Bea's Journal

[Anna Green]

The wonderful thing about kids is all they care about usually is how good the hug feels. My son used to love to lean on my fat. They are so lucky to have you. I am glad you are taking good care of yourself. My boy had a teacher like you for third grade and it was a wonderful year. I adored her. I would have scrubbed her toilets, cleaned her car... I made her a big pot of soup once just because I wanted to feed her. Pure gratitude. Later when I decided to pull him out of the school system and put him into "Life Without School" she helped me with the decision and then said to have him send her his papers to read if he wanted feedback. So supportive. I just may make her another pot of soup when the weather gets cold. While I may remember my own teachers fondly, there is nothing like the gratitude I feel for someone who cared so much for my son's education and wellbeing.

[f1jim]

I want more updates!!! We have a lot of work to do on diet and exercise if we are going to make our goal. How are you doing?
f1jim

[BHealthy]

Anna, you sound like such a caring parent. Parents are the most important of all teachers!

Jim - I'm not exactly sure what you mean about we have a lot more work to do. I don't mean any offense, but if anyone knows about how much work I need to do - it truly is ME. I for sure am not giving up or getting out of whack. I feel like I'm doing the work on diet and exercise. Last week I exercised 4 1/2 hours and was able to move my laps up to 3/4 mile non-stop. I did an hour of aqua-aerobics suspended (not touching the bottom of the pool) without a flotation device. I'm getting stronger and stronger and eating completely on program, though I did eat more sprouted grain tortillas than I usually do one week. Yesterday morning I weighed 363 - which is 66 pounds gone in 3 months and 3 days. Please don't worry about me. I'm doing great. I plan on feasting on my birthday because I am not dieting, I am living a lifestyle. I will eat cake on my birthday if I have a hankering to - for the rest of my life. I never ever want to live in fear of food again. I want to trust myself and to keep focused on my goal without becoming fearful or so restrictive that I just go bonkers. I've had experience with my journey and know more about what works for me. I'm doing just dandy. Especially with all the fluids and knee problems - I'd say it's going pretty well. Sorry to sound like I'm patting myself on the back, but I'm trying to root for myself. It seems to help a lot.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

[sksamboots]

Bea : You are doing really great and you are in a good place. So glad your here

[MaryW]

Hi Bea, I just started reading your journal. Wow! You are doing so well! of course your weight loss is impressive, but I think your positive attitude and your dedication to exercise are even more important! And like other people have said, I feel like a lazy slob for not doing as much as you are.

All of the food you are eating sounds wonderful. If you ever need a dinner guest, let me know! People always tell me that they can't imagine how food can have taste without meat. But they don't know what they are missing.

I'm so impressed with your swimming. Impressed and jealous of your nerve! I haven't put on a bathing suit in at least 10 years, probably longer. I worked up the nerve to try on a suit in Walmart last year. It was horrifying! My thighs would frighten small children! But I would really like to swim. As you know, it's good exercise, but easy on the joints. I don't know any plus size people who swim. Even my SKINNY friends complain about wearing bathing suits. You have given me something think about. I shouldn't let my weight get in the way.

Keep up the great work!

[f1jim]

Just teasing ya a bit! I too think you are doing great. I guess you can't see me winking on the internet. I'm sure you are in a good place as far as the march toward your goals and greater health. Keep your eye on that prize!
f1jim

[Letha..]

WOW! 66 pounds in 3 months and 3 days. That is just fricking amazing girl! I’m so so so happy for you. I hope you took some before photos to go with your after photos.
Letha

[BHealthy]

It was a busy week with lots of illness all around. I managed to get in 4 1/2 hours of exercise and today - even swam a mile - which is a first in a looooooooong time. I haven't been feeling too fine for the past couple days, but have no plans to get whopping ill. There are swine flu, pneumonia, other flus and colds all around me at work - and in my face actually, though the covering coughs and hand washing after nose-picking (kids are really into their noses - literally!) is getting better. Eeeeeek!

My knees have been hurting a lot this week - had to walk a lot. I should hear about the power chair in a week or so.

Unfortunately I'm retaining more fluids right now - the old joints are really aching and that lovely synovial fluid injection stuff doesn't seem to be doing the trick like it was the past 2 weeks. Bummer.

I guess I got a touch of pleurisy (sp?) in the back of my right lung a few days ago but I'm laying low this weekend and applying a heated pressure wrap, drinking vitamin c fluids and it seems a bit better. It's difficult to get a full breath which is not so fun. I probably shouldn't have worked out today, but I was really driven to get it in and so I did and it was painful to the max. I just gave it my best and made it through and then crashed when I got home.

I just cannot get sick! I have too much to do at work and there are class photos and about 5 meetings before and after work next week which I can't miss and yadda-yadda. We've already had staff with swine flu - so I suppose most of us have been exposed to it. I was probably exposed to it back in the 70s anyway. I just worry about my little students. Parents are in tough situations - many have no babysitting resources and therefore send their children to school slightly sick. Unfortunately that spreads throughout school and their child just becomes more ill and ends up missing a week or two or in the hospital.

Our school has been very diligent about requring sick children to stay home. We don't have on site nurses nor do we have any ability to care for children - only wash off the wound, bandages and ice. It's the law. If I have a student with cracked and bleeding fingers or lips - we can't give any lotion or ointment and for the child to have even lip gloss at school - they need a doctor's order. It's tough.

My eating has been okay. I've stayed on plan but have been hungrier than usual. Soup helps a lot with that.

Well, I've got to get back to rest.
Thanks for visiting my journal Letha, Mary W and sksamboots. Some days I feel like I'm losing steam but I try to keep plugging along. A friend at work brought me a vegan dish that I know was high calorie - but I ate it for lunch the day I left my lunch at home on the counter. Other than that - I'm doing okay. I've been using stevia and cinnamon on my morning oatmeal - so off the sugar now.

About 7 of us are getting together on my birthday at a favorite restaurant in a week or so. It will be lots of fun. Someone is bringing a vegan cake, too. The other day I was shopping at Whole Foods and bought a cake for someone. It was tempting to get a vegan treat - but I avoided it. Somedays I have taste memories of my overeating, sweets and fats. Wish I could say they seem just awful, but those flavors are addictive. Still, I am going to have cake on my birthday and will flush it down the toilet or disposal if need be at the end of that day. My birthday is one day and when it ends, it ends. Bring on the greens, beans, and potatoes again.

[MaryW]

One thing I have noticed about SAD foods...my food memories of them are wonderful. But when I slip up and eat them, they don't taste as great as I remember. That makes me a bit more able to resist the temptation the next time.

I have a truly nasty cold remedy I read about in a veg magazine years ago. It really seems to keep colds and things away though. Boil a half cup of chopped garlic and a 3 inch piece of ginger, chopped, in 2 cups of broth. let steep for 15 mins. Puree and strain. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice, as much hot sauce as you can stand and sweetener to taste. I usually add molasses cuz it's the only thing that can stand up to all this! If I drink some of this as soon as I start to get that run down feeling, I don't get sick. Hope you feel better soon!

Glad you and your kids are having fun!

[Anna Green]

Bea, I am glad you are in bed taking care. You really are doing this, no excuses. It is ok though not to exercise when sick. It is better to let that lung heal first. Sorry to sound mama-ish. I just thought if you needed to hear it, as I do sometimes, I would say it. If not, blow it off. I hope you have a boat load of fun for your birthday. Dinner with friends sounds wonderful.

[sksamboots]

Bea,

Eh I understand. I feel like everyone is sick around me too. I didn't feel too good for a while, but didn't get too sick. Get some rest, take care of yourself

[BHealthy]

Well, whatever it was I feel a lot better now. Didn't swim this morning to give my body a little more rest, but will get a swim in tomorrow morning.

Made some thick veggie soup with everything I had - lots of garlic, too.

Thanks for the good wishes all. They worked!

[sksamboots]

Glad you feel better

[BHealthy]

Thanks for the visit sksamboots.

I had a fairly good week. Today I mindlessly put some popcorn into the microwave and started eating away in the dark until I realized it tasted much too good. I'd mistakenly popped some of my friend's popcorn. Oh well. Tossed it but then there was this coating on my tongue and mouth. Very gross. I popped the Bearitos lightly salted no oil popcorn and had that after. I must say it doesn't taste as good as the hideously oily kind, but it sure feels a lot better afterwards!

This morning I weighed 359 but I figure I really weigh more like 361. I've been eating alright, but not fantastic. Not eating junk or anything, but eating sprouted grain tortillas slows down the weight loss. It fills me up, but slows things down.

I got in 4 1/2 hours swimming workouts this week and got a mile swim in today. I definitely feel stronger and am gaining muscle.

Still haven't heard a thing about the power chair. The school safety plan committee revised my emergency drill exit plan which was very nice since my principal doesn't get it very well. It's really going to cut down on the pain.

I'm loving my students but the swine flu is hitting pretty hard and I rarely have them all at school, sometimes am missing 5 or more. This is just the beginning of it. It comes on very fast - sometimes a student seems fine and then an hour later has a 103 fever and it's off to home. Many recover within a few days, but some take a week or 2 and that's a lot of school to miss. Poor little muffins.

So far my only bout with illness was last weekend and it passed quickly. I was so lucky. We have teachers coming to work and then kapow - they are sick in a few hours.

I have a lot to do tomorrow. About 7 hours of work in my classroom and then I'm baking a cake to take to work for my birthday. On Monday I'll bring the kids some little surprises (Halloween erasers) and that night 6 of my friends and I are having a birthday party dinner at the round table in my fav Chinese restaurant. It has the giant lazy susan in the middle. I'm having heaps of steamed veggies, 2 or 3 different sauces and steamed rice. I'm sure everyone else will be having all the other great food they have, but I love my veggies! It will be lots of fun. I am truly blessed to have wonderful friends who love life and are funny, kind and smart. I can't wait to get together.

My weight loss goal for this month is to get down to 355-349 by November 7th. If I lay off the tortillas and pile on the soups, potatoes and stews - it will happen. I know I'm going to pop up the calories on Monday with cake and more cake, but I will burn that off by adding up to 5 or 5 1/2 hours of exercise. That's the goal.

Well, I'm going to go watch an old horror movie. I love scary movies without gore. Hitchcock is absolutely one of my favorite movie directors. Shadow of a Doubt - love, love, love that movie! Well, just about every movie of his. I have them all.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Sorry I'm so selfish as to watch old movies instead of popping in to say hello today. I'm doing fine and dandy, though.

[bunsofaluminum]

mmm, chinese! Do you request without MSG? That stuff'll make you fat.

It's good that you haven't been hit with the swine flu. Schools are one of the great breeding grounds for stuff like that. And I'm VERY impressed with the swimming. A mile is just amazing, girl.

you're doing it.