Day the 27th

Here we are again...a Sunday afternoon, Annual Meeting at Church with Church Lunch and I ate lots of salad and stuff like that. Very much fun...and we h ave a new Senior Warden, New Vestry Members--and...new pics tomorrow for the blog.

And lots of people saying I look great. I love this.

Not much to say because I am OFF TO A MOVIE--nothing exciting just fun with the Choir members.

I love this blog. I love my commentors! I love feeling good and losing weight.

And I love the hope that fills my heart at this time of year.

This is a short one--but boy was that salad good today. And the other vegetables!!! And the fruit salad for dessert AND the lovely raw fruit that started my meal.

Love you all, companions on my journey!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 26th

Reader, I ate a pumpkin bagel.

I got it at Old School Bagel Cafe here in town, and it was wonderful. Toasted, so it was warm and nummy, with pumpkin cream cheese. And an iced green tea with blackberry and jasmine (it looks like panther pee, and it tastes divine...)

That's my big weekend treat! And it's enough to tide me over to dinner when I get together with one of the BFFs--Poodle--and we eat...something...and watch A Single Man, a movie with the wonderful Colin Firth and the lovely Julianne Moore.

Here is my theory: the people who say, "I'll 'eat right' all week and then do what I like on the weekends" are pretty much saying, "I don't care if I soe weight...in fact, I don't care if I gain weight and I sure don't care about my health."

Because it's not all about weight loss--you can "lose weight" doing all sorts of things that are not good for your health. I know. I have done them in the past. It's about good health which leads to a better chance of a long and happy and strong life. That's what I want.

Despite the fact that I "gave" myself permission in an earlier post to have as many as 5 treats a week during the Christmas season, I have decided to have ONE a week. Why? It's because I'm getting addicted to eating in a way that makes me feel good and gives me energy and makes all my various medications (all right...the very few I take) work as they should.

And I've recovered my love for vegetables and salads. I mean, I totally crave salad. CRAVE it, I tell you. CRAAAAAAAAAVE it. I'm fortunate because this is a healthy way to eat--and I love it.

It would certainly be a different animal if I hated salad or hated steamed carrots (okay, I hate RAW carrots for some reason, but I adore the steamed ones) or hated edamame or fruit or tomatoes or cashews or almonds or blueberries, but the thing is--I love them. I am in a relationship with them--and I think a ring is going to arrive any day from them...I'm ready to plight my troth with salad...

This afternoon--after I get back home and start some fun chores--I am going to get ON that dadgum rebounder. And use my Shake Weight.

IS ANYONE OUT THERE? CAN SOMEONE COMMENT? PLEASE???

I confess to needing a little ray-rah! There, I said it.

Meanwhile, I am enjoying Advent like nobody's business. It's great. I have a cute little Advent calendar and open one more window each day. It's way too much fun. And then I have an Advent circle, complete with candle holders and the candles. That too is way too much fun!

If I don't post tomorrow, it's only because my schedule didn't let me get to a computer, in which case, I will post twice on Monday--once for Sunday and once for Monday. And all things equal, NEW PICS on Monday.

Love you all and love this journey.

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 25th And it's a Weigh-In Day

Reader, I did it.

I weighed in today and sure enough, the ol' weight was down to about 238. That's what I expected because I ate some pizza (not much so don't get excited) at a friend's last night. And it was good pizza. Plus some lovely avocados with a drizzle of Italian dressing. Yummy, yummy.

I'm making one last change to the Weigh-In Days...they are going to be on Thursdays every other week. So...instead of the next one being December 17, 2010, it will be December 16, 2010. This works better for a variety of reasons.

But the excitement is that I am losing weight. And I feel good--I have energy and don't feel as if I am in a stupor at the end of a day of work. This is a great thing.

And now...she shares some personal stuff...

I try not to hide this--and I also try not to make everything about this--but if I haven't mentioned it before, I am mildly bipolar. Enough to make my life painful at times without medication. Since I have been on the good eating, excellent health and weight loss journey here on Independently Weltha, my bipolar symptoms have calmed down considerably. It's so nice to have the medication work without anything in its way. I feel good and I feel stable--I also have more emotional energy, and this is a great thing. I don't feel irritable or frenzied. Just good. The Canadians are using and testing some herbal products that they feel may redefine mental illness as a function of lack of micro-nutrients. I just know that when I eat well, I feel like the real me, and I don't have symptoms all over the place. If you struggle with depression or bipolarity...well, it's just a thought.

Today is coleslaw day at work, and boy, did I get a big ol' thing of coleslaw and also of raw spinach leaves. I read recently (again...) that eating potassium-rich foods helps the body discard excessive water and bloating. That sounded like a winner, and then I read that of course, some of the top potassium-rich foods are bananas, broccoli, and spinach. And guess what? I found that I like those spinach leaves raw. They are good. GOOD, I tell you. They really are.

And other "today" at work is that I am listening to Christmas music on my headphones. I grew up with Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Arthur Fiedler Orchestra, thanks to my parents. My dad was a traditional--if not particularly (or at all) religious--man, and once Advent got going, we listened to the Christmas records on our Magnavox stereo. And Dad was insistent that the records be the Christmas carols and not "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" or "I'm Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas." Thanks to my father, I know all the words to all the verses. By memory. And today, I am listening to those same carols, sung by the same people, that I grew up on. My parents are both dead, and instead of this being painful, it's a way to recapture the magical, wonderful Christmases of my childhood. In LOLSpeak...I haz a happy...

Last night, I spent time with a friend who is going through some difficult moments. That's the "why" behind the pizza...I hadn't eaten, my friend hadn't eaten, and there was an excellent organic pizza in the freezer, and the next thing you know...we had pizza and avocado salad. So good...and you know what? So what if I held a little extra weight because of it? Big deal--I got to be with my friend in the time of need. It will be my turn on the other end of that deal at some point.

This really is a journey--and it's not just about what food I decide to eat or how many reps with a weight or how many laps I complete.

And I like that.

All right...WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR CHRISTMAS THAT YOU ENJOY AND THAT ISN'T STRESS-INDUCING AND EXHAUSTION-MAKING?

Please comment--I need to know you're out there--friends and wanderers alike! Or even click one of the buttons at the bottom of this post!

Independently--with love,

Weltha

Day the 24th

Yes, I did it.

I used the Shake Weight thing and watched the video. Yikes is that Tracy--or whoever she is who demonstrates--skinny AND cut.

Anyhoodle...I popped the DVD in my player, picked up the weight, and had at it. Yes, I felt the burn. And I'm going to do it tonight when I get home.

Is this astounding work-out news? Probably not to people who exercise regularly, but to someone like me who thinks exercise is trying to memorize the major film makers in Das Neue Kino and French New Wave, yes, it's huge. Huge, people. Huge.

AND YES, I ate carrots today. Steamed the little buzzards and ate them with...sunflower butter. It was great. I am so proud of myself. And then...an apple on the way to choir practice with Jeff the Choirmaster, Scott the Organist, and assorted other folks, including Woodstock (aka Pinky).

Drank lots of water today--which always makes me feel good and makes my mind clear--and my eyes blue. Well, it does. It does.

Remember...I don't get to post this on Facebook every day, but you can always bookmark this blog. You can repost if you're on Facebook. It would be a major hoot to turn this thing viral.

Speaking of viral, I am also proud of myself [yes, this is Weltha Decoration Day] for faithfully washing my hands really well every chance I get and especially when I need to. I do not want to get sick. It's a lousy way to lose weight, although I did that last year. The weight returned, doggone it.

Yesterday I posted the UPDATED version of the famous Garlic Valhalla dressing that Poodle likes. Oh! watched GLEE at Poodle's last night. I love GLEE. Love it. LOVE IT. But if Finn and Rachel don't get back together, I am not going to be terribly happy...

Good night little blog-friends...This Independent Woman is going home and going to bed. After using that doggone Shake Weight thing...

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 23rd

Hello, blog-children of mine. Today, I talk about moving and I also give the CORRECT RECIPE FOR GARLIC VALHALLA DRESSING and please forgive the incorrect one [Jane!]

I think I'm going to get moving...and by that, I mean exercise. Regular exercise. As in 5-to-7-times-a-week regular exercise.

How did I decide I just had to, you ask.

Simple. I was reading today about cognitive functions, about keeping them strong and fresh as we age. And of course there was the usual blah-de-blah about lots of fresh vegetables and fruits (check: I am doing this) and Omega-3 oils (check: I am doing this, too. Salmon when I can and walnuts daily).

Then I saw it. The comment about "regular exercise."

Without breaking my arm from patting myself on the back [this phrase is from Mom; she used to say, "Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back" whenever one of us tended to extol our own perfections], I am a smart woman with a good mind. I have a great memory--I can bore the hair off your head by discussing...oh, let's say...The Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Era, or Constructions of Masculinity in Victorian Adolescent Literature, or film history or lengthy quotations from Paradise Lost or from Macbeth. Other people may be bored to yawns, but I like being able to do these things.

And I want to keep on doing this until I turn my toes up and draw my last breath.

And there it was...the bald little statement that one of the keys to long-terms cognitive efficiency is exercise.

Both of my parents lived fairly long lives and had good memories and were sharp as a pair of tacks. Mom may have confused things we said (or she said) but she was always this way. I still remember her telling me that my brother Bill had taught her some Vietnamese and when I asked what phrase, she said, "Konichiwa." Which, as many of my readers are aware, is Japanese for "hello" and probably has other uses but let's not go there today. And when I mentioned that it was Japanese and not Vietnamese, Mom promptly tore my head off and handed it to me. She may have been a bit confused on which language, but she had no doubt at all that Bill had taught it to her. Moral of the story: I have good genes to start with. I would like to enhance their environment.

And of course, there is a complicating factor in this new-found commitment: I am going to Poodle's tonight to watch GLEE (Episode: Special Education), and although I am courageously forgoing a piece of pie during the GLEE-viewing, I will not be home as early as I might because I will be there.

Of course, the truth is--and several of you are laughing your hineys off--is that I would be more likely to go to Central Library to play Mafia Wars [my laptop is down for the count] than I am to hop on the rebounder and job a lap or 5.

However, Fun At Poodle's ends at 8 pm because Poodle has to do homework. I live 5 minutes away. There is time--oh! there is time--to get on that rebounder and then put the little DVD in the player and learn how to use my Shake Weight to sculpt feminine-yet-sexy arms. As opposed to what I am doing right now with it which is use it as a $20 paperweight. In case you wondered. Which you did.

Otherwise, I am eating just what I said I would. Fruit. Yogurt (GREEK Yogurt). Carrots with salsa. I am going to steam the little orange buzzards and see if that doesn't improve the deal. I rationalize it like this: better to get a few less nutrients and actually get them because I EAT the carrots than to wax all sorts of food-related righteous about raw foods and then never eat them because I am not too crazy about them. I am going to eat carrots, and that is all there is to it. I'll report on this tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Blog-Kids (there, I like that one!), here is the corrected recipe (and I do love that word "receipt" which sadly, is not only incorrect, but archaic...) for Garlic Valhalla Dressing:

Juice a lime
Add several glugs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil [no, I'm not Rachel Ray and her "EVOO." Don't get me started...)
Add about 1 Tablespoon (more or less to taste) of good quality BBQ Sauce
Add a squirt or two (about 1/2 Tablespoon) of a good mild mustard (Grey Poupon is a good choice; any Dijon mustard or maybe a mild oriental with Tamari in it works, too. Experiment.)
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed
A couple of shakes of Herbes de Provence (I forgot it. You can get it at the grocery store, usually. The lavender in it is worth everything. EVERYTHING.)
A shake or two of Ume Plum Vinegar (yes, you have to get it at a specialty store but it will last forever)

Whisk it like a big dog. Feel free to adjust the seasonings as you wish. Or delete some and add others.

But this IS the original Garlic Valhalla. It's just...so good.

And so, as the sun sinks into the West, we bid a fond farewell to our readership...

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 22nd

And today is...WEIGH-IN DAY.

I "weighed" 243 lbs this morning.

But that's not really what I weigh.

Monday is a bad day for weigh-in. Here's why...I tend to eat later on Sundays, and if I have had anything unusual that holds fluid, it will be on the weekend.

I don't weigh 243. I probably weigh 240 or maybe even 239. Trust me, I know how this works. I'm not getting too hung up on the numbers...because people (and Weltha) see a difference already.

But I hate posting when it looks as if I GAINED a doggone pound last week.

So...I am making TWO CHANGES...one is that I will weigh in every other week. That gives more of a chance to see overall progress.

Second, weigh-in will be on Fridays. It's more realistic. Other than that, I am not getting all sorts of excited about it all.

Some of you have contacted me about making your own salad dressings:

Here is how it all works:

Start with an "acid"--you can use vinegar (and if you do, for Bob's sake, please use CIDER vinegar which has some nutrients in it. Don't use junk made with white vinegar--it's only good to clean things...) but I find it too acidifying for the system. We struggle with that in the US...we eat so much protein, we drink carbonated drinks that have acids added to them, and we don't eat alkalinyzing foods. I tend to use citrus juice (from freshly juiced fruits...the canned or whatever stuff is...acidifying)

Add an oil. I use several good sized "glugs" from the bottle to the juice of each fruit. You'll get an idea of how much--and you can always consult a "real" recipe. I always use extra virgin olive oil--much better for you. Please don't use cheap crap or artificial junk. It's bad for your body. You can also use flax seed oil (or combine the two)

I always add fresh-pressed garlic. Yes, you can buy garlic that is in a little jar and is all minced up for you, but fresh-pressed (with a garlic press) is...that's right...better for you.

You can add a sweetener--try to use real foods such as raw honey or agave nectar or brown rice syrup. You can go online and check the glycemic indices [English prof here: Indices is plural of Index] of the ones you're interested in (you want one that raises blood sugar sloooooooooowly so you don't get an insulin rush).

You can add all sorts of herbs and spices. Even a little sea salt.

You can add peanut butter or tahini (sesame seed paste--you can get it in most grocery stores in their Jewish sections) or any raw nut butter. Don't add much. You won't need it.

Whisk the daylights out of it. Use it within a day or two.

Let's recap:

Acid
Oil
Flavoring in the form of garlic or minced onion (mince a real onion...) or herbs or spices
Thickener/Flavoring if you want it (the nut butters or a good mustard)

YES, it takes time. Real food takes time.

Make it a habit--get other family members involved if you can. [that's the last of my advice! This is an advice-free blog]

Today...a lot of fruit and some yogurt. This is a light eating week--and I am doing this partly because it is Advent...the season before Christmas...and it's a penitential time for me as an Anglican.

No, I'm not going to the penitentiary...it's a time of reflection and examination of my life.

No, I'm not preaching at you...but you want to know why I am doing things, I'm sure, so there you have it.

A bit grumpy over the weight thing this morning...next weigh in will be THIS FRIDAY and then every other Friday. I'll get over the grumpiness!

Thanks as always for being on the journey with me...I need you more than you know!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 21st

My big question is...WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS YEAR TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYS ENJOYABLE AND NOT A SOURCE OF AGGRAVATION, TENSION, AND TEARS?

And tomorrow is....WEIGH-IN DAY!

Today was... a great day at church with lots of compliments on both my short, short hair (Reader, I cut it.) and also that I looked good, and my friend Woodstock (aka Pinky) said I looked thinner. Big *muahh* to Woodstock (aka Pinky) and also to Scott the Organist who told me that he follows this blog DAILY! I love men who follow my blog!

Scott the Organist reminded me that everything is one day at a time. Years ago, I worked with a woman who said that most of the good things in our lives come about because of what we do every day. So...every day I try to move some and make it a point to eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can. Oh, and drink water. Drink water. I love to drink water...repeat after me...I love to drink water...

Just yesterday, I read that a great way to keep from retaining fluid is to eat foods that have lots of potassium in them, such as bananas (so yummish) and spinach. My closest friends know that I am a fresh and only lightly steamed spinach addict. I love it, and the cool thing about making your own food is that you can make great dressings that are so good on spinach without all the...yuck, like bacon. I love bacon as much as the next man, but it's so bad for me. So...I came up with a way to make a great dressing that has a hint of the flavor without the bacon. I've used this recipe for years...

And although I have said this is not the place to come for recipes, here it is... the famous Garlic Valhalla:

Juice a lime
Extra virgin olive oil--add 3 or 4 "glugs" from the bottle
Organic bbq sauce made with a good sweetener (no high-fructose corn syrup): add about 1 T or a bit more...
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed into the mix
3 or 4 shakes of Ume plum vinegar (from the health food store...adds some Oriental "whang" and it's so alkalynizing for the body)

Whisk that stuff up and pour what you need on your salad. Good...and good for you! My friend Poodle says that when I put this on a salad, he just wants to plant his face in the bowl. Yes, that good!

I don't tend to use vinegar in dressings except as a condiment. They are too acidic for best possible health. Instead, I use a citrus juice--freshly squeezed. I'm personally partial to lime because it's more bang for the buck.

Back to work tomorrow after a lovely 4-day weekend, in which I relaxed and thought and enjoyed myself. Today is the first Sunday in Advent--and that makes it my favorite time of the year!

Some of my readers observe Christmas, some Chanukkah and some...just celebrate. I'm determining to enjoy the season without getting crazy. One of the things I am doing is limiting myself to two events a week--and making them ones that I find meaningful and enjoyable. Some people can do more--two works for me. So...please post--what are you doing to make the holidays ENJOYABLE?

Thank you a MILLION for joining me on my journey.

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 20th

Woo and hoo! Tomorrow is 21 days...3 weeks...of this blog, and I love being on here.

Today, I had some more wonderful Greek yogurt with honey and fresh blueberries. And I bought some sunflower-seed butter--organic and natural. I am looking forward to trying this with the ubiquitous raw carrots, etc. I know those carrots and their beta-carotene are good for me. Repeating to myself, beta-carotene is good for you, is good for you, good for you...

Breezed in and out of Mardell's to get an Advent circle with 4 candle-holders, the candles themselves (3 purple and 1 pink for Gaudete Sunday), and a cool Advent calendar. I love this time of year the very best--and have since my childhood.

And then there is the egg nog and the pumpkin cheesecake. We shall have pumpkin cheesecake...oh yes, we shall have pumpkin cheesecake. In fact, Girlfriend here went online and found not one but TWO (and possibly three, because I don't have them with me and I forget...) lovely recipes for pumpkin cheesecake made with "better" ingredients, including silken tofu, which properly doctored up, is a great egg substitute. I am going to test-drive them (because I would never just slap some recipe up here without personally trying it out. That would be terrible of me...) and then post the best one with my own personal doctoring-up to use the healthiest ingredients.

What I love is that a person (Weltha) can determine to eat well and enjoy all the fun of the holidays.

Two things I am noticing:

1. My joints are moving much better and hurt less--I'm speaking of my knees. When I was in my 30s (stop me if I have told this a time or 17 before) I fell hard on each one in succession, and my doctors said, "Honey, you're going to have arthritis when you get older." Being young and bullet-proof, I pooh-poohed them (I did. I think I actually thought and perhaps even said "Pooh-pooh!") Flash forward...several years later, and bingo! They were so right. Not eating junk makes my joints so much happier.
   
2. The schlera (the "white") of my eyes is clearing up and is much whiter. So my eyes, which are a deep blue-green, look much bluer and brighter. I love this. In honor of my blue eyes and my high cheekbones, I cut off my hair just like Emma Watson's. [For the 4 people who don't know who she is, Emma Watson is the young female star of the Harry Potter films, playing Hermione Granger. She is a student at Brown University here in the US, and she just cut her hair off in a jagged little pixie cut...so cute, so feminine, so calculated to show up eyes and cheekbones.] Yes, Reader, I cut it OFF. I mean, I went right into the shop, and I showed Whitney the Stylist Emma's pic, and the next thing you know, Girlfriend here was walkin' OUT the door looking really cute and yet, oh-so-charming and feminine.

This is going to be a fairly light eating week...lots of celery and carrots (because I LOVE the celery and if I can just manage to steam those doggone carrots...) and apples and oranges (yes, I am picking them out by hand and not buying a bag of horrible, anemic, tasteless oranges) and some saladage here and there...and water...wonderful room-temperature water. You hear all this buzz about how you lose weight by drinking ice-cold water, but what no one tells you (unless you have gone to Dr. X, my former nutrition guy) is that your body is wasting energy to heat that ice-cold water back up. So...drink room temperature, and your body now has the energy to create health AND to push out the toxins AND to drop the weight.

Tonight, I'm going to watch the DVD for the Shake Weight--apparently, you use it for 6 minutes a day and ultimately, you have great arms (I'm all over this part...the "great arms" part.) AND THEN...I want to get on that doggone REBOUNDER!

I love the Independent Men and Women who are on here with me, and a big shout-out to Dana the Librarian. Woo hoo!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 19th--and Day the 18th is Below!

This is on the fly....

Girlfriend here had a great morning--drank lots of water. Went to la facilite a great deal.

Watched a movie...ate 3 ripe kiwis (so, so good--and so good for you! What's not to love about a Kiwi? That's right...nothing! They are so good...)...ate some Greek yogurt with blueberries.

Went to the library...got some more movies and a book or two.

and to dinner at Pei Wei tonight with Poodle and LEM...

It's a relaxing day--not participating in the Shopping Madness because I give a very few gifts.

Life...is so good. So very good!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 18th--THANSKGIVING DAY

I'll make it short and sweet...

Went to lunch with Poodle, LEM, and P's family--to the club and I ate lots of vegetables and lots of saladage...and also some lovely salmon, ham and roast beef.

And then, a small slice of pumpkin pie and a small one of chocolate cream pie.

And I enjoyed EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.

Went home, watched movies, took a nap--it was a great day!

And wasn't hungry until this morning.

WHEN THE FEAST DAYS--THE HOLIDAYS--THE "HOLY DAYS" COME AROUND--CELEBRATE!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 17th

Girlfriend here is thankful:

1. This blog is so much fun
2. I am feeling better in so many ways
3. I have wonderful friends
4. I have work
5. I have a fun place to go for Thanksgiving tomorrow
6. I have learned of and am experiencing the Wonderful World of Water (drinking it, that is!)
7. Coming out of a difficult year, I have found that nothing good or important and valuable gets lost. This is the BIG THING for which I am thankful!

This morning I succumbed to temptation--no, not to a breakfast buffet with bacon and sausage and the chance to load sour cream and high-fructose-corn-syrup sweetened chili sauce on my scrambled eggs and then drown 25 pancakes [people...I speak in hyperbole...I am a language and literature major--my Master's] in enough Aunt Jemima to float the Titanic.

No, I succumbed to the great temptation of anyone who wants to lose weight:

I got on the scales.

My goal has been to weigh one time a week only. But of course, temptation being what it is, and the cats not jumping in to yell, "No, no, don't DO IT!!", I hopped on.

And wished I had not. My "weight" was up. Boo hoo, I thought. How can I blog and then say, "Hey blog readers, I am gaining weight!"?

Except I'm not. I am, for some reason, holding a bunch of fluid. How did I know? I put my amber ring on my left middle finger (where it goes...) and it was tight.

Why am I holding fluid? I have no idea except I ate out at Pei Wei last night, and although the steamed edamame didn't have additional salt (because I say, "no salt." They know me as "Edamame-No-Salt." Not as cool as "Stands-With-a-Fist" but you do what you can...), the salad had some...stuff in it--the dressing. And so today, I am drinkin' water like a big dog.

All right, not literally like a big dog. I mean, I am not using a dog bowl--just my Big Mason Jar. 2 quarts down the hatch, and 2 more to go today, I think.

Moral of the story: Just like my friend Chatty Cathy said, "Don't get hung up on the scales." This is easier said than done, but I'm planning to do it. It's nice not having to get on the scales every doggone day, anyway.

This has been a rough year financially for me--and in some other ways not so readily apparent. So...I am deeply thankful to God and His/Her many servants, my friends, for helping me through. I cannot thank Him/Her enough, nor can I thank my friends enough.

Here's a great idea for not being first--and last--hog at the trough this Thanksgiving: List in your mind the many things for which you are and know you ought to be thankful while you drink a big glass of water about 20 minutes before the bacchanalia begins.

This year, I am going to remind myself that despite the fun of the feast--and it should be FUN! That's what celebration is about--FUN!--food is only a means to that end. The goal is celebration and thankfulness. I'm very thankful. Very very thankful. And you, Dear Reader, are one of the reasons.

A major shout-out to Annissa--you go, girl! I'm so proud of you for just saying NO WAY to that diet Coke. I know it's difficult!

And now...I'm going to be getting my Holiday ON!

[NOTE: I may post for Thanksgiving Day (Day the 18th) and Thankful Friday (Day the 19th) on the same day, Friday.]

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 16th

In which Our Heroine extols the Virtues of Drinking Water & More

Yes, I love Jane Austen...

"Let us now praise famous glasses of water"--all right, it's cheesy but hey! Whatcha gonna do...? (BTW, that was not Jane Austen...)

I have noticed something about drinking lots of water. It leads to softer hands and nicer cuticles--in two ways. Obviously, if you drink LOTS of water, you are well-hydrated and your skin is softer and the cells are filled out. But this also happens: when you drink plenty of water, you have to urinate a lot (I was a biology major for my BA, and I call 'em as I see 'em). Then--particularly when you are in a public place such as work--you wash your hands. A lot. With soap and very warm water.

Unless you want two pieces of leather at the end of your arms, you use lotion afterwards. And I use a bit of Vaseline on my nails and work it into the cuticles. And I have never had such nice cuticles and shiny nails.

Now...not everyone likes using petroleum products. I also have at home--and I could sure bring it to work--this yummy-licious (technical term) shea butter cream with lavender. I'm sure it would work almost as well. And smell...so wonderful. I even like lavender in foods--I make a salad dressing with Herbes de Provence, which has lavender in it...

So...what other great products for hands and fingernails, especially but not limited to the more organic ones? I need suggestions, dear Readers!

Meanwhile...the exercise options are a little narrower this week--I am working, working, working--leaving home early and getting home late. So much to do and only a 3-day work week! However, in the after-hours, I am putting those doggone walking shoes on and walking up and down the halls. We have...plenty of halls. Many, many halls. And I'm taking Scott the Organist's advice: do what I can. What a brilliant piece of advice--and applicable to so many areas of life.

I'm looking forward to blogging about Thanksgiving this year. I may have to blog the next day--a blog for Thansgiving and a blog for the day AFTER...

Here's my holiday philosphy:

1. Studies show that when people who are not kiddies drink 16 oz of water about 20-30 minutes before meals, they eat less. So...water first!
2. Holidays are about rejoicing and celebrating--I'm an Anglican, and we view life through a sort of sacramental lens. For me, that means that I enjoy the church holidays and the secular ones, too, and see them as something set apart and sacred. So...that means I eat things.
3. However...I eat with some sense. I start with as many salad-y and vegetable and raw things as I can--and some smart protein--such as salmon or turkey or whatever is available. THEN, after I have eaten slowly, I go back once for my favorite salad-y and vegetable things. And then, if I really want it, I have a dessert. Such as pumpkin pie. [but if there is pumpkin cheesecake, all bets are off! Well, I mean, I'll have the cheesecake and chalk it up to rejoicing.]
4. Holidays are not the time or place for "I can't eat this." There is always the doll-sized portion, the eat-a-bite-or-two, and the just-didn't-get-some-of-it. Besides, this year, I am going with friends to a lovely buffet at their country club--and I am so thankful for that! Great friends, good food--and lots of fun. Thank you, Poodle!

Tomorrow, I am posting those things for which I am thankful. Maybe this is a good time to be thinking of what all is right in our lives--because so very much is.

So...dear Readers...please post your favorite homemade salad dressing receipes, your favorite natural/organic/just plain works skin lotions, and if you have any great recipes for Thanksgiving foods that incorporate raw and/or really healthy ingredients...please feel free to post over this Thanksgiving holiday season!

It's the season to be PUMPKIN!! Thank you for joining my journey.

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 15th, Part Trois

IT WORKS!!!

Here I was...feeling--as my dear late father used to say--pretty punk (as opposed to being a pretty punk or being pretty in pink...) because I had a headache from the hot place, and I felt rotten. As in, rotten.

So...I did what I knew to do--I drank water until you would have thought my Big Mason Jar was filled with Ketel One (it's not...).

And now? I feel good again. No more headache, not jittery, eyes not burning, etc.

People--it works. When you have changed the way you eat to include more raw and fresh, you will detoxify. Many times. Sometimes, worse than others. Don't go nuts on yourself and get a bag of Cheetos (Britney!). Drink lots of water, get as much rest as possible, and ride it out. You will lose weight because your body is pushing the crud (technical term) out.

And if you're real hard core [I know, I know...it's really, but I was channeling School of Rock), then have a plain water enema. Hint: in the hot weather, use cool water. In the cold weather, use warm water.

It works. Our grandmothers knew this stuff, but...icky-poo modern America has forgotten it. Don't get me started on American Attitude...

However, I have to admit that drinking water as if the mains were going to be turned off for a few hours is an easier way to go. Especially at work.

I just had to post...I feel so much better!!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 15th...The Sequel

I feel ROTTEN...and I am so glad!

No, I'm not a masochist...I'm detoxifying. This is what you work toward when you are trying...trying... to eat well.

Here are my symptoms:

• Heachache (and yes, I've eaten)
• Feel jittery
• Eyes burning a bit
• Snivels
• Joints hurt

No, I'm not getting sick! What's going on is that because I'm not eating junk or eating bad combinations, my body has the energy to push the crud out of my system. Why is this a good thing? First, it is a sign that my health overall is improving (huzzah!!) and second, once your body pushes out the crud (technical term), you see the weight loss on the scales and in your clothes.

I love this...this is why I make this Big Effort to get the junk out of my diet. If all I wanted was to lose weight, I could cut out whole food groups, and that would do it. I would compromise my health, but by golly, I would be thin, thin, thin. Or, I could eat pre-packaged junk with zippo fat and many fewer calores and sure enough, I would lose some weight but it's really hard to lose weight when you're unhealthy unless you are starving yourself. And I'm so not going to do that. Because me likes the foods, me does. Yes, I read the LOLCats...your first clue?

Woo hoo!!! And many thanks to special encouragement today in my email from the wonderful Scott the Organist. Cool man, you know what you said--and I loved it! Big props to you, babe.

Yes, I enjoy talking as if I were in my late 20s...

Oh with the fun! Woo hoo!!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I am changing the "notice" when you post so it reads Independent Women and Men! Men, I know you are not women!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 15th

Apparently, my name isn't Weltha...and yes, it's weigh-in day.

Oh, I had the best of intentions to go for a walk outside in our lovely 70-degree weather and then run on the rebounder--and I did neither.

Instead, I hung out at the library and played Mafia Wars on the computer. Yes, that ubiquitous Zynga game on Facebook is my addiction...and I'm a sort of read a book and watch movies kinda girl...

So...I hereby let myself off the hook--I will get to the exercise part of this whole journey soon. For Bob's sake, I have only been at this for 2 weeks! You don't change everything overnight. I have learned that. It's a change here and there and then, things kind of snowball. The more changes you make, the more you can make. I believe this.

So...I want to examine the changes I have made that I can ray-rah myself over:

• I am OFF soft drinks. No more Coca-Cola. I need to be off. I mean, if I drank one, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world (it's not like I'm selling crack cocaine to 5th graders...or anyone...) but I feel better when I don't
• I'm OFF iced tea. I really gave myself a pass on this one--because I don't ever use sugar in regular iced tea--the kind with the caffeine. [Now, I do make this wonderful iced tea from Lipton's (yes, Lipton's) Green Tea With Cranberry and Pomegranate and I do sweeten that with liquid stevia. It's so, so good! And it's good for me!] My point is: I'm off the stuff with the caffeine in it. No, I'm not preaching the gospel of no-caffeine--it's just that I do better without it.
• Obvious sweets--I'm not having a date with Ben & Jerry, or any of their friends, such as M&M. This is a great thing--could I have a little? Sure. But I'm not right now, because I just don't do so well with sweets. I love them too much.
• Portion control--I am so pleased with me and the one slice of pizza at Poodle's. Good job, Weltha.
• More vegetables--more fruit--more raw things--fewer concentrated foods. What's not to love about that?
• I did get that rebounder out of the closet. That's HUGE, I tell you--HUGE.
• Drinking a lot more WATER! Now this one takes effort and being conscious of what I'm doing. My quart-size mason jar is sitting right next to me and is now slightly over half full, having just a few minutes earlier been completely full. WTG!!
• Thinking about and enjoying what I'm eating and how I feel when I eat it. Food should be a celebration--not something that causes anxiety and guilt. If I'm eating too much, I don't feel good! But if it tastes good (that pumpkin pie Saturday night!) then it's great to enjoy it. One piece--great enjoyment and no guilt.

And...the things I believe:

• If you can only make 2 changes right now--or 1 change--make it. Every change adds up. Better to do 2 things "better," than to wish you could make 10 things right and not do any of them. Giving yourself permission to change habits slowly seems to ensure success in a way that trying to go cold turkey doesn't.
• Looking at it as "changes" rather than "giving something up" makes a major psychological difference.
• It's better to eat raw and fresh than count a bunch of calories that involve highly processed and artificial. And it's so much easier.
• I don't count calories. I don't. I don't have time or energy for it.
• I eat colorful foods--I mean colorful the way they naturally come (like carrots or blueberries or pumpkin or red bell peppers or edamame) and not the way they have been "colored" to look (like that horrible blue punch I see at the store!)
• I am gentle with myself. I think, "Would I talk this way to a close friend who was really trying to do better?" If the answer is NO, I don't talk that way to Weltha.

And the part you've been weighting (see what I did there?) for: I'm at 242 this morning. Good job, Weltha. And I feel....good. At work today, I'm planning to take a walking break--yes, I brought those shoes with the curved soles...

And a big shout-out to Sara B--woo hoo on the pregnancy and you GO girl in terms of making changes. I am so happy for you! And thanks to Granny Jean, to Judah, and to Woodstock for the comments, some here on the blog, some by email!

Here is to all the Independent Women and Men! I'll post tomorrow about today.

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 14th

In which, Gentle Reader, Our Heroine Confesses to Many Shortcomings...

No, I did not run on the rebounder last night. I was just too doggone tired. Yes, yes, I know that if I exercise more, I will have more endurance for the slings and arrows of day-to-day life, etc. But I was tired...

However, this afternoon, I will--I WILL--take a walk in my walking shoes and then I will--I WILL--run on the rebounder or my name isn't Weltha...

I was a little down yesterday because I got on the scales and they didn't say what I wanted them to say. Actually, I have to battle wanting to be thin NOW. And yes, I battle making it all into weight loss instead of good health with concommitant weight control. Very different things, they are.

But...great moments! Last night, I had one slice (a big one, but just ONE) slice of yummish pizza at Poodle's (one of the BFFs), and also the most delicious salad of yellow grape tomatoes and red pepper and avocado...so colorful and so good. And then we had pumpkin pie and I had one slice. And felt that maybe--just maybe!--I had eaten more than I was comfortable with.

PEOPLE--THIS IS BIG...IT'S HUGE! I love to eat...and have gotten into that bad habit of just eating WAY too much--and the wrong things, in the wrong combination (more about that on another post...) and now, I am back to eating normal sized amounts...and good foods...and good combinations! Later this afternoon, off I go to the wonderful Pei Wei and get steamed edamame.

Anyway, NOTE TO WELTHA--it's not about the scales. It's about being healthy.

OK...here's the challenge--I have had one absolutely incredible salad dressing posted...so...any other homemade salad dressings with good ingredients? Please, oh PLEASE feel free to post!

Here's to that rebounder and a walk.

And here is to the Independent Women and Men who are following this blog and going on this journey with me: you are priceless.

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 13th

It's....SATURDAY.

And I'm not sure why I made a big deal of it, but I do love Saturdays.

Right now, I am taking a break from my major vice - Mafia Wars on Facebook - and doing today's post.

Here's what I have discovered: I don't much get into exercise yet. I am, however, wearing my walking shoes with the curved soles and that is taking some getting used to.

But I'm not really going out walking or running on the rebounder. I need to get with it.

To complicate the issue, I am going over to my BFF "Poodle's" place tonight for some pizza (albeit good pizza) and a movie.

Okay, Weltha--how about running on the doggone rebounder AFTER you get home this evening? Yes, I think I will. Will post tomorrow!

I'm moving toward making more really good things to eat (delicious AND health-promoting)--and although I am not there yet, I will be soon. Very soon. Plan to start with Julie's Coleslaw and mojoandkiki's Salad Dressing. Reasonably soon, I am going to post my two signature homemade salad dressing recipes--I originated them, so get ready for Garlic Valhalla and Thai Pepper. Believe me, either one is guaranteed to make a person want to face-plant in the big salad bowl.

So...good-bye for today, dear followers. Please encourage me a bit if you can--I need to get with it on the exercise. If I put a movie in, it makes the running on the rebounder soooooooooo much easier. And it's perfect walking weather--yes, I plan to walk tomorrow afternoon. Will be posting about all of this soon...and yes, I love watermelon pink because it reminds me of what joy good foods bring into our lives.

Thought for the Day: Whoever came up with the idea of steamed edamame was a flat-out genius!

Can't do it without you all--CAN do it with you!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 12th

Who knows? This thing could go viral (or not...)

This is on my break at work so it's quick on a Friday.

• Talk about a major rush--reading the comments, realizing we have people inspiring other people--and I post on occasion to FB, so there are comments there--just makes my eyeballs wanta fill up with big ol' tears. No seriously, I love the fact that this is doing what I hoped it would--inspiring and encouraging other women at the same time that it is helping me.
• Some great comments yesterday--Day the 11th--from mojoandkiki and from Kirsten. Thanks you, independent women! mojoandkiki had a killer salad dressing and Kirsten mentioned hemp protein (who knew??)
• I have been buying clothes. No, I'm not your basic shop-til-you-drop woman, but all of my clothes are falling apart (not wanting to buy expensive new ones in the large economy size, not to mention wearing only jeans and shirts at grad school a few years back) so....I went to WAL*Mart and bought a bunch of great tops and bottoms at rock-bottom prices--the sort of thing that will "grow down" with me until I can wash them and hand them off to Salvation Army. I love those Salvation Army folks, and I am excited that at some point in the future, other women can benefit from my new wardrobe. And it's cheap, cheap, cheap--and cute. I have needed to feel cute as I board the weight-control train...and I do! Woo hoo for the cute!
• I was a biology major so sometimes, I get a little clinical. Let's put it this way: when you're middle-aged, additives in restaurants (like the ubiquitous MSG) can make you...run desperately to the nearest Women's just a few minutes after a meal. And I don't even want to think about what happens with too much grease...between the yogurt (love those active cultures) and not eating junk, I am not having "out-to-eat-run-to-the-Women's Syndrome."
• NO, I did not run last night on the rebounder because I got home late after shop, shop, shopping at Wal-Mart. I did buy this thing called Shake Weight--that uses some kind of ergonomic or whatever energy thing...I will report on using it and any results (for arm muscles--and boy, is the woman in the pictures totally cut...) So....tonight...we're going for 3 fast minutes on the rebounder... will post results tomorrow.
• Went to Pei Wei last night for edamame (no salt--they are salty enough without adding more!) and Pei Wei Spicy Chicken Salad (with extra cilantro because I loooooooooooove it and I think it might be good for me--but mostly because I love it). In my "before" life, I would never relax enough to get the salad because of other "things" in it--this time, I'm enjoying the journey...still, it's a good salad with lots of vegetables in it. And I don't sneeze or get wierd side-effects afterwards so this is a good thing. The sneezing? Food allergies--and that's not a good thing.

Your comments are the best! You're keeping me on track...

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 11th

In which Our Heroine finds...

• that she can get a little salad of her own making from the cafeteria at work for $2. Now, to start making my own salad dressing again from scratch and bringing it to add to the salad. Not to mention other goodies, such as cooked quinoa or raw sunflower seeds and sliced cucumbers. I always get the celery because it not only is raw and has fiber but it is also alkalyzing in the body. That is so good.
• that actually jogging on the rebounder is a different animal than just sort of...shuffling (but not off to Buffalo...) and only managed 2 minutes last night but was breathing harder with accelerated heart rate (good thing!) and is going for 3 minutes tonight. Can you say "badly out of shape"? Thought so...
• that she is enjoying this blog so much that it's more fun than eating M & Ms or chocolate chip cookies or even--dare it be, Reader?--pumpkin cheesecake.

That's pretty much it today--had grapes for breakfast (why? because I like them!) and salad and then yogurt with blueberries, etc. for lunch and later, some carrots which I am going to steam in the microwave (I know, I know...) and some almonds and an apple for the way home.

Here's the dealio...I LOVE eating this way. It's really healthy for me not to be eating later, to be eating raw and unprocessed foods with no additives--and I LOVE IT. That's 75% of the battle--eating food that is good for us, in reasonable amounts, and liking it. Oh, and getting so jazzed about exercise that we have to do whatever it is instead of "Fooey, I have to [run, go to the gym, use the BowFlex]" True story: I had this friend who bought a BowFlex and it sat on his enclosed front porch, being used...3 times?...because his boyfriend didn't like to work out...Hmmmm....I would just say, "Hey, do whatever because girlfriend here is gonna get crunk with the BowFlex...see ya later..." (I have no idea what "crunk" means but I sorta liked it. If I said something terrible, forgive me, and let's move on!)

Every single day, you all are my silent--and sometimes not-so-silent--cheering squad, and I cannot do this without you. So feel free to jump in, tell what you have done that works or doesn't, and not only cheer me to the finish line of good health (and body set-point weight) but cheer each other!

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 10th

What a pleasant surprise this morning! In fact, what TWO pleasant surprises this morning...

First, mojoandkiki posted a comment and said that this blog was encouraging. Woot! That put a major big smile on my face. So...big INDEPENDENT SHOUT OUT to mojoandkiki. Thanks a whole boatload full of sunshine and butterflies for this.

Second, I found that I had THREE, yes THREE, new followers, so a big thanks to Scott, April, and Cecily. Welcome aboard to this blog version of a Greyhound bus (minus that "bus odor") where I do the driving, and you enjoy the ride!

And now...down to business:

• Yes, I ran on the rebounder last night. All right, it was just for 5 minutes, but this is the first time I've done more than just bounce on it. It wasn't much in the way of running, but it was a beginning. Tonight: 6 minutes before I head off to Choir Practice with Jeff the Choir Master and Scott the Organist. And my fellow choir...mongers. There, I like that word!
• No, I didn't walk today at lunch or break. I just didn't. Besides, lunch was tied up with watching last night's GLEE on Fox Online. I have my priorities, people...Love GLEE. Completely. Love. It. But I think it's about time for something featuring Santana in a big way...although the ongoing Kurt Hummel story arc is way too exciting to miss. Any thoughts?
• I had major saladage (do you see what I did there? Saladage, sort of like the salad version of bloggage--which I am writing right now) for lunch today at work from our excellent cafeteria. Lots of lovely greens, raw spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, celery, and pico. No coleslaw in sight, for Bob's sake. Speaking of Coleslaw, go to Day the 5th Part Deux for the wonderful recipe that Julie passed on to us--and a great link and book title.
• Jules--the rounded soles on the walking shoes aren't making me want to run screaming into the night yet so keep your fingers crossed. Of course, I plan to road test them on Saturday outdoors so we will see...
• Made a little dip from Fage Greek yogurt with picante and spices, but truth be told, I need to just bite the bullet and steam the carrots. I don't like raw carrots, and that's the fact, Jack. Even a little steaming will help...Tune in later for this one.
• Ate red grapes this morning until the world looked...all sorts of rosy and fruitful (see what I did there? I know. I'm getting tired of it, too...)
• Had yogurt w/ blueberries, walnuts, honey and cashew butter again. Seriously, if you have never had cashew butter or almond butter, get yourself to a store that sells it. Almond butter is good, but I am in a relationship with cashew butter right now...I'm expecting a ring any day...
• On the way home tonight, I plan on eating...an apple and some almonds. I love a pick-up meal like that. So easy, so nourishing, so "on the go." Now, there is some fast food that does go through you...fast.
• My area has just gotten a filtered water hoo-dodgie (technical term) and I am so excited about it. I have been drinking from the fountain, but now I can fill my big Quart-Size Mason Jar from the filtered water.

Tomorrow, expect an update on "Did Our Heroine Run for Six Minutes on the Rebounder Like She Said?" I'm certain it will be riveting reading...

I love this blog--I love my blog followers, whom I have facetiously referred to in the past as Minions of Weltha. You know...I still sorta kinda like that...

Independently,

Weltha