Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Mental Health Day

I've been working on a charcoal example at work during my art experiences classes. It's coming together so nicely, I think I will frame it! It's been a while since I've made art and I realize I really need to do it more! ]I need to figure out how to get more productive while working. I've been on this "when I retire" mode, putting off a lot of things I want to do but I encouraged by Josh recently to start my book before I retire as well as continue to draw and paint. I mostly just do examples, I'd like to just do me.

I started my mental health day off with a hot yoga class that was so hot it was amazing. It had been a lot time I left the studio drenched in sweat. I also started a new medication to weight loss. I'd been on a diabetes medication that helped me lose weight last year. I started this year with blood work that had my AIC numbers back to normal so I got off of it but immediately started gaining my weight back-- so frustrating. I think the bottom line was about hunger. I think that has been my issue all of my life, I get hungry and don't know when I'm full then eat too much. I wish I had the discipline to do it without medication but I don't. I was very happy that my doctor was very accomodating, giving me a few options to try. My pharmacist suggested I start it on a weekend just to make sure I did not suffer from some of the possible side effects. Instead I had a very successful day, feeling quite hopeful about getting back to that pre-Covid weight and then trying to lose more. 

Note: Jessi is gone officially for a while. I got to talk to her on the phone to discuss her phone plan so she will have access to it in Europe. I'm hoping the time is not stressful. The war in Ukraine is very stressful.

Being a Vegan

Since returning from California, Jim and I have been practicing veganism. I think both of us want to live into old age in a much healthier state than our mothers who both died of cancer. Monika really encouraged us to go vegan and shared how giving up dairy had made her feel better. I have been surprised how easy it has been for Jim and I but I am utilizing a lot of alternatives to our regular foods. Oat, coconut and almond milks have been great replacements to my morning coffee creamer. Impossible meat is just as tasty as hamburger. I've made sofritas with tofu many times and Mexican food has been a favorite meal. Pasta and bread are easily vegan but still aren't good choices for me. Today for lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches with a coconut base cheddar cheese alternative and a vegan oat butter spread that was delicious. I have been able to make homemade banana, carrot and zucchini breads using a flax seeds instead of egg. Erika asked me if I'd lost a bunch of weight with my new diet but the answer is no. I'm working out and eating as much as I want... I'm not gaining weight and eating as much as I want, whenever I want. I did not want to limit myself while I was getting used to my new habits. I have to think these new habits will pay off-- so far I have not had any acid reflux, I'm not nearly as tired, but I'm hungrier more often. It's only been a couple of weeks. This is something we are going to have commit for until we die.

Where I began

I have lost about 20 pounds in past 4 years but this past year I have been gaining and losing the same 5 to 10 pounds over and over. Because Jim was on a high protein diet and was in Madison this week with me, I went on a high protein diet with him with the hope of getting at least 5 pounds I gained on my road trip off. I can hardly believe how easy it all came off, in only 5 days, I lost 10 pounds (that's an average of 2 pounds per day).  I checked my ketones today (the presence of small amounts of ketones in the body occurs in people on low-carbohydrate diets and are burning fat for energy). I'm on a roll but won't be able to sustain this for too long. I'm going to try to keep it up for 2 weeks and then enjoy my European vacation before school starts. I can't wait to eat a German pretzel and Austrian cake. I'll probably gain the same 10 pounds again by the end of August and start over again in September. It would be nice to actually lose weight. Well, now I know it can be done somewhat easily with lots of meat.

As for my day, Jim and I went for a 5 mile dogwalk. We had an appointment on the East side of town at 11am to get my army ID so I can visit a base either to see Jessi or Jim in the future. We had lunch together at Jimmy Johns (low carb unwich wraps). I worked on the computer for a bit and watched the news. 

The Water is Great!

I finished cleaning this morning. All the stuff in my truck that was in the garage has been sorted or stored. Most of it went to the basement. I also cleaned house. The girls did not do any cleaning while I was away but I surprised at the low level of hair while vacuuming since Balt was gone at least the hair balls were smaller. Jim and I went for a walk this morning and then I went to the pool for a swim and a bit of time in the partly cloudy sunshine.

I woke to find I had lost 3.4 pounds which was a relief. 2 days of driving and eating out takes a toll but it can be easily recovered. walking 12.7 miles yesterday certainly helped. Today I only walked over 7 miles, but swam a 500. Jim has been on a high protein, mostly meat diet, so it was easy to hop on board to join him. He's had great success on it. I lost about 20 pounds about 20 years ago on the Atkins diet. I guess I'll do that again. After Jim leaves, I'll try to lessen the meat but keep the protein.

Free Lunch

Once a month Chick Fil A gives the newspaper club a free lunch and it's awesome. The kids love it and I love it. Who doesn't love free lunch? Of course it means I probably won't lose any weight tomorrow though. I didn't last month when I had Chick Fil A. Oh well, I lost 2 pounds this morning just from not having any bell pepper yesterday! I think that's so weird. So I'm back to last Monday's weight, ready to battle through another week of figuring out what works and what doesn't. 

My Monday was crazy busy. I introduced 2 new projects, had several meetings and didn't get home until after 6pm. I enjoyed kale, rice and carrots for dinner and am in for the evening, ready to catch an episode on Netflix before bed. Only 4 more days until spring break!!

A little of this and a lot of that...

Balt got me up at 5am like always. We were out walking by 7am, like most weekdays because I told Erika I would meet up with her for an 8:30am hot yoga class. After yesterday's 4pm class, it was a lot. I came home wiped out, so I watched about 7 episodes of 13 Reason Why on Netflix. I did stop a few times for various reasons, to eat, to run an errand, to talk on the phone and of course to pee. I still have 2 episodes left but I'm in bed early tonight, eager for a busy week.

So I gained another pound this morning and I racked my brain trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I re-read parts of the diet book and then went through my food diary trying to figure out what I've been eating to make me gain weight. I've had a dull headache and felt bloated for a few days, so I know something is off. On Thursday I made a big greek salad and had some for dinner. I ate that salad for lunch on Friday and Saturday-- 3 days in a row, all 3 days weight gainers. Everything in the salad I'd had before EXCEPT _raw_ green bell peppers. I had had them cooked so I thought they were good to go but then I read this morning that vegetable affect us differently raw vs cooked. They react more in the raw. I think the problem has been those green peppers!?? Obviously I did not have green peppers today. I did not even eat salad just to make sure. I went back to the original cleanse diet of the first 3 days to start over. Hopefully, tomorrow I can get back to losing weight.

April at last...

The day started early like almost everyday. Balt doesn't understand the concept of weekends but he does really enjoy the extended walks. We did 5 miles this morning. It was only 32 degrees when we started but it warmed up as went. I'm reading a new book called the 5 Second Rule-- very motivational. I went into work at 10am this morning to shoot photos and get the announcements finished. I came home and had a very healthy lunch. I met up with Erika for a 4pm hot yoga class. I'm very excited that she is going thru teacher training for hot yoga, so as part of her training she has to go to the weekend classes (normally she takes the weekends off). I finished my day off with a couple more episodes of 13 Reasons Why. I totally remember the girls reading the book and wondering how healthy it was for them to read it (it's about a girl who commits suicide). I got to the 5th episode and I can see how captivating it is. 

So I totally failed at my goal to note something I was thankful for everyday in the month of March, I didn't even get half way through the month. I woke up this morning having gained a pound and I got really frustrated and thought about how hard it is just to do anything sometimes. On the days when I don't have any action to point to and understand why I gained weight, those are the hardest. Sure, when I eat a MilkyWay, I totally get it. I lose weight when I sit at home watching tv but then gain weight on nights I go out for hot yoga-- is it because I eat later? I ate fajitas for dinner last weekend and lost weight, but when I eat the leftover fajitas, I gain weight-- is it because I've had too much beef in one week (the diet says to only eat beef once a week)? It's all so complicated sometimes, but I can't give up.  

Mid Week Blues

I woke up to facial twitching and another pound gained even though I had Jimmy Johns, drank 90 ounces of water and didn't cheat at all (note: the last two times I had a Jimmy Johns lettuce wrap for lunch I lost weight!). If stress is making me gain weight, gaining weight is stressing me out. I get temped to just chuck the diet and go to Culvers for a big cheeseburger and onion rings, but I want to look trim in the family photos we will be taking at Jessi's graduation. I know there are so many factors involved even when I think I'm doing all the right things. Today one of my students got me a coconut mocha machiato and I could not refuse the treat. It was just what I needed but I know it may mean no weight loss tomorrow. 

I came home and built a big fire after school to enjoy a rainy evening at home relaxing and unwinding-- no dog walk or yoga. The added responsibility of having a student teacher isn't really stressful but it changes the dynamic of work and that is stressful. I've begun to hand over tasks to her and I know eventually she'll be doing a lot my work offering me extra time to get other things done. I've got a list of things to do started already. There's no school on Friday, so tomorrow should feel like a Friday.

Monika posted a link to all the new CMC RA bio's and I cut out her's to post below. Enjoy!

Let's start over...

I lost a pound this weekend without really trying. Crazy. I did avoid foods I knew would be bad but I went out to eat three times! I kind of think that because the weekends are stress free and relaxing, it makes a big difference. I have noticed that I lose weight over the weekend and gain on Mondays and Tuesdays. Today I had a tiny milkyway and I'm pretty sure that sabotaged the whole day, for such a tiny candy bar, it gave me a big headache. I'm learning that the cheats are not worth the minute of pleasure. 

Today was the last day of the 3rd quarter and the first day of having a student teacher. She's eager and asks good questions. Joe and Josh both have student teachers also, so life at work will be different. There is so much to do in the coming months but the next couple of weeks should stay pretty calm leading up to spring break. I've got a lot on my mind but I know the best way to make sure I have a good day tomorrow is go to bed early tonight.

30 days later...

So I got through 30 days of this Metabolism Plan diet and I have to admit I could have lost more weight had I not cheated so much. 7 pounds total and I'll take them all and hope for more. I'm kind of taking the weekend off without completely binging but just not worrying about it. Here's what I've learned: I can eat a lot of healthy food, not be hungry all day and still lose weight. I can eat just one "bad" thing and ruin a whole day's worth of eating. It's really hard to refuse really yummy foods that offered to me (for free or as a gift) even if I know I will gain weight. I started a diary and have made note of all the foods I ate that I gained weight eating and the list is not so surprising; cheese danish, onion rings, cheese curds, York peppermint patties, peanut butter cups,  etc. 

My Saturday was pretty nice with an early dogwalk, hot yoga class and meeting up with students at school to work on the newspaper. I went out for Mexican for dinner and got fajitas, no tortillas, and got a latte for dessert. I finished the evening with a big fire and a nice conversation. 

Hello My Weekend!

I had a very nice Friday. My first hour observation went fine. I introduced a new lesson but I did not do any cool activities. My class was genuinely interested and asked questions. I have one more observation to do and I will make sure to put together a collaborative activity. I was able to spend the rest of the day going over yearbook pages that are due on Monday. My classes were poorly attended for various reasons but by 7th hour I only had about 8 kids in class. We played a card game and I promised them all extra credit for being at school when so many students had left early for the state basketball game. After school I took Balt for a short walk in the sunshine and then went to my favorite Friday night hot yoga. After yoga, I came home to chicken kale soup for dinner and the boys state basketball game on tv with my slippers on and no worries about parking! It ended up being a losing game which really puts a damper on my plans for a cool yearbook page, but oh well. 

As for my diet saga... I lost 1/4 of a pound this morning, ironically. In general I feel better and am getting a better understanding of what I can eat and what I should avoid. I went out to lunch again today and got a rice noodle bowl. Whenever I eat anything, I log it and note how I feel. I am learning to notice how I react to food more accurately so that I know what to avoid. 

Another Day

I totally forgot it was Thursday, the day I take Balt to daycare. I rushed a walk to get into work early because I was nervous about my presentation being observed but then once I got to work, my principal decided tomorrow was better as I had told him I could do it any day between today and Monday. So now it's tomorrow which gave me way more time to prep today with a hand out and rubric. I'm not quite as stressed given the extra day but I will be soo glad once tomorrow is over. I had an alum come in to do a presentation of his work in Industrial Design at UW Stout, which was super informative. My yearbook kids are doing a great job getting pages done, so I'm not too stressed about deadlines. No facial twitching today. 

I woke up this morning having gained 1/2 pound and I was totally dumbfounded as I hadn't cheated on my diet yesterday at all. Could only stress cause my weight gain? If that's the case, then maybe a hamburger on stressful days are in order? Maybe my body has finally had enough of this diet. I guess it's too much to ask for more than 5 pounds of weight loss but I had so much hope. Well, I have to give a full 30 days at least before I give up. Today I went out to lunch and got a Jimmy John roast beef lettuce wrap and potato chips. I figured if I did everything right yesterday and gained weight maybe if I do something wrong today, I'll loose weight tomorrow. We shall see. I did make sure only have veggies for dinner though and I'm going to bed early.

I am Woman

Yesterday was international women's day and snapchat had a Frida Kahlo filter (along with several other women of note, but I love Frida). In Madison there was a day without women march downtown which I obviously did not participate in. Since all the union marching back in 2011, I kind of got discouraged by the failure of those big events and don't feel any kind of motivation to participate in that sort of thing. Anyway, I was surprised to find not a lot of girls at school participated either. Certainly the best part of the day was this filter (for me personally)! 

As for my day, it was boring. I woke to find I'd gained .2 lbs, so yesterday's danish was not so bad, but certainly not inflammatory free. My waking basel temperatures are low which I know is problematic but what's a girl to do? My book says to just remove stress and drink hot tea. I tried to get some grading done and ran some errands at lunch. I came home and heated up some kale soup. I had a meeting after school and did my best to refrain from the popcorn that was tempting me but I did eat up some carrots and hummus. After school I came home had chicken and kale for dinner. It's become a staple of this diet. I'm about 1/2 way through the 30 day program but have messed up so much I'm not sure I can count everyday. The goal is to look slim for all the photos for Jessi's graduation as well as be comfortable in my swim suit this year by the pool. .  

I'll Take 3rd Place.

This week is pretty low key-- nice. My next big deadline is on the 20th, so there's not a lot of stress right now. We had a 7th hour ceremony for our video team who entered a Fox 47 contest. Although we came in 3rd, the video was by far better then the other high schools. Our school got $1500 and the boys involved got about $500 worth of swag ($200 cash and tons of gift cards). It was nice to celebrate kids getting stuff done well.

My morning started with a 96.4 temp, too low and a 1/2 pound loss. It feels like any variation from this diet means either weight gain or at least no loss. I added some weight lifting this morning to mix it up a bit and thought I'd add eggs tonight for dinner but a favorite student brought me a cheese danish and I could not refuse. It has been maybe a year or two since I've had one, so I just decided to thank my student and enjoy the treat. Oh well, I did not cheat again-- I wasn't even tempted to. 

After school I ran out of the building to make it to a 4pm hot yoga class. My back had been bothering me yesterday so I knew I needed some stretching. I came to an eager Balt hungry for dinner. Monika called me, so we chatted it up for a bit. I took a shower and make sauted kale and mushrooms for dinner-- a new favorite meal. I am so thankful for good food that is also delicious. It makes dieting so much easier. I had sliced pear with almond butter for my snack today during my study hall and enjoying not ever being hungry. I can pass up the big candy dish at the yoga studio now.

Warm & Wet

The day warmed up to nearly 60 degrees but it was misty wet all day and a big storm is blowing in this evening. By the end of the week we are looking at freezing temps again and snow is in the forecast next week, so winter is not over, but I do appreciate the warm days we get. I grabbed bagels for my advisory freshman this morning on the way to work. I appreciate my freshman kids so much. One plan is to retire when they graduate, so these kids will have a very special place in my heart and career.

The short schedule makes PCT Mondays fly by and it's hard to feel productive. After school I had an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar to get my watch fixed. The battery started popping out over the weekend. Luckily I purchased Apple Care, so they are sending me a new watch! I love it when that happens. 

I woke up with a 96 degree temperature (too low) and no weight loss. I tested beef yesterday. I had a big fat juicy steak for dinner but I might have not had enough water, I lost track. You aren't supposed to drink water after dinner, but I did. Also, I was supposed to eat soup and salad for lunch but I only had soup and the instructions are pretty strict about eating everything. Waking up with a low temp, is also an indication of a slow metabolism. So I'm not going to write off steak yet. I will test it again next week. 

Fridays are Wonderful

Fridays are a lot like every other weekday, but knowing it's the weekend, just makes Friday special. Is it fair to day I am thankful for the weekend? I don't live for them, rather I thrive because of them. I woke up this morning with an extra pound and a half- ouch. It was worth it, though. I started over again today but I had to go to Costco during my lunch to get Balt dog food and I accidentally ate a few tasters, so if I don't lose weight tomorrow, I'll know something I ate today at Costco was not up to snuff. Other than those tasters, I stayed on the diet, which is getting easier. After school I came home and got ready for my favorite hot yoga class of the week; a hot 60 which is one of the shortest classes the studio offers. I came home and made a big salad- no dressing. I have to admit that now I realize that I used tons of dressing when eating salad. I can only have olive oil with lemon or lime, which is good. I watched a movie on HBO to close out the evening-- a perfect Friday night.

 

Like a Lion

We got 2 1/2 inches of snow today and nothing makes Balt happier than snow! We went for a walk this morning just as it was starting to come down. It was very mild, low 30's, so it was kind of nice. It'll melt quickly as we are in for warmer temps this weekend. I had a busy day, just getting stuff done. It was Ash Wednesday but I didn't really do anything to celebrate. I used to dress up just for fun to kick off lent but it just wasn't very practical as I had some clean up to do and errands out in the snow. Instead of giving something up this year, I'm going to continue on my "PLAN" diet and start an attitude of gratitude. I'd like to write a note of thanks everyday. 

As for my diet, I gained 1/2 pound so that means that greek salad had something inflammatory; olives (I hope not), red bell peppers (I doubt it), tomatoes (my book says most likely), salad dressing (I used so little, but maybe!)? I also cheated and ate a small chocolate, so maybe that was it. It seems so crazy that something so small can set me back. I am realizing I have sugar cravings all the time that I need to be prepared for. Today was a new day with no cheats, but I really struggled to get enough water in.

I posted this Instagram (below) last night in honor of Monika's birthday. I'm going to start my thoughts of gratitude with an offering of thanks for Monika. I have always appreciated her thoughtfulness and kindness. Of the three girls, she is the one to communicate with me most, she checks in most often and sends the most snaps which I so appreciate. I have her cats around to lend me affection when she isn't around. It's wonderful to see her come into her own, growing up, and becoming an amazing woman.  

It's not leap year!

And it's not Monika's birthday. Technically she will not be 21 until tomorrow but tomorrow is not her birthdate. Being a leap year baby has made her a bit more special. She was a serious baby, not fussy but curious. She was never one to take anything at face value. She asked why and why not a lot. She taught me to question things as well. She has helped me to be a better mother, a better woman and a better travelor. I love her dearly and know she will make good decisions after turning 21. 

My trip to California was part of my celebrating her birthday. I very much enjoyed her company. I had little opportunity to celebrate today. I woke to find I had not lost weight today. Yesterday I introduced rye crackers to my diet-- just 2 with almond butter as a snack. I did not gain weight but did not lose weight and that is an indication that rye won't be in my diet again. It's also may mean I am indeed gluten intolerant but I will test that directly in time. I ordered a Greek salad for lunch today when I got pizza for my newspaper kids, so we will see how eating out affects my weight tomorrow. I came home and built a fire to enjoy a cool rainy evening at home.

Keep it Coming

I lost .6 pounds this morning! So after 5 days I've lost a total of almost 2 1/2 pounds. When the hardest part of a diet is drinking water, it's a good one. I went to bed last night full, thinking there was no way I'd lose more weight. I had a pretty good day. I got into work early to prep for my observation. I think it all went well. The day zipped by, there's a lot to do. Tomorrow I have to proctor the ACT test to juniors while the rest of the department gets to talk about grading in a PD session. I'm not sure who has it worse. I had a newspaper meeting at lunch where I brought bagels in for my students and had no temptations. After lunch the computer tech delivered my new laptop computer so that I can work on yearbook and newspaper during my study hall (my regular school laptop is not beefed up enough and the computers in my study hall do not have the software I need. So I spent my study hall working and boy, did the time fly by. After school I came home to Balt and some sunshine. I fed him dinner and ran off to hot yoga. I had a great chicken dinner with apricot sauce, on arugula and brown rice and watched the The Voice.

Sunday Stuff

I love Sundays mostly as a recovery day. Thank the Lord for weekends. More and more they are what keep my weeks tame since I can always catch up over the weekend. Today I had prep to do for a lesson tomorrow that I will be observed on. It's my year, not that I'm really nervous, but it is extra work. This morning I paid a few bills, purchased Monika's birthday gift, watched some news and took Balt for a nice walk. I got to start my morning with coffee after 3 days of my diet start up which was wonderful. I only lost .4 pounds (that's less than 1/2 a pound, not 4) and I will take it. I have lost the same 2 to 3 pounds over and over again for about 2 years. I've given up being thin, now it's just about finding good health, keeping diabetes and heart disease away. I'm eager to see how this diet plays out. I once wrote about my famous "watermelon and snickers diet" so I won't go into all my diet experience but the last time I lost some real weight was after my husband left me 2 1/2 years ago. I came to realize this weekend that I think that I have been experiencing the 6th of 7 stages of grief, which is sadness (depression).  While no one died, what I experienced at that time was as traumatic as a death. I can see that now. I can see how I went through disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, and anger. Now all I feel is sadness, deep, deep sadness. I guess I have acceptance to look forward to but I have no idea how that looks.

This afternoon I attended an Ayurveda "spring cleaning" workshop with Erika. I was reminded of many practices that I have tried in the past and need to include in my morning rituals. It was nice to spend some time with Erika. She wanted to go out for dinner after but I came home afterward and roasted veggies to add to my dinner salad. I am enjoying all the food I get to eat, but the hardest part is drinking all the water I'm supposed to. If I don't lose weight tomorrow, that will be the reason.

 

Hello Winter!

I woke up to ice topped with snow. I realized this morning while I was walking Balt in 17 degrees, winter in Los Angeles really isn't so bad even when it rains. The first thing I did this morning was weigh myself and lo, and behold I lost 1.4 pounds. So not cheating paid off big time. Let's see how long I can sustain this! I had my flax seed granola for breakfast with rice milk and blueberries. I made a spicy vegetarian soup that was delicious. I had 1/2 a chicken breast for dinner with salad (no dressing). I made it to hot yoga late this morning after the dogwalk and I felt amazing. If it weren't for the cravings for sweet things late in my evening,  this diet would be awesome.  

Do Over

The first thing I did was weigh myself this morning, which is not a habit I am used to. I gained 0.2 pounds which means 1>I did not drink enough water, or 2>my 3 minor cheats were a lot bigger than I expected (Instead of oil and lemon juice on my salad, I used salad dressing. I ate a piece of chocolate I found in my desk after lunch and I had dried pineapple before I went to bed because I was dying for something sweet). So there was no cheating today. I'll give myself three days and then I will probably give up on this diet if I don't lose any weight. It's a lot of work for no results. The reality is I've been on diets off and on since I was in 3rd grade and most work at the beginning but not a one has ever been my "magic pill." The older I get, the harder it gets also. So, we'll see how it goes without cheating. I have to admit I changed the diet up a bit. I ate my breakfast with my lunch, since it's easier to go all morning drinking tons of water until lunch time. It's after lunch that I feel the need to snack. Today I was full must of the time. I had my flax seed granola with my carrot soup and mixed green salad, no dressing. I went to yoga after school and came home for a big helping of saute shiitake mushrooms and kale since I really liked it but I did not eat the carrot and beet salad since it tasted like cardboard. I did feel a lot better today then yesterday, but it's still hard to drink 90 ounces of water all day. We had an ice storm today-- terrible weather!

What's for dinner?

I started a new diet today where the first thing I do is weigh myself and then drink 16 ounces of water every morning. I'm kind of surprised how much that much water in the morning kind of packs a punch. I then drink hot dandelion tea instead of coffee. I took my flax seed granola in to work to snack on instead of eating it for breakfast. I'm supposed to drink 90 ounces of water throughout the day and boy is it hard to get that much in before 7pm. I came home for lunch to have my ginger carrot soup I had simmering in the crock pot all morning. By dinner time I was starving and craving Chinese stir fry. The carrot beet salad I had with steamed veggies and fried mushrooms and kale was okay but it did not hit the spot. Why is it as soon as soon as you go on a diet someone brings donuts into class? Yes, that happened today during my 1st hour. I stayed strong, but after dinner I was thinking about all kinds of desserts. I remembered I had some candied ginger from Trader Joe's and thought I'd have a tiny one to help with the cravings but it not help at all. I'm going to bed full tonight, but my addictions to sweet things is evident because of the things I'm dreaming about.

Appreciated

The morning started with an early dogwalk and then off to school early in order to sign up for the Teacher Appreciation raffle and get a free breakfast. I'll be honest, I was more interested in the swag then the food, but in the end all I got was food. Today I was not a winner. I had tons to do today and felt fairly productive. The weight of May is beginning to bare down but because I have a student teacher, I can tell it will not be overwhelming this year. The day ended late because of a long IEP meeting after school, I didn't need much of an afternoon walk once I got home since I'd already gotten my 10,000 steps in by the time I got home, and I felt pretty exhausted. I had leftovers for dinner and watched Survivor. 

I got a lunch time visit from alumni Chris Herr which was super-dooper fun. He is off to Prague to film a movie for the next 4 months and was home for a bit to visit. He shared a video venture that he's doing (see below) and got us caught up with all of his adventures. I love following along with his vlog and have hopes of someday starting up my own vlog, so he offers me inspiration. I follow the careers of a lot of my former students and have a lot of pride for their continued creativity. Chris is certainly one of my favorites!

Good Morning!

I love how early the sun rises this time of year. By 6am it's bright enough for a dog walk which gives us plenty of time to get a great walk in before school starts. I did almost 4 miles this morning. It was National Teacher Appreciation Day today and I got a wonderful email from a parent and free burrito from Chipotle. We've got a big breakfast at school tomorrow with prizes. At the high school level, there's not a lot of appreciation.

There's a great article in the New York Times about the Biggest Loser winners. It's absolutely fascinating and not so surprising for me. I grew up as a fairly chunky kid. Weight-loss has been on my agenda since third grade. At some point in my early 20s, I came to the conclusion that my body had a default mode. It did not matter how much weight I lost, my body would seek to find that default mode, which was not thin. Almost my whole life my goal has always been to lose weight. Finally, a couple of years ago I realized that may not ever happen. So now I'm just trying not to gain weight. In practical terms, I am trying my best to sustain good health.  I am fighting biology. It seems these Biggest Loser winners, had quite a battle and after winning for a short time on a tv show, most eventually lost-- not weight. It's all about metabolism and I've warned Erika that ours will slow as we age. I certainly don't feel like I'm winning any battles, eventually if I keep the course, I may never lose weight but I could win a life of good health. 

The Signs of Spring

Miraculously, Balt woke up without a limp. We went on a wonderful morning walk after earlier rain. It was wonderful to out so early with a thin sweatshirt and sneakers. I think the snow boots can go into storage now! Once I got to work, I opened the metals door to find my garden beginning to grow. The daffodils have popped out their heads. I had lined the whole area with newspaper to prevent the weeds from coming in and I hope it works. 

I got a text from Erika asking me to check in on her as she was very ill with the flu. She'd been tested for mono earlier in the week since she's been so run down. I brought her juice, chicken broth, Alka Seltzer Plus and a eucalyptus mineral bath. I washed her dishes and cleaned up a bit and scolded her for not taking better care of herself and then got back to work.

Day 2 of my "fat diet" was a bit easier. My cheats are tiny clementines and it is amazing how delicious they are when one is craving sweetness! After school I ran out to a hot yoga class and then came home and made a broccoli beef stir fry. The broccoli was from the fall and tainted with freezer burn but it still was darn good. For desert I got a handful of mixed nuts. One day in and no weight loss, but no gain either. I finished the night with an exciting episode of Survivor. 

I admit it.

I started a new diet today and I am slightly overwhelmed by the cravings for sweetness I had today. Yes, I'm totally addicted to sugar but not regular sugar-- artificial sugar. I want sweet-n-low with my coffee, fruit and sweetened yogurt in the morning. And now I am constantly craving diet Dr. Pepper! What started as a treat once in a while got to be a daily need. Then as I was reading Eat Fat, Get Thin I saw that artificial sweeteners do to the body very similar things that real sugars do and I knew I needed to get things under control again. I'd given up diet drinks in the past but what I hadn't realized that for the 6 months or more, I've been offering myself chocolate before bed, a couple of twizzlers after lunch and a lot of fruit for breakfast which really was adding up to a sweat addiction. The diet is similar to Adkins only no dairy, except butter, and vegetables are supposed to be the bulk of what you eat, not meat. The diet is supposed to go for 21 days but I told myself just to try it for 7. If I gain weight from the extra fat, then I'll switch it up.  I felt full and hungry at the same time all day-- that weird mix of physical satiety and psychological hunger. I started my morning coffee without the sweetener and had a couple of eggs for breakfast instead of a fruit smoothie.  I had a salad for lunch with carrots and celery for snacks, then for dinner a steak with green beans which was delicious but I kept wanting to graze after on chips or fruit. I drank tea instead. I let myself have celery with almond butter as my before bed treat. I was surprised at how mentally challenging the day was but I was able to pass up snickers offered to me during the after school book club. I'm hoping it gets easier. 

My school day was perfect. The garage door in the photo lab was open for most of it which means the end of winter is just about here (12 more days!). Balt is still limping but I started my morning with a Sean T work out to get some steps in. I'll have to call the vet tomorrow if he's still limping. We've had such great weather, I've missed out on good walks with him. He's been pretty snuggly instead and that's okay too.

Eat Real

I got a yogurt maker last weekend but needed a thermometer before I could make my first batch. This afternoon I came home from school and got it going. All it is is cooked milk with a yogurt starter. I mixed in berries, but no sugar. In all of my diet reading, I am finding more and more that the best thing one can do is eat for real-- homemade, organic, not processed foods. I continue to stay away from gluten but have wavered with going dairy free as well. I think yogurt is one of the diary items that has a lot of benefits to a women's health especially. I read that to get the full goodness of yogurt, one had to make it at home, so I took the plunge. The machine I purchased has 6 baby food jars to fill inside so you could make different flavors. I have really enjoyed learning how to cook gluten free, so I am eager to learn how to cook more with yogurt. 

As for my day... When I woke up it was 2 degrees and as the day progressed, it got warmer and warmer, luckily. Balt and I went for a very chilly walk this morning, but the afternoon walk was not so bad. I stayed after school to help a student take digit photos of his art portfolio in order to apply for some scholarships. I popped over to Costco for gas and dogfood and then came home to left over gluten free pizza for dinner and Survivor. Erika stopped by this evening to borrow my vacuum cleaner. I think the Easter bunny is going to have to get her one this year instead of a basket of candy!

I'm convinced.

It'll be a month of eating paleo at the end of this week. I've cheated a few times and each time I've fudged things, I've felt it either with a head ache or an upset stomach or worse. I have yet to lose one pound on this diet but I feel that with time, I will. I feel lighter-- not as bloated or puffy-- yet at the same time I am rarely hungry even when I feel "empty." It's a different feeling than I'm used to. It's like I know everything has passed through. I feel good throughout the work day, not like I want to take a nap. I come home tired and eager to go to bed, but I'm not sleepy during the day time anymore. 

After one month, I am supposed to introduce foods, one at time, every three days. There are a few foods I am eager to introduce-- butter for scrambled eggs will be number 1 and yogurt may be number 2, just because I think it has some good health benefits. But I've learned to live without creme in my coffee and now that Starbucks sells coconut milk for my latte, I'm in coffee heaven again (yes, I know there's a bit of sugar in there, so I only splurge once a week). I'm amazed that I'm not craving anything else. My sweet tooth is satisfied with fresh and dried fruit, and some honey in my tea occasionally, so there's never a need to cheat. 

As for my Tuesday, I took Balt to daycare today so that I could stay after school to work with editors to finish and send pages for our deadline. We needed to send 45, I sent 50. The 14 pages that were due on Thursday were also sent today. 108 pages of our 224 page yearbook is all ready for print-- that's just about 1/2 way done. The 50 pages I sent today will come back in a couple weeks in need of proofing. That only leaves 66 pages left to make--  16 of those can wait until May 9th. It was a huge relief to get those all sent today after school. I'm already looking forward to the big celebration we're going to have when the book comes in. I can't wait!

Ground Hog's Day

A local ground hog made the national news today by biting the ear of the Sun Prairie mayor (a nearby town to Madison). The mayor announced it would be an early spring but here in Madison, the sun was shining this morning so the mayor had gotten it wrong so that there should be 6 more weeks of winter. Instead of apologizing, the mayor claimed only he can translate a groundhog and it told him he was breaking from tradition-- politics. As for the weather, we are in for more cold and more snow. Winter has finally got here and I have a feeling it'll be around for a while.

We had a regular Monday at school. I had kids working on projects all day (below are my kids working on cast rings in metals). We are still working on the paper, trying to add a few more last minute articles and photos from the musical. I worked on the parent newsletter during my prep time. I stayed late after school working on the paper again. Hopefully it will get finished tomorrow.

I came home to an eager Balt but it was so cold, I cut our walk short. I did get up early this morning to get my P90 workout in, more shoveling and a regular mile walk in but because of all the shoveling I had done, I was quite sore this afternoon. Even though it said it was 11 degrees, the wind chills made it colder. I snap-chatted a pic to Monika with the temps and sure enough she snapped me a pic back-- 82 degrees in Southern California!! Oh, I can't wait to spend my winters there again!!

I ended up taking Balt to a field so he could walk around outside leisurely while I sat in a running car with the heat on. He sauntered around for 15 minutes and finally got cold enough to come back in. I went grocery shopping late and picked up a lot of food I normally don't buy, like bacon, and had to pass up a lot of foods I'm used to getting, like rice cakes and corn chips. For my second Paleo day, it wasn't so bad-- eggs for breakfast, celery and carrots for lunch, and chicken with cabbage for dinner. Raisins and almonds have kept me from needing to cheat, but I've refrained from eating too many. I found a paleo friendly tropical granola mix to bake and I can't wait to have some for lunch tomorrow!