Running...and Pooh

Sorry, if I've brought you here and you were looking for that big cuddle loveable lug of a bear, I'm not talking about Winnie. And, this post has nothing to do with the Disney Store.
Nope, this one is all about running...long distances. Because I've learned a few things over the last year and a half. I used to only run short distances. It took me a long time to get past the two mile mark. It was like that middle of the week hump, or my miserable Monday morning feeling...it was something I just couldn't seem to put behind me. But then finally I had a break through and in June I ran my first ever marathon...a true milestone for this Old Fat Mom. Of course I had to drop 30 pounds first to do it. Thanks to Weight Watchers... :D (Which by the way is running a Free Promotion until Saturday).

Anyway, back to my story about pooh...

There's a direct link to running and your digestive tract. I know, we don't want to talk about such things. But it's your body and we all have to, you know, pooh...

So, it's best to be prepared.

When I go out for a long run, I try to have everything I need: water, Shot Bloks, maybe a little Gu. But I never thought about the other part...well, except for maybe needing to pee--you know, I'm a woman and we women have bladders the size of a small pea. Anyway, I never really had a problem with the other side of the digestive tract...until I started trying to speed up. . . and cut down my time by running intervals... Now, I'm not a doctor and I don't know but I'm just saying, when I started running faster, I had to GO. So, I started reading up on the issue.

When you run, more blood gets to your vital organs and speeds things up and (apparently) flushes them out. So if you're going for a long run, remember, don't eat a lot of high fiber the night before. Avoid roughage. And when you do your first marathon, don't - let me repeat myself DO NOT do something out of the ordinary for you. People kept telling me to carb up, carb load, and eat my fill of pasta. Hey, that's not normal for me. That might be okay for super skinny runners. But, like I said, I'm an Old Fat Mom, and I usually run on nothing, 'cuz I have plenty stored up in reserves. Anyway, the sad fact was I carb loaded and felt horrible the entire way of the run. On the bright side, I finished and heck I was 50! So I'm not complaining...much. I'm just passing on a few words of wisdom to all my running friends, especially any Old Fat Moms out there. You don't want to feel sick on your very first marathon...right? So take heed ladies, don't eat a lot of fiber the night before, and don't carb load if you don't normally.

Another Birthday

It was Luke's birthday and all he wanted for his special day was . . . food. Yep, to go out to breakfast and dinner. And, heck I'm a card carrying Weight Watchers member (and by the way you can join for free until Saturday-just saying) so no one has to twist my arm...at least not very hard - to get me to a restaurant. So, off we went. First to Petite Provence on Division. Yep, those chocolate croissants for breakfast are always delish! And while we were there, the owner brought Luke a full cinnamon loaf with a candle in it. Of course the family had to sing and then a sweet young couple sent pastries over to the table (sort of like ordering a drink for someone on their 21st birthday--only we didn't know these people at all). So having had more than enough to eat, we rolled out of the restaurant. (btw: I forgot to get any pictures of the breakfast - bad Mom - so the picture above is the free dessert - a pile of ice cream, I think, from the dinner dessert.) But back to my story...

Then a few short hours later, or so it seemed, we were off to dinner.

So more food and more free desserts and I'd say we all had a very Happy Birthday for Luke! How 'bout you readers out there, do you like gifts or food with family for your birthday?. . . or maybe both...or something else...?

Merry Christmas

I wanted to wish all my friends and family a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Plus, I'll share a few photos from our Christmas Eve Celebrations. We have a tradition in our family of Dancing around the Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve and Singing Christmas Carols . . . in English and Danish.

Here's the tree we danced around this year.
We pulled it out away from the walls so we could all hold hands (kinda like the Whos Down in Whosville;) and dance around the evergreen


Actually, the family has gotten so big we barely walk around the tree any more. But it's a fun tradition.

Then we have to remember the Danish Dinner we had. Smorgasbord Open Faced Sandwiches. No turkey or ham in this family. It's old traditions this year.

Then we all sit down and enjoy the feast.


Then it was opening presents (a lot of them were homemade-which I think makes them even better)



And back home to celebrate my brother and sister's birthday

My sister asked for a Weight Watcher's Birthday Cake so this one was homemade in a hurry.

We lit the candles and had them make a wish

Then the two of them (because if you hadn't noticed they're getting old) worked together to blow out the few little flames.

And poor little Sasha was a little overwhelmed by all the activity so she curled up in a corner, underneath the tree, with her best buddy Tigger

Then we all went for a walk down Peacock Lane




And, now, it's time to celebrate Christmas!!! So Merry Christmas to All and God Bless Us Everyone :) and if you're looking for more gifts, pop over to my cyber friend's site: Christian Farley's Blogspot to enter a book giveaway here's the link: http://www.christinafarley.blogspot.com/2011/12/9-book-giveaway.html then you just might have more presents coming after Christmas

Progress on the DIE...t Front

I weighed in on Sunday and had lost 4 pounds!!! in one week. Of course last week I'd gained 3.6 pounds, so really it had to be a lot of sodium that caused the gain/loss, so quickly. The net result was really only 4 ounces lost, in a two week period. Much more acceptable from a health standard point-of-view. But I'm just glad to be back on the right track.

Weight Watchers has been keeping me on track(ing). ;)

I ran 7.5 miles straight on Saturday, that couldn't have hurt my weight loss program. But then I had to have a little chocolate, finish off some candy canes that were still sitting around the house, and have a few Valentine candies (which are now sitting around the house-and, yes, they are already in the stores). You know growing up in a family with nine kids, I learned not to let anything go to waste.

Mom never threw anything away. Somehow she always found a way to use everything. Waste not-want not was a favorite saying of hers. So instead, of throwing it away, (it being those candy canes) or letting it go to waste. . . it still goes to waist (mine) :(

It's soooooooooooooooooooooooooo hard for me to lose weight because I love food so much.

How 'bout you? Are you having trouble with a few extra pounds put on during the holidays?

Weight Watchers

So I just joined Weight Watchers because it's something I need to do. I need to be watching mine.

There's only one problem: I love to bake, cook and eat. In fact my cake decorating class was scheduled to start on Wednesday night. It was going to be my third level of Fondant and Gum Paste Cake Decorating. It's hard to be around yummy food and not eat it--at least for me. So it's a GOOD thing the class was canceled, at least for now.

I wanted to do this because I want--no--I need to hold myself accountable and this group should help me.

That's why I signed up and started tracking what I eat--online. Weight Watchers is all about eating healthy and getting more exercise. Common sense, I know-but it's not so easy. Still, I'm hoping I'll make some good progress and learn a few things along the way. I'll keep you all posted and let you know how I'm doing. And, it can't hurt that I'm training for a half-marathon in June. :)