Running On Leftovers

Wow, it's been a week since I blogged here...spent most of the time baking pies, writing articles, covering the DWTS finale, and getting ready for the big Thanksgiving weekend. On Thanksgiving Day we had dinner at my brother's at 2:30 PM, celebrated my nephew's 2nd birthday, and then moved on to my mother-in-law's for another dinner at 6 PM. I did my best to pace myself at each meal, but of course I still felt a bit too full.

Some of my friends and I went out and tackled Black Friday together (a tradition with us!), so I burned a lot of calories shopping all day. I ordered a salad for lunch, not just because of all of the eating the day before, but knowing that Friday night we had a reunion get together as well. I got home from shopping and immediately headed over to the party. I know I ate a bit too much there, and we did shots together too. After 3 of them I bowed out, knowing I didn't want to feel like crap the next day, and started drinking water to re-hydrate after the alcohol.

I did feel pretty icky the next day, but it had nothing to do with the drinks. It was my allergies...after being around dogs and cats for both turkey dinners and the party my sinuses were shot. (And of course the pets LOVE me...I think they know I'm allergic and they always come over to cuddle up on me.) Add the fact that the lady in red has delivered my monthly gift, and you'll see why the rest of my weekend was not very active. I did enjoy a lot of football at least!

I got on the scale this morning to find a 1.4 pound gain. I can live with that...usually with all of those big meals it would be at least 4 or 5 pounds. With the monthly gift and the alcohol, I actually did pretty well for the week. I certainly had a lot of fun, and now all of the leftovers are gone. Back to running on premium fuel now!!!

Success: Thank You God and Vitamin B12!!!

Today is a VERY happy weigh-in day for me. After a few weeks of losing less than a pound, staying the same, or gaining half a pound, I'm seeing some real success. My scale proudly told me this morning that I lost 2.4 pounds this week!

I have to attribute this success to the Vitamin B12 shot that my doctor gave me on Tuesday this past week. He told me that I would probably feel the difference pretty quickly, and he was right. About 24 hours after receiving the shot I felt somewhat better. It's been almost a week, and each day my energy level has improved upon the day before. I've actually been able to get most of my workouts in, and I even spontaneously dance to the radio at times. It's so nice not to be dragging all the time!

Thank you God for leading me to a solution to this problem, and thank you doc for the B12. If you'll excuse me...I need to get up and dance now! :o)

To B or Not To B: Doctor's Orders

Yesterday I had the actual office visit with my doctor to determine why I'm so fatigued all the time. He had my blood test results from Thursday and gave me the news. Thyroid is fine, I'm not anemic...everything came out well. The only thing I was lacking was enough Vitamin B12. He had the nurse give me a Vitamin B12 shot, which I'm somewhat familiar with since my dad has to get them once in a while. Doc told me that I should started feeling better pretty quickly, and within 2 weeks I should know if it's working. If after that amount of time I'm still not feeling right, I will have to go to a sleep lab for an overnight observation.

His thought is that I may have sleep apnea, which a lot of people with chronic fatigue have. Allergies and being overweight contribute to the sleep problems...and I meet both of those criteria. Doc wants me to lose at least 20 pounds, which he said will help with my energy levels. He also realizes the Catch-22: that I'm trying to lose weight to feel better, but some days I don't have the energy to exercise. He shared with me that he's lost 8 pounds on Weight Watchers for men...it's really nice to hear that your physician is taking the steps necessary for his own health instead of just telling hs patients to do it. He believes the B12 will help boost me to the point that I feel up to all of my tasks and workouts, and if not we can find a solution through my sleep patterns.

I will say that I'm already feeling much better with the B12, and it hasn't quite been 24 hours since I had the shot. Hopefully this does the trick and I won't need the sleep study. Thankfully I'm on my way to more energy and better health!

My Ultimate Goal: No Regrets!!!

In the past two weeks, I've gained half a pound. Many of you know that I'm dealing with some chronic fatigue issues, and tomorrow I should find out more on how to deal with that at my doctor's appointment. Still, I hate backsliding...knowing that I should be working out hard but having days that make it difficult.

I feel that I'm still not doing everything I can to get my health in order. Maybe I'm letting my mind take over and tell me that I'm tired, even on the days that I'm really not. The mind is more powerful than any of us actually realize. If there is a vitamin deficiency or thyroid problem, I will still need to overcome it and get things done. I'm still going to need to train my brain, because that is part of the battle. I just finished reading "Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday" by Olympic champion Apolo Ohno. His book is part memoir, but even more than that it takes us inside the power of the mind to do our best on any given day. If you would like to read my review of "Zero Regrets", please go to http://www.suite101.com/content/zero-regrets-be-greater-than-yesterday-by-apolo-ohno---review-a308852 and learn more about this incredible book. I guarantee that you will be inspired!

This is the way I want to live my life...knowing each day that I did everything I could to be my best and live life to the fullest. Time to push harder. Zero regrets baby!

My Date With The Vampires

They wanted my blood...and they would not stop until until they had enough. A little bit just wouldn't do. No way. They had to keep draining more blood out of me until they were completely satisfied. At one point I thought for sure they couldn't be happy until every last drop of it was out of me.

My date with these vampires was early yesterday morning, and they charmed me with music and small talk while they sucked the blood out of me. My doctor had ordered a series of blood tests for me, since I'm fatigued most of the time even though I'm sticking with my healthy habits. I have an appointment with him on Tuesday, so I had to let these vampires disguised as lab technicians draw as much blood as they needed for all of the tests. It turns out they needed 3 full vials of it. Since I had to fast for 12 hours before the blood test, I was extremely lightheaded once they took my blood. Good thing there was a McDonald's around the corner, so I could get an Egg McMuffin and orange juice quickly into my system. I wound up with a headache later on in the day and had to lay down...I'm sure from the fasting and amount of blood removed from me.

On Tuesday I had some energy, so I had a pretty good workout. It lifted my spirits to be able to get moving so much! On Wednesday I did go for a walk, but I couldn't go at my usual pace. I had to slow down some, but at least I was able to do something. Yesterday was, of course, a wash because of the blood test and subsequent headache. So far today I'm feeling pretty good, and it's such a beautiful day here with temperatures in the 60's that I have to go out and take advantage of this gorgeous November weather. Soon enough there will be S-N-O-W!

I will keep you posted on my test results...it could be anemia, a vitamin deficiency, or even a thyroid issue. I'll know more next week, so I will keep on keepin' on in the meantime. Hopefully my vampire date will lead to a healthier me!

Fighting Incredible Chronic Fatigue

See the woman pictured above? Now think of her with blonde hair...a few years older and a few sizes larger. Then it would be a current picture of me.

You would think that with the improvement in my eating habits I would have all kinds of energy. I've been dragging a lot lately, not exercising up to my potential...or even close. My mind is telling me to do it, but my body is not cooperating. I keep trying to work out, and I do get some in, but I tire way too quickly when I've only been at it a short time. I'm taking a daily multivitamin, magnesium supplement, and omega-3's, but I still feel exhausted most of the time, even when I haven't gotten much done yet. I'll accomplish a few things, but then feel like I need a nap or have to sit and relax for at least a couple of hours before getting anything else done. This happens when I have trouble sleeping...but it also happens when I've had a good night's sleep. It doesn't seem to matter either way with this fatigue.

I've discussed this with several friends, some of whom are having the same issues with lack of energy. It seems that a lot of women my age, and even younger, are dealing with some form of this. The final straw for me was this weekend. I sold my jewelry at a craft show on Saturday, but by the time I got home all I wanted to do was sleep. It's not like I was very active during the show...I sat at my table, waited on customers, and stood every so often when I got stiff from sitting. I was not on my feet all day or getting any exercise, yet I was completely exhausted. This turned into a major headache, litereally and figuratively. Even the extra hour of sleep from turning the clocks back didn't help, and I had to scrap most of my plans for Sunday because I could barely move. Finally I watched the Browns win (whoo-hoo!) and got some laundry and editing done, but not as much as I needed to get done. I had to stop and rest, even though I'd slept for hours and should have been raring to go. My headache was finally gone this morning, and I'm trying my best to get my energy up. I suspect thyroid issues, but friends have also mentioned a Vitamin D deficency and anemia as possible culprits.

I called my doctor's office to set up an appointment. He's out sick today (I often wonder how doctors do it...staying well most of the time when coming in contact with so many sick people) but the nurse set me up for next Tuesday. I have an appointment this week to get blood drawn at their lab, so the results will be ready for Tuesday and my doctor can begin to help me with this. In the meantime, I'm not giving up...I will do everything I can to get as much done as possible and exercise as much as I am able. I forgot to weigh in this morning and remembered when I had already eaten breakfast, so I will do it tomorrow first thing. I have faith that God will get me through this and I will be stronger than before!

Work It Out, Baby!!!

Since this week was really intense in so many ways, I decided to blow off some steam and get silly. I hope you enjoy the above photo of a true superbaby...LOL

I will keep this post brief today, as I run errands and get geared up for another busy fall weekend. I will be selling my jewelry at another craft show tomorrow, have a little more editing to do, and need to plan out my exercise time for the next two days. Thank God that we get to turn our clocks back tomorrow night, so I can catch an extra hour of sleep! ;o)

I just want to remind everyone that two of the best ways to relieve stress are exercise and a sense of humor. So remember to laugh, run, play, and enjoy every moment of your life. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

On Being Human: "Let he who is without sin..."

I just found out about 2o minutes ago that my first love/crush, David Cassidy, was arrested for DUI in Florida. While it surprises me, I refuse to condemn him or any other celebrity who makes a mistake. David has been forthcoming in the past about his struggles with alcohol. Since his father, Jack Cassidy, had the same substance issues during his lifetime, it makes sense that David and his brothers may have to deal with the same problems. David is challenging the charges, saying that he had just one glass of wine after a funeral and also had pain medication in his system. He has never been arrested for anything ever before, and he would not knowingly jeopardize himself or others in this manner.

I bet most of us can relate in some way. We've thought we had our situations under control, been going along about our usual business, and fallen off whatever particular wagon we were on. So many people have had tragedies occur in their lives, began to feel weak, and given in again to the cigarettes, alcohol, food, gambling, shopping, and other addictions that they though they had licked. Besides the fact that the wine probably did not mix well with the pain medication, David was grieving the loss of someone in his life and gave in to one glass. I know for myself, I completely went off my healthy eating wagon after my mom passed away...and it's been a struggle ever since. Sugar is just as much of an addiction as any other substance. I've have friends who have had DUI's, usually right after they lost their jobs or had another major stressor in their lives. I know people who haven't had a cigarette in years, only to start smoking again when they have to take care of a relative with an illness or a child with problems at school. No matter how much you think you have the situation under control, you always have to be careful of backsliding in a weak or stressful moment. Struggling with these things does not make any of us bad people.

I am appalled at all of the people on Twitter who think it's OK to make jokes about David's DUI or are ready to condemn him after one mistake. I certainly don't condone drinking and driving or mixing alcohol with medication, but who am I to judge any particular person? Who are any of us to judge? I feel the same way whether the person in the news is David, who is a first time offender, or another celebrity who has had more than one offense and has to continually find ways to deal with his or her addictions. Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." None of us are perfect, so there should not be any stones cast. We need to be looking for ways to help and praying for anyone struggling with an addiction. It could be you, a family member or friend, or someone you've looked up to during your life. We all have our issues...that's part of being human. If we didn't have any struggles we wouldn't be human. The only perfection is God. He is the one we should consult about our problems...and He wants us to help, not harass, eath other when we have problems.

What's on YOUR Plate for November?

Welcome to the month of November in the year 2010! It's the first day of the month and time to set goals for the next 30 days. I know October flew by for me, and it feels like the school year just started even though first quarter report cards just came out. I'm so proud of my son for his stellar grades in all of his enriched classes!

If you made it through Halloween without eating too many treats and tricking your body with all of that sugar, congratulations! If not, it's time to make a plan to stay as on track as possible. Food temptations don't get any easier now, with Thanksgiving on the way and Christmas festivities gearing up. On top of that, there are so many things that need to get done during the holidays that workouts can fall by the wayside if we're not paying attention.

This time of the year is always special for me, yet still challenging with all of the holiday foods and running around getting everything done. Therefore, I've set some goals for myself for the month of November:

1. Find ways to make Thanksgiving recipes healthier. I already do this with my pumpkin pie, but I need to find recipes to lighten up other foods.

2. Pick a couple of special foods that are my favorites, and make those my indulgences instead of stuffing everything down. Speaking of stuffing...that's my main indulgence! I need to savor those treats...and not fill up on other stuff that isn't worth it to me.

3. Find time for exercise every single day of the month. Who says I can't get on the treadmill while I'm watching football? Maybe I can rack up as many yards as those running backs and wide receivers...sounds like a way to challenge myself! I still need to schedule in my workouts; it's even more crucial with a packed holiday schedule to make the time and stick to it.

4. Remember the real meaning of Thanksgiving. While food and football are holiday traditions that make us feel good, the most important thing is getting to spend time and bond with family and friends. It's all in the name...give thanks to God for his grace and mercy, and all of the wonderful things He has done for us!

There are so many things piled on our plates for November, both our dinner dishes and the wider plates of our daily lives. With prayer and goal setting, we can both survive and enjoy the holiday season!