Now I understand that most people will totally balk at this article from Prevention Magazine. But I do believe with all my heart that we, as a nation, are foolishly convinced that being 20 to 40 lbs. overweight is what should be a normal weight for us. I highly doubt myself that I could get back to 117 at 5' 6-1/2" that was what I was at Prom time as a senior. But I felt excellent and even after the birth of my first son, I was 123 and feeling really awesome and looking good! Since after 30 I was at times as low as 130, *and still having pizza and Coke and some desserts* I think getting to 132/135 is certainly not impossible, especially when I already had 3 children.

I fear I may only be 5'6" now also.

I never ever starved myself. I can't. I hate being hungry. What I did do though and don't do today is get plenty of fun exercise . . . swimming 5 mornings a week, riding the exercise bike there, some machines (not that many, they bore me) and playing racquetball (which pretty much ruined my knees). I also walked a lot with a brisk pace.

And I ate very well . . . so it can be done. I truly believe it would take me at least 18 months to get back to that type of fitness level.

Look Younger Naturally

Prevention's Anti-Aging Guide

How to take off 10 years or more--and look and feel better than ever

By Andreas von Bubnoff and Joanna Lloyd , Andreas von Bubnoff has written for Nature, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Joanna Lloyd writes often on health and medicine.

We used to think our fate was in the cards--or in the stars. Now, thanks to research unlocking the secrets to living longer and better, we know different. It turns out that 70% of the factors influencing life expectancy are due to good choices and good luck--not good genes.

What are the moves that will peel off the years and show you how to look younger? Prevention asked dozens of scientists studying aging, exercise, nutrition, and related fields which changes deliver the biggest payoff. Read on for their picks on how to look younger -- powerful enough to make these researchers adopt them in their own lives.

1. Stay the weight you were at 18

"Next to not smoking, this is probably the most important thing we can do to stay healthy and live longer," says Walter Willett, MD, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Leanness matters for how to look younger, because fat cells produce hormones that raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. They also make sub-stances called cytokines that cause inflammation--stiffening the arteries and the heart and other organs. Carrying excess fat also raises the risk of some cancers. Add it up, and studies show that lean people younger than age 75 halve their chances of premature death, compared with people who are obese.

The government deems a wide range of weights to be healthy (between 110 and 140 pounds for a 5-foot-4 woman), partly because body frames vary tremendously. So to maintain the weight that's right for you, Willett suggests you periodically try to slip into the dress you wore to your high school prom--assuming, of course, that you were a healthy weight at that age. If not, aim for a body mass index of about 23.5.

Willett can't use the prom-dress test himself. Nevertheless, at 6-foot-2 and a lean 184 pounds, he dutifully hews to the BMI of his youth.

Behavior or Personality Traits Can Influence Health

This article is so good that I would like to pass it along . . . it is not just about how it affects our health. Our outlook greatly enhances or reduces the chances of being productive and happy . . . and we ALL want to be happy, right?

*It's all connected* IMHO

Here's the beginning of the article. The link to the entire article is at the bottom. It's really a good read, makes a lot of sense.

Tomorrow I'll post about myself and my progress or lack thereof. Let's face it, it ain't easy to always do the right thing. Pretty much my portions are really a lot smaller or if large, made of salad fixings. It's gonna take time, folks. :-( At least I'm not going backwards and pigging out :-)

7 Thoughts That Are Bad
For You
Our personalities do more for us than determine our social circles. Temperament can impact a person's physical health.

The idea that behavior or personality traits can influence health is one that's been around for a long time. We're just now getting a handle on to what extent they do," said Stephen Boyle of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

From those with a chill demeanor to the completely frazzled types, mental factors are ultimately tied to physical health. And while a highly neurotic person might deteriorate more quickly than others, not every character trait will kill you. Some might even boost lifetimes.

-- Jeanna Bryner

Cynicism

Cynics who tend to be suspicious and mistrustful of others, a character trait that scientists refer to as hostility, may have an increased likelihood of developing heart disease. "These aren't necessarily hot-headed people, but people who are more likely to read into people's behavior as some hostile motive," Stephen Boyle said during a telephone interview.

In a study of more than 300 Vietnam veterans who were healthy at the study start, Boyle found that those who scored high on measures of hostility were about 25 percent more likely to develop heart disease.

Boyle and his colleagues think that hostile individuals might experience more stress, which can cause spikes in an immune-system protein called C3 that has been linked with various diseases, including diabetes. In fact, the participants with higher scores on hostility showed an increase in these proteins while the non-hostile men showed no such increase.

Use this link to read all 7 impact-negative behaviors.

http://www.livescience.com/health/090911-7-bad-thoughts.html

OK, Back to the Business of Losing Weight

It's all attitude and I've got one -- but I take comfort in this thought this morning ---------------->

Started feeling better Sunday afternoon. Monday much better but decided to rest more.

Tuesday morning and I expect to be back to walking and working towards the 2 miles per day goal. Obviously I didn't make it last week.
I had a constant mild headache all week and then kaput! got sick at the end of the week and all weekend.

It is wicked early in the morning and I'll report later in the day how my walking went.

Sick and Tired, Ugh!

Ummmmm, "No!"
Don't do this or you'll never get serious.
Too tired to post. Have been sick all day with fever and aches, etc.
Tomorrow's another day.

WOW! I didn't know that . . . . . . . . . . . And "The Challenge"

Did You Know This?
The Journal of the American College of Nutrition study found that the muscle you lose is replaced by fat. So you really need to keep your muscles working and conditioned.
"A pound of fat takes up 18% MORE space on your body than a pound of muscle does!"
Isn't THAT something!

The Challenge (between Mr.&Mrs.K)
. . . which should have started 'Yesterday'
-or- "Better Late Than Never, . . . !Right!"

After watching Dr. Oz today (Men's Show)
The Dr. Oz Fire Drill
(the link to his page is at the end of this post)

. . . and watching the 3 out-of-shape overweight firemen from Chicago agree to the 2-month diet and exercise program,
we -- *Mr.K & I* --
TOOK OUR WAIST MEASUREMENTS TOGETHER !!! Yikes !!!
I knew that Mr.K's had expanded but he didn't realize by how much and he knew that mine was waaaay out of hand, but I really didn't realize by how much. What a nasty tape measure! It comes from one of those 'handy-person zillion-mile-high-piled-shelves' stores . . . a cheapo tape measure . . .
Surely it can't be accurate! Sigh. It is.

OK, here are the stats, February 11th:
(taken at the 'relaxed' belly button)
Mr.K's waist: 42-3/4 inches
Mrs.K's waist: 45 honk'in, stink'in inches
All those brownies and chocolate chip cookies and pizza and bread and butter and chicken pot pies are right there wrapped around me! (I had not taken my measurements since
I was looking for my wedding dress in
July 2000 -- obviously a huge mistake.)
Imbarazzo!*

Dr. Oz's firemen are supposed to lose
4 inches in 2 months.
We are shooting for this very loss too.
However, I'm certain that neither of us can stick to a purely vegetarian diet which is what these guys are being given (plus their exercise program). I'm much more prone to stick closer to a vegetarian diet but I bet he'll still beat me. But, will he really?

Can We Both Succeed? Sure, Why Not.
But will Mr.K. get more inches off than me? and quicker? We'll see . . . . .
Date for winner of this short-term goal? April 15th
(Perhaps we'll do a measurement or two before then to keep us in line LOL)
I'll keep ya all posted.

Future Goal?
For both of us to get back to our wedding/honeymoon week jeans (2000). Waists were 33.5 in. each. I was in size 10 and 12 jeans and I still have them lovingly tucked away in my bureau drawer waiting for this day. (Might take til the end of summer or longer but I'm going to do this! By gum!)
Ya, Mr.K's a guy, taller and will most likely get there quicker, but I'm determined NOT to let him beat me with this 4 inch challenge. I'll definitely have to get out my zils and the hoola hope, ooops I mean hoop that is against the wall in the garage. Ya, more like 'hope.' LOL How come when I was a kid I could do this thing so many times and over and over ?

_____________________
*Italian for Embarrassment!

Link to Dr. Oz's Fire Drill: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-oz-fire-drill

Note to Self: No more avocados. Sniff '/'

A Recommendation

I would like to recommend Fit Day .com as a great way to track your daily routines. Here is the link: http://www.fitday.com

This is quite similar to Weight Watchers on-line tracking but it is entirely free! Free is good! Save your money for new clothes or a gym membership or a nice day trip.

There is a section for finding out the caloric values (and more) of everyday foods. It is very handy and you can save your find, if this is a food you eat frequently and want to tally up to see where you're at during the day so that you don't overeat.

I love the weight chart and being able to see that line heading downhill LOL

Just thought I'd pass this along to you all. Hope this helps.

You can also write a daily journal in your Fit Day account about your feelings and progress. Writing about your habits and why you do what you do and how it affects your eating may reveal things that you were not aware of that hinder weight loss.

The reason I journal about this is to see how much better I feel eating the right way so that if I'm tempted to overdo and fall backwards into crazy choices and pig out, that I'll remember how awful I was feeling. Our minds and hearts have a way of fooling us, cajoling us, tempting us and clouding our reasoning. Sometimes it's worse than dealing with bratty kids! I also have natives in my stomach that jump up and down!

Tired, Sleepy and Resting the Muscles

You can feel the dampness of the impending storms. This is probably why I've had just a bit of a headache since yesterday. Boy! were the muscles in my butt aching this morning and around the hip area. So I decided to give it a rest. Tomorrow is another day and I'll be more likely to get back out there and be more refreshed.

Rethinking my avocado input. After this bunch is done with, I may not have any for a couple of weeks. Not sure. I should not be eating an entire one, they are full of calories and fat and even though the fat is a 'good' fat, it seems that curtailing high amounts of fat would be the wisest -- at least until I'm into a very good walking and exercise routine that does a good burn. This is still weeks away.

But overall, I'm eating very sensibly and am quite proud of this.

Weight: I don't weigh myself every single day. My weight can vary and why get all down and negative if the scale doesn't budge or goes up a pound. Seems pointless. I weigh about every 3 or 4 days and always on Monday morning.

Mood: Still very positive.

Start Early, Get Exhausted . . . errrrr Energized?

Whew! . . . was thinking how much energy I 'used' to have (BMTS) before moving to Sequim. I was out and about so much more in San Diego, true. But 'honestly?' I was also out walking in the middle of the winter in Boston, even when it was below 20 deg.

So first thing this morning, before even a glass of water, I was out the door. Yes, it was a bit chillier but actually refreshing.

Got in a half mile without stopping once.

Goal for this week? To get in 2 miles of walking outside (daily). I will 'hopefully' be breaking this up into 4 segments: 1/2 miles 4 x/day to build up to it all. The overall goal is 5 miles a day.

I also just got off my glider. I'm doing 5 min. increments throughout the day and evening also and my butt HURTS. This means those muscles are being worked and within a month some toning results should start to show.

Mood: POSITIVE !!!

I'm Still Not Hungry . . . Not One Single Bit. HOORAY!

Two years ago I was attending Weight Watchers and did very well on their "Points" system. I recommend it highly. What I learned there has proved most invaluable -- that you can and should eat quite a bit of food during the day -- food that is healthy and has a high fiber content. If you follow the program, you will find that you have trouble fitting all the food in because the fiber keeps you very satisfied.

I don't do fake . . . no artificial sweeteners, no diet sodas, no phony stuff. I looked into those fiber pills, but after reading the side affects decided not to put myself through this. It really is not necessary, an added expense and can cause very uncomfortable and VERY embarrassing movements . . . er moments.

The Doctors Show and Dr. Oz Show have really good information, and there is a lot from Prevention Magazine and other sources that anyone can take notes from. My diet now consists 90% of fresh unprocessed foods. Yes, I'm having to wash a few more things, but it is so worth it.

When the news reports on Haiti come on and I read about the suffering, it really hits me hard. We should all realize just how fortunate we are, here in the US, to be able to purchase wholesome foods of all kinds every month of the year. Imagine this! Kings and queens did not have this huge array available to them not that many years ago. So getting back to basics, more the way the folks in this country ate a century ago should not be a chore nor thought of as unsatisfying.

What if you were starving and no other foods were available? What if there were no (fill in the blanks), but you still could have fresh fruits, whole grains, chicken, fresh vegetables, etc. Wouldn't you be oh so grateful? I keep this in my mind a lot lately.

My desire would be to go vegetarian but I know this won't happen. We do not eat much red meat so I feel that once a week in a small amount won't hurt me at all. The bacon HAS to go away, that's for sure (mostly because of the nitrates). I was eating far too many eggs also and now only have 1 egg, scrambled and poured onto sauteed veggies and onions.

If you saw the huge amount on my plate for breakfast this morning, you'd gack! I was so full afterwards. This carried me for hours too.

My day started with 1/2 a mango, 1/2 cup of coffee and 12 oz. of water. Two hours later I had mega breakast, LOL. This was a LOT of steamed broccoli (no salt, no butter). I love broccoli, so I don't have a need to change/enhance the flavor. Butter used to be added but I'm having either no butter at all, or only a smidge (less than a teaspoon). I sauteed garlic, onions, peppers, mushrooms and tomato pieces in a little olive oil and poured the scrambled egg (with just a little milk scrambled in) over it all in a small omelette pan. I sprinkled shredded cheese on top and ground pepper. The veggies made it huge! So you get all this really good-for-you fiber but also an omelette.

Then I added just a few little pieces of pickled herring and a little of that juice it sits in to pat my broccoli in.

I just drank water all day. For supper Mr.K. made ribs (sans honey or sauce of any kind). I gave him back about 1/3 of my piece and gave Sonia (kitty) some because I wasn't really hungry. I had to force myself to eat the rice pilaf and could not touch my salad. I was that full from hours earlier.

The salad was eaten later instead of a snack -- mixed greens, peppers, mushrooms, tomato, a little Feta cheese, mango salsa and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar and just a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

It is 1:40 am and I'm still stuffed. No thought of extra fruit, no thought of bread or dessert.

This is truly wonderful. The scale is showing very nice progress. Since January 18th I have lost 13 lbs. (18 days)

My biggest challenge? It seems that when the 4 month mark comes up, I tend to start picking on unhealthy choices . . . So that means that come mid-April/beginning of May I will have to see how my mind is operating.

I really need to get some photos up here for "ACCOUNTABILITY."

My hips and backside were a bit achy this morning and all day. So I only walked 1/2 mile. Phooey! But Mr.K. said I should rest my muscles for a day. He brought my glider down from the upstairs closet and set it up in our dining room behind the recliner so that I can use it while watching TV. I was AGHAST that my legs rub together while using this! HORRORS! Even when I had been overweight before, my legs never rubbed together while using my glider.

What another RUDE AWAKENING !!!!! So I've got to get busy on this too along with the walking. Tune in tomorrow to see if I get a full mile or more in. I'm so gung-ho for getting this extra poundage OFF as soon as it's willing to leave! Sunday will be 3 full weeks.

This is all sooooooooo worth it. :-)

February, The Month of My Birth

Ummmmm . . . Getting older is not the scariest thing. The scariest issue for me is getting sicker and not being able to fix it. I was diagnosed with arthritis at 15 and have always had pain in my joints. I've had two very bad car accidents which injured limbs and joints.

The most intelligent thing I can do is take much better care of myself.

Soon I will turn 59. In one very swift year, I will be 60. Will I feel better, be back to a healthy weight and continue in a good walking program? These are the biggest goals. There are smaller ones but these will keep for another time.

First Goal Reached !!!
I got my mile+ in yesterday! It was so depressing that I could only walk a few blocks before having to return home and sit because of the burning in my lower back. Each city block = 1/10th of a mile and last week I had started walking around the block a few times and returning home and going out again after an hour for a repeat. The goal for this week was to walk an entire mile or a bit more each day (even if it had to be broken into 2 or 3 sessions).

Very grateful to my husband, Jim, for walking with me at Robbin Hill Park. I had never stopped there but always wanted to. This is not a place I would feel comfortable walking alone in at all -- very wooded, and until we were back to the car, we did not see a single person. I like the trails a lot. They are well maintained and there are walking-only trails with the horse trails going into separate areas. The earth is soft compared to walking on the sidewalks, and there are some manageable hills, if one chooses them. We did. I did much better than I expected to!

The air smelled so good with all those tall evergreens surrounding us. I took a lot of deep breaths, really appreciating the clean sweet air we are blessed with here on the Olympic Peninsula. What a huge difference from SoCal. I need to keep appreciating the beauty Sequim and surrounds has to offer. Gotta take more advantage of this.

I could start by posting pictures of myself, posting my weight and all that. There are so many things I could say but for now I want to share the joys of the little achievements.

A few years ago, I could never sit in the house. Walking was something that I thoroughly enjoyed and if days were missed, I would actually crave it. Today, I have this craving. What a wonderful craving! Early this afternoon, I'm heading out again. Hopefully I will get in my mile+ again! and will be very grateful for being able to do so!

Each step takes me closer to better health! . . . and feeling better leads to greater happiness!

This is Robin Hill Park, located between Sequim and Port Angeles, WA (Olympic Peninsula)
http://www.clallam.net/CountyParks/html/parks_robinhill.htm

The 'Reanimation' of CK

Reanimate: To rouse from a state of inactivity or quiescence. Time to return to the real Me. In the past I was always very active, in good working order, sharp in mind and extremely productive. The last few years have seen the disastrous effects of added poundage and sitting around and eating myself into the grave!

My health is in great need of repair and the weight must come off for good!
I began to ponder about feeling ghastly tired, listless, and with little motivation. Sugar and fat-laden goodies had put my mind in a foggy state, and I no longer had a desire to design and create, clean my house or even cook. My eyes were no longer the windows to the world because the shades kept closing and the lenses were not crisp and clear. Strange sharp headaches woke me from deep sleeps and heaviness pressed down on my chest like a team of pacaderms.

My blood pressure was very high in August and this is unusual for me for I've always had very good readings. The classic symptoms of diabetes are here also. Yes, there have been some personal problems, but only I can allow myself to react in self-destructive ways. What, o what have I done to myself? Time to take care of CK . . . time for reanimation!

The stage was set on January 18th of this year and after two full weeks of 'behaving,' I'm ready to start blogging my progress. It took 12 days to start feeling better. I am not dieting, but changing my lifestyle . . . making wise choices and taking a few vitamins and supplements. My goal is to return to walking 5 miles a day, 4 to 5 days a week. I used to do this in 2-1/2 mile segments before and after work when I lived in San Diego. Yes, I have arthritis and pain, but it is time to find solutions and work with what I've got before I lose all flexibility and strength.

My butter-slathering days are over. The loaves of Italian bread will remain in the market. No longer will my oven be pumping out brownies and cookies by the dozen. Milk will last for many more days now. *This doesn't mean that I will 'never' 'ever' . . . it means that these will be put in their place . . . as small desserts for a couple of days a week -- a sharp contrast to starting the day eating two or three brownies with a couple glasses of milk or waking in the middle of the night looking for 'something!'

I've done copious amounts of reading about nutrition, etc. My plan is set.

I will not count calories, nor grams of fat. Fat is desirable and essential in its proper form (derived from plants instead of animals). I will not let the scale depress me (for building muscle is necessary for fitness and calorie burning and muscle weighs more than fat).

There is no set date, no finish line. This has to be it -- a return to the basics . . . fresh produce, lean cuts and eating to live rather than living to eat. The food industry in this country is killing us and I refuse to continue eating fake fat-inducing products.

Follow my blog and see the changes as I reanimate. I will post a picture of my current self. The numbers are not as important as the overall change . . . how trim I become, how active I become and how the reanimation affects my productivity. I need to work with a clear head and with inspiration. I will get back the old Me which was a much better Me!

. . . by the way . . . in the last 2 weeks, I have NOT been hungry at all and I've been eating plenty but already losing weight. My goal is to lose a minimum of 90 pounds and to fit back into my size 10 jeans! Cheer me on!!! Any suggestions will be welcomed!

I also look forward to sharing my projects as I regain my edge and start producing again.
My life's work has been in graphic design, jewelry design and photography and I'm eager to get going again. Let's see how things start to turn around for me. Perhaps you will be inspired and encouraged by my efforts.