Felt good (double blog)

I got up early this morning and walked. I could have laid there in bed for another 30 or 40 minutes but I made myself get up and get out there. I walked 2 miles. I felt good when I was done. It gave me a lot of energy for most of the day until I got home. I had to take a small nap.

I tried to log in all my food but I didn't get it all down. I still have time to make sure I put it all in my journal. I will try to get it in before I go to bed.

I continue to get compliments and people say they can still see me getting smaller. I wish I felt it all the time. I have been feeling a little bloated. I also have been craving carbs. I ate a double helping of instant mashed potatoes at lunch today. I had a mix of white and wheat pasta for dinner tonight. It is all good since I kept all my other food intake under control.

So, I feel I am off to an okay start to losing then next 12 pounds to meet my goal. I have to remember this for life and there is no quick fix. I didn't put the weight on over night and I am not going to take it off over night. I just have to make sure I keep focus on my goal.

I am thinking of joining a gym. The one I have found that is the most inexpensive is You Fit! It is $10/month if I only use the one by my job. No contract and it is brand new. If I want to go to an other You Fit then I have to sign a contract and it will be $20/month. So, tell me what you think? Gym or no gym?

That was Monday and now it is Wednesday. I am got up again and walked another 1.5 miles. I didn't get up as early as I should have to get the distance in. Also, my pace was slower since I was carrying weights. I haven't been doing my strengthening exercises (push up, sit up, triceps dip, etc.) so I decided to combine the two. I am sure that burns more calories. I was breathing heavier when I came in.

Today we have a school bbq and a corn hole tournament. I am in it to win it. I will burn more calories there. I sure hope my arms down hurt and it screws up my aim for the tourney. lol

I am on my way to meeting my goals except for logging in my food. I didn't finish Monday and I have logged in my food since. I need to get back too it if I am going to see a difference in the scale. Of course, I have been eating out so that makes me not want to log in my food because it is a pain to figure out the calories. I need to start making my lunch and dinner.

Well it is off to a wonderful Hump Day!


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Sunday Fun Day

It's Sunday and the beginning of a new week. I am back in it to win it. Yesterday I posted about my relationship. I have to make one thing clear, what I am doing is 90% for myself, 5% for a relationship and 5% as a social experiment (for myself). I know I have to do this myself and for myself. I had a long talk with my man. He again said he found me attractive 40 pounds heavier, finds me attractive now and would find me attractive 40 lighter. However, his being attracted to me does not take over me being healthy. He wants me to be healthy and around for along time. :)

I did get on the scale today and I am down 2 pounds so that is a good sign. The exercising is working. I keep thinking how much more I would be losing if I put in the right eating habits again. So, today it will be a trip to the grocery store and loading up my fridge with good foods. I love to cook so I will go back to cooking again. I have been eating out a lot lately. I may even go to the farmer's market so I can have some fresh veggies around.

I will also be logging my foods in again. I think that is the biggest help. I used to make sure I measured everything so I could accurately count all my calories and fat grams. I don't do that anymore and what was a perfect measure is not probably a little extra here and there. Those little extras can add up.

Time to set another weight goal. It is now 10/24 and two months away from Christmas (yikes!). So I want to be down a total of 50 pounds. I am officially down 38 so that gives me 12 pounds by Christmas....6 pounds per month a little over a pound a week. I can do it.

Plan: counting calories, drinking at least 100 oz of water per day, exercising 3-4 times per week, blogging at least 4 times a week.

Here we go.....

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Letting things go.

I am letting things go and it is not good. Why is it when you get in a relationship after a long dry spell you let it all go? I worked hard to make it this far and I worked hard to make myself feel better so I can meet a man. Now that I have, I am being very lazy about my eating habits. I have been walking and doing some other exercises but not like I used to. I haven't been logging in my food daily. I stopped signing in to Sparkpeople.com on a daily basis. It is time to give myself a swift kick in the ass.

Here is the crazy thing, the man I have met is in great physical shape. He works out and he takes care of himself. He doesn't eat as healthy as I would think but he works out to make up for it. So you'd think that would encourage me to be a little more diligent.

I guess my issue is he likes me the way I am. He told me he likes the way I look now and if I wanted to lose more weight he would still like me......as long as I don't lose too much. He likes a woman with a little meat on her bones. I don't have just a little meat.....I have a whole damn other person's worth of meat. *sigh*

However, I was kind of proud of myself. I didn't gain any weight this past month. I went on a 5 day cruise and I celebrated my birthday for several days. I think that is pretty darn good. My doctor was happy. I even discussed with her about going off the appetite suppressant. She was agreeable but if I couldn't do it on my own and needed a little help I could go back on the pills. We'll see.

Let's see if I can be happy in a relationship and continue to lose weight. That is my new goal. :)

Have a satisfying Saturday!

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First day back

I didn't do so bad my first day back. I tried to make all the right choices. I had an egg white breakfast, a salad with baked potato for lunch and a turkey burger with broccoli for dinner. My snacks were almonds, pretzels and pistachios. I made sure I ate every few hours and kept it in check.

Even though I didn't get much sleep last night and was very tired when I got home, I made sure I walked my 2 miles. It felt good and I have made a deal with myself. I will not talk to one of my friends that I talk to every night until I walk. I told him if I don't respond to his texts or answer his calls then he knows I didn't walk. It is his job to keep me motivated to walk on a regular basis. Maybe one day he will join me in my walk. Who knows?

Over the weekend I was proud of myself too. I was craving chocolate so bad I was going to eat a cookie at work. I kept it on the counter the whole time but I must say I put the cookie back in the tray and didn't eat it. Woo Hoo! Mark one for Maria and her willpower.

Today is day two and my sister and I are having lunch. I am hoping I can continue to be good. We are going to a great sandwich shop which makes the best stuffed potato. Hmmmmm light breakfast, light dinner and walk at least 3 miles and I think I can do it. We'll see how it goes.

Have a great Tuesday!

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Been gone....

....but now I am back. I need to get myself back on track. I kind of stopped being as good as I was in the past. I went on my cruise and was proud of myself for only gaining one pound. I didn't eat a lot but I sure did drink. The first day I had montezuma's revenge so that helped a little. lol

Now that I'm back and finally getting over this cold, I can get back on track. I have been a little lazy about getting my life back on track but tomorrow is back to the grind. I didn't reach my goals I set for myself.

I shall now set new goals and work hard at achieving them. My goal is to lose 14 pounds by Thanksgiving. That gives me 5 weeks which means a little over 2 pounds a week. Small steps is what it takes and I think that is pretty reasonable. It should be pretty easy once I get back into it.

So, my exercise goal is to do my core exercises at least 3 times this week and to walk at least two miles 3 times this week. I can do it. Then on to my birthday weekend and will try to keep myself in check. :)

Blog out!

Neverending

Tuesday was a never ending eating day. I just couldn't stop putting food in my pie hole. I resisted a lot but what I resisted I found something else to take its place. I will say the something else was a healthier choice but I had to stop at one point.

Nope.....I did not stop. From the time I woke up until the time I went to bed I was eating something. I will say I did go for a long walk so that is a good thing. I even got up and did my core exercises. But I still needed to stop.

I know the rule is to drink a large glass of water to help fill you up. Well if I did that today I think I would have probably drank all the humidity out of the air. I drank over 100 oz of water today. *sigh* I guess I was having one of those days.

I normally keep my calories between 1500 - 1800 calories a day but I ate over 2000 today. I only burned off 350 walking. *sigh* I won't beat myself up. Today is a new day and I will get back on track.

Let's see what hump day brings.

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Manic Monday

Oh wow! I started this journey back in January and was slow going. I lost some weight and then I found some weight and then I lost it and then I found it.....you get the point. Some times I found more weight than I lost. But near the end of the school year I decided to put a little more effort into my new life style. My sister had a little hand in that change.

She challenged me to lose more weight than her by the time we go on our cruise at the end of this month. She said loser cleans the other sister's house. Well if you know me then you know I am no Susie Homemaker. I can barely keep my place straightened up, I sure as heck don't want to clean my sister's house with two teenage boys living there and other members of her family coming and going periodically. Oh Lord!

Since we started my official weight is a 9 pounds loss but I am hoping it will be more dramatic by the time we go on the cruise. I have been using my doctor's scale, so we will see what it says this Friday.

Anyway, she is putting herself in 5th gear and kicking it up a notch. As I was driving home yesterday I gave her a call to see if she was coming over. When she answered she told me she just came in from a walk. I was thinking "damn! now I have to go for a walk." When I got home I put on my walking clothes.....just in case she showed and I really didn't walk I wanted to look the part. :) I went to go get my mail and my neighbors invited me to come share in on a bratwurst. *sigh* How do you resist that? I ate it and my dinner decision had been made for me. I sat and talked with them for a while. I finally had to motivate myself off my butt and go walking. I did it! I walked a little less than two miles. I have to make sure I get back in the habit.

I cannot let her win! My house needs to be cleaned! I stopped cleaning it over a month ago just so I would win this bet. lol Okay not really but.....I am going to stop now!

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Hmmmm

I read an interesting article yesterday. It basically asked if you sabotaged yourself on the weekends. What I thought was interesting was the article said your lifestyle change is 24/7 not 24/5. That was powerful to me. I always felt the way the article indicated....weekends were to relax and take a break. However, this is a lifestyle change and the weekends are part of my life and always will be. I have to make sure I keep with my plan 24/7.

I felt the article was talking to me specifically. It said something about splurging on Saturday and promising to make it up by exercising on Sunday. Then Sunday comes and you have some excuse why you can't or won't exercise. I felt like raising my hand or standing up and making a confession: Hi my name is Maria and I am a weekend sabotager......Hi Maria! It was a big eye opener to me. So now I have to be more conscious of my decisions on the weekends.

If you are interested in reading the article:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=219

The other day I was flipping channels and saw an infomercial about Montel Williams new juicing machine. There was a guy on there that made a comment that I loved. He said he was getting compliments about his weight loss all day from different people. He said he would rather have compliments all day over the satisfaction he gets for the 5 minutes it would take to eat a hamburger (you can insert any food you want....his happened to be a burger). It is true, you may get some satisfaction eating your favorite foods but how long does it really last? Not as long as the compliments that keep coming as you lose weight. :)

My two motivations for the weekend!

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TGIF

Well it is Friday and I am ready for the weekend. I have a busy weekend working at my part time job. I need to make the money for my cruise in a few weeks. So wish me luck making lots of money. :)

This week has not been a great week for me. I had some emotional ups and downs. Then I got sick Tuesday night and haven't fully recovered. I have been having some severe dizzy spells which has hampered my cardio exercise. I had to make sure I kept my eating to the lower end of my calories.

Today was my weigh in day for home (actually I think it was last week but forgot). Anyway I am down another 1.5 pounds. That makes for a total of 36 pounds. So I am still on track. Next week I have my official weigh in at my doctors. I will see how that goes.

I still have my mini goal to shed a total of 40 pounds by September 30 which is 4 more pounds in 3 weeks. I can do it. :) Then my next goal is to shed a total of 50 pounds by October 16. That is still doable if I put my mind to it. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

Yesterday I was talking to a co-worker and she was telling me she needed to lose weight. She asked me how I was doing it. We were discussing weight loss and exercise. I listened to what she had to say but all I heard were excuses. She made some comment that she wanted to work out but she need to put in an hour work out. However, her schedule didn't give her the time to work out for an hour. I finally stopped her and said "so what if you can't get an hour in as long as you get in some type of exercise. Any time working out is better than what you are doing now. Some minutes is better than no minutes." Then I told her how I get in some exercise by walking in place while I am making my breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Not sure if I got through to her but I can only suggest. :)

Well it is time to go work and get my picture taking. We all know how beautiful school pictures are.

Have a great Friday!

Blog out!

Another long break

Well, it amazing how things can change so quickly....what a difference a week makes....heck what a difference a day makes. I have been trying to stay on track but have been on an emotional roller coaster for the past 4 days. I will have to say I am proud of myself. During this very emotional roller coaster ride I kept myself in control and even walked off the frustration.

One of the things I have learned about myself is that I am emotional eater as well as an over eater. Saturday I had a very emotional day and instead of eating up a storm I put on my walking clothes and walked a mile and a half. It was more liberating than eating something fattening like I would have done in the past.

Just so you know, most of this emotional roller coaster was over a man. In the years past when I met a man I really liked I would not eat....I would be so excited and happy I didn't think of eating. Now I am older, I do the opposite. I realized in my happiness I was a little less careful about my choices. I did make myself walk before I would allow myself to talk to him. I guess he did help that way a little.

Now I am back on the dating scene and I feel stronger knowing I can handle it all without setting myself back too far in the healthy lifestyle I have chosen to lead.

After a long 3 day emotional weekend I am back on the road of my journey and it is back to work to get my mind off it.

Have an awesome Tuesday.

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It's been a while

I haven't blogged since last week. I have just been so busy I haven't had a chance to write a blog. Actually, I can do it at night but I feel like I should do it in the morning. I have to come up with a plan. I might do it at night and then just post it in the morning. I don't know.

Anyway, I am back to walking and exercising again. I am hoping to be able to keep up the momentum. I love this feeling of shedding pounds and the compliments I keep getting. I am glad I finally made the decision to make a change in my life and do it the right way. :)

Another benefit of losing weight besides more energy, feeling better and the compliments.....I have a whole new wardrobe. I am digging in the back of my closet for those tweener clothes. I used to try them on and they would be tight....depending on the tightness depended if I wore it. I thought if I wear a big shirt or keep this unbuttoned or don't fasten this hook....now I can wear fitted shirts, button it all the way and hook all the fastens! I love it! Ten more pounds and I will start doing some donating.

There really isn't much to report on my eating habits. I have been trying to keep it under control and have been logging in all my food. I'm still making right choices. The only thing I have been doing is eating my dinner a little later. I started doing it a while ago and not sure if I posted my reasons. I get the munchies later in the evening and it is hard to resist. So, what I decided is if I eat later (around 8 or 8:30) then I won't get the munchies. Also, with my schedule at school I don't get my afternoon snack so I eat it when most people are probably eating dinner. It has helped.

I try not to weigh myself every day and have been holding off by only doing it on Wednesday and Fridays. My official posting my weight is every two weeks. My official weight was down another 2.2 pounds. That is a total of 34 pounds. I need 6 more pounds in the next 4 weeks and a total of 14 by October 16. Let's see if I can get it done. :)

Have a happy hump day!

Blog out!

Pizza

Yesterday I had a long day at work. I am trying to make sure I get information out to the teachers in my department in a timely manner. To do that I have to work a little later. I have the whole morning to work in my office but people come in and out constantly to talk to me, so I don't get much done. So, after a 10 hour day I really didn't feel like doing much.

Not doing much consists of not wanting to cook nor do any exercise. I didn't have a craving for anything in particular and I am really not a big fast food person. I always feel guilty when I eat anything from a drive-thru (except for breakfast items). So, I fell on my old staple.....pizza. I have a Westshore Pizza around the corner from my house. I told myself a couple of months ago if I want pizza I had to walk there which I normally do. It's a 1.5 mile round trip. Yesterday was not one of those days....one because it was raining and two because I didn't want just a slice. I normally get a slice or two so I can keep it under control. Yesterday I ordered a small cheese pizza so I can have some for lunch today.

I ate half of a 14 inch pizza. I probably could have eaten more but I stopped myself. I had to physically make myself stop. Now let me tell you, I had the calories so I could eat the pizza but man did I want to really overindulge. Now I have the other half for lunch today.

Hmmmmm I love pizza!

Before I go.....I have a question.......how do you feel about frozen meals? Lean Cuisine? Smart Ones? Healthy Choice? Are they a plus or minus on a diet?

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One day down

Well the first day with the kids is done....179 more to go. It wasn't so bad. It was a little hectic. I still don't why people wait until the last minute to register their children. I have 3 kids to do schedules for today who showed up yesterday. Seriously, do parents not know the importance of the first day of school?

Today I plan on wearing my tennis shoes since I did a lot of running around yesterday. I did so much running around I was too tired to do any official walking last night. I did do my laundry and that means up and down the stairs quite a few times. I kept moving but I need to do something to keep my heart rate up for an extended period of time to help burn those calories. :)

I wanted to share some discoveries. One is a food I discovered. I was shopping at Publix last week and this young girl was sharing a sample of some Mexican treats. I tried a corn pancake with white cheese on it. My first thought was "how fattening is this?" When I tasted it and it was moist and creamy I knew it had to be like a million calories. So, I closed my eyes and flipped over the package to the corn pancakes sitting on her counter. I slowly opened one eye and peaked at the nutritional info. Wow! It wasn't fattening at all. Sure it has some calories but not too many per portion. I read the ingredients and it was just corn, flour and corn syrup (I know there are a couple of other ingredients but I can't remember). Then comes the cheese. I knew this is where the fat has to come into play since it was a creamy cheese. I did the whole eye process again (by this this time the young girl thinks I am just a crazy old lady....I'm a teacher so I am used to it). Actually it wasn't so fattening and it was low in sodium. Score!

I bought a package of each before I left. It was a little expensive but then again I am at Publix. Next time I will look in a Spanish store. A whole pancake and 2 oz of cheese is 350 calories and I eat it as a meal....normally breakfast. So, check out corn pancakes and the cheese is queso de mesa.

My next discovery is eating food. I read an article that you should not watch tv or doing anything while eating. It is proven that most people eat more when they are distracted. I agree when it comes to snacks. However, I like the distraction when I am eating my meals. It makes me take my time and I eat slower. I make sure I put down the fork between bites. I make sure everything in my mouth is chewed and swallowed before putting more food on my fork. It's those little things that help you eat less. It lets your brain to catch up with your stomach or vice versa.

I am off to handle day two!

Blog out!

They're back....

The kids are back. It is the first day back for kids. I thought I would be nervous but I am not as bad as I thought I would be. I think I am forgetting something though. I am co-teaching this year and I hope it works out. I have always been with good teachers in the past. I am teaching with new teachers and I like them both personally but not sure of their teaching style. I think I am pretty flexible and fit right in.

I am heading back to school 15 pounds lighter than I left. My hair is 6 inches shorter and about two shades darker. I like starting fresh. The only thing I didn't get is new school clothes. I didn't want to buy clothes until I lost a little more weight. However, I am fitting clothes I haven't worn in a while so they will be like new school clothes.

You would think after yesterday's blog I would have stepped up and did my cardio. My excuses It rained all day. I worked late. A friend came over. Did that sound good? So anyway no laundry nor walking was done yesterday. *sigh* I guess I need to just make myself do it. Just to make myself feel better I didn't sit on the sofa and watch tv all night. I was up cooking dinner, coloring my hair, cleaning my kitchen, cooking my lunch for today and then blow drying my hair. I guess I did burn some energy. What I should have done when I was cooking my dinner was walking in place. D'oh!

It is time to start getting ready for those kids. Wish me luck!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

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Monday is here again

Ahhhh gotta love a Monday. How many of us think "On Monday I will get back at it. Yep yep yep....Monday is the day." Well, I have thought that so many times. What is the miracle of Monday? Why is that the day we decide we are going to either start something or start over on something? We should start right when we think about it. Why wait? Start now!

I try to keep that mentality. I am the queen of procrastination. I have no issue putting off tomorrow what I can do today. I continue working on getting out of the mind set and in doing that I have lost weight.

When it was time to eat something this weekend it wasn't my usual....I'll eat this now then make up for it on Monday. As for exercise that is a different story. I still haven't motivated myself to get back into my cardio. I am hoping I will get a chance to check out my friend's boxing class tonight. If not I am going to go walking while I do my laundry. That is my usual time to walk. I put my clothes in the wash, walk until it is done then put it in the dryer. I will also add in some swimming while the clothes are in the dryer. Yep that is what I will do if I don't go box the living crap out of someone. :)

I know it is a combo of eating right and exercising. That is the combination of losing weight. Yesterday I kept under my calories only because I had to think about it. I was cooking dinner last night and decided to make a nice lean burger. With that I was going to cook a pasta dish. I realized I didn't have any veggies planned. So I traded in the pasta for a nice large salad. I felt so much better and I got to eat the whole burger. :)

Making decisions like that isn't always so east. I didn't know going back to work would be such a big deal but the eating has been crazy. Every day a different group of people bring breakfast. Everything is covered in cheese and made with fattening meats. There is some fruit and other healthy choices but all that fattening stuff stares right at ya. *sigh* Then everyone wants to go out to eat for lunch since we won't get that opportunity when the kids come back. So, its burgers, Mexican, pizza, Chinese, etc. I am not ready for the kids to come back from a curriculum standpoint but I am ready for them from a eating one. I know it is all about choices but it is hard to resist some times.

Today I am going back to work with a new look. I decided to get a new hair cut since I am looking and feeling different by losing weight. I remember a long time ago a psychic told me you can change your destiny by making changes to yourself....cut your hair, lose weight, etc. So I am changing my destiny all over the place. :) So bring it on my new destiny!!!

Well have a great Monday!

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Sick and unmotivated

Sunday I started feeling bad and have slowly gone down hill since then. I have been zapped of energy, soar throat, watery eyes and achy. However, I tried to keep doing my exercises. I have done all my core exercises 3 times this week. I have switched them up a little. I decided to do my sit ups and push up on the pilates ball. OMG!! My stomach, arms and thighs have hurt for days now. I am not going to let that stop me. I don't believe in no pain, no gain but at least I know they are working. Monday I will say I did try to get in some cardio by walking and jogging in place. So that has put some serious cramps in my calves since I didn't stretch afterwards.....dummy!

As for my eating, it has been a little more difficult to keep within my calories. Every day we have had a breakfast and every day we have gone out to lunch. When you are a teacher you don't get the luxury of eating out so we are taking advantage of it until the kids come back. It has been Chinese, pizza, burgers, etc. Man this is hard on a girl.

However, I did try something different when we went to go eat Chinese. We went to a buffet and we all know that is overindulgence on a steam table. I went straight for the soup so the wonton broth would be a filler.....and well the wontons too. When I went for the regular food, I grabbed a small plate. It was the plate to put under the soup bowl, so it was even smaller than a salad plate. It really limited me on what I could take. I kept myself laughing by thinking....if I can't go wide on a large plate but let's see how high I can go on a small plate. I didn't do it though. We eat with our eyes first and we can fool ourselves into thinking we are eating a lot if the plate is full....so try a small plate next time you go to a buffet. I am glad I got the small plate because when I calculated my calories for what I did eat....phew! That was a lot of calories.

I really have to start thinking how to work in my cardio exercises. I like doing them in the morning but I am so not a morning person. It was easier when I was teaching summer school and didn't have to be there until 9:15. During the regular school year I have to be there at 8:20 which means I would have to get up even earlier. Oh heck no! I will have to figure it out because I need to start back incorporating my cardio. I am not going to lose with just my core exercises. I have to get my heart rate up.

Well, it is time to start getting ready for work. The parents are coming tonight with their kids for open house. I am so excited. It's a new adventure.

Blog out!

Summer revisited

Now that my summer is over I want to recount what I accomplished and learned.

1) First and foremost, I lost 14 pounds. It was not easy but wasn't as hard as I expected.

2) So that leads me to the second thing I accomplished....to live a healthier life style. I eat the things I like but I eat in moderation. I think about everything I eat. If I over indulge or know that I am going to over indulge then I make sure I get in more exercise.

3) I learned that some things are not worth eating. For example, McDonald's Frappe. It was okay but definitely not worth the 560 calories.

4) Push-ups are not as bad as I make them out to be. I started out with only inch or two but now I can take myself all the way down to the floor. They really do make a difference. While I was driving yesterday I rubbed the back of my arm and thought I had a tumor then I realized it was a muscle!!!!

5) Sparkpeople.com has been a great website. I have learned so much about eating and exercise. I like the challenges.

6) Swimming burns more calories than walking.....only if you are swimming and not floating around with a cocktail in your hand. :) Make sure your heart rate is up and you can burn a lot of calories since you are using all body parts.

7) My clothes are fitting better or getting too big. Thankfully I have some of those tweener clothes to get me through. Not that I plan on putting the weight back on but I am going to box up clothes that are too big and hold for 6 months to a year or until they annoy me because they are in my way.

8) Last but not least, this life style is not as has hard as I assumed. It is all about watching what I eat and how much I eat. Once you become conscious of what you eat it all falls in place. As long as you tell yourself you can do it then you can. No excuses!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

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Vacation is over

I have been on vacation from work and from my healthy life style. I didn't do much exercising this past week. I decided to take this last week before I went back to work to just have fun. However, I always self consciously knew where to draw the line. I kept eating in moderation and tried to keep track of what I ate. However, I didn't do much exercise. I tried to keep moving but nothing official. Now I am back!

Since this was my last weekend before heading back to work I tried to make the best of it. The first thing I had to do on Friday was go weigh in at my doctor's office. And I am excited to announce I am down another 5 pounds. It probably would have been more if I had put in more effort but a loss is a loss is a loss. So that is 14 pounds for the summer and 32 pounds over all since the beginning of the year. My goal is to lose 8 more pounds by the time I go on my cruise at the end of September.

Since Friday was my last day of summer vacation and I had to celebrate somehow. And boy did I celebrate. Yikes! It started with dinner from Chili's. I have a new application on my phone called Foursquare. It is a neat application that lets me log into places that I am going to visit...restaurants, grocery stores, clubs, etc. Well, if you have this program you can get free chips and salsa at Chili's. So I stopped by there on my way home to get a salad and my free chips and salsa. Chili's has the best chips and salsa in my opinion. Anyway, I didn't get them for me. I got them to take down to the lounge at my complex. I shoveled in my salad and went to have a drink or two or three or ten. It ended up being more like 20! I lost count! I know alcohol is an empty calorie but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

So, Saturday I was hard pressed to get off my sofa. I woke up at 10:30 after getting in at 4:00 am. That was too early so I went back to bed and got back up at 1 pm. I had a list a mile long I wanted to get done but there was no way I was doing diddly. I finally made it out to my pool around 3ish so I can get a little color before going back to work. That night I was to meet my sister at the Derby Club for dinner. I was finally ready to tear up some crab legs. And did I! That and some salad. What a good time we had.

Yesterday was a mellow day and back to the grind of trying to keep track of my food intake and I threw in some exercise to boot. Not a lot but a little.

It has been a interesting summer and not the summer I planned. However, I didn't have to sit on the corner with a reflector vest holding a sign or sell water, and I didn't have to sit at my pool eating ramen noodles because that is all I could afford. Tomorrow I will reflect on all the things I accomplished this summer.

I have done the my morning exercises. Now it is time to shower and get ready for work. Have a marvelous Monday.

Blog out!

Vacation

This is my last week of summer vacation and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. However, I have also taken a vacation from my exercise regime. I have only walked once this week. I haven't done any of my core exercises....nope...no save my face from smashing into the floor exercises (aka push ups). I haven't logged my food in for a couple of days. *sigh*

However, I am not defeated. I know I will get back to it. I think everyone deserves a break. I don't feel like I am done and might as well give up. I just know this is reality and things like this happen. I will get back on the horse or wagon or life and start riding again.

I had my party on Wednesday and what a great success. I had lots of friends over and I made some delicious food. I didn't eat much of it because I was running around most of the evening. I tasted here ad there but just didn't really feel like eating it. You know how it is some times when you make food you just don't feel like eating it. However, I am sure my few nibbles of food added up to be a days worth of calories. lol Actually I tried to make things as low fat as possible since there were several of us trying to live a healthier life style.

Last night I had my friends in town from New Orleans. They wanted to try a restaurant here in town that is a luxury staple. The food is good (not great) but it is the experience being there that you enjoy. We started off with cocktails in the bar then moved to a small private room for dinner. I had wine (yum), caviar (ick), french onion soup (yum) roasted beat salad (yum), aged top sirloin (eh) with all the fixins (so-so) and bananas foster (YUMMY). I tried to eat in moderation and I think I was successful....well....except for dessert. How do you eat bananas foster in moderation???? This is the first time I ate to excess. I felt so bloated when I got home but it was worth it. I enjoyed spending time with my friends. We were in the restaurant for 5 1/2 hours. lol Now that is an experience.

Well, today is my official weigh in at the doctors. I will see if that dinner last night did me in. Everyone always says it takes a couple of days for a meal like that to show up on the scales. I hope so.

I am going to enjoy my last couple of days of vacation before I head back to the grind. But, I think I will stop the exercise vacation and get back to that today. It will make me feel better and not feel so bad about that rich meal I had last night.

TGIF!!!!

Blog out!

It took a long time....

....for the monthly woman water weight to come off. Good Lord! I usually get rid of that within days of that time ending. This time it took over a week. I had a funny feeling it would come out while I worked my 12 hour day. I don't care when it comes out as long as it is out. TMI? Sorry! I just had to get that off my chest since I got on the scale this morning and the numbers finally moved. Phew! Now I hope they move at the doctor's office on Friday since that is my official weigh in.

I am having a get together at my house tonight for a Tastefully Simple party. I wasn't expecting so many to RSVP so now I am a little panicked about them all fitting in my place. I couldn't sleep last night and was up at 3 a.m. scrubbing my bathroom. Who does things like that? I just remember reading (which apparently I have GOT to stop doing since I get all these ideas in my head) if you can't sleep not to just lay in bed and/or watch tv get up and doing something to exhaust yourself. Well if I had a man......oops.....this is not a blog for that. Anyway, since I don't have a man I washed floors and cleaned my bathroom....seriously not as much fun as having a man.

However, whenever you are expecting company and see those little things in your house that you just let sit there and you tell yourself..."I'll deal with them later." Those are the things you stuff in drawers and closets aren't they? I hope when my guests arrive no one opens a closet door because you never know what might fall out at them. lol My place is neater and cleaner than it has been in a long time. It's normally not disgusting or anything, but since I live alone I can be a little sloppy. :) It looks good now and I hope to keep it that way.

So, I am a little tired today in a clean house but I have lots to do before people start coming over. Mostly cooking but I have to throw in a walk and some exercise too since I will be tasting different types of foods tonight at the party.

I hope everyone has an awesome hump day...I would have if only I had a.....ooops still wrong blog. Sorry if this was a TMI blog today!

Blog out!

Everyone needs a day off

And I took mine yesterday. I didn't do any official walking. I did walk around a shopping plaza. I parked my car at one end and walked all the way to the other going in and out of shops.

I am having a Tastefully Simple party tomorrow and yesterday I had to meet the consultant to get my hostess package. She asked if I could meet her at Cici's Pizza. Now I know that is not the best pizza in town but I love Cici's. I get a metal to go tin, fill it with pasta and sauce then have them add meat and cheese and bake it in the oven. I had already had breakfast before I went there and I tried to resist but I succumbed and paid for the buffet. I got my pasta (but only a 1/3 of what I used to get), a small salad and couple of pieces of pizza that I felt could be the lowest in fat/calories. I ate a bite of each piece of pizza....eh....didn't taste as good as I remembered no use wasting calories on that. I took a couple bites of salad.....eh....not that great not wasting calories on that. Got my pasta and that was exactly how I remembered it and worth the calories. Yummy! The other thing they have at Cici's is their brownies and cinnamin rolls which are worth the calories if you have them to spare. I am not a sweets eater but by golly I can eat those. I had to do it. I feel like I ate in moderation (except for the brownies and cinnamin rolls I had two of each) and calculated my calories. That small meal of bites and pasta and dessert cost me almost a whole days worth of calories. I can only imagine what I used to eat! Good Lord! No more meet ups at Cici's ever again!!!

Since I didn't walk and I ate that Cici's catastrophe I had to be aware of what I ate for dinner. I had pulled out a piece of frozen chicken to make for dinner. (I go to this one market in town that sells boneless skinless chicken breats cheap if you buy in bulk. I bought a 10 pound bag and separated the breasts individually and froze them. Some of the breasts are like turkey breasts though, which what I ended up taking out). I had some small potatoes that I knew I wanted to cook it with it but could I make a low calorie meal with those two things. I remember reading in an article on sparkpeople to bulk up meals and stretch them to go further by adding veggies and beans to meats. So that is what I did. I made a simple but delicisious recipe that was like a chili. I know it is 100 degrees outside and chili is not the meal of choice but that is what it kinda turned out to be. It was good, low in fat and calories. I fit it in to my daily consumption. The recipe is below and an idea when you buy meat in bulk. :)

So, since I have been more conscience of my eating habits, I feel I have more energy. I used to be a lot lazier but now I know how my mother feels. My mother reminds me of this joke I heard this comedian tell once. It was about cats and how they can be dead asleep then all of sudden jump up,think "oh my god I got to go to the other room" and they take off running. That is what my mother is like. She will sit on the sofa for a few minutes and all of sudden get up to go do something in the other room. She never sits for long and she is going to be 85 this September. I have now turned into that cat and well....I guess I have to say it....*cough cough*....my mother. I can be sitting on the sofa and then think I should vacuum or clean the kitchen or clean the tub then get up and do it. Not sure if this is because I have extra energy or I am getting older. I am going to think it is the extra energy and it has to be used. :)

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!

Recipe:

10 oz chicken breast (cut into small chunks)
1 15.5 can of northern beans (drained and rinsed)
1 14.5 can of diced tomatoes
1 10.5 can of corn
6 oz of potato (cut in to small pieces)
1 garlic clove
Dehydrated onion
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the chicken and potatoes in a large skillet. Add all the other ingredients except the corn. Lower it to simmer and let cook for 45 minutes. Add the corn and let cook for another 5-10 minutes. It serves 4 small bowls or 3 medium sized bowls. 4servings is 337 calories and 3 servings is 449 calories. (I had the medium sized bowl and it was very filling. If I served it for 4 then I would add a salad).

Hint: If you buy the chicken in bulk and freeze it I add marinate to half the batch. So, the chicken will marinate as it freezes and then it will marinate when it defrosts. You will have a tasty chicken breast with that method. :)


Blog out!

The weekend

So another weekend comes and goes. Another weekend of indulgences. I don't feel so bad about my indulgences as long as I plan ahead for them. I counter act them with some exercise.

Saturday was fun at the dog track for my father's birthday. I must have eaten a pound of scallops. Yummy! The food is so good at the dog track for the money you pay. I did try to keep it to mostly proteins. I make sure if I am going to indulge like this at a buffet I keep it to high protein foods. I also try to keep it to the lower fat items. The dogs were not so nice to me. At least this one dog wasn't. My friend Jeanne and I bet a $1 superfecta and we picked out 4 dogs. If they came in the order we picked them the payout could be close to $1000. Just as the dogs are getting close to the finish line the dogs were in the order we had them. I can see the finish line in site and the first dog crosses over. The money is in my hands. The second dog crosses over. I already spent it in my head. Then the 4th dog passes the 3rd dog at the finish line!!!! Now I am returning all the stuff I bought in my head! Are you freakin kidding me??? I wanted to go down there and kick the dog in the leg. AT least I am only out a $1 but in my head I lost a $1000. Waaaahhhhh.

I have been drinking homemade fruit smoothies as a snack. Nothing better than a cold smoothie on a hot summer day. I think I may need to cut down how much I drink of these smoothies but they are so yummy. I even make them at work. I just put everything in a sealed container and bring my hand mixer to blend. I need to get one of those quick blender thingies. Anyway, my recipe consists of frozen mix fruit, skim milk, orange juice and powered blueberry white tea mix (if I have them I will put in a banana). I put in more milk than orange juice.

Today I need to get myself back on track and get my cardio in since it is my cardio day but I have a lot to do. I am having some people over on Wednesday and need to clean up my place. I have to make my place look like an educated professional adult lives here. I wish I had a decorator's eye.

Well it is off to cleaning the house and getting ready for my guests. :)

Have a marvelous Monday!

Blog out!

Saturday

It's Saturday and I have been up an hour or so. I love summer break. I get to sleep in. Bad part of sleeping in is I feel I have slept half my day away which means I stay up later to make up for it. I am so not a morning person but I don't like wasting my day. Another thing about sleeping in is I miss breakfast. By the time I wake up it is almost time for lunch.

Anyway, I have a big dinner planned for my father's birthday tonight. I need to get in some extra exercise to compensate for the food I plan eat. Yeah yeah yeah I know, eat in moderation....don't go overboard.....plan ahead.....whatever. It's my father's birthday and I plan eat what I want and drink what I want. I will be getting exercise since he can't walk up and down the stairs very well so I will have to do it for him to place his bets since we are eating in the Derby Club at the dog track. Last week it was the casino with my mother and this week the dog track with my father.....do you think I am part of a gambling family.....or is it just me since both those ideas were mine? Hmmmmmm

Well, it is about to rain so I will have to do my exercise indoors. No walking for me for now. I am sure it will blow over and I can get to the pool to swim some laps.

I was talking to a high school alumni yesterday about our journeys in weight loss. We have an alumni cruise coming up (it's our 10 year....okay so plus a few or ten or fifteen years) and everyone is busting out the diet plans to look good before all our old high school friends see us in skimpy clothes (we want to look like it was our 10 year reunion). Anyway, he stated he is taking an appetite suppressant as I am as well (him OTC and mine prescribed but do the same dang thing). In reading information on sparkpeople it states they help for the short term but in the long run can hinder you. After you stop taking the appetite suppressant you go right back to your old eating habits. Or maybe not habits but instead of tricking yourself into feeling full or not hungry you will feel hungry all the time again. I have to say I have experienced this. I tried going off the pills for a couple of days and I felt hungry constantly. Now it could me a mind over matter issue because I know I didn't take the pills to see the effect and my mind told me to feel hungry (its my mind that has put me in this situation to begin with. Stupid mind!). Who knows! I am going to discuss this with my doctor at my next appointment since she is the one who prescribes the pills for me.

Yesterday I pulled out the old measuring tape. I am supposed to measure myself weekly but I think that is too frequently. If I don't see results then I am going to cut the measure tape into ribbons and make confetti. So I think it is best for my sanity and the measuring tapes life I measure myself every other week. Anyway, in the past two weeks I have lost an inch off my waist (thanks crunches!) and an inch off my thighs (thanks walking and swimming). Didn't lose anything off my hips (thanks to nothing!). I should measure my arms but it is not part of the list......why isn't it part of the list??? I will have to add it because I can see/feel the difference. I see definition in my arms or it could be just the way the fat is now laying on my arms. But the shirt I wore yesterday the sleeves weren't as tight as before due to the "please don't let me smash my face into the carpet" exercise I do (aka push-ups) or it could be they stretched out in the wash. I am going with the exercise.

I have two things in the front of my closet that are my incentives. I have a dress I want to wear in two weeks for an alumni event. I also have a jacket that fits everywhere but my arms. When I wear it it makes my arms look like stuff sausages. So those are my two incentives for the short term.

Well it is time to break out the old pilates ball and do some exercises until the rain passes. Today is my core day but I know I have to throw in some cardio since it will be a disaster tonight if I don't. Yeah I still plan to eat what I want! I will not feel guilty about it (I probably will but if pills can trick my mind into thinking it not hungry then my mind can trick itself into not feeling guilty).

Happy Saturday!

Blog out!

What a week

A week of exercise, working, socializing and apparently overeating. I am not sure. The scale won't move. The clothes are not feeling as loose as they used to feel. I am still getting kudos on the way I look but still it is not showing in the numbers. I shall overcome this plateau.

First thing I have to do is stop eating at night. It is amazing how many calories you can consume just nibbling on stuff. I have to either stop it or get some veggies to nibble on. I normally eat a handful of pretzels or a couple of low fat graham crackers. Not too bad but still adding calories. I also have to start eating later so I won't be hungry to nibble so late at night. If I am hungry before dinner I can move around and do things to keep my mind off of it. At 10 or 11 o'clock it is my lazy time. :)

When I joined back on sparkpeople.com they set up an exercise regime for me. MWF is cardio and TRS is core. I try to do them on the days they state but sometimes I will add cardio to my core days or vice versa.

The cardio can be anything I want but they have suggested core exercises: crunches, crunches with a twist, leg curls, tricep dips, one leg squats and modified push-ups. Ahhhhh the lovely modified push-up. Any push-up is like a death sentence to me. Seriously, that means I have to lift my body weight up and down 15 times TWICE......MY BODY WEIGHT. So there I am on the floor, knees bent, straight as a board and hands planted on either side of me. I am looking at the carpet knowing it is not going to be soft enough to save me. I see rug burns and a broken nose in my future. Down...a half inch....breath out (whoosh)....up....a half inch. Oh good Lord, that was only one. I have to do two reps of 15. Half inch down...half inch up.....half inch down....half inch up. My arms are shaking and getting all wobbly. Just to lift myself up and down a half inch. I pray every time I have make the trip back towards the carpet a half inch that my arms don't give in and introduce my face to the floor. After the first 15 I am thinking there ain't no way in all of God's green earth I can do another set of 15. But I make myself do the next 15.....half inch at a time while breathing and praying.

That was a couple of weeks ago. I am proud to say I noticed the other day while doing my push-ups I am now taking myself a third of the way down. So I have added some inches to my push-ups. I still pray each time but I am not giving up until I can do a full push-up. So if my arms do give out then it won't be so detrimental to my face because I will be closer to the floor.

Well, today is cardio day so I need to get out there and get my heart rate up and burn calories. I am hoping one day soon (by next Friday) it will show on the scale again.

TGIF!

Blog out!

Is back to feeling normal

Saturday I was feeling quite lazy but I finally got by butt up off the sofa and did some exercise. I went out to the pool. My goal was to tread water for as long as I could. My feet were not allowed to touch the bottom and I did it for 20 minutes. Wow did I feel it Monday.

Sunday I got up and did a few things around the house. I had a party to attend and I had to make something to share at the party. I did some running around and got back in the pool for another 25 minutes of treading water. I like this treading water deal since I am burning calories but not sweating as much as walking. I found as long as my heart rate is up then I am burning calories. Apparently a lot more calories than walking.

I saved a lot of my calories on Sunday so I could enjoy myself at the birthday party and at least have a piece of cake. Well, there wasn't much food left by the time I got to the party. So instead of eating my calories I drank them. And drank them I did! I haven't drank that much in a long time. Oh my! I started out with Miller Lite (96 calories) and then moved to vodka and club soda. I wish I could tell you the calories in that drink but I am not sure how much vodka they put in my glass.

Yesterday I paid the full price of both the exercise and drinking. I spent most of the day with a headache and my body aching. After a day of rest I finally completed my to do list. I did my laundry (up and down the stairs a million times) and I went out the to the pool. I added to the treading some swimming. I also got on the floor when I got home and did my core exercises.

Now I am running late to go to my school. I promised my assistant principal I would come in and help her with a few things. I am regretting it since this is my only time off before I have to go back to school. :(

Everyone have a terrific Tuesday!

Blog out!

No motivation or energy

I have no energy or motivation to do anything today. I have been just laying around either reading or listening to music. I need to run errands but I just don't feel up to it. I am thinking if I get in the shower it might rejuvenate me and make me want to get out of the house into the blaring heat......or not.

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day with my mother. She had a free coupon for lunch at The Hard Rock Casino. She asked me if I wanted to go to the sit down restaurant or the buffet. Well, I picked the buffet like a dumba**. I haven't been there in a long time. I know I can make good choices but not at this buffet. I started off with a salad but they didn't have any low fat dressings. I could have put oil and vinegar but I was not in the mood. I used a small amount of the full fat ranch. Oh well! I even had some of my favorite: grilled flank steak. I kept away from all the fried foods and heavy cheese laden Italian dishes. When I got home I didn't even want to see how many calories I ate so I didn't log them in. However, I did today. I pretty much ate my days worth of calories in one meal. However it wasn't my only meal of the day.

I went to happy hour last night also. I drank 3 large beers but made sure I drank water in between. I ate chips and salsa. It was a ridiculous eating day. On top of it all I didn't do one lick of exercise. I told myself I would make sure I made up for it today. Not doing a good job of that sitting on the sofa. *sigh*

Okay the positives. When I decided to meet my friends for happy hour I put on a pair of jeans I couldn't even button a year ago. They fit perfectly. I saw people at HH that hadn't seen in a few weeks and some a few months. They all noticed the weight loss so I was happy. That should have been the motivator to get my butt in gear today. lol

I am not going to make this a total waste of a weekend when it comes to my healthy life style. I will recover with my food for today and hopefully will get my exercise mojo back tomorrow. Right now my body is screaming for a nap. It must be so tired from sitting around all day. lol

Lists always help me. I have to make a to do list and get it done. If I make a list I always feel more accomplished and motivated to complete it. Yes...that's the ticket....make a list. I am off to get my list going: 1) Take a nap. 2)...zzzzzz......

Blog *snore* out!

TGIF

Oh this is the best Friday so far this summer! Yep! Yesterday was the last day of summer school. Yippee!!! What a relief. It was a challenging summer to say the least. I am surprised I didn't gain weight from all the aggravation.

This has been a very lazy week for me. I haven't exercised since Tuesday. I have eaten under my calories and I switched my dinners to light meals. But I have lacked all motivation to do anything strenuous. I feel guilty about it too. Hopefully I will find some motivation today to get in a walk or something. I know I will be walking around the casino with my mother so that will be good. That is a big place. It won't be a big calorie burning walk but still walking.

The scale was okay today but I am not too disappointed. It said I am a pound up but I am so bloated right now (women you know what I am talking about....well now the men do too). By next week it should be hasta la bye bye. lol I am still judging by how my clothes fit and not by how the scales rate me. Yesterday was another kudos clothes day. Snug jeans in the past are now loose fitting.

I am going to keep myself under control this weekend and make sure I stay within my limitations of eating. I know I make good decision and I am more conscience about what I eat. Baby steps are better than no steps. :)

Have a great Friday!

Blog out!

Hump Day

Yesterday was supposed to be my cardio day....well at least in my head but not required from Sparkpeople. I tried to get up early......I really did. However, again my body was not having it. I really have to put the book down and not read until the wee hours morning. :) I didn't get up early enough to walk but I did get up early enough to color my hair (yes I have gray hair!), mop the kitchen floor, make breakfast and cook lunch. So I still had a very productive morning.

I wore these really cute jean capris yesterday. I found them a few months ago in the back of my closet and have been wearing them since. They have a double button so when I would wear them they would cut into my belly, especially if I sat for long periods of time. So if I didn't sit much then it didn't bother me. While I was getting ready to cook dinner last night (after sitting on the sofa and reading for a while.....yes more reading) it dawned on me the buttons didn't cut in my belly like it usually did. Yippee a positive effect of the weight loss! Woo Hoo!!!!

As I was cooking dinner I was feeling guilty that I hadn't done any cardio (still didn't look at my sparkpeople fitness to know I didn't need to do cardio). Then I remembered what my sister-in-law suggested I do when I can't get out and walk.......walk in place! So, that is exactly what I did. I walked in place the whole time I prepared dinner and while it cooked. I walked in place for 30 minutes. Then I didn't feel so guilty any more when I ate my dinner at 8:30 pm.

This morning I got up to go walking but realized I had a few other things I had to get done so I see some walking in place in my future. While looking for clothes yesterday I found a skirt in a drawer. A skirt I have never been able to wear since it was too tight. Tight like I felt like a sausage stuffed in a denim casing. I have had it almost a year and it has been in my drawer. So, I tried it on and you know what.......it almost fits. It's a little tight (not sausage tight) but I could wear it if I wanted to. I will wait until it fits properly. Another positive effect!

So I got two kudos in two days. I love this feeling! It is the small accomplishments!

Happy Hump Day!

Blog out!

Monday Monday Monday

Oh my does my body ache all over!!! I don't know what I was thinking agreeing to work a double yesterday. I am getting too old for this stuff. Today is my cardio day and I usually get up early and do it in the morning. Not today. My body was not having it. It shut down at 10 o'clock last night and I had to force it to turn back on at 7:30 this morning. I guess I needed the rest and then some but I have places to go, people to see and things to do today.

Even though I worked a double yesterday I did get a 30 minute walk in. It was slow in the morning so I walked around the clubhouse for 30-35 minutes. Just doing laps around the whole place. The people playing looking ni the windows must have thought I was crazy. That would be a lot of players since the whole clubhouse is windows. lol

This is my last week of summer school and then I have two weeks off before real school starts again. I just need to keep the momentum going once I am out of school. However, no matter what I sure can use the rest. *sigh* This has been a trying summer. The money has been nice though. :)

I will try to get some cardio in later today but I doubt I will. I hate to set myself up for failure but I am just not feeling it today. My body is not working at 100%. Who knows because I surprise myself all the time. Even after a 13 hour day yesterday I still got on the floor and did my crunches, leg curls and push ups. I may get it done after all (still doubt it though).

So here is to a good Monday on the eating front since I may not get all my exercise in for today.

Happy Monday!

Blog out!

Weekend Sabotage

I do so well during the week days. I eat right. I exercise. I do all the right things....at least I try to do all the right things. Then comes the weekend and....poof....I sabotage myself.

Friday I had a big plan of being a good. I knew I was cooking a dinner that was not going to be low in calories nor fat. So, I prepared myself. I walked in the morning while I did my laundry. I did my toning exercises. I even did the challenge that comes to me daily from the diet group I am apart of. I ate a light breakfast/lunch.

Well, I decided to head to Wal Mart to get a few items I needed. I was craving a frozen coffee. So, I remembered I had a free coupon for a Frappe from McDonalds. I figured "why not? It's frozen coffee how bad can it be???" It can be VERY bad when what makes it frozen is ice cream!!!! I had a medium Frappe and it was 560 calories. I was thinking it was going to be like a frappacino and I can order it with skim milk. Nope! So with my light breakfast/lunch, snack and this drink I used up a good portion of my daily calories. So that limited me on my dinner. It wasn't that I was going to eat a big meal but I wanted to enjoy it.....not feel guilty.

I have another coupon for a Frappe if anyone wants it because I sure as heck am not going to use it!

Saturday I felt like I had a pretty good day. I slept in some and then I worked in the afternoon at the golf course. I was busy and was running around like a crazy woman. If you know me, then you know I always wear a pedometer. I wear it religously (even with dresses). I especially like to wear it at work to see how many steps I take during a regular day. Since yesterday was extraordinarily busy day I knew I was walking a bunch of steps. I looked at my pedometer near the end of the day and it calulated 300 more steps than when I left my house that afternoon. I know that was a bunch of bull. I do that just walking from my car into the building. I was not a happy camper because I upload my steps to a website and it gives me points. The more steps I walk the more points I earn. Oh well!

I had dinner with my friend Debi last night. She cooked a great meal of tilapia, asparagus, noodles and salad. We drank some wine and talked about life. It was a good dinner. Some of it very healthy and some of it not. However, it was worth it for the company!

Today I am working a double at the golf course. I have been here a little over an hour and have walked almost 1000 steps. Not sure what the deal was yesterday but I will make up for it today. :) I am hoping to get back on track with my eating. Just making a conscience effort and knowing the mistakes is a good start. The changes they keep coming and it will make a big difference in the long run!

Happy Sunday!

Blog out!

I know I am not supposed to do it....

.....but I weighed myself. I have actually waited a week before doing so.Actually, my nutrition website wants me to weigh myself weekly. However, I was happy when I got on the scale. Not too bad for a week. I also measured myself. Stupid me didn't do it from the very beginning because I know the numbers on the measurements would have gone down. Well, I will use today's measurements as my baseline. I will continue to work on making them smaller.

I have this ritual when I do my laundry. While my clothes are in the washer I walk the complex. Then when I am done walking I put my clothes in the dryer and go about my business. It is a good habit to get into. Too bad I am not always consistent with this habit. :)

I woke this morning with good intentions of getting a lot done. So far I have been doing quite well. It is noon and I have washed 3 loads of laundry, walked 1.5 miles, did some toning exercises and started dinner for tonight. Things I have left to do it vacuuming, changing my sheets, shower, grocery shopping and getting my eyebrows waxed. I think I have plenty of time to get it all done. I think I my squeeze a nap in there somewhere.

I hope everyone is having a productive day as well! Since I am working all weekend, I think I should be okay eating wise since I will be extremely busy and doing a lot of moving around. However, tomorrow maybe a no go if the weather is bad.....for some reason people don't like the play golf in storms. lol

Have a great day!

Blog out!

Don't under estimate some exercises

With my new nutrition website it has me on a exercise schedule, which I mentioned the other night. It had me do crunches, crunches with a twist, push-ups, etc. Well it had me do this one exercise where I lay on the floor face down, put my hands under my hips then lift my feet towards my butt and hold for a two count. I was trying to figure out what this exercise was for. I did it with ease and was like what the heck is this supposed to do to me? Well, I found out a couple of days later when my butt was killing me. So, I will make sure I won't doubt another exercise again. lol

I am feeling really good. I am not being as diligent writing every morsel of food that passes through my lips but I make sure I keep track and not over eat. My clothes are fitting a lot looser. I need to get back to work soon so I can make some money to buy some new clothes that fit. :)

Tonight I cooked a healthy dinner. It was 667 calories. It would have been less if I didn't put so much pasta in the dish. I cooked 4 oz of penne. In a bowl I mixed 1 tbsp of Smart Balance butter spread, 1/4 cup part skim milk ricotta, garlic salt and Mrs. Dash tomato basil. I cut a tomato in half then squeezed out all the seeds and then cut it into bite sized pieces. I also cooked a bag of Green Giant Steamers broccoli. I drained the pasta then put it back in the pot with the ricotta cheese mixture, tomatoes and broccoli. I mixed it in the warm pot so the ricotta would be creamy. It was so good. It would have been 100 calories less if I had used 3 oz of pasta.

My goal is to make sure I start logging every bit of food I eat. I eat a Starburst and forget to log it. In the beginning if I chewed a piece of gum I would log it in. So, I need to get back on track and log all my food. Because those small bites add up to some serious calories. That is my issue and why I gained weight.....not because I eat bad food....I just eat too much food period!!!

I have a busy weekend ahead. Tomorrow will be laundry day and hopefully some pool time. Then it is working all weekend. Gotta save that money for my new wardrobe!!!

Blog out!

$2 Tuesday

I slept in today. I really wanted to walk every day this week but I kind of stayed up too late and needed to get some extra sleep. So, I am writing this blog then heading to bed so I can make sure I get up in the morning to hit th pavement.

Eating was not so bad. I tried to eat as healthy as possible.....at least during the day. Healthy breakfast of an egg white and ham sandwich. Healthy lunch of salad and fruit. Then I had plans to meet Todd the Texter (that's my nickname for him since that is all he likes to do is text.....we've been texting for a couple of months now). We were meeting for drinks at Splitsville. They have a great happy hour....at least they used to have one. It still isn't too bad...half price martini's ($4.50) and buckets of beer ($10 for 5 domestics).

They also are running a Two dollar Tuesday deal. I took them up on their $2 deal and drank Finlandia vodka with club soda and a splash of diet coke. I have been trying not to drink alcohol out in bars since you don't know how much alcohol you are getting in each drink. A normal pour should be 1.5 ounces however when a bartender free pours you don't know if they are overpouring. At least if I have a beer I know exactly how many calories I am getting so I can log it in. Today, beer was not calling my name.

I was hungry while we were there and before I had my first drink, I decided the lowest in fat/calorie would be sushi. That would counter any alochol I drank and not add too many calories. Well, after the first drink and the buzz kicked in.....to hell with counting calories......give me pizza. I ordered a margharita pizza (sp?) and ate 1/3 of the pie. I could have ate more.....oh yeah I sure could have. I boxed up the rest for lunch for tomorrow. Trust me when I say that pizza was calling my name from the styrofoam box all the way home. It wanted me to eat another piece but I said no way pizza you are staying in the box! (win one for me!)

Here is the kicker....at Channelside they have one of the best chocolatiers. They have an awesome toffee covered apple to die for!!! I had to stop in and get me a nibble of chocolate. Thankfully they didn't have that apple in stock. I am not sure I would have bought it any way. I did get a dark chocolate covered pretzel and a dark chocolate toffee bar (isn't dark chocolate supposed to be better for you....right....it's better). Luckily the dark chocolte was high in cocoa so it did not taste very good on the pretzel so I only ate a bite. Since that pretzel didn't taste good I wanted a small milk shake from Sonic. Oh yeah, I nice vanilla milkshake would hit the spot for my sweet tooth. I pulled up to the drive thru....looked at the menu.....study all the different ice cream items to choose from.....the girl asked me if she could help me.....I said "no thank you!" and drove off (win antoher one for me).

When I got home I did eat just a small piece of the toffee (which was sooooooo much better than the pretzel). I make mistakes but I don't keep making them.

I still kept within my limits of calories so I didn't do too bad. Tomorrow I am waking to walk so I guess it is time for bed.

Blog Out!

Monday Monday Monday

Well, I started the day off with a nice walk. I had to literally force myself out of bed but I got up and did it. I was pounding the pavement at 6:30 am. I have to continue with it on a daily basis. On my new nutrition website (not diet website) it has selected some toning exercises for me so I will do those before I go to bed. *sigh*

I started the day mentally telling myself I need to eat very well today since I was going to have a very hearty dinner. I had a ribeye defrosted since yesterday so I had to cook it....I did! I love to grill a good steak. I marinated it all day in some soy sauce, grilling spices and garlic. It was very good. I never realized that a steak that weighed just a little under 1 lb with a bone yields about 6 ounces of edible meat. I know this because I weighed every piece of meat I cut off the bone. Again I made my awesome mashed cauliflower. Yummy! A great substitute for mashed potatoes. Well, I mentally told myself to eat light and healthy all day....but did I? No, not really. I made a big sandwich with bread from Publix (which was given to me by neighbor yesterday). Okay well that really wasn't that bad.....but I should have had a salad.

Tonight before going to bed I need to clean my kitchen and do the exercises Sparkpeople.com has alloted me for the day. I can do it. I know I can.

I have set me a small goal.....I need to lose a minimum of 8 pounds before I go back to school on 8/14. That is 4 weeks away. So if I continue to walk and eat right the way I have been then I think that goal is achievable.

Tuesday......here I come!

Blog out!

Ahhhh the weekend

Well, I weighed in on Friday. I have shed 4 more pounds for a total of 27. Not too bad since January. I was hoping the number would be higher but a loss is a loss is a loss. I won't worry about how big the number is as long as the weight goes down.

I tried to keep on track over the weekend but it is hard. I read an article on Sparkpeople.com that states most people sabotage themselves on the weekends. I think the article was talking to me specifically. I have a habit of doing that. I tried not to the past few weekends but this weekend....I kind of over did it just a little. I ate a little too much and I drank a little too much. It's all good because I will get back on it.

The other day I saw a co-worker (actually now an ex-coworker) from my school job. The next day he texted me to ask me a question. I decided to ask him, since it has been a few weeks since he saw me, if he saw a difference in me....if he noticed I had lost weight. He said "hmmm....now that you mention it...I did notice and you are looking good." I texted him back "You're just saying that just because I asked." D'oh.....hello......I did ask. Oh well, I got a positive response. lol

Tonight I went to meet my neighbors for dinner. As I was sitting there, one of the men came up to me and said, "you are losing weight" I told him I was trying and he said "whatever you are doing keep it up, you are looking good." So I guess it is working.

If you are interested in what I am doing, I am just counting my calories as I've stated before. I am using the website sparkpeople.com. I changed over from caloriecount.com. I like my new website because it is easier to use and I believe a little easier to navigate. It also has a lot more to offer.

Well, tomorrow is Monday and it is a start of a new week and a new journey.

Getting ready for the weekend

I skipped yesterday writing my blog. I have been working some extra hours after teaching summer school to help schedule students for next year so I have been a little tired. Today is my Friday so I get a three day weekend.....well I would if I didn't have to work at the golf course. I hate being poor! lol

I am sitting here listening to the storm outside. The thunder is so loud it is vibrating my windows. I am waiting for one of them fall out of the wall.

Well, tomorrow is it. I weigh in at 8:45 am at the doctor's office and I hope the scale is nice to me. I am going to wear the same sun dress I wore last time so I make sure I get an accurate reading. While there I will get my blood pressure checked. I am also going to ask the nurse to check my blood sugar. Keep your fingers crossed the news is REALLY good.

I have been working my ass off to make the scale give me good news. Yesterday morning I got up early and walked. I like walking in the morning as it gives me more energy for the day. For dinner last night I tried my hand at homemade pizza and it didn't work out so well. I think I cooked it too long or something. It was not very tasty as I thought it would be as I made it. Maybe some high fat foods are not good as low fat foods. lol

Today I decided to try something a little different in my exercise regime. So, I dusted off an aeorbic DVD I haven't used in a long time. I put it in the DVD player and went to aerobicing. Now I know why it was sitting there all dusty. That woman is crazy. All she does is leg exercises. My thighs are killing me. Walking with quivering legs is not fun. Thank goodness I didn't have to chase down an AWOL kid. Lunge and squat this beyotch! I will not use that stupid DVD again......or at least not for another dusty day. Then she kept forgetting the fact that humans have two arms. It was always using the right arm.....reach with your right.....curl with your right.....she wasn't a parapalegic as far as I could see. Maybe just a little off balanced.

Except for the slight quivering, so far my legs are getting me around but we'll see how it goes tomorrow. :)

Wish me luck!!!!

Finally.....

Yesterday I got up early so I could walk and build my energy for the day (and hopefully not kill a disrespectful turd at work). I was successful! No one was injured or died yesterday.....at least not by my hand. I walked 1.5 miles. I ate a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was moving around at work. I came home and did my laundry. Up and down the stairs several times.....well I used the elevator to get my dirty and clean clothes back and forth. But in between I used the stairs.

Let me tell the naysayers about cauliflower. Mashed cauliflower rocks! When you add a little salt, pepper, low fat butter, low fat sour cream and low fat cheese they taste like mashed potatoes. They are low fat, low carb and healthy. Make shepherds pie with them....OMG!!! Yummy!

So, I have been getting on my scale every day....weighing myself to see if there is any change. I know this is a bad idea. I know that I should only weigh myself once a week if at all. But I have been working so hard on this that I wanted to see the results. Unfortunately no results. None! Nada! Nil! :( At least not on the scale.....my clothes, however, is a different story. I wore some capris today that used to be a lot tighter. Actually when I put them on they were tight in the areas where they normally are after wearing them all day. So, that is a good sign. I love those signs......but I need to see the signs on the scale. Also, my sister and I aren't comparing the percentage of how loose are clothes fit. So, I need to see the signs in the scale!!!

I tell myself every day to stay off the scale but every day it ends up on my bathroom floot 'weighting' for me get on. Who am I to disappoint? If I don't give it what it wants it may never give me what I want....a smaller number!!!! Of course, the official weigh in comes when I go to the doctor on Friday morning.

*sigh* I will wait until the nurse gives me the official results.

Sunday was not a fun day!

So, yesterday was not a bad eating day for me. I kept it around 1900 calories but was lazy before I went to work and when I came home. I did keep active as possible but it was too hot in the clubhouse.

It is so hard to lose weight when you work around food a few days a week. I get tired of eating the same foods when I am at the golf course but when you get bored what are you supposed to do? I decided to eat pretzels (1.5 oz) and dip it in peanut butter (1 oz). Healthy, right? It was a 331 calorie snack, however it was filling and yummy. Since I didn't eat breakfast I could afford to eat few extra calories. I also pushed a vacuum around the big clubhouse. This should be an easy task but the vacuum is horrible and you have to vacuum over everything TWICE. So, does that mean I can put that in as double the activity???

Here is a sandwich I discovered that is fillig and good. I grilled a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread (350 calories). I grilled it using Pam. made a salade with cucumber (I scooped out the seeds with a spoon), tomato, avacado, garlic salt, Mrs. Dash tomato basil and a few dashes of red wine vinegar. After the sandwich was done, I put the salad on top of my sandwich and ate it with a fork and knife. It was so yummy. The salad was 131 calories. Not a bad lunch. :)

However, I found out I could cut 100 caloires from that sandwich if I had made a better choice of bread. Arnold Dutch Whole Wheat bread is 100 calories a slice but Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat is 50 calories. What the heck was I thinking? I checked the label for fiber but not the calories.

So, no exercise and almost a maximum of my caloric intake. It was a Sunday so I guess I deserved a break from the normal eating regimen. I have learned I could eat a lot more food if I made healthier choices. Let me tell you I am not a sweets eater but damn Publix had M&Ms on sale for BOGO and it was a chocolate time in my life. So I bought them.....why Publix....why????? Oh and I am not talking about the small individual bags.....I am talking the "new larger size" bag! I ate the first bag within the first week. The second bag is still in my refridgerator half full. I tell you the chocolate lasts me a lot longer than potato chips would. I would have eaten the first bag the first night.....the family size bag!!!

Today is going to be a lot better......:)

The start

Well it all started a few weeks ago (father's day I believe) when my sister challenged me to beat her in losing weight. We set a date for September 30ish when we go on a cruise. Who ever lost the lowest percentage of weight would have to clean the other sister's house. Well, I barely like to clean my own house, I sure don't want to clean a house that has a teenage boy or two in it.

So, I had to do a lot of thinking about it and if I wanted to step up to the challenge. I know I needed to and I know I should. I have been trying to lose weight and have been slowing taking it off for a while now. My last weigh in at my doctor had me down 5 pounds which made 23 since the beginning of the year. So, I decided I was in.

I didn't want to make this a diet. I wanted to make this a life style change....a journey for me. So, I am changing the route to my journey in life to be healthier. I don't like giving up anything so I am making changings. I believe in a philosphy of it's not what you eat....it how much of it you eat that counts. Everything is okay in moderation. So, I dusted off my measuring cups, my scale, measuring spoons and all that good stuff. You really don't know how much something is until you really measure it. You'd be surprised at how much your judgement is off. I was! For me it is not what I eat but how much I eat. I can survive on less.....seriously I can. I didn't think I could but I can!

So, I am going to start documenting my journey. The ups and the downs. The good and the bad. I weigh in once a month at my doctors so that will be my official weigh in to reprot my weight loss (or gain...uhg). If I create an awesome low fat/calorie recipe then I will post that also.

Just a small catch up....I went to Key West and put on some weight with all the eating and drinking I did. Within the first week I removed all that weight (most of it water weight loss). Since then my scale and I are not on talking terms. However, my clothes are my best friends. They are happy they don't have to strain against the girth of my body. I am not sure who is going to be unhappy when they fall to the ground when I am walking. lol My next weigh in at the doctors is Friday, July 16.

Just something I heard on the tv not too long ago.....don't lose weight because you tend to find things you lose.....shed weight. So I am shedding it and leaving it behind.

My goal is to lose a total of 50-60 pounds. Caloric intake is 1500 - 2000 daily. Caloric output should be 3000-3500.

Here we go......

50 Top Tips From the World's Smartest Cruisers (Budgettravel)

50 Top Tips From the World's Smartest Cruisers

The art of cruising, like chess and cricket, takes time and expertise to master. That's why we asked some of the most well-traveled, cruise-savvy folks we know—hundreds of readers and a handful of pros—for their best advice.

Amy Chen and Sherri Eisenberg
May 2010 issue
Tuesday, April 20, 2010;

1. Traveling with a large family or a group of friends? Bring along walkie-talkies (such as Motorola's Talkabouts) to keep everyone connected without cell phone roaming charges. Sherry Brooks, Westlake Village, Calif.

2. You're almost always charged extra for soft drinks, beer, wine, and cocktails at meals. But if you stick to juice, you can drink for free (on most ships). Kathy Pagliei, Swarthmore, Pa. (of Accessible Journeys)

3. On every cruise we've taken, my wife tapes a balloon to our cabin door. That way, our stateroom stands out in the long hallway. Eli Rose, Tampa, Fla.

4. Many major cruise lines provide free passage to guests qualified to lecture on board. Call the line's entertainment office to see if you have the necessary skills. Uvonne McCarty, Sparks, Nev.

5. Nearly every cruise line will toss in one free cabin if you travel in a group of 15 or more. Carolyn Spencer Brown, Pennington, N.J. (of cruisecritic.com)

6. If you book while you're aboard, some lines offer a discount of $175 and up on the deposit for future trips. More good news: You can usually get a refund on your deposit if you decide to cancel later. Jeff Pugel, New York, N.Y.

7. Before booking, check deck plans online to confirm your cabin isn't beneath a well-traveled area. Many ships have a lido deck buffet, where diners eat poolside. When they drag around chairs, it can make quite the ruckus in rooms right below. N.W. Pope, Scottsdale, Ariz.

8. When cruising with our two toddlers, we book a single cabin with twin beds. Pushing them together allows us to sleep sideways, with one parent at the bottom as a guardrail. This only works if you aren't tall! Jimmy Kung, Brooklyn, N.Y.

9. To avoid the check-out bottleneck, ask for a printout of your bill the day before disembarking. If there are any discrepancies, you can resolve them early and totally relax on your last day at sea. Jack Sigano, Nutley, N.J.

BOOKING TIPS

10. Spring for last-minute deals For those with a flexible schedule, it's hard to beat short-lead, online sales. Check out consolidators (icruise.com and cruisestar.com) and discount sites (lastminutetravel.com, lastminute.com, and travelzoo.com), as well as the lines' own e-mail offers. Susan Murphy, Loa, Utah

11. Make a bid online Websites that auction cruises have some of the best bargains out there. At skyauction.com, you can search by line, destination, and date. Jennifer Dickey, Toronto, Canada

12. Editors' advice: Be an early bird If you're planning a trip on a popular route (like the Mediterranean in the summer), you won't find many last-minute discounts. The early-bird deals—six to nine months out, generally—tend to have the lowest rates.

13. Editors' advice: Hire an agent Even if you normally book trips on your own, a cruise is a wise moment to call in the experts. Each line employs specialists who can offer discounted fares and provide advice on cabin configurations and buffet selections. Also, agents with membership in a group like Virtuoso can sweeten deals with onboard credits, including everything from free meals at the specialty restaurants to spa credits.

14. Pack their homework Prices often fluctuate based on kids' availability. Spring break, for example, is a popular (and pricey) time of year, but the last week in August, when most children return to school, is a bargain. Michele Captain, Tampa, Fla.

15. Join the club Sign up for frequent-cruiser programs (similar to frequent-flier programs). On our last cruise, we received chocolate-dipped strawberries in our room just for being members! Steve Maglich, Rolling Meadows, Ill.

16. From the pros*: The Housekeeper "On the last day, you're supposed to leave by 9 a.m.—no exceptions. I've knocked on people's doors at 11 a.m. and found them still in the cabin because they overslept! Cabins don't have alarm clocks, so make sure you pack one. You don't want to find yourself rushing to gather your things. Once in a while, people forget their jewelry, credit cards, or watches in the safe." —Marta Ortiz Castro (Panama)

17. Get carded Find out if your line offers benefits for signing up for its credit card. With Carnival Cruise Lines, for example, you earn points that you can redeem when booking cruises, resort nights, and flights. Paula Prindle, Orient, Ohio

18. Don't miss the boat! I like to fly into the port city a day or two before the cruise begins, especially in winter, to make sure that flight delays and cancellations don't wreak havoc. Anne Schweisguth, Swiftwater, Pa.

19. Editors' advice: Comparison shop Cruise lines try to make things easy by packaging airfare and pre-embarkation hotel stays. But you'll generally get better rates if you do your own research and arrange your flights and rooms. At the very least, it's a good idea to comparison shop online.

MONEY-SAVING TIPS

20. Go with the flow Sometimes you can use the spa's shower and steam rooms even if you don't get a treatment. After I work out, I forgo the tiny cabin shower for the far more spacious spa experience. April Icsman, Medina, Ohio

21. Skip the spa on sea days I've been on many cruises on various lines, and one thing they all have in common is that they offer spa discounts when the ship is in port. Rhonda Grabov, Philadelphia, Pa.

22. Book your own excursions You can usually get the best deal on a day trip if you arrange it directly with a tour operator rather than through the cruise line. Cindy Rucker, Cary, N.C.

23. BYO wine Carnival allows you to bring one bottle per person per cruise, so choose well. We recently carried on our favorite bottle of wine, which cost $110 at our local shop. We paid a $10 corkage fee in the restaurant and ultimately saved $180 since they had the same bottle listed for $300. Cheri Flores, Fort Worth, Tex.

24. From the pros: The Bartender "A rum and Coke made with house rum is the cheapest alcoholic drink we serve ($4.75). The daily drink specials will cost you $6, and something like a piña colada will set you back $6.75." —Steve Martin (Jamaica)

TIME-SAVING TIPS

25. Pack for every port Before I leave home, I make labeled packets for each port. They contain excursion-specific items: maps, sunscreen, insect repellent, disposable cameras, confirmations...even shampoo to use after swimming. Deborah Plumb, St. Petersburg, Fla.

26. Avoid a midnight lock-out Once you're aboard, have the gift shop make a hole in your plastic room-key card (where it won'tinterfere with the magnetic strip), and wear it on a lanyard around your neck. You won't have to waste time waiting in line for a new card if you lose it. Sallie Clinard, Las Vegas, Nev.

27 Editors' advice: Baby-proof your cabin Companies such as Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean are making things easier for families. A sampling of their most useful services: pureeing fruit for custom baby food, and lending toys or Pack 'n Plays, which can double as cribs.

28–31 Keep Your Sea Legs Four reader-endorsed seasickness cures

Apples When I told a fellow passenger that I was feeling seasick, she suggested I eat a green apple. It was like magic! Now I bring some along whenever I sail. Angie Evans, Bremerton, Wash.

Ginger Candied ginger is such a good remedy that some ships offer it with after-dinner mints. We always pack a supply in a plastic bag. Weyman Lew, San Francisco, Calif.

Oranges If you're feeling nauseous, peel an orange, hold the rind to your nose, and inhale. A waiter taught me this aboard a ship, and I was soon able to eat again. Rita McGuigan, Monroe, N.C.

Acupressure I keep Sea-Bands (bracelets that apply pressure to the inside of the wrist) in my purse at all times. They take up such little space and are surprisingly effective. Lisa Lowe Stauffer, Roswell, Ga.

DINING TIPS

32. Have breakfast in bed The night before an early-morning excursion, order room service. You won't get stuck in a long buffet line and risk missing your departure. Mirvet Sidhom, Quebec, Canada

33. Dine in, eat better In destinations not known for their food, I'll arrange for room service to arrive in my cabin as I reboard the ship from any outings. I end up saving money and avoiding a potentially bad meal in port. Deanna Chappell, Downingtown, Pa.

34. Snag a top table Forgot to request that coveted table for two? You'd be surprised how easy it is to nab it. Just show up at the dining room before service starts on the first night, and be especially nice to the maître d'. Christopher Wershoven, Brooklyn, N.Y.

35. Editors' advice: Score prime reservations Some cruise lines—such as Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean—have started allowing guests to secure table assignments when they book their cabins. In fact, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean even permit you to make the request online, and Carnival lets repeat customers ask for their favorite servers.

36. From the pros: The Doctor "If you feel seasick, try these three tricks: Stay midship and as close to the waterline as possible (that area doesn't rock as much as the front); lie down where you can see the horizon (this places your head in a fixed position); and eat pineapple. Why the last one? It tastes the same going up as it does going down." —Eilif Dahl (Norway)

37. Reward good service I bring thank-you cards. If a staff member is particularly helpful, I leave behind a card. Being positive encourages good service in the days to come. Jen Keivel, Beavercreek, Ohio

TECH TIPS

38. Go farther ashore In Ketchikan, Alaska, I grabbed a seat at an Internet café right next to the ship only to find out that another place a few blocks farther away was half the price. Tina Arnoldi, Mount Pleasant, S.C.

39. Outsmart onboard Internet To limit my use of onboard Internet—anywhere from 35¢ to $1 per minute—I type e-mails to friends and family on my laptop in advance. When I'm ready to send them, I log on and simply paste in the completed text. Jon Faulkner, Chula Vista, Calif.

40. Roam on your terms Before boarding, check with your cell provider to learn about the roaming charges you'll be responsible for. Your plan may already include calls and e-mails throughout the U.S., Caribbean, and even farther afield. We were delighted to find that our flat-rate plan worked on several Caribbean islands—for no extra fee. Jana Riess, Winchester, Ky.

41. Access your e-mail at the library During a recent Alaska cruise, we found a city library with free Internet service for up to 30 minutes! Gail G. Jenkins, Kuna, Idaho

42–50. 9 Ways to Deck Out Your Cabin

42. Tension rod Staterooms are notoriously short on closet space. A tension rod provides just the trick for hanging extra clothes, and it takes up very little room in your suitcase. Lisa Palumbo, West Orange, N.J.

43. Shoe organizers I hang these on the bathroom door to prevent clutter in a tiny cabin. The compartments are perfect for stashing toiletries, documents, keys, and, of course, shoes. Jane Tague, Westerville, Ohio

44. Portable radio You would be amazed at the stations you can tune in to from your balcony, especially in Caribbean ports. Reggae, salsa, merengue...what comes on is always a surprise, and the news and commercials can be entertaining too. Tom Roche, Tucker, Ga.

45. Fragrance beads A safe alternative to candles or incense, these pack neatly in a sealed container. Once you open the lid, the fragrance wafts through the whole room. Julie Nyhus, Eugene, Ore.

46. Sticky notes I'm probably known as the Post-it lady on most ships. I leave notes on the cabin mirror asking the steward for more ice, tissues, towels—everything. It works! Eleanor L. Benedict, Herndon, Va.

47. Light sticks I used to pack a night-light but couldn't always find a convenient outlet. Now I hook a plastic light stick over the bathroom doorknob, where it provides a gentle glow through the night. Carol Attar, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

48. Gift bags Before my trip, I put together a bag of regional specialties from my hometown. Once I'm aboard, I give the present to our attendant, who is usually delighted and rewards us with great service. Nyal R. Cammack, Las Cruces, N.M.

49. Tabletop mirror If you'd rather sit to apply makeup and style your hair, as I do, you'll find this a good use of suitcase space. Joanie Martin, Fox Island, Wash.

50. Power strip Many cabins have only one outlet, which is hardly enough if you plan to charge your laptop, cell phone, and iPod—and to blow-dry your hair. Jay Van Vechten, Boca Raton, Fla.

* Our "pros" are all staff members of Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas