Back In The Saddle!! No Horse . . . Ha Ha!

So life is good. No I still can't walk except for two small steps to my wheelchair but I'm alive. I think this evening I'm going to try to get up on my scale and see if I can stand long enough by myself to weigh meh! Of course I'll be with my walker and my daughter will be there with me so I don't fall. Oh yes when I fall I can't get up. It took 4 firemen to get me onto the stretcher when I fell this time cuz my danged legs paralyzed due to the renal failure. But yes on to better subjects. I am really curious how much weight I have lost. I downloaded Open Office Wordprocessor since my Microsoft Word decided to so into its own void somewhere in the universe. I'm learning the ropes of the program and will be able to continue with my newest book about the civil war.
Thank you Shelly for your kind words. Mary Fran thank you also and I'm praying for your neice. Deborah I've missed you too. Oh and my daughter put up a hummingbird feeder right outside of my window. I got that idea from you *smiles*. So far there have only been one or two a day but I read that the females are now busy feeding their young but when the young learn to fly they will be around more. Oh and she put up a bird feeder too that the danged Racoons knocked down two nights in a row and robbed the seed. My husband went out and pouned it firmly into the ground. So no more problem with the coons but acrobat squirell has discovered the seed. Funny little guy he drops the seed and the chipmunks come running! Lol a plethora of wild life outside of my window.

So I haven't eaten yet today and it's 4:00 pm. Guess I need to get my daughters rear in gear to get me something healthy. I have to watch my Potassium intake so I eat more fruit and veggies that are low in Potassium. I eat a lot of chicken and fish and have to limit a lot. Can't wait to see if I can get on that danged scale tonight.

Blessing to ya'll and have a beautiful day. Much Love. I've missed you all and am still catching up on posts.

Till next time. . .
Mother Hubbard

I'm Baaak... *smiles*

Hi ya'll. Well I first off want to say how much I missed everyone's blogs and I have a poopload of reading to do. I was hospitalized for a long time. I suffered from Renal Failure. and thanks to the good Lord and the hospital staff they all brought me back from deaths door an, I am now recovering. I am confined majorly to my wheelchair and bed and can barely walk where as before I could walk with my walker. I now have physical therapy and can do some necessary exercises thanks to my daughter who takes care of me here at home. I have lost a lot of weight but not sure how much because I can't stand on a scale yet but I know I have lost in inches. I guess this time it was a wake up call to keep up the weight loss because that is the only thing that will help me to be able to walk a little better in the future along with healing these wounds I have from the venious stasis I have had for 5 years. Somehow while I was in the hospital my Microsoft Word program completely disappeared from my computer so I have to save a little $$ to buy a new program. Thus, I can't continue with my newest book but I do write down a little here and there on a notepad. I barely eat anything these days and haven't much of an appetite but I manage and they tell me it is important to get proteint. I have to watch my potassium intake also so I'm really limited to the veggies and fruits but I manage a good salad everyday and I am eating taboullah which my kidney specialist said was ok a few times a week. Oh and how did this thing with my kidneys happen? Well I had paid in my lower legs from the wounds caused by the venous stasis and I took lots of Motrin for pain. BIG NO NO. It has potassium in it and as now I am 60 and considered elderly *frowns* it isn't good to take too much.
Sooo now I am really careful and the doctor has given me something mild to manage the pain plus I try to ignore it the best I can. So that about wraps it up as to where I've been. I can't wait to read all about your adventures and your climb up the ladder to weight loss. Tain't easy McGee and I understand this but keep on keeping on. Much love to you all and God Bless. More soon. . .

The Hoobagoobis . . .

I know you probably wonder what the HOOBAGOBIS is. Well it's when you're not quite sure what you have but you know you have it. I've had gastritis for the past 6 days. Sick as a dog and tummy in an uproar. I ate a diet peanut butter cup a few days before I got sick an was sure I had contracted salmonella. After all I DO live in Georgia where the dun dun....horrible peanut plant is. But after a visit to the emergency room I was told it is gastritis. It's calming down now but oh my tummy. Thank the lord for 7-up and chicken stock; it's all I've been able to stomach. So because of all this I've lost 4 lbs. , but not due to dieting. My granddaughter will be here tomorrow with her sweetie to visit me for a week. She's the one who is going to make me a great granma. She's moving here for 6 months because her honey's job brings him here but she is leaving in July to have the baby back in Florida. So it will be nice to be around her. They will be looking for an apartment close to where we live. Diet wise I can't even give it a thought until I feel stronger. This really hit me hard but as I said I'm on the upswing now I think. . . I hope at least. Ya'll have a blessed day and be safe out there in all that inclement weather. Much Love.

Mother Hubbard

I BELIEVE..I THINK I CAN... I KNOW I CAN...

Gets up on her reinforced soap box and holds up a book Ahem….*clears throat* Hear ye, Hear ye, Hear ye… *Holds up the Volumetrics Diet book* This here danged book is awesome and is helping me more than I ever thought a book would. I’m here cuz I lurve to eat. *nods sagely* I have looked at all the pictures and read this book over very carefully and it seems to me that if I can eat more and loose weight it’s what I want to do. Now, not to sound too preachyish (is that a word?) I’ve been following this diet for only two days. Actually it’s NOT a diet just an awesome way of changing one’s eating habits and yet getting a more filling helping of food. (Ya’ll know FOOD that danged four letter word that can mean demon to some if not taken in properly!) Anywhoodle, if you don’t want to buy the book then I suggest checking it out at the library it’s awesome and omg… great recipes that you can use or redo as you wish. There is also a website. I know, I know I’ve preached this sermon before but just at least consider using some of the analogy. *hops down from her reinforced soapbox with the help of her walker and lands upright in her wheelchair* Whew!

EXAMPLE

Both of these meals contain 500 calories ~ the same number of calories!! The top photo gives you only small portions of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cheesy broccoli. The large meal at the bottom photo is based on the principles of Volumetrics. This volumetric meal is reduced in fat, high in fruits and veggies and full of flavor. All of these recipes are in the book and the bottom meal contains Creamy Cucumber and Dill Salad, Chicken Parmesan, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, and a Ruby-Red Poached Pears with Raspberry Sauce. Which meal would you find to be more satisfying. Read Volumetrics and learn the secret

Ok I was watching Martha Stewart today and there was a segment on working out. Mary Horn, a nutritionist. was on and they were hopping in and out of a rope ladder so I went to the site and this is what I found:

Ladder Drill: Ladder drills (using a rope ladder) bring up your heart rate, help burn calories, and are an excellent way to improve foot speed, agility, coordination, and overall quickness. Simply take 2 steps in, 2 steps out, then repeat and go faster, lifting your knees a little higher for more intensity.

For warm up they hop-ran through each rung of the ladder first for a bit. But this sounds and looks like something that would be a really good and inexpensive exercise tool. I mean who would have thunk it..a rope ladder. Also another thing they demonstrated was the old Step- Master. My daughter uses this as an alternative exercise to her treadmill. She found one at Walmart for around $25.00 give or take a dollar. Good exercise and there are still DVD’s you can buy to work with them. Another inexpensive way eh? OH did I tell you they laid out the rope ladder on the floor…ha ha kinda hard to jump through the rungs if it’s hanging from the ceiling..tee hee hee. Ok lovies have a blessed day.

I'M GONNA BE A .......

Great Grandma!!! blinks . . . !! My oldest granddaughter called me today and told me. Further more she and her honey are moving up here for his work for 6 months. I'm excited and happy. I got back on track yesterday too with my menu. I was so hesitant to get on the scale because I just knew I would have gained all my weight and then some but I didn't. I guess the exercise may have paid off. When I finally added up all the calories I took in on Ms. Piggy day it was about 2,500. Not as bad as I imagined but bad enough ;P . Today I am back on track and at least down one pound which I always look at as four sticks of butter. Thank you for your encouragement and I know I got down on myself but I still have the fortitude to pick myself up by the pants and go forward, regardless of how winding the road is. This is short today as I'm in pain. Sorry but that's my life and today is one day I can't move around a lot. I'll be so happy to loose these pounds and hopefully start feeling better. I want these venous wounds to heal or at least get better. Ya'll are my inspiration and I thank you for that. Cold here today but Friday it's going up into the upper 50's. YAY!! I have to go out that day. Stay warm to those of you going through Ms. Frost's frigid winter breath and keep on keeping on. I will too. Have a blessed day.

MY BAD!!

So I started the day off fairly decent. I was up all night helping my daughter fix her computer. The video card fried and she had been messing with it without telling me so I didn't know it was bad until she got a black screen and started hollering for me to do something. blinks That was about 1 a.m. when I was getting ready to sleep. Anywho, we finally got it fixed about 6:30 a.m. She then fixed us some bean soup which I had leftover from Sunday. I ate 1 cup plus 1 cup of Almond Breeze, vanilla. All was well but then I fell asleep.

Sooo like a dummy I woke up around noon and was hungry after about 30 minutes. I knew she was going to sleep till who knows when so I picked up my phone and ordered Chinese. Dun Dun!! I have NO freaking will power. I ordered Thai coconut soup, sweet and sour chicken lunch which included a scoop of rice, one egg roll and one chicken wing. I ordered for her too and woke her up. I oinked out. I'm so lousy right now with laziness it's not even funny and its umtifrump hours later. I'm sucking on ice water and silently cussin' myself out because I failed so miserably today. I mean what makes a person do that. I KNOW better yet I just stuffed it all in like I'd never eaten in my life. I just think I should starve myself for three days till I shibitz it all out. I'm not giving up but damnit what's wrong with me. I am a bit stressed about my book and a few other things but to OINK out like that is uncalled for. le sigh.

In case you are wondering why I didn't just get up and go to the kitchen well for about three days I've been in a lot of pain with my legs and it's been a chore to get to the bathroom. I do my exercises from the side of my bed which is in the living room. Our living room looks like a dormitory now. I have my bed in there and my daughter has her bed in there as she is somewhat my caretaker. Yeah it's that bad sometimes but I do mostly what I can for myself unless I'm in this position with swollen, leaky legs, yuk. So there it is. Stupid Monday and Stupid me. I'm just a big ol' southern Pig. Oink... :-(

Have a blessed day and don't follow me down the "pity party I ate too much damnit" road. Oh and by the way my daughter didn't Oink out. She ate a little soup, two bites of her broccoli beef two bites of rice and was done with it. Aaand I did get a lecture... "MOM!!" etc...

Ms. Piggy

I ARE BETTER!!

So there must be something magical in the vat of chicken shell soup my daughter made for me the other day because today I feel so much better. Yesterday after Rhett's floor waffle situation I came back to my bed and worked on the ever present query letter rather than blog. *mutter mutter mutter* It really bothered me about the waffles...I mean he not only washed the frozen waffles off but dried them off with a paper towel then toasted them and put them BACK in the freezer. I had to make sure they were wrapped seperate from the others as I DO NOT...eat floor waffles. Later I wondered at this but my husband is Greek from the island of Cyprus. He grew up with a family of 10 in a small one room house where the kitchen was another little building outside of the sleeping/living area. They were poor farmers and food to them was sacred, especially with all the kids to feed and clothe. So he is conservative in odd little ways. Actually sometimes it is kind of funny but it's ok I just nod and fume a bit then relax. He's really a nice man. I always call us Jack Sprat and his wife as he has always been thin and me fat well heavy but now I'm a fatty. Weird how he was the one to have the heart attack but when they were little kids they ate lard on toasted bread because they didn't have butter. And they ate a lot of pig..erm pork products along with fried food. So his whole family has a history with cholesterol problems and mine doesn't. Sooo after his quadruple coronary bypass he changed his way of eating drastically and now so have I and our youngest daughter who still lives with us. I jus wanned to splain all dat Lucy in case you tawt mah hasband was a nutty boi!! LOL.

Anyway, her soup made me feel so much better by the end of the day I managed to do 45 minutes of exercise!! Yay. I also made out my weekly "I think I'm going to eat this on these days...maybe" list. I don't always follow it but I have been substituting other good things in case I'm not in the mood to eat that particular food. Did that make sense? Today I feel relatively good too and am planning on exercising a bit later in the day. I ate some soup for breakfast and a small glass of Almond Breeze vanilla. I'm full. I'm also going to work on that danged query letter. I wish I would stop beating myself up about it but I just want an agent to like the letter because it really tells something about the book...eh...good luck to me. I hope all of you who have been feeling poorly are feeling much better and I can see that by some of the posts I've read. Keep up the good work as I see many of you have set goals for yourselves and are following what you have set for yourselves. If you've cheated DON'T beat yourselves up. Just pick up and start over...but then you know that. Ok I'm rambling. Have a blessed day y'all!