http://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Atom.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Atom.aspxNutrisystemhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/14/579906.aspx2010-03-14T11:49:00Z2010-03-14T11:49:00ZI've always been of the opinion that there are some types of clothing us BMW (big made Women) should avoid, at least until we get down to a healthy weight. *wink* Stretch pants were on my fat Woman taboo list, at least for me. Hey, you big girls that wanna rock 'em, and can do so with confidence, more power to ya baby, you go girl! But for me a pair of stretch pants just showed off, to the world, in glaring detail, just how out of shape my body had become. Stretch pants show every roll, every panty line... and I didn't wanna show off rolls, muffin tops and Gramma panty lines! *LOL* NO WAY!!! So, today was a victory of sorts my Friends... no, I still haven't lost a significant amount of weight I regained after hitting Goal and blowing Maintenance. However, I've been eating right and exercising like a Marine so it has apparently paid off already! Things must be shifting and firming in spite of the scale's refusal to budge, because... today, I took a bold step and decided to try on a pair of my fav stretch pants. *gasp* When I was at Goal I was rocking this style of clothing, but as weight came back on... they had been banished back on my taboo list because it was too painful to look at me in them and see in glaring detail the ground I'd lost in this battle of the bulge! *SOB* But, today, I was AMAZED, and though there is certainly room for improvement and weight loss, I can now wear this style again with confidence my Friends!!! *whoo hoo* Lord it feels good... this is definitely an NSV that will inspire me towards Goal once again!!! I hope the rest of you are being encouraged and challenged to get your girlish and studly figures and physiques back... may the force be with you! *wink* Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/12/578514.aspx2010-03-12T10:06:00Z2010-03-12T10:06:00ZWith Nanna *my Mom* and my Grandkids at my disposal I have access to the ULTIMATE workout peeps! A day loading and unloading wheelchairs, strollers, carseats, and all their paraphernalia, lifting big people and little people, well, it rivals any workout at Bally's! *wink* I'll be as sore the next day as if I worked out on EVERY piece of equipment at the Gym my Friends, guaranteed! It will not only challenge the body, but the mind, both will get the workout of a lifetime! They're committed to getting me in shape too, because they NEED me around you see, so its like having an entire staff of personal trainers who won't let me slack off or blow it. *LOL* I'll be having one such workout today my Friends, the Nanna Workout... sometimes I don't combine the Nanna Workout with the Grandkid Workout... sometimes I do... depends how delirious I am at the beginning of the day and how much I overestimate my stamina and strength? *LMAO* Its probably like when you go to the Gym and actually think you can do a piece of equipment at the level the muscle bound studmuffin just did it! *wink* I go into each workout with enthusiasm and a position of strength. By midway thru the workout, I'm starting to feel the reality that I'm not a Spring Chickie anymore and perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew?! By the end of the workout day of shuttling Nanna and/or the Grandkids around I'm not lookin' so chipper anymore and I'm probably "walking old" as my four year old Grand-Daughter would say! But, the best thing about the Nanna and Grandkid workouts my Friends, is that unlike the Gym, I'm not just investing in me... its not even all about me... and so the pay off is SO much richer and rewarding than I could EVER get at the Gym!!!Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/11/578230.aspx2010-03-11T09:10:00Z2010-03-11T09:10:00ZWe're raising a "gifted" Grandchild. With a child like this if you don't challenge their mind they'll make you lose yours! *LOL* Their interests and requests aren't average and they want to know everything about a topic they're passionate about, literally. Why??? is his favorite word. *Me wringing hands* A child like this uses words I often have to look up in the dictionary... yep, in over half a century I've never used them peeps! *LOL* He had an excellent report card and Parent/Teacher conference THIS TIME, yes, gifted children can be prodigal children too, extremes in both directions. *sigh* Since we don't want him to swing to the dark side *wink* we reward and encourage positive behaviors. I got him the Tao Of Tangram Puzzle as his reward... an ancient mind challenging Chinese Puzzle that has nearly 700 puzzle combinations.. he'll probably have it figured out by this weekend... no kidding. *big sigh* He's nine... I like to think I'm an educated Woman, a child like this can make me feel stupid. He'll lecture me on the health benefits of certain foods and exercises... he'll be right... he'll go in the kitchen before my mealtimes and whip up something "healthy" for me to ensure I don't blow it. *LOL* Today it was his own version of deviled eggs. Pretty good I must say since he's self-taught and they looked quite gourmet and tasted excellent... a budding Gourmet Chef in the making, just like Great-Grandpa was? He didn't just make me eat them, he explained every healthy ingredient and nutritional value the egg has. *smiles* I'm guessing he wants me around a very long time and sees my struggle with body and food so he's taking no chances! After all, he and 'lil Sis need me around at least another 14 or so years... and a child like this... well, I'm Blessed beyond measure because though he's a particular challenge, he is just what I need.Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/11/577808.aspx2010-03-11T01:33:00Z2010-03-11T01:33:00ZThis morning I was grieving the massacre of a big Orange Tomcat on my property that I had assumed was my Morris. Hard to tell identity when there is such carnage, but it looked so much like Morris and was beside my home, in my totally walled property, that I had assumed the worst and the killer dogs roaming our area had gotten my last working cat. I was still waiting on animal control to show up when much to my delight and surprise I hear a familiar voice calling to me... demanding his morning kibbles!!! My eyes welled up with tears, could it be?!? I raced to the door and sure enough, there stood Morris creating his usual fuss about breakfast!!! I had never been so relieved, so thankful, that it wasn't him that had been so brutally killed this morning, I never hugged him so tightly and loved on him with such gusto and he reveled in it! I'm still concerned for him since he's still obviously at risk until animal control rounds up these rouge dogs. They simply suggested that we take him inside... well, Morris is an older stray who has never been an inside cat nor been litter box trained, he panics if brought into an enclosed area..., Rat Boy panics if we bring another animal INTO the house, she doesn't get along and play well with other pets and at 20 she's too old to be in a cat fight... even though Morris is a huge cupcake, strong and enormous and she's the agressive one and spits at him thru the screen door often. *smiles* I felt a bit guilty though peeps, at being GLAD that the unfortunate animal torn apart wasn't my Morris... because he certainly didn't deserve his fate either and could have been someone's beloved pet that fled to our property and over the wall to what he perceived to be a safe sanctuary from these rouge dogs? When animal control showed up I wasn't pleased with their response or excuses, not for the FOURTH time in just a few months. In their opinion these dogs pose no risk to humans and children in particular because they claim, no children or human attacks have been reported YET!!! Are you freakin' kidding me!?! Its natural they say for dogs to pursue and kill cats, not natural for them to pursue and kill humans... so don't worry! Cats are free roaming animals they said and so cannot be protected from the natural tendency of a dog. I counter with, yes, but DOGS SHOULDN'T be free roaming as these rouge animals are... and since they're obviously killing regularly and for sport and have tasted blood, I AM NOT CONVINCED they are not dangerous and could not or will not attack again... or that it WON'T be a child the next time!? I pray that it's not, I pray that my Morris will not be their next victim and I'll be mourning him all over again... I hope to God a child isn't attacked, ANY CHILD! My DH said he plans to take up vigilance with his gun and unfortunately, since the authorities are not taking care of the problem, he may just have to... to protect our loved ones and make us feel safe in our own property once again. Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/11/577650.aspx2010-03-11T10:38:00Z2010-03-11T10:38:00ZI'm grief stricken AGAIN this morning, rouge killer dogs have gone over our wall once again to kill for sport! This time the victim was our last surviving outside working cat, Morris, a huge strong Orange Tomcat, who himself is larger than most small dogs. Thank God I found the corpse this time, it is a grizzly sight... just like the others. And yes, there were others, since late December four of our four outside working cats have been killed on our property by these rouge dogs. Killed in the daytime, killed at night... horribly so, torn apart... by these two rouge pit bull mix animals that Animal Control has yet to catch. We've been told we can shoot them on sight WTF!?!?!)... I dunno, my DH is a retired Sniper and an avid hunter... but discharging a firearm in the neighborhood and killing a domestic animal that some irresponsible pet owner has negligently, or intentionally, made into a killing machine... well, it just doesn't set well with me or something we want to have to do if at all possible? However, we have two young Grandchildren and our concern is also for their safety in their own yard. These animals have a passion for killing for sport, for returning to the scene of their crimes, for being bold, swift and killing with deadly efficiency. Would they attack and kill or horribly maul a child, I don't want to find out!!! I don't want my Grandbabies afraid to play outside for fear of the killer doggies. You see, they found the corpses of three of their beloved pets, very traumatic!!! It was traumatic enough for us and we're adults. I'm still distraught and traumatized by what I saw once again, just this morning. We love our pets, we have owned all of our pets for a long time so they're a part of the Family. We have one 20+ year old inside cat, Rat Boy... she, yes SHE *we thought she was a boy initially hence the name*, keeps the interior of our home free from bugs or anything that might venture inside from our acreage, she's never been outside in her life and will live out her days safely in the Peace of our home. But the others, they came to us as strays, throw-away pets that had been abandoned and sought a new home over the years and gravitated to our acreage and adopted us. We were happy to welcome them since having an acre and several old buildings on it creates a need for good barn cats. So we got them spayed and neutered... and let them do their job, of patroling the property for varmin and loving on us, which they did with devotion and endearing personality. There was Peaches, age 18 when she was killed by the dogs, she had come to us as a wee abandoned kitten. There was Missy Foo Foo, age 10 when she was killed by the dogs just before Christmas, she was born to a feral cat here on the property when we first bought it. There was Gypsy, age 1, a beautiful young Gray Persian that wandered onto the property and decided to stay just last year as a kitten, he is MIA and we never found his body but found enough hair to know his fate. And lastly there was Morris, age undetermined, since he had arrived over 5 years ago as a robust, mature, adult Tomcat of gargantuan size and yet a cupcake personality that adored children... killed by the dogs early this morning. RIP my dear beloved pets, we loved and will miss you terribly! Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/9/576504.aspx2010-03-09T08:58:00Z2010-03-09T08:58:00ZEver feel overwhelmed... half past losing your mind peeps? I'm there... in THAT place! *arghhh* We've been having very unseasonably stormy wet weather and here in the desert, just a little rain makes everything grow in hyperdrive! The plants seem to know they only get a brief window of opportunity to proliferate and reach maturity so they go berserk... especially the weeds! Sure, I need the exercise, and gardening is good exercise, I'm battling the weeds valiantly, at least a couple hours a day in between storms, and the Grandkids help as best they can, but, alas, we're losing the battle peeps!!! I try not to look at the big picture and be completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job... and just concentrate on the piece I can clear each day. It's been too wet to weedeat or spray our one year weedkiller, so its all done by hand right now. *sigh* My weed pulling biceps should rival the Governator's at this rate! *WINK* And then there's the other overwhelming issues associated with inclement weather my Friends... the Grandkids-of-the-Corn have to play INSIDE all day! *me pulling hair out and trying to talk in a calm inside voice rather than like a stark raving lunatic-LOL* They have to be separated most of the time because they don't get along and play well with others... well, at least not with those biologically connected, it becomes smack-down 2010 if I leave them in the same room more than a couple of minutes. *smiles* It also means Gramma can't go for her walks, her hikes, her ESCAPES! *Gasp and wringing of hands* Sure, I do my Ab Circle Pro and light weight training... with a wee audience that stalks me like I'm their only form of entertainment on a rainy day! *LOL* We live in the desert, so rain is a Blessing and its not that I don't enjoy the rain my Friends... but after a couple weeks of it, the clock says I'm half past losing my mind!!!Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/5/573095.aspx2010-03-05T01:15:00Z2010-03-05T01:15:00ZI've been on NS long enough now that daily exercise has become a lifestyle change, however, one thing I CANNOT change, my Season of life and the fact most exercise will have a degree of age related pain for me. *sigh* Yep, what to do when exercise hurts?!?!?!? I've built up endurance and never have been an idle person, even when my weight increased. However, intentional daily exercise had fallen by the wayside during my fat years. And... I got older. Yep, it happens *LOL*... and even when you enjoy being active again, well, it comes at a certain price as you age peeps. I LOVE walking, hiking and gardening, always have, and yet now... after I have done any of the above, no matter how great I felt while doing them, I know without a doubt that after I STOP the stiffness and some pain results and is a given. Sure, I'm getting healthier, fitter and hopefully thinner, it improves mobility and mood, but the after effects are a bummer my Friends. It won't stop me and I had hoped that after a couple of years of this the stiffness and pain after exercise and working hard would subside... alas, nope, still have it. So... at the end of each day I am not feeling quite so chipper as I was before and during my levels of activity and exercise. *sigh* And I get the chirpy reminder from four year old Princess T when she sees me in this condition, "Hey Gramma, you're walking OLD!" *SMILES* Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/3/2/571071.aspx2010-03-02T07:47:00Z2010-03-02T07:47:00ZI don't know how many of you remembers that phrase and images from "Wide World Of Sports" back in the day? *wink* In the past year I've felt BOTH... thrill of victory at Maintaining at Goal for almost a whole year... and then... the agony of defeat as weight packed back on. *sob* I know how Kirstie Allie must feel and her humor and ability to laugh at herself either way is inspiring to me so that I too will keep a positive attitude and sense of humor about self whether thin or not so thin. You see, in a way, losing the ground I fought so hard to win has been a mixed Blessing and I'll tell you why peeps. Before NS and the big loss I had actually forgotten what it felt like and looked like to be a thinner version of me. The weight gain had been gradual over the course of seven years you see. But, when I hit Goal and maintained for quite some time I FINALLY remembered how it looked, how it felt, to be thin again! And so, even though I have had a setback and gained back quite a bit of weight in the past 9 months, its still recent enough that I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN, and therefore, the desire to get back to Goal is even stronger than ever my Friends!!! As well as the sobering reality that once I arrive at Goal AGAIN, well, I cannot afford to be so smug and complacent lest I have to go through all this again and again! So, this has been a valuable lesson to me peeps, and I have a strong desire each day to keep pressing on because each day that I remain fatter than Goal, I CLEARLY now see the huge differences it makes in what I can do, how I feel, my stamina, flexibility, etc. etc. etc. because the point of reference of being thin is still very fresh in my mind!Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/2/28/569637.aspx2010-02-28T11:08:00Z2010-02-28T11:08:00ZDon't know how many cals it burned but I got quite a workout today planting my veggie garden! I put in three types of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, thai basil, strawberries, peas, spinach, an assortment of gourmet lettuces and chocolate mint. Not done yet, DH will be building me another raised planting bed to expand our victory garden so we'll have a larger assortment and abundant harvest. We'll be planting an Orange tree too to go with the Tangerine, Lemon and Grapefruit trees we planted last season. The Mint from last year took off and is growing like a weed. Alas, because of all the unseasonal amount of rain we've had there are also a vast array of weeds heartily growing around our acreage too *huge sigh* so I suppose I'll be getting quite the workout spraying and pulling those in coming weeks as well! Spring is just around the corner... Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspxhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Archive/2010/2/24/566387.aspx2010-02-24T09:25:00Z2010-02-24T09:25:00ZThey must have a Strawberry Patch somewhere near the Nuclear Power Plant because today I found fresh Strawberries the size of Tangerines! Mutant sized Strawberries of the deepest Red, they looked even more huge nestled in my Grand-Daughter, Princess T's, little hand! *smiles* They tasted even more amazing than they looked... we went on a literal Strawberry binge of sorts. And better yet, they were ON SALE, less than two bucks a carton... perhaps they figured that since only a few of these mega-berries would fill a carton, well, they'd cut us a break in cost? It's produce like this that makes me happy to be eating healthy again! I'm sitting here with Strawberry stains on my lips... smack... wonderful... Bon appetite my Friends!Being-restoredhttp://blog.members.nutrisystem.com/Blogs/Being-restored/Default.aspx