Russia1513's Blog

WELCOME

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:14:55 GMT

Just want to post a note for my good friend Kristen, who has decided to kill some unneeded lbs and joined MFP! Welcome, sweetie, and I'm proud of you. You will be successful here.

Young girls are my favorite, because unlike some older folks, younger people have the distinct advantage of being able to be EDUCATED and armed with all kinds of new, modern, and more accurate information about how to manage one's own weight and especially the WHY behind it all! They have all their lives to practice the things that actually work!! rather than wasting valuable time trying things that do NOT work! Kudos to you! Some of the older folks still have their heads wrapped around that starving, and 'cant have that, it's not on my 'diet'! blablabla crap.

Take one obese, rich man, and one skinny, poor man, stand them side by side. Which one has the advantage? If you answered skinny, you got it right. MONEY cannot extend your life. HEALTH is the only thing that CAN!!! And health starts, and ends, with what you put in your mouth, and how you treat your body.

There isn't anything, Kristen, that you can't have, only how MUCH of it you can have, so there will be NO denying yourself, there will be NO negativity, and no starvation. Not in this house! You will learn that rather than wolfing down two brownies, savoring a half a brownie will not only save you hundreds of calories, you will learn the fine art of savoring and appreciating your food, and letting it nurture and nourish your body at the cellular level.... Will it be expensive? Yes. But my feeling is that if I"m gonna spend money on anything at all, GOOD, healthy FOOD is my first choice and my best investment. And I'm getting you in on the ground level.

You can do this. I've shown you the horizon, and it's exciting, isn't it? You will be amazed -- within two weeks, you will have lost at least 3 lbs (my prediction), and it's gonna be miraculous! And you'll want more! So here's to us in 2009!

Here They Are

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:16:35 GMT

What do ya think...? Eh? .... Eh? .... Yea, they rock. I have a nice smile again. I'm sooooo happy!

Chewing is proving difficult, but I'll get it established soon. Relearning how to talk and not sound silly is difficult, but going as well as could be expected considering I've only had them in my mouth for 12 days. I have to go in for a second temporary reline to add comfort to my gums. It will be an almost ongoing process til my gums are completely receded as far as they're supposed to before I can have a permanent reline, which will cost a little money but be well worth it.

According to doctors and pathologists, after the teeth are gone, the bone mass in the jaw tends to deplete, sometimes significantly and especially over great lengths of time, so even when we think we're done worrying about our actual teeth, we have to continue to worry about how our dentures fit in our mouths. garrr, I hate that. My next move is a partial.

Confidence

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:41:21 GMT

I'm struggling with guilt and confidence. Even though it's going to take some time to get used to my new teeth, I'm not eating as good as I was before, and my diet is off. I'm getting plenty of fiber, though HOW I don't know -- it's not coming from VEGGIES, cuz I can't chew them right now, and my calories are within limits and sometimes over. I'm still hovering around 152-155. What hurts the most is the lack of motivation for exercise. My body and brain have adjusted to this overtime schedule, and I seem to have plenty of energy to spare after a 12 hour shift, I'm just bein' frickin' lazy right now.

I did get on the treadmill last night for a whopping 15 minutes, and it felt nice. I was too lazy to continue because I didn't feel like changing into actual workout gear and didn't wanna work up a sweat in my jammies, so I stopped after a short time. So the spirit is willing -- still. Besides, I have to remember that my DBF is going to be quitting smoking for his New Years Resolution so I'm going to need to be at the top of my game in order to help him be at the top of his game. There's a little part of me that suspects that Ed isn't going to be up to the task, but I don't want to tell him that because that wouldn't be fair. I'm supposed to be supportive of his endeavor, but I'm going to let him know up front that even though it's going to be difficult, he can't be TOO mean to his main support beam.

Aaaah Feeling Better

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:28:47 GMT

Okay, well here's an update on my dentures. I was unaware of the spot rubbing on my gum just above the empty canine socket, which the Dentist sanded down and he took my stitches out. Went home and was able to chop up some leftover home made stew and finally ATE something more substantial than soaked oatmeal or bran flakes with mashed banana, yogurt or egg salad. Whew. The Dentist asked me to make sure I come back for a reline in a month after the bulk of the swelling has gone down and gave me instructions how to use adhesive if I felt I needed it. Otherwise, they're VERY pretty - a little too perfect (who has teeth that pretty at my age?). They are going to get me a LOT of attention.

I'm spending the remainder of the weekend doing some cooking and doing a couple short workouts now that my tready is moved to a slightly less bothersome spot (it's noisy!), and going to church tomorrow to show off my new smile. Getting pix for it will be tricky, unless I can find a good digital camera on sale after Christmas on sale!

OUCH dental work

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:33:38 GMT

I have a great dentist. He pulled all 6 of my teeth out in less than 3 minutes, but I'm in a pretty good amount of pain, even with 100mg of Vicodin in me! But the dentures look AWESOME and the only sounds I'm going to have trouble with are the sh and s sounds, which is typical. But they look AWESOME (sorry, I already said that), and that's what matters. And if having dentures helps repel (just a little) the joy of eating, then I'll be able to put eating where it belongs -- back in the 'live to eat' category. Yay.

They look AWESOME!!!...

Changes

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:13:50 GMT

I am going to have to crack down on what's going on. I'm still in control, and the choices I'm making aren't BAD, its just the amounts I'm eating are starting to inch up a little. I get a lot of prodding from Ed, why I don't know. It's like every third night, he's saying "Oh, come on, we haven't had pizza in ages." or "Just this once, let yourself go." and then "Well, it's only two drinks, where's the harm!?" What he doesn't understand is that not having pizza in ages, or just once in awhile letting go is exactly why I was able to lose 22 lbs!! When you choose NOT to indulge more often, the result is that you're in control of your choices and therefore, your weight.

So here's the skinny... We got a roommate -- a friend of my kids' moved in recently, and she's full blooded German, so of course, she loves to eat.

The bad news is she'll eat anything, which means Ed will cook, because there's 3 people to cook for, and for the time being he's stuck at home with no job. So the bad thing is that he thinks he can cook for more than just me and him, and that we ALL want what he's cooking, which isn't a bad thing if you don't have 12 more lbs to lose. We made a really tasty traditional beef stew for Sunday dinner yesterday, and I managed to keep it under control - only 1 and 3/4 cups of stew and a piece of bread, along with the must-have stir fry veggies. He kinda looked at me sideways and said "That's all you're going to have?" I replied "This is all my body needs. I could go nuts and have more, but my body doesn't need more - if I eat this SLOWLY and TASTE my food, and remember that these four little chunks of meat are a little over an ounce each, and remember that this is for NOURISHMENT purposes and not gluttony, then yes, it'll be plenty." Why is that so hard for some people to understand?

The good news is she'll eat anything, which means I'm going to have to take over when I'm finally done this overtime stint I'm doing for work -- so that I can convert the BOTH of them. She'll eat sensible food if I put it in front of her and tell her why it's good for her, and I can even try to limit her portions so that she can sense what it's like to eat healthy. She is about 30 lbs overweight. I won't try to change her as much as educate her about her body and how it reacts to food.

Ed is resolving to undergo a lifestyle change, starting first with cessation of smoking - as that is most life threatening right now. His blood pressure is still unacceptably high, and it's scary. I told him he needs not to worry about any other part of his health except that -- it's most important. Nothing else good can happen unless he quits smoking. He can't understand why his bp is so bad. I said "Ed, you smoke over a pack a day. You eat what?---bratwurst, takeout, alcohol, Mountain Dew and sweet tea. You get NO exercise. OF COURSE YOUR BP IS OUT OF CONTROL!! Are you trying to kill yourself?" Then there was the ad on tv where the coroner squeezes an ounce of fat out of a dissected aorta that was once inside the body of a 32 year old male smoker. MMMMMMMmmmm yummy.

I told Ed, on several occasions, that his life is in his own hands. He's sick of looking at his buddha belly and knows it's not attractive (to me), and knows that it's up to HIM to change it. He knows that it's not healthy to approach middle-age with your health in the shitter. The reason why I've lost 22 lbs is because I make a new decision every day to be in the drivers seat where nourishment is concerned. It really is that simple.

When The Scale Doesn't Move

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:56:18 GMT

....it can be considered a GOOD thing. Thank God for small favors. I don't think I've ever been more grateful that it's not moving. I'm eating right and staying within my calories about half as often as I'm OVER, but not exercising much. Still sitting around between 151 and 153, which is a good thing, I think. I went and bought all these cool pants in size 12 (over EBAY, so returns are difficult, if not impossible), and they still don't fit!! grrrrarrrr! So pretty soon I have to go start trying size 10's and 11's on.

If I lose weight right now, it'll be muscle :(( which angers me, but at least I'm not screwing off and gaining! Muscle can be rebuilt. I don't think I can ever return to the way I used to eat, so no fear of weight gain for that reason. The mere thought of going out to eat at Burger King puts the fear of God in my heart. It's not that it doesn't taste good, it's that I know the nutritional value is horrid.

I'll be done with this overtime the week of January 15th, and maybe sooner, thank God. Then I can get back to exercising again. I miss it soooo much!

DOING HARD TIME

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:46:48 GMT

I've become tired of exercising. HORRORS! The most horrible thing I can do - stop exercising!! WHAT??! I haven't completely stopped, but I'm getting less than I should have.

Overtime, stress, rough days at work, cold weather, holidays coming, plans for dental work, time at a premium, family crisis after family crisis, nastybitch co-workers from hell! Oh, you name it' I've had it, and I'm tired. I'm only doing OT to make up some $$ and get some shit done. Christ, I"m having to pay my son's girlfriend to clean my house for $30 an hour cus my tolerance level for 'housely duties' is at zero. I've stayed in my calories but there's virtually NO deficit so I'm not losing and thankfully not gaining. I've been limiting my drinking but I'm limiting it to one a night, which isn't good.

I've decided to ask my supervisor to please let me go to EAP for a few weeks to see if I can master what I think is a bullying sitiation (where I'm the victim). I've got to do something to find out what I can find out about myself that will let me learn how to take this girls ability to push my buttons away from her. I have good learning material to work with, but I need a guide, someone who has seen this before. I need to talk to someone who may just need time to work with me and teach me how to effectively stand up for myself concerning this situation. My work situation is only part of the stress, and makes an otherwise hectic life unpleasant.

This OT is only going to last til mid-january, and if there's anymore to do, I'll give two days a week, maybe. And I'm going to continue to try to get small workouts at least 3 times a week, like I've been doing. Maybe it's just a winter thing (except for the co-worker crap, that's a now thing).

Dentures

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:41:41 GMT

I finally got my nerve up and asked our Credit Union for a thousand-dollar loan to get my dentures started. One of the reasons why I hate taking time off for things like this is because you need to plan them with military precision so that everything falls into place seamlessly. While it's an aggravation, I have the full support and encouragement of my supervisor/manager, because I've told her how sensitive I am having a front tooth missing -- I look like a true redneck with a missing tooth, and on top of that, I wear wire rimmed glasses, DOOFUS!!! grrrr.

So it's finally going to happen! I get the loan on the 1st, impressions taken on the 4th, and on the 18th, RRRRRRIP out come 7 teeth, and they pop my dentures in, and I'm back to work on the 23rd, just in time for Christmas. I cannot WAIT to have my pretty smile back.

A Double Edged Sword

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:01:05 GMT

Brother, did I mess up. In my quest to cover my proverbial ass financially, I have taken on 13++ hours per week of overtime. On top of that, on Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years day, I am putting in that OT, which is doubletime+ 1/2 - which is IRRESISTABLE because I've never been compensated that way !!! My BF Ed is only (maybe) just getting back to work (we're praying), and only going to be making $7/hr (fruck!), so I need to do it. I want my dentures. I want to be able to buy some Christmas gifts. I want to be able to afford the cost of my sons medical coverage (I added him to my plan, an extra $36/ mo). I want to be able to buy a space heater and plastic for our windows to button up the house for the winter. My car needs brakes and snow tires. And I just realized I have all that backwards!!! lol... so much for priorities!

The downside to all this is that I'm going to have to work hard to stay motivated to EXERCISE!! I'm giving myself daily extra cal allottments to go with the OT I'm doing, which I think I should, because I need it (not too much), so I'm not having a hard time keeping food under control -- I just don't wanna get soft - which is SO easy to do. Tell me I'll be okay!! I think I can squeeze in 4 workouts every week, and maybe do two on Saturday for a total of 5 weekly. Or maybe I can live with 4, as long as the result is that the scale stays where it is and doesn't go in the wrong direction.

I do know this -- I feel like CRAPPOLA when I don't exercise. Just this 3 day accumulation of stagnation has set my mood to JUNK!! I was feeling energetic enough to work out tonight after 12 hours, but they roped me into 2 extra hours of ot because my relief person called off. I was SO frikkin' tired for the first two days. I'm better today, and that's it for the week, til next tuesday when it starts all over again. I'm going to have to go to bed earlier, because I have a hard time staying asleep.