tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48499831275011039132012-02-13T00:26:43.036-06:00A journey of reflections, adventures, and a healthier bodyMARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.comBlogger891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-5098073935237839542012-02-04T06:58:00.000-06:002012-02-04T06:58:00.439-06:00

Sorry I did not get to blog all week.  I was supposed to have my new laptop last Friday, but UPS forgot to load it on the truck so I did not get it till Monday.  I've been rushing around here like crazy all week trying to do a million things, and then other things -- like Clint's car needing repair -- happened and it just decreased any time I had for the computer. We're off to Vegas this AM. 

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-29219409878059811332012-01-27T05:35:00.000-06:002012-01-27T05:35:02.547-06:00

Are any of you Amazon.com "prime" members?  That's where you pay an annual fee and you get free 2-day delivery on most items.  I tried one of their 30-day memberships about 3 years ago and it was wonderful, but I didn't have much to buy at that time, so I didn't see the sense in paying the annual fee.  This year, however, I've been ordering quite a bit from them.  They offered me another free 30-

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-18751860717976107162012-01-21T06:34:00.000-06:002012-01-21T06:34:31.895-06:00

Another wild week in our household.  We had meetings and appointments every day, and I just need a day to rest and catch up on the blogs.  Some of our highlights were: Pulling together all kinds of financial data and meeting with a financial advisor from our Credit Union to start to figure out the many things we need to do to with regard to moving our money out of Clint's 401k at retirement and

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-34490889626955292102012-01-15T09:38:00.004-06:002012-01-15T09:46:45.230-06:00

A FEW NOTES FROM YOUR COMMENTS ON MY LAST POST: KCLKaren -- I left a couple of comments on your last couple of posts.  Glad we found each other again too! WaistingTime Karen -- if you need travel buddies for that trip to Australia and New Zealand, let me know -- I'm ready!  Let's just hope our ship doesn't suffer the same fate as the one that hit the rocks yesterday. Rachel - your "and you

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-46017445391706380122012-01-13T13:58:00.000-06:002012-01-13T13:58:58.047-06:00

You know, this picture is not too far off from how I really look -- except he is younger, thinner, and prettier.  Sigh...... Boring Karen tagged me yesterday for a bloggie tell-all.  Thanks for thinking of me, Karen.  Everyone....don't hate me for calling her boring....it's a joke (see her answer #1 from her list). Here are the rules: 1. Post these rules. 2. Post 11 random things yourself. 3.

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-1425284958729033222012-01-12T16:57:00.002-06:002012-01-12T20:15:49.312-06:00

Ah, yes, it is wonderful to be so rich that I can afford to have my very own personal therapist living in my home.  Here she is: Ack!!!  I just tried to take a picture of myself to include on this post and it was pretty horrible!  Guess I'm not yet ready for "primetime."  Anyway..... I've been taking a lot of proactive action on trying to whip myself back into better physical shape.  Here are

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-84025360793525838972012-01-05T21:21:00.000-06:002012-01-05T21:21:13.966-06:00

In preparation for our oh please let it happen....don't let me end my days in Illinois eventual move out West, we've been scaling down our belongings.  When I started blogging, I believe I mentioned that I had one box of paperwork for each year we've been together, as well as several boxes from before I met Clint.  Also, as family members have died, much of their paperwork was sent to me because

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-879031217493135102012-01-02T09:59:00.002-06:002012-01-02T10:45:05.020-06:00

HAPPY 2012!!  2011 was not a great year for me.  It proved to be a time of illness and injury, angst and apprehension.  Still, and perhaps this is just a pleasant side-effect of aging, I did take most of it in stride and can only look forward to 2012 with renewed hope.  Next year at this time I will probably be looking back on this and thinking "what a fu^&&**g idiot!!  Nevertheless, here are

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-33043122107973542042011-10-09T06:20:00.002-05:002011-10-09T06:30:56.470-05:00

I recently saw a tip....one of those "things you have in your pantry to make yourself more beautiful/intelligent/rich/appealing/thin" type things.  This one talked about rubbing mayonnaise into your hair in lieu of a hot oil treatment.  Whoosh!!  Suddenly I was propelled back more than 50 years to my first day of my freshman year in high school.  As a super-shy kid, I was absolutely terrified

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-16214024382727097622011-10-01T07:40:00.000-05:002011-10-01T07:40:01.274-05:00

I've been planning to write a post about the lottery for the past two days.  And, as unbelievable luck would have it, last night my $1.00 chance at $113,000,000 won -- well, I actually got 1 number and the megaball so I won $3.00!!  Yay!!  The two big winners splitting the jackpot were from California and North Carolina, so Jody and Sharon, I'm hoping it was you two. I don't often buy lottery

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-69787578219339262682011-09-29T20:27:00.000-05:002011-09-29T20:27:32.299-05:00

I finally came to the end of another difficult week.  That hemorrhoid I got a week ago Sunday was murder.  It was incredibly painful for a couple of days, with the pain finally diminishing by Thursday. During this time, I was very nauseated -- probably from the pain, but the nausea was also nearly gone by Thursday.  The hemorrhoid was still huge, but I Googled MedMD and MayoClinic and they just

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-67513175451503994722011-09-20T19:00:00.001-05:002011-09-20T21:57:20.632-05:00

I got back from our mini holiday late Saturday and spent much of Sunday and Monday catching up on your blogs.  Also, I had been anonymously following a few new blogs -- hoping to expand the number of blogs I read by one or two.  Unfortunately, each time I have tried to add what I think will be a fun, new person, she invariably leaves after only a handful (or less) of posts. However, this time

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-70421121799445177042011-09-13T15:02:00.000-05:002011-09-13T15:02:51.553-05:00

Thanks to Ellen at http://www.fatgirlwearingthin.com/ for the very cute socks she awarded me  from a recent Memory Lane Giveaway.  They are so cute...and green.  Love them, Ellen. I had another post I wanted to write today but am running short on time since Clint and I are going out of town till the weekend.  I'm taking my laptop with me, and if I can get access on the road, I will post. 

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-5828002369124709752011-09-10T09:16:00.000-05:002011-09-10T09:16:51.400-05:00

So, after pumping tons of meds into my body for the past three days, I'm happy to say that I was able to walk 4,000 steps this AM before my coffee.  I LOVE moving around!! Before I get to my topic of NEW NORMAL, I want to add a postscript to yesterday's post.  I started to tell you about why I was so depressed for awhile this summer, and then I got so nervous even mentioning the word "depressed"

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-53798150532419464462011-09-08T17:11:00.001-05:002011-09-08T19:38:21.084-05:00

Any John Sayles fans here?  I love his movies.  I've seen 10 of the 20 movies he's both written and directed and I've seen all 10 more than once.  His films are political in one way or another, and display moral conflict and some level of mystery (not necessarily the whodoneit type).  They cross the line between indies and mainstream cinema. My favorite is probably Lone Star -- I've seen it at

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-78609097912654395202011-08-29T19:57:00.000-05:002011-08-29T19:57:16.258-05:00

Well, after I FINALLY came back to posting last week, I fully expected to begin nearly daily postings again.  Unfortunately, a couple of hours after posting, my old, noisy, cranky dishwasher crapped out and I went into busy little shop-and-compare-mode woman.  First I researched online.  Then I spent a day physically comparing machines at a few stores.  Finally I bought.  This was going to be

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-74030030988589674832011-08-22T21:16:00.000-05:002011-08-22T21:16:39.687-05:00

 10.  She was sick a lot and frequently in pain from damned sciatica.    9.  She started to blog a few times and was interrupted every single time.    8.  On July 11, she was having a great day.  Got up to walk at 4 AM and couldn't wait for Clint to leave for work so she could start blogging.  At 8AM, just as he was getting ready to leave, a storm ripped through the area leaving her without

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-32102410955996813072011-06-14T12:30:00.001-05:002011-06-14T15:54:34.472-05:00

Hi, Just wanted to leave you a quick note to tell you that I have had a very bad week or so (health-wise) since my last post.  I spent a lot of time lying down. My breathing became so labored that I feared I had the disease my mother died from -- Pulmonary Fibrosis.  Anyway, it's still a possibility.  But I decided to take a look at the side effects of my Advair (for asthma) -- which I haven't

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-10102085725916007712011-06-03T21:16:00.000-05:002011-06-03T21:16:08.149-05:00

Peonies from my weed-infested garden.  Container was my grandmother's -- must be at least 60 or 70 years old. Oh yes.  I do believe my challenge in Tami' Small Change Challenge was to spend less time sitting.  That's why I've spent 3 or 4 hours commenting on blogs and playing around with my own blog design.  (What you see isn't the finished product -- needs more work.  I've just spent enough

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-16572125303212197792011-06-01T15:54:00.001-05:002011-06-01T15:57:40.356-05:00

As I'm sure all of you know, Tami at Nutmeg Notebook has created a Small Change Challenge starting today.  You can read the rules for it here: Small Change Challenge Tami illustrates that if each of us just makes a small change each day through a little more activity or a little less eating, that it will add up to more pounds lost.  She also points out that the challenge doesn't have to

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-33266310863373264542011-05-27T11:24:00.007-05:002011-05-27T18:57:48.486-05:00

Adorable Karen at Karen - Waisting Time was kind enough to bestow upon me (and others) the following award: Thank you so much Karen.  I'm not sure my blog lives up to the honor (especially after viewing a new commenter's blog -- Roz at Roz - Weightingfor50 -- omygosh -- she has all of these cute little critters all over the place (she calls them mascots) -- she takes adorableness to a new height)

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-65552979797264843202011-05-23T10:11:00.002-05:002011-05-23T14:08:04.567-05:00

Two bloggers I'd especially like to thank this week are: Michele at  http://ruminationsasiuncoverthewomanwithin.blogspot.com/   As most of you know, Michele is a biker who was training hard to compete in a 27-mile bike tour which she completed this past weekend.  Even before she actually rode in the tour, I wanted to give her a shout out for inspiring me to push a little harder with my own biking

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-52310509706013457132011-05-19T11:22:00.000-05:002011-05-19T11:22:57.688-05:00

Did I mention ice cream?  EVER?  Okay....Let me ask that another way....Is there anyone here who hasn't heard me mention ice cream OFTEN? I don't think one should ignore one's destiny.  I was born next to ice cream -- literally.  I came into this world in a little house (not a hospital) right next door -- just a couple of hundred feet away -- from an ice cream parlor where they made their own

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-51612015982472675582011-05-10T14:55:00.000-05:002011-05-10T14:55:59.695-05:00

Although my weight is only up by a couple of pounds, a very strange thing has happened to me in the past couple of weeks -- I've gotten fat!  I lost a considerable amount of weight over the past year, and became a much smaller-sized woman.  I looked great! Still, I wondered how this could be when I still weighed in the 180's -- 40 pounds higher than a weight that would be acceptable to me and

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-21442712693849869942011-05-06T12:03:00.000-05:002011-05-06T12:03:28.076-05:00

Ha, ha.  Silly me.  I thought being healthy was mostly about taking care of oneself and, in my case, all about my weight.  So I began taking better care of myself than I have ever done in my life, and I still got sick and injured.  I felt a certain shame about it....like I must have done something wrong, or that I couldn't live up to what the rest of you seemed to be achieving.  And then I came

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-87838353859269562592011-05-02T11:40:00.000-05:002011-05-02T11:40:19.846-05:00

While I do love celery, I'm not talking about this type of stalk. No, I'm writing about the really creepy kind.  And I want you to know that I am out there stalking a fellow blogger.  REALLY!! I'm still reading through all of your past posts -- I still have 4 more "regulars" to catch up with.  But this AM, I got very excited when I read one of your posts which directed me to the blog of

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-7556112486811935692011-05-01T06:19:00.000-05:002011-05-01T06:19:48.181-05:00

Horrifying!  Frightening!  Terrifying! No!  I'm not talking about horror movie aisles.  I'm talking about these aisles: Groan.  All of those good habits that I worked so hard to establish over the past year need a little tune-up.  Daily exercise, vitamins, asthma meds....BLOGGING...yes, that's all slowly coming back.  But my biggest shock was when I went grocery shopping

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-58907733006713957992011-04-28T12:22:00.000-05:002011-04-28T12:22:19.552-05:00

I spent several hours looking for a little existentialist cartoon I saved from about 40 years ago so I could use it to illustrate this post.  I couldn't find it but this is what it said: There are two characters.  The first one clasps hands together and says fervently, "All of a sudden I had this wonderful thought!  I...AM....ME!" The second character says, "You were wrong." And, my dears,

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-69365501218603602212011-03-21T19:58:00.000-05:002011-03-21T19:58:29.500-05:00

Jody dropped me an email to see what I was up to and I wrote back to her.  I thought I might as well post my response to her so you all would know where I have been. Hi Jody,  Maybe I will try a post soon. I haven't been feeling well -- I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday. You know, I was moving along fantastically and then it was like stepping off of a cliff. I have no idea what is

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-14067726640461860902011-02-28T17:49:00.000-06:002011-02-28T17:49:24.309-06:00

I've been trying to post for the past many days but have been stuck in the blues.  First, it seemed to be just an interruption of my walking -- I really needed a break.  I was exhausted, unable to take deep breaths (asthma was kicking up), and my legs felt very tired.  So I figured I would take off 2 or 3 days, then resume my 10,000 steps. But.....it didn't happen.  By the second day, my

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-91782107031127134712011-02-16T06:47:00.000-06:002011-02-16T06:47:16.202-06:00

Last week, Clint and I drove to Milwaukee to see one of our legends, Lily Tomlin.  We always adored her -- saw her perform years ago in Chicago.  She's now 71 years old, and is still our Lily.  She jumped, bounced, rolled around on the floor, SPRANG to her feet, ran around like crazy filling the theatre with joy and exuberance.  Yes, she became breathless frequently, and sat down often, but when

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-345895638413939002011-02-14T15:03:00.000-06:002011-02-14T15:03:31.513-06:00

That sign is the truth, isn't it!! I've been reading in some of your blogs that many of you are perfectionists....or struggling to not be perfectionists...or, like me, former perfectionists.  I wonder if overcoming the desire to be perfect is as difficult as losing weight/maintaining weight loss. I thought I was over it, but last week I had a rude awakening.  As you know, I've been walking my

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-87005697734049902782011-02-11T09:52:00.000-06:002011-02-11T09:52:26.438-06:00

Hello, time for a little chat. This will eventually be about health and weight, so bear with me. A few days ago I was talking to  Liz -- my friend since the age of 6.  We know all of each other's secrets and nothing is off the table when we talk.  We're definitely not clones, and believe me, we have some pretty lively, combative discussions.  Because we're aging, we sometimes also talk about

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-76000786245590274362011-02-07T10:38:00.000-06:002011-02-07T10:38:37.236-06:00

I was trying to come up with something profound and inspirational, but I'm not there this AM.  So I'll just be plain. The past several days, I determined to count calories to try and see where my eating was going wrong and why I wasn't losing any more weight.  I squawked about having to do this, but it turned out to be easier than anticipated.  I ate essentially the same thing every day --

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-61512186902241297842011-02-03T06:57:00.002-06:002011-02-03T08:18:43.751-06:00

Ah.  The f@#$%^ misery joys of working with a new computer.My new friend has 8 times the RAM of my old computer and is still dreadfully slow -- even slower than the old for viewing video.  But this isn't a permanent problem.  Any time I've had to set up a new computer for myself or someone else, there's always a certain amount of tweaking that needs to be applied to get that baby running at its

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-78064021674457329512011-01-31T21:03:00.000-06:002011-01-31T21:03:29.314-06:00

Hi All! Well, my month started out badly but ended on a higher note. la la la la!! I did walk at least 10,000 steps/day without missing a day.   Unfortunately, the steps are on two charts due to my changing computers near the end of the month.  The pedometer is supposed to store data for 42 days, but what they didn't tell me (or I didn't read in the directions) is that once you download the

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-64334939682548875952011-01-29T07:53:00.002-06:002011-01-30T06:47:48.225-06:00

Here's a photo of me from yesterday -- oh, wait!  This post is supposed to be about honesty.  Okay.  I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the picture on the left is not me -- sigh.  If I looked like that, I would be willing to wear even fewer ribbons.  Onward..... A few days ago, Karen at http://waistingtimeblog.com/ gave me an award. The award was to be given to bloggers who revealed a depth

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-71057393459452730552011-01-24T21:04:00.123-06:002011-01-25T06:42:02.582-06:00

Hi All.  I hit a new record for steps today - 21,902 steps.  Weight down to 186.5 equaling my low in October, 2010.  I'm fired up and so ready to get into the 170's. I'm going to finish January data on my old computer and post the end of month results here.  Then I'll start February on the new computer, but, unfortunately, think I will lose all of my January data.  I tried transferring

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-64555571456493343622011-01-19T08:22:00.000-06:002011-01-19T08:22:34.263-06:00

I'm beginning to think my blog is like a Saturday afternoon cliffhanger.  I don't know if any of you "youngsters" (hahaha) remember these.  Now they're called "series."  When I was a kid, they had Saturday afternoon matinees where you got to see a newsreel, several cartoons, a main feature, and generally a short cliffhanger -- generally a superhero film or a Western.  There was a lot of action in

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-69901952848548155192011-01-10T16:18:00.000-06:002011-01-10T16:18:40.731-06:00

Short post.  My new computer just arrived.  I'm thrilled to see it -- I've been afraid this slow, old thing would die on me at any moment -- I had so much pain from the blue screen of death of the old one that I kept calling it the black and blue screen of death.  Now I have to get the new one up and running.  It looks much more complicated than my old one, and I feel a little stressed.  I will

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-56168016622205944402011-01-08T03:55:00.000-06:002011-01-08T03:55:37.956-06:00

Yesterday, Sharon at http://gainsandlosseslifethroughsharonseyes.blogspot.com/ posted about quite a personal revelation she had regarding food.  She wrote: .I made every attempt to gracefully decline the invitation, but it became one of those situations where "no" wasn't going to be heard and it was beginning to feel awkward and rude if I continued to refuse.  So I went.  And I ate (and ate, and

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-7044563995083708012011-01-06T16:38:00.000-06:002011-01-06T16:38:40.536-06:00

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Doesn't this weight loss/getting healthy thing feel like that sometimes.  We feel REALLY great for awhile as we're losing.  Then we come to some sort of a plateau, or even gain back a few pounds, and are in misery.  We may be tired of  "denying" ourselves foods that we love and miss, or we may not be a true exercise enthusiast and are just

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-39501983640681375352011-01-05T22:05:00.004-06:002011-01-06T09:28:06.035-06:00

Here's a copy of my walking record for the first 5 days of January. I hope to post this every week or so -- unless I screw up and fall far behind.  But so far, I'm getting in all of my steps.  I've also taken my vitamins every day (my only resolution for the year).  I like where it says above that I'm burning an average 466 calories/daily.  Unfortunately, I know my eating has increased

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-12099764289039684052011-01-03T06:57:00.000-06:002011-01-03T06:57:52.960-06:00

Groan.  That's it?  My first blogging word of the new year...groan?  Here's how I pictured my first day of the new year: I would be peacefully at home, blogging, writing letters, working on my winter projects, cooking french onion soup, possibly calling a couple of friends to wish them a Happy New Year, watching a movie, walking my 10,000 steps, and eating salad and soup in front of a cozy fire.

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-51823790282354528132010-12-31T11:58:00.001-06:002011-01-03T03:16:00.230-06:00

Well, well, well.  Here we are at the end of 2010.  I never thought it would get here.  I started the year joyous -- working hard at installing wood flooring throughout our house with my husband -- both of us laughing and groaning through the difficulty and pain, but having a ball.  When we were finished, the floors were beautiful and we saved a fortune.  Don't know if I could do it again though.

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-19956382294477251552010-12-26T11:26:00.000-06:002010-12-26T11:26:38.593-06:00

I really am trying to come back to blogging.  We had a fourth death in our family and this one has upset me the most. A few days ago, my brother-in-law (husband's brother) and sister-in-law just lost her 21 year-old son in a head-on car crash.  He wasn't doing anything wrong -- the driver of an oncoming vehicle lost control, crossed over the center line, and crashed into the boy's car.  I am

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-6214439048153478262010-12-09T12:29:00.002-06:002010-12-09T12:37:05.146-06:00

I've been trying to make my comeback to blogging since I last posted on November 30.  I meant to start on December 1, but I had a relapse and was back in bed again for a few days.  I think, now, I am really just about healthy again...although I do still have quite a rattling cough.  But on to posting. MAGIC...Well, I thought it was magic.  Day after day I climbed on to the scale and, no matter

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-43829128704098204492010-11-30T22:17:00.000-06:002010-11-30T22:17:52.141-06:00

I can't believe that my first only post for November is on the last day of the month.  The month started badly with packing for the funeral of one of my nieces, who died on Halloween.  We flew to her funeral and were gone for a few days.  We returned for only a couple of days -- long enough to wash our clothes and repack, and then we were off on a planned, 5-day vacation.  I was very tired and

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-43952974480754908722010-10-31T10:31:00.001-05:002010-10-31T10:33:08.036-05:00

Happy Halloween.  Here is a picture of the Mini Oreos I'm handing out for Trick or Treats this afternoon.  No more nutritional than candy I suppose, but I still can't bring myself to buy candy for the kids anymore.  I've had more than 100 of these little treats in my house since Tuesday, and neither I nor my husband have touched them.  Not a miracle -- the minute of pleasure they would give me is

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-84633298762798524872010-10-30T09:04:00.001-05:002010-10-30T17:56:36.407-05:00

I think I am ready to break through my 186.5 number.  I reached that weight two weeks ago, and have been fluctuating between that and 187.5 since then.  However, in the past 3 days, I have held firmly at 186.5.  I was actually surprised that the scale did not register lower this AM because I feel lighter.  Maybe tomorrow. When my husband told me that he wanted to take one more trip in November,

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-9547686866145932152010-10-29T08:33:00.000-05:002010-10-29T08:33:47.975-05:00

In my last post, I said that I would try to track my afternoon behavior to learn why I was having so much trouble getting through the post-lunch through 5PM hours.  Why didn't I do this before? I realized that I  used to drink a cup of tea each afternoon. At some point, I increased it to two cups. That was my afternoon "snack." It was filling and comforting and generally staved off my hunger.  I

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-54433660238430610482010-10-27T08:15:00.000-05:002010-10-27T08:15:32.628-05:00

First, I would like to welcome Trish  from http://incrementalimprovements.blogspot.com/ to my blog -- Hi Trish and thank you for joining.  I hope I write something occasionally that interests you. My post today is inspired by my own less than perfect behavior over the past few weeks, and a post written yesterday by Desert Agave http://desertagave.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/plateaus-and-fear/ who

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-46322695871518719032010-10-23T07:53:00.000-05:002010-10-23T07:53:07.332-05:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I was sorry that I had not taken my measurements before I started losing weight so that I would know exactly where the pounds were coming off.  I then said I would take them that day.  Well....I didn't.  I find it interesting that I'm dragging my feet about this.  Unlike Macklam, who said she couldn't find her measuring tape and didn't want to buy another (very

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-82137345669924407392010-10-15T07:11:00.000-05:002010-10-15T07:11:38.803-05:00

I need to come clean about a few things. First, when I was having so much trouble breaking 187 the other day, I said that I ate "lightly."  No.  I didn't.  I starved pretty much fasted for a couple of days.  I ate a tiny amount, but it was drastic -- I was very, very hungry.  But I didn't think a day or two would hurt to break through that barrier.  I've seen conflicting advice about what I did

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-87414906545366068962010-10-13T08:18:00.000-05:002010-10-13T08:18:57.008-05:00

186.5 !! There it was this morning...that number on the scale that I almost reached 13 years ago...that number that I haven't seen in 16 or 17 years.  When I hit my last mark on August 11 - breaking 190 - I wrote:I guess the only surprise about seeing the new low on my scale was that it was not a momentous occasion. I had imagined that my eyes would fill with tears, my heart would surge a

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-11849986701439359182010-10-12T18:15:00.000-05:002010-10-12T18:15:24.876-05:00

Okay all you runners and walkers, I need solid sock advice.  Socks, as you all know, don't come in exact sizes -- they come in ranges.  I like a slightly looser sock for lounging around the house, a regular fit for everyday wear, but for walking on my treadmill, I need a sock that is a little tighter without cramping my toes.  For years, I have bought nothing but Thorlos.  They're pricey, but

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-3688354930152612452010-10-11T22:16:00.000-05:002010-10-11T22:16:37.225-05:00

Yesterday I placed an S.O.S. to all of you to help me become unstuck and get back onto my exercise and weight-loss regimen.  You've all helped me in ways you can't begin to imagine with your kind comments and encouragement.  So I'd like to respond to some of your comments and tell you what I think I've learned over the past 24 hours.  This doesn't make me an expert, and I know I will falter again

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-75298390427041968792010-10-10T08:18:00.000-05:002010-10-10T08:18:42.195-05:00

I was going to start this post by asking, "Have you ever been stuck someplace in your life?"...but that would be dumb.  I can't believe anyone has not been stuck at some place, some time in his/her life.  I've been stuck in a bad relationship (very young); without love; without an education; without money; bad job(s); bad weight; bad attitude; wrong location.  Gosh, until I started writing, I

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-40646133931403061592010-10-04T06:08:00.000-05:002010-10-04T06:08:21.487-05:00

When I first became a blogger in July, I confess that I was a little nervous about being "accepted" into what I saw as a fun, helpful, educational community dedicated to weight loss, health, and fitness.  Mostly, I was searching for inspiration to keep me on the right path to permanent weight loss.  Having yo-yo dieted for 50 years, I knew my time was running short to improve my body which will  

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-21130868911737266042010-09-29T05:48:00.000-05:002010-09-29T05:48:04.228-05:00

A new discovery from Trader Joe's!  I found these little mini rice crackers, hardly larger than a quarter.  They've very hard and crisp, and low sodium.  One serving of 37 crackers!! Yes, 37!! equals only 130 calories.  They come in different flavors but the ones I tried are savory.  I have not eaten 37 in a day -- I try to keep it to 10, with some kind of topping -- tuna, hummus, or a tiny bit

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-9205641944120592942010-09-28T16:05:00.000-05:002010-09-28T16:05:09.193-05:00

Easily finished an 11-mile bike ride today.  My lungs feel like they are back to normal. Wasted my opportunity during the ride to use the time to think about/meditate on why I am having a struggle returning to an enthusiastic daily workout regimen.  Sang along with music instead (loved this). Shocked my husband by actually being by his side when he woke up this AM -- I've usually been up for

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-81311599356716835722010-09-26T08:24:00.001-05:002010-09-26T16:05:55.219-05:00

Back on September 1, Karen at http://waistingtimeblog.com/ wrote a post called "Going Fishing" in which she talked about two-thirds of the year being gone and asking readers what they would be doing with the remaining 4 months of the year.  I commented: Each year, for the past 5 years, I have lost 10 pounds by September. I’ve kept them off till November, then have been horrified as week by week

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-21887984787128662252010-09-25T06:20:00.000-05:002010-09-25T06:20:50.601-05:00

Yesterday Karen at   http://waistingtimeblog.com/2010/09/24/the-moment-of-truth-is-a-lie/ wrote a terrific post called "The Moment of Truth is a Lie" in which she discussed her relationship with her scale.  I found a very funny scale cartoon on the blogspot http://toosexy4thisfat.blogspot.com/  So this is in honor of Karen: She also asked us all to comment on whether we had a moment of truth. 

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-45247953643962590792010-09-24T11:19:00.000-05:002010-09-24T11:19:51.434-05:00

When I first started blogging, I was entertained by observing the exchange of blog awards.  I didn't know what they were.  I thought they were something that Google automatically awarded for readership or some such thing.  Once I understood that bloggers award them to other bloggers, I began to be a little jealous of the people who received them.  I studied their posts to try to learn why they

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-88299516916401531012010-09-23T08:27:00.000-05:002010-09-23T08:27:41.705-05:00

Neither the best nor worst of times, but definitely an unpleasant three weeks.  I'll try to make the intro brief. My allergies kicked up big time right after my last post.  Must have been a practical joke by the universe to remind me that I am an unfortunate mortal and not completely in charge of my own destiny.  I'm often commenting about how I haven't been sick in 5 years....well, kiss that

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-83516902136366870952010-09-03T11:09:00.000-05:002010-09-03T11:09:12.952-05:00

I lost another pound this week -- now down to 188 pounds.  I'm beginning to feel what others have described....a bit of terror with the realization that I'm succeeding.  I feel more like the trim young woman I was for a few years back in my 30's....only better, because now I'm healthy, too.  But I had grown comfortable with that larger, more padded body, and this revision that is emerging is a

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-79038690445682394942010-09-02T11:33:00.001-05:002010-09-02T12:24:03.843-05:00

Yesterday I was next in line in the supermarket with five items. I was ready to go, money in my hand, when a skinny, dyed-redhead came swooping up quickly and pushed past me to the cashier. She waved an item at me and said grinning without looking directly at me, "I have only one item. Can I go ahead?" Various scenarios whizzed through my head in the next few seconds. My brain played out the

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-42159987790902987982010-09-01T10:53:00.002-05:002010-09-01T15:12:01.674-05:00

Debby (from De-Puffing Pixie With Weight Watchers) wrote a post on August 21 called:  This is not who I am (http://puffypixie.blogspot.com/2010/08/this-is-not-who-i-am.html#comments).  I commented on her post: I'm just trying to be the normal gal. Now, I know that everyone will say, "what is normal?" In my head, normal is someone who doesn't deify food, isn't afraid of it, doesn't use it as a

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-68114764387945579252010-08-28T07:15:00.000-05:002010-08-28T07:15:58.720-05:00

I've been trying to write a post since I returned from my long 9 days away from home...couldn't do it.  Too much to catch up on.  I've stayed in so many places over those days that it took me 3 nights to realize I was home.  Now we're off again for a few days on a long-planned mini vacation and I don't think the place we're staying has a free internet connection (how antiquated!). Anyhow, when I

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-26212565457518949402010-08-19T20:30:00.001-05:002010-08-23T10:43:30.136-05:00

Hi All, This is my first opportunity to drop a note regarding my trip back East to see my sister-in-law.  We arrived early Sunday (August 15th) and, unfortunately, my sister-in-law was unconscious.  I stayed with my niece all day and through the night until my sister-in-law died peacefully about 7AM Monday.  She never regained consciousness.  My husband and I have stayed here for the week -- the

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-9777507477799479902010-08-13T06:13:00.001-05:002010-08-14T05:30:11.487-05:00

Jody at http://truth2beingfit.com/ posted yesterday about goal setting and I left a comment which may have appeared that I was not goal-oriented, but I didn't mean it to sound that way.  Here was my comment: When I was a young woman, I believed with all of my heart that if one made a clearly defined plan and followed it exactly that anticipated success would be realized. I was extremely

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-4205017327553949792010-08-11T11:11:00.000-05:002010-08-11T11:11:37.325-05:00

Okay....so I got to Chicken Dance to Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" this AM with my 189.5 weigh-in. I've been trying to will this to happen....to break 190....for days.  When I surrendered to the fact that telekinesis was not working on my scale, I picked up my treading and was extremely careful about my calorie intake for the past 3 days.  Surprise!  It worked!  Okay, so I'm not that

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-78384224099274379382010-08-09T07:36:00.001-05:002010-08-10T18:32:27.627-05:00

My sister's 4-day mini vacation with me has ended and she has returned to Orlando.  It was a visit full of treats of one kind or another for me culminating in a special one as a snuggled into bed last night.  Here's what I got to enjoy: My sister.  We had a really, really nice time together.  She was complimentary about all of the home improvements we've made over the past 4 years, about my

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-87801522259541700102010-08-03T22:52:00.004-05:002010-08-08T13:20:16.929-05:00

This was one of those days when I could have done some serious binging.  I'm tired of the endless hot days with high humidity and/or rain which means I've missed many biking days.  I'm a little sick of things breaking everyday.  I'm fed up with feeling less than 100% because of my allergies.  My mother-in-law, who is in a nursing home, fell yesterday and injured herself.  We would leave

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-90516331271854262682010-07-30T09:58:00.001-05:002010-07-30T10:02:49.728-05:00

Good news first...I hit another low....190.5.  I'm now only one pound away from my next victory chicken dance.  I was calling them goals, but I don't really set my life up around goals anymore.  My husband reminded me that I used to do what he calls my chicken dance (a lively little knee-bobbing jig to "Turkey in the Straw") whenever I achieved success in anything. Yesterday I rummaged through

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-76242095495134439702010-07-28T21:01:00.000-05:002010-07-28T21:01:36.661-05:00

Since I posted earlier today about how long I keep things, I see that some of you were impressed about my old car.  Just wanted to show you a photo of him on the day I dropped him for donation to Salvation Army.  He was no slouch.....he was auctioned off and brought in $600 for the charity!  Unfortunately, he didn't have air bags, and many other small problems were beginning to occur.  But he was

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-81395139285794890632010-07-28T12:35:00.002-05:002010-07-28T15:56:36.109-05:00

Yay!  Finally dropped another pound to 202.5.  My scale seems to have stopped its monkey business.  I took the battery out, reseated it, and the readout isn't jumping around anymore.  My husband compared his weight with the big doctor scale where he plays racquetball and he says they are reading exactly the same.  I love this scale and want it to last forever.  It isn't that I don't like change,

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-54816214881441455142010-07-27T10:14:00.004-05:002010-07-27T15:30:38.748-05:00

I haven't lost any weight in 2 weeks.  I regret that, but I'm not surprised.  I haven't overeaten or snacked on evil items, but my level of activity has dropped to about zero.  I believe that it is impossible for me to eat any healthier than I already am at 1200 -1400 calories/day, which means that I need to burn more calories through activity....and I haven't been doing very well at that for the

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-30198756175404017862010-07-23T08:06:00.003-05:002010-07-27T14:34:04.221-05:00

My husband and I were sound asleep for only about 15 minutes last night when the phone rang.  No one ever calls us after 10PM, unless it is a wrong number (generally), a friend from the West Coast who's forgotten about the time difference (occasionally), or a death in the family (only twice).  I was so out that I couldn't immediately understand that the loud noise was related to the phone, but by

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-21603131209842374232010-07-21T11:26:00.001-05:002010-07-21T11:29:26.020-05:00

Like many women my age, I was ready for graying hair, wrinkles, slower metabolisms, and senior moments.  But, oh, the surprises keep coming!  Since 60, I have been motivated to lose weight and become more fit so that I could live a longer, healthier life.  My blood work always comes back excellent and my blood pressure is great.  I swapped my youthful Type-A personality for a much more relaxed

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-52947712940467105252010-07-19T08:49:00.001-05:002010-07-27T14:32:43.677-05:00

I think my very old scale may be on it's last little legs.  Always faithfully reflecting the same weight as at my doctors' offices, it started jumping around a bit this weekend and I don't know if I can trust it anymore.  So, can anyone recommend a good replacement?  Should I get a Body-Fat Monitor unit, electronic, or just a huge doctor-type mechanical scale?  I use an Omron pedometer (and also

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-62179970800915506232010-07-15T06:30:00.000-05:002010-07-15T06:30:35.237-05:00

As you can imagine, I was thrilled this week to reach my second goal -- breaking 195 pounds with a weigh-in of 193.5.  I felt fabulous -- I was sure I looked like a million $$$.  Also, I realized there were probably more clothes in my closet I could wear, and probably many I could discard forever.  So yesterday was my closet day.  First, I was able to discard six items of clothing that were

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-4642818558283631762010-07-13T13:21:00.000-05:002010-07-13T13:21:49.856-05:00

Reached my "break 195" goal this AM with a weight of 193.5.  Haven't seen that number on the scale in 5 years.  Got on and off the scale at least 4 times to make sure I wasn't seeing things.  Sort of feel like crying, sort of felt like dancing.  Mostly feel tired after a 10 mile bike ride in 80°  heat with 85% humidity. 

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-21276917921650021112010-07-09T06:51:00.001-05:002010-07-09T11:32:00.047-05:00

After I posted yesterday, I thought of a few other things I've GIVEN UP: I do not walk down the candy, ice cream or snacks aisles in the supermarkets.  I truly feel that after two years of gradually eliminating these things from my diet that it is no longer a problem for me....but, why take a chance. I GAVE UP visualizing rich, delicious food as tempting and appealing -- I trained myself to see

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-33850577895656969032010-07-08T11:40:00.001-05:002010-07-08T19:41:23.696-05:00

From the time I was young until about 10 years ago, I used to anguish about what I would give to lose weight.  I'd think, "If I were rich, I'd spend a lot of money to hire a personal chef....a trainer....a doctor...I'd buy every piece of special equipment there is.  I'd buy only the best foods in the world.  I'd give anything to be thinner."  How many times have you said that....."I'd give

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-59921162772868793472010-07-06T10:00:00.001-05:002010-07-06T10:23:04.137-05:00

Yes, finally I broke my plateau this morning and weighed in at 197.  Despite sticking to my reduced calorie intake and excercising vigorously for the past couple of weeks, I could not get that number on the scale to move down.  My clothes were getting looser, and I was getting stronger, so I knew I was building muscle.  Nevertheless, we all genuflect to that miserable, lying  handy, little

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-88382272421170626552010-07-02T16:11:00.001-05:002010-07-06T10:24:00.984-05:00

When I started reading weight loss blogs, I liked how many people posted photos of their meals.  They were colorful and attractive and a nice record for the poster of her intake.  I thought I might do that too when I started blogging.  But in the past couple of weeks while I was learning to start a blog, I realized that I was uninterested in recording my own meals.  I eat nutritious and

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-71481243545820581872010-07-02T09:06:00.001-05:002010-07-06T10:25:16.738-05:00

This morning I added a box to my blog for my goals.  I guess they would look sort of normal -- 5 or 10 pound increments, but then there is that goofy 187 pound goal that might lead some to believe it is a mistake.  Nope.  Breaking 187 is a true number, and here's what all of the goals mean: Break 200 - Easy - like everyone else, wanted to get below that nasty number.  200 is guy territory -- 199

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849983127501103913.post-92067471875438862592010-07-01T19:25:00.002-05:002010-07-06T10:26:02.161-05:00

I bought my bike just a few weeks before winter last year, so I only had a chance to ride it 5 or 6 times.  I couldn't believe how hard it seemed -- I haven't had a bike for a few years, but I didn't remember pedaling being so difficult. In May I began riding regularly a few times weekly, and I was so disappointed to find that I wasn't getting any stronger, and that pedaling just seemed harder

MARSIAL2010noreply@blogger.com1