The Great Outdoors

There is a lot to be said for just getting outside. Our lives today are much different than those of our ancestors who lived 100 years ago. While I would like to go back to when things were simpler, I don't think that I could give up many of the innovations that have occurred within the last century.

However, one of my greatest joys in being outside is being around horses. I could be cleaning stalls, picking hooves, or just breathing in their scent, and I still feel that all is right with the world. Like my mother's side of the family--I LOVE horses. Growing up, I would eat, sleep, and breathe horses. If there was a way to be around horses, you can bet your last dollar that I would do it. I often like to think that my Grandpa Keith would be proud of the horsewoman I have become.

Now, I may not be the handiest with a rope... In fact, my enthusiasm for roping diminished rapidly after catching my thumb in the dally the only time I ever got to the horn. Which is a huge reason I'd rather learn to run barrels than to become proficient with a rope.

First time roping live cattle (My form is awful.)

I am not sure who said it, but there is an old saying that goes something like this, "There's something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man."

Now you may be wondering how my rambling applies to the blog. My point is that we need to get up from our desks and get outside more. Whether that involves a horse or talking a walk, it is so refreshing and relaxing to get outside and feel the soft breeze or be nuzzled by the warm sun. I don't care if you do it because you are trying to get your Vitamin D or just need to escape the workplace politics. The point is to do it. Recharge your batteries--it's essential for the soul.

The best place I have ever found to recharge is on the back of a horse. All my troubles and worries seem to melt away as the saddle rocks me to peace and the creak of leather sings to my soul.

Most relaxing place in the world for me

So whether it's going for a run, taking the dog for a walk, or hiking a mountain, get out and enjoy the beauty which God created.

A bump in my journey...

On February 14, 2012, life as I knew it changed in dramatic fashion. The day began like most. I hurried to get out the door and to work as close to 8 a.m. as possible. (I have a 2 1/2 year old. Cut me some slack. If I make it by 8:30, I'm on time.)

That morning I exchanged emails with my advisor, mentor, and friend who had suffered a stroke recently. At about 10:15, I called the USDA's help desk with a clearance issue that resulted in both parties being frustrated with the other. I believe mine was more valid since they had issued me a user ID that was already taken and then argued with me about it. Fortunately, the issue was resolved, but it also generated a pounding in my head located just above my forehead.

Headaches are nothing new for me. Truth be told, I have chronic headaches and chalked this one up as just another annoyance that medication could fix. That day's choice was BC Powder, which is aspirin in a powder form. If you've never taken it, there is some skill involved. You have to dump the packet onto your tongue and have a beverage waiting. You can't breathe through you're nose because then you'll taste it (and it's horrendous) and you can't breathe in through your mouth because the particles will be inhaled causing you to cough, sputter, gag, choke... You get the picture. It's not pretty and it's not ladylike. It can also lead to you spewing it all over your desk and having your drink come out your nose. (Not that something like that has EVER happened to me.)

By noon my headache was still pounding, but I was determined to work out at lunch. (Hubby and I had decided not to fight the crowds at lunch and just have a nice dinner at home.) So I grabbed my bag and V8 Fusion and made the trek across campus to the rec center. I drank the juice along the way and returned a call to my mother-in-law.

By about 12:15, I was checked in, dressed in workout gear, and headed to the top floor for some cardio. I started on the rowing machine. Started being the key word. That lasted about 2 minutes when I thought that running on a treadmill was more important. (One of my goals had been to do the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k in Fort Worth.) So, I got off the rowing machine and headed to the treadmill, which is when the details start to get fuzzy....

My headache had not budged, but I wasn't too worried. I didn't feel quite right, but it wasn't different enough for me to be concerned. I got on the treadmill, pushed in the information so that I could log distance and calories, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the locker room...

I came to as if it were all a really bad dream. I remembered dreaming about trying to find the women's locker room and having trouble locating it. In the dream, I also didn't feel well. When I woke up, I was sitting on the bench, with my head in my heads, and had no clue how I got there.

I looked at the clock. HOLY COW!!!! That couldn't be right. It read 1:45. I thought the clock was wrong, so I checked my phone. My phone said the same time as the clock on the wall. What had I been doing in the last hour and a half??? I had no idea. I was still in my workout clothes. I didn't feel like I had sweated. I was panicking due to the length of time I had been gone and that I had a meeting that afternoon.

So, I scrambled to get dressed. My hair was a mess. It looked like I had tried to pull it out. I looked horrible, but that didn't really register. After I dressed, I "hurried" out of the rec center and headed back to my office. Truth be told, I was having troubles walking but thought I was doing things as normal.

I passed in front of the police station. An officer was pulling out and waved at me. I had NO clue who it was. I gave him the "I don't know you" look and walked past his car. He rolled down the window and asked me if I was just going to be rude. At that point, it registered somewhere that I knew this person but I could not tell you his name. I pulled my sunglasses down and said, "I don't feel well." He told me that I didn't look good and that he was going to take me to my husband and to call him. During the car ride to my hubby's work, it finally dawned on me that the "cop" was the Police Chief on campus and a good friend of mine.

My husband will tell you that my conversation made no sense. Although, I thought I was totally coherent. In actuality, I was having trouble talking, as well. Upon arriving, the chief told my husband that I needed to be taken to the ER immediately. But in my addled state, I first made hubby go back to my office so I could get my purse and insurance card. (Cause I know how the hospital seems to work--no one is seen until you can show that you will pay something for any treatments received.)

My appearance also created concern with my officemate, which further confirms that I was the only one who thought I was looking and acting normal. From there, we hurried to the ER. At this point, I started praying. It was a simple prayer. I just asked God to "Please, let me be OK." I was thankful that the doctor was a fellow Aggie, so I knew I was in good hands. But from there, everything seemed to go to hell in a handbasket.

After filling out paperwork, having blood drawn, etc., they did a CT Scan on my brain. It revealed several locations where bleeding had occurred, one of which was very recent. At that point, the decision was made to send me to Fort Worth on the helicopter for further testing and to determine whether I had had a stroke or a seizure. Before loading me on the helicopter, they drew more blood and placed IVs in both arms. The guys on the helicopter were wonderful. Whatever they gave me oozed through my body and immediately took away the pain because, lucky me, the headache was still in full force.

Upon arriving at FW, it was more questions, more tests, more everything.

To make a long story a little shorter, I'd had a stroke caused by cavernous angioma. This is a genetic condition that affects 0.4% of the population (predicted to be higher, but not all are symptomatic). It is a malformation of the arteries and capillaries in my brain that allows polyps to form at the ends. Periodically, these will burst and result in bleeding on the brain. Typically, those diagnosed with this condition will suffer a stroke between 30 and 40 years of age.

Isn't that fantastic? I won a genetic lottery....for CRAP! If I were actually winning a genetic lottery, I would look like a supermodel or be as brilliant as Einstein. Dang it. No such luck for me.

But you know what? That's OK. Yes, I will always be at risk for another stroke. I can't ever ride a roller coaster again. I can't ever take aspirin, ibuprofen, or anything else that may thin my blood. But...other than that, I can lead a normal life.

More than anything, this event has enhanced my sense of gratitude and given me a new perspective on life. I am so very thankful for my friends and family who expressed concern and extended offerings of help. I am truly blessed with wonderful people in my life. But I also have been given the gift of a new perspective: My time was not up. My work here is not yet finished. God has something greater for me in store and I intend to do it.

He also answers prayers beyond what we ask. I just wanted to be OK, He did way more than that. I have no lingering effects other than being tired, which will improve over time, and I will have to take a headache preventative for the rest of my life. But that is it! God is great and loves beyond measure!

The time for me is now. I need to live each day to its fullest. No more excuses. No more putting off until tomorrow. The best is yet to come and I intend to achieve it. I encourage each of you to do the same.

I am so grateful for each one of you. I am so thankful for my greatest gift who calls me "Mom" and who comes up to hug me and say, "I love you Momma."

We all have bumps in our journeys, but we can't let them alter our course. The bumps just change the scenery and provide more stories for us to share.

I am choosing "Behind Me" and encourage all of us to do the same. Don't let the little things bog you down and prevent you from doing great things and becoming a better you. Enjoy the journey because only one person knows when each of our journeys will end.

Happy Friday

Today I will end with some helpful information, a little comedy, and a gentle reminder that today is check-in day. So get on Trusty Rusty and write down his output. (I call him that because he resides under my sink.) Remember, this is about being on a journey and changing our previous course so that we are headed in a better direction.

I have been craving something today and I'm not sure what. I don't know how accurate this table is, but you never know. It's all about deciphering cravings, which is really our body's way of telling us what it needs. Check it out:

There was a recent article I read that discussed reasons to not drink soda. Last night on the news, they mentioned that Pepsico was cutting jobs because soda sales were down. Maybe it's because people are figuring out the most prominent science experiment being conducted on humans--drinking soda. The article I read mentioned that high fructose corn syrup is a fairly recent development...although the United Corn Refiners or whatever they are try to tell us otherwise. Personally, I try to avoid HFCS. The article continued by saying that soda contained ingredients found in flame retardant. SCARY! But even worse than that, aside from the excess calories having a party on your butt, drinking soda coats the outsides of our organs with a layer of fat. SAY WHAT?!?!?

And diet soda isn't any better for you. Aside from no calories, the ingredients list includes mainly chemicals with the same scary side effects as regular soda. Add in that most diet soda is made with aspartame, which has a laundry list of side effects. I can't have anything (including gum) with aspartame because it will give me a migraine within 10 minutes that lasts for THREE days. Nothing I take for it will make it go away. All of this adds up to me no longer drinking soda. If I crave carbonation, I reach for Perrier.

Finally, I'll step off my soapbox and leave you with a visual of why I try to avoid eating out....

Hearty Beef and Veggies Bowls

Here's a recipe that's way yummy in the tummy and SO good for you. I made these the other night out of the March 2012 Clean Eating magazine. I love that magazine. All the recipes I have made have been wonderful and have more than a 90 percent approval rating from my hubby. This is another one that was hubby tested and he approves. In his words, "This is my kind of meal."

Here's what you do:

I started by browning 1 pound of lean ground beef in my skillet. (The recipe calls for safflower oil, but I omitted and just sprayed my skillet with olive oil cooking spray.)

(Next time I'll use my camera instead of my phone.)

Once all the meat was browned, I added the bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce.

Bring all of it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the bell peppers are tender.

Remove from heat and stir in cumin, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream and cilantro (I forgot the cilantro). It was really yummy!

(The picture in the magazine is much prettier. I'll try to work on my presentation as well.)

It makes 4 servings. Here's the stats:
Calories: 274
Fat: 9 grams
Carbs: 22
Protein: 28 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Sugar: 10 grams

Recipe:

1 tsp. safflower oil
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
2 cups diced green bell peppers
14.5 oz. boxed or jarred, unsalted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed (I forgot to that it first and it turned out fine.)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. each of sea salt and ground black pepper
Low-fat sour cream
Cilantro

Rewards

A couple posts ago, I mentioned rewards. For many of us (myself included), we have a skewed opinion of a reward. In the past when I did really well eating healthy all day and exercising that day, I would reward myself. More often than not, it was in the form of food. And because I was rewarding myself for being good, it was always in the form of something really bad for me.

By using sweets (cause that's my weakness) for a reward, I was eliminating all the healthy eating and exercising I had done for the day. Now, I am not advocating that you should never not eat things that you really enjoy, in my case that is chocolate in same shape or form. But what I am saying is that make it worth it. Don't settle for okay, go for totally AWESOME!!!! And don't do it everyday. Maybe cut it down to once a week. Really look at the dessert or treat for what it is and then decide if it is worth it.

Ever since I started this blog, I've adjusted how I see food. At times, it's almost sad when I look at things I used to indulge in. I have a goal and indulging in just okay sweets is going to prevent me from achieving that goal. Why let something that is just okay get in the way of a better, healthier me? Now when I indulge, it has to be something that is worth the calories.

Which brings me back to the concept of rewards. If you are going to use food, maybe have it be ONE Hershey's kiss versus the whole serving or 10 M&M's instead of a handful. For me, I have decided that food no longer needs to be my reward. Mine may be a pedicure. It may be 30 minutes of quiet time. It could be a new lotion. Rewards don't need to be eaten (although humans are really in to instantaneous satisfaction), nor do they need to cost money. It could be a bubble bath. Whatever you choose to be your reward, do it so that it feels like a reward and not something you feel entitled to because you had a good day. Because in my case, my previous rewards were counteracting my achievements to the point that the scale was going up instead of down.

Meal planning

I am a huge believer in the need to plan out my meals a week at a time. Not only does it make it easier (and healthier) to decide what we are having, but it also cuts down on my grocery bill.

Plus, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Why? Because grabbing something from the drive-thru is so much easier than going grocery shopping, thawing stuff, preparing it, etc. But it is definitely NOT healthier.

I am not a fan of eating out. Mainly because I tend to stray from eating healthy when I go to a restaurant. It's a treat and I always overindulge. Plus, it's almost impossible to guesstimate the calories in a dish. Cases in point: Last week I ate out in Austin, had dinner in Denton with my sister, and prepared stuff for my hubby and his friends for the Super Bowl. When I weighed myself for the week, I had gained 0.2 pounds. Ok, now that may not seem huge. But those three meals negated all the REALLY healthy eating I had done all week. Talk about a let down. All that hard work in lean meat, LOTS of fruits and veggies, and whole grains all went down the drain.

For those reasons, I prefer to cook my own meals. This brings me back to the purpose of today's blog....meal planning.

I try to only go shopping once a week. If I have to go again, it is usually for milk for my son. So, depending on what day I can go grocery shopping, I sit down the night before and plan out my meals. I also use a handy-dandy checklist that hangs on my fridge and I can jot down things we need throughout the week.

Don't judge my handwriting, but that is what we are having for the week. Grocery shopping typically takes place for me on Saturdays. Wednesday is usually leftover day because I have class that night and hubby will need to fend for himself. I also prepare enough to have for lunches the next day. (Eliminates the need/desire to eat out.) The page numbers are out of this month's Clean Eating magazine, which is AWESOME. It is the one subscription I get. Loaded with healthy recipes and tips for cutting out refined products and sugar from your diet. (And the hamburgers....they're turkey burgers.)

Get to stepping

Part of being healthy is being active. Have you ever wondered if you moved enough during the day? Ideally, the average human should log about 10,000 steps each day. In the United States, people average less than 5,000.

To keep track of the amount of steps you take each day, I would highly recommend getting a pedometer. They are about $5 for a cheapo-deapo one. Attach it to your hip and get to stepping. Even if you don't hit 10,000, strive to get more steps in than you did the previous day. The point is: if you're moving, you are burning more calories than sitting on the couch.

Stop being a couch potato. Today is also the day to step on Trusty Rusty (your scale) and track your progress.

Now is the Time. This is the Year.

Post by Jamie Wood

I am not healthy. I am not what I want to be. I am unhappy with my appearance and it makes me less of who I should be. Nobody wants to admit this.

Now is the time. This is the year.

I am a wife, mom of two crazy little boys, an entrepreneur, a friend, a sister, a daughter and I work a 40 hour/week job. Busy is a word you could use to describe me. Fat is also a word you could use. Sure, there are people who are bigger than me, unhealthier than me. Truth is, I used to use that as an excuse. I am not the fattest, I am not the biggest size in the store, I am still able to walk and jog and play with my kids. But now, that is not enough. I deserve better. I deserve my best.

Now is the time. This is the year.

I had my first son 6 years ago. I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with him. I lost 20 of that before getting pregnant with my second son 2 ½ years later. Add those 20 plus 10 more and I am 60 pounds heavier than I was before having kids. That was another excuse. This body carried and gave birth to two strapping boys. Sure, it did. That is a fact. But it didn’t need the extra tonnage to do so. In fact, I developed gestational diabetes while pregnant with my second son. I was told to lose weight and stay healthy after having him to lessen my chances of developing diabetes later in life. Have I done that? No.

Now is the time. This is the year.

I have made some big changes since beginning this journey. It is week three for me. Three weeks without my daily Dr. Pepper. Three weeks of counting calories. Three weeks of snacking on grapes and carrots and healthy stuff instead of chocolate, chips and other bad things. I have been good. But you know what? Good is not good enough. I can do better. In order to be where I want to be, I need to do great. I replaced Dr. Pepper with sweet tea. Is it a better choice? Yes. Is it the best choice? No.

Now is the time. This is the year.

My wish is that each and every one of us who reads this blog and makes this commitment can look back one year from now and know that they have done their very best. Not just good...their very best. Anything less than the best is sabotage. It is called self-sabotage. And I am good at that.

But this is the year I get good at becoming the me I know I can be.

Baby steps

As I've stated before, this is a journey. It's not about making all the changes at once. That's a recipe for failure because it seems impossible. The journey is about baby steps. Make changes a little bit at a time. Gradually, these baby steps will add up to HUGE steps.

For little ways to add in exercise, here is a website that gives 65 ways to incorporate exercise without making drastic changes: http://allwomenstalk.com/7-fastest-ways-to-lose-weight/23/

Another thing to adjust is how we see a serving size. I think an overflowing bowl of cereal is one serving. Oh, how I wish that were true. Unfortunately when I measure out ONE serving of cereal, I am slapped upside the head that my "bowl" is about four or five servings. Talk about utter disappointment. So while eating certain cereals are healthy breakfast choices, eating five servings and counting it as one is going to make a mockery of my calorie counting.

For things that are not easily measured, here is a handy reference for serving sizes:

No excuses

How many times have you said "I can't" versus "I can?" How often have you put the hard stuff off until the next day or said "I'll do it tomorrow?"

There comes a point in each of our lives when we have to say "No more excuses!" Why? Because excuses are a way of accepting, justifying, and embracing bad behavior. Until you are truly committed to becoming healthier, you are going to fail. It is only when we stop justifying our bad behavior and truly start working toward our goals that we will begin to see results.

Now before you say, "Oh it's easy for her," I will beg to differ. It's not easy for me. It's taken me more than 10 years to say "No more excuses." That's right. I'm done making excuses. (That was one of my New Year's resolutions.) No more justifying my bad behavior. No more putting it off until tomorrow. If I don't start now, then I probably wouldn't start tomorrow or the next day. Finally, I am committed (and so far, this is NOT to an institution).

If you really want to see results, you have to make the choice. Yes, I may have been eating fairly healthy before but I had TONS of room for improvement. I LOVE to bake. But I have not allowed myself to do so since starting this journey. Why???? Because what I love to bake is cookies, cakes, desserts, chocolate, anything loaded with sugar and butter. I would then eat about half the dough in the process. Eat another half of the baked item and then send the rest to work with my husband. What did I have to show for it? A glutton of excess calories that headed straight to my keister and a sugar high followed by an incredible crash that made me sluggish and CRANKY.

Since I started my journey, I have been told I have it easy and didn't have to do much. I would argue that. Here are things that I have given up:

- Starbuck's - no more sugary, chocolately, whip-cream topped treats for my weekly (if not daily consumption)
- Candy - no mas
- Chocolate - no mas. Dark chocolate is healthy in small doses, but mine weren't small, nor were they dark. Give me milk chocolate combined with peanut butter or caramel and I am one happy camper.
- No more baking
- No more cookies, cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, etc.
- No more refined bread (And I LOVE bread)
- No more chips
- No fried food
- Forcing myself to exercise each day, even when I'm tired and don't want to.

These are just a few changes I have made. I know that I can make excuses forever. But wishing for something will NEVER allow me to achieve my dream.

I have finally accepted the reality that not only do I need to lose weight, but I need to get in shape. It's a daily struggle for all of us...even my itty-bitty sister. Fortunately, it's simple as long as we are committed to our goal.

Lead me not into temptation

Eating sensibly and healthy is not always feasible. It’s also not bad to indulge in “off-limit” items every now and then.

Case in point – On Monday, I attended a dinner thrown in honor of our doctoral cohort. I started the day with my usual protein shake, had a salad with grilled chicken for lunch, and a banana for a snack. Then we got to Austin and the steakhouse where the reception was held. From there, healthy eating went out the door. But for all the temptation before me, I refrained from going hog wild.

I sampled many of the appetizers, but none to excess. I chose to skip the wine/alcohol…mainly because I don’t drink. Dinner included was a four-course meal. I started with the Caesar salad, but didn’t eat all of it nor any of the croutons. I took small helpings of the butter-drenched green beans and cheese-topped, butter-soaked potatoes. I had the filet mignon, which is a SMALL steak.

Then…I had turtle pie for dessert. It was a chocolate pie, topped with walnuts (think pecan pie), and drizzled with homemade caramel syrup. I couldn’t wait. I haven’t had dessert or chocolate (yes, it is its own food category) the whole month of January. I was drooling in anticipation.

Finally, the pie arrived and looked scrumptious on the plate. I took my first bite and the overriding thought was, “That’s a LOT of sugar.” I was so bummed, not enough to prevent myself from eating quite a bit of it. But honestly, I could have stopped with several bites and been fine. In my past life, I would have scarfed down the entire slice and seriously considered licking the plate. Now, it was more of a disappointment than an indulgence.

But all of this brings me to my point: If you eat healthy 90% of the time, the other 10% won’t hurt you. I knew I would be having a big, calorie-loaded meal that night so I tried to counter it with a healthy breakfast and lunch. Then, during the meal, I carefully selected what I would have. I had appetizers, but not many. I took small portions of the unhealthy sides at dinner. I chose the smallest cut of steak and I didn’t finish my dessert. I also passed on the alcohol and bread.

Temptation isn’t a bad thing and we’ll all face it at some point. But look at it from this angle when faced with a similar situation: What do I want the most and what can I pass on? (90-10) I don’t drink, so that one was a no-brainer. And I didn’t need the bread with the meal since I had appetizers. I wasn’t going to skip dessert and I thought it was a win because I didn’t inhale the entire slice.

Personally, I considered the meal delicious and a form of reward (I’ll discuss rewards in another post) for eating well all month. Even better, I lost weight for the week.

As long as we don’t eat like this on a regular basis, giving in to temptation every now and again is NOT a bad thing. To me, it helps prevent me from binging when I do indulge in not-so-healthy food choices.

Now….back on the healthy eating bandwagon.