I still can't believe that it's been 25 years since I graduated from Magnificat High School in Rocky River, Ohio. I really don't feel like I'm 43 years old...at least not in my mind! My body, however, is another story entirely.
I've been looking forward to this reunion weekend for quite a while. There are so many girls that I wanted to see so we could catch up with each other's lives. (For those who are not familiar with my high school, it was and still is an all girls Catholic school.) I wondered how many would come to the reunion. I have already been to two of them and we had a great turnout. I knew I'd see certain women that I'd been talking to on Facebook, and some were traveling long distances to attend our big milestone event. I also knew I would see several people that I hadn't been in contact with, and looked foward to reconnecting.
The reunion was held at the school, and it was fun to meet a few ladies from other graduating years: there were also areas set up for the Class of 1959 all the way through the Class of 2004, in five year increments celebrating everything from five years removed all the way up to Magnificat's first class to celebrate their 50th Reunion. What a great group of ladies!
One of my classmates now works at the school, and she took us around to show us all of the changes that have been made since we'd left our Alma Mater's hallowed halls. There were so many things that each of us remembered as we stopped at familiar spots. Fun and laughter filled the halls as we took lots of pictures for the occasion. Of course there are so many improvements to the school in the last 25 years, and we marveled at all of them. I almost want to go back to school so I can use the new weight room, art studio, and ceramics lab. The campus is so much bigger now, and I was very impressed!
As for my former classmates, most of us have not changed much from our days as the Class of 1984. We were all pretty amazed by that revelation. I had been heavy in school, but was 40 pounds lighter at our 10 year reunion than when I'd graduated. I attended the 20 year event much heavier, and even a few pounds more so this time around. There were some others that had changed in this way as well, but I discovered one wonderful thing: we all still are friends no matter what size we wore to the reunion. We all want to get healthier, but none of us felt anything but love from our classmates.
Today we had Mass in the beautiful school chapel, followed by a picnic lunch held indoors beacuse of the rain. I got to visit with a few of the nuns that I knew during my time there, and introduce them to my family. A group of us are planning to meet every so often for lunch or coffee so that it's not another five years until we see each other again. We are all realizing how much we need to treasure the time we have on earth with each other...who would have thought 25 years ago that we would lose Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson the week of our reunion? We also mourned a few classmates who are sadly no longer with us, and several of us have lost other dear friends lately that were important parts of our lives.
These revelations also make me see how much I need to take control of my health, so I can be around for several more reunions to come. Of course we partied this weekend, so I have a feeling my scale will not be kind to me in the morning. That's OK...I will just pick back up from there and get in shape. I am inspired by quite a few of my fellow alumni who are still in fantastic condition, because they still run, play tennis, golf, and do other forms of exercise to keep it that way. Here's to the Class of 1984...and may we all have good health and happiness for many years to come!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What Was He Thinking?
I've done really well the last couple of days, determined not to let the gain on Monday get to me. I'm exercising and eating my nutritious foods. No need to mess things up further by comforting myself with unhealthy junk foods.
After my doctor's appointment ran a little late yesterday, my son was starving and wanted to go to Wendy's for lunch. I agreed, as long as we ordered from the value menu to keep the costs down. I did not want fries, so I ordered a side salad. I am disappointed that the salad is no longer 99 cents. It is now $1.49, and well worth the extra fifty cents, but why is it that healthy foods cost more at these places?
While we were eating, I observed a scene that really disturbed me. Across from us was a dad with his two daughters, who looked to be about 12 and 14 years old. Each of them was eating a baked potato loaded with bacon and cheese sauce. They were even given extra bacon bits to pour onto their potatoes. Someone needs to tell people that baked poatoes are not that good for you when you throw all of that junk on top. Along with these mountains of fat and cholesterol, they were each eating the new boneless wings. These might not be that bad for you...I haven't seen the nutrition facts yet. What really bothered me was that one container of these wings was so large that the three of them could have split it, instead of each of them having their own. Add to this what the two girls were washing down their lunch with...frosty shakes! (By the way, there was not a vegetable in sight.) Now, this family cannot give me the excuse that they needed to buy from the value menu. The total cost of their food choices had to be over $25.00, for three people. And, two of these people were young girls! They were slender girls, but enough eating like that will catch up with them. I can only hope that this was just a special treat.
My son and I ate our junior sanwiches, and he had a value sized order of fries while I had my salad. I shared a little of my salad with him, since he loves cucumbers and tomatoes. Besides, the only veggie on his sandwich was a piece of lettuce...not anywhere near enough. It was plenty for lunch, and we did not feel like we needed to take a nap afterward!
I hope that dad thinks before he orders all of that artery-clogging food for his girls next time. We not only have to realize what we are putting into our bodies, but what we are feeding our kids as well. Their futures are at stake!
After my doctor's appointment ran a little late yesterday, my son was starving and wanted to go to Wendy's for lunch. I agreed, as long as we ordered from the value menu to keep the costs down. I did not want fries, so I ordered a side salad. I am disappointed that the salad is no longer 99 cents. It is now $1.49, and well worth the extra fifty cents, but why is it that healthy foods cost more at these places?
While we were eating, I observed a scene that really disturbed me. Across from us was a dad with his two daughters, who looked to be about 12 and 14 years old. Each of them was eating a baked potato loaded with bacon and cheese sauce. They were even given extra bacon bits to pour onto their potatoes. Someone needs to tell people that baked poatoes are not that good for you when you throw all of that junk on top. Along with these mountains of fat and cholesterol, they were each eating the new boneless wings. These might not be that bad for you...I haven't seen the nutrition facts yet. What really bothered me was that one container of these wings was so large that the three of them could have split it, instead of each of them having their own. Add to this what the two girls were washing down their lunch with...frosty shakes! (By the way, there was not a vegetable in sight.) Now, this family cannot give me the excuse that they needed to buy from the value menu. The total cost of their food choices had to be over $25.00, for three people. And, two of these people were young girls! They were slender girls, but enough eating like that will catch up with them. I can only hope that this was just a special treat.
My son and I ate our junior sanwiches, and he had a value sized order of fries while I had my salad. I shared a little of my salad with him, since he loves cucumbers and tomatoes. Besides, the only veggie on his sandwich was a piece of lettuce...not anywhere near enough. It was plenty for lunch, and we did not feel like we needed to take a nap afterward!
I hope that dad thinks before he orders all of that artery-clogging food for his girls next time. We not only have to realize what we are putting into our bodies, but what we are feeding our kids as well. Their futures are at stake!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A Little Confused
Well, it's been a busy last few days, but I did exercise every day this week except for Sunday. I was determined to step it up after a couple of weeks in which I was not allowed to exercise that much. I certainly thought I did well with my eating too, even being careful at our Father's Day celebration. I was expecting a decent loss on the scale yesterday morning.
I took care of the other Monday morning rituals and then stepped on the scale, eager to see where the number would stop. Imagine my shock when I discovered that I had gained two pounds! What??? I just could not understand what happened. After all, the week before I still lost 1.4 pounds when I could barely move. How did I gain this week with all of the exercise?
I spent about an hour in a funk after getting off the scale. You name it, I felt it: anger, sadness, frustration, confusion, even a little doubt. I was trying to figure out where I went wrong, but I wasn't thinking clearly at that time.
After my little pity party, I calmed down and tried to rationally think about the past week. I thought of a couple of bad food choices, but still didn't think that those things really contributed too much to my gain. I am still analyzing the situation as this point, but I have decided one thing to be absolutely certain.
I will not give up!!! It's just a little setback, and I will work on what ever I can to make this a better week. God wants me to succeed, and maybe this week was meant to teach me an important lesson. He is the one who gives me the strength to accomplish my goals, and I will trust in Him always.
I can be proud of one thing...I did not go off the deep end after the gain, as I would have in the past. I didn't use it as an excuse to eat everything in sight. I didn't decide not to exercise, thinking "what's the use" like I've done before. What ever size I finally wind up at, eating the right foods and exercise is still important to my health. I went to the store and bought some more of my favorite Greek yogurt, along with two magazines: Shape and Self. I'm going to keep putting all of the positive thoughts in my mind, and however long the process is, there will be a positive outcome!
I took care of the other Monday morning rituals and then stepped on the scale, eager to see where the number would stop. Imagine my shock when I discovered that I had gained two pounds! What??? I just could not understand what happened. After all, the week before I still lost 1.4 pounds when I could barely move. How did I gain this week with all of the exercise?
I spent about an hour in a funk after getting off the scale. You name it, I felt it: anger, sadness, frustration, confusion, even a little doubt. I was trying to figure out where I went wrong, but I wasn't thinking clearly at that time.
After my little pity party, I calmed down and tried to rationally think about the past week. I thought of a couple of bad food choices, but still didn't think that those things really contributed too much to my gain. I am still analyzing the situation as this point, but I have decided one thing to be absolutely certain.
I will not give up!!! It's just a little setback, and I will work on what ever I can to make this a better week. God wants me to succeed, and maybe this week was meant to teach me an important lesson. He is the one who gives me the strength to accomplish my goals, and I will trust in Him always.
I can be proud of one thing...I did not go off the deep end after the gain, as I would have in the past. I didn't use it as an excuse to eat everything in sight. I didn't decide not to exercise, thinking "what's the use" like I've done before. What ever size I finally wind up at, eating the right foods and exercise is still important to my health. I went to the store and bought some more of my favorite Greek yogurt, along with two magazines: Shape and Self. I'm going to keep putting all of the positive thoughts in my mind, and however long the process is, there will be a positive outcome!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Empowered
Yesterday was such a nice day here, we took advantage of it and played tennis. Our son is ten, and he has picked up mine and my husband's love of the game. (Of course...I had to say LOVE!!!) I have not had any lessons, but hope to take some when we have the funds for it. One thing I can tell for sure...I am moving around much better, and my serves and volleys have improved since I started working out again. I do have an exercise video that is a tennis workout, but I need to get the VCR working again so I can use it. It's such an awesome feeling knowing that I am getting stronger everyday: in body, mind, and spirit!
Since we did tennis, I did not get on the treadmill, but I did part of a dance workout DVD and some wall push-ups a little later in the evening. Today we are getting thunderstorms, so if there's too much lightning going on I will either do that DVD again or one of my Leslie Sansone walking DVD's. I used to make excuses when there was a storm so I could skip my workout...but like I say now: NO MORE EXCUSES!!!
I'm still enjoying my organic Starbucks and Fage Greek Yogurt, and I have made a vow to include even more fruits and vegetables in my diet. I've always eaten them, but I know it was nowhere near the amount I'm supposed to be eating. Drinking a lot of water everyday helps as well. I'm not missing the diet soda at all, which is saving us money on our food bill. It's all about choices at the grocery store...cut back on the stuff you shouldn't eat and then you can afford to purchase the foods that are better for you.
God has not only given me the strength to do this, but He is showing me that I had strength from him all along that I was not really using. He has also brought many wonderful people into my life. I want to give a special shout-out to all of the Biggest Loser and Dance Your Ass Off contestants who are on Facebook, and all of the other awesome people involved with those shows who are my friends there as well. You all inspire and motivate me, so I can do the same for others who may need it. I'm very blessed to get to know all of you, and may we all continue to help others become empowered in their lives! xoxoxo
Since we did tennis, I did not get on the treadmill, but I did part of a dance workout DVD and some wall push-ups a little later in the evening. Today we are getting thunderstorms, so if there's too much lightning going on I will either do that DVD again or one of my Leslie Sansone walking DVD's. I used to make excuses when there was a storm so I could skip my workout...but like I say now: NO MORE EXCUSES!!!
I'm still enjoying my organic Starbucks and Fage Greek Yogurt, and I have made a vow to include even more fruits and vegetables in my diet. I've always eaten them, but I know it was nowhere near the amount I'm supposed to be eating. Drinking a lot of water everyday helps as well. I'm not missing the diet soda at all, which is saving us money on our food bill. It's all about choices at the grocery store...cut back on the stuff you shouldn't eat and then you can afford to purchase the foods that are better for you.
God has not only given me the strength to do this, but He is showing me that I had strength from him all along that I was not really using. He has also brought many wonderful people into my life. I want to give a special shout-out to all of the Biggest Loser and Dance Your Ass Off contestants who are on Facebook, and all of the other awesome people involved with those shows who are my friends there as well. You all inspire and motivate me, so I can do the same for others who may need it. I'm very blessed to get to know all of you, and may we all continue to help others become empowered in their lives! xoxoxo
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Nutty But Wonderful Day!
This day has been utterly non-stop. Of course, it didn't help that I was up until 3 AM in the first place! I watched and reviewed a great show on Oxygen called Dance Your A** Off. After I sent off my review I was so pumped that I couldn't sleep! After finally falling asleep, I got up at Noon!
This set me into superwoman mode for the day. Laundry needed to be done, along with several writing projects that are going on at the same time. I meant to get on the treadmill at about 3:30, but first had to finish up a couple of things on here. Then...my dad called, so I spent some time talking to him and finally made it on the treadmill at 5 PM. This was not negotiable...I NEEDED to get my exercise in!
I went at 2.8 mph for my walk, but I also was brave enough to do something that I had never done up until now. I walked the entire time without holding onto the sides of the treadmill! I always think of Jillian yelling at people not to hold on, and I've done it for a couple of minutes here and there, but this was the first time I did it all the way through...37 minutes straight. Also, I usually walked at 2.5 while holding on...so I went faster and pumped my arms at the same time! I know Jillian would be proud, while at the same time she'd bump up my speed. That's OK, I consider this a personal victory.
Now I'm showered and ready for my next assignment...in about 45 minutes I'm recapping So You Think You Can Dance. This is the thing: I'm loving every minute of this crazy day. It's so wonderful to be doing something you love and also taking care of your body. I feel like I'm really living life...and it feels awesome!
This set me into superwoman mode for the day. Laundry needed to be done, along with several writing projects that are going on at the same time. I meant to get on the treadmill at about 3:30, but first had to finish up a couple of things on here. Then...my dad called, so I spent some time talking to him and finally made it on the treadmill at 5 PM. This was not negotiable...I NEEDED to get my exercise in!
I went at 2.8 mph for my walk, but I also was brave enough to do something that I had never done up until now. I walked the entire time without holding onto the sides of the treadmill! I always think of Jillian yelling at people not to hold on, and I've done it for a couple of minutes here and there, but this was the first time I did it all the way through...37 minutes straight. Also, I usually walked at 2.5 while holding on...so I went faster and pumped my arms at the same time! I know Jillian would be proud, while at the same time she'd bump up my speed. That's OK, I consider this a personal victory.
Now I'm showered and ready for my next assignment...in about 45 minutes I'm recapping So You Think You Can Dance. This is the thing: I'm loving every minute of this crazy day. It's so wonderful to be doing something you love and also taking care of your body. I feel like I'm really living life...and it feels awesome!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Take Care of Yourself
It feels so good to be able to really exercise again! I did Bob Harper's challenge on Facebook, and went walking. Between Bob's challenges and Jillian's great food advice, I'm in good hands!
I want to stress how important it is that we take the time to take care of ourselves. We are so busy taking care of everyone else in our lives that we neglect ourselves. When we don't do what we need to do for us, everything suffers. We don't feel well, and then we can't do all of the other things we need to do. Our families, friends, and jobs suffer because we don't schedule that time in to exercise and make sure we eat healthy foods.
On top of that, we wind up having more medical problems. I've been out of work for almost 3 years now, and this past October I had horrible pain in my gums and jaw. I mean the kind of pain that makes childbirth look easy. Turns out I had to have two root canals and get crowns on my teeth. I hadn't been to the dentist in a couple of years, because of finances and lack of dental insurance. I still brushed and flossed every day, but hadn't had the regular checkups and cleanings that I needed. It would have been much cheaper to do the preventative measures...instead it cost me thousands of dollars to take care of the problem. (And don't forget the PAIN!)
This is also a lesson learned from my good friend who just passed away. She was excellent at her job and took wonderful care of her family, friends, and clients. The problem was...she didn't schedule in enough time to take care of herself. She told me that she was working on finding the time to take care of her health. Unfortunately, she passed away at age 37, before she could really turn the situation around. We all miss her so much, and would rather that she had said say no to things a few times so she could take care of herself and still be here with us. And she's not the only one...I've heard this from a lot of people, either about themselves or their friends.
I'm not saying that you should only think about yourself. I'm saying we need to make sure we work on that balance of time so we can feel better, have more energy, and be more productive. Besides...our loved ones want us around for a long time!
I want to stress how important it is that we take the time to take care of ourselves. We are so busy taking care of everyone else in our lives that we neglect ourselves. When we don't do what we need to do for us, everything suffers. We don't feel well, and then we can't do all of the other things we need to do. Our families, friends, and jobs suffer because we don't schedule that time in to exercise and make sure we eat healthy foods.
On top of that, we wind up having more medical problems. I've been out of work for almost 3 years now, and this past October I had horrible pain in my gums and jaw. I mean the kind of pain that makes childbirth look easy. Turns out I had to have two root canals and get crowns on my teeth. I hadn't been to the dentist in a couple of years, because of finances and lack of dental insurance. I still brushed and flossed every day, but hadn't had the regular checkups and cleanings that I needed. It would have been much cheaper to do the preventative measures...instead it cost me thousands of dollars to take care of the problem. (And don't forget the PAIN!)
This is also a lesson learned from my good friend who just passed away. She was excellent at her job and took wonderful care of her family, friends, and clients. The problem was...she didn't schedule in enough time to take care of herself. She told me that she was working on finding the time to take care of her health. Unfortunately, she passed away at age 37, before she could really turn the situation around. We all miss her so much, and would rather that she had said say no to things a few times so she could take care of herself and still be here with us. And she's not the only one...I've heard this from a lot of people, either about themselves or their friends.
I'm not saying that you should only think about yourself. I'm saying we need to make sure we work on that balance of time so we can feel better, have more energy, and be more productive. Besides...our loved ones want us around for a long time!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Seal of Approval
Today was the day I've been waiting for...patiently, I think, but still hopeful that I would hear the words I really wanted to hear. I prayed a lot, made plans for what I would do if I heard the good news, and prayed some more.
Today was my check-up with the surgeon who performed my biopsies. I already had received the wonderful news that everything was benign, but at this appointment he was to check how my stitches were healing and tell me where to go from here. I got to his office and kept myself calm, knowing that so far everything looked good to me. Chances were good that it would look that way to him as well.
My son played video games as I was called in to see Dr. Trillis. I got changed into the lovely paper bolero jacket that I was given to wear for the exam. This type of "garment" makes it easier for the doctor to examine the breast area without you having to be totally undressed from the waist up. Now, I love bolero jackets, but usually on male dancers who are about to perform the Paso Doble. If I were to wear one, it would have to be a lot more stylish than this.
Of course, I was willing to put up with this fashion statement for the short time it took for the doctor to examine me. Thankfully it was not cold in his office. He came in and went over all of the details with me, then he examined the stitches. He was extremely pleased with the way I was healing. He also knew how anxious I was to get back to my workout routine, so he gave me that news I'd been longing to hear...I got the full go-ahead from him to work out as much as I want!
This was music to my ears. I've been spending all of the days that I couldn't exercise reading about it, so I have plenty of ideas about what to do next. I managed a short walk before my son's baseball game tonight, but tomorrow I will be going much harder on myself than that. You really learn to appreciate the ability to exercise after you've been laid up for almost a couple of weeks. I am not going to take that ability for granted now.
To put the proverbial icing on the cake...I weighed in this morning, and I weigh 209.6. That means I lost 1.4 pounds this week, even with barely being able to move because of the rash and the medication for it. Sticking with my healthy eating plan really paid off! Just think what this week will hold in store, when I can combine the eating and exercise plan. Watch out, here I come!
Today was my check-up with the surgeon who performed my biopsies. I already had received the wonderful news that everything was benign, but at this appointment he was to check how my stitches were healing and tell me where to go from here. I got to his office and kept myself calm, knowing that so far everything looked good to me. Chances were good that it would look that way to him as well.
My son played video games as I was called in to see Dr. Trillis. I got changed into the lovely paper bolero jacket that I was given to wear for the exam. This type of "garment" makes it easier for the doctor to examine the breast area without you having to be totally undressed from the waist up. Now, I love bolero jackets, but usually on male dancers who are about to perform the Paso Doble. If I were to wear one, it would have to be a lot more stylish than this.
Of course, I was willing to put up with this fashion statement for the short time it took for the doctor to examine me. Thankfully it was not cold in his office. He came in and went over all of the details with me, then he examined the stitches. He was extremely pleased with the way I was healing. He also knew how anxious I was to get back to my workout routine, so he gave me that news I'd been longing to hear...I got the full go-ahead from him to work out as much as I want!
This was music to my ears. I've been spending all of the days that I couldn't exercise reading about it, so I have plenty of ideas about what to do next. I managed a short walk before my son's baseball game tonight, but tomorrow I will be going much harder on myself than that. You really learn to appreciate the ability to exercise after you've been laid up for almost a couple of weeks. I am not going to take that ability for granted now.
To put the proverbial icing on the cake...I weighed in this morning, and I weigh 209.6. That means I lost 1.4 pounds this week, even with barely being able to move because of the rash and the medication for it. Sticking with my healthy eating plan really paid off! Just think what this week will hold in store, when I can combine the eating and exercise plan. Watch out, here I come!
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