Another month bites the dust....

OK, I didn't even want to do this month. It stunk! Next month, watch out, ladies. I'm going on vacation with Christi, because Holly wouldn't come with us, and I am going to be so rested that exercise will be a cinch. It will be the first time since last May that I will have had a break, besides shopping or visiting my Mom in Orem. I am sooooooooooooo looking forward to this!
Congrats to Holly. I think May is MY month, since it's my birthday month.
OH, I got a medal for running first place in my age category in the 5K race on Saturday. (And girls, do not tell them I was the ONLY one to race in my age category) I was awesome- I beat that other lady and the two moms with strollers hands down.... The best part, even though I almost died going over the bridge, I DID NOT STOP ONCE. I just wanted to finish and I did- first place in my age category. Did I mention that?
Here's to a better month, and my husband's recovery from surgery. It went well, by the way.

DIET SODA? FIRST 3 LETTERS- DIE

Here's an email I got from my sister-in-law. Please take it seriously, it's not the first time I have heard it or studied it.
Sharon

Life saving Information.Please read through.
>
> Subject: FW: SWEET POISON- A MUST READ
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *SWEET POISON
> A MUST READ
> *
> *
> In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had
> stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around.  Walking
> was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed;
> she was in so much pain.
>
> By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies
> and was on 24 various prescription medications.  The doctors could not
> determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so
> sick.she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts,
> lifeinsurance, etc.,  in her oldest daughter’s name, and made sure
> that her younger children were to be taken care of.
>
> She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip
> to Florida (basically in a  wheelchair) for March 22**nd**.
> **
> On March 19 I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and
> she said they didn’t find anything on the test, but they believe she
> had MS.
> I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my
> sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did.  As a matter
> of  fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment.
>
> I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda!
> I e-mailed her the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent.
> My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and
> told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk!
>  The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn’t feel 100% but she
> sure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with
> this article and would call me when she got home.
>
> Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to
> call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial
> sweeteners of any kind.
> In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet
> soda...and literally dying a slow and miserable death.
>
> When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill,
> and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her
> way to a complete recovery.
> And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life.
> If it says ‘SUGAR FREE’ on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
> I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL
> CONFERENCE on “ASPARTAME,” marketed as ‘NutraSweet,’ ‘Equal,’ and
>  ‘Spoonful.’
>
> In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United
> States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic
> lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing
> this to be rampant.
> I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.
> I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of
> this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME
> converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes
> metabolic  acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of
> fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions,
> multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being
> diagnosed in error.  Although multiple sclerosis is not a death
> sentence, Methanol toxicity is!
>
> Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis,
> especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.  The victim usually
> does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues
> its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a
> life-threatening condition.
> We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once
> taken off diet sodas.
>
> In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the
> symptoms disappear. We’ve seen many cases where vision loss returned
> and hearing loss improved markedly.
>
> This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.
> During a lecture, I said, “If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet,
> Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms,
> spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo,
> dizziness,  headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression,
> anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you
> probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!”
> People were jumping up during the lecture saying, “I have some of
> these symptoms. Is it reversible?”
>
> Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on
> food labels! Many products are fortified with it!  This is a serious
> problem.
> Dr. Espart (one of my speakers)  remarked that so many people seem to
> be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice, a
> nurse stated that six of her friends,  who were heavy Diet Coke
> addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!
>
> Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple
> SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you
> crave carbohydrates.  It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!
> *
> *These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat
> cells, particularly in the hips and thighs.  Formaldehyde is an
> absolute toxin andis used primarily to preserve “tissue specimens.”
> Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT
> store it IN our body!
>
> Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the “diet
> products” and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients
> lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.
>
> Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics.
> We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient
> with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame.
> The Aspartame drives the  bloodsugar out of control. Thus diabetics
> may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and
> phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids
>  necessary for a good balance.
>
> Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics, the
> Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrierand it then deteriorates the
> neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage,
> seizures, depression, manic depression, panic attacks, uncontrollable
> anger and rage.
>
> Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics
> as well.
> Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children
> diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their
> behavior when these  chemicals have been removed from their diet. So
> called “behavior modification prescription drugs” (Ritalin and others)
>  are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the
> first place!  Most of these children were being “poisoned” on a daily
> basis with the very foods that were “better for them than sugar.”
>
> It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of
> diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the
> Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome.
>
> Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental
> retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early
> pregnancy.
> Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should
> NEVER be given artificial sweeteners.  There are many different case
> histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other
> neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological
> diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.”
>
> Herein lies the problem:
> There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included 100
> different products and strong objection was made concerning its use.
> Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings,
> and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have
> very deep pockets.
>
> Sadly, MONSANTO’S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED!
> There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this
> deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced.
>  Everybody wants a “piece of the Aspartame pie.” I assure you that
> MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is.
>
> And isn’t it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American
> Diabetes   Association, the American Dietetic Association and the
> Conference of the American College of Physicians?
>
> This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.
> These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey  their
> link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and
> are required to endorse their products.
>
> Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would
> require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially
> regarding pregnant women, children and infants.  The bill would also
> institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems
> existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in
> brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral symptoms.
> The bill was  killed.
>
> It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are
> responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on
> an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you’re Informed now! YOU
> HAVE A RIGHT TO  KNOW!*
>
> *
> **Please print this out and/or e-mail to your family and friends.*
>
> *
> They have a right to know, too.
>

Good gym day

Today I walked 1.5 miles @ 4.2 mph and a 3% incline. Then I biked 6 miles, and then walked/jogged another 1.5 miles. I'm not even that tired! My weight yesterday was 142.4. Still not where I wanted, but at least not 150.
See yas tonight!

hello again?

Well, I can't believe that I didn't do anything since the beginning of February. I am so sorry. Holly even reminded me. I feel like my head is swimming in Peanut butter without the honey.
This past week Cam has been really sick, and a big worry to me. He seems a little better, so we'll see how things go today.
WHY DO I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT?
Dang. At 30 I weighed 105. At 40 I weighed 110. At 50 I wieghed 120. I am now almost 54 and I don't even come close to being who I really am. I have been in a major depression the past year for obvious reasons (my husband hit a tree on a sled last year and became a paraplegic. I am his full-time caregiver). Lately when I go on an errand, I don't come home for hours because I can hardly face everyday life anymore.
Well, I am taking charge and getting rid of the depression fat. When the accident first happened, I couldn't eat because of worry. I lost 20 pounds, and had to get all new pants. Then, the worry caused me to eat anything chocolate that crossed my path. I walked across a lot of chocolate! I gained back the lost pounds, and then gained 20 more. That's not me! I have always had a wonderful figure (which, granted, is not THE most important thing in the world....) and didn't hesitate to put on a swim suit, shorts, slightly tight pants ;), or run and play with my grandkids. Now, I feel like a slouch, hate to look in the mirror, faint at the thought of showing anything but my sandalled feet during the summer- bathing suit begone! I can hardly walk up a flight of stairs without becoming winded, and when someone puts their arm around my waist, or hugs me from behind, I am mortified!
Ok, all feeling sorries aside, I want to find ME again. Not the person who hides in the back room eating chocolate to feel better. I want to feel sexy again for my husband, but most importantly for me. I don't want to turn my head when I walk past a mirror anymore. I don't want to put on baggy pants so I don't cringe at myself. I don't want to cry when I look in the mirror before a shower anymore. But number one, I want to have self-control again and know that I am important enough in my busy life to count, if for no one else but me! That's my WHY.

OK now, I got to my highest running thing at the gym- 2.5 incline and 4.0 mph. I even jogged a little, but I got my mile, and then rode the bike 12 miles. It is getting a little easier, and I STARTED at 4.0 mph, not ended. That's a first! I am down to 142.4. I will join you for the 5K, and will probably walk fast most of the way, but it sounds like a fun day. I am going to really practice hard to get it moving with less jiggle!
Have a wonderful week, all!
Sharon

FUN

Last night was fun, guys! Maybe next time we can have everybody there and find somewhere that won't kick us out 5 minutes before closing!
Yay for all of us losers!

Back on track!

I finally found my way back to the gym (and watched part of "When a Stranger Calls")
and walked 2 miles with a 3% incline at 3.8 mph. That's up from no incline and 3.5 mph. I'm getting there! Then i biked 6 miles, which was easy with the stunning suspense (?) of the movie. I used my adrenaline for that!
This morning I had a sports drink with my work-out, a protein drink when I got home, and for brunch (lunch) I had an egg with peppers, some cheese and a teaspoon of chili sauce. Late lunch will be a Lean Cuisine. More later!

OOPS- I DID IT AGAIN.......

Well, it happened again. Cam's ex-wife is suing us for the umpteenth time and I totally freaked out on my diet. We have been paying child support, sometimes late, but always paid. She kept "records" of when we paid late, and after 15 years is demanding we pay interest on the late payments. That, being compounded at 9%, adds up to almost $4000. Then Oregon Recovery Services is trying to make us pay 5 more months of child support from last year. It says right on their paper if you receive SSI (disability) it is assumed that you can't pay. Well, they don't give a rip and want us to pay up. If that weren't bad enough, she didn't even have the children we were paying for living with her! One was living with us, and has been for 21 months, and the other was living in Idaho on her own. So, I lost it. Fudge found a way to comfort me until I came to my senses. Now I'm not only bummed about all the money they want to steal from us, but I lost control again. I found out my dear friend has slow-growing ovarian cancer, and had surgery today. And then the news about Alan (my son). I'm feeling a little down, but my pity party must end.
Thanks for letting me vent. I think I burned up a lot of calories the last few minutes!