Merry, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all. Have a joyous day.

Fit Food at Christmas?

The Christmas plans are finally in place. Everyone’s coming over here (sigh!). So I’m visiting “Fit Christmas” meal sites for food ideas that are easy, nutritious and kid-a-licious. I’ve found a couple of recipes that fit the bill for our needs; for Hubs, who is still afraid of big green attack veggies, for 7-year old Cam, who loves seaweed crunchy snacks, but won’t touch cheese. The rest, including, obviously, yours truly, love everything—anything. We’re going to have a simple brunch with low-calorie finger foods (crudités –am I dating myself?) and shrimp “something.”

One healthy site I’ve found is www.foodfit.com. I’m going to base my menu on the recipes at this site. At http://nutrition.about.com/library/bl_christmas_quiz.htm, there are ten questions about traditional Christmas foods. I got 6 out of 10 right. Geeez! I can’t believe I did so badly on sweet stuff! Try it!

Actually, I have a couple of great “lite” cookbooks with recipes for brunches, appetizers and hors d’oeuvres in my cupboard. Enjoy the recipes at foodfit and the quiz and if you have any great ideas for “lite” brunch dishes – toss them my way! Huge thanks!

News

I’m looking at the world through new eyeballs. An old and good friend, "J" has been caretaking her mother for more than two years. Unbeknownst to me, "J" has slowly become physically and emotionally exhausted. I could tell things were pretty bad by the end of a phone conversation we had last weekend. I drove over to "J's" and stared around the living room that always felt so upbeat, and saw—sensed a heavy sadness that kind of hung there. Without going into this at length, I stayed there for as much of the weekdays as I could, while “J” visited some (dreaded words) elder care facilities throughout the bay area. It’s almost comical (darkly) to be blogging about my weight issues when there is so much big-time hurt happening all the time within families, to people on the streets, yes, and to animals and people elsewhere... especially in these stinking economic times.

“J” seems to be a bit more energetic; she's tough, but has been living such a nightmare. I've been neglectful of friends and feel badly that I've been unaware of the extent to which the grind of life, at least at "J's," has been disintegrating. And if I thought that was the worst news I could think of, I also spoke with another acquaintance this week, with whom I used to be very close. Her husband passed away last July. My girlfriend, "A" is young - too young to lose "C," although I knew he had cancer. Sometimes if you hear that a person is in remission, you actually believe that they're 100% back from a bleak sentence. Blindsided the second time this week.

I realize that this is not the best time to write about these depressing issues, but I do want to tell you about an immensely moving memoir about one mother’s decline when she got Alzheimer’s. Called Death in Slow Motion, Eleonor Cooney holds nothing, I mean NOTHING back. A worthwhile read for the right person at the right time.

Okay, enough of this. I’m home for a while this morning and glad to be here. (Maybe more than I’ve ever been!) As I said up top, I am seeing the world with a new set of peepers and what a huge gift that is. I feel changed in a way—something small, but significant. But I'm not certain that I can figure out how to write about it. I have only a few clients next week, which is also a gift. I send sincere wishes for a peaceful Sunday.

Have been away a few days and need a few more still, to deal with an issue that I unfortunately can’t work with here. Still getting in the work and the workouts, however - always good for mind and body. I'm missing reading all your blogs – have checked in for quick looks, which help me move on through this stuff – back in a few days or so... xo Miche

One Word, A Number and Two Symbols

It’s been a bit chaotic lately. I’ve decided that exercise has always got to take precedence over writing—arrgghhh! So, I’ve gotten more cardio and lifting in this week, but less posting. That’s okay, but I meant to get in one word, a number and two symbols yesterday: - .4 pound. It’s going slooww. But steady.

Grandkids coming to help us decorate the abode, which I usually enjoy... but there are so many other tempting things to do—an encore round of ice skating again, perchance? Unfortunately, it’s catch-up time, before kids arrive, with the charming tasks that include cleaning, laundry and bills. I guess that’s why I tend to get super keyed up over outdoor recreation. And, actually, when I get into the domestic thing for a couple of hours, I fall into a kind of meditative rhythm. Once done, I feel great, so it’s not such a bad thing. Like losing weight, however, it looks like one giant mass of an undertaking as a whole. Broken up into smaller pieces, it’s manageable.

Off to exercise and house management! Hope you have an excellent weekend!

The Truth?

I want to thank Mara at http://24stepstogo.blogspot.com, who tagged me with this meme. Here are the steps I've followed:

1. Link to my tagger and list all these rules in my blog.
2. Share seven facts about myself right here, some random, some weird.
3. Tag seven people at the end of my post by including links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here goes...

1. I’ve weighed over 200 pounds for the majority of my adult life.
2. I have heart disease. In December of 2005, I had an ablation; an electrophysiological procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation – an ailment I’ve had since I was 16 years old.
3. I’ve had Grave’s disease since the mid-90s. That diagnosis was the catalyst for my “last journey down” throughout the year, 1997.
4. I’m challenged by rock climbing (indoors or out), ice climbing, skiing, skating and a bunch of other "warm-weather stuff as well!
5. I go to a boxing club in Novato. Boxing is an unbelievable conditioning exercise. It pushes me way over the top, but I don’t go as often as I'd like.
6. By the end of January ’09, I will have a third granddaughter and I plan to be a personal trainer for the rest of my life—all in the same sentence.
7. I reveal so many more facts (often very weird) about myself in LJD, that it really frightens me now that it’s in print.

Hope this didn’t bore you to tears, and I thank Mara so much for getting me write about these things. When I look at all the evidence from the past, I’ve just gotta be thankful that I’m actually alive. Now, please check out the blogs of these people who are hitting their aims with straight shots!

http://just-chrissie.blogspot.com
http://fatdontwrinkle.blogspot.com
http://morfit.blogspot.com
http://annettesawakening.blogspot.com
http://www.turtleprogress.com
http://choosinglosing.blogspot.com
http://gottalose200pounds.blogspot.com

Distractions... Only a Little...

I’ve been trying to weed through the chores around here lately and again, I've been distracted. It’s been a busy last three days and there’s a slow ache coming on in my outer limbits that no mechanical orchestration of time seems to be able to heal. Yeeeooowww! Some tough workouts!

I’m on a marketing push these days for Last Journey Down and the work is sopping up my blog time, damn! It’s definitely exciting to have something in the palm of my hand that I've worked on for so long. On the other (palm of) hand, it means taking the responsibility to sell that thing! I’m not very good at this, since one of the problems I have is “to love myself—what I am and what I do" and communicate it! There, I wrote it! Miz—I definitely need to go after one of those t-shirts.

On Saturday, took the dog for tracking practice. Then I cleaned house, did laundry and vacuumed—all of the exceedingly boring stuff one does on weekends. But on Sunday, Hubs and I took son, Anthony, granddaughter, Cameron and dog, Samantha, to San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza to ice skate. What an awesome reminder that it was winter and that as a family and also as pals, we love to do things like this with each other. If we can’t go to the Sierras to ski [lack of snow (and $$$ - really)], skating is a fab reminder that we like activities that take place outdoors—lots! I raise a toast with mug of tea to a cool (tho not tooooo coooollllld) outdoor winter sports experience to you all!

A Little Fear Goes a Long Way

I was feeling a little “all-over-the-place” this morning, incapable of screening out any distractions, so I made the mistake of looking up ADD/ADHD to check out the signs. Then I wrote a long blog about it and decided it was too depressing to post. Argghhh! I don’t want to fall into any traps that stink of self-diagnosis, but... there were some scary corollaries!

I put my coat on and found the nearest hill to climb, dragging the dog up with me (actually, it was the other way around). Usually, vistas of Mt. Tam and other sights are free for the viewing, but today, it’s been pea soup and cold... for here. I don’t want to belittle the weather in this pocket of the world, but earlier this morning, it was chill-lee! After my march up the hill, however, the body warmed up. I have to back up a few years to remember that never, especially on a cold, early, foggy, Saturday (or any) morning, could someone have persuaded me to haul my butt up some hill (that I would have identified as a mountain), much less prompt my own self to do such a thing. So, I’m definitely longer on motivation these days.

What eventually triggers some folks to change their lifestyles? In the blogs I read and often, (not always!) in my own clients’ lives, bigger numbers of people are dramatically altering the way in which they “do” life. I’m not a psychologist, but I’m getting to know myself well enough to realize that part of what has been driving my ass all these years is fear. I discuss this idea a lot in the book. After a little over 11 years of maintenance, the panicky feeling I get when I think of gaining back all my weight scares the #^*! outta me. Even after 11 years. That is one big reason why I was moved to write about my experience: I am still absolutely terrified of putting all those pounds back on my body, even though I have so many deterrents in place. My friends, family -- even trainers who have known me for years all assure me that the new habits are “in place.” I beg to disagree with them, because frankly, none of them has ever had an eating problem severe enough to lead them down the path to morbid obesity. Even though a few of them remember what I looked like in 1996. Fear is still my good friend for the time being.

Day of Weigh...

Very qwik entry today - whew, what a week. Mom's doing okay, yay. Down .9 pound, which is quite amazing considering the lack of much of any exercise except flat walking. Total loss so far is 1.8 pounds. I'm gonna keep going in that direction! TGIF - Have a great weekend y'all!

Injuries!!!

I haven’t posted daily this week because I seem to have done something to myself that prevents me from moving very much. I’m a bit P.O.d, to say the least. I just got over that crud I had and now... (dreaded word)... INJURY. I managed to get to a body worker I know yesterday, and my hour of intense pain (screams and whining!) with him produced miracles. Even though I am extremely skeptical of alternative treatments for injury or sickness, this guy has come through every single time I’ve done something dumb. The only problem that remains is that I can’t lift until next week or do any intense cardio—just walks. UGHHHHHHH!!!!! I’m sick of being sick!

Even though I’ve lost weight for the last couple of weeks, I'm not hoping for any downward movement on the scale tomorrow. Several of your posts have reminded me that in the scheme of things, life can really be very good, despite setbacks. I have a multitude of gifts to be thankful for—the blogosphere is teaching me about the power of gratitude. I send major thanks to you all for that and so much more. The weight will come off. But here’s a problem I can’t help with.

My son hadn’t called his grandmother (my 80-year old, very fit-for-her-age mother) for a couple of months. He phoned her yesterday morning, to what must have been her surprise, but she told him that she couldn’t talk at that moment as “someone was coming to put a cast on her hip.” Son called me, so I immediately tried to get through on this bit of news. Now, the night before, my sister-in-law had called and we caught up on some belated Thanksgiving doings and family. She told me that my mother’s Lhasa dog had broken her leg and was wearing a cast. I hadn’t heard about that either. All my extended family lives in or near New York City.

By yesterday afternoon, I was thoroughly confused and couldn’t reach ANYONE back east. Finally this morning, I was able to contact my sister, who confirmed that on Tuesday afternoon, my mother (who has had two hip replacement surgeries) reached down from a chair to pat her dog (who did have a cast) and dislocated her hip. She had to drag herself to the phone in excruciating pain and then spent all night in the hospital having her hip reset. Ouch and I can’t tell you how much I wish I’d been there. My sister was with our mom, however, for which I’m also grateful, but I also can’t believe I didn’t get any calls about this—argghhhh!

So, my son called just as she’d gotten home from the hospital yesterday morning and someone had just arrived to fit a brace on her hip. And her constant companion doggie has gone for a month to our aunt’s house, so I’m worried about my mother being lonely a little. Sometimes, I just wish I could afford a pied a terre in NY, but that won’t happen soon. It's a problem I can't fix for her although I can be supportive and positive. I can wish all I want, but as Mom used to say to us kids, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.”

Happy Thursday, everyone. I’m very lucky to be able to take a nice walk today and get to work. But I’m glad I have a place to vent my stuff. For that, I'm extremely grateful.

Lori's Gift!

I am dumbfounded and incredibly honored by Lori’s nomination for the Marie Antoinette, real blogs for real people award. In so short a time, I’ve discovered a mind-blowing community of people who are always warm and generous in their support of each other (and me!) Three cheers to everybody! It’s hard to open up and share our very personal thoughts and lives with so many people we often don’t know. Courageous, indeed. I’m very touched. Thank you so much, Lori and I nominate the following seven people for the Marie Antoinette award:

http://24stepstogo.blogspot.com

http://angiealltheway.blogspot.com

http://scalejunkie.blogspot.com

http://www.jensjourney.com

http://morgangetsthin.blogspot.com

http://fab50.blogspot.com

http://maintainmyweight.blogspot.com

You have all helped and supported me so much in the last couple of months that I've joined this community - please check out these peoples' blogs if you aren't already following. These women are tremendously inspiring! Thank you again, so much for this award. I am truly grateful!

xoxo Miche

Lynn's Blog Reminded Me Of...

Lynn’s blog about beets and brussels sprouts hit me over the head with a resounding thump. I actually prepped beets and brussels sprouts a couple of days ago to cook for today’s and tomorrow’s veggies, although I didn't plan on having them for breakfast! Vegetables, however, for my first meal of the day did remind me of one 12-week diet I did about three years ago.

I write a bit about part of this in the book (that will be available for pre-orders in about a week – quite scary, but exciting at the same time...). Without giving too much away, six months after reaching goal weight, I decided to sign up for Bill Phillips’ EAS challenge, as it was called then. I used a modified “contest” diet that a couple of trainers “prescribed” for me at the time. I was required to eat protein and veggies for breakfast (with oatmeal) for the first couple of months, but for the final month, I was only allowed a starchy carb for breakfast every third day. This inevitably weakened my performance in the gym of course—incredibly frustrating.

The “diet” (almost a fast, really) was wearisome—an exasperating test to keep my mind’s eye on the prize, so to speak. One morning, on a non-starch day, I realized that I had nothing remotely appetizing for breakfast. Uh oh. I rooted around the fridge and cupboards and found some... sardines (yuchhhhhk!) and some canned spinach. Who on earth buys canned spinach? (I can only think of Popeye, but it still didn’t help my strength at the gym.) I guess I must have bought that stuff – Gawwwddd! So I made myself a small plate of sardines over a bed of green guck and forced it down. That is what Lynn’s blog helped remind me of: my only recent experience of veggies (other than onions and mushrooms in an egg white omelet) for breakfast! Thanks Lynn! And maybe I will have some beets for breakfast... far more enticing than canned spinach.