The plan....

So here's my plan....it's become abundantly clear to me that I am not going to be able to really get a grasp on weight loss during this summer.....I'm not sure why, it should be so much easier....but I don't feel like food prep and with my asthma, I struggle to be active, other than swimming...I've been training for my bike ride and constantly thinking about losing weight, I just can't make a concrete commitment. So I've decided that I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, because my weight hasn't been fluxuating, and that's a first for me. So once I come back from my bike race, September 18th, it's on!! I'm not doing anything differently...I'm doing good....but I'm just not able to commit 100% without feeling like a failure for a summer slip up!

This is what I'm doing!

Privacy

So lately, lots of bloggers have been making their blogs private...I have no problem with that...in fact, if it allows one to be more honest, more open, go for it!! Personally, no one cares about what I write about so I'm thankful for the opportunity to be public in case someone might benefit from my writings....but I get sad when someone makes their blog private and doesn't ask for people's emails...in the last month, I've lost two! Running Nan...and Choosing to Live...please, if anyone reads their blog, knows their emails...I'd like to continue reading...these blogs have been such an inspiration to me and when they do private, I feel like I was just into a really good part of a book and then lost the book! So, I'm just asking for help reconnecting to these to blogs! Thanks!

NSV for me!!

I'm doing my 240 mile bike ride in September and I've been training for it for about a month now. My riding partner recently bought padded shorts so I thought I'd go find a pair myself. So I went on the website and looked at all the shorts and based on the measurements, I wouldn't fit into the women's shorts. So I looked at the mens shorts...I wouldn't even fit into an XXL. So I grabbed two pairs of the women's shorts to try on for laughs...and they fit!! And they were even a little big, as big as spandex can be! And I bought two other pairs of athletic shorts and they were only larges, and they fit...even though they were a smidge snug, I can still wear them....so while I'm not losing weight, I'm definately changing shape which seems to be my pattern, loose weight, stop, change shape...

Winner - Summer Blog Party Challenge

Thanks again to everyone who participated in my walking challenge. It's amazing to see how everyone joined in!! I had a great time doing it and I really improved from the last challenge I did. So without further delay - drumroll please - - - - the winner is MARY FRAN who walked 716,794. So by the end of the week, I will be mailing to her, a brand new pair of New Balance walking shoes!! Congrats to Mary Fran and thanks to everyone else who participated!

~~~My Bike Ride~~~

Three years ago, I met my first dialysis patient. The image of that patient, lying in a hospital bed in an inpatient unit, so seriously ill, has remained burned in brain. At that time, I knew nothing about dialysis. A supervisor of mine worked in dialysis and recommended that I look for a job in the field. Since I followed her advice, I’ve met over 500 people on dialysis and many people who will need dialysis one day. Many of the patients in my clinic have said that if they had known that they were at risk for kidney disease early on, they might have done things differently. Had they known about dialysis, the transition to it would have been much smoother. Dialysis is a miracle for many people, extending their lives when they most certainly would have been given a death sentence years ago.
The Kidney TRUST aims to benefit the 26 million American adults living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), as well as the 485,000 Americans with kidney failure that require dialysis or a kidney transplant. The TRUST was formed to increase awareness of kidney disease through public education and testing programs so that progression of CKD to kidney failure can be delayed or prevented.
The Kidney TRUST was founded in 2006 by DaVita Inc., one of the largest providers of dialysis services in the United States. The mission of The Kidney TRUST is to create a world of hope, health, action and engagement for those affected by CKD. The TRUST is an independent public charity whose programs are intended to complement the efforts of other non-profit organizations that focus on kidney disease, as well as develop solutions to address the critical unmet needs of people with CKD.
The goal of the TRUST’s rapid-testing program is to identify individuals who have signs of kidney impairment. Along with receiving on-site screening results, participants receive materials that offer education about CKD and its prevention, encouraging them to seek medical follow-up as appropriate. This innovative public screening program is carried out in non-medical settings such as large employer workplaces and community health fairs. Through partnerships with employers and community organizations, this screening program is being made available around the United States.
In addition, the TRUST is piloting a financial assistance program for dialysis patients who are privately insured and who face financial challenges in meeting drug and treatment co-pays, deductibles and co-insurance costs.
Tour DaVita is a 240 mile bicycle ride aimed at raising awareness and funding for kidney disease through the Kidney TRUST. Each rider must raise at least $1000 to participate. In addition, each rider must pay their airfare and one night’s hotel stay. This year, I decided that I wanted to get involved, for myself, for my family that has risk factors, and for my clinic because my patients are very important to me. I am asking for donations for my ride. To date, I have raised $600. I still need to raise $400 by August 1st. My ride is in September, the 14th – 18th in Wisconsin. I promise to send each and everyone who donates pictures, stories and thank yous! Please donate to my cause at http://www.tourdavita.org/donate/lovebug6100/index.html.

Summer Blog Party Challenge - DONE

Thank you to everyone who participated in my Summer Blog Party Challenge. Hope everyone had a fun time doing it. All together, we walked just under 3 million steps....that's almost 1400 miles...almost all the way across the country. 17 people, including me participated. I only contributes 384,000 steps, but that's a big increase from the last challenge I did. I need everyone who participated to email me their total numbers and I will announce the winner Wednesday morning. Please don't forget to complete logging in your steps on Americaonthemove.org. I am now able to see everyone's total steps so I can tell if you cheated =). If I don't receive your response before Wednesday morning, you are no longer elligible - sorry!! I'll make sure to check the report Wednesdya morning too! I'll be emailing the winner on Wednesday and I'll need your shoe size and address.....Hope everyone had a great weekend and thanks again to everyone who checked it out!

I suck

Just got home from work, looking for something to eat before going to my other job....found peas...yeah 3 points....it was a lot of peas, but then I spotted the leftover piece of chicken and the quakes rice cakes called to me so I ate everything....I only have 7 points left and that's not counting all the Quakes....my only sort of saving grace has been that I've drank over 8 glasses of water today and I'm going to work out for two and a half hours and I've worked out every day this week....I just don't know why I can't do this....I'm drinking water, exercising, eating good during the day, journaling but at night, I'm a bottomless pit...someone suggested dieting during the week and taking the weekends off....I think I need to starve during the day and eat at night...I'm just hoping to maintain the next month or so and eventually fall back into this...maybe I'm only supposed to lose 20 pounds per year and only between January and April....my weight was down a little this morning...maybe what I'm doing is working...I'll just keep at it, one day at a time!

Jumbled and Restricted....

So I had a bitch of a day at work....two people I work with can be very moody and today was no exception...I was yelled at like a little kid all day....so I'm angry today. Then a friend and I went to get ice cream...mind you it's my first day try Weight Watchers...so I told her no but she begged....and even there, I couldn't make a good decision - I got this awesome peanut butter ice cream. I figured it to be about 6 points...used my calculator...so I've just eaten dinner, I had a baked chicken patty, some homemade pasta with dressing and some peas....dinner equalled 10 points...but I've been taking little samples of everything. It's like now that I know I'm doing WW, I can't eat. And I know in reality, that's not the case....I ate fine today...but I feel like everything is forbidden. I felt guilty about the ice cream so I went to my parents and swam for an hour....and all of my eating was spaced out so it wasn't like I grazed....I just said to my husband that we should have a rule in the house - no dieting during the summer....During the week I do fine, weekends, I'm tired and don't feel like doing this...and summer is full of picnics....so I think I should only diet 9 months out of the year....which obviously hasn't worked in the past....so I'll give this as much effort as I can muster...and I will just keep on setting dates to start over....but I really do want to lose 15 pounds before my bike ride...
Speaking of bike ride....I hate soliciting for funds, it's totally not my thing, but this bike tour is so neat...and for such a good cause and I watched a 5 minute video from last year and was so moved....I still need to raise $400 and I'm afraid I won't have enough....If I don't have enough, I can't go...so if anyone is interested in supporting my bike tour which supports kidney disease, here's the website: www.tourdavita.org/donate/lovebug6100/index.html
And one final message, Sunday is the last day of my Summer Blog Party Challenge. I'll need everyone to tell me by Monday, what there total was and I will announce the winner Tuesday morning - sound fair?
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!

Got it

I got all my Weight Watchers stuff and signed up for a free week to see how many points I'm supposed to eat. According to what I put in, it says I can have 34 points per day and 35 flex per week. I'm going to start on Tuesday....my weight is slowly starting to creep down so here's to hoping that yet again, I am on the right track!

After another day of doing good...then drifting over to Wendy's.....I just purchased a starter kit for WW....and the calculator....I'm going to give it a try....for the month of July, once I receive it and see how it goes...I really like my FitDay but I just can't seem to drag myself over to do it...hopefully I'll have good luck with WW!

Just Say No

I'm a big fan of the "just say no" campaign...and I wish I could translate that into my eating....I was doing great today...brought breakfast - special K and strawberry applesauce, brought lunch today - small salad, chicken breast on a hard roll with one piece of cheese and light mayo...and I had an apple and some goldfish for snacks in the morning and afternoon....I even had company over for dinner - salad, grilled chicken and boneless ribs and plain pasta with some italian dressing and seasonings...but here's my problem...when I get out of work every day, I'm starving...I eat a snack around 3 and I usually leave work at 4...but most days I'll either stop at some fast food chain on the way home and get a burger or chicken and fries, stop at a store for something and find my way into a bag of chips or come home and devour the first thing I see. I've tried eating my snack later...like while I'm driving but that usually means it's not very healthy. And I've tried coming right home and cooking but I either get distracted or I'm waiting for my husband so it's still warm for him....I do so good during the day....but 4PM and I become a ravenous animal....today it was Fritos...I don't even like them....does anyone else have this problem?