Same Song, Last Verse

It's Monday, a traditional day to start something new. New resolves, promises and diets all seem to start on Mondays. My new Monday objective is to be accountable to YOU regarding the lifestyle changes I'm making. It helps me to be accountable; it makes me mindful during the week and keeps me honest when I report. So, henceforth, I'll post a Monday Morsel to let you know what I'm doing and what works for me.

I have had issues with my weight for most of my life, and have tried every diet, pill, shake and gadget you can imagine. I don't expect to end up as some smokin' hot MILF (or even GILF since I am a grandmother) but I do want to get healthy. At 54, I figure I have another thirty or so good years left (my mother died at 86; my father was 95 when he passed so I have longevity in my favor) and I want to enjoy them -- to travel, hike, ski, sight see for hours, whatever -- I want them to be really good years.

The Husband and I are cutting out the crap (all the processed stuff I love), drinking more water (adios, my beloved Diet Dr. Pepper), eating more fish, fruits and veggies (ho-hum), and limiting/eliminating sugar and wheat (my two favorite food groups). I've been exercising more often and shoot for 3-5 times a week (cardio + weight training). Whew! So far, I've lost about five pounds (out of the eighty or so left to go).

I'm also using a great tool. I listen to my Slimpod at night before going to bed. The folks at Thinking Slimmer have devised some marvelous, meditative recordings that really help. I listen to one for relaxation, one for exercise, and one for weight loss. The morning after I listened to the fitness recording for the first time, my thought the next morning was, "I want to exercise!" If you know me at all, you know that exercise is not high on my list of daily priorities -- until now! I'll keep listening and let you know how it goes. Now here's my disclaimer: yes I received the recordings for free so that I could blog about them (I approached them, not the other way around, by the way), but I am not getting any other compensation. And I'm telling the truth!

Same song = I've dieted for over forty years; last verse = keeping fingers and toes crossed, being mindful of what I put in my mouth, and making sure I move my body! And, apparently for me, it takes a village of readers to keep me on my toes, so thank you in advance for allowing me to be accountable to you!

My plan is to come to you on Mondays with an update of my progress, and to share some of the morsels I'm learning along the way. I'll post other crap too; this isn't turning into some long diet monologue (ugh!), I promise!

Have you started a new regimen or project? Do you need an accountability buddy?

Have you been there?

Slacking

It's been a long week and I've done some slacking. Not bad bad, just kinda bad. Slacking evidence includes too many DDPs, too little exercise, and a little eating after nine o'clock. Like I said, not bad bad....... 

However, I don't want to stay in Slackerville so I made a couple of purchases today that should help. I bought a large DDP from Sonic (they have great ice!) instead of the twelve pack I planned to buy. And I bought some tinted, adult-sized swimming goggles (I had a pair of junior size because that's all they had left at the grocery store, but it felt like my eyes would pop out of their sockets). Yes, I know, the swim season is almost over......except in Texas. We can swim well into September because it is so freaking hot here in the summer.  The determining factor is the nightly temperature, and how consistently cool it is. The reason I need the goggles (even though I've been swimming lots of laps without them) is that I am going to swim some laps with more intensity (since my stamina has increased). My laps, thus far, have been the breast stroke and the backstroke. They are easy for me (at this point), but they don't get my heart rate up very high. Now, I feel like I can break up these laps and insert a few laps of the American Crawl, which does raise my heart rate.....but it also hurts my eyes (damn chlorine!). My goal is to swim all thirty minutes (and more later) using the American Crawl, hence the goggles. 

I continue to listen to my Slimpod and I still believe it's helping.  I hear the words and phrases in my head as I go through my day and make choices about food and exercise. One of the things I like about it is that it's gentle.  There are no admonishments, no challenges, no rules.....just suggestions (voiced with a lovely British accent, no less). 

Even with all my slacking, I lost another pound. Yay! But that does not mean I will continue in my evil ways. In fact, I may step things up a bit. Check my math on this one (former English teacher, remember?): I want to lose about eighty pounds. At a pound a week, it'll take me about eighteen months to drop it all. UGH! I want to dump it YESTERDAY! I know slower is better, and I'm not shooting for a five pound loss per week, but a couple would be nice. 

Have you slacked off lately (diet, project, work, etc)? How did you change your evil ways?

Have you been there?

P.S. I promise all my posts won't be about my lovely weight loss journey -- BORRRRING! But I made a commitment to you and me that I would post the Monday Morsel. The rest of my life has been kinda jam packed with family issues lately. But I plan to become more regular....promise. And I wondered if you had any requests for a specific post  or a type of post? Just wonderin'......

A Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem

I learned, via The Bloggess' post today, that this is National Suicide Prevention Week. I've been  affected by suicide, as I'm afraid many others have. According to the CDC, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death.....one every fifteen minutes (in 2007). It's the third leading cause for young people. With numbers like these, i would imagine most people have been affected by suicide.

A relative of mine shot himself when I was in my early 20's. It was sad......and really confusing. I didn't understand how he could do that to his family. Apparently he had planned it for awhile, making preparations that would "help out".....afterward.  I suppose he tried to make his passing as easy as possible. Still, I think we would have rather had him with us for awhile longer.

My next bout with suicide came from a boyfriend. I learned that he had psychological issues, and he eventaully behaved in a way that frightened me, so I broke off our relationship. He called me, upset about the break up, blamed me for his sorrow, and shot himself.....over the phone, while I listened. I carried a ton of guilt for quite awhile, but got some help and worked through it. 

I can't even fathom the depth of pain and hopelessness that makes suicide seem like a good option. I've been through my share of challenges, but I've also seen that life eventually comes back around to the plus side. I believe that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. I understand that there are chemical imbalances and other mental issues that can play into that particular decision. Still, I pray that anyone contemplating suicide would try to hang on until the feelings pass. Or call the Suicide Prevention Hotline. Talk to a friend or family member. Something. Anything. Please.

In more traditional Monday Morsel news, we went out of town for a week. I didn't go crazy with my eating or exercise, but I wasn't too strict either. And yet, amazingly enough, I lost a pound....in spite of myself. Wooohoooooo!! In the past, I have definitely used a vacation or holiday as an excuse to overeat. This time, I was mindful, but I still enjoyed myself. It seemed like a pretty balanced way to do things!

Have you had any experience with suicide? What are your thoughts? Have you thrown caution to the wind with an eating or exercise plan while on vacation?

Have you been there?

Yo, Bro!

What a cute baby boy! What happened??

Well, I completely forgot about the Monday Morsel because I was writing other stuff yesterday. Did you miss it? Did you even notice? *sigh*

On to Tuesday's post:

I found out recently that my brother, aka Bro, has finally discovered my blog. Yeah, I've been writing since January 2012, so thanks for the support, Bro.

Then I thought about it......my brother is reading my blog. Our parents are gone, so I wasn't too worried about them. I figured since he was a big time mob boss, he wouldn't have time. (He's not really a mob boss, but it does make him sound more interesting, don't you think?) So I thought I'd best explain a few things to him.

Yo, Bro!

I'm glad you're reading my blog, and you even seem to enjoy it. If, however, you actually subscribed to it, you would be up on all the news (ie giveaways). And, it would be improper for me to simply add you to my list, so don't gripe at me about missing shit.

And, oh yeah.....I tend to cuss. In my blog, in public, you name it..... I try to watch myself around you, but sometimes I slip. You may have been privy to one or two of them.

There may be times when it would seem like we had different parents. Nope, same folks; we just had different experiences. Like, the fact that you were their favorite. I don't blame you for that (or them, for that matter!). After all, you have always been the "good" child. As our mother put it, I was "challenging." I'm pretty sure you'd agree.

You may discover things you wish you didn't know about me.....like this.....or this.....or even this. There may be other posts that will clue you in to who I really am, but I'll let you find them on your own. I thought about telling you these things myself, but you can't handle the truth. Sorry....slipped into my infamous Jack Nicholson impression. 

I will keep your true identity a secret (especially since you're a big mob boss and I don't want the FBI to come after you); you will be called Bro. I know I used to call you Fella, but Bro just seems....cooler. Maybe because I'm cooler now (me, not you).

And finally, I just wanted to say thanks for being a great Bro. I truly appreciate your support (whether or not I've had your approval) with some of my crazy choices over the years. Although I'm the oldest, I doubt I've been much of a role model (more of a horrible example, I'm afraid); you, however, are an awesome role model (for people who aspire to be a mob boss, of course), a fabulous father, and, considering the wife is still around, a marvelous mate! I love you so very much (really). Sometimes I wish we hung out more, but I know your plate is full, and mine will be fuller (see how good I write?) once I become a NYT best seller next year after my novel comes out (yes, I'll still speak to you).

And thanks for reading my blog!

How's your relationship with your siblings (if you have any)? 

Have you been there?