Category Archives: Health

Chunky Dunker’s Night!

Good evening!

Welcome to another exciting night of Chunky Dunker’s night!!! A club for people from all walks of life to get together online to support one another in their health and fitness goals, whether it be to lose a few pounds, or to do one situp; I am very happy to welcome you here every Wednesday evening, where we β€œmeet” in the comments section to catch up, share hints, tips, and ideas and to just encourage each other as we go through our health &Β  fitness path together!!

Tonight, I thought I would talk about Making Progress!

Today I have been on Weight Watchers for one week, and in that time I have lost 3.8 pounds – YEAH!!! I’ll take it!!!

I am not exactly sure HOW I lost that much weight, I really didn’t do so well tracking, but maybe it was because it was in the back of my mind that I really could get healthy if a I make smart choices!! πŸ˜‰

I haven’t done much in the way of exercising much more than normal either. I have a knee that I really tweaked going up the stairs to my office the other day, so I am going to get back into the pool and start working it out!! I also have a belly dancing, and a plus size Pilates DVD that I want to get into the habit of using when the weather is not cooperating outside! Once the days get a little longer, I will be able to start doing my daily walks outside again – that will be good!!!

Also, because of the book I am reading, Living the Savvy Life, I have really become inspired to try and eat at home more often, which means getting creative in the kitchen! I know how to cook, pretty well (if I may say so), but generally I don’t enjoy it! Too many years of HAVING to cook, makes cooking not so much fun now. That is, EXCEPT when I GET TO cook!! That somehow feels different. Especially when it is just for my sweetie and I. I generally look forward to those cooking nights!!

This evening, I assembled a healthy dinner this evening of a chicken strip, covered in lots of fresh spinach, a couple of sprays of Ranch vinagrette, all wrapped up in a large whole wheat tortilla. It was incredibly satisfying!!! πŸ˜‰ Tomorrow evening, I will be making us something very Olive Garden-ey, but WAAAAAY healthier!! I can’t wait, it should be fun!! πŸ˜‰

Well, I seem to really be going on-and-on here this evening, so without further ado, I will meet you in the comments section of tonight’s post so we can all chat!! πŸ˜‰

Have a FABULOUS evening! :-)

β€œIf you want to have a different life, live differently!”


Chunky Dunker’s Night!

Good evening!

Welcome back to Chunky Dunker’s Club! A club for people from all walks of life to get together online to support one another in their health and fitness goals, whether it be to lose a few pounds, or to do one situp; I am very happy to welcome you here every Wednesday evening, where we “meet” in the comments section to catch up, share hints, tips, and ideas and to just encourage each other as we go through our health &Β  fitness path together!!

Tonight, I thought I would talk about Not Giving Up!

I may have talked about this before, but I feel that now more than ever, I have kind of given up on my fitness goals. I have let them and regular life overwhelm me to the point of not caring! A friend reminded me today, that God put us here to support each other, and when she told me that I realized, that I wasn’t on this journey alone.

That is pretty powerful!

Maybe that is for you too!

This week I want you to recommit to your goals and to reach out to one friend that you trust and tell them what you have recommitted to. They do not have to hold you accountable, but just reaching out to someone, telling them what you are going for helps solidify the fact within yourself.

That you are gonna do it.

Little by little.

Step by step!

I am here for you!!!

We are in this TOGETHER!!! πŸ˜‰

So, tonight I start my journey over. Having had a bad day of eating not-so-good-for-me-foods, having no idea how much I weigh this evening, but knowing that NOW is exactly the PERFECT time for change.

Have a FABULOUS evening! :-)

“If you want to have a different life, live differently!”

Be It Ever So Humble!

Good evening!

Jason and I are happy to report that we have made it home from our visit with our family, safe and sound!! We were a little unsure that that would happen because on our return home, when we stopped on our way out of town to get gas, our car decided not to start! EEK!! Thankfully we have AAA and they were able to send assistance to us, and we were only delayed 45 minutes in total!! So, I say, I am soooo thankful that we have made it home safe and sound!!

I would love to tell you that since our return home, we have been productive, and unpacked everything and put it all away into it’s proper places, but that would be so untrue!! We got home at about 3:30, and then by 4 we were so zonked, that we decided to go take a nap, and have only just awoken within the past 15 minutes. So, our day is pretty much gone!! πŸ™‚

Jason is in the kitchen cleaning up all of his baking evidence, as I sit in the living room, chatting with you, while at the same time, I have a virtual fireplace crackling on my television. It is strangely soothing. LOL! Does anyone else know what I am talking about?? Or is it just me who is loving this little “program”!?!? πŸ˜‰

Anyway, I don’t actually return to work until Wednesday, which means I will have some active thinking and planning to do tomorrow. I have realized that my health life is spiraling out of control, nutrition and fitness-wise. I am not sure that I have actually taken the time to plan a healthy meal in almost 3 weeks, and the good Lord Himself knows when I have purposefully done any kind of exercise. That is soooo unlike me, and soooooo very UNACCEPTABLE!!! It is causing me to sit on the sidelines and watching my life go by because I am either too sore or too tired to do anything else.Β  SO, this has caused me to want to take a good hard look at what is working and not working in all areas of my life, so that Jason and I can have the life we want, and not the life that we accidentally stumble into!! I will keep you posted!!

Tomorrow may just turn into a vision board day! I will have to get creative on how in the world I am going to share pics with you because my camera is still on the fritz, which by the way, is very discombobulating!! (Ooh!! I love that I got to use that word, that may just have to be my word of the day!!!) πŸ˜‰ Ok, so I digress!

“Either you live the life you create for yourself, or you live the life that someone else creates for you. You choose!” ~Me

Have a FABULOUS evening! :-)

Big Decisions Being Made!

Good evening!

You know, I have come to believe that you can change your life by making one single solitary decision.

Today was a day like that. My hubby and I had a very important meeting this morning. This meeting is a meeting where a life changing decisions was made. I am very hesitant to say what that decision is, right now. I feel like I still want to let this decision sink in, but I am going to bit the bullet and just get it out there. My husband and I met at a bariatric clinic and we have started the process to get approval for a gastric-bypass.

OK, there. It’s out there.

I have come to a point in my life where I have decided that my weight is beyond a minor niggling problem. It is something that I have decided that I need to some major action to get it under control so that I can move on, and get on with living my real life!!

I know this is a really big step, something that I have been looking at and researching for a really long time. As I was sitting in the doctor’s office this morning, I had this AWESOME sense of peace wash over me, that I KNEW that I was doing the right thing. Even as I say it again now, I KNOW that this is the perfect step for me!!

I am very excited about this journey that my sweetie and I are embarking on together, and I will make sure to keep all of you posted on what twists and turns our journey will take!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! πŸ˜‰

A Chunky Dunker’s Information Session!

Good evening!

Well, as you may be able to tell by now that we did not have a typical Chunky Dunker’s session this evening. Instead, my sweetie and I went to a 2 hour bariatric surgery information session down at the hospital. The physicians and staff of the bariatric clinic told us all about the differences between lap band and the different kind of gastric bypass surgeries, all of the risks, preperations, pre- and after care!! It was very informative!

I am not sure how I feel about it for myself yet, but I know that Jason is close to making up his mind and I am more than happy to support him in whatever decision he makes. As for myself, I will keep you posted! πŸ˜‰

I am tired, it is getting late, and I have a lot to think about this evening, so I am going to cut this post short, and say G’night!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! ;-)

Chunky Dunker’s Night!

Good evening!
Tonight is Chunky Dunker’s night here on Christinaville. Chunky Dunkers is an open and informal support group for anyone who has any kind of health and fitness goals. We are here to cheer each other on, share advice, ideas, hints, tips, recipes, and just be an all around encouragement to help each other in achieving our goals.Β  So, please feel free to grab a cup of coffee, and meet us in the comment section! The more the merrier!

With that said, I am very happy to report that I have lost 10.4 pounds!!! Which, when I think about it is kind of surprising, because even though it has been slow going, it has been 3 months, I was sure that it was going to be much harder than it actually has been. My sweetie has been very supportive in putting together healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day, and I have been working at being mindful to watch my portion sizes, and to take my time in eating. Baby steps! Baby steps!

I can’t wait to hear how all of you are doing, I will see you in the comments section! πŸ™‚

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! ;-)

Chunky Dunkers!

Good evening!

Tonight is Chunky Dunker night, an online fitness/weight loss support group. We are always happy to have visitors so please feel free to stop by the comments section and let us know how you are doing with you weight loss/fitness goals, and please feel free to share any hints/tips/ideas that you have found helpful in getting closer to your goals!! The more the merrier!!

I am very happy to report that I am finally losing weight, 8.4 pounds so far. It is coming off slowly but surely, but as long as it is coming off, I will take it!!! YEAH!! I am still not up to exercising too regularly yet, but I have been dealing with a minor health issue that has been leaving me feeling run down and not exactly like my normal self! However, I have been really trying to work around that and make a point to get more movement throughout my day!

Anyway, this week’s topic is: The Importance of Hydration

The following was borrowed from Golds Gym’s Newsletter:

You’ve heard the rule before: Drink eight glasses (or 64 ounces) of water each day. But when you work out, your body’s demand for fluids increases even more, especially if you’re exercising outdoors β€” or even warming up on the way to the gym β€” during warm summer months.

5 Easy Ways
To Stay Hydrated

  1. 1. Drink eight glasses of water every day.
  2. 2. Can’t remember the last time you had a glass of water? Go get one now.
  3. 3. Drink 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes during a workout.
  4. 4. Drink 12 to 24 ounces of water before and after your workout.
  5. 5. Grab a low-calorie sports drink at Gold’s Gym.

According to Dr. Sam J. Romeo, CEO of Romeo Medical Clinic, Inc., in Turlock, Calif., half the population is at least mildly dehydrated all the time. These people don’t even know what a day feels like when they’re fully hydrated. Drinking the right amount of water daily can lead to better decision-making skills and concentration, elevated moods and improved coordination. So just imagine how the benefits of proper hydration might affect your workout.

“Dehydration can decrease your strength, endurance and sports performance significantly,” says Romeo. “If we have inadequate fluid intake, every cell and organ system in our body has to work harder. We have less blood volume, so the cardiovascular system has to increase our heart rate.”

Plus, the more you sweat, the more fluid your body loses. To learn specifically how much water your body releases during a workout, weigh yourself without clothes before and after. Every half-pound of weight loss is equivalent to eight ounces of water lost, explains Romeo. Generally, to maintain a healthy hydration level it’s important to drink 12 to 24 ounces before and after as well as about eight ounces every 20 minutes during the workout.

For shorter workouts β€” those lasting less than one hour β€” sports drinks are not necessary says Romeo. Longer, more intense workouts, though, require a combination of water and sports drinks to replace lost electrolytes and provide sugar for energy. To avoid the added calories, pick up any of the low-calorie sports drinks offered at Gold’s Gym.

Don’t worry about drinking too much; it’s difficult for a healthy individual to over-hydrate. Those cramps that sometimes creep up during a workout are not generally caused by too much fluid consumption. In fact, they can sometimes be a sign of early dehydration, explains Mary Arnold, a USA Track & Field-certified running coach and two-time national qualifier in long-course triathlon. But most often the dreaded side stitch actually comes from undigested food or an irregular breathing pattern. “I have my athletes slow down or walk for 30 to 60 seconds to alleviate the cramp,” says Arnold. “Walking with your hands stretched over your head β€” to stretch your diaphragm β€” and breathing deeply will get rid of the side stitch.”

To beat the summer heat, maximize your workouts and get all the benefits of proper hydration on a daily basis. “Good hydration is not just a part of a workout: It is integral to a healthy lifestyle,” Arnold says. “If you can’t remember when you last had a glass of water, you should stop what you’re doing and get one.”

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

A Quiet Evening At Home!

Good evening!

After a slight change of plans, my sweetie and I have decided to spend a nice, quiet evening at home. My sweetie has made us a lovely lasagna dinner, my mama’s recipe, and he picked up a couple of happy movies to watch this evening!!

Also, something a little fun, and different! After some thinking about being kids and not having to work at being fit because we were always out playing. I started wondering what we could do, as adults, to re-connect with that old adage of playing, so that we can get fit again!! Some of my FAVORITE things were riding bikes, climbing trees,Β  jumping rope, hopscotch, wall ball, chinese jump rope, monkey bars, swings, swimming and teeter-tottering!! SO, the one thing I thought I would do to try and reconnect with that old self was to purchase old-fashioned beaded jump ropes. One for me and one for my sweetie! I was AMAZED at how easy that was able to find, especially when you realize that my sweetie is about 6′ 8”. Long story short, my sweetie and I are skipping rope a little every day, and I have to tell you – so far, it is REALLY FUN, but waaaaay harder than I remember!! We are playing a game with ourselves that basically is us keeping track of how many continuous skips we can do in one run, and then trying to beat that number the next day!! So far, so good!! I am not at a terribly high number yet, but I am doing better than where I was when I first started!!

Next I would like to see myself be able to ride my bikes for long periods of time, and Jason still needs to get a bike – they are a little spendy when you get one that can accomodate his height/weight! So, that may take us a while!! I also may have to google how to play hopscotch again, I can’t remember off the top of my head exactly how to play it, but I am sure that would be a fun competetive type game to play with Jason, as well as wall-ball!! That might be a little harder since for every one of his steps it takes me two to match it, but I am really enjoying the idea of playing for fitness!!!

WAY TO PLAY!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! πŸ˜‰

My Weekend!

Good evening!

I thought I would take some time this evening to share some pictures that I was fortunate enough to take from my relaxing/rejuvenating overnighter at the coast!! We got the opportunity to spend the night over in a little tiny town called Neskowin, Oregon.

Here are all of us girls! Jennifer, Ronita, myself, and Lynette! We are standing on the balcony of the beachfront condo!! (Neskowin Shores.)

Check out this SPECTACULAR view!!!

Next up wereΒ  manis and pedis!!! These are mine fingers! πŸ˜‰

These are Lauren’s!

This is Megan waiting for her finger and toenails to dry!! This is the pose of the PERFECT LAZY DAY!! πŸ˜‰

Here is Lauren waiting for her digits to try too! She is just getting so big! πŸ˜‰

After sufficiently drying, it was time to go down to the beach and get some playing done!!! πŸ˜‰

The KIDDOS!! Morgan, Jason, and Megan! We were all so wet and sandy when we got back to our apartment, but we really had such a FUN TIME! πŸ˜‰

Morgan investigating the barnacles!! Heaven forbid if he actually touched one though!!! HE SCREAMED LIKE A GIRL!!!! EEEK!! πŸ˜‰

This environment was so beautiful, it put me in such a zen place.

AAAAAAH!!

I can NOT wait to get the opportunity to visit this mini coastal town again! It really was such an invigorating overnighter, and it came at the MOST PERFECT TIME!! Jason and I have decided that this is our new coastal vacation spot!!

Tomorrow, when I will be blogging again, it will be from Madison, Wisconsin – yep, more computer training!!! WHEW!!! I will be heavily medicated, because I still HATE flying, but I am going to pretend that I am on an adventure!!

So, until then…

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

Waiting! Waiting! Waiting!

Good evening!

I am very impatiently waiting for my sisters to get here this evening. Patience has never really been one of my virtues, and this is proof positive that it still isn’t!

You see, my sisters and I are all traveling up to Portland, first thing in the morning, so that we can all attend Women of Faith together. I have gone to Women of Faith, I think about 5 years in a row, my sister Jennifer has gone three years, and I think this is Trina’s second year – I think! I may be off one year for all of us!!

Anyway, we are all very excited about it, and have been talking about it for months!! For me the scariest thing is that I will be the one responsible for driving us there. Driving is fine, but we have to leave while it is still dark, and THAT is not so fine!! So, us girls will be saying an extra prayer before we leave for Portland so we will get there and back quickly and safely, all while having a blast and learning a lot during all of the shows!! πŸ™‚

Every year Women of Faith have different speakers and entertainers, and this year the lineup is pretty impressive:

Mandisa
Selah
Marilyn Meberg
Patsy Clairmont
Sandi Patty
Lisa Welchel
Brenda Warner
and Deborah Joy Winans

Hands down my favorite speaker is, and probably always will be Patsy Clairmont. There is somthing about her that just resonates with me. Here is her story:

The theme this year is OVER THE TOP!! and this is what the Women of Faith website says about the theme: God loves us more than we know. He gives us more than we can ask or dream. He’s unrestrained… excessive… outrageous… Over the Top.

I hope to be able to share a ton of pics with you, not only of us girls, but also of the weekend! We always come away feeling freshed, and rejuvenated, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us this year!!! πŸ˜‰

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)