Thanks to you both for the kind words. They are much appreciated.

I think you may have a point Sandy, I certainly eat a lot less protein than I did. I’ll see what Randy thinks of that. I think beans are pretty cheap.

I’ve also decided to try to find some other time to exercise. I loved doing it first thing in the morning, but I feel so swelled up, achy, and lethargic from the starches now. It takes me several hours to feel half way decent, and by that time I’m into my day and it’s easy to let things get in the way of working out.

So many puzzles to solve!

I wondered about the protein too. I was wondering about whey protein powder but I don’t know how expensive it is relative to everything else. I put some unflavored whey on my cereal in the morning (just a little) to up the protein content of the cereal. Then when I work out hard, I’ll put the power in skim milk as an afternoon snack (a flavored variety). It satisfies me and I don’t crave anything else most of the time.

Joan - 03 October 2008 11:32 PM

I wondered about the protein too. I was wondering about whey protein powder but I don’t know how expensive it is relative to everything else. I put some unflavored whey on my cereal in the morning (just a little) to up the protein content of the cereal. Then when I work out hard, I’ll put the power in skim milk as an afternoon snack (a flavored variety). It satisfies me and I don’t crave anything else most of the time.

Wow, I’ve never tried that… thanks for the idea! 

I tried it in my coffee, but it wasn’t tasty.  Maybe I can hide some in my yogurt

Deb: I am always sad when I hear/read that you are struggling! You know that we understand around here and are here for support.  You truly are such an inspiration to sooooooo many people.

You’ve listened to Scott enough to know what you have to do.
The carbs and sugar and refined stuff is pulling your serotonin levels down.
Winter is coming and SAD happens to the best of us. You have to counteract it NOW!!!!

Life truly does begin when you move, so as you know, get up, take a step, repeat. Come on! You know you’ll feel better!!!!! 

I see so much of myself in your posts.  All or nothing, finding the click, getting started again. . . . I can sooooooo relate.

You have your kettlebell.... Use them for 10 mins. That’s all you need. it’s a start.  SOMETHING. move. Doesn’t matter if it’s morning, mid day, early evening, late night, carve out that time in the day for you! And rest .... not lie around on the couch, watch tv rest, but good sleep.  Not every day is going to be gung ho. Not every day is going to be ideal. We sure wish they could be that way, but they aren’t and that’s life!!!!

As for the protein??? I find that KEY… Soooooooo key for me staying on program.  It allows me to be satisfied and think rationally. So I can do the ole think, think again process. When carbs & sugar have a hold of my brain? there’s not fighting it.  Whey protein is very versatile.  If you have a Walmart by you, they have a HUGE container for $14 or so ... If you use only a scoop at a time, it lasts for quite awhile! I use it for shakes (with yogurt/soy milk or just water), I add it to cottage cheese & yogurt.  There’s lots of sources of protein: cottage cheese, chick peas, beans (as mentioned previously), tuna… I wait for boneless chicken on sale and buy tons, cook it up and keep it in the fridge.

Of course, now I make sure to WEIGH everything. Oh my—how my eye/mind can distort stuff.  I have found the average boneless chicken breast these days to be about 7 oz., not 4 oz. Which in my case (I’m tall and get a lot of calories every day!) might not be a deal breaker, but for someone on less calories/points per day, it could stall their efforts. 

I also enjoy egg beater omelletes and I have to thank Scott for one of his brodcasts where he said he actually used (gasp!) butter to fry up some of the veggies. I tried that and it works ...... and helps to give me just that little bit of “fat” in the program. . . . I also use feta cheese in my mine.

I know I’ve mentioned this to you before, but I cannot have a lot of the fruits. . .the natural sugars tend to make me MORE hungry.  So, I have to be very particular about that also. It’s a vicious cycle, I get fruits, eat them, can’t seem to stay on program, get mad at myself cuz I’m eating good-for-me-food, feel like a failure, etc, etc. I find I’m ok with pears and apples. (lower glycemic fruits.)

Anyway, just popping in to give you encouragement Deb! as you are such an inspiration to so many. Stay focused and keep posting ....

Cleda

Month 10 Day 6

30 minutes treadmill

20 minutes kettlebell

Thanks for the inspiration Cleda! You’re right, just do it… I woke up without a headache this morning, so decided to start once again. I was going to start SMSM program again, but my iPod was dead. I didn’t know the battery wore down even if I’m not using it. But I walked anyway. Then breakfast, and an hour later, kettlebells. I can’t say it felt good, or that I feel good, but I can say I feel better having just done it.

Deb - 06 October 2008 09:58 AM

Month 10 Day 6

30 minutes treadmill

20 minutes kettlebell

Thanks for the inspiration Cleda! You’re right, just do it… I woke up without a headache this morning, so decided to start once again. I was going to start SMSM program again, but my iPod was dead. I didn’t know the battery wore down even if I’m not using it. But I walked anyway. Then breakfast, and an hour later, kettlebells. I can’t say it felt good, or that I feel good, but I can say I feel better having just done it.

Go Deb Go!!!

We had a problem with one of our iPods batteries holding a charge.  If your iPod ever gets to that point, just know you can get the lithium battery replaced at your local iPod store.  I think it’s a free change out if you have the maintenance plan.  That iPod didn’t, and it cost us about $70.

What they did was take in our iPod, and give us a similar model that had been repaired.  Yep, had to load up all the music again… ha!

But that’s just a scenario, you probably just need a charge.  Way to go for walking anyway without the iPod!  You’re an inspiration machine

Cheers,
~ Josette ~

Yeah Deb!

Go Deb! Go Deb!

I knew you could do it.
Cleda

Keep it up Deb, with each day you move you will start to feel better and stronger. You’ve got this one in the bag girl just keep on moving, and the headaches will go away. I get headaches when I eat too much of the white food too. I call it my food coma when I wake up feeling like that, but nothing swipes the cobwebs away faster than moving.... ((HUGS)) Denise

PYOTB

http://piurl.com/aVH

Pat yourself on the back if you prefer......do it right now, and acknowledge what you are doing...that’s it, ya dun good girl!

Hi Deb - Just reading the great advice and encouragement from Celda.  A lot of good information that we all can use!!! And summarized so well.  I especially liked the reminder that “Life truly does begin when you move, so as you know, get up, take a step, repeat. Come on! You know you’ll feel better!!!!!  ” Nice to have so much support and people pulling form you.  Keep up the good work.  You’re awesome and an inspiration to so many of us.

Month 10 Day 7 SMSM Day 2

30 minutes treadmill

Thanks for all the encouragement guys, but it may be a bit premature. After all, I’ve exercised on Monday and Tuesday many times over the last several months. Monday is easy. Tuesday I ache. Wednesday I give up. So I think I’ll hold off my optimism until I make it through the whole week...a couple of weeks in a row…

But thanks for cheering! It does help. 

Month 10 Day 9 SMSM Day 4

30 minutes treadmill

20 minutes kettlebell

Yesterday I woke up with one of my incapacitating headaches. I knew if I didn’t workout today, it would be Monday before I got back to it. So I’m not feeling wonderful, but I did my thing. My knees are hurting quite a bit today, but at least I’m still moving…

Yeah Deb....I know how hard it can be, but you feel better for doing it, don’t you...and it’s already Thursday. You are past that Wed. hump that has been holding you back. I don’t have to tell you how important a choice that was for your mind as well as your body. You cleared your cobwebs out, now drink plenty of water, and you will feel better before long.

I always tell myself I’m just going to do 30 minutes when I climb on the treadmill. The expectation is for nothing more and I always get to 30 and I keep on going. Somehow 30 minutes sounds so doable to my brain...LOL. I fool it every time.

Denise

Some days we just have to get the job done however we can.

Way to go Deb !!!
You’ve gotten past Wednesday.

You’re on a roll!

Cleda

Hey Deb!

That’s 3 workouts this week! One more and you can proudly say you were “more good-er than bad-er”.

Malama Pono,
Jeff in Hawaii

Just a few thoughts Deb…

I consider everyday a workout day - doesn’t matter what day of the week it is. Somedays I know it has to be a rest/recovery day and I take those when they are needed, but I don’t look at Monday as the ‘beginning’ of a schedule - one week blends into the next and the workout cycle continues. Listen to how you are feeling and do what you can. Great Job for getting back to it today!!!

I wish your knees would stop hurting - I know that can be an annoying hindrance. Have you seen a doctor? Having someone with a professional eye assess your problem and diagnose why you have the pain could lead you to being able to do much more in time if it gives you the knowledge on how to modify your workouts and strengthen your knees. I know there would be an initial expense, but if it means that you could decrease your pain wouldn’t it be worth while? I saw a Physical Therapist for a few months and he showed me some exercises and I have worked on stretching. I haven’t been since the end of July and so long as I keep up with my stretching my knees seem to be ok (although my new program may be more taxing on them again… I’ll have to pay attention and modify if they start to ache again, but I did about 150 squats today and they are good). But I figure that my body is the most basic equipment needed for a workout and if it is not in working order then I need to fix it. We maintain all the other equipment in our lives, we really need to maintain our bodies.

Ok - there is my two cents. Take it or leave it - I don’t want to sound all preach or anything I just want to encourage you to keep moving and finding ways around all the road blocks.

Deb, it’s great to come back to the exercise challenge and find that you are moving. Way to go, girl.

Thanks for all the congrats guys! But in trying so hard to make it past Wednesday I really overstressed my knees, so I had to let them rest today. I’m hoping for a walk tomorrow, that would make me more gooder than badder for the week.

Hey Deb! Try to exercise Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and one day on the weekend, that day being light and playful. That will keep you from straining your knees daily and you’ll still be active more days than not.

Sorry to hear about the starches. I completely understand the budget crunch, it can be so discouraging. The only thing I can offer for advice is try tuna, and make sure that the starches are as natural as possible. There’s a whole wheat mac & cheese from Kraft that I absolutely love. It’s packed with fiber (you know what a fiber nut I am), and I’ll add peas and a can of tuna in it to make a tasty healthy cheap casserole. Well, the kids love it, and that’s sometimes all that matters.

Good luck, it can seem like all the cards are stacked against you and it’s so much easier to give in, but you are worth the fight. Every one of us here would donate our best workouts to you if we could. You are loved, Deb, by so many. Have a blessed day.

Bree

Deb, I agree with Bree’s comment that you are worth the fight and that I would definitely donate my workouts to you if that were humanly possible. If you weren’t able to walk yesterday, I hope you can today.

Month 10 Day 11

30 minutes treadmill

Thanks guys! Your support is greatly appreciated!

I notice I feel the worst on post macaroni and spaghetti days. And just in passing Bree, this is one time where whole wheat is even worse than white. Must be something in the “whole” part that does me in even more. I try to limit tuna to once a week because of the mercury...there’s always something, eh? 

I’m beginning to realize this is something I need to do for me to feel good, but it’s hard to even think about feeling good when you’re feeling bad...some kind of a vicious circle...but I will continue, trying to figure it all out.

Thanks for your continuing support! I really appreciate it!