I have to let the cat out of the bag…I know I have spoken about this before, and like my journey in weight loss, I have put it off, and off, and off. Excuses are like A——-, everyone has one!

 Well I applied online for entrance into State University of New York at Brockport (SUNY Brockport) and I want to take my prior 4 year degree and matriculate it into another BS for nursing (BSN). I received an Email thursday confirming that my application has been received. Now I have to mail in my transcript from my prior institution of higher learning (Elmira College) along with the fee. I am so excited! Woohoo for me.

Now begins a bigger adventure, I hope! Stay tuned for further updates!

“If you don’t take care of #1, you will feel, look and be treated like #2!

Better, Better Every Day…Better, Better In EVERY WAY!

I know I have spoken before about non-scale victories, but sitting here today, I realized that I have achieved another one without realizing it.

I am sitting here at Boston Market eating lunch quick prior to my shift, and enjoying the turkey meal (5 ounces of turkey white, new dill potatoes, garlic green beans and a bowl of chicken noodle soup = 11 points on Weight watchers NO CORNBREAD…4 points alone on WW). Next to me, I saw a family, assuming grandparents and a teen age grand-daughter. One glance and I saw myself back when I was 316 pounds +. This was the granddaughter I observed. She was sitting back from the table, with a napkin on her chest, leaning over very far to get a forkfull of food in her mouth. She slathered on the butter on her TWO cornbreads, and eating it. It suddenly dawned on me that I had another non-scale victory.

I remember sitting at a table in a restaurant, with my legs spread (not very lady-like, but had to make room for my gut, and thighs). I was always spilling food on my tops - I used to joke that I couldn’t keep a shirt clean, but I had the cleanest lap in the world. I would always lean over, push my boobs in, in order to futilely prevent a spill on my clean clothes. I saw this family, and realized that I can sit in a booth if I want to, I only have to lean a little bit to eat something, and my tops are cleaner these days.

What a revelation! Another WOOHOO moment.

“If you don’t take care of #1, you will feel, look and be treated like #2!”

Better, Better Everyday, Better, Better, in EVERY WAY!!

Blog ya later! 

Can Your Multivitamin Help You Slim Down?

By EatingWell on Jul 21, 2010 10:00 AM in Healthy Eating

By Emily Sohn, EatingWell.com

There’s still no magic pill for weight loss, but taking a multivitamin might be the secret to a slimmer you.

In a new study of more than 85 obese women in China, those who took a multivitamin (with 29 vitamins and minerals, much like a “One-A-Day” you find on store shelves), while continuing to eat their normal diets, lost an average of about three and a half pounds over six months. Those who took a placebo lost nothing.

The findings, reported in February 2010 in the International Journal of Obesity, add to a growing field of research that links vitamins and minerals to weight loss. A study published in 2008 in the British Journal of Nutrition, for example, found that dieting obese men and women who took a multivitamin and mineral supplement lost the same amount of weight as dieters who took a placebo during a 15-week calorie-restricted eating plan. But the female supplement-takers reported feeling less hungry, said lead author Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., an obesity researcher at Laval University in Quebec City. Being less hungry might make it easier to keep the weight off, says Tremblay.

Scientists don’t yet know exactly which vitamins and minerals have the biggest influence over appetite and weight control. Calcium seems to help: a number of clinical trials have shown that consuming 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day can boost weight loss in dieters by up to 60 percent, possibly by binding to fat in the gastrointestinal tract, which reduces how much fat the body absorbs. The weight-loss benefits of calcium supplements, however, appear to work best for people who aren’t already getting enough of the mineral. But other nutrients seem to be helpful, too: women in the Chinese study who took multivitamins lost more weight than those who took a supplement that contained only calcium—in the same amount provided by the multivitamin.

One plausible theory as to why multivitamins might help promote weight loss, suggests Tremblay, is that when your body is low on vitamins and minerals, your appetite fires up—prompting you to eat more to replenish the nutrients you’re missing. By staying topped off with nutrients, on the other hand, it may be possible to keep a runaway appetite under control.

Nutrition experts say it’s best to get nutrients from food, but when dieters cut back on calories they are more likely to miss the mark on some nutritional requirements. So although a supplement on its own won’t melt the pounds away, it can help ensure that vitamin and mineral deficiencies aren’t contributing to extra weight.

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I am going to try using a multi-vitamin and see if this helps with my dilemma….

Any Thoughts on multi-vitamins?

I really fell off this week. This summer has been horrible as far as ups and downs on the scale. What Have I learned so far?

1) I am really salt - sensitive… I had a whole month where my weight on the scale bounced higher and lower than a super ball out of one of those gumball machines! Up 9 pounds, down 7.4, up 8 pounds, down 12.6 pound, up 5 pounds, down 6.5 pounds. Again, as per my last entry in my blog, these are just numbers. My clothes didn’t fit any differently, I just felt really, really bloated. That’s the main reason there is a gap in my recording of my weight (approximately 6 weeks).

2) I am human… Like everyone else in this world, I have made some serious errors in judgement, but on the bright side, I refuse to be defeated. I shrug my shoulders, and move forward. It didn’t pack on overnight, it ain’t gonna come off overnight either! Besides this is a life long habit that I am developing. Once I reach my goal weight, it will still be a fight to keep it off. So until I take a dirt nap, there will be successes, and “learning experiences.”

3) Habits… DON’T LISTEN TO THE MEDIA RESEARCH THAT SAYS IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 2-3 WEEKS TO DEVELOP A HABIT. That statement is “DOO DOO!” A habit takes as long as it takes for a behavior to become automatic. Our eating habits were pounded into our heads as kids, and young adults. Clean plate syndrome…say no more. That’s a lot of years of bad eating habits to fight. So keep training yourselves in this healthier lifestyle. It’s a full time job!

Also, I think I slept on my back goofy. I haven’t been able to exercise all week. It is screaming in pain, and it’s all I can do to function at my job. So this week’s gain is easily forgiven. I am climbing the walls to get back to the gym, and hit that treadmill, and circuits. But, ooooohhhhh…vicodin…take me away! Darn that Arthur! You know Arthur Itis! Mine is in my lumbar spine with a small “S” curve to the left about 7 degrees. Degenerative joint disease is a bear, and partly my fault due to an extra 150 pounds I have been carrying all these years! It doesn’t take much these days to wreck a back.

I could use a kind word or a howdy doo. I am keeping my chin up, and a smile on my face! This too shall pass!

 Thanks for tuning in to my continuing saga!

“If you don’t take care of #1, you will feel and be treated like #2!” Better, Better everday, Better, Better in every WAY!

Blog ya later!

Well today I thought I would share my views of NSV’s. Failure is sure if all you look at is numbers on a piece of machinery! We also need to look at victories achieved that don’t have anything to do with that piece of evil known as the scale. Let me share some of mine:

1) Smaller clothes - right now I look like a little girl playing dress up with my mommy’s clothes. No money in the budget at this time, but I did splurge on one new uniform for work that actually fits. Boy did I get a bizillion compliments!!

2) Speaking of compliments, that’s another NSV. I have many people pay me wonderful compliments ranging from, “You look fantastic,” to “You are a true inspiration,” to “What a role model you are for healthy eating.”

3) When I can afford it and reach my goal, I want to resize my wedding rings (mom’s wedding diamond, and my band). For those that lose a significant amount of weight, like yours truly, you not only lose clothing sizes, but you also lose sizes in things like bras, undies, socks, shoes, and jewelry. Yes, I said jewelry. Those 16″ chains that choked me last year, hang beautifully on me now, and the 20″ chains that hung beautifully on me last year, hang to my cleavage (which also has sagged a bit LOL!).  Last month, I was washing my hands at work, and with my hands slippery with soap, my mother’s diamonds literally FELL off my finger and bounced around the sink. If you don’t think I didn’t pounce on that like a cat on a mouse, you have another think coming. I wear it around my neck now. At least I didn’t just put it in a jewelry box, I still wear it, but it also serves as a reminder of my journey, and keeps my focus visibly on my goal.

3) I am much more physical now that last year. I can climb stairs without totally dying on the landing between floors. As a matter of fact, earlier this week I climbed the stairs at work with a co-worker of mine AND held a conversation while going up the stairs. This is a NEW NSV! Yeah for me. I actually help my husband split wood for our camp fires. He is very surprised, and thrilled that I am willing to haul wood. His son keeps promising to help, but all of you know how 22 year olds are… We may actually accomplish this tree by fall. Woohoo for me!

4) The effect on my physical health, and chronic medical issues. I no longer take cholesterol medication (my overall is 139 right now), haven’t taken my GERD medication for a while, and Singulair has been put on the back shelf (mostly because it’s expensive to fill). My asthma is sooooo much better these days, so much so, that I actually had another NSV this week. I went to the local college track on a hot and humid day, and tried an experiment. At each of the “corners” of the oval there is a huge light pole for night events. I walked around the outer ring of the track once to get into a rhythym. I, then, started a slow jog on the straightaways, walked on the curves, upped it to a slow on the straightaway, etc. I didn’t do this once, twice or even three times…how about 5 times around the track. The heat and humidity finally got to me, and I slowly walked the last lap to cool down, and sat on the bleachers to drink my large water. Again, WOOHOO for me… Finally, for those with sleep apnea (obstructive), like ME, there is real genuine hope. I have noticed lately that I have had to wake up in the middle of the night to relieve the gas pressure in my gut (BUUUUUURRRRRRPPP)! I contacted my doctor and she wrote a script to be re-evaluated for my pressure settings on my machine. I am currently being evaluated by a process call “auto-titration”. I have a machine for 2 weeks where the computer automatically re-adjusts the pressure that allows for the most effective opening of my airway. The company that will evaluate the loaner machine will determine using the chip out of the machine where I should be set at. Currently, my “sleep pressure number” is 15. That was set when I was over 300 pounds. Now that I am 232 pounds and dropping, the pressure is too high. All the extra air being shoved through my sinuses has to go somewhere. How nice that God created the stomach to attach to the pharynx via the esophogus and epiglottis. The pressure is shoving the epiglottis aside and the balance of the pressurized air is pumped into the stomach…thus the belching. My hope right now is to cut the pressure in half, with the goal of eliminating it altogether eventually.

5) Another NSV we need to consider is how do we feel on the inside? How do we feel when we eat healthy, pretty good, I bet. How do we feel when we eat prepackaged, fast food that is full of fat, sodium, and preservatives? Pretty crappy and run down I bet… Come on…admit it…you feel pretty good physically, mentally, and emotionally now that the fresh fruits, veggies are on your local farmstands now! How do you feel when you sink your teeth into a FRESH ear of “just picked this morning” corn? How does it taste? How about those tomatoes? Zucchini? Summer Squash? Preparation be damned!! It’s soooo worth it isn’t it?? Definately a sense of satisfaction right? What about those “U-Pick” places? Feels pretty good; the effort put into it, hmmmmmm….

So that’s my discussion topic of Non-Scale Victories. Not all successes are measure on that evil machine. Don’t get discouraged. All our rough patches have rays of hope if we know where to look. Last month was horrible for me but I kept at it with the 2 “P’s”…patience and persistence. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Thanks for tuning in…

If you don’t take care of number 1, you will feel and be treated like number 2!!

Better, Better Every Day…Better, Better In Every WAY!!

Blog ya later!

WOOHOO APPROVED!

www.slimware.com Hot product - they are 10 1/2 inch dinner plates that have real pretty designs on them. What makes these plates so special? There are three different sized patterns on these plates that act as a visual guide as to what your portion size SHOULD LOOK LIKE! Very pretty plates, and no one has to know that you are watching your portion size. The small design represents your protein portion, the medium design represents your starch portion, and the large sized design is for your veggie portion! Now there is a small “sub-design” next to the small design (protein). This is a protein extender section for when you have fish or chicken breast (lean meat), so this portion can be a little bigger. The main protein portion design is for items such as ham, pork, beef, etc.

I ordered the design with the lily pads on them and I LOVE THEM!!!!!! They are 36.50 for 4 plates, and they are top rack dishwasher safe, but they are NOT microwavable - the only drawback to them.

CHECK THEM OUT!!!!

With this blistering heatwave we, in the Northeast have been having, losing weight has been a trial in extreme ups and downs. One week, the scale, not me gained 9 pounds; the following week a loss of 7 pounds, last week I was up 8 pounds, and I am trying real hard to make this loss a good one.

I know this isn’t a true weight (notice when I said the scale went up and down), so I am not discouraged in the least. Frustrated maybe, but not discouraged by a long shot. I know deep down that all this will pass as long as I have patience and persistance. This last month has only proven to me that all this is nothing more that water being retained and lost. Hot weather comes around and people (and animals) crave salty things. This is a primal survival instinct. Salt retains water, and craving salty snacks and foods is our body’s way of staying hydrated.

So my lesson for all of you in buddyslim-land, stay really, really hydrated. When the body is really hydrated, I find anyway, that I don’t crave the salty foods as much.

Next lesson in hydration - I exercise, and I am sure all of you that want to exercise to be healthier (notice I said healthier, not skinnier), I have a great product that I have tripped over that will help you stay hydrated. I am sure you all have seen the product out there and probably already know about it.

CRYSTAL LIGHT PUREFITNESS - 15 calories, 3 grams of sugar - and it has the electrolytes you need to replace your body’s loss with.

POWERADE ZERO - 0 calories, 0 sugar, and again the electrolytes.

Why am I telling you all this? Welllllll, let me tell you what happens when you don’t hydrate.

Back on June 30th, I was busy exercising, finished with my workout, and went to bed at around 3:30am. Around 7am, out of a sound sleep and without warning, I felt my large toe curl back towards my shin, which caused my shin to cramp, and it moved up my entire leg. I had no control over my entire leg folding up into the ULTIMATE cramp. The pain was so bad that it triggered a “vaso-vagal” response which in layman’s terms means I came within a micron of passing out. I felt nauseous, felt tingling all over my body, saw spots, severe dizziness, broke out in a soaking cold sweat, and saw in the mirror that I was grey in color, not pale, but grey…”death grey”.  I thought I was dying, and was having a stroke. I don’t remember how I did it, but with my new iPod, I touched my husbands number, and crying to him I needed help REAL BAD. He texted his son, who is a recently certified EMT-B, and he came to my rescue. Got me to the hospital, and was discharged about 6 hours later, with VERTIGO as a discharge diagnosis.

In a follow up appointment with my own doctor, we had a discussion about my results (I had blood drawn, ultrasound of my right leg to rule out DVT ‘clot’, and 2 CT scans ‘one with and one without contrast dye’). Everything was pretty much normal, so the conclusion we both came to was eventhough I drink a lot of liquids, it probably wasn’t as much as my body needed. If this is the way my body lets me know what I need, obviously this was a “brick up side the head”! It said, “Drink!”, and I am saying, “yessir!”  Definately a “wake up call.”

There was another anomaly discussed, so all those with diagnosed hypertension & hypercholestemia, listen up! During the contrast CT scan they found a “lacunar infarct”. The lacuna is a small region deeeeeep within the brain where microscopic blood vessels pass through to nourish the inner part of the brain. The way it was explained to me is that it happened some time ago (as indicated by scarring in the area - how they can tell, I have NO CLUE), where bits and pieces of cholesterol broke off from the sides of my vessel walls and created inflammation in the microscopic blood vessels. Once they inflammed, the lacuna got “stretched”, and left scarring which created a microscopic area of dead tissue. The ED doctor explained this to me, because he had never seen this phenominae in people my age (just turned 45). He sees it normally in people over 50. So the moral of the story is this…You could have a stroke and not know it!! GET HEALTHY NOW AND MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE! Fortunately, I am not affected by the stroke, but it is another wake up call. I am now taking an 81mg aspirin a day as a CYA per my doctor.

This last year has been enlightening, and the biggest turnaround of my life. Weight Watcher’s has been a lifesaver - literally!

Thanks for tuning in to the continuing saga, that which is my life.

IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF #1, YOU WILL FEEL LIKE #2! Better, better Every Day, Better, Better in EVERY WAY!!

Blog ya later!

I am very excited! I participated in my first 5K race - mostly walking, but I did do some running. I completed 3.5 miles in 59:11. Last year, I would not have even thought to do something like this much less participate. I joined the J.P. Chase Corporate Challenge. It is a VERY popular race (over 9100 participants). It was designed for the companies of the area to get together, walk/run, and just have fun while raising money to send underprivileged youth to school so they can learn a trade in the business world (I believe - Not sure however). Whether the cause is right or not, I had a blast!

It was a carnival-like atmosphere with balloons all over the place, and it was a sea of commercial advertisement (all the companies participating had corporate t-shirts for their teams). It rained like sin on everyone, and it was funny to watch the walkers with umbrellas, or those wearing garbage bags! I didn’t care, I was focusing on passing people and get to the finish line! Got a shower, and it wasn’t even Saturday night! LOLOLOL!

Just had a weigh in today at weight watchers, and I have now disposed of 80.4 pounds! I am over half way home!  To put it into body percentage loss, I have lost over 25% of my original starting weight! I FEEL GREAT!

Also folks, I recently had a doctor’s appointment, and had my blood drawn prior to the appointment. My overall cholesterol is 139 - without medication! She is thrilled, and admitted to me that she admires me for my determination! Think about it folks…a doctor looking up to me as a role model. Talk about irony (????)! It CAN be done, and we even discussed cutting back on my anti-depressants. I am thinking that some of my issues were crappy food related (full of preservatives, and chemicals). While I don’t believe that it is totally food related, I am dead sure that it contributed to it. My only vice now is diet coke/pepsi, so I can count my blessings. I can think of worse things to be hooked on.

Thanks for your continued support, and for following my continuing saga!

Blog ya later  and remember… If you don’t take of #1, you will feel like #2!!

Better, Better every day…Better, Better in EVERY WAY!!

Thanks for all the kudos from the reading audience. Here is another tidbit of information. I did some calculations and realized that I have lost 11.9 BMI points and 25% of my original weight.

Very startling revelations!

Better, Better Every Day…Better, Better in EVERY WAY!

Blog ya later1 

The picture I have been waiting for…

A while back I wrote that I couldn’t wait for this particular weekend because this was my husband’s firemen’s inspection banquet. Why was I so excited you ask? Every year, each member has their portrait (with spouse/significant other/etc.) taken. The “before” picture is the one I have had taken just last year (March 29). This new picture was taken on March 27 showing a 75 pound weight loss! I labeled this my “in progress” shot. There were plenty of jaws that hit the floor.

Better, Better every day…Better, Better in EVERY DAY!

Blog ya later!

OMG! I stepped on the scales yesterday, and that lull that I had where I was only losing ounces, turned into a 3.4 pound weight loss. I increased my fluid intake and stepped up my activity. I think I became lax with my measuring. We all know what happens when we don’t measure or think we know the size of the portion…right?

This is a huge monumental occasion for me. I brought my before picture to Weight Watcher’s and I heard so many gasps from the group. The comments were pretty much the same. “It doesn’t even look like you.” “Wow you look so different.” “You look fantastic!”

Then, the group leader asked me to name two things that I lost as a result of my getting rid of the weight (losing implies you’ll find it again), and two things gained from dumping the weight. I came up with the following:

Lost:

1) I lost my cholesterol medication. This saves me money on co-pays, and colace/senna (simvastatin constipated me royally).

2) I lost my large fat clothes. (Started at a size 28-30 “out-size” - now down to a 20W)

Gained:

1) More energy to enjoy life which includes my attitude towards life.

2) My self respect/love! (I never realized how much I hated myself everytime I ate a burgerking double whopper with cheese until I calculated the fat grams into ounces, and ounces into cups - it was self abuse/neglect/punishment NOT A COMFORT TO HELP DEAL WITH MY PROBLEMS!!!) That for me was an “AHA” moment!

Everyone at that group meeting gave me a standing ovation for those answers, and I have found myself happier now than I ever have! I was really overwhelmed!

THEN I FRICKIN’ LOCKED MY KEYS IN MY CAR AT WENDY’S!! LMAO! What a day! As they say in the trade, “Poop happens!” (keeping it clean for the website!)

My advice for anyone looking for support or a mantra for their health goals please remember this one and you can use it if you want to:

“IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF NUMBER 1, YOU WILL FEEL AND BE TREATED LIKE NUMBER 2!”

Blog ya later!

Better, better every day…Better, Better in every way!

This is a story for maturing women everywhere! This was an “aha” moment, and it felt great.

I am not sure if I mentioned this in one of my previous blogs, but at Easter dinner, I announced that one of my fitness goals was to walk from my place to my in-laws house (2.7 miles away). From the listening audience, I heard a “yeah right”. Weeeeelllllll, don’t tell me that in disbelief!

I not only did it (blew my MIL doors off - she looked out the front door looking for my car when I told her that I didn’t drive over here LOLOLOL!!), but I also had another adventure along the way that even I couldn’t believe that I did. It only served to prove one thing; no one, but no one will ever tell me whether I can do something or not. I am the one in control, and now feel “stronger” than ever!

On my return trip home, I came up to the three-way stop “T” intersection near where I live, and found a young girl in her late teens, early 20’s in her car, dead in the middle of the road. She was blocking traffic and I saw people yelling at her and honking their horns eventhough she CLEARLY had her 4-ways on, was on her phone nearly in tears.

I couldn’t just walk by, especially when a car of rude, obnoxious, annoying late teen-early 20’s boys were leaning out the window, yelling at her to move her POS! THAT WAS IT!!!! I walked up to her window, tapped on it, and told her to put her car in neutral, and I would push her off the side of the road. She looked at me like I was smoking crack. I repeated my request and she did. With everyone watching, I got down low on the back end of the car, and not only did I push her a good 100 yards up the road, but it was also on an incline (fighting gravity). I got her off to the side of road safely, and it allowed traffic to continue forward. What happened next was a “kodak moment”, and according to mastercard, priceless.

These smart asses leaned out the window, and called me the “incredible hulk” in a mocking kind of way. Without 1 second passing by, I turned to them and yelled at the top of my voice, “TOO BAD IT TOOK A WOMAN TWICE YOUR AGE TO DO WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING YOU LAZY, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING LITTLE BAS—-S!” Plugged myself back into my MP3 player, and kept right on truckin’ down the road! Those little sh— were so embarassed, their jaws dropped, and shut their windows real fast and shot down the road. I had a couple of vehicles pass, honk their horns and gave me the “thumbs up”! Amazing how these people were middle aged like me!

Now it the time to be more empowered than ever before. I felt great, no back pain, just stiff in the ankles from achieving my goal of 5.5 miles walking! Set your sights to the stars, and you can do anything!!!

“Better, better everyday…better, better in EVERY WAY!!!!” Have an empowered day!

Blog ya later!

I have been having a problem lately and could use some feedback.

Good news: Today I achieved 5.5 miles walked! I am excited; feel great; and earned 9 activity points on Weight Watchers.

Bad News: If you look at my point tracking I did great.

Target points: = 33

Consumed Total: = 29.5 points

Earned activity points = 9 points

Leftover points at the end of today = 12.5

Well Things looked great so far, then I ate at the end of the day:

1 Weight watcher Peanut butter cookie = 1 point

1 Weight watcher Brownie with 2 servings of SF vanilla pudding = 4 points

2 bags of jollytime popcorn @ 2.5 pts each = 5 points

1 large apple = 2 points

14 turkey pepperoni (75% reduced fat) = 1 point

Total = 13 points consumed post exercise - consumed while sitting next to my husband watching TV. No, he is not on any weight loss program. I am alone with this in my household. I go to WW meetings weekly, I don’t know what I am doing wrong.

Well now you see it! I overate the daily total. I know I have 35 flex points, but I have doing it lately, and I don’t why I am snacking like this. When I first started weight watchers, I, at least knew why I snacked so much. Now, I don’t know why I am eating. I haven’t gained more than 2 pounds, but I need to figure this out.

I wonder if I see that that I had a little over 12 points to play with, and decided that I could justify my snacking because I worked some of it off ahead of time (like using overdraft protection on a checking account because you know it’s there).

Any other theories? Any other weight watcher people out there to offer any advice? Help.

Since I have written anything educational about the healthier lifestyle. I have written blogs about walking, fiber, sticking to outside of the grocery store to get the healthiest, most nutritional foods etc…

I think today, with the warmer weather coming (or already here in some parts of the country), I need to write about the importance of hydration.

I know that everyone has heard about how hydrating with water or other fluids (including your various forms of food) helps keep you full and is good for losing the dreaded weight that all of us are trying to do here. Some of you wonderful readers may not know the significance of hydration to maintain good health.

I found an article that may be of interest. Hydration affects EVERYTHING in your body; your ability to think clearly, ability of the blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to your vital organs, hurts your kidneys ability to filter poisons and waste out of your blood stream, and causes dry skin. Just think of a grape and how it turns into a raisin, or how beef turns into jerky (thus my mental visual). Here is a copy of it:

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Dehydration - Topic Overview

Topic Overview

From Healthwise

Dehydration occurs when your body loses too much fluid. This can happen when you stop drinking water or lose large amounts of fluid through diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, or exercise. Not drinking enough fluids can cause muscle cramps. You may feel faint. Usually your body can reabsorb fluid from your blood and other body tissues. But by the time you become severely dehydrated , you no longer have enough fluid in your body to get blood to your organs, and you may go into shock , which is a life-threatening condition.

Dehydration can occur in anyone of any age, but it is most dangerous for babies, small children, and older adults.

Dehydration in babies and small children

Babies and small children have an increased chance of becoming dehydrated because:

• A greater portion of their bodies is made of water.
• Children have a high metabolic rate , so their bodies use more water.
• A child’s kidneys do not conserve water as well as an adult’s kidneys.
• A child’s natural defense system that helps fight infection ( immune system ) is not fully developed, which increases the chance of getting an illness that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
• Children often will not drink or eat when they are not feeling well.
• They depend on their caregivers to provide them with food and fluids.

Dehydration in older adults

Older adults have an increased chance of becoming dehydrated because they may:

• Not drink because they do not feel as thirsty as younger people.
• Have kidneys that do not work well.
• Choose not to drink because of the inability to control their bladders ( incontinence ).
• Have physical problems or a disease which makes it:
  • Hard to drink or hold a glass.
  • Painful to get up from a chair.
  • Painful or exhausting to go to the bathroom.
  • Difficult to talk or communicate to someone about their symptoms.
• Take medicines that increase urine output.
• Not have enough money to adequately feed themselves.

Watch babies, small children, and older adults closely for the early symptoms of dehydration any time they have illnesses that cause high fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. The early symptoms of dehydration are:

• A dry mouth and sticky saliva.
• Reduced urine output with dark yellow urine.
• Acting listless or easily irritated. (my note here - in seniors, their behaviors may be off, and may show early signs of urinary tract infections)

Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine
H. Michael O’Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine

© 1995-2010 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

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There is no standard set minimum of cups per day that the general public needs to consume eventhough EVERYONE has heard, 8 - 8ounce glasses per day. This varies by body type, chronic conditions, exertion, and the environment. Only you can determine what your body’s needs are. The best indicator of hydration is to look at your pee when you are done urinating. Is it a pretty pale yellow, darker yellow, amber, or dark amber? The lighter color the urine is, the better hydrated you are. This is extra important especially this time of year with the warmer weather!

Hmmm…Next thought is what do you hydrate with??

Water, juice, sports drink, milk, vegetation/fruits, soda, diet drinks?

All of the above are acceptable EXCEPT SODA and YOUR SUGARY DRINKS LIKE KOOL-AID. These two items will accelerate your dehydration.

How does this work?

Your body likes to be in a “happy place” called homeostasis ((home-ee-oh-stay-iss)the big technical $50 word). What this is, is a “happy balance” of electrolytes and fluid between the inside of the cell and the outside of the cell (bloodstream).

When you are dehydrated, the fluid/electrolyte balance is thrown off because the concentration of fluid is greater in the cells than in the blood stream. This causes the blood pressure to drop due to the lack of volume in the blood stream.  The body compensates for this imbalance by drawing fluid out of the cells. When there is little left to draw on, the urine becomes dark due to the body drawing the water back into the blood stream from the kidneys. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, AND SENIOR CITIZENS! Dehydration can lead to kidney failure, and shock!

The problem with sugared drinks such as Coke or Pepsi, is by hydrating with these products, you have now increased the concentration of sugar in the blood stream. The body does not like that much sugar in the body and will draw water off the cells to dilute the concentration of sugar in your bloodstream. Again, a problem with dehydration only increased with sugary drinks!

You may be dehydrated and not even know it so make sure that you drink eventhough you may not feel thirsty. By the time you feel thirst, it’s too late, you are already seriously dehydrated.

This summer, check on your elderly, and make sure they drink, and if you exercise, or do any kind of work outside, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK!!!! I normally drink between a half gallon to a gallon per day based on my exertion level.

Dehydration can have the potential of putting you in the hospital!

Hopefully this has been educational, and informative. Think drink (like a fish) when it gets hot out.

Blog ya later! Better, Better every day…Better, Better in EVERY WAY!

I think this is why my weight loss has been a tad slow lately. This week the weather has somewhat cooperated, and I got out and walked. Last year at this time, the thought of even getting out to walk to the mailbox seemed too much like work.

I just came in from a 3.5 mile walk, and I haven’t gone into work yet (evening shift). I feel rejuvenated, and alive. It rained on me a tiny bit and it felt great! Last Sunday (Easter Dinner) I made the announcement that my exercise goal was going to be to walk from my apartment to my in-laws house and back (a total of about 6 miles). My family looked at me like I was smokin’ crack! Won’t my family be blown away when I suddenly show up with no car in the driveway! HAH! The whole world right now can just BITE ME! This only makes me more determined than ever to prove all my skeptics WRONG!!

I can’t wait!

Blog ya later - “Better, Better Every Day…Better, Better in EVERY WAY!!”

…As murphy’s law of medicene dictates…

If anything illness or medical condition deterioration needs to occur, it always happens either 1) after hours 2) on a friday afternoon after hours, or 3) on a weekend afterhours when no one is available to see.

Well here it is friday, and I am having asthma symptoms exacerbated by a sinus infection, which may be dropping to my chest. Infection has always been a trigger for me with my asthma. I feel like crap, and my doctor isn’t in the office on fridays (thus murphy’s law).

Of course healthcare doesn’t take a vacation day, especially on the vent unit, so the only saving grace to this whole situation is I have a nurse practioner on my unit that is there until 5pm, so I can see her and plead insanity, and request a script for the z-pak.

I don’t feel like tracking or measuring or anything, and I fear gaining some of my weight back. On a positive note, that is why I am blogging right now, because I know all of you can relate and I have had excellent support in the past. So I know I will get a kind word from you out there in buddyland!

Blog ya later…Better, Better every day…Better, Better in EVERY WAY! (but not today).

Like McDonald’s…I’m lovin’ it. My slogan for the gym is…I’m feelin’ it!

My 4 -training session are done for now. Boy do I feel it. Mostly my shoulders, but pretty much everywhere! Talk about getting put through the wringer! I don’t think I have ever had to replace that many electrolytes except after I have had the GI bug. She developed an 8 week program that I can do independently, and after 8 weeks we are getting together again to do a follow up to view my progress, and develop another workout program so my muscles don’t get bored or used to what I am doing now.

On my way out of the gym, a rather stout man came in and wanted to cancel his membership. I didn’t ask, just got the manager. Of all people to quit, he shouldn’t be doing it. I understand why though. I am going to use my imagination and think that he’s quitting because everyone in there looks too skinny and he feels awkward. I remember thinking that when I first started, but I also had a new attitude, and had lost a significant amount of weight anyway. So I really didn’t give a hoot about what anyone else thinks.

1) The muscle heads are too busy looking at themselves to care.
2) People like me have already been there, what he’s seeing is the result of months of hard work.
3) Society is programmed to expect instant results, which we all here know is a big “fat” farce.
4) The skinny people are trying to maintain what they have so they are working their tight little butts off.

I guess excuses are like belly buttons (clean version), everyone has one (unless you are an alien)!

I am feeling much different now than 6 months ago both in my attitude and feeling physical.

Blog ya later…Better, Better every day…Better, Better in every WAY!

Not sure where to begin. It has been very stressful, but thank goodness for my personal trainer. She has measured everything from range of motion (flexibility), to the amount of weight I can handle without hurting myself, as well as putting me through my paces. It has effectively taken the stress of my week away or at least put it to the back of my mind, where it isn’t as important. I used to eat and veg out in front of the TV, but I am too tired for even that because of my increased exercise.

This past week, one of my favorite patients passed away unexpectedly. He was so angelic (down’s syndrome), and from what was reported to me, he just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. No signs on his face of any distress. He was truly at peace. I was so attached to this little guy that daystaff actually called me at home to tell me so I could have a couple of hours to get it out of my system rather than being told at work and be blind-sided.

The weigh in that day was not a good one. Last weekend I had the banquet as I had written in a prior blog, and I gained 3.8 pounds out of the deal. However, I accepted the consequences of my actions, and just shrugged my shoulders. I’m not worried this week about my weigh in. A couple of days after the weigh in, I stepped on the unit’s scale; which isn’t that far off the weight watcher’s scale, and found I had lost all the weight I gained (now I figure it was only water weight since it was lost that quickly - and realized most of what I ate were salty snacks…go figure).

To increase my stress level even more, administration filled the bed that my little guy was in with a 51 y/o status post addict (did everything under the sun including booze) who recently was hospitalized with the D/T’s and respiratory failure (D/T’s = detox tremors). Family hadn’t heard from him in days and when they went to check in on him, they found him unconcious on the floor surrounded by beer cans that would rival a recycling center. He now has the brain development of a 6 year old (Whiney, demanding, “no one is paying attention to me” syndrome, etc). He has single-handedly driven me to the gym to burn off the desire to choke the snot out of him. He’s effectively pissing staff off as well due to the fact that he is also VERY sexually inappropriate (which he thinks is funny). This one is going to be a tough one to handle both physically (how do you clean him up without touching his privates??) and mentally. Talk about pushing buttons and testing your patience!!

I believe that this is a patient that will test my resolve to continue my path towards health. It’s easy right now with the stress I am under right now to handle it with food. However, this has been an opportunity to test out my new habits that have been formed changing my eating/exercising. I am starting to notice a difference in my attitude. AGAIN I WILL REPEAT MYSELF AND SAY THAT NOT ALL SUCCESSES ARE MEASURED ON A SCALE!!

Blog ya later.

Better, Better every day…Better, Better in EVERY WAY!!

Not that the treadmill is a bad thing, but I am starting to find that finishing work, going to the gym, hitting the treadmill for 40-60 minutes while watching TV is getting a little mundane. Besides, as I am losing the weight, I am also starting to notice areas of a problem nature (batwings on the upper arms), and bad sags/bags on the inner thighs. I need variety, and some kind of a program that I can follow to spice things up a bit and start to tone areas that are problematic. I understand that I won’t be able to get rid of all the issues. “Gravity is our enemy and it’s coming for all of us!”

So, I decided to appear at the gym where I am at, and after some discussion, I believe I will sign up for 4 personal training sessions so they can:

Assess my fitness level - I can tell you right now, I suck!

Develop a program that is doable, and something that I can do independently at night when I get off work.

So we’ll see what happens. The weather is gradually getting better, but still depressing, cold and wet. I am dying to get out and start roaming the neighborhood.

Blog ya later - “Better, Better every day…Better, Better in every WAY!”

Well this banquet weekend finally has come to a close, and it’s back to reality.

My husband and I totally enjoyed ourselves, and I just cut loose. Skipped the tracking and just ate what I wanted to. It was a nice escape. I used a good portion of my flex points (guesstimate), and didn’t even care. I know I will have a gain this week, but who the heck cares.

I did exercise this weekend too. I did laps in the hotels pool, and danced like a fool after the banquet Saturday night. So I know that offset my bingeing a bit.

The best part was everyone I knew in the Chili fire department came up to me and stated that they didn’t recognize me at first and had to take a double take. They asked how much weight I lost and when they found out, well out came the questions. I also found out that healthy and fit is the “IN” thing now, and a vast majority of the people that I had talked to said they too, had started weight watchers.

Sunday morning we went to breakfast, and came back t0 the room, changed into our swim suits and decided to take one more dip in the hot tub. My husband got out of the tub first, and as soon as he got out, that’s when the fun started.

I am going to preface this by stating that I, in no way am writing this to offend anyone of italian descent. I am sharing this as I objectively saw it.

This “stereo-typical” Italian climbs into the tub and started to talk to me. The reason I say “stereo-typical”, is he had dyed black hair, hawaiian shirt opened to expose his hairy chest, gold chains around his neck, and talked like he belonged in the mafia or something from the “Godfather”. I’m sorry, but this stuff you can’t make up!

He asked if I was from around the area or if I was just in town passing through. He sat next to me and proceeded to pry more information out of me. Not trying to be rude, but I kept my answers short and to the point. My husband was watching and listening to all of this. He wanted to know how I would handle myself.

This numbnut introduces himself as Tony (yes I am serious), and held out his right hand to shake my hand. I replied that my nickname was “lefty” and I held out my left hand with my wedding band on it, and told him that if he didn’t leave me alone, that I would be obligated to show him why I was nicknamed “lefty”.

He apologized by saying, “Sorry, I didn’t youze was married.” (Again, I cannot make this S— up!)

Well back to reality - BLOG YA LATER! This was too funny not to share!

Better, Better every day…Better, Better in every way!