Trying ONCE again!!!!! Sparkpeople - I'm ba-a-a-ack!

Today I didn't even bother to climb onto the scales!  I KNOW I'm overweight - WAY overweight!  When I put my arms down at my sides and the pudginess keeps me from feeling my ribs - I am too entirely fat!  Not just overweight, not pudgy - but FAT!

The emphasis these days is to love yourself regardless of what weight or size you are.  Fine, well and good!  However when I'm FAT - I have increased problems breathing, problems standing and walking, my knees pop out more, my chronic fatigue makes itself known once again and my metabalic rate plummets!  I also feel bad!  WAY bad!

So - I need to tackle this problem.........  I don't know how others do it - but I DO know how I do it and what can work for me (IF I stick to it!).
1. EXERCISE!  Yoga for sure - especially if I enjoy walking, standing, sitting without pain.  And Strength exercise - my muscles are going in the wrong direction for now - and definitely need to be built up!  Especially if I enjoy the walking, standing, sitting activities for which Yoga has given me the flexibility!

Cardiovascular activity - uhm - IF I keep up the above - this one follows almost automatically - usually in the form of walking around the house, dancing (although it can - and has in the past led to knees popping out of joint again!)

2. STAY AWAY from coffee.  or at least stay away from more than 1 cup a day.  Tea is fine - to an extent - just not strong tea!

3. No dieting per se - but re-figuring my food intake options - and going for healthy food choices - and yes, I do like the Spark people diet.
a. Limit fat intake.
b. Limit sugars
c. More fiber
d. Veggies - esp raw ones are good - just watch the sauces
e. Make sure I consume 3 glasses milk daily - OR the equivalent
f. One helping
g. REGULAR times for eating.  Breakfast at 7. Morning pick me up at 10. Lunch at 12:30.
h. at 8 PM - evening snack - which is figured as part of day's caloric intake.
i. at 3 PM - afternoon snack - also part of day's caloric intake.
j. Weigh and/or measure EVERYTHING!
k. Make friends with salads!

4. Ummm - I SHOULD be journaling the diet - but considering that I spend too much time sitting and being on the computer anyway - that can be a problem.  Consider planning - and then following the plan!

5. Weigh in - uhm - this gets to be a problem and then I hyperfocus on foods and overeat or binge eat.  Consider losing inches rather than weight - and decreasing clothing size!

6. Rewards for each week?  hmmm - at this point a reward for each DAY would be nice!  should be something fun and NOT food!  Must think on this!  I definitely am too food oriented - and, no - hot fudge sundaes will NOT work as a reward! Neither will adding to my overly abundant stash!

Day 8 - Whoops! No! It's Week 1 all over again! With a change!

Yup - you didn't miss anything - and I'm debating whether or not to start Week 1 all over again!  I'm seriously thinking about it!  As for what happened to Week 1 - uhmmm - personal difficulties, definite unhappiness soothed by (this is NOT good!) ice cream and graham crackers and a 2 liter bottle of birch beer (non-alcoholic type).  DEFINITELY not a good time was had by all!

So - on THAT note - I'm starting again! BUT this time - some differences - due to finances - uhm - I won't be doing the 8 Minutes in the Morning DIET - But will be doing a variation of the Spark Diet instead.  Spark Diet does have a pre-printed diet - BUT you can substitute like crazy (I qualify) and if wished, you can plug in all kinds of stuff to find the calories and adjust accordingly.  All in all it is an extremely good diet with super amounts of leeway.  My ONLY argument with it is that the online program takes FOREVER to record the amounts, etc. BUT it does show all the vitamins, minerals, calories, etc. consumed over a day - and makes suggestions for diet improvement, as well as being printable - WITH a grocery list (for the original diet), has a gazillion recipes (taste tested).  It is just the WAIT factor for everything to record!  Ugh!  Strangely enough, however, I don't have complaints against anything that I find in a book or on a printed paper!  Just something where I can change the diet plan!  LOL

I'm keeping the Week 1 responses however - and maybe adding to those!   Below I've re-copied my Week 1 Day 1 responses to the questionnaire.  And yes, I'll be checking in to Spark Coach!

• I know goals are important - BUT every exercise/diet program I've ever joined in focuses on what do I want my body to look like - do I want sculpted lines, etc. blah blah blah!
• 
  
• Ugh!  I just want my body to not droop where it used to be perky, not sag where it used to be essentially almost flat, not have knees that resemble yo-yo's in regard to staying in place, not have pain in my legs, lower back.  Sigh!  And worst part, I can't even say I want my body to be 20 years old again!  Especially since my legs have hurt like this since I was a little girl.  (My mom used to call them "growing pains".  Sorry, but I HOPE I've stopped growing years ago!)  The droopiness - well, that could be an aging sign - more probably it is a sign of muscle tissue that has just decided that droopiness is "where it's at!" and, yes, I CAN correct for SOME of it - but considering the lines in the face - a body with perky attributes - and a face that resembles a map of New York City - it's jarring, I tell you!  Truly jarring!
• 
  
• One of my goals is to be able to run upstairs without sounding like a steam engine.  I live on the first floor.  Plus WHY would I want to run upstairs?  Is there any reason on this Earth or off of it to do so?  Has a new law been passed that now requires citizens to sprint lightly up a flight or two of stairs, all while breathing normally?  Hah!
• 
  
• Losing some of the sag in my stomach means I can see my feet.  And, yes, this can be a good thing!  At least now I can see if indeed my socks and/or shoes are a matching color.  Gone are the days when I would wear tennis shoes from 2 different sets.  TG!  but now that I can see my feet - I can also see where my feet walk.  That means I can also see the floor - and therein lies the problem.  Now I can see the cat fuzz that escaped the vacuum cleaner and the crumbs from the graham cracker ice cream sandwich I sneaked for lunch. Of course, I can still at the same time see where the chocolate ice cream (from the ice cream sandwich) dripped onto my tummy roll.  Of them all - maybe seeing the chocolate ice cream drip is the most important - especially if I need to go somewhere.  The apartment I can always close the door.
• 
  
• Still and all, I do want to - and will continue to exercise.
• ..............................................
• Dehydration is another topic for Day 1, Week 1.  As a rule this doesn't bother me too much because I drink anywhere from 64 - 96 ounces water daily.  I used to drink more - but got myself into deep kimchee when my potassium level dropped way down as a result.  Now I try to keep it between the 64 and 96 ounces.
• .............................................
• (More may be added later)

Monday, Monday, how did that song go.......!!!

GO AND DO

• Post office

CALL

SPARK

• Log in daily
• Spark Coach
• Mark menues on calendar
• daily Yoga - Week 4 - Group A, B, C (go by 3 divisible)
• Track 3 meals plus snacks daily
• Track exercises
• Strength - Monday, Wednesday - 3 sets - 15 reps.
• at least 64 oz water daily
• Divide my plate and go for whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, dairy
• Plan 5-10 minutes twice daily - AM to check in, esp with Spark coach and track exercise and breakfast, PM for tracking for the rest of the day PLUS community things.

PAPERWORK

• M - Sorting
• M - Things to Do

HOUSE -winter decluttering

• ZONE 1 - 
• Declutter (depends on how much decluttering - declutter before all else!)
• Side Porch

• ZONE 5 
• Zone
• Study

EDUCATION

• RELIGION
• catchup
• Work on lapbooks
• THE EARTH
• Catch up
• RUSSIAN
• Continue and review
• HANDWRITING
• Catch up
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• Catch up
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• EXERCISE - 
• Yoga (routines)
• A (12/01,
• ART
• Lesson 1

KITCHEN

• DAYS MENU
• B: bulghur wheat with yogurt, grapefruit half, tea
• L:Black beans with rice, Romaine salad with cheese, orange
• D: Vegetarian spaghetti with lentil sauce, apples and raisins and bananas, 
• S: Beets
• S: Raisins 
• COOK
• SOUPS 
• White bean soup (Navy beans - prepare lots and do as with black beans)
• BREAD
• Cracked wheat (for cereal
• whole wheat bread
• Homemade granola bars
• Dinner rolls
• MAIN DISHES
• Cook a big pot of black beans.  Divide into individual portions (0.5 cup) and freeze in muffin tin.  Then toss frozen portions into bread wrapper.
• Lentils - do same as with black beans.  Making some into Lentil sauce for spag.
• Salmon - grill all, then divide up into 0.5 portions and freeze 
• Turkey - roast then slice and dice.  Also cube a good portion for casseroles. Carcass goes for soup
• DESSERTS
• Applesauce  
• SALADS
• Salmon salad for Tues lunch
• Pack lunch night before - store in refrig.

PRESERVE

• Orange
• Juice
• Marmalade
• Zest
• Rind
• Apples
• Applesauce

QUILT

DESIGN WALL (Monday)
FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate (Thursday)
BINDING
QUILTING

• Complete Small twister!
• Weekday PIECE
• LE - 4 patches.  I don't remember which quilt yet - but it is 2" squares - brights and lights!
• Piecing
• See mystery!
• MYSTERY
• Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery
• SEW ALONG (with Wendy or others)
• See Mystery - Bonnie Hunter's

Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!! 11-30-14 (how did Nov. go so fast?)

SPARK

• Log in daily
• Spark Coach
• DONE Mark menues on calendar
• Plan each day, include menues and exercises
• DONE daily Yoga - Week 4 - Group A, B, C (go by 3 divisible)
• Track 3 meals plus snacks daily
• Track exercises
• Cardio - Sunday, Tues, Thurs, Friday - 250 cardio moments weekly on intensity scale 6-9
• Strength - Monday, Wednesday - 3 sets - 15 reps.
• DONE Post charts at computer center
• at least 64 oz water daily
• Divide my plate and go for whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, dairy
• Plan 5-10 minutes twice daily - AM to check in, esp with Spark coach and track exercise and breakfast, PM for tracking for the rest of the day PLUS community things.
• DONE Print out grocery lists

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• ZONE 2 - 
• WHB
• Kitchen
• Dining Area
• ZONE 5 

• Declutter
• Study
• LR
• Zone
• Study
• LR
• WHB
• Study
• LR

EDUCATION

• SCIENCE
• Catch up
• ALGEBRA
• Catch up
• RUSSIAN
• Continue and review
• HANDWRITING
• Catch up
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• Catch up
• EXERCISE - 
• Yoga (routines)
• C (11/30

GARDEN

KITCHEN

• DAYS MENU
• Dinner
• Brown Rice with Chopped broccoli. No almonds - other protein source?, applesauce, milk
• Snack
• Carrot/apple/raisin salad with lemon juice, tangerine
• Greek yogurt
• COOK
• SOUPS 
• salmon bisque
• Soak Black beans
• Thaw turkey
• BREAD
• Cracked wheat (for cereal
• MAIN DISHES
• DESSERTS
• Applesauce  
• SALADS

QUILT

STASH REPORT (Sunday)
FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate 
BINDING
QUILTING

• Quilting
• Small Twister
• MYSTERY
• DONE Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery (half HSTs finished - may make only half quilt - not sure!)
• SEWING
• SEW ALONG (with Wendy or others)
• DONE See Mystery - Bonnie Hunter's

Goals for WB 11-30-14

GO AND DO

• Post office
• Babysit 1 day this week

CALL
SPARK

• Log in daily
• Spark Coach
• Mark menues on calendar
• Plan each day, include menues and exercises
• daily Yoga - Week 4 - Group A, B, C (go by 3 divisible)
• Track 3 meals plus snacks daily
• Track exercises
• Cardio - Sunday, Tues, Thurs, Friday - 250 cardio moments weekly on intensity scale 6-9
• Strength - Monday, Wednesday - 3 sets - 15 reps.
• Post charts at computer center
• at least 64 oz water daily
• Divide my plate and go for whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, dairy
• Plan 5-10 minutes twice daily - AM to check in, esp with Spark coach and track exercise and breakfast, PM for tracking for the rest of the day PLUS community things.
• Thursdays and weigh in and measure day.  Do NOT focus on weight.  DO focus on (1) how I feel - both my outlook and my energy level, (2) whether or not I THINK I've re-apportioned my weight
• Print out grocery lists

PAPERWORK

• M - Sorting
• M - Things to Do
• W - Filing
• F  - Bills

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• ZONE 1 - 
• Declutter (depends on how much decluttering - declutter before all else!)
• Side Porch
• Zone  clean (15 minutes daily - detailed cleaning)
• Side Porch
• Back Stairs
• Front Stairs
• 2nd floor landing
• Front porch
• WHB (main pathways and tops of things, what looks good - even when it isn't!)
• Side Porch
• Back Stairs
• Front Stairs
• 2nd floor landing
• Front porch
• ZONE 2 - 
• WHB
• Kitchen
• Dining Area
• ZONE 3 
• WHB
• Bath
• Laundry Room
• Sewing Room

• ZONE 4 
• WHB
• BR
• BR closet

• ZONE 5 
• Declutter
• Study
• LR
• Zone
• Study
• LR
• WHB
• Study
• LR

EDUCATION

• RELIGION
• catchup
• Work on lapbooks
• SCIENCE
• Catch up
• THE EARTH
• Catch up
• ALGEBRA
• Catch up
• RUSSIAN
• Continue and review
• HANDWRITING
• Catch up
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• Catch up
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• EXERCISE - 
• Yoga (routines)
• A (12/01, 12/04, 12/07)
• B (12/02, 12/05)
• C (11/30, 12/03, 12/06)
• ART
• Lesson 1

GARDEN - 

• 
  

KITCHEN

• DAYS MENU
• COOK
• SOUPS 
• salmon bisque
• White bean soup (Navy beans - prepare lots and do as with black beans)
• Turkey carcass soup.
• BREAD
• Cracked wheat (for cereal
• whole wheat bread
• Homemade granola bars
• MAIN DISHES
• Cook a big pot of black beans.  Divide into individual portions (0.5 cup) and freeze in muffin tin.  Then toss frozen portions into bread wrapper.
• Lentils - do same as with black beans.  Making some into Lentil sauce for spag.
• Salmon - grill all, then divide up into 0.5 portions and freeze 
• Turkey - roast then slice and dice.  Also cube a good portion for casseroles. Carcass goes for soup
• Lemon Pepper salmon
• homemade veggie burgers (ground chickpeas or split peas and mix with other stuff - think felafel)
• DESSERTS
• Applesauce  
• SALADS
• Asian Chicken Salad - use turkey instead.
• Hummus

PRESERVE

• Orange
• Juice
• Marmalade
• Zest
• Rind
• Apples
• Applesauce

QUILT

STASH REPORT (Sunday)
DESIGN WALL (Monday)
BONNIE H. ARCHIVE NIGHT (Tues)
SLICE AND DICE NIGHT (Wednesday) 
FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate (Thursday)
BINDING
QUILTING

• Weekday PIECE
• LE - 4 patches.  I don't remember which quilt yet - but it is 2" squares - brights and lights!
• Piecing
• See mystery!
• BOM -
• Judy L's Mystery - Tell it to the Stars (I have a LOT to catch up on!) - 
• MYSTERY
• Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery
• SEWING
• SEW ALONG (with Wendy or others)
• See Mystery - Bonnie Hunter's

Since I was here last...........

Whew!  FINALLY!!!  I'm back on blog!  Although Pix will follow later!

I had computer problems, had to go back and do the whole "insert disc A" thing and so on.  I did get most (I think ALL - just not sure) of my previous programs back but had and UNBELIEVABLE horrible time trying to get back on to MY blog!  I could get the published page just fine - just couldn't get to the blogger dashboard!  Ugh!  And ended with a whole second blog address which I did NOT want!

Sigh!

Worst problem - after all that I have a lot of the same S.................................L................................O..........................................W..............................!!!! problems I did before - and have already picked up viruses (virii?) which although deleted may still somehow be affecting my computer!  Ugh!

Dd Wendy and Vince came down from Canada and spent several days here with me!  Was great! Thoroughly enjoyed their visit!

They also brought my new to me - Treadle sewing machine!  This machine is from 1907 - and has ALL the parts, ALL the directions.  Yes - the cabinet itself probably needs refinishing and the machine needs cleaning and obviously has been used a lot at some time or other - you can see where the spool spun around and around.  It also needs a new belt!  But - oh it is a beauty! And I KNOW Bonnie H. would love to have THIS machine - but it is MINE!  All MINE!

AND - they brought....... the quilt Wendy has been working on!  Just gorgeous!  And yes - I DO have to work on the binding - but OH MY!  She did all this gorgeous quilting on it!  CUSTOM quilting!  Baskets of flowers and feathers  - just lovely!  Absolutely lovely!

Last time I mentioned that I have a NEW GRANDSON!!!!  who is absolutely adorable!  I've taken my camera over there lots of times for pix.  Starting next week I take my camera over there and have someone take pix!  Somehow I seem to have problems getting it altogether!  (But this is NOT a function of encroaching old age - ask my friends and family - I've unfortunately ALWAYS been this way!)

At any rate I've been babysitting Evan - Mondays through Thursdays while Nathan (who works at home on the 3rd floor until at least 530 - and sometimes until a LOT later than that!) and Lynn (who starts work on a semi-part time basis at 230 PM and works until LATE or who I spell so Lynn can catch some much needed sleep and regroup energies).  Sherri babysits Friday through Sunday evening - and sometimes alternates on Tuesdays with me.

Re Evan - LOL - he sleeps through a lot, performs all necessary body functions, eats a lot and LOVES to (1) be carried by dad (Nathan) around and around the dining room table (we are talking N. walks VERY fast around the table - aerobic speed!), (2) dance to Winnie the Pooh's Tigger song with Sherri, (3) relax and play with Lynn or watch her, (4) Waltz with me! and (5) listen to Sherri tell him story after story or (6) me - singing (he's the only uncomplaining audience I have!  what can I say!)  Oh - and SOMETIMES he sleeps! (unless it is between 430 and 730 PM when he wants SOMETHING - other than eating/sleeping/walking or something - just don't know what! Frustrating to figure out WHAT it is he wants!)

Finally yesterday - Nathan scooped him up and took him over to the play mat and set him down so he could see himself in the mirror and had a couple of jingly toys that his little hands could smack when he moved them.  Evan was totally entranced!  (I think NATHAN doing this was the key!  I tried the week before - and Evan was NOT impressed - trust me on that one!)

LOL - I could (and have) gone on forever about Evan!  But I meant to bring up some changes in the way I think I want to do this blog!

And, yes, once again - having a blog to focus on makes a BIG difference in whether I drift along, not completing tasks I said I would do - or whether I at least ATTEMPT to accomplish things!

(1) I re-joined Spark Page.  All my efforts at losing weight so far are yuck!  and I ended 4 pounds HEAVIER than when I started!  Admittedly - I am still ODD (that is oppositionally defiant disorder for those who want to know - although I AM somewhat Odd at times as well!) and so I think I may have to focus on the exercise part more than the food part and just try to stay somewhat in bounds.  I also think that for a while at least, I may be re-starting my diet pretty much on a daily or even twice daily basis!

(1a) Overall goal weight is 145 pounds - which means I have 40 pounds (currently) to lose OVERALL.  My interim goal - or short range goal is to lose 5 pounds a month, or 15 pounds during the time I'm on the Biggest Loser team (Pink Panther is my specific team) but that is for the total period of time with the Winter Freeze Off challenge! - AND to increase my metabolic rate to something probably above 0+ (although to breathe, eat and sleep - I am spending some energy so I know my metabolic rate is higher than 0!)

(1b) I also joined Spark Coach - which is good - and I'm doing my best to go with the program, diet not withstanding!

(2)I've ordered (and recieved) the next set of books (yup, I'm delusional!  I actually believe I will complete all the educational "lesson books" I have!  Oh - and this includes art (OK - so it IS on the K-3 basis - but I am truly impressed with this! Now to get the tools for making stuff!)

(3)I'm currently in Bonnie Hunter's quilt mystery - GRAND ILLUSION!  Am excited about that!
I'm also #11 or less of being UFO Queen on Stashbusters (and you DON'T wanna be UFO Queen!  Trust me! It's embarrassing!)