kyashiis's Journal

Yr 2 Wk 2 Day 1 - grooving

Jul 02 2009 12:55

Back in the groove... although I did eat some things that are not conducive to losing weight. The Japanese sweets are small in size though, so if I am careful, I don't end up with too many calories through sweets. I do seem to have more of a sweet tooth than I used to have. I usually want to finish off dinner with something sweet. Today, I had a little boiled, mashed, sweetened azuki/pinto beans wrapped in a pastry-like pie shell. It was just right at about 50 calories for one.

We are always getting presents of sweets from students and friends. I finally got smart about what to do with them. I share some, eat one and dump the rest in the freezer. Most things are individually wrapped anyway, so they keep really well. Then, when we have unexpected guests I always have sweets to serve.

I'm not doing as well with exercise right now. I suppose because it is so hot and humid. It really saps me. I laid down for a little while in the afternoon. I discovered that I can't jump rope with a skirt on. I wear skirts most days, so I'll have to change to jump rope in the middle of the day or do it first thing in the morning or after lessons end at night. I want to work up to ten minutes of jumping rope as a starter... It's a little hard on my ankle muscles, so I am being careful.

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 7 - Light dining out

Jul 01 2009 12:05

I'm feeling better. I ate well today. DH wanted to go out in the evening. I had eaten lightly and all good food throughout the day, so I had spare calories. We had a quiet hour at our favorite chicken-on-the-stick yakitori tavern. There were no other customers. I like that place because I can eat grilled vegetables and a couple of teriyaki chicken sticks without blowing my calories for the day. I had two chickens at 30 grams a piece, a stick of eringi mushrooms, some grilled tofu and a glass of light plum wine. It was about 300 cals altogether. We walked there and back, so I got a little exercise in, too.

I finished my novel. Now, I'm hunting around for something good to read. I used to read a lot of self-help type things, but I can't get into that kind of reading these days. I sure wish I had access to English books.

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 6 - no more processed food

Jun 30 2009 10:56

I felt terrible all day long, so I laid down between classes. That hamburger I ate yesterday was the cause. I never eat processed food like that. If I could have diplomatically refused the burger I would have. It didn't taste that bad, but the hamburger was mystery meat... Now, I know if something like that happens again, I will definitely refuse it by saying I am allergic to egg in the mayonnaise or something like that....

Today, I ate hardly anything because I wasn't hungry at all. I also had a sore throat, so I drank lots of water.

This isn't a very good start for the new year of this lifestyle....

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 5 - Catching up

Jun 29 2009 09:56

I have been behind on many projects and am just now starting to get a little caught up. I had thought today would be a day off, but I ended up spending most of the day helping a man polish his cartoon video he made on the life of Minakata Kumagusu, a genius, who came from my town, Tanabe.

I did terrible on eating because the man and his assistant brought lunch in from outside. It was a double cheeseburger. I have never eaten a burger from a hamburger shop in Japan before. I knew I had to eat it. They obviously loved them....

Later, I felt sick from the burger I guess. I went to bed early.

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 4 - Good Intentions!

Jun 28 2009 07:53

It was such a sultry day. My lessons went well. But, it was so hot, that I felt kind of in limbo. That's not a good condition to be in for good eating habits. I did well in the morning and afternoon. But, making fried chicken for the inlaws dinner undid me.

Today was one of my zag (eat higher calories) days, but I went overboard. I ate two tiny 100 cals each ice cream cones, (one in the afternoon and one in the evening) too. On top of that, DH didn't want to eat what I made for dinner, so I felt a bit frustrated. (and, hot, and sticky, and full from sampling the fried chicken, and irritated to have to please DH, and, and, and...)

Fortunately, I think my stomach is gotten smaller. I get full faster. I really wanted to eat with wild abandon in the evening, but I didn't have enough room in my stomach, so I ended up looking around in the kitchen and eating nothing.

I had the best of intentions, but no follow-thru today. Tomorrow will be better.

I bought a new jump rope. Time to graduate from virtual to reality...

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 3 - Wagon Jumper goals

Jun 26 2009 17:22

I have been behaving myself eating-wise the last week or so. All the reviewing of my journals over the last year has been good. It is time to set a new Wagon Jumpers Challenge goal for the next 12 weeks. I did better this time than the previous times because I lowered my expectations.

I have learned it is better to set the bar low for my challenges and then give more than 100%. This time I want to continue (ie. maintain last time's goal) zigzagging on my calorie intake. That has gotten to be second nature it seems. I almost always log all my food before midnight (thanks to the Slimming Minis challenge group). So, that isn't a challenge anymore.

My second challenge is to set a new goal of running 3 kilometers a minimum of 12 times over the 12-week challenge period. I intend to run 3 kilometers every week, but I have the option of running more some weeks and less other weeks with the way this is worded. Of course, it will be through the heighth of summer, so that is an extra challenge.

Today is the 26th. I am actually typing this long before midnight, so I guess I am a little caught up on my journal. I am not caught up on commenting on my friends' journals. I intend to get that done before midnight tonight.

An observation: I have noticed that my resolve is stronger when I am getting enough water. That means that I need to keep a 1000 ml bottle of water sitting near me wherever I am throughout the day. That pretty much garantees that I get enough water all day long.

I am continuing to eat the cabbage/tomato soup (mostly cold and pureed) with toppings like avocado, chopped onions, grated parmesan, freshly made yogurt, fresh string beans, crab, salmon and so forth. There is so much fiber in it that it keeps my system well cleaned out. I am being careful not to eat too much of it, so I don't get tired of it.

I heard the news of Michael Jackson's death at age 50. One can only guess what was going on there... but, thinking of him brought back memories of when aerobics were first invented. I and my friend bought cassette tapes and records and practiced the routines. We used the elementary school gymnasium in my hometown in Wrangell, Alaska and opened a class. Michael Jackson's songs were some that we did the aerobics too. Wow. Thirty years have passed since then. I wonder what Barbara is doing now.

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 2 - Keeping the faith

Jun 25 2009 23:44

I have to remember all the accomplishments of the previous twelve months. This lifestyle change is probably at a midpoint. I can continue with momentum, or start backsliding. I have been backsliding with exercise.

I am near to discovering that magic bullet that motivates me to get out of my office chair and into my exercise plan for the day. I don't know why I have so much problem with this. I am doing great with the zigzag and counting calories. I log everything I eat most days. I have lists of the exercises I want to do. What can get me to the point where I have momentum in exercising? I am sure that will be the key thing to getting down to my goal for the coming 12 months.

I am keeping the faith that I know the answer to this dilemma, and it is rising up right now to give me inspiration and lead me to my goal.

We went out for ramen as we got hungry watching a TV program about delicious ramen restaurants. I was still quite a bit under my daily cal count, so we went out and had mini bowls at a popular restaurant. It was really good!

Yr 2 Wk 1 Day 1 - A new year

Jun 24 2009 22:00

One year went by so fast. I learned a lot in the last year. Even so, I'm sure there are lots of things to learn this coming year. I have finally made it down to 67 kilos.

I have a mini goal of getting to 66 kilos (145 lbs) in the next few days. My clothes are starting to fit differently and I have lost about an inch off my underbust area.

I have been eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, very little meat and moderate amounts of fish. I am so lucky I can eat sushi and sashimi anytime I want it. My favorites are salmon, fake crab (a little high in cals), and scallops.

I have made a decision to be more conscientious with exercise. I am thinking about my Wagon Jumpers group and my new goal. I was pretty unsuccessful with the goal a few months back to run 15 kilometers a week. I am thinking I will make a modest goal of running 3 kilometers a week. Even though I am so busy, I should be able to find 25 minutes out of the whole week to do that. We are starting into the hot season, so that will make it more challenging too.

My goals for the new year from Jun. 24, 2009 to Jun. 23, 2010 are:

reach my goal weight of 55 kilos (121 lbs)
wear size 10 and 12 non-stretch jeans
have NO double chin
be able to do 200 situps / jumping jacks / crunches in one sitting, 30 chin ups / 100 push ups / 50 squats in one sitting
exercise a minimum of 30 minutes 4 times a week
improve my upper body strength (see calisthenics for method)
continue to zigzag in my calorie counting
buy new clothes and throw out old ones that don't fit

It's ambitious, and I believe I can and will reach all of these goals in the coming 12 months. I'm thinking of some nice rewards to remember the milestones.

Week 51 Day 2 - Goals and rewards

Jun 17 2009 21:05

Over the last two weeks of my 0ne-year journey to health, I am taking stock of my progress/lack of progress I have made in the one year of using CC+ as I write my journal entries.

Goal setting has been one of my strategies for losing weight and gaining health. I haven't been very successful with this strategy in many senses. But, it has been good in a minor sense.

Part of the reason is that I lose weight so slowly. I started out losing about 8 lbs from June to November of last year. Then, I gained some of it back and fought hard and valiantly to get back down to my Nov. '08 weight up to this month.

Those first few months I had big goals and big rewards for reaching my goal weights. It all looked so good on paper. The sad reality is that even with the carrots(rewards) dangling in front of me, I couldn't reach those goals.

I haven't given up though. I have one big goal of reaching 63 kilos (139 lbs). I am 11 lbs away from that goal. It will put me at the high end of a normal BMI.

When I get there, I will buy a new TV with a DVD player and then order some exercise DVDs. Several times, I have thought about getting the TV before I reach that weight and the DVDs because the exercise should help me reach my goal. I have thought about revising the goal to get it at 65 kilos which is about 5 lbs lower than my present weight. But, I think that restraining myself and being patient is part of the process of learning a new lifestyle and then maintaining it. I think we live in an age where we are able to gratify ourselves with rewards without actually fulfilling our goals. At least I am guilty of it. That is just wishful thinking gone awry.

In the meantime, when I go shopping at the department store near my house, I usually enter the store on the level where the TVs are displayed. I can see them from the entrance. I often browse through them dreaming of the day when will I come in and buy one and what a great feeling that will be for me. It will mark a milestone in my continuing journey to health. Then, every time I use it for exercising, it will remind me that I have to continue my hard fought and won good habits for a healthy life.

I have other goals, too. One of them is to be able to walk into any store in town and be able to buy whatever I want off the clothes rack. That would be so cool.

I have learned that with goal setting and rewards, simple is better. If the goal is too complex to keep track of or hard to measure, then the chances of reaching the goal are lower. Rewards should be easy to do, too... but, the TV is a huge, expensive thing that I really want and really a motivating reward. I have thought about giving up many times over the year. Then, I go grocery shopping to the department store and notice those TVs and am reminded of my elusive goal of rewarding myself with one. So, I think... "I'll try just a little harder," or "I'll get back on track," or "I'll forgive myself for my getting off track," or ...

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It seems like I am always behind in getting things done. Today, I got caught up a little. That's good, but I really want to get ahead on things.

Week 51 Day 1 - Loose ends

Jun 16 2009 22:00

Over the last two weeks of my 0ne-year journey to health, I am taking stock of my progress/lack of progress I have made in the one year of using CC+ as I write my journal entries. But, today is a day off of all this reviewing of the year.

I feel a little brain-dead today for some reason or other. It's not a good start to the workweek...

It seems that if I keep my eye on the juggling act of eating right, exercising, being a good wife, mother and daughter-in-law, getting my work done well, and all the other things I do, I can only keep maybe three things doing well. For example, if I am doing well on eating, exercising and teaching good lessons, I get more and more lax on other things. If I do better on house cleaning then something has to give somewhere else.

I need to keep my priorities straight, but they all seem important to me. What I really wish is that I could become a better juggler or have less things to juggle.

I lost a little more weight. I was really surprised to see some movement on the scales. I don't weigh very often, but I was feeling lighter, so I popped on the scales and poof... I was lighter. Maybe a lb lighter, but I'll take it. I have been pretty diligent about not overeating and getting some kind of exercise in often.

I did a new exercise to raise the pecs. If those things go up the appendages will too. I'm thinking young, perky looking ones after a couple of months of the exercise. It isn't hard to do either.

I made another pot of soup. I like it very much, but I may be getting tired of it. I think less cabbage and more sweet peppers next time will get it closer to the flavor I like. I could put in some daikon radish too. I really liked the batch that had that in it.