It's been a good day today. Woke up with a headache (after taking my prescription sleeping pill)....thinking I'll just stick with the SleepWorks for now if I feel that I need something for sleep. Took some tylenol, tried to enroll in a free bike maintenance clinic at LL Bean tomorrow night only to find out it is full. I may try to "stop by" tomorrow just before class and see if I can get in...would like to know what to do if problems arise while biking alone!
Anywho, I made an appointment to see my chiropractor today. Decided I deserved a treat.....haven't seen her since March. I needed an adjustment!! (in more ways than one!). I was telling her about Advocare and gave her and her Esthitician a Spark on my way out (along with my business card of course)! Hope they'll try it! Then I headed off to my PCP....he was very excited to hear about my biking (but he is a huge biking fan....easy on the joints, and a great workout). He has been my doc for probably 10 years now....has seen me through my absolute worst times.....and today he said I look the best he has seen me in years! I can thank Advocare for that! And all my great support system in Hawaii! I told him about the vitamins, and the energy. He is already starting to help me think of ways to avoid misery this winter.....even wrote down the best kind of bike trainer to look for so I can keep biking inside....and where to find one for a decent price. He's awesome! I'm also hoping my new lifestyle with Advocare will keep me from getting my usual seasonal affective disorder!
I also had to admit my recent breathing issues. I've never had asthma or hayfever, but my sister has asthma....it can be linked to genetics, but not always. He definitely does not think I have asthma (nor do I) but he does think I have Exercise Induced Bronchospasms. I have had difficulty breathing with certain activities for quite some time, but it was always very infrequent. Until now.....I've had more energy, and have increased my activity level....which has led to more frequent breathing issues.....so, technically, I can thank Advocare for helping me get this diagnosis. I don't like the fact that I may need to use an inhaler prior or during exercise, BUT it means I'm workout out and is a small price to pay! I used it after the first two hills made me short of breath.....and it definitely helped! Thanks to my energy, motivation and ProAir I was able to bike 18.4 miles!!!
Had a nice healthy dinner.....now off to take a quick shower and print off my school documents/syllabus that apparently have now been posted.....guess that means school is really starting.....and why do printer ink cartridges cost so damn much?? I go through them like crazy thanks to school......I could get a new printer every semester for what I pay in ink!!!
Ok, off I go.....
My 24 Day Challenge
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Day 4
Tonight completes Day 4 of my challenge. Things have been going pretty well. It was nice not to have the fiber drink this morning, but I saw a recipe from Laura for fiber (drink) muffins! You can apparently eat two muffins a day on the days you woud typically have the fiber drink. I decided that even though I don't "need" the drink today I would make them and see how they are. I have never baked with whole wheat flour, and with the fiber drink wasn't sure how they would taste.....I was pleasantly surprised!! I think they will now be a new addition to my daily snacks when I want a little something sweet, yet healthy! The apple pieces make them a bit more moist. I look forward to making them in the future for a nice tasty fiber rich snack! Overall two thumbs up!
I decided to do a small workout today. Thanks to the rain and winds of Hurricane Irene I walked over to the little gym I have here at my apartment complex. I had learned from Facebook that a few friends in Maine were already without power, but I was hoping I could work out and shower before anything flickered at my place! So, I walked for 5 minutes and then started running......and the lights went off for a split second....which made the treadmill come to a screaching halt!! There was one other person in the gym, on the other treadmill and he was going much faster than me and had a harder time with the abrupt stop! The power came right back on and I finished running one mile, walked 0.25 miles and then ran another 0.5 miles, followed by another 10 minutes of walking. This may seem like nothing to those of you who are runners.....but that is the most I've been able to run since my achilles tendonitis at the end of April. The weekend of success school I ran 0.5 miles, walked 1 mile and ran another 0.5 miles on the treadmill. That was the first time I had run a short distance twice in one workout. Today was exciting!! A whole mile without stopping!! woohoo!! I got slightly winded but nothing like the past two days. I also didn't have an incline in front of me....looking forward to seeing my PCP in a couple days.
I got several things accomplished from my "to do" list.....and then took a nap on the couch for about an hour! Nice, relaxing day! I keep thinking I need to accomplish more before I go to bed tonight, but this is also my last free weekend day/night before school starts!! :( And I have to be at work at 0600 tomorrow morning! So, it's an evening of mindless tv for me!
The lights have been flickering for the last 15 minutes and I'm hoping I don't lose power. I'm usually pretty lucky here at my apartment complex, but I guess you never know! The weather doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as people were projecting.....the rain has been stopped for several hours, but the wind is pretty consistent...can't imagine what it was like in St Thomas! Hope my islands are ok!! Someday I hope to get back there and check it out! ....someone's gotta do it!
I decided to do a small workout today. Thanks to the rain and winds of Hurricane Irene I walked over to the little gym I have here at my apartment complex. I had learned from Facebook that a few friends in Maine were already without power, but I was hoping I could work out and shower before anything flickered at my place! So, I walked for 5 minutes and then started running......and the lights went off for a split second....which made the treadmill come to a screaching halt!! There was one other person in the gym, on the other treadmill and he was going much faster than me and had a harder time with the abrupt stop! The power came right back on and I finished running one mile, walked 0.25 miles and then ran another 0.5 miles, followed by another 10 minutes of walking. This may seem like nothing to those of you who are runners.....but that is the most I've been able to run since my achilles tendonitis at the end of April. The weekend of success school I ran 0.5 miles, walked 1 mile and ran another 0.5 miles on the treadmill. That was the first time I had run a short distance twice in one workout. Today was exciting!! A whole mile without stopping!! woohoo!! I got slightly winded but nothing like the past two days. I also didn't have an incline in front of me....looking forward to seeing my PCP in a couple days.
I got several things accomplished from my "to do" list.....and then took a nap on the couch for about an hour! Nice, relaxing day! I keep thinking I need to accomplish more before I go to bed tonight, but this is also my last free weekend day/night before school starts!! :( And I have to be at work at 0600 tomorrow morning! So, it's an evening of mindless tv for me!
The lights have been flickering for the last 15 minutes and I'm hoping I don't lose power. I'm usually pretty lucky here at my apartment complex, but I guess you never know! The weather doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as people were projecting.....the rain has been stopped for several hours, but the wind is pretty consistent...can't imagine what it was like in St Thomas! Hope my islands are ok!! Someday I hope to get back there and check it out! ....someone's gotta do it!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Day 3
Day 3 started off well....although I woke up thirsty, which just reinforced the fact that I did not drink enough water yesterday. After waking up at 0300 thanks to my lovely cat wanting to "play"....I kicked his furry butt out of my room, played with my phone for a few minutes and went back to sleep. Got up, had some water, and another fiber drink and orange spark. Still can't get used to the texture of it, so am happy to have a few days off before the next round! I had more water, went to the store, started laundry and came home to have some oatmeal. I made steel cut oatmeal for the first time. Apparently when I bought it yesterday I thought it said it took 5 minutes to cook.....but I didn't read far enough to see that after the initial five minutes it needs another 30 minutes!! Grr! Luckily, it was good, and gave me extra time to drink more water. I put a little real maple syrup on it for flavor and sweetener.....pretty tasty!
I really wanted to take another bike ride today before we get rain from Hurricane Irene tomorrow....but after yesterday's scary breathing experience I was a little concerned. So, I did a couple errands (while enjoying a Pink Lemonade Spark), then came home, took a dose of Catalyst and a Slam. And off I went for a shorter ride. Still had some difficulty breathing with the larger hills.....I purposely chose a route with short but tougher hills than yesterday as a test to see how I would feel.....note to self: do not test out your breathing troubles while biking alone!! Stupid stupid stupid! (and yes, as a nurse I should know better)! Luckily, nothing bad happened, and I was able to get through the ride with only taking a few very short water breaks. I finished 8 miles and felt great after a few minutes of being home! I think I will NOT press my luck again until I see my doc on Tuesday. Maybe I will stick to a walk on the treadmill at the gym tomorrow! Haven't been there in MONTHS!! But it will also be a great opportunity to put out some business cards....just in case.....
I will also admit that I was a little nervous about going too far from home in case the "gentle and uneventful" products kicked in! I already have IBS, so I often am thinking about where the closest bathroom is.....but I have to admit that so far I am pleasantly surprised! It has not aggravated my GI tract, nor caused any unwanted issues! I know it's only Day 3 but so far so good......and sorry if this part contained a little TMI!! ;)
I made sure I had some protein and fruit for a snack, but I think I messed up with my dinner! I made some 99% fat free ground turkey, more roasted asparagus (don't want it to go to waste)....but I decided to make some roasted red potatoes instead of reheating my brown rice from last night.....not realizing until I put it on the pan, that I should be avoiding white starches!!! I hadn't even thought of it. I had already sprinkled some olive oil, salt & pepper on them and didn't want to let them go to waste....so I made them anyway......trying to convince myself that the skins will help.....surely they add more fiber to the potatoes!! So, I made a snafoo with my dinner....but I had my protein and veggie, a few glasses of water and only limited amounts of the potatoes.....normally I would eat a LOT of them!!
I know I will make mistakes, nobody is perfect.....but I have been beating myself up for the past hour about about the starch portion of my meal! :( I keep reminding myself that I did actually exercise.....so that has to count for something! I vowed to do this whole heartedly and that's what I want to do....so a little bummed that I messed up. I know it could be a lot worse.....I could've bought that extra large piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that was glaring at me as I walked past it at the store this morning! But NO MORE EXCUSES!!!
I never thought I would say this, but I am going to turn on the Nascar race in about 10 minutes so I can see one of the Advocare drivers......what has gotten into me?? (besides amazing products from Advocare)!!
I have to go put sheets on my bed.....why do I hate doing that so much?!! It's not like it takes a long time.....but I do LOVE clean sheet night!!! yay!!! So, I will be taking my SleepWorks tonight in hopes of getting a better night's sleep and enjoying my very last day off before work and school starts! Thanks for reading! Night Night!
I really wanted to take another bike ride today before we get rain from Hurricane Irene tomorrow....but after yesterday's scary breathing experience I was a little concerned. So, I did a couple errands (while enjoying a Pink Lemonade Spark), then came home, took a dose of Catalyst and a Slam. And off I went for a shorter ride. Still had some difficulty breathing with the larger hills.....I purposely chose a route with short but tougher hills than yesterday as a test to see how I would feel.....note to self: do not test out your breathing troubles while biking alone!! Stupid stupid stupid! (and yes, as a nurse I should know better)! Luckily, nothing bad happened, and I was able to get through the ride with only taking a few very short water breaks. I finished 8 miles and felt great after a few minutes of being home! I think I will NOT press my luck again until I see my doc on Tuesday. Maybe I will stick to a walk on the treadmill at the gym tomorrow! Haven't been there in MONTHS!! But it will also be a great opportunity to put out some business cards....just in case.....
I will also admit that I was a little nervous about going too far from home in case the "gentle and uneventful" products kicked in! I already have IBS, so I often am thinking about where the closest bathroom is.....but I have to admit that so far I am pleasantly surprised! It has not aggravated my GI tract, nor caused any unwanted issues! I know it's only Day 3 but so far so good......and sorry if this part contained a little TMI!! ;)
I made sure I had some protein and fruit for a snack, but I think I messed up with my dinner! I made some 99% fat free ground turkey, more roasted asparagus (don't want it to go to waste)....but I decided to make some roasted red potatoes instead of reheating my brown rice from last night.....not realizing until I put it on the pan, that I should be avoiding white starches!!! I hadn't even thought of it. I had already sprinkled some olive oil, salt & pepper on them and didn't want to let them go to waste....so I made them anyway......trying to convince myself that the skins will help.....surely they add more fiber to the potatoes!! So, I made a snafoo with my dinner....but I had my protein and veggie, a few glasses of water and only limited amounts of the potatoes.....normally I would eat a LOT of them!!
I know I will make mistakes, nobody is perfect.....but I have been beating myself up for the past hour about about the starch portion of my meal! :( I keep reminding myself that I did actually exercise.....so that has to count for something! I vowed to do this whole heartedly and that's what I want to do....so a little bummed that I messed up. I know it could be a lot worse.....I could've bought that extra large piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that was glaring at me as I walked past it at the store this morning! But NO MORE EXCUSES!!!
I never thought I would say this, but I am going to turn on the Nascar race in about 10 minutes so I can see one of the Advocare drivers......what has gotten into me?? (besides amazing products from Advocare)!!
I have to go put sheets on my bed.....why do I hate doing that so much?!! It's not like it takes a long time.....but I do LOVE clean sheet night!!! yay!!! So, I will be taking my SleepWorks tonight in hopes of getting a better night's sleep and enjoying my very last day off before work and school starts! Thanks for reading! Night Night!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Small Carb Victory
I am truly excited about my 24 Day Challenge....but this afternoon and evening I really wished I could enjoy a nice cold beer or glass of wine with dinner.....and it's only day TWO!!! I have committed to do this correctly, and that is what I plan to do....so no drink for me! Then I decide to have dinner with sparkling water (in a wine glass for added curb appeal)! And I put a small piece of leftover lemon-thyme chicken on my plate, along with a generous portion of roasted asparagus and a side of brown rice.....I enjoyed every morsel and went back for more asparagus....and before I knew it, I was putting more rice on my plate!! How did that happen?? That's right, because I'm a carbaholic!! If there had been a loaf of french bread next to me, that would've jumped on the plate too! BUT.....when I got back to my seat to eat my second helping (and by seat I mean couch) I realized I didn't really even WANT the extra rice. I ate the asparagus, had another glass of water and only had two bites of the rice. I have NEVER EVER left a carbohydrate behind! ......until tonight!!!! I was able to sit my plate down and actually ignore the glistening pieces of rice smiling up at me. I did not have to immediately go throw it away, or put it out of site. I was actually able to have it in front of me and still NOT want it! For those of you who do not know me (and my love of bread and bread products aka carbs) THIS IS HUGE!!!!! I am amazed!! So, it's not all about the scale! It's these non-scale victories that I love!! I obviously also want a decent victory on the scale...but these little baby steps make me know that I am well on my way!! Again, it's only day two, but I said I would be honest, and here I am actually writing a blog about not eating extra rice! And I am proud to do it!!! Renee 1- Carbs 0 !!!!!
Day 2 of "the challenge"
Hi everyone! I will do my best not to bore you, yet try to be brutally honest at the same time.....I decided earlier this week to start my 24 Day Challenge with Advocare. I already love several products, but was not faithful in using ANY products until a few weeks ago. So, even though I can come up with multiple excuses why I should "wait" a few more days to start my challenge, I finally decided....NO MORE EXCUSES!!! Have I been wanting to feel better? Yes! Have I complained about feeling tired and having no energy? Yes. Have I complained and felt bad about how I look? Absolutely! So....not waiting until after the weekend, or waiting until after Labor Day....healthy choices start now!! I'm hoping this blog will allow others to see my journey with advocare and my choice to finally eat clean and live lean! (plus, I'm thinking it may keep me more accountable if I think people are following my story)!!
Yesterday morning I woke up to my "opportunity clock" and knew I was going to make healthy choices and start on my new 24 day journey. I mixed a citrus fiber drink with an orange spark and drank it down......now, this is NO fault of Advocare, but I apparently have an issue with drinks that have a little texture to them.....so, mixing the fiber drink with a spark was helpful, but using a straw to drink it down was even better! I have not heard of anyone having issues with the fiber drink, and I don't want to be the first...but I guess texture is more important to me than I thought! And this ain't no sippin' drink!
After the fiber drink, I had a chocolate meal replacement shake blended with a banana for breakfast, along with my OmegaPlex vitamins. I continued to drink plenty of water throughout the day, along with a dose of Catalyst (3) during the early afternoon.....along with a Slam. (which I LOVE)!! It was a crazy, busy, chaotic day at work and ended up being there for 14 hours.....and I survived. Now....I fast forward to today...
Day 2:
Chugged down another fiber drink mixed with an orange Spark (with a straw of course)......followed by a Vanilla Shake with frozen berries and OmegaPlex. Very tasty! I realize the shakes usually come into the challenge on day 11 but I actually enjoy the taste of them.....I won't always have one for breakfast, but yesterday and today they hit the spot! I had some water, but not as much as I should.....so I'm trying to make up for that now.
I went for a bike ride after taking a dose of Catalyst, water and some grape Rehydrate....and continued to drink another Rehydrate during my ride, along with more water........
I just returned from Trader Joe's (which I also love) after picking up some clean eating choices.....and realized I forgot to buy some bottled water.....Maine has been declared to be in a state of emergency due to Hurricane Irene....and I'm guessing Hannaford will be crazy busy tonight, but I may brave the crowd, after all.....No More Excuses!!
I'm looking forward to some roasted asparagus, grilled lemon-thyme chicken and some brown rice for dinner.....I'll try to post some pics soon and make my blog a bit more interesting! Thanks for reading!
Yesterday morning I woke up to my "opportunity clock" and knew I was going to make healthy choices and start on my new 24 day journey. I mixed a citrus fiber drink with an orange spark and drank it down......now, this is NO fault of Advocare, but I apparently have an issue with drinks that have a little texture to them.....so, mixing the fiber drink with a spark was helpful, but using a straw to drink it down was even better! I have not heard of anyone having issues with the fiber drink, and I don't want to be the first...but I guess texture is more important to me than I thought! And this ain't no sippin' drink!
After the fiber drink, I had a chocolate meal replacement shake blended with a banana for breakfast, along with my OmegaPlex vitamins. I continued to drink plenty of water throughout the day, along with a dose of Catalyst (3) during the early afternoon.....along with a Slam. (which I LOVE)!! It was a crazy, busy, chaotic day at work and ended up being there for 14 hours.....and I survived. Now....I fast forward to today...
Day 2:
Chugged down another fiber drink mixed with an orange Spark (with a straw of course)......followed by a Vanilla Shake with frozen berries and OmegaPlex. Very tasty! I realize the shakes usually come into the challenge on day 11 but I actually enjoy the taste of them.....I won't always have one for breakfast, but yesterday and today they hit the spot! I had some water, but not as much as I should.....so I'm trying to make up for that now.
I went for a bike ride after taking a dose of Catalyst, water and some grape Rehydrate....and continued to drink another Rehydrate during my ride, along with more water........
I just returned from Trader Joe's (which I also love) after picking up some clean eating choices.....and realized I forgot to buy some bottled water.....Maine has been declared to be in a state of emergency due to Hurricane Irene....and I'm guessing Hannaford will be crazy busy tonight, but I may brave the crowd, after all.....No More Excuses!!
I'm looking forward to some roasted asparagus, grilled lemon-thyme chicken and some brown rice for dinner.....I'll try to post some pics soon and make my blog a bit more interesting! Thanks for reading!
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