Bea's Journal

[BHealthy]

Last night I did not go swimming as I had an upset stomach. I think my body is adjusting to eating whole foods again and maybe is sensitive to the natural sulfites in that balsamic vinegar.

I hope to feel well enough to go swimming tonight because I actually missed doing it - it's fun and I feel better when I swim.

I'm having a little bit easier time getting in and out of the car. It was also easier to take a shower yesterday, didn't need to catch my breath and was more flexible. These are small positive changes, but they give me hope that I will be able to build strength and stamina in the next month and a half - enough to be able to do my job in the fall -without a motorized cart or wheelchair.

I will need to rejoin the health club - which is quite expensive, but has the only nearby pool I can use. I know my food expenditures will get smaller as I start chopping my own veggies for salads rather than relying on those from the store's organic salad bar. For right now, it's great and helpful to use those ready foods. Also, I'm not buying deli items which are extremely expensive and have declined going out to dinner for these first few months. All these changes save more than enough money for the healthclub membership.

I didn't take the lasix yesterday due to getting together with friends and running errands. I will be back on the quadruple dose today, tomorrow and Tuesday and then back to double. Then I will either continue lasix or switch to the water drinking method.

Most of the fluid is now down to my ankles and feet - not so much pitting in my legs or chest/abdomen now.

[Anna Green]

Bea, I am so glad you are keeping it up. Enjoy all your victories. I hope you swim today as well and I will live vicariously thru you so come back with details. I am off to the arboretum to wog so I'll come back with details as well on my journal if you are interested. You enjoy.

[sksamboots]

Remember all the small victories really do make a difference in your life and are worth noting because eventually they all add up. Amazing progress

[Melinda]

Bea, you are doing wonderfully! Congratulations on all of your positive changes! Have a good day.

[seestorcoo]

It sounds like you are making a great start on your journey. I love the instant food available at salad bars - salad, stirfry, etc. I have to make sure I stay away from the higher fat things but thats not as hard as it sounds. If I'm out though, it seems difficult to find oil free dressing and I've taken to either carting my own 321 along or buying some from the shelf if I'm eating at a store or asking for the 321 ingredients (liquid sweetner, mustard, vinegar - whatever flavors).

I even raid the salad bar for cut up vegies to take to work sometimes.

Good luck and I'm rooting for you! (pun sorta intended)

[BHealthy]

Anna - oh dear, I didn't go swim but fell asleep instead and when I woke it was too late. Guess I was tired. I will go tomorrow so you can have your vicarious swim then.

sksamboots - sorry I got your name mixed up with seestorcoo's. I really appreciate your posts in my journal. Knowing I'm on this journey with such supportive people is very helpful.

seestorcoo - I love getting the veggies at the salad bar. This time I put each chopped veggie in a little box. I love the red cabbage and red bell peppers the most. It really is terribly expensive though, so I'm going to have to get a system down for doing that at home. I'm thinking of using this kind of Tupperware sectioned tray and tubs. If I have the veggies cut and ready for action - then there are unlimited options for using them and I can avoid other temptations such as processed carbs when hunger knocks. I liked your pun.

Melinda - thanks for the encouragement. Today wasn't one of my best as far as exercising goes, but I was still on track with the eating. Time to hit the pool tomorrow. I'm aiming for another week of 5-6 days of exercise 45-60 min swim. I plan to add in the isobreathing in the morning too for more strength and breathing help.


Feeling a little "guilty" about not going swimming tonight. Just didn't feel the umph to go do it and fell asleep instead. I will go tomorrow for certain.

Watched this video clip of Rip Esselstyn on ABC news. It's great to see this message getting into mainstream media. May it continue!

http://www.comcast.net/video/The-Engine-2-Diet/1186123731/ABCNews/newest/[/url]

[BHealthy]

Thank you to the McDougallers who've been encouraging me here in my journal. It helps knowing you are out there "rooting" along the way.

Have been feeling a bit in the dumps today. Possibly from not working out the past 2 days. Am about to put on my suit and head to the pool - as soon as it gets a little darker. I'm pretty self-conscious about how I look in a swimsuit right now.

I've been eating on plan. Enjoyed hashbrowns for breakfast and brown rice with veggies and hummus for lunch. Will have a late dinner or snack due to not feeling hungry for dinner - so after the swim some potatoes.

I haven't been planning my menu and need to do that. It will help with the shopping. I buy groceries about twice a week - to get fresh produce. My appetite seems to be less than usual, so that's great.

It's been 3 days since I've taken the lasix. I just do not want to take the darn stuff. I've been drinking water like crazy, but the swelling is not down. I know exercise helps - so the workout will help tonight, but I think I do need to take those darn things until I'm able to walk around more. On Saturday I used the motorized cart at Whole Foods instead of walking with my cane. I was just so darn sore and tired. I really think I need to push myself to walk though - even though it hurts..

Have been avoiding setting up the physical therapy appts, too. That is a goal for tomorrow. I'll ask them about walking more. I don't have any cartilage in one of my knees and it's bone on bone. I tolerate pain pretty well, but this is getting to me, though I think it will get easier as I lose more weight and build more muscle/support - gain stamina. Anyway, the knee is so messed up now - that leg is now shorter since the knee is all crammed down without cushion, so my hip gets out of whack too. I've had cortisol? shots and sinovial (sp) fluid injected, but it hasn't helped much and is expensive.

I did this to myself, of course. Dr. McDougall even warned me to be really careful with my knee long ago - but I felt so immortal and lucky and committed to the program...nothing was going to stop me.

Here I am - back again, crippled and more obese than ever. Is it REALLY possible to make these changes or am I just fooling myself? Well, I happen to believe it IS possible - not only is it possible, it is NECESSARY. I know where my old habits got me - - and I know where McDougalling can get me. Over time it becomes the lifestyle and I've been given the gift of extra time - since I have more weight to lose this time it will take longer. I also am a more experienced and wiser McDougaller this time. I am learning to learn from my mistakes.

So I need to plan for my favorite lunch/dinner meals:
Spaghetti on pasta, veggies, salad
Beans, rice and greens, salad
Soup, salad, bread
Burritos, southwest rice, salad
Sushi, salad, steamed veggies
Savory casserole, veggies, salad
Mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, salad
Chili, cornbread, salad
Curried veggies/lentils, rice, salad
Spanish rice, veggies, salad
"Fried" rice, stir fry veggies, sweet and sour sauce
Veggie, Mock Tuna, or Reuben sandwich, creamy soup, salad
Burger (lentil or grain) on ww bun, baked potato fries, salad
Sweet potatoes, lentil loaf, gravy, steamed veggies

Those meals worked for me in the past. I will also try new recipes on the regular plan and ffvegan and blogs etc as they look great and are easy to make McDougall friendly if need be.

Okay, it's almost dark. Off I go to swim.

[Anna Green]

I am so glad you are doing this for yourself.

[sksamboots]

I like to swim only in the dark too, I understand

[Talyae]

Hope the swim went well for you and that you are feeling better.

[KareninTN]

Exercising will always be helpful, if you can do it, but don't forget that the program is powerful enough to cause major weight loss even without it. So don't let an inability to be active at any particular time get in the way of your dedication to sticking with the food plan.

Karen

[BHealthy]

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies.

It's now my third week McDougalling wisely. I've avoided the old temptations of deli items and junk food. I did try some Bahama rice burgers. I think I could figure out a way to make those. Lots of lovely garlic. Very tasty.

I didn't swim Saturday or Sunday but did on Monday and Tuesday. Monday night's workout was rigorous and I even swam laps which was motivating. I was surprised I could do that. Only 9 laps, but hey, laps! I have to watch out for doing too many bouncing water aerobics activities because it messes up my knee to touch the pool bottom so much. Other than that, it's going pretty darn well at the pool.

I live near ponds and creeks plus there is a lot of foilage around the pool. At night bats dart around above the pool hunting for bugs. It's great! Venus is really easy to see now, too.

Yesterday I ate Brussels Sprouts for a snack. I was pretty surprised that I wanted those but they were awesome. I ate watermelon and canteloupe yesterday, too. So yummy! Summer fruits are incredible.

I haven't been doing the isometrics yet, but will try to add them a couple times this week. I need to watch out for trying to do too much and getting frustrated. There is a balance I need to keep between making positive changes as an adult and still respecting the little "brat's" needs to not feel overwhelmed, to let her know I have her needs in mind too. Hence, rewards. Got to get going on those soon. I guess I won't weigh this week unless I want to head up to the doctor's office. I see a doctor next week, so I'll weigh then for sure. In the past I've had really good luck losing weight following the regular plan so I'm not really thinking about the weight loss as much as changing the habits. I know the weight is going to come off.

There comes a time when the enthusiam for/newness of making positive changes kind of wears off and the reality of choosing to do what is best for health - the adult thing to do - has to take over. Making those choices when the going gets tough or more bland or seems endless. That's what helps create the lifestyle - choosing to do what needs to be done. Oh, and changing thinking patterns. I've been doing some self-chats lately when I hear those old thoughts about never succeeding, fooling myself etc. Got to be conscious of that in order to retrain my thinking. Having special occasions to look forward to is also helpful for letting that little rascal who wants cake etc know she'll be getting some down the road and doesn't need to feel deprived or worry about missing out of treats forever. Birthdays and holidays are good for treat foods.

[sksamboots]

Congrats on it being your third week! And focusing on your self-thoughts and why your doing this--that's great

[Anna Green]

Bhealthy, Bats! How cool. I can imagine you feel pleasantly tired and limp after your swim. Ponds and creeks? I am envious. I love to sit by creeks and just listen. Something inside me just eases. The food sounds great. You are doing this!

[BHealthy]

Sksamboots - thanks for your ongoing encouragement. I am thinking differently about this. Much as I'd like to lose 35 pounds a month just to be more mobile and in less pain - I am in this forever, so I know the weight will come off.

Anne - tonight there were no bats while swimming, darn it. They seem to fly around the pool at dusk and I worked out too late for the bats. It is wonderful to see them, though. They are fast! As a kid I used to swim in a creek where it was dammed and deep and there were hundreds of bats there diving at the bugs on the water at dusk. It was amazing - you could feel the air move as they darted by.

Last night I was desperate for something to eat and couldn't locate the canopener for the life of me to open the black beans. I could feel that I needed some protein so I steamed brown rice, spinach, some broccoli and crumbled in a handful of walnuts. Threw on some Braggs and a splash of ff sweet and sour sauce. Oh my gosh it was so good. The walnuts made the dish so rich and delicious. I will have to count that as my "rich" meal that I forgot to have last weekend.

Tonight I tried lima beans with hashbrowns. Oh, hideous! Lima beans need a casserole or to just be a side dish with some kind of savory meal or in a soup in my opinion. Not near hashbrowns, though. They were overcooked, too - so tough little beans to boot. I ate as much as I could stand and made a promise to stock up the freezer and fridge tomorrow.

However, after the late night swim I had a deeelicious strawberry/banana smoothie with a little stevia and unsweetened soymilk. Next time I'll use water and ice instead of soymilk and add some greens and vanilla. However, it wasn't sweet and was totally refreshing! Next time I freeze bananas I think I'll peel them first. Peeling frozen bananas is sort of messy.

I haven't weighed for about 10 or so days but I can feel that my clothes are getting a little looser and can see my knee bones a little now. Still have fluid in my legs and feet though.

So I got in 45-60 min water workouts on Mon, Tues, Fri and a seated isometric workout on Thursday. My goal is for 5-6 days of workouts so I have 2 more days left to get cracking! I think of weeks starting on Mondays.