Fighting the Dark Cloud of pudge!!

Thanks for all of the comments to my last post.  The vein tx cost me $150 Cdn for 45 minutes of pure injection fun!  And no, I do not stretch before I walk.  The only time I ever did was when I walked a 1/2 marathon two Sept’s ago.  It didn’t seem to make a difference.  Eating a banana before walking long distances does reduce leg pain due to the potassium.  Stretching?  Nothing.  But then again, I am pretty limber for a butterball!

Ok, today’s news.  My Mother woke me at about 2am to tell me she could barely breath.  I phoned 911 and the paramedics, and fire dept, were here in minutes.  (I later told Mom I am not sure she is allowed that many men in her bedroom!!!)  She is doing fine now.  They gave her oxygen before we left the condo and some meds were given at the hospital to open her lung passages.  I must state that Mom is a smoker.  Not as bad as she used to be, (pack or more a day down to a few cigarettes).  She has emphysema (now called COPD or COLD).  Her Father had had severe emphysema.  Anyway, her dx when I left at 4am was mild pneumonia complicated by COPD.

My Mother actually told the medics that her one vice is smoking and she does not intend to quit.  As I sat there with her in emergency mulling this over (keep in mind I have been trying to get her to quit since I was 8 - so you see how futile that is!) I moved past that (or became more self centred - you can choose) and realized I am no different.  Here I sit with mild high blood pressure and borderline cholesterol issues and I still virtually inject chocolate and other bad foods into my body on a regular basis.  There is no miracle pill that will allow me to eat like this and remain healthy.  (and if there was there would be tons of awful side effects - if not immediate then over time).

As I mentioned in a past posting.  I know what I should eat.  We all know what we should eat.  It is time for me to “piss or get off the pot”.  This emergency experience with Mom isn’t so much a wake up call for her (obviously she is not answering if she is still going to smoke).  Maybe, it is a wake up call for me??

On that deep philosophical note, I am off to take a shower and then call the hospital.  I was told no decision on admission will occur until 9am.

May the force be with you!
Shayna

I decided to use the holiday money my Mother gave me to have my spider veins removed.  Yes, you are right to wonder what kind of a woman would use holiday fun money to have (what seemed like) hundreds of needles of some saline solution injected into her legs.  When put that way, I wonder myself!  Actually the injections weren’t too bad.  What is bad are the medical pantihose I have to wear for a week.  You know those REALLY tight ones that when looked at appear sized for a munchkin??  Not only that,  the nurse said I had to wear them 24/7.  YUCK!  At $89 a pair, I had only ordered one (and that was on order from the pharmacy).  I figure if in downtown Toronto I had to order them specially, they cannot be that easy to come by.  Wait no, the maternity ones were there on the shelf.  (and I Know if my tummy keeps going those will fit nicely!!!)

Anyway, a friend in PA told me she had to wear them non-stop for 48 hours (ok I was allowed to take them off to shower) and after that did not need to sleep in them. So, I am going to do that, and then wear them daily only.  I hate pantihose at the best of times, never mind 24 hours a day.  Ok, enough bitching.  If my legs are spider free (and who among us likes spiders??) then I suppose it is worth it.  I did notice, however, while I was in the waiting room reading up on the treatment, that more often than not one treatment does not do the trick!!  We will see.  I purposely had it done now so that I would not have to add heat to the discomfort. If it must be done again I will do it sooner rather than deal with heat too.
Naturally today is the first time I had some time to workout BUT lo and behold I must wait until Thursday to do that according to the instructions.  Is walking on a treadmill working out???  Who knows. I often wonder why I need to warm up to walk.  I walk every day without warming up.  I am sure most of us do.  Imagine having to warm up to walk to the store etc??  Seems just plain silly to me.

And those are my thoughts on this fine evening!!

Cheers

Shayna

Hey there!  Ann, thanks so much for the compliment on my photo.  My dream is to be as attractive as my dog!

I have been mulling over this weight gain for no apparent reason.  Deep down I know that this journey could somehow be written up like those “everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten” mantras.  I have learned that you can diet diet diet and not lose, but that you can eat badly for a day and somehow lose a pound! (but that also won’t repeat itself!)  I have learned that just when you get a diet that does work, something magically comes to test you and let you know you don’t have the answers.  I have learned that no matter how much you think you know what you are doing, hormones will always win!  Dieting and exercise might be the answer but sometimes you still gain because you build  muscle. I have learned that even a relatively safe blog can be intercepted if you use the right catch phrases (such as lose or diet - see how much spam magically finds you!)

Ultimately I have learned that chocolate is not a food group! (who would have thought!) AND that eating “clean” actually does feel better than eating poorly, when you hit middle age.  Butter  popcorn can make you feel really gross once you have finished a bad (or two! - actually partway through it kinda gets to you).  And of course, I have learned that even if you know all of this, old habits die hard and chocolate does have a voice of its own!

Cheers

Shayna

Well, I have no idea what my body is doing.  For the life of me I do not think I have consumed the chocolate express, but my body seems to be sugar mountain!  OK, too many metaphors!  I am watching the “white out” outside my window.  The dogs don’t seem to mind biting winds in their faces and I do have to laugh as they romp through snow up to the tops of their legs (Fear not, I do not have Irish wolfhounds!  You can see my dog under my Health heading!).

Yesterday I wanted to work out but I was so exhausted I kept sleeping! (so I know I wasn’t eating!!).  I will try to find the magic combination for 10 pound immediate weight loss, Ann!  Then we can patent it!

Yes, I know…I am rambling in what seems to be codes today.  Kinda makes you wonder about the state of my mind, doesn’t it???

I am off to a brunch down the hall.  I am going to try to avoid wheat as consumption of that seems to start the sugar mountain experience of bloating.

have a holly jolly one!

Shayna

Well, my weight is fluctuating 1.5 pounds a day right now.  Up, and down, but mainly up!  I do not think I am eating more, but I must be.  All I can think is that Santa is leaving me too many chocolates.  I need to blame someone!  I am grumpy..wait, I am grumpy all the time in my perpetual state of PMS!  Perimenopausal which really translates to “my body does whatever it wants for no apparent reason.”  I must take the leap of faith and pray that the goddess above is overseeing this.  Imagine reorganizing IBM without an org chart, and you have how I feel!

Other than that, I guess all is good!   I am planning on working out over the Xmas break.  Can I lose 10 pounds in a week?????  Sorry, IBM is on the phone…

Cheers

Shayla

OK,  it has been a while.  Ann insisted I blog, so here I am!!!  Seriously, it is nice to be missed!  Well, that weight came back with vengeance.  I was briefly back at 200 pounds!  Now I am a bit below that and working away.  I have no idea where the weight came from or why, but it did.  Blame it on hormones, politicians who lie or maybe it was just a planetary line up.

Stress has been high lately.  At least I have now finished that brutal course I was taking.  You know it has to be brutal when the teacher gives each student a bottle of wine for completing!  Seems the two school boards I am interested in are having another round of Vice Principal hiring.  So, I have something to think about.

Meanwhile, Mom has been sick AND I just found out my beloved pooch has borderline thyroid disease and borderline cushings disease.  The latter does not have a very good prognosis.  I spent almost $500 on testing and hope that the pet insurance I signed up for in August covers it.  (Thank goodness I FINALLY got around to that).

How is everyone else faring with the upcoming holidays?  I can’t wait to sleep in!!

Cheers

Shayla

Well I somehow refound that lost 1.5 pounds.  Still, although I am back at the ever daunting 197.5 my new vow is to go no higher!  Hard to manage with the holiday season upon us. I know all of your congrats will encourage it all to go away again- hopefully soon!  At least I now know it can be done!

Sitting here typing and looking out onto the Toronto wonderland! At least the weather stopped me from attending a Chocolate tea!  Like I needed that…but it sounded soooo good!  Of course instead I can attend the party here in the condo building!

Cheers

Shayla