Back with power!

Yep, just as I predicted...I gave up. I found the weight I lost but so much has changed since my last post and I have a new job, a new outlook, a new support system and am feeling powerful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZovvjqSLPU

Oh...and a new fave tv show (House)...of course, I didn't start watching til season 7 so I have some catching up to do.

Updates to follow....

Water...a romance

When I set out on this journey one of my first goals was to drink 6-8 glasses of water a daily.

WATER??? WHAT-ever!

If you're like me just the thought of water makes you cringe. Since I was very young, my beverage of choice was pepsi. I lived on pepsi as I grew up. In my teens I could easily polish of a 2liter bottle in a day if given the chance. The ONLY time I drank water was if I was out on a hot day and 'craved' it, though I rarely craved more than a few sips to cool me down. Little did I know the damage I was doing.

Dehywhation????

According to a study done by the Mayo Clinic in 2010, a whopping 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

Dehydration, simply put, is a lack or loss of ample water supply.

I'm not telling you anything new when I say water is imperative to bodies functions. You've heard this before. But what exactly are the functions it is most vital to? And what happens to those functions when you are dehydrated?

First, let's look at the symptoms of dehydration.

If you are mildly dehydrated you will have the following symptoms:

• Thirst
• Dry, sticky mouth
• Sleepiness
• Decreased urine output
• Headache
• Dry Skin
• Constipation
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

Mild dehydration is generally remedied by drinking a serving or two of water.

Symptoms of extreme dehydration are:

• Extreme thirst
• Irritability
• Confusion
• Extreme dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
• Lack of sweating
• Scant urination - urine produced will be dark yellow or amber
• Sunken eyes
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• No tears when crying
• Fever

In cases of extreme dehydration, medical attention is needed.

Body functions which rely upon water

We've all heard that our bodies are made up of up to 70% water but what exactly does that mean? Here's a breakdown of water and it's important contribution to our daily bodily functions.

Blood

Blood is made up of approximately 82% of water. Think of the 3 molecules which make up water (2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen) as a dump truck carrying nutrients to and taking away waste from each cell.

Brain

Believe it or not, your brain is 75% water! So you can see how a dehydrated person will feel groggy, irritated and confused. Remember, your brain is the electrical center of your body and water is the perfect conductor of electricity. Don't believe me? Turn on an electric hair dryer while standing in a puddle! The hydrogen/oxygen combination in water is essential to the chemical processes is your brain.

Lungs

Again the function of water is the carry nutrients to and carry waste away. Think of all the toxins you breath in every day. What you can't breath out, water in the blood will eliminate.

Skin

Did you know that skin is your largest organ? It's also the first thing to suffer when you're dehydrated. Water helps to keep the lipid (fat) barrier between skin cells lucid keeps your skin healthy and glowing.

Kidneys

It should come as no surprise that water is imperative to the function of the kidneys, after all they are key to the body's filtering system. When kidney function diminishes it puts added stress on the liver to do its own job and the kidney's.

These are just some of the vital functions directly affected to water intake.

BUT...How much???

We all know the old rule of 6-8 glasses of water a day. But, I have lots of different sized glasses in my cupboard - does that mean a small juice glass (6oz) or a large tumbler (24 oz)? Generally a serving is 8 ounces.

But let's throw that whole idea out and start over.

The new rule of thumb for daily water intake is to take your body weight (present - not dream weight ;) and divide by 2. That is how many ounces of water your body needs to function properly. So if you're 160lbs, you need 80 ounces a day. If you live in a hot or arid climate you will want to add 2 more servings a day and if you're exercising add 1 serving for every 20 minutes of exercise. If you smoke or are taking certain medications you should ask your doctor how much to increase your water intake (or just stop smoking. ;) I know, easier said then done)

Avoid drinking your daily allowance of water in one sitting. It over loads your kidneys and can cause water intoxication, which can be deadly, especially in children.

If you're goal is to lose weight, drinking water before a meal will help to control your portions. Just be sure you're not denying yourself the vital nutrients of the meal in return for water...your body needs both.

Proof???

Well, I can tell you from my own experience what water has done for my body since starting my healthy journey. Consider these comparisons I've made of my dehydrated self vs. my hydrated self.

Dehydrated Snackattackmama: Dark circles under the eyes; dry, brittle hair; extreme dry skin; irritability; sore joints; urinary issues; constipation.

Hydrated Snackattackmama: Glowing skin; smooth, shiny hair; more emotionally balanced; improved joint pain; improved digestive regulation

And that's in less than a month!

One final trick!

If you still can't stand water maybe these tricks can help you fall in love!

Hit the bottle: Growing up drinking soda from a bottle was a major treat for me. Drinking from a plastic bottle stirs up happy feelings for me so when I endeavor to get my daily fill I reach not for a glass but a 20oz bottle. Four bottles full equal almost a whole day's allowance for me. Plus I'm tricking my body into thinking water is now a treat!

Flavorings:

Tea, coffee and water flavorings (like kool aid or crystal light) certainly count toward your water intake. Just be aware that caffeine is a diuretic which will cause most of the water to pass through without providing it's complete nutritional benefit and many flavorings are loaded with sugar.

So with that all in mind...DRINK UP!

Why so huffy?

In the weeks leading up to my first meeting with my trainer, Donna Finnell, I thought I was doing well in my work out. After all, I'd worked out before, even lost a fair amount of weight on my own, so this was nothing new. I just picked out the exercises I remembered were effective for me - 14+ years ago - and dove in. And I got results. I lost 12lbs, which I quickly gained when our van was out of commission and I couldn't work out regularly for a few weeks. I thought my form was pretty good and I was feeling great.

I knew the various stances I had to take to effectively lift to avoid injury with free weights. I knew how to adjust seat heights and leg extender lengths and treadmill speeds but there was still something that, no matter how well these adjustments were made, was undermining my workout efforts.

Donna not only shook up my 14 year old routine but also pointed out to me, numerous times in our first meeting and more in our second, my tendency to hold my breath when exercising.

It started at the pectoral fly machine, "Okay, bend your elbows like your hugging a tree and don't forget to breath, exhale as you lift."

Then again at the seated row, "...exhale as you lift..."

Once more with the weight assisted squats, "...breath in through the nose and out through the mouth..."

The assisted crunches "...don't hold your breath..."

Do you see the pattern?

Donna explained that there are several reasons to breath deeply as you exercise. Primarily, the muscles need the extra oxygen as they are worked, especially to help with recovery. Also, breathing deeply expands the lungs and increases their capacity which helps with endurance. It keeps our brain charged to stay focused. To deny yourself proper oxygen intake as you exercise can cause dizziness and loss of focus. In severe cases it can cause hyperventilation and black out - something you really want to avoid when lifting a free weight. ;)

But it's not just necessary when exercising.

I've been researching the importance of deep breathing and found how imperative it is to our bodies as a whole, whether exercising our not.

Think of oxygen as food for the brain. When you don't eat your body goes into survival mode and starts hording fat and water to prepare for starvation. In the same way constant shallow breathing has a similar effect on your brain. When a person deprives their brain of oxygen there is a survival instinct that kicks in. The brain works the best it can with the tools it has and if it has a less than normal supply of oxygen it will 'shut down' or ignore those extra functions that are not absolutely necessary for survival (like the sense of pleasure and the ability to deal with stress) and go into survival mode (like an animal - maybe that's why I feel like a bear in this state!).

Think of a time when you were stressed out and you consciously stopped and breathed deeply for a few minutes. Perhaps the stress didn't disappear, but it probably diminished substantially because your brain was nourished with the oxygen it needed so the survival mode was put on hold and you were able to relax again.

That is how powerful the act of breathing deeply can be.

So as you go through your day, whether you're working out at the gym or merely surfing the net, breathe deeply.

When you are stressed out...breathe deeply.

If you can't sleep...breathe deeply

It may just be the breath of fresh air you needed to get you through the fog of the day.

Confessions of a Sneaky Eater

I have a volatile combination going for me.

#1 I LOVE food. Okay, that in itself is not so bad but the problem is I love ALL kinds of food, good and bad.

#2 I am sneaky.

What happens when you have a sneaky person who loves food? You guessed it...sneaky eating.

Sneaky eating is just what it sounds like. Sneaking around eating things you shouldn't - usually unhealthy things.

I had planned this post out as one I wanted to tackle at some point along my healthy journey blog but it wasn't until I caught my 10 year old daughter sneaking a cupcake that I realized I needed to address this now.

I know...kids sneak goodies, it's normal...still, it's not a healthy habit. I have no problem with having treats once in awhile. Cookies and cupcakes are not enemies - they are treats to be enjoyed once in awhile. We need to keep them in perspective. But when kiddo asks mom, "Can I have a cupcake?" and mom says, "No" or "Not now" and kiddo proceeds to blatantly - RIGHT BEHIND MOM'S BACK - open the fridge, get the goody then hide to eat it, that is something that needs to be addressed.

But how can I honestly correct her for her sneaky eating when I'm just as guilty?

Case in point. We are out of milk. I tell hubby, "I'm running to the store, we're out of milk. Do you need anything?" He grunts, "No" as he stares at the computer screen playing chess.

Okay! I'm set. Kids are watching a movie, hubby is occupied.

I start to the store.

"Well, looky here! There's a (enter fave fast food restaurant here)! Boy, I really should eat something before I go to the store, it's bad to go shopping on an empty (or seemingly empty) stomach." Next thing I know, I'm sitting in the parking lot inhaling a large burger, fries and a drink - the window is open a smidge so I don't stink up the van with evidence.

I am now satisfied (?) I go to the store and get the milk...and some gum to hide the tell tale breath and come home to my kids saying, "What took you so long?"

"Oh! The lady at the check out was new and it took so long."

I'm scott free. No one knows what I did.

But me.

And ultimately my hubby is aware, after all I am 170lbs.

I went to my banks website and searched the past year for all my fave fast food restaurants. Here is the tally for the past 12 mos of fast food eating. Mind you, I work from home so I don't need to buy lunch everyday and my family rarely ever eats fast food at all. These are my personal purchases.

Also, this is what I spent using my card - I figure I should add more for the times I used cash.

Burger King: 43.08

McDonalds: 129.57

Taco Bell: 47.16

Culvers: 62.47

Subway: 109.05

Cash payments: 125.00 (approximate)

Total: 516.33

$516 spent feeding myself junk that I didn't need. I can guarantee you with 99% assuredness that I was not even necessarily hungry when I bought the food. Most likely I was a) Excited at my freedom of being on my own b) Emotionally unstable - not meaning crazy rather not feeling satisfied in some area of my life c) in an entitlement mentality "I deserve this!"

I can also assure you that after I ate I felt a) disappointed in myself b) mad at myself

So what does a Sneaky Eater with a new attitude do? Tell the world! Clue them into the tricks of the trade so others can identify the pattern in themselves or loved ones who are also stuck in that cycle.

I hope that, if you are going down this same road, you find encouragement here to stop the destructive - yes destructive - cycle.

This closing thought: Anything you have to do in hiding is very rarely good for you - unless, of course, it's philanthropic in some way.

From Emotional Eater to Emotional Exerciser

Today I discarded my old moniker of 'Emotional Eater' and have declared myself an 'Emotional Exerciser'. As much as is possible I will strive to funnel that emotional energy (usually negative) which drives me to make unhealthy eating decisions choosing to exercise instead to release the endorphins which will ultimately improve my emotional outlook.

I am on a journey away from relying on food as a means of emotional comfort towards relying on food for sustenance and energy. For powering my body and not undermining my health.

Won't you join me on my journey?

Here's the healthy living!

Starting out....

This is not the first blog I've ever done. I have done several blogs where I have petered out which is why I am setting a short term goal of making this a 16 week blog with the sole purpose of tracking my personal journey to health. Thanks for joining me...I hope you find my story and the information I share here encouraging and inspirational.

A little about me. I am a 41 year old overweight mother of three. I am not morbidly obese but I am uncomfortable and I intend to shed weight until I get to that 'comfortable' state again. I won't say exactly how much I want to lose because, as my trainer told me today, what your goal weight and your comfortable weight are maybe two different things so I am setting only short term, attainable goals to get started.

My starting weight is 170lbs, I am 5'3". My BMI today is 30.1

For my height my ideal BMI is between 18-24
My IDEAL weight is 135, but again, if I'm lifting weights as much as I intend that weight will probably be closer to 140ish.

Here are some of my mini goals for Week 1:

Drink 6-8 glasses of water

Incorporate more fruits and veggies

Move at least 30 mins EVERY day

That will do it for this week.

Besides this blog, I'm also using www.sparkpeople.com to track my progress. If you'd like to join me, you can 'friend' me there. My i.d. is 'onebusymommyof3'

On your mark, get set....GO!