Wonderful Wednesdays!

Morning fellow Pig-Kickers. I've been a little side-tracked with all the goings-ons lately that I haven't had time to blog. Just to let you know, I have continued to keep my consciousness when selecting meal and snack choices and have even squeezed in a little bit of exercise -- My back, shoulders, and legs are screaming... I did lots of squats while milking and then decided to keep that up at home. WOW - it's crazy how it can affect your whole body. Well.... I did some arm curls and other stretches as well.

So today begins along side a cup of coffee with no-fat cream. (Casi Cielo by Starbucks)

I must scoot out the door now and get to work. Perhaps I'll find some suitable cereal there?

The day continued... lunch was a turkey & swiss on a lite bun with mayo, pickles, and tomato. Snack was raisin bran (no milk). Dinner was left over chicken broccoli croissant bake with mashed potatoes, beets, and a half a glass of milk.

Water - yes... off and on all day long plus 1 1/2 cups of coffee.

Happy Monday

Morning. Not much time to write. No breakfast this morning so far. Thinking about having those labs drawn, but I really don't feel like it. Hmmm... Well, I should get this day on the road. Stay tuned... I'll update later.

It's Friday... The Rat Race Is Over... For Now Anyway

Thanks to my sister and BIL I now have a replacement mouse for the home computer. THANKS guys.

Breakfast - oatmeal, sprinkle of brown sugar, splash of no fat cream. Shame on me - I forgot that I was supposed to go have labs drawn this morning to re-check my cholesterol! I need to get that done and it requires a fast. I would have been fine, but as usual I forced myself to eat breakfast... before I read my 'note to self.' Oh well... another day then.

Water - working on a bottle now... with Pills - Aspirin and Vitamin. I'm trying a new idea... I used to always make coffee in the morning then when I got to work I'd try to drink water and more coffee, but sometimes not much water. I'm trying to switch to starting with water. You know - that starts the day off on a good foot. Then when I get to work I can drink 2 cups of coffee if I'd like... which would normally add up to 3+ cups. The only problem I'm having with this is that by the time I get to work, I have to go straight to the restroom. So, I've modified it a smidge. I drink about a quarter of a bottle in the morning with my vities and then make a point to finish the bottle a little closer to work - on the way. That seems to be working a little better. Is coffee really the eye opener? I mean, I do drag in the mornings sometimes. But it seems that I'm generally awake enough to make the trek into town without feeling groggy. MORE WATER - 1 large glass with lunch. 1 bottle at my desk. (I also had 2 cups of coffee this morning, but that doesn't count for water) And for an evening snack/nite-cap an herbal tea.

Snack: blueberry yogurt. I think it was called "Light and Fit." Very low in fat and calories.

Lunch: half of a turkey and swiss on foccacia bread with lettuce, pickle, and mayo and a spoonful of potato salad.

Dinner: PBJ on toast (apricot preserves) Warm and delicious.

Exercise: I'm milking cows this weekend - that definitely counts for squats!

Monday's Madness Strikes Again

Well folks - my blogging may be limited for the next week or so. We need a new mouse for the home computer. I am hard pressed to make this a priority at the present time.

But as long as my breaks at work will allow...

Breakfast: thinking about cereal seeing as I left home without eating. I have some Special K here at work... that may just be calling my name. Hmmm... I wonder if we have any milk? Nope - no cereal, just 2 cups of fat free skim milk.

Coffee: 1 cup with cream

Water: 1 bottle + 1 bottle + half bottle + large glass w/ lunch

Pills: forgot :( Oops!

Snack: 3 small pieces of candy. UGH and double UGH!!!! 1 was a Andes Candy, 1 was a Nestle Peanut Butter Treasure, and the last was a buckeye. I did however pass up (with great predudice) a peanut butter cookie with peanut butter drizzle.... oh to die for... but I didn't take it. I was good. (pat myself on the back for that one)

Lunch: nachos - probably not the best choice, but not so so bad. I could have spent some time finding something better.

Dinner:

Exercise: Lots of steps - multiple trips. If nothing else, some day I shall have nice legs for all the stairs I climb.

How I'm feeling:

• Morning: Still under the weather, but not any worse than before. Puffs Plus and I are having an affair... I can't live without them! UGH!!! Despite the sniffles and plugged up head, I am functioning much better than I had expected. I was up on time and out the door early (on account of the broken computer). So let's get on with it! Shall we?!
• Afternoon: A little bit tired. The day is wearing on. But I'm not completely exhausted, which is good. I need to up my water intake and so I shall go find myself a bottle.
• Evening: Well, it's after 6PM and here I sit... at work! I'm quickly headed towards exhaustion. I have so so much to do and never enough time to spare doing it. So... as it goes, here I am. No biggie. Not much exciting happening at home anyway. And I have been surprisingly energetic all day long. That's a plus.

But... alas... I should go home now. This day has drug on long enough. 11 hours is more than enough time put in for one day. Whew!

P.S. Weighed-in this morning. Lost a smidge. Not much, but better than the opposite. Probably the result of all the stairs I climbed yesterday! I was to weigh-in on Saturday, but never got around to it. So... today will do. Yippie!!!

Sickly Saturday

Yes still under the weather. It's my sinuses. I can feel it working its way into my ear too. Not a good feeling.

Breakfast - nothing so far, but thinking about it.

Coffee - one cup with no fat cream.

Water -

Vitamins -

Snack -

Lunch -

Dinner -

Exercise -

Temptations -

It's Friday... Want to dance?

Morning.

Breakfast: Finished the raisin bran and the 1% milk. I guess I need to do some shopping.

Coffee: None yet. 2 cups at work with cream.

Vitamins: Does Airborne count? Refilled my vitamins. Took a couple doses of AlkaSeltzer Cold medicine.

Water: So far 1/3 of a bottle with my Airborne x3 plus a bottle at work and another in the evening. Another large glass with lunch.

Lunch: half a turkey with swiss on a bun with mayo and a side of fruit salad.

Snack: 4 bites of pecan pie.

Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Salad at Monte Cellos with bleu cheese dressing. I only ate about half of it.

Exercise: Lots of steps at work

How I'm feeling: Well, I'm officially sick again. Clogged up sinus, mild headache, little bit achey, and stuffy and sniffley at the same time. I'm trying desperately to get ahead of it. No wonder I was feeling so terribly run down earlier this week. I shall stop and pick up more medicine, and some disinfectant wipes, and some tissues - with lotion in them! I definitely don't want to call off work today, but maybe I will come home early. Evening... sick sick sick. Exhausted. Stuffed up. Miserable. UGH.

Temptations: Does it count that I only took 4 bites of the pecan pie instead of an entire slice? I vetoed the candy jar... so that's good.

Thursday Already?

Breakfast: Raisin Bran w/ 1% milk

That's it so far.... I'm cold and I didn't want to get out of bed, but I'm pretty well rested. That's a plus.

Snack: Raisin bran - no milk.

Lunch: 1/2 club sandwich w/ mayo, salad with bleu cheese dressing, and fries - I didn't realize this lunch came with fries... otherwise I might have ordered differently. But once I had them I just couldn't send them back. Fries are a weakness for me.

Coffee: 1 1/2 cups in the afternoon instead of in the morning

Dinner: Thinkin about it. I haven't fully decided yet, but I think it's going to be more vegetable soup.

Temptations: Well... I looked at the pecan pie this morning. I got some goop on my fingers when I moved it from one spot to another, but I didn't taste any of it! (Pat'n myself on the back) At lunch I was eyeing up the nachos, and the steak & fries, and thought I was doing well by selecting a half a sandwhich with salad instead of soup. Maybe it wasn't the greatest choice. I could have done better. Throughout the day I am surprised that I have not had any cravings for sweets. I think that my friend Kim has a point when it comes to sugar. Not that I doubted you. I just never realized that before. Thanks for the pointer! I might note that yesterday I had Life cereal for breakfast. It's not covered in sugar, but it is definitely sweet. I craved all day long. This morning I made an alternate selecting, and how about that... I didn't crave sweets at all - except when that darn pecan pie was found right under my nose. Had I not seen it - I would not have even considered it. So - there you have it... Kim is a genius!

How I'm feeling: A little run-down. My throat was a tad bit sore this morning. I sneezed a million times today. My sinuses are beginning to drain. P L E A S E tell me that I am not going to be sick AGAIN!!!! Maybe that's what I get for slackin off on the vitamins. I think I'll start packing in the Zinc and Vitamin C and get on the Airborne already. I hope I have some! And... I suppose I should re-stock the vitamins too.

Mid Week Pick Up

I made a huge pot of beef vegetable soup today... ahhh... YUMM-O

Breakfast was a bowl of Life cereal with 1% milk

Lunch - soup

Dinner - soup

Snacks - 10 potato chips -- tried to blast the temptation, but decided to control it instead. 10 mini carrots.

Water - not enough but working on it. 1 cup of herbal tea. 1 bottle of water.

Exercise: Yesterday I shoveled the driveway. Today Keith and I pushed out the neighbors car that was stuck behind our house. Make that now helping out two stuck neighbors. The next door lady just got stuck and was blocking the entrance to our parking spots.

Temptation Challenge: I craved ice cream all day long. I looked at it, but I looked past it. See snacks for more.

Not Lost and Not Forgotten

Sorry fellow Pig-Kickers... another crazy week has caused a blogging shortage on my part. I am doing well... just outa time. I'll pick it up again soon enough. Stay with me!

Fresh Week

Breakfast - 1 cinnamon waffle

Coffee - 2 cups with no fat cream

Water - hmmm... slackin there

Lunch - 1 1/2 c. leftover healthy homemade chili garnished with cheese. 1/2 c. of "special salad"

Special salad: (one of my odd concoctions) grape tomatoes, green grapes, mini carrots, snow peas, and red cabbage -- chopped into little pieces - with homemade balsamic vinegret.

Dinner:

Exercise:

New Week = New Challenge

I've been thinking... I need to exercise my awareness and discipline when it comes to temptations. Hubby is skinny skinny skinny and eats generous portions of everything including snacks both healthy and not. He loves cookies and brownies and ice cream, and cheese sticks, and chips. Not all together mind you. I have tried to outlaw unhealthy snacks, but when I do, he resorts to bringing home McDonalds and that is probably worse. There has to be some happy medium!

On one hand I think he should give these up in support of me, or maybe hide them... on the other hand, I need to stand up for myself. He doesn't necessarily eat all this in front of me. He would be very mindful of such behavior because he does support my efforts. I must train myself to look past those items. How does one convince oneself that carrot sticks are more tasty than potato chips? I must keep the healthy perspective!

The other day I wanted to dip into the candy jar at work. I amused myself by "dipping into the candy jar" touching a candy bar or two, but not lifting them out of the jar. I proudly stated "There, I dipped into the candy jar, but I just didn't take anything out of it." (Pat myself on the back)

So this weeks challenge is to recognize such temptations and to meet them head-on and either refuse or make a better selection. Got any pointers?

Weekend Weigh-In

While mid-week I tipped the scales negatively... :) We ordered pizza and breadsticks at work on Wednesday resulting in an immediate gain of 1 whole pound. Pizza and Breadsticks are now considered to be the devil!!! I'm so mad that I gave in to that! A better choice would have been one piece of pizza and a salad, but instead it was 2 pieces and a couple of bread sticks. Darn those! UGH!!! Won't be making that mistake again!

My measurements are down a smidge from last month. Yesterday I noticed that my pants were baggy and I was constantly pulling them up. YIPPIE!!!!

Saturday - Veggie Challenge Pick-up

Breakfast: 3/4 c. of Life cereal with 3/4 c. 1% milk.

Water: 2 bottles and 1 cup of herbal tea

Coffee: 2 cups with no fat cream

Pills: Aleve - skipped the aspirin and went straight for the Aleve.

Lunch: 1 1/2 c. left over chili with cheddar cheese garnish and 2 small squares of corn bread

Snack: 12 baby carrots - 4 halfs of canned apricot in lite syrup

Dinner: half slice of ham cooked in brown sugar, 2 servings of asparagus, and a square of cheese souffle. 1 glass red wine.

Exercise: Today is a laundry and cleaning day. I've made multipe trips up and down the steps. I did some dishes and dusting with a few squats and stretches here and there.

Moods & How I'm Feeling:

• Morning: HEADACHE!!! Woke up with it. Dragging as a result of burning the candle at both ends all week. Blah. Just want to veg-out a while. Maybe watch some TV? Maybe do some cleaning or laundry? Not sure.


• Afternoon: Fairly energized and motivated doing housework. Ready for some devotion time.


• Evening: Feeling good. Went grocery shopping. Made dinner for Keith - very enjoyable. Relaxing with hubby.

Still Kickin'

Happy Weekend fellow Pig-Kickers! I have not actually fallen off the wagon. I've been watching, just dreadfully overwhelmed with work-related things. I haven't had time to log on during the day and was out the door extra early a couple days too... so blogging took a back seat for a couple of days.

Saturday... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... sigh of relief! Although I do have some work that I must accomplish this weekend. I am reluctant to begin that until I have had some much needed R&R. So... here I am. At the computer. TV is on CMT in the next room. Hubby has gone to work. Enjoying the peace and wondering what sort of indulgence I might consider for today. (I don't mean food - maybe shopping or something)

Thursday & Friday

Sorry folks - having hectic days at work. Working early... staying late. Deadlines deadlines deadlines... no rest for the weary!!! So - I shall catch up here as soon as I can.

VVVVeggie Challenge Day #3

Veggie Challenge Total Servings for Today:

Breakfast: yogurt with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.

Coffee: none yet.

Water:

Pills:

Snack:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Exercise:

Moods & How I'm Feeling:

• Morning: Still waking up. Need to get going and get the day started. Would prefer to procrastinate and blog some more... enjoying the peacefulness of the morning. BACK TO REALITY!!
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Veggie Challenge Day #2

Good morning Pig Kickers!!!

Veggie Challenge Portion Total for Today: 3+ maybe 4. Hmmm... could have done way better!

Breakfast: 3/4 c. Raisin Bran with 3/4 c. 1% milk. (Yep - tricked him again) I have been using my little glass custard cup type bowls for cereal. It makes me feel like I'm having a full bowl of cereal, but it's not that much. If I'm not measuring, then when I pour cereal into a regular size bowl, I'm over-doing it. So these little bowls are a gem when it comes to kicking the pig.

Coffee: working on a cup with no-fat cream. 2 more cups with cream at work.

Water: It's in front of me, but drinking a water along side a cup of coffee is just not right. Large glass with lunch. Bottle at home in the evening.

Pills: Aspirin. Hmmm... vities need re-filled and I just got a coupon for a $20 gift card for any new or transferred prescriptions at Rite-Aid. I think I might just do that. Hey $20 is $20 and even at Rite-Aid I can find plenty to spend it on.

Snack: 1 serving of mandarin oranges (evening snack)

Lunch: 1/2 of a chicken salad sandwich with tomato and lettuce, a 1/2 spoonful of fresh melon, and a small bowl of broccoli cheese soup.

Dinner: I think I'm going to make chili, but I'm going to add some extra veggies (shhhh don't tell Keith). I usually do put some corn in it, but I'm going to add green beans too. My mom used to make grean bean chili. I never liked kidney beans, so I thought it was fantastic. YUM-O. I'm so looking forward to it. I got some ground round so the meat is really lean. I probably should have considered ground turkey, but I always forget when I'm shopping. I can't help it - I've been spoiled with good meat for so long. I have been so spoiled that I used to cut my own steaks and hand-pick all my meat. I really should just start going into the Farmer's Market every other week, but I guess I'm too lazy. Shame on me.

Chili it was! With extra veggies in it! 1 bowl with a garnish of cheddar cheese and 2 squares of cornbread.

Exercise: Stairs at work - several trips and up to the roof of the parking garage too.

Moods & How I'm Feeling:

• Morning: Pretty good. Need coffee. Letting hubby sleep in this morning. A little anxious about deadlines at work, but I just need to get there and tackle them.


• Afternoon: TIRED


• Evening: Busy little bee making dinner. Visiting with hubby.

Veggie Challenge Day #1 Is Back!!!

Veggie Challenge Tally for Today: FIVE servings (Is that good? Or just average?)


Breakfast: Oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a splash of no-fat cream. (out of milk - among other things)

Coffee: 2 1/2 cups with no fat cream

Water: It's on the grocery list too. Large glass with lunch & one bottle at work. Hmmm... a little behind today. Cup of herbal tea.

Lunch: How about this.... VEGGIE BURGER with monterey jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sundried tomato mayo. Side of beets. YUM and almost all veggies!

Dinner: side of left over mac'n cheese (whole wheat), 3 Gorton's Haddock fillets YES smothered in tartar sauce- and 2 servings of green beans. Why did I do that to the fish? Because I don't like fish. Maybe I should have just skipped it all together?

Exercise: stairs at work.

Mood & How I'm feeling:

• Morning: My body aches as if I did a total body workout for the first time. Yesterday's energy surge is paying me back. I have a little bit of GI upset - since last evening. My hands are dry and in need of lotion - lots of it. My cheeks are red from catching too much cold wind this weekend. I am a little bit chilled and a little bit wanting to crawl back into bed under those warm covies and sleep some more. BUT - my job awaits me.
• Afternoon: Tired, but still plugging along.
• Evening: Happy. Delighted that hubby is home with me tonight. Making dinner and he's helping, which makes me feel loved. Snuggly - this is the one night that we always watch tv together (if he's home.)

New Week = New Challenge

Hmmm... what to do this week???? I think I'll go back to the veggie challenge again. I have not done any grocery shopping yet this week, so that is a good way to begin. I shall start the challenge by making a grocery list. I must get enough vegetables to last all week. AND... maybe I'll consider making some more soup this week? Mmmm....

So back to the VEGGIE CHALLENGE!!!

MIM Challenge Day #7

Yippie - this weekly challenge is coming to a close. I am excited because it was hard for me. It's the weather that deters me from moving more.

MIM Challenge Tally for today: 3+ hours of farm work. I even jogged through the snow to the barn. See - moving it more makes me want to move even more. Love it!

Breakfast: bowl of Life cereal with skim milk.

Lunch: half a sandwich with turkey, swiss, mayo, and Grey Poupon.

Coffee: 1 cup with powdered Hazelnut creamer. 1 cup of tea with the same creamer. 1 cup of hot cocoa.

Snacks? I guess you could consider the hot chocolate to be a snack. A popsicle.

Dinner: Homemade macaroni and cheese made with whole wheat pasta and a generous helping of mixed vegetables. And a CapriSun.

MIM Challenge Day #6

MIM Challenge Tally: Farm Chores 2 1/2 hours. Add to that another hours worth from this evening. Now that's my kind of exercise! Breakfast: 2 pieces of honey oat toast with peanut butter and a cup of hot chocolate. Coffee: 1 cup. Snack: None so far. Lunch: Lean Cuisine Brick Oven Style Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza. YUMM-O! And healthy too! The only thing missing is a little side salad. I'm going to have to get some of these for myself to take to work for lunch. This weeks challenge is coming to a close. I think I might go back to the Veggie Challenge??? Not sure. Oh - and I'm supposed to weigh in today, but I'm not home... so I'll have to wait. Dinner: Smoked turkey and swiss on Olive Oil bread with light mayo and a squeeze of Grey Poupon. 3/4 c. skim milk. Rene'e uses pint size jars for drinking glasses. I think I might put a few in my cupboards as well. Since I really should be measuring more, this is an easy way to measure milk, juice, or any other drinks.

MIM Challenge Day #5 - TGIF

MIM Challenge Tally:

• Walk across campus and up 50 Steps
• Walk back across campus for lunch
• Walk back across campus and up 50 Steps again

Breakfast: 3/4 c. Raisin Bran with 3/4 c. 1% milk

Water: Working on a bottle now.

Coffee: 1 cup with cream at work. Thinking about the 2nd cup. I only made 2 cups as I am a loner in the office today.

Pills: No - shame on me.

Snack: Does hot chocolate count? I had 2 cups this evening.

Lunch: Supposed to be going out for lunch today. Hmmm... Nope - stayed in. 1/2 Turkey with swiss on a pretzel roll with lettuce, tomato, and sun-dried tomato mayo. Small side of fresh fruit salad - mostly melon.

Dinner: a bowl of Life cereal with skim milk.

Exercise: barn work - feeding and watering the horses.

Moods & How I'm Feeling:

• Morning: Rather groggy. Need coffee.
• Afternoon: Not much like working, but I have to. Dreading the cold outside - YUK. Hum-ho. Not overly energetic, but not a bump on a log either. Status quo.
• Evening: tired and rather bored. I think I'm ready to turn in for the night.

MIM Challenge Day #4 - Thursday

MIM Challenge Tally:

• Stairs - up and down up and down up and down UGH

Breakfast: 3/4 c. Raisin Bran with 3/4 c. 1% milk

Pills: Aspirin

Water: 1/2 bottle before breakfast. Large glass with lunch. Larger glass with dinner. 1/2 bottle before bed.

Coffee: 1 cup with no fat cream - with hubby - "Bella Florentina" + 1 cup with cream at work. 1 cup of tea with cream (afternoon)

Snack: Hmmm... running out of options. I need to go to the grocery store soon. No snacks.

Lunch: 1/2 Turkey and Provolone on Foccacia bread with sun-dried tomato mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickle. Spoonful of mixed fruit (melon, grapes, and pinapple)

Dinner: boneless skinless grilled cajun chicken, side salad with bleu cheese, and a scoop of garlic mashed potatoes (no gravy)

Exercise: Refer to MIM Challenge Tally

Moods & How I'm Feeling:

• Morning: Rested and upbeat. Hubby is off today so I will try to get home early to spend some quality time with him. That makes me happy.
• Afternoon: So far so good. Happy and plugging along in my work. Not accomplishing as much as I had aspired at the start. I have a few more items to address and then I'll shove off for home, early as planned. Perhaps I'll get some much needed rest so I can tackle this all again tomorrow.
• Evening: Absolutely beat. Run down. Tired and wanting to 'catch up.'

My MIM Challenge is not going so well. It is dreadfully cold outside so I'm hard pressed to venture out for a walk. Meanwhile I have worked late almost every day this week and thus when I finally arrive at home I am utterly exhausted. I have done some squats and one day I did some aerobics. I'll do better this weekend because I'm staying at the farm and there are plenty of chores to be done there.