My personal challenge

First off, Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone enjoys their family time and be safe while traveling and doing any outside activities.





I watched the weather report this morning and it seems like parts of Texas will have plenty of scattered rain showers all weekend long. Just what we need. Humid warm air as people spend time outside grilling, watching parades and enjoying 4th of July holiday activities. Our annual parade in Belton, a must see for plenty of Central Texas residents, is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. And when I awoke this morning at six a.m., it was raining. But now, at parade time, the skies are overcast and the air is sticky. I didn't make it to the parade even though our Safe Kids Van is being driven by one of my co-workers. She is our Injury Prevention coordinator for our hospital. I could have gone to support her, but I opted this morning to tend to me.

Recently, I joined a gym. Actually, it was about three weeks ago. And ten days ago, i began logging my activities/food diet on

www.myfitnesspal.com

I utilize this to keep my progress tallied. My starting weight is at 207. My blood sugars have been up over 200's for quite a long time. I've been living in denial too. It helps to have monthly visits with the pharmacology folks to monitor my diabetes. And finally, I have a guy I see to discuss things vs these skinny, young woman who are too lovely and may never have worries about a chronic disease. It might be their job to help me, but it's hard to take their advice. I can't sympathise and feel they judge me.

So after shuffling my appts, I landed seeing a guy. For the life of me, I can't think of his name, and yes, he's thin too, but his mannerism towards me is like, "lets see what we can alter or do to get these numbers down. Fill me on your foods you normally eat." And then he challenges me, "Try limiting red meat, breads, pasta as your triglycerides are up. Let's park further down on parking lots", "try walking 40 minutes per week".

It's like he's coaching me or being on my side. I like him. So, ok..the last challenge got me to thinking, I can do that. How easy! 40 minutes a week is nothing. I can do that at least 3 or 4 times a week. And for one month, I made an attempt to do it. I got it done only 3 days out of a whole month. Horrible. I was disappointed that I had failed this.. and failed him too. And then on my last visit with him, he explained to think about my high blood sugars like rocks in my system. The bang, bang, bang upon my vital organs, causing them to break down, tear down, and not work for me. All those little capillaries and nerve endings too. What a mental picture that made for me. I decided I would do something about it as I walked out the door at the end of the appointment.

I began to evaluate everything. My home life. My stress. My lack of commitment. And then I have one of my co-workers, who has budding diabetes, (which means she is suppose to manage with diet and exercise and takes minimal pills for it) who is in denial of her blooming weight gain. "As long as I'm healthy," she says, while grabbing a whole pint of ice cream from downstairs and eating it about an hour or two after we've eaten. And she had a lot of carbs for lunch. Through her, I can see myself and my own stupid denial. Her advantage is that she is about thirteen years younger than me, so there is time to make adjustments if she gets serious about it.

So, I decided to get serious. I would make myself a thirty day challenge. By the time I go back to see my pharmacology dude, I would strive to:

* Hit the gym three to four times a week.
* Increase my stamina on the treadmill.
* Watch my diet and use fitnesspal to keep tally on my carbs/fats/protein and most importantly, my calories.

I set my goal at around 1200 calories a day and 40 minutes of exercise per day, but I don't always make that. Sure I flub here and there as I make adjustments to my other commitments and to my meal plans. But I try not to skip but one day in between of getting exercise. If I eat one bad meal, then the next will be even better and on target.

Really, when you start seeing the amount of carbs/calories/fat grams one actually consumes, it is a real eye opener. I'm doing better lately. I do think I've lost five pounds so far and my blood sugars are finally hitting the normal ranges. I have lab and my regular doctor appointment on Wednesday and perhaps my recent workouts will make my lab values better, but I'm just starting out again. If they are not up to snuff, then long range, I have three more months before I go back to see my primary doc. In between, on monthly visits, I have my guy. I am in the mindset to make myself healthy again, the right way.

And just this morning, when I skipped going to the parade to concentrate on myself, I actually worked out for sixty minutes. And I did 3 miles on the treadmill. Whoo Hoo!!!

When I complete the initial thirty days, I will set more mini-goals. My long range goal is to be around 180 by the time my birthday falls in September. Wish me luck.

Summer Heat

The temperatures lately are in the mid-90's and already I'm scrambling to put on my window air conditioner units. I try to procrastinate as long as I can, but the humidity in the air is somewhat unbearable. My house is not geared to open up the windows if a breeze happens to flow. Plus I have animals that either want to escape out (the dogs) or want to escape in (the older cats). The cats had recent litters each (YIKES!) and when they got old enough, we managed to get rid of most but three. Well, actually we told Kayla she could keep one of the male kittens if she opted to get the older females fixed, plus the kitten. I had given two to the woman across the street, but she promptly let them outside again. So twice, they found their way back into my yard.I couldn't bare if they got accidently runned over by a car or chased by stray dogs, so they wound up in my home again. Then I find myself falling in-love with another kitten, because it is extremely furry and just lays anywhere to sleep- alot! I don't know if my hubby will be too keen in letting me keep it though. I've been trying to find them homes, but no luck so far. So they might end up going to the no-kill shelter soon. I've been procrastinating, but every morning, as they meow in unison for food, I know this must be done. I can't keep all of these animals. It's too much work and they need their own homes.

Adding insult to injury, last month's rain produced fleas in my back yard. I've treated it about four times already, with different chemicals and still they exist. It doesn't help how my neighbors on all three sides of me appear to have two to three dogs and don't treat their yards. I've not witnessed them outside spraying their perimeters with Spectracide. My poor small dogs endure baths twice a day it seem. Well pretty often, just to ensure they don't bring the little varmits in and I'm only letting them out long enough to do their business. They aren't staying out any longer than ten to fifteen minutes. Sigh. I think I'm fighting a losing battle.

We did fumigate my house mid-week when hubby and I stayed elsewhere for our anniversary and that helped out a lot. But I've got to win this battle. Hubby swears there is a powerful chemical to put on the grass that he can pick up at the local feedstore. And I'm all for that, but my question is when will he go do it? He's not the one bathing these dogs. I am!

Procrastination is a bad thing in a marriage. There comes a time for a woman when one must bite their tongue and when to cut it loose. However, if done continuously and too soon, the woman is percieved to be the big "B" word or a real nag.... and I hate when it's aimed at me. So right now, I'm binding my time and biting my toungue, waiting for my hubby to get off his touche and make that errand run to the feed store.. and to do all the countless other mini-projects so needing his attention. I do my share of the bill paying, grocery planning/shopping, errand running every single day without being told what must be done. Why can't he?? I think men have it somewhere stamped on their genes to be lazy, don't they??

So between the heat, the dog bathing, and procrastination, I'm going a little bonkers. And I've got a grad party to accomplish on Friday. I was hoping my hubby would put up the pool so the kids could swim. Well, I've volunteered to work tomorrow and he's got the day off for Memorial Day. Maybe while I'm gone, inspiration will hit, ya think???? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

On the bright side, I had a recent visitor in my home this weekend. For about two years, Dee and I have been conversing on line in our little writing group on Cafemom, the Written Voice. We even co-authored the book produced for a charity, Our Written Voices. She didn't have major plans for the holiday and decided to take a road trip to meet me in person. Just me. WOW! I felt so honored and excited. I so hoped my hospitality made her feel comfortable as I introduced her to most of my family. I think the only one she missed meeting was my son, Keifer, who had to work and was off helping out one of his friends this weekend.



On Saturday nite, I took Dee out to the VFW to enjoy steak and karoake. My daughter, Tracy, and her family, joined us. We even got up to sing, which probably entertained Dee to no end. LOL. Karoake/steak/ and margaritas/and one tequila shot made for a fun evening. We had conversed about our families, our interest in writing, and about ideas for our online group. I found we had many things in common and we shared many hopes, ideals, and dreams. So much shared between us which just sealed our friendship further in friendship glue. I found her to be a delight, very smart, and a woman who has firm common sense about a lot of things, which was equally an eye-opener for me and very refreshing. I can't wait for us to get together again, for she is indeed a wise, wise woman and a remarkable individual. I need people like her around me for sure, to make me think, grow, and aspire to become. Yes, she is an awesome friend. :)


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After breakfast this morning, she returned home. And I felt sad. Wished so much we lived closer, because I don't really have alot of good friends like her close by. I know acquaintances, but the connection Dee and I made on line is so strong, that I deem her to be a sister in my life. How better can feelings be for one person?

Not to leave anyone out, but I do feel this way for a few other individuals in our online group too; something strong which has built up over the last couple of years. It's my dream that one day I will get to meet them in person too. Or that we will all get together at a common local. Perhaps one day it will happen if I keep my fingers crossed on this too. :)

Of course, I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and has taken time to honor those who served our country. I believe most of the country had good weather. We finally got a break from the heat with an afternoon shower, which cooled things off for a bit; something refreshing and a needed break from early summer heat for sure.

Happy 4th of July

I hope that everyone has a safe 4th of July holiday. I'm sure communities everywhere are gearing up for some type of celebrations over this long weekend, be it carnivals, rodeos, parades, kid booths, food booths, music, and much more. Of course the biggest event of the day hits in the evening, with fireworks. I have always loved watching them, the big ta-boom, and fiery colors filling the dark sky. Beautiful. Best to remember why we can sit at leisure to watch such a show, because some brave men fought for our freedom and gave us liberty. So I salute those souls of our past and pray for the brave men and women everywhere today serving our country. We just don't give them enough kuddos, do we? They deserve so much for what they do. If you have a loved one serving in Iraq or Afganistan, I understand the worry you feel for their safety. However, they make us proud for all of their sacrifices. I also salute the vet who has come home again, or not, and have earned his spot in heaven and in our hearts.

So fly a flag proudly in your front yard, mom, dad, sister, brother, or child! I know that I am!