to eat fast. What problems does that cause?

• Stomach doesn't have time to tell you its full
• Eat more
• Missing out on taste
• Miss out on chewing action for satisfaction and digestion

How do we eat slow?

• Want it to last longer
• Smaller bites
• Small utensils especially chopsticks
• Play with the food
• Conversation
• Don't wait too long to eat
• Sip of water between bites, 
• Eat things that requires more chewing like carrots
• Put the fork down between bites
• Make meals and snacks an event (big production)

What's important about being at a meeting? Support from group, keeps focus and motivation

Best comment: Will power only gets you so far.

Favorite Comics

• Peanuts
• 9 Chickweed Lane
• The Norm
• Dark Side of the Horse
• Non Sequitur
• Baby Blues
• Zits
• Dilbert
• Frazz
• Jump Start
• Calvin and Hobbes
• Mallard Fillmore
• Over the Hedge
• Pickles
• Rose Is Rose
• Puzzles - Seattle PI
• Come back to
• Inherit the Mirth
• Zen Pencils

10 Best Foods for Your Heart

1. Oatmeal - Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear. Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties—which contain more fiber—and top your bowl off with a banana for another 4 grams of fiber.
   
2. Salmon - Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third. "Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant," says cardiologist  Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks. But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals. Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.
   
3. Avocado - Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to up the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. "Avocados are awesome," says Dr. Sinatra. "They allow for the absorption of other carotenoids —especially beta-carotene and lycopene—which are essential for heart health."
   
4. Olive oil - Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease. Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties—they're the least processed—and use them instead of butter when cooking.
   
5. Nuts - Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and, along with almonds and macadamia nuts, are loaded with mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Plus, nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. "And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat."
   
6. Berries - Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—whatever berry you like best—are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. "Blackberries and blueberries are especially great," says Sinatra. "But all berries are great for your vascular health."
   
7. Legumes - Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and soluble fiber.
   
8. Spinach - Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber. But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost.  The Physicians' Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least two-and-a-half servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25%, compared with those who didn't eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17%.
   
9. Flaxseed - Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.
   
10. Soy - Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet. Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

Source: Article at Health.com

For success on a single day in lifestyle changes, sometimes you need to reach deep. Other times, you just need to be busy.

Post Number: 32

Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 34 of 71 (Goal: 15)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Meetings Attended: Overeaters Anonymous
     Exercise Completed: Missed Beginners Yoga, Claiming Extenuating Circumstances

So once again, my day is starting extra early thanks to the time change. My internal body clock went off when my bladder went off. And my internal body clock set off my brain. So with racing thoughts for all that lies before me today, I am blogging at 5 am. But just because my brain is racing away, doesn't mean it's doing well at its responsibilities. Just take a look at that less-than-pithy title.

I am "Claiming Extenuating Circumstances" for missing the yoga class yesterday. Those circumstances being my brother-in-law's family volunteering at the polls. He warned us quite some time ago that we would have my in-laws over for the day. They are in need of continual care because of their deteriorating health. MBWM came down with a nasty bug and was feeling too dizzy to use the stairs, let alone drive, which put the responsibility on me to get me in-laws to their appointments. 

The delivery of my in-laws to their appointments was only one part of the juggling act that was pulled off by your truly. I managed to get everyone where they needed to be when they needed to be there. But since I didn't have anything portable with me, I missed opportunities to eat. And that's where the being busy comes in to the title as does the extravagance of remaining points. I don't think I was home for more than a few minutes between 10 am and 7 pm. MBWM did have a sandwich waiting for me at one point. But since she was down yesterday, I didn't register that I was doing no carbs. She retrieved a portable container for me. I dumped in some spinach and scooped the contents of the sandwich on it before running off to the next set of travels. It was a small, yummy salad, but impromptu meals, while appreciated, should be avoided by planning. 

Now, granted, I did not go without food, but I was ravenous while accomplishing most of my day. All this while MBWM was being beaten by a nasty virus. She helped out quite a bit more than I liked. She needs her down time. Her recovery will hopefully be a little better today. I am hoping to talk her into letting me take her parents to the doctor's appointment again today. Don't mistake my intentions. Were it not for my wife's illness, I would be all over my all encompassing lifestyle change of diet, meetings, and exercise. Since I have the opening, we shall see how she's doing and what she thinks of the idea.

Now MBWM's nasty bug transferred itself to me, as happens all too often in the sharing that arises in marital interactions. She succumbed to a more intense and longer expression of the bug, which also happens all too often in our marriage. I had intestinal issues yesterday that had me fearful of being too far from a bathroom, but I do believe I am almost over it. Still getting rumbling in the tummy, but they are less nasty. And I never felt any of the other symptoms MBWM has to deal with like dizziness, soar throat, aches and pains, etc.

But she does have to deal with the outcome of my shopping at WinCo. That was a PHALE, although of minor proportions. I did purchase a fair quantity of salad veggies. That is good. And I purchased a wide variety of turkey products: turkey sausage, turkey franks, turkey bologna. Okay, maybe not all that wide of variety. The problem isn't so much what I purchased as the haphazard way I added items to the cart. I have to be careful with our budget and I was not careful.

I was a little more careful about another aspect of my juggling yesterday, transporting MBWM and I to be able to vote last night. Because of where we lived prior to the move, there was only the City Council elections on our ballet. That made for a quick vote. I am grateful to be a part of the process and the volunteers that make it possible.

And the volunteer process that is the Overeaters Anonymous meeting I attended yesterday needs some attention. I did attend the meeting. And I wanted to record some of what was said and my thoughts on them to give me a chance to mull them over. Now, I know that a tenet of the Twelve Step programs is, "What is said here, stays here." But there is strength in making an opportunity to review so that progress can be witnessed. Plus, I won't be identifying anyone.

The topic at the start of the meeting is that the past shaped us into who we are today. We don't have to be ashamed of it. And we can use what we learned and experienced to offer empathy to others because we have been through the experience as well. This eventually led to someone discussing the power that comes to the person that serves others. One of the benefits that arises is the opportunity to get out of thinking about yourself. Another person mentioned that you must serve, but don't lose yourself in service as a way of avoiding your responsibilities to yourself.  Avoiding responsibilities led to someone saying that we don't inherently forgive others. I disagreed internally. While I find it difficult to forgive myself, my kids are very forgiving. That have allowed me to witness that time and time and time and time again. Maybe it's because of my kids' influence, but I believe that we are born with the ability to forgive but learn skills like holding grudges. Quail is at the end of the pecking order. He expressed his frustrations with his siblings quite frequently and very vocally. But you will still find him in the thick of things when they are playing together. He, like all the rest, are very forgiving. And thank goodness for that for my benefit.

The main beneficial idea from most of the comments at yesterday's OA meeting was that we don't have to live in the past. Simplicity itself for me to agree with that. My problem is that I tend to live in the future. Also a bad choice for mental property. Even at the meeting, I was calculating the timing of the next several steps in my day. Or here while I'm blogging, I'm thinking about all of the things I need to get done today (exercise, meal planning, discussing with MBWM Asian Red Fox's request to join Kimkins with me, ...), the things I want to get done (convincing MBWM to let me take her parents to the doctors appointment, the time consuming drudgery of encapsulating my own supplements that do a world of good but I am currently out of, scouting the neighborhood for a walking route, reviewing C25K for Windows Phone, ...), and how I am going to accomplish all of these things. Yup, my brain is frequently going 90 miles an hour. I'd say 100, but I didn't get a full night's sleep last night.

I don't tend to live in the past. Probably because that's where my Mom lives, and it's not a pretty place from her vantage point. The friendly result for me concerning living in the future is that you are thinking through to the effort to overcome any consequences of the actions being contemplated. For example, I don't hold grudges. That takes too much energy. But I do believe that I will expend the energy to be at this particular OA group. I think this is my favorite group so far.

I am done in under an hour. That's good. I hope to be able to report not only success in work accomplished but also success in having a little down time as well.

Yours in the opportunity to lose yourself in the work of the day,

Eliot


P.S.: Do you think Yoda would be exceptional at Yoga?

Kimkins: Day 1 Reviewed

Post Number: 31
Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 23 of 71 (Goal: 15)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Meetings Attended: None Scheduled
     Exercise Completed: Splashing with the kids

I missed the Aquatics class yesterday. There were two key causes. I got busy with things needing done at 5:30 in the morning thanks to the end of daylight savings. Then, finally recognizing the time, I blitzed outta here with only 30 minutes to get there. An accident on the freeway closed the freeway and clogged the side streets. In 20 minutes, I had not made it even half way there. In good traffic, 25 minutes should have put me close to the Y, perhaps even at the Y. So I headed back to the house to get the kids to just go swimming. On the way home, I heard about a candy buy back program on the radio. Castlebury Dental in Eagle (near the Y, no less) was having a candy buy back program at $1 per pound with the candy going to the troops. The turn around allowed me to also pick up the left over Halloween candy. We made $7 off of the candy. After the buy back, we went off to the Y. The Y was wonderful, but exhausting. All I did was play with the kids in the kiddie pool. Fortunately, the recovery was shorter than the last time I did laps at the Y. That took three days. I am better already this morning. The middle kids enjoyed the water. Asian Red Fox took it upon herself to watch Quail. Quail shivered almost the whole time he was in the water even though the water was quite warm and the kiddie pool came most of the way up to Quail's armpits. He and Asian Red Fox left early. The swimming might have gone even longer had two sets of little kids not shown up. Having eight kids playing around the pool was fine. But when the number passed 20, I passed the decree it was time to leave. On the way home, we swung by the dollar store and I let the kids spend the $7 at the dollar store. It was quite the haul.

Day 1 of Kimkins went well. None of the benefits or complications of Kimkins have set in, so yesterday was simplicity itself. I didn't work in many Kimkins-friendly veggies except for a few at lunch. I need to work on that for today. I had mostly low-fat meats except for the meatballs at dinner. I didn't realize how much fat there was in those pre-made meatballs. But the family finished off the package, so I'm not going to worry about it. I avoided with ease the cookies, crackers, spaghetti, and other high carb items that the kids ate around me with gusto. One of the reasons, though, that this effort of food selection within the bounds of Kimkins is being kept to 2 week increments is because I never met a carb a didn't like. Based on personal, historical evidence, in time, I will crave a few more flavors. I will adapt to adding in sour cream, cottage cheese, grated cheeses, and other (potentially) high fat ingredients. I have kept myself to one high fat ingredient per day for quite some time. But when once a day isn't enough, then I will start craving carbs. And that is the marker in this food selection that will have me switching off of Kimkins.  

I didn't get anything else accomplished on unpacking at the house, but I did manage to work with the kids so we kept the mess at its current level. It still goat trails through the garage and downstairs. But keeping things clean is progress in and of itself.

Today is going to be a major juggling act. We need to get Asian Red Fox to and from her afternoon high school classes. me to my OA meeting, in-laws spending the day at the house when MBWM isn't running them hither, thither, and yon for doctor's appointments. This is the kind of day where practiced planning, experienced execution, and complete follow-thru come together. We shall see about today.

Yours in the joy of a less-painful tomorrow,

Eliot

P.S.: 

Several weeks ago, a friend came up to me and said, "You lost some weight."
I replied, "Shhh. I don't want it finding me."
She spoke too loud, it found me.

Restart Process Engaged (Evaluation Weeks 7 through 10)

Last Weigh In: Saturday, 2 November 2013
Weight Information -
      Weight: 451.0 lbs
      Weight Change This Week: +3.0 lbs
      Weight Change To Date: -2.2 lbs
      Weight Gauge: Ow, ow, ow, ooooooow (from packing, moving, & sorting while this overweight)

Current Goals -
     Number Goal: 430 lbs
     Distance to Goal: 21.0 lbs
     Feel Good Goal: Enjoy the new house while setting it up
     Distance to Goal: Right around the corner
     The Y: Go to aquatics classes this week.
     Distance to Goal: It's doable, especially with MBWM leading the way
     Weight Watchers:
          Use the paper tracker every day this week including calculating points
          Use 56 for my daily points
          Avoid using 49 weekly points. Daily points have 15 available. That's 105 per week.
          Attend at least two regular meetings this week
     Distance to Goal: Can we do this? Yes, we can!
     Overeaters Anonymous: Attend two meetings this week
     Distance to Goal: Right around the corner

EVALUATION:
Today's entry isn't so much an evaluation as a description of what happens next. But here is the short review of the last several weeks which has returned me back to my starting point. One, had to move. Two, worked hard at packing, sorting, moving, repairing and cleaning. Three, pain increased to the point that I would wake in intense pain and it would only get worse over the course of the day. Four, slowly, old habits in food selection worsened in both quality and quantity. Result: Steady weight gain. I am saddened to be so far into Weight Watchers and have such poor success. And I am also saddened by the fact that my physical abilities have decreased to the point that my arthritic wife gets more done than I do.

IVCUFI:
I have found the way (IV) back. I am blogging. I will exercise. I will attend my meetings. I will select low-carb/low fat foods. My weight loss is my job right now.

I have seized the road (CU). I will not let this set back hold me back. I will have my greatest success yet. I will visualize myself at my next goal of 430 lbs. I will visualize losing weight like it was January 1st through out the holiday season.

I am enjoying the journey (FI). Maybe not so much yet. But I do enjoy my new environs. And I am grateful to have my family around me to work with me.

Post Number: 30
Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 14 of 71 (Goal: 15)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Meetings Attended: None Scheduled
     Exercise Completed: None Scheduled

As described previously, my wife is showing greater agility in getting around the house than I am. As an initial yardstick of my physical well being, my own house will serve as a measure. In the new house with its two floors, I am still in so much pain that I have to crawl up the stairs. Those stairs will be a good measure of progress for the next few weeks. I am sure other ones will avail themselves in the weeks ahead.

So now it's Forward to Future Successes. I have made a schedule of Health Improvement Activities. It is posted below. I won't be able to make it to Yoga this week because of an all-day event associated with Election Day scheduled long in advance. But other than that, I will be striving to make the schedule. I will be updating my header to include day-by-day breakdown of the activities of the previous day related to daily points used, weekly points used (hopefully it will be a perpetual zero for quite some time), meeting attended, and exercise completed. As well as the schedule, MBWM and I will be mapping out a walking path around our new neighborhood.

Day	Time	Event
Monday	7:00– 9:00 am	YMCA Aquatics Class
Tuesday	9:00 – 10:00 am 12:00 – 1:00 pm	YMCA Beginners Yoga Overeaters Anonymous 2201 Woodlawn Avenue, Boise
Wednesday	7:00 – 9:00 am 11:30 am – 12:00 pm	YMCA Aquatics Class Weight Watchers (no weigh in)
Thursday	7:00 – 8:00 pm	Overeaters Anonymous 2701 S File Mile Road, Boise
Friday	7:00 – 9:00 am	YMCA Aquatics Class
Saturday	8:00 – 9:00 am	Weight Watchers (weigh in)

In the past, I have had incredible success with a program called Kimkins. I believe I have referenced it in this blog in the past. The only complication with Kimkins and many of the low-carb variations is that maintenance is more often weight gain than weight maintain. My goal is to get below the 400 pound mark with Kimkins. I want to get below the 400 mark quickly. This weight is painful just to carry around. I will use Kimkins for two weeks and review my progress. Most notably, I will review the ease of those two weeks more than the pounds lost. If those two weeks are too difficult, then I will switch to something else. If the difficulty is barely noticed, then I will try another two weeks. Once the difficulty reaches "too hard" or my weight drops below 400 pounds, I will be switching to something else. MBWM reminded me of something when I was discussing this plan with her last night. After my second round with Kimkins, which worked but was shortened because it had become too difficult, I had created a program of weight loss that was a merging of three programs. I called it VeggieDaBody. It was a mix of a vegetarian diet, the Dash Diet (from the American Heart Association), and Body for Life. Details to follow. Regardless of the process used to select the foods I eat, I will be using Weight Watchers program for tracking the food through the Points Plus Value system. I even purchased two of their handheld calculators for MBWM and I to be able to calculate as we go. They are nice units that not only calculate the points, but also store up to the last seven days while tracking both daily and weekly points.

At one of the Weight Watchers meetings, a recommendation for an app was given. It is called Couch to 5K (C25K). It gradually increases your work out from couch potato to being able to run the 5K. It let's you play your music from the app. It has audible cues to change your work out level. It's not available on Windows Phone, although there is a similar one I am considering.

Quick Tangent: An astounding blog entry on marriage was passed along to me from MBWM that I couldn't keep to myself - Marriage Isn't for You.

Yours in the joy of a successes to come,

Eliot

P.S.:
From MBWM: Why did the chicken cross the road? Because he wanted to see a man lay bricks.
From Iguana: Why did the chicken cross the road twice? Because he was a double-crosser.


NOTES
Weight Watchers, Saturday, 12 October 2013
How many waking hours per day is the average American sedentary?

How confident do you feel about your plan for the fall and your progress so far? What behavior do you want to develop for the fall?

• Inside exercise
• Bake and then give it away
• Soups - with nutritious veggies
• Stop sitting through a show - walk in place
• Drink water even though it's colder

Get up and walk at least five minutes every waking hours. Think about the sitting activities performed.

Sedentary activities -

• Morning - Breakfast / commute / computer / work / meetings / school / travel / lawn mower / reading news / TV
• Afternoon - Sewing / crafting / watching news / lunch / drive / computer / work / homework / resting
• Night - TV / Dinner / watching kids be active / computer / video games / homework

When is sitting a necessity? 

• Driving - Try: Kiegel exercises, butt crunches, isometrics w/wheel
• Toilet

When is sitting a convenience?

• Computer - Try: Pedestal for for computer, core ball
• TV - Try: Dusting, walking around, don't eat, hand weights

When is sitting a social expectation?

• Meals - Try: sitting up straight, work on core muscles
• Meetings - Try: sitting up straight, work on core muscles

How many minutes per day are you doing this? Add them up.

If you chose NOT to sit:

• What activity can you add to your traditionally seated moments?
• What will give you the motivation to actually do it?

Easier to lose weight when not sitting. Health issues arise from sitting. Options:

• Stay on program
• 10,000 steps every day

Click "Routine" on eTools. Be more physically active / Less napping

How will you get off your chair and onto your feet? This week, get up and walk five minutes every hour.

Weight Watchers, Saturday, 19 October 2013

This month's routine - Get up and Walk at least five minutes every hour

How did your one little change get you moving? Moved more

This week - Change is Good

Why would anyone actively seek out change?

• Gets you out of your comfort zone
• Look at things differently
• Get out of a rut
• Keep from getting bored
• All at WW for change, tired of feeling tired
• Get a handle on it now
• Want active control, don't let food push you around
• Need change in perspective and attitude

We resist change

• Why is it so hard to change? Easier not to change
• How do you feel when you're thinking about change?
• How do you feel when you've made the decision to change? Empowered, Invigorated
• How do you feel once the chance becomes routine?

Make a change.

• New doesn't mean better
• Round can help or hurt
• Help: Get it done
• Hurt: get a better routine

Key for following list: Activity (A) / Eating (E) / Other (O)

Changes made since joining WW:

• Breakfast every morning (E)
• Walking a little further (A)
• Cutting out sugar (E)
• Mindful eating (E)
• More fruits and veggies (E)
• 7-8 hours of sleep - consistently (O)
• Packing a snack (E)
• Portion control (E)
• Cute clothing (O)
• Wear nice exercise stuff (A)
• Dress Up (O)
• Eat less (E)
• Only current sizes in closet (O)
• Focus on self (O)
• Serving sizes (E)
• Someone on the journey with you (O)
• Come to meetings (O)
• Switch up meeting (O)
• Moving more (A)
• Standing up (A)
• Joining gym (A)
• New activities (A)
• Have a plan (O)
• More aware of food selection and serving size (E)

What changes are worth the effort? Share your plan - friendliest, most change-worthy advice

• Just start running
• Couch to 5K app (C25K)
• Comparison is the thief of joy

Little change I'll try this week. Based on what you learned in your meeting, write down a to-do. Make it simple, specific, and small. Small so you know for sure you will do it.

Weight Watchers, Saturday, 2 November 2013

Get up and walk at leave five minutes each hour

What was hard or helpful about last week?

Ask the experts - What tools (both internal and external) helped you move forward to maintenance and lifetime membership?

Tools to achieve milestones - mostly weight loss, activity, health

Pick one tool hear today, commit to that one little change

Tools:

• Time
• Dedication
• New way of living
• What I have now is not what I want
• Meetings are important
• Know the points from experience
• Pedometer (gotta find mine, it's packed away somewhere)
• Celebration of successes

Your lifetime toolkit. Tell us about your success. Which tools did you use to accomplish this?

• Got out of a funk - Overcame funk with eating only power foods
• Big change to overcome plateaus
• Pre-tracking to avoid overindulgence in a holiday
• Undo an overindulgence by recommitting and restarting the next day
• Weekly allowance
• Holidays are on one day, not the month
• Make November the new January
• Weigh-in weekly
• Plateaus will shake off if you stick to it
• Go to meetings
• Frozen healthy meals
• Pack lunch
• Past successes
• Eat in - do own cooking
• Farmers Market
• Have to want it enough to do the work
• Visualize goals (include pictures)
• eTools
• apps
• Measuring tools
• Cook books
• Gym membership
• Reminders on phone
• Wii fit (Kinect)
• Active link
• PPV Calculator
• Stubbornness
• Awareness
• Perseverance
• Determination

Why are your accomplishments so gratifying?

Where do you want to be on January 1?

"Do not wait. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your co0mmand, and better tools will be found as you go along." - Napolean Hill

Cue Fanfare

Post Number: 29

I have been gone too long. I do believe I would have had a much better last couple weeks had I been paying attention to my blog. But my move is complete. I have left behind my old house and entered my new one. And this was only possible through the service and sacrifice of an army of angels. I plan on taking advantage of this new location by making changes to my life to make things even better for my family. But I do have one recommendation when it comes weight loss that I would like to make based on these last two weeks. Don't have a major life change early into a new life style program. Old habits return. Quickly or slowly, they return. It doesn't matter how desirable the life style, it only matters how established the habit when the stress of a major life change. More on specifics as the week progresses. At this stage, I'm only interested in announcing my return (cue fanfare).

To those that have sought to review my progress and have not seen anything, my apologies. For those that stopped looking, I wish you well.

Yours in the joyful possibilities of a new beginning,

Eliot

P.S.:
This is how Horse labeled one of our boxes in a prior move -