Getting Healthy

I have decided that I am finally ready to get the rest of this weight off.  I was hoping that when I turned 40, I would be where I want to be, weight wise. Well, my 40th birthday was last Saturday, and I still have about fifty pounds to lose.  I know why I haven't been able to lose it.  Most days, I don't have time to come home for lunch, and I stop and grab something from a drive through.   Not the healthiest thing to do, I know.  Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and bought all kinds of healthy snacks, and I plan on making a lunch every morning to take with me, so I can avoid all the fast food.

I am not one to take anything to aid in my weight loss, but I am willing to take things that will help me get healthier.  There is something called Nopalea that you can drink to help your body get rid of toxins.  Drinking it every day can also help reduce inflammation and promote optimal health.  I am willing to give it a try, and I can do so for free (and so can you!) by calling 1-800-203-7063. There is a $9.95 fee for shipping, but I'm willing to pay that to see if Nopalea really works.

I'm hoping that by the time Spring rolls around I will have lost at least some of this weight.  I want to look better in all the cute shorts and tops I have for the warmer weather.  I mean, I am going to be single again for the first time in a long time, and it will be nice to have guys notice me again.

That's One Big Boy!

 

I took this picture several months ago when the kids and I went with my mom to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. Believe me when I tell you that this turtle was huge!  He was right up against the fence, and we all got to reach over and touch his shell.  I made certain we all stayed away from that mouth, though.

My son has been having some health issues.  I know, what does a huge turtle have to do with Ryan?  Nothing really, except that they are both big boys.  

Last weekend, Ryan started complaining of chest pain.  He said it was hard to take a deep breathe, and he felt like he wasn't breathing right.  I assumed he was getting sick, so I told him to take it easy and rest.  Monday, he came home from school with a migraine level headache, and all he wanted to do was sleep.  I was trying to figure out what was causing him to feel this way when it occurred to me that he recently started back on his ADHD medicines.  

Tuesday morning I called my doctor, just to see if he could suddenly develop side effects from medications he has been on for years.  When the nurse called me back, she informed me that the doctor wanted to see him ASAP.  Since I was at work I couldn;t get him up there before about 5.  They stop seeing patients at 4.  

This should tell you how awesome my doctor is...he waited on us to get there.  They checked Ryan's blood pressure, and it was 156/94.  Yeah, way to high for a 15 year old boy.  They said it was probably higher the night before, which would have been the cause of his headache and chest pain.  He told me to stop both medications immediately, and to bring him back Thursday morning for blood work.

I wasn't able to get off work, so my mom took him.  When they got there, not only did they take his blood, they also did a chest xray and EKG. They are waiting for the results from the blood work before they decide whether or not to do an echo-cardiogram.  Scared me to death when my mom called and told me.  My doctor also sent a note to Ryan's school asking the nurse to check his blood pressure several times a week and fax him the results.  When he had it checked Friday, it was 112/60, which is a lot better than what it was. 

I can not tell you how relieved I am, since it kind of confirms that it was his medications causing the problem.

That said, my doctor also wants Ryan to lose weight.  He put him on a strict diet, especially watching his sodium, which contributes to the high blood pressure.  He recommended walking, so every day Ryan has been doing just that.  This morning, I joined him in a walk to the grocery store.  It was nice spending time with him without the girls.  It gave us a chance to talk about anything he wanted to.

So, for now, I am waiting to hear the results of all the tests, keeping my fingers crossed that everything comes back normal, proving he is a healthy teenager.

Healthy Eating Habits

 I have been dieting for most of my adult life.  So far, nothing has "stuck".  I can lose a little weight, but it always seems to find me again.  I am tired of doing the yo-yo thing and am looking for a way to change the way I eat for good.  I want to educate myself on making healthier choices, instead of dieting all the time.  I don't want to starve myself anymore.  I don't want to deny myself the foods I love.  I want to feel better about myself, on the inside as well as the outside.  I want to learn Healthy Eating Habits so that I can live long enough to hold my great-grandchildren.

I was browsing this site called http://www.EverydayHealthGirl.com and found Becki. She shares her story of healthy eating, and how to do so frugally. (If you sign up for the newsletter, you will get a free healthy eating guide) I think this is where I struggle the most.  It is so much cheaper to buy the bad for you foods than it is to buy the good for you ones.  For people like me, sometimes having pasta five nights a week is the only option.  Or so I thought.  If I can learn how to spend the same amount of money on better for me foods, well, I'm all for that.  I want my whole family to start eating better, because I know the example I set can mold how they look at food for the rest of their lives.

That's a pretty big responsibility, and up until now I think I might have been leading them down the wrong path.  But, I have learned that it is never too late to get on the right track.  And that is exactly what I intend to do.

Walk To School Challenge

I took this picture on the first day of school back in August.  A lot of people commented about how dark it is outside.  This morning, it was even darker.  I can't wait until we fall back so that it is a little lighter outside at 6:20 am when we head to the bus stop.

Last week, Brandi came home from school all excited because October is International Walk To School month.  Unfortunately, not only the darkness, but the lack of sidewalks and winding roads will keep us from participating.  (it's also pretty far to walk to her school, even during the day)  To make up for this, last Wednesday Brandi's teacher had the kids walk the parking lot for recess.  This teacher is all about going "green" in the classroom, too.  The first day of school, every kid in Brandi's class found a reusable plastic water bottle on their desk.  It was a gift from the teacher.  She didn't want the kids bringing disposable water bottles to school.  I think this was a great idea.  It also helps to keep class disruptions to a minimum, because the kids aren't constantly getting up to use the water fountain.

The kids and I do walk to the bus stop every day, which is a pretty good trip up the block.  I wish I could walk them to school, but it's just not possible.  But if you feel safe walking your children to school, you should enter Green Works Walk To School Challenge.  It's easy to sign up.  Just visit Green Works Facebook page and "like" it, then click the Walk To School tab.  You will find the form you need to sign up your family to help your school win one of five $5000 grants.  Simply walk to school every day and record your footsteps.  The schools with the most footsteps will win the grants.

Make sure you check out all the wall posts on their Facebook page, too.  I found a bunch of tips for making my home "greener", as well as encouragement to get my family more active.  I have come to realize that there are little things we can do to get moving, and in the long run, the little things add up.  I want my family to take those little steps in the right direction, and hopefully one day soon we will be taking big steps, getting healthier.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox Green Works and received a $30 thank-you gift certificate."

Tea

 I have been trying, for the past few months, to eat better. I want to get healthier.

Losing weight has been a bonus. 

My one vice is diet soda.  I drink it from the moment I wake up until I go back to bed at night.  I have tried to drink plain water, but it never lasts more than a few days.  I need something that has some flavor, and I am not a fan of those little packets you can add to bottled water.

I have heard lots of good things about drinking tea, and how different teas can help you with different things.  I know some teas are good for weight loss, while others can help with depression.  There is such a variety of flavors, too.  There's black tea, green tea, white tea, herbal teas, and fruit teas.  Of all of these, I think I want to try the fruit tea.  I found a website where I can buy tea, and they do have a fruit tea that contains Vitamin C rich hibiscus, rose hips, apple, lemon, and orange.  To this base, they add either blackberry or dragonfruit.  Sounds delicious, right?

I hope that it tastes as good as it sounds, because I have got to find something else to drink besides diet soda.