Meals & Movement

As I've alluded to previously, this past year has taken it's toll. As many of us do when faced with a loved ones illness, we put ourselves on the back burner. It's all a matter of priorities.

Some days, I don't put on makeup or go beyond making sure I'm bathed, wearing clean, presentable clothes that aren't too slobby looking and popping in some earrings so I look like I've put in some effort.

Yeah. It's been pretty bad. Because that's really soooo not like me. I've always enjoyed primping, wearing makeup, jewelry, nice clothes, smelling purty and getting out of the house once in a while. And while this past year hasn't been the cause of my excess weight-I've been carrying around a good (bad) extra 50-60 pounds for a few years now-the stress of it all sure isn't helping matters. I also find that since I'm heavier than I would like to be, I'm not compelled to dress up this package and, heaven forbid, draw attention to myself. Some women, I've heard, overcompensate by wearing extra makeup etc., to distract from the fat. I'm the opposite. I guess it's all a matter of perspective in how you view your camouflage.

Anyway, to add insult to injury, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a while back, which I don't have to tell you, could lead to devastating health complications. Oh, and let's not forget, mildly high cholesterol. In spite of all that, I still have the bad eating habits that I established in my youth: binging, emotional eating, and a few sweet teeth the size of Texas y'all. It's all a viscous cycle exacerbated by stress. Oh. And even my weenie dog's fat. Something's reeeeally gotta give.

Today my meals & snacks look a little something like this (keep in mind, I don't eat on a strict schedule at set times so that's why I label my eating times as I do):

Upon awakening: 2 cups of coffee with a teaspoon of heavy cream in each (heavy cream=a delicious indulgence/habit started in my Somersizing WOE days)

"Meal" 1: One cup of fruit/veggie smoothie (contained spring salad mix, broccoli florets, mung bean sprouts, pineapple, banana, strawberry, apple, mango, grapes, blackberries, water) . Threw it all in my Ninja the night before for morning convenience...and to not wake the whole household up to the blending noise.
One ounce of natural, unsalted almonds.

"Meal" 2: One and a half Lean Pockets 3 Cheese Spinach (whole) & spinach, artichoke & chicken (half).

"Meal" 3: 3 cups of fruit/veggie smoothie (broccoli, mung bean sprouts, celery, carrot, grapes, pineapple, banana, cantaloupe, lemon juice,  maqui juice and water. Oh, and a couple of packets of Truvia to counteract the tartness of the lemon juice! *pucker*)
I know to some, these smoothies might sound disgusting but I like them and I am getting in a greater variety of fruits and veggies than if I were to try to eat all the different items separately and whole. I don't follow a recipe, I use what  have on hand. I hope to eventually work up to a higher veggie to fruit ratio.

Snack: 1 ounce of Tostitos & 2 Tablespoons of salsa

Beverages (throughout the day): unsweetened green/black tea blend, iced; water; hot herbal tea, unsweetened

I have been trying to get out in the evenings and walk my pup but since today was fairly busy taking hubby around for errands and shopping, I was whipped by the time we got home so our walk didn't happen. I just made an effort to chase her around the house for a bit playing "I'm gonna get you". She loves that! (: It gets us both up & moving, *giggle*.

I want to add that, while I don't want to be a slave to counting calories, carbs etc., I don't mind measuring & weighing so that I have right portions when necessary.



my handy, dandy, trusty food scale

Thanks for stopping by & here's to a happy, healthy YOU!~TJ

PS~I totally forgot to weigh myself this morning...

Diet: Something's Gotta Give

After watching my sweet hubby go through his health issues this last year, it has made me realize I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. GO. DOWN. THAT. ROAD. PERIOD.

Peer-eee-od.

'Cause it ain't been pretty. And I have decided that if I don't do everything within my power to age healthily then, well...shame on me. What a fool I will be.

Now just so any of you high minded, know-it-all, sassy, young 'uns who might be reading this and going through that lovely "I'm invincible and will never die" time of life are thinkin' "who are you trying to fool? You won't live forever, so why not live it up? Enjooooooy life!" Well, I know I won't live forever (but I do plan to live to at least 144 :D ) And if I'm going to live that long, I want to be as healthy and vital as possible. I don't wish to be a burden on my family, live in some sort of home while dying a slow death or have someone wipe my butt. And I figure that if I don't do what I believe I should be doing for my health and I end up in one of those fashions, shame on me. However, I do understand that we can do everything possible, be healthy as a (healthy) horse, and still have a devastating, traumatic health catastrophe happen to us. But still, NOT to try and treat our bodies as the temple it is would just be wrong.

I've said before that I have major food issues. Food addiction if you will. If it's fattening, creamy, decadent, down home, junky, sweet, salty, crunchy, crispy, ooey, gooey, Paula Deen-ized, super sized, chewy, chocolatey, fried, drizzled upon, iced, frosted, candy/candylike, cake/cakelike, cookie/cookielike...(well, shall I go on?), I LOVE it. And to add to the food addiction, I have a condition: I have a large amount of lead in my butt. And that makes it very difficult for me to move. At. All. 

No...really.

And since I've tried (no, I haven't "tried them all") enough diets to know I'm OVER them, I have given it a lot of thought and come up with this: I need to do something. And I need to do something that 1) works for me; 2) I could conceivably do the rest of my life and not feel that it's an imposition; 3) allow me to eat anything I choose and not forbid any food and...(drumroll) 4) (MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME) be healthy. Because I've already been diagnosed with high blood pressure and mildly high cholesterol so we know where that can lead if not kept in check. And honestly, I would love to reverse those conditions and not have to take those meds and then I could be med free. (Not a bad thing for a fiddy year old.)

What does all this mean TO ME (not wanting to come off as an expert or pretend I have all the answers for others since food and "dieting" is such a personal issue)? What I've concluded is this: I feel I need to 1) eat more veggies and fruits; 2) implement some semblance of portion control (ugh) and 3) move my oh-so-sedentary body. For now, that's it. Sounds simple enough. But can I carry it out? Do it meal after meal, day after day?

So, here's a what I'm a gonna do. I'm gonna keep track of my meals, snacks & what not on here as a journal of sorts, since this is really intended to be a journal for me anyway in general. And yes, I've started record keeping before and life got in the way (I MUST quit allowing that to happen!). So, tomorrow, I will weigh in (won't be sharing that number with the general population however), and begin posting and sharing the journey.

I can begin by saying this:

• As of this moment, I'm 5'5"
• a size *semi-tight* 16 (but I refuse to buy any bigger sizes. Just wont do it.).
• My blood pressure remains in a good normal range with meds.

Here's to great, fantastic, super, excellent health!~TJ

Pet Palooza



We all love our pets. I personally enjoy animals of all sorts and one of my hopes is some day to have the means to have a ranch with the room and resources to take in animals that need a home. A furry heaven on earth!

 

Anywaaaay, I was browsing through some of the recent photos of my critters and thought I would share. If you care. Ha, made a rhyme, right on time. Ahem. Moving on...



 

This fine specimen is Bobo. He loves to be loved. But only when he wants to be loved.

 

 And this is Bobo wondering why I'm bothering him. He requested, in no uncertain terms, that I move along, as there was nothing there to see, ma'am...

 Here we have Dollface. She's never met a stranger. She looooves everyone and is quite the social butterfly. This is her "me so comfy" pose which she assumes when she is really into gnawing on something. And I have obviously disturbed her here as well. Move along mom, por favor. (She also speaks a little Spanish and is quite mannerly.)

 Here is Dollface doing her seal impersonation. She can bark like a seal as well but it comes out sounding more like a dog bark. She promises to keep practicing...

 This is Dollface on her tempurpedic mattress (aka daddy's pillow. Shhhhh...) all snuggled up with her baby after a busy day of sleeping, eating and playing. And in that order...

 Meeting a new friend, Scooter... 

 Back to Bobo. Oh, and let me introduce Bob. He sort of adopted us. Or I guess I should say, our accommodations. He doesn't really want anything to do with us personally. This is a picture I entitled: In the Jungle...

 And another masterpiece of mine entitled:

That Look of Love...

 In the spirit of the upcoming Halloween holiday I had Bobo do tricks for treats (you can see he works hard for his money)...

 Bobo generally enjoys the great outdoors like the manly man that he is. Until it starts raining. Then he cries like a little girl and wants to come in and enjoy the comforts of home. (Bob? I guess Bob would prefer to weather the storm rather than be touched by filthy humans, lol. FYI~we call him Bob because of his bobbed tail.)...

 Mommy and her snuggle bunny... 

 Mommy's snuggle bunny fast asleep on mommy. (Yes, I'm one of "those" dog owners. And yes, I made and embroidered her blanket with her name on it. No shame.)...

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this little bit o' silliness!

 

Wishing you furry kisses kinda day!~TJ

September Favorites

Since I enjoy seeing and learning about others favorite things, I thought I would post some of my favorite things for the past month. Let's get started, shall we? ;D

1) Pumpkin anything. In this case, pumpkin spice chai latte.

2) Time. To do things like explore my phone camera's features. 

 3) Licorice nail polish. But NOT licorice candy...ack!

4) Savings.

5) Seasonal flavors. Oh, and sweets. (Just in case it's not obvious by now.)

6) And last but not least...a concoction I can only believe in the depths of my soul was created by the diet demon's minions...

DOU'SSANT.

It's what happens when a doughnut marries a croissant and, well...ya' know.

 

 

These are a few of my favorite September things. So what are some of yours? I'd love to know!

 

Happy October!~TJ

 

 

 

 

Healthy(-er) Biscuits and Eggs~~~Yummy!

With Autumn upon us, I have been in the mood for some good ol' down home cookin'. But I must also keep in mind our health when whipping up meals. This morning, I was hankering for biscuits & eggs. Steaming hot biscuits with butter slathered on and over medium eggs on top, to be exact.

Okay, so it's not the healthiest meal but it could be made healthier right? And all things in moderation. Right?

                                       Right? (please just agree with me (; )


I took out my Pamela's gluten free Baking & Pancake Mix and followed the "Bisquick" type drop biscuit recipe on the back of the package. Where it called for shortening, I substituted LouAna Pure Coconut Oil and for the milk, I subbed Rice Dream brand organic unsweetened rice drink.



 

And they turned out GREAT! Even hubby complimented them and he can be quite the food critic! (Too bad he doesn't get paid for that ;D )

 

Anyhoo, I fried up some over medium eggs in coconut oil, split a biscuit in half, buttered it and gently placed the eggs on top of the biscuit........

only to stab them so their golden, creamy yolks could cascade ever so elegantly over the biscuit beneath.

 

Hahaha!

 

Bon apetit y'all!

A little healthier, right? ( just nod please)

 

Thanks for stopping by!~TJ

The Avon Corner~My New Beauty Obsession: AHA's!

 

 

*Please note: links may take you to my personal Avon website
My latest beauty obsession is AHA's, also known as alpha hydroxy acids. As we get older, we don't shed our outer, dead layers of skin as quickly as we did when we were younger. In order to reveal the newer, fresher skin hiding underneath, it helps if we give ourselves a little help! That's where the AHA's come in handy for me.

Avon has a new Foot Works product that includes alpha hydroxy acid:

Foot Works AHA Moisturizing Cream

 



 

Right now, as of Campaign 22, you can purchase a 2.5 ounce tube for only $3.99! I love to pamper my feet with this luscious lotion and also rub a little on my knees and elbows too.

 

 

You can check out the complete Foot Works line HERE.

 

Happy shopping!~TJ

 

P.S. take advantage of the FREE SHIPPING when you purchase $30 or more!



AND...be sure to visit my Avon blog at: Avon Lady TJ to get to know my business and products a little better!

Summer Updates...

It has been a long, hot, dry (hardly any rain) but humid summer. And it's still going strong! Temps that climb well past the 100 degree mark have kept me inside during the hottest parts of the day. When I do venture out, it's usually after the sun has faded a bit in the late afternoon/evening. I don't really "do" mornings so by the time I get up it's usually pretty hot already!

Even though I'm a cave dweller, we have managed to accomplish a few things around here this summer!:

Home
1) I have actually made it out most days to water my plants, fruits & veggies and to collect any bounty (I'm still working on my gardening skills /: ) that they've produced.  

Pears from our tree begging to be processed

Even though I have really improved upon my watering and fertilizing efforts from years past, I still find I have the most success with some herbs. Right now I have basil and oregano flourishing in containers. And I bought a Meyer lemon tree at a half price garden center sale in hopes I don't kill this citrus tree. The pomegranate babies that a friend gave me are still alive and need to be transplanted soon since their milk carton as been their home long enough (they say)! On my walks through our neighborhood, I notice that citrus and pomegranate trees flourish here so I have high hopes for mine.

2) We are in the process of having solar screens installed on all out windows. We are hoping they will put a dent in our astronomical electric bills! Two a/c units battling this bad ol' Texas heat is pricey! It sure has cut down on the damaging sun rays that come in and fade out fabrics and photos. I don't know if this is a normal practice around the country, but it is common in our neighborhood since many people have many large windows in their homes.

the east side of the house with solar panels on the windows

Family
1) My "baby" graduated from high school and turned eighteen! She wants to continue her Cosmetology courses at a local college but for now she's looking for a part time job.

the proud grad (top) and family (bottom)

2) My son moved into his own place. I miss having him here but he assures me that he plans on finishing up his courses (which is the reason he moved in with us in the first place~to take some of the burden of full time work and going to school off him). He's a hard worker so I'm sure he will be just fine.

Work
1) I have a new Facebook page for my growing Avon business! I'd love for you to pay it a visit and "like" my page!

2) I have stepped up my "door to door" brochure canvasing, even in this sweltering heat. I get to workout and make money at the same time!

Health and Fitness
1) My hubby's health continues to improve, although it's a very slow but steady progress at this point. Several weeks back, he had to be rushed to the emergency room again but all is well now.

summer salad supper

2) I continue to try and make (for the most part) healthy, balanced meals, but I still have my darned sweet teeth! Hubby seems to want to eat only "comfort" type foods most of the time as those type foods are easier for him to chew. He doesn't enjoy the "experience" of certain foods anymore, so that cuts out a lot.
3) I've been trying to do a little something each day for exercise. Most days it's 5-10 minutes of free weights or a Youtube video that I'll follow along to. I look forward to the day when ten minutes being all I can do is just a memory and my body is back in better shape.

Of course, there's always more happening around here, but I won't bore you by going on & on.

How has your summer shaped up? Let's all go out and savor what's left of the season!

Stay warm & sunny~TJ