WE HAVE SHIRTS!!

To help us raise money for this year's Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60 mile walk our team is selling shirts. Here they are: No the lettering on the back of the shirt isn't blurry just my photography! It's a great looking shirt and message. The color in case the photos don't make it clear are a chocolate brown with pink lettering.

Leave a comment if you'd like to get one for yourself, we have medium, large and extra-large right now and they are $20 each.

Front of shirts

Back of shirts

It's Been a LONG Time

Wow, didn't realize it had been quite this long since my last post. Not like I've just been laying around, eating bon bons and watching soaps. Ok perhaps I've had a bon bon or 2 since my last post but there has been no real lounging.

I see that my last post involved my first training walk for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60 Mile Walk. I can proudly report I did it. Yep, my childhood friend Mary and I did it. I won't sugar coat it, this was difficult, probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I'm so happy I did it. Not only did we raise money for breast cancer but I walked for the many women in my lift who are breast cancer survivors. I personally know of 4 and I had all of them sign the pink hat I wore those 3 days.

One of the 4 breast cancer survivors I know personally is my Aunt Carol. She just had her reconstruction surgery and is doing well. She cheered me on those 3 days when I called home. Here are some pictures of our 3 day adventure...

 

One of the ceremonies they have many involving
survivors and/or their family

Mary and I hamming it up in the photo booth

The finish line with the 3 fabulous women I walked with

This event has got to be one of the most emotional and well run events I've ever seen or been involved with. There were probably around 2000 walkers and they are all there for a variety of reasons. There are many survivors walking, family members who have lost a loved one, people from other states you name it there was probably someone there. And the volunteers, you simply can't say enough about them.  I don't know how many there are but there is food service, safety, moral etc etc. Many of us absolutely loved the "hot" guys on their motorcycles who were involved with safety shuttling us across streets and highways. Many of the guys would be blasting their bike radios to add a bit of excitement to our long stretches.

I literally could go on and on about my experience which is why I'll leave you with this piece of news, the logo should say it all...

Yep, I'm doin it again!!



                                      

Let the Walking Begin

Last night I had my first training walk in preparation for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day I'm registered to participate in this October. Now, take into consideration this event is 60 miles, YES, let me repeat that 60 miles over 3 days. This first training walk a mere 3 miles.

I thought I did well even though me feet were just a tad sore when I got home. And the next day I felt pretty energized BUT, I keep returning to the fact this event, this important fundraising task is 60 miles. Even if it is over 3 days, and even if its broken down into 20 miles each day, OMG does not even come close to the exclamations in my head. But, I'm determined. I just wish I would stop seeing images of how far things are like ok I drive 4 miles to work. Or how far is it from here to Atlantic City, oh crap really, that's all?

I've got my friend Mary to think about because even though she's participated in this event for years she's never completed all 60 miles. But I told her this year we are going to do it. Come "heck" (that's for you Mary) or high water, we are going to finish this. She might be sorry she recruited me to do this, although I'm pretty sure she won't be since we are like sisters and will probably laugh and carry on the whole time.

The more daunting & challenging aspect sometimes to this event is the fundraising. Because it is such a big job to coordinate so many people and care for them over 3 days this event actually has a fundraising minimum. Each walker to participate must raise at least $2,300. If you or anyone you know would like to sponsor me its so easy to do thru their very sophisticated and secure website. Here is the link to my personal page thru the 3Day organization:   You can also look me up on the site by my name (Dawn Rademan) as a participant thru http://www.the3day.org/. 

When you start to talk to people and tell them you are doing this so many know someone that has been affected by breast cancer. Wouldn't it be fabulous if we could find a cure, prevent this horrible disease and in the future only tell stories about it people in the future. Please consider lending a hand and making a donation.

Stayed tuned for more of my trials, tribulations and OMG moments training for this important event.

Walk this Way

No, not the song but the new information that exercise could help keep us young.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/can-exercise-keep-you-young/?src=me&ref=health

You gotta love those lab mice...bless their little experimental hearts.

And speaking of walk this way, I do believe last week we proved what I learned some time ago...you can lose weight by upping your exercise and not a lot of changes to your food consumption proving the statement about inactivity having more to do with weight loss than calories consumed. Aaron and I both showed a loss on the scale last week without a lot of food adjustment.

We will share one of our new activities called the Biggest Loser Ninny Dance routine. We watch the tv show Biggest Loser and during commercials our workout consists of getting off the couch (only  makes sense watching a weight loss show) and we dance around our condo. As small as it is we simply run around, dance, skip and basically act like idiots until the commercial break is over. Our place is small so this includes allowing each person passage down the hallway at a time but its fun and adds to our daily walks and other activity to keep us moving.

Now if I can just remember that this works, the moving around part and keep doing it on a regular and I mean regular basis.

I have a couple of goals going on right now I'll share. One is that when the scale reaches 150lbs I'm going to treat myself to a new pair of jeans. This is not only an incentive for me but a necessity because the jeans I do have that fit are old and in places quite thread-bare. I need new jeans.

My other goal announcement, I'm going to join my friend Mary this year in the

Susan G. Koman 3-Day Walk. That means as they say 0-60 in three days. 60 miles over the course of 3 days in October. For those unfamiliar with it this is a fundraising & awareness event for breast cancer.  I'll be posting more about this but in looking forward I've got to start moving more to train for this monumental event, as I keep asking "what have I gotten myself into?"

From 208 to 134 & Back Up Yet Again

I'm desperately trying to find some decent before and after pictures to visually illustrate my weightloss history. I do have in my possession the story of my Weight Watchers journey from a starting weight of 208lbs in February of 2002 with graphs and charts of the highs and lows. The low coming in June of 2004 and a nice, friendly number of 134lbs. That low number has now eluded me for years and I'm on a serious hunt to recapture it and if not it exactly a close relative of that number. I'd probably be happy with 140lbs but right now I can't seem to get away from the gravitational pull of a nearly 160lbs. I've been hovering around 157-158lbs and it's driving me a bit insane.

Yes, I know it's a number and yes, I know it doesn't define me BUT or BUTT it does keep me from fitting in clothes I've already got and would like to wear. It does keep me from being comfortable in my own skin and it does keep me from feeling better about myself and dare I even say feeling sexy again!!

I could go buy bigger clothes but I do not want to do that. I could just say the heck with it and be happy where I'm at but I don't want to do that either. All the evidence I've read points to being healthier and at less of a risk from problems like diabetes, heart disease or other issues at a lower weight. So if nothing else than for my current and future health why should I not be working on this.

I'm trying not to use my age for an excuse, but it would be so easy to do that. I continue to hear the comments from people, "no matter what you do you won't lose weight at your age".  And as I've stated before my response is usually 'really', but that comeback is weakening. Perhaps I should listen to the wisdom of others who have come before me and just say yep, you're right, I'll just give in to age, I'll use it as my excuse, pass that cupcake.

Nah, I'd rather try and put into practice something my friend Kristine taught me to say:
"Success is the best revenge"!  So I am going to continue to try in earnest to be successful and leave the family of the 150-160 #'s for a friendly group known as at least the 140's or 140lbs to be clear.  All keep you posted about my search for the elusive 140, now pass that mango.

Can You Say Confusion?

As I study and try and make sense of the information I'm reading about nutrition and wellness, what bothers me pretty much on a daily basis, is the ever growing and changing flood of information about diets. Like others of course I'd like to find that magic pill or easy fix to lose weight and keep it off. I didn't think I was one of "those" people who bought all the hype and diet books until I surveyed my bookshelf recently. What most discourages me lately and has me exclaiming my mantra "REALLY" is diet changes. How is it last year a plan was great, worked and had everyone on board, yet at the stroke of midnight in  a new year...wait, try this new plan, it's the best and you will lose weight. It can literally make your head spin and eyes bug-out like a cartoon character.

So, my plan, course of action, road map, or god forbid call it a diet is going to be fairly simple: eat what I like, have more fresh, whole foods, less overly processed foods and move around more. Actually make that move around A LOT more. I recently read that "inactivity may play a larger part than overeating in the causes of obesity". 

About eating more whole, fresh foods, I'm sure many of you have heard that if a product label includes too many ingredients your grandmother couldn't identify, then don't eat it. Another way to look at it I heard recently by Dr. Andrew Weil was: so for instance you are buying frozen waffles, if the ingredient list has too many items that you wouldn't put in it if you were making them yourself at home, put them back and walk away.

Another thought from Dr. Weil is that food should be pleasure and you shouldn't deny yourself or social events because of food. I don't advocate bad foods either. You shouldn't blacklist anything BUT, that being said, I once heard someone say if they were going to eat something they were going to have the best one of it. Even down to her apples. So that too has become partly my mantra, eating the best of something. I LOVE, LOVE chocolate but I rarely have chocolate that isn't fabulous and I eat mostly all dark chocolate for a couple of reasons: I like dark chocolate vs. milk and it's better for you. A win win to me.

I've also become an observer regarding food...ok at times I've been called the food police or reformed "fluffier" person. My recent observation was of the tray of mini muffins I put out for a meeting. Note: I always have both fresh, healthier items and not so healthy items at meetings since I'm often reminded not everyone eats or wants to eat like me. Anyway, those mini muffins hadn't been on the tray, which was napkin-lined for more than a minute or 2 when the grease underneath them started to form. By later in the day when I went to put them away, not only was the napkin soaked in grease but the platter had moisture on it too. So my observation, if I really want muffins I should make my own or look for those made with less fats and oils. It at times just seems to make sense although we've all (myself included) done mindless eating and just shuffled a mini muffin or 2 into our mouths. But I now have to ask, did it even taste good? If you try something and it's not the best or doesn't taste good...get rid of it and just walk away...better yet run, makes you work off more calories!

Where to begin?

At least several times a day I find myself exclaiming or at least thinking to myself  "REALLY".  Menopause, getting older, aging, whatever word or phrase is used for something related to my current life.

Let's see the latest has been I find I'm having issues with sodium bothering me. Of course the answer is well yes at your age, approaching menopause, that makes sense. But why does it make sense or better yet my question is consistently must I just accept all these little nuances in my life.

Weight has been a thorn in my side probably FOREVER like many women and men but lately I find losing difficult and yes of course the answer is don't bother trying, nothing will work its your age....and again REALLY?

Perhaps that's what I'd like to explore here either alone, if no one decides to read this or with others...just what can we do. Must we just sitdown, laydown or stop trying and accept that age is going to have its way with our bodies and we should just go with it.
Sorry but I simply can't accept that.

I'm taking a course in wellness and nutrition and hope to find some help and answers to how I can better nourish my body and NOT age so gracefully. I want to be fit, strong and not simply go thru the motions. I want to change the "just accept it, it's all part of getting older" attitude to "wow, I'm how old and look and feel this good".

And before I end this introductory rant for a point of reference to kick this thing off... I'm 51, soon to be 52 in April. I feel like I'm in relatively good health but know that there is diabetes in my family and my current weight or any increase in it could lead me down that road too. My mother died way to young at the age of 60 from complications from diabetes and I just don't want that to happen to me. And, my sweetheart, who I live with, wants me to be around a long time too.

So, let the new and improved me and any others who want to join me begin, why not right?