AdaptaGal

Let's talk turkey

2011-08-01T15:16:00.002-06:00

I loooooove turkey. Gimme a few healthy slices of roasted turkey on a slice of bread with a few tomato slices, and I'm a happy, happy gal. So, here's a recipe I loved!

Tasty Turkey Salad
4 ounces cooked turkey breast, diced
1 stalk celery
10 green grapes, slices in half
2 lettuce leaves or a bed of lettuce
1 Tbl. fat-free ranch salad dressing
1 Tbl. light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. light salt
2 Tbl. lemon juice

In a bowl, combine dressing, mayo, salt and lemon juice. Add turkey, celery and grapes. Toss. Chill and serve on the lettuce.

Counts as 1 protein, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit and 1 fat

Tell me that's not the easiest recipe of all time! LOL I really enjoyed trying this one. Mmmm.

Healthy recipes are hard to find

2011-07-30T12:28:00.002-06:00

I tried a new one last night. The recipe was supposed to be "pizza." Kind of. The tomatoes, chicken, peppers and cottage cheese were cobbled together atop a Wasa cracker. Ugh. It defeated me. Professor Poundage nearly won the battle since I barely stopped myself from ordering from pizza delivery! Thank goodness I had a couple of eggs asking to be fried up. I love a warm, gooey, slightly runny yolk in the evenings. Yeah, I'm weird that way.

That being said, I tried a recipe earlier this week that was very good and summery. I'll share it with you on Monday, so be sure to check back!

I also found a part of my body unearthed by my continuing weight loss ... and I'd show it to you, but my camera battery is dead, dead, dead. It's OK. We'll get that picture up next week too. The big relic from my distant past is... collar bones! Oh, yeah! I have 'em! They look all bony, but I see other folks with them, and they look beautiful. I'm just not used to seeing them, I guess.

Actually, it's funny what you get used to as a fluffy person. I used to think certain chairs in our house were comfortable. Now they hurt my poor super-butt! And I used to push the front door open with my shoulder when coming in with groceries. Yesterday, I got a bruise doing that! Who knew all that padding was keeping me from getting injured regularly?!

On the other hand, I now fit into regular clothing, I can sit in stadium seating and I can fly a lot higher. I bet you thought weight didn't impact super powers, didn't you? Well, it does. The only thing I can't figure out: If I've lost so much weight and girth, why the heck are my hips and thighs still so huge?! I have no idea what my body will look like when I'm done with the weight-loss phase of my super plan, but I'm beginning to think I might be ... curvy ... no matter what weight I'm at. Oh, well. You can't control everything, right?

My newly poking-out sit bones hurt, so I'm going to give them a rest by taking a walk (healthier than flying, I assure you). Onward, fellow warriors!

Born again super health nut?

2011-07-26T11:57:00.003-06:00

I'm back! It's been a long, hard journey that continues along an uphill path, but... I'm winning the battle. Professor Poundage has nothin' on me!

I've learned a lot about diet and how the human body works, although I'm definitely an amateur. The more weight I lose, the better I feel. I wish I could wrap up this good, high-energy feeling that comes from being healthy and give it to every overweight, struggling superhero out there. Professor Poundage has no mercy, and preys on those with shaky self discipline.

So, I'm going to work on putting together tips that helped me turn my life around. I still have 30 pounds or so to lose, but I've lost so much! I can hardly wait to post my before and after pics.

The secret to my success? I've been taught an eating formula during my weight loss phase that really works for me; I've been militant about sticking to this plan. I'm getting pretty good at figuring out decent recipes using healthy ingredients (and I have an incredible sweet tooth, so that's really saying something!).

Here's a breakfast/dessert favorite (yes, I DO consider breakfast and dessert interchangeable):

Blissful Berry Blintz
1 egg
2 oz (1/4 cup) low-fat cottage cheese (without salt, if possible)
1 packet Truvia (or 3/4 tsp)
1/2 cup berries (blueberries are my favorite, but you can use raspberries, blackberries, or a berry mix)
1/8-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

Place cottage cheese in blender. Add 1/2 Truvia and about 1/4-1/2 berries. Blend until smooth.

Warm small frying pan on medium or medium-low. Spray lightly with regular cooking spray.

Completely scramble egg in bowl. Add 1/2 Truvia, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix.

Pour egg mixture into pan. Allow to spread out. Add rest of berries in a stripe down the middle of the egg. Allow to cook all the way through (I often have to flip my egg, but you might be better at this than I am!)

Slide finished egg onto plate. Scoop entire cheese filling onto the berry stripe, and fold up the edges like a tiny burrito. Top with a spoonful of cheese mixture if desired.

Counts as 1 protein and 1 fruit.

Please note that I use Truvia and Stevia in recipes because other artificial sweetners cause me to have dramatically bad reactions (I have a chemical intolerance). If you like another sweetner, by all means, use it instead! I recommend limiting yourself to 3 servings of artificial sweetner per day to avoid letting your sweet tooth get the best of you (among other potentially bad outcomes).

Let's be healthy together, team!

Even Superheroes Listen to Their Doctors

2010-07-27T07:51:00.002-06:00

I finally have clearance to begin a regular exercise routine. I would be excited if I could only figure out how to balance work, exercise, cooking, caring for the baby and evil-villain fighting. I haven't quite got my life under control just yet, and I return to my day job in less than a week. Oh, the burdens of an alter ego.

Add to that dilemma that I am unnaturally tired all the time. I'm a tiny bit worried that my anemia has returned, but I really don't want to go in and find out. It may simply be my body recovering from a high-risk, constantly stressful pregnancy.

The good news: I've lost every pound of pregnancy weight.
The bad news: I've not lost a single inch of pregnancy size!

It seems Professor Poundage found some kind of loophole in his attempt to defeat me. I am diligently working on a resolution, but as of yet, have come up empty handed. My lack of success may stem from my sleepiness ... and on that note, I think I'll take a nap. I've been awake two whole hours, and am exhausted!

Rest well, League members.

My Super Secret: A Baby!

2010-07-17T03:08:00.004-06:00

So I've been brewing something big this past year ... a baby! Welcome to the world, my little one.

Yes ... I know. Glasses, hair a mess, etc. Well, even superheros need time to recover from childbirth!

Interestingly, I lost all the pregnancy weight plus some within the first two weeks ... but I can't fit into any clothes! I am still a gigantisaurus. It's going to be a long road.

The good news is that I've added a real-life, hometown buddy to my superhero league. We're going to try fighting the good fitness fight against Professor Poundage together.

The bad news is that pregnancy and motherhood have completely rattled my focus on anything and everything. I mostly miss hiking and gaming, two time-consuming hobbies that I simply can't enjoy with a baby this young. Ah, well. It's all for the greater good. Soon, I'll be again hacking my way through villains and summiting mountains. Until then, I'll have to settle for a little strudel slaying!

I bet you thought I forgot. Ha!

2009-09-30T19:21:00.006-06:00

Super Heros don't often forget. It's just that, well, I have very little to report since after three weeks I am still sick. Bleah.

Anyway.

Has anyone else noticed that having a teenager around makes you look at yourself a little differently? I mean, I had no idea that I was so:

Uncool
Dumb
Loud
Rude
Obnoxious
Nag-ish
Mean
Embarrassing
Out of style
Annoying

Who knew? But I have a teenager. I am soooo lucky. She happily informs me of these flaws just before flying to her bedroom and slamming her royal door. I'm sure she does it so I can work on myself and become a better Super Mom. I'm pretty sure, anyway ...

The reality of it all

2009-09-20T20:31:00.002-06:00

After nine miserable days of on-and-off fever, coughing and snorting, I can no longer afford to miss more of my day job. I already took five work days off (three more days than I had accumulated), making me obligated to them. Not that I planned to quit in the next two months or anything, but it's a weird feeling to owe your employer instead of having your employer owe you. I'm just grateful they allowed me to stay in bed last week instead of asking me to infect the entire office. Work has been remarkably understanding about all of this.

Amazingly, I am still not well. The fever is gone, but I remain a mucusy, coughing, gagging mess -- loud and gross to behold. I haven't slept through a night since contracting this virus. I hope I'm not contagious anymore.

In 18 years of working, I've never taken an entire week off due to illness before. I actually feel ... guilty.

Oh, well. I will go in tomorrow with a smile on my face and a purse full of medicine. I will do my best, because that is what superheros do. And now, to see if I can sleep ...

The Fall of a Hero

2009-09-18T09:13:00.003-06:00

It's not fun to watch. The hero, flat on her back, hacking, wheezing, snurgling, gasping for air ... then she roles on her side and lets out a groan Resident Evil-zombie style. You wonder, did she turn? Will she make it? Is she one of THEM now?

Yeah. I am. Was. Am. Hmmmm.

I am just now beginning to defeat a flu that knocked me on my heroic rumpus for more than a week. And I'm not talking about a cute little I-lost-my-voice-isn't-that-cute-whoops-there's-a-little-cough kind of flu. I'm talking about a gruesome, stay-in-bed-for-days-and-hope-you-don't-die kind of flu. Quarantine flu. Go to the ER flu. It was more painful than that time I was forced to explode a Burrito Supreme during the great TB wars of '08. Messier than the 2007 BR ice cream meltdown that nearly left the city in ruins. More difficult to conquer than ... well, you get the picture.

Anyway, between fevers, I had time to reflect on this past year. It's no wonder I haven't been able to take on any great foes like Professor Poundage (he really needs a good beat-down) or General Disorganization (someone should clean him up). In the past, oh, let's say 14 months, I've:

- Married my partner in the hero business
- Moved to a new secret lair
- Quit my (day) job
- Adjusted to life as an unemployed scrub
- Started a new (day) job
- Adjusted to life as an employed scrub
- Accumulated debt
- Ripped apart the entire outside of the lair (new siding, fascia, gutters, roof, windows, doors and decks)
- Suffered through eight tooth repairs (cavities or cracked teeth)
- Gotten "texter's thumb," (how dorky is that?!) "cell phone elbow," tendinitis, carpal tunnel and several cricks in the ol' neck
- Adopted a second cat (did you know adding another pet triples the work involved in having pets, no matter how super you are?)
- Started Kung Fu

And, of course, I've seen many deaths, births and illnesses in those around me. Add my miserable two-week flu, and you've got my year in a nutshell.

Now, I ask you: Is this any way for a superhero to live? Bah. BAH! I must find a way to balance my life, day job, family and hero work. I feel myself ever more in the firm grasp of Professor Poundage...

Just blame me...

2009-04-22T08:26:00.004-06:00

Who's to blame for the big, bad global warming? Apparently, I am. Oh, you've gotta love the irony: Fatties cause global warming.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I spend nearly every second of every day thinking about my weight. What to eat. How much to eat. How much to exercise. Input vs. output. The numbers on the scale. How my superhero costume fits. How many rolls I have on my tummy today. It borders on obsessed, really.

It simply isn't enough, now that the fate of humanity rests in my chubby fingers. Talk about pressure.

Thank goodness two superheroes have joined my fat-fighting league! Lisa is the image of who I hope to be. What an inspiration! And Theresa is on a similar journey - perhaps we can reach our goals as teammates.

The battle continues!

Heroes Needed for Mission Support

2009-04-17T11:30:00.005-06:00

Here's the situation: I'm a professional in transition (in other words, looking for work). A billion hours on my hands. Walking miles and miles every day for the past several months. Weight training sessions. Calorie counting. Giving up sweets for Lent. Jogging short distances. You name it, I've been doing it. Up until about two weeks ago when it all fell apart. Why, you ask?

It isn't working! I can't believe that given all the time and resources in the world, I STILL can't lose much weight! Don't get me wrong. I've lost some. But not nearly enough to make all this effort worthwhile.

The evil forces are clearly stronger than I.

Am I destined for failure? To maintain a body built by Taco Bell for the rest of eternity? To never fit comfortably (a relative term, I understand) in airplane seats?

The frustration is overwhelming. The anger, crippling. I must return to my secret lair to regroup before attempting this battle again. Perhaps I should recruit some hero support. Anyone interested in tackling this obstacle together? I could really, really use a good group of cyberheroes on my team ...

The Parties are Over

2009-01-04T11:01:00.002-07:00

Time to get back to life! I've just spent the last few weeks eating like I was starving. I ate. And ate. And ate. I actually weighed in at a whopping 202 this morning! How embarrassing.

I'm back on Calorie King, and have been blogging there pretty regulary. It's helpful to connect with people who are trying to accomplish the same goals.

I've been trying to get back on the interval training for jogging, but I've been to the gym so sporatically that it hasn't really been effective. New Year's Resolution to myself: GO TO THE GYM! Easy to say, but hard to do with a full schedule, long work hours and a child to care for. I'm lucky I remember to put deoderent on in the mornings. (Don't worry ... I keep a stick in my glove compartment for days when I'm so rushed that I forget!)

A couple of weeks ago, I started losing chunks of my hair due to stress. That's never happened before. D and I talked about it, and I felt less stressed after that (and a strategic haircut that helped hide the holes). Sometimes, life is just too much. And there's no way to slow down or drop out ... you just have to muscle through. So I'm constantly on the verge of tears, but I'm determined to make it through this rough patch without bankrupting my family. I'm taking some steps to change my stress level, but the economy and my work hours make it tough. When I wake up, the gyms don't have any classes going (because who in their right mind starts their day that early?!) and when I pick up the kiddo and get home, all the classes at the gym are already over (because who in their right mind gets home at 8 to start dinner and homework?!).

I'm really wishing for an early-in-the-day schedule that would allow me to go to the gym after work/before dinner and still pick up my daughter before 7:30 each night. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to find that, but I can wish!

I hope everyone's New Year's was great ... I'll check up on blogs later this week. Promise!

Are You Fungus Free?

2008-12-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

I can’t help but notice there are many ways of serving mushrooms. Sauces, soups, salads, rice dishes, with potatoes ... even in pastries! As someone who sincerely does not enjoy this “edible” item, I have a single pet-peeve at restaurants: having to always ask, “Are there mushrooms in that?” I feel like a 5-year-old.

“Ewwwww! Mommy, I’m not gonna eat THAT! You can’t make me!”

But most places don’t add descriptions with that key piece of information. “A delightfully light tomato sauce with a hint of wine and garlic” could contain more fungus than my brother’s high school baseball shoes. I never know ‘till it gets there and I’m picking the slimy brown things out of my “delightful” dinner.

I ran to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch today. I was craving soup, and I wasn’t feeling all that particular. Surely, with the bazillion choices at this all-you-can-eat restaurant, I would find something to suit my tastes.

Turkey/Cranberry soup. Mmmmm. Sounds great, right? It had mushrooms.

Creamy Chicken soup. Mushrooms.

Cream of Mushroom soup. Mushrooms. (Duh.)

Veggie soup. Mushrooms.

The other three soups on display looked like they might be MSG-laden (I don’t take chances because my body’s reactions to the man-made version of this chemical makes me very, very sick). The only soup that actually mentioned mushrooms on the sign above it was the cream of mushroom soup. I grumbled, got some mac & cheese instead and sat down to destroy my diet. Grrrr.

Now, I understand that a lot of folks like mushrooms. Nay, adore them. My daughter’s one of those people! But there are an awful lot of folks who don’t. I married one of those non-fungus eaters, and count many of them among my closest friends.

Are you listening, restaurants of the world? All I ask is that you add this item in your menu descriptions. Then I (and my kind) can avoid this commonly included ingredient. Until then, I remain an ardent Mexican food aficionado. I’ve never met a pico I had to pick through! Viva chips and salsa!

Hard Work, No Results?

2008-11-17T09:17:00.003-07:00

The past week was painfully busy. Meetings, heavy workloads, angry people tripping over each other to do their jobs ... it wasn't fun and left me with little energy. And a rotten attitude.

At home, I've managed to keep up with my regular trips to the gym. I didn't lose much weight this week (less than a pound), but I didn't overeat and I did everything I was supposed to. We'll see what happens this week. If I'm really not losing, I'll have to ask the trainer to adjust my routine a bit.

It makes me extremely cranky to step on the scale Monday morning and see that the numbers haven't budged. I wouldn't say that my day is usually tied to the scale, but today, that's how I feel! Grrrr. I hate that I worked so hard all week to see no real change. I kind of feel like biting someone's head off! (Ah, beware coworkers ...)

I have something interesting to post tomorrow. In the meantime, have a good Monday!

Can You Survive a Two-Hour Meeting?

2008-11-07T12:19:00.003-07:00

Here I am after going to the gym the other day – am I cool, or what?!

I’m excited to see my trainer on Monday and show her my progress. I’m walking every other day, and walking the 2.5 miles didn’t even make me lightheaded yesterday. Progress!

I know I never actually blog about work, but I’ve been wondering what makes employers think their employees have the attention spans of 16-year-olds playing WOW. I don’t care how interesting the topic, those two- to six-hour business presentations are brain killers. I know we get paid for being there. That’s why we do it! (Duh) It’s a little different when it’s a meeting – with discussions and questions and note-taking. But, oh, how I wish they would break those presentations down into an hour-a-day class that ran all week.

Here are my thoughts at the last two-hour presentation I attended:

:00 – Cool. Lots of people showed up! That’s good. This is an important topic. We need to understand this better. Thank goodness they finally had this meeting.

:20 – Was that MY stomach? Dang. Should’ve had a bigger lunch. How embarrassing!

:25 – Does the speaker know she’s rambling? Maybe I should take some notes.

:45 – I have to pee! I wonder if they’re going to give us a break on the hour.

1:00 – No break. I cross my legs.

1:11 – My eyelids are drooping. I struggle to stay awake. I’m wish I had something to look at besides a PowerPoint slide.

1:15 – Is anyone listening? Half of the attendees have glazed-over eyes, the other half are nodding as if they understand – but at clearly inappropriate points in the presentation. Four people appear really enthralled. This is kind of funny. I should blog about this.

1:22 – My shoes are scuffed. I wonder where I can get them buffed.

1:27 – We’re only on page 25 of this 40-page presentation! We’ll never make it out on time.

1:30 – I can’t believe we’re still on page 25.

1:33 – Page 27. We’re speeding up. That’s good! Wait a minute – I’m not sure I remember much of what’s been said the last 30 minutes. Crud.

1:35 – It sounds to me like the presenter has stopped talking to us and started talking to herself. What’s she saying? Gosh, it’s hard to focus.

1:38 − What should I put on the grocery list this week? Contact solution, hair spray, bread ...

1:40 – I bet we skip the back end of the presentation...

1:45 – We skipped the back end of the presentation and started the Q & A segment of today’s session.

1:46 – People are asking about the things we all REALLY wanted to know ... I’m awake and taking great notes.

2:02 – People are still asking great questions, but the session has to end so everyone can make it to their next meeting. We’ll have to e-mail our questions to the presenter.

2:05 – Back at my desk. Need hot tea to recover some energy. Back to work!

Sometimes, I wonder if I’m the only person who has trouble focusing during meetings. Am I a crappy employee or what? I am willing to work late, come in early, write for hours, help other employees with just about anything, etc., but I can only focus on a white PowerPoint slide in a dark room for so long ...

Sigh.

Halloween Pics at Last!

2008-11-06T08:56:00.006-07:00

Last night didn’t go too badly. Except that we were both stuck at work late, which resulted in us grabbing a couple of pieces of pepperoni pizza during our after-work Costco trip -- substituting for the healthier pita/hummus dinner we had originally planned.

Anyway, I took my pepperoni-laden butt to the gym and got through my workout. Every time I go, it gets a little easier. It is so encouraging! I wanted to take my camera and get a shot of my bad self lifting those awesome 5-pounders, but I ... ahem ... put the battery in backward and couldn’t get it back out! I missed those big arrows on the battery that are supposed to match up with the big arrows on the camera ... way to go, Sherlock.

Yeah. OK. Well, we can’t all be our brightest while tackling the duel task of wrestling with a sports bra and replacing camera batteries!

Luckily, my hubby was more successful in un-sticking the forced-in battery when I got home. (Hubby to the rescue!) So maybe I can get a shot next time.

In the meantime, here are a couple of pics of us at the Rock Band party last weekend. I went as Guinevere and my husband went as that wizard from the AllTel cell phone commercials (which, if you haven’t seen, are really kind of funny).

I don’t look excited in the picture, but trust me ... as the night wore on and more drinks made it into my system, I became significantly more animated! Rock on!

My love, tomatoes

2008-11-05T11:21:00.002-07:00

The obvious thing to blog about today is the election. I’m not doing it. I’m so tired of hearing people bad-mouth each other over the cube walls at work, in the lines at the grocery store, etc. I can’t think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said anyway. So we’re moving on!

Yesterday, I walked 2.5 miles. It wasn’t pretty – I didn’t bound up the hills or cruise down them ... I kind of did the Shaun of the Dead shuffle. But I made it to the end without stopping, and that’s what counts, right? Right? I’m trying to convince myself.

Anyhoo, I’m headed back to the gym tonight to work those arms again. I’m sore from Monday, but it’s the no-pain-no-gain kind of sore, not the my-trainer-beat-me-with-a-baseball-bat kind of sore. I think I’ll live!

On a totally unrelated topic, doncha just love fresh tomatoes? My mom shared her end-of-the-season tomatoes with me, and I must’ve eaten seven of those small- to medium-sized red orbs. Oh, they were luscious! I’m trying to figure out how I can sneakily snag some more ... although I suspect she wouldn’t be fooled. Visiting the mom two days in a row might look suspicious. Hmmmm.

Batgirl vs the Cesspool ... at the Gym

2008-11-04T12:35:00.003-07:00

I met with the trainer last week and came up with a plan to help me ease back into the “real world” after nearly a month of inactivity, and about a week of near-bed rest. Last week, my task was to do three sessions of:

Recumbent Bike: 20 minutes
Bicep Curls: 5 lbs, 15 reps x 3
Shoulder Raises: 5 lbs, 15 reps x 3
Chest Fly: 5 lbs, 15 reps x 3

And one day on the weekend of walking around the neighborhood. I made it about three blocks round-trip.

I was so worn out and sore that I could barely move two days after my first session at the gym! I’m shocked by this. This little, wussy workout just about killed me. I am a far way from my normal 5- to 10-mile walk and 45-minute weight sessions. Oh, I have such a long road ahead of me!

Of course, I punctuated a fabulous starter week with a Rock Band weekend. I gathered with friends, got dressed up for Halloween and drank a little bit too much. I was a red-headed Guinevere rocking out to a video game on a plastic bass. Oh, yeah! That’s me, baby!

The night before that, I was Batgirl – dancing with random strangers while the hubby (Batman) flirted with a scantily dressed Poison Ivy. I have to admit, she was hot and I wish I looked like her! Motivation, friends. Motivation.

So two days of naughtiness after a week of failed-but-well-intentioned nutrition and exercise attempts actually bumped me back on track. I just felt so lousy afterward that I wanted to hit the gym with gusto!

This week, I’ve bumped my workouts up to 30 minutes on the bike and 20 reps on the weights. Last night was the first attempt at that, and I did great. I was a little lightheaded (only a very little!), but I think it’s because my body is still low on blood. I get fewer dizzy spells every day. The improved session gave me some hope that my muscles aren’t lost forever in this cesspool I call a body.

Yesterday, I stayed within my calorie count. Boy, was that ever hard! The funny thing is that I “lost” two pounds just by avoiding my usual sausagification strategy of stuffing myself until my belly bulges. I’m really trying to avoid that! I was eating many thousands of calories a day (thus the 20-pound weight gain over the past month), and I’m now trying to keep it between 1,600 and 1,700. It’s a dramatic change for me, and I feel hungry and thirsty all the time.

But I made it through a WHOLE DAY, and between the great workout and proper eating, I’m feeling accomplished and hopeful. My goal for 160 pounds is Oct. 31, 2009. That’s plenty of time, and then maybe I can be the hot scantily clad super villain! Or maybe not ...

Come on, Oct. 27!

2008-10-22T11:51:00.005-06:00

I got a clean bill of health from my doctor and can start exercising on Oct. 27. I've contacted the trainer and we are creating a plan to help me ease into a healthier lifestyle. This ain't gonna be easy, but I think I can do it. I think I can, I think I can ...

Actually, I'm excited to start. Finding time to hit the gym will be a challenge, but I adore going. I get almost the same high from going to the gym that I get from a large peppermint mocha. Mmmmmmmm. Forbidden moooooocha.

In Flux

2008-10-17T09:41:00.001-06:00

I am creating this blog because I am a gal in flux; mixed hopes, feelings and future. Mostly, I will write about my journey to health from an unhealthy place. I have been in an active love affair with fast food since high school. My massive battleship hips tell the story!

What they don't tell are the hidden costs: Trouble breathing. Chemical intolerances. Increased cancer risks. Miscarriages. Inconsistent insomnia. Over-production of estrogen. Inability to keep up with the kiddo. And let's face it, it's just not fun to jiggle when you walk. At least, not when it's your CALVES doing the jiggling!

I will make fun of myself. This doesn't mean I don't like myself! It is my way of facing me. The me I must confront. The me that needs tough love. The me that needs straight talk. The me that needs to be physically healthier if she is to survive into her 50s.

First step: Talk to the trainer and make a plan!