SAME OLD THING...

I haven't journalled for a couple of days.. not much to report.

WEIGHT: I have stayed the same for the last couple days.. ankles a little swollen..hmmmmm
MEDS: No changes..Tylenols, Prevacid, Folgard, Plavix, Dyazide x2...oh, and Robitussin too..
FLUID INTAKE: It's nearly 8pm.. I've actually had 3 cups of coffee today and am working on #2 bottle of water
LOW SODIUM INTAKE grapes, banana, barley soup, peanut butter sandwich, handful of Oriental snack crackers.
THE PLAN:I really need to move my consumption of water up another notch. I'm so lazy about drinking it.

STATUS QUO

Not much to add today..
WEIGHT: -0 no change today.. holding my own

MEDS: 2 Tylenol 500mg, Plavix, Prevacid,ASA, Folgard,Dyazide

FLUIDS:
Just woke up and having coffee-nice to wake up to hot coffee

LOW SODIUM FOOD INTAKE
Woke up at 4am and decided to have a banana.. strange

THE PLAN: keep on , continue.. watch the salt!

I LOSE AGAIN..

Whatever I am doing, it must be right. Today when I woke up, I was surprised again to have my ankles even more reduced. There is just little swelling there now. If I keep this up, I may see ankles by tomorrow.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find another loss when I stepped on the scales. I will have to keep watching the scales daily because of the edema in my legs, but it makes me happy to see that physically they are looking more like human legs.

WEIGHT: -2 #

MEDS:
2 Tylenol 500 mg, Prevacid, Aspirin, Folgard, Dyazide 9am/5pm
Tonite I'll start the Vytorin again- it's a statin drug- I went off of it because the muscles in my arms hurt..they still hurt, so I can safely assume it's not the Vytorin.

FLUIDS:
Enjoying my first coffee at the moment
#1 water is on my desk in front of me
#2 bottle is half empty

LOW NA FOOD INTAKE:
Banana with meds
Tilapia- 2 servings, Green beans buttered and Mrs Dash for seasoning
Supper: Lemon pepper chicken, veg/pasta medley, ice cream for dessert..
Snack.. a bunch of grapes

THE PLAN:
I think the best plan is to try to keep the diet / fluids where they are. It seems to be working fine. I'll be very careful with Sodium intake today.

I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TODAY

Adjusting fluids and intake has it's bonus. I was more concerned about fluid weight loss.. and this morning got a surprise in addition ...

LOSS- 4 #........ brings me to a total of 10#
MEDS- Tylenol 2 500 mg, Plavix, Aspirin, Folgard,Prevacid,Dyazide- 10 am/5pm
FLUID INTAKE
2 coffee at the moment
1 water......poor poor poor !!!
LO NA FOODS
banana
tilapia-2 servings
green beans- 2 servings
grilled chicken salad with lots of tomato, carrots for supper tonite
taking a banana, mandarin oranges and peach yogurt too

Note to self.. didn't eat the oranges.. but had a couple pieces of chocolate and a handful of crackers at work tonite.. Accckkkk!
Hope I do okay in the morning


THE PLAN
Keep the present plan in action.. lo na foods, drinks, and increase the water slowly.. at least 2 bottles a day.. aim for 3 by next week.

YES AND NO

Not so bad today.. edema in legs is on the mend. There is some swelling there, but again, a bit better than yesterday. I'll get to see my ankles again one day I'm sure.
WEIGHT:-/+ 0 No change.. holding the 5# fluid loss well.
MEDS: 10:30am 1 Tylenol 500mg, ASA, Folgard,Prevacid, Dyazide
FLUIDS:
3 cups coffee this morning to get me warmed up
starting #1 water
LOW SODIUM FOOD INTAKE:
1/2 banana with meds
Tilapia, green beans,and grapes
2 slices potato bread toast w/ butter- the real stuff
Supper tonite is packed..
grilled chicken salad with lots of tomatoes w/ lo Na dsg

adding 2 extra bottles of water tonite.. we'll see.

THE PLAN:
The plan of the day is water.. lots of it. And while I make Wendell some chicken barley soup, I'll also be braising some chicken for my salad today..I did get veggies and fruits. That will be supper tonite.

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT

It's morning. The first thing I noted was that my ankles are substantially reduced from yesterday. Not normal by any means, but getting there. Through the night I got up and drank almost the rest of bottle of water #2 from yesterday. I hopped on the scales to see how much fluid was eliminated..

• Loss: -5 pounds

• 8am Meds: Dyazide, Folgard, ASA, Prevacid,

• 9am tylenol-2 500mg tabs

• Fluid intake:

coffee, fat free creamer
water - finished yesterday's 2nd bottle
#2 bottle on my desk

• Low sodium food intake:

banana-2
mandarin oranges
fruit juice
tossed salad /squirt of Italian dsg
tomatoes chopped
green beans with a little butter
almost 1/3 of a bear claw breakfast roll- didn't like it...too sweet for me. A waste of calories and too much sugar and sodium to spend on even a half.
Skipping making chicken for the day.. will try tomorrow. I can always buy the chicken at the cafeteria.. broiled and perfect for me.- perhaps on a pita half.

Gainfully employed today and will be stopping for some veggies.. carrots, tomatoes, celery and bananas too.
We go through a lot of bananas with Wendell using them for his GI problems..
Also will get a few Gala apples and possibly some grapes depending on the price.
Note to self.. perhaps cheese too- we seem to be out.

WHA'D'JEET?

That's Pittsburghese for "What did you eat?".. I need some humor in my life about now.
I've been concentrating on low to no sodium foods today.. and to water.. fluids as intake.
Strangely enough, I need the extra intake to flush out the extra sodium I'm holding and extra fluid on my legs.

Okay.. here's what I've had so far:

• 1 banana
• 2 servings mandarin oranges
• 2 servings fresh strawberries
• 4 cups coffee.. I know, I know.. bad for me...
• 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with a little butter and 2 slices of cheese on both. It was about more than I could eat.
• a few tastes of chocolate pudding to ease my chocolate craving.

I'm still working on my 1st water of the day too.. I'm not a good water drinker. Perhaps tomorrow I'll push a little harder.
I'm concentrating on fruits..especially the fresh ones.. that are full of potassium. This should help rid the sodium from my system too. We shall see in the morning... I've been spending a lot of time going in and out of the BR.
Med wise: one dyazide at 8am and one at 4pm.. tylenol, folgard, aspirin,and plavix, prevacid.
Tomorrow will be gainfully employed. I'll go for chicken salad.. my own. lots of lettuce and veggies and grilled chicken strips on top. Dressing: hmmmmmmm probably a spritzer with Italian dressing.
I think veggies will rule tomorrow.. but I will have some fruit also..just not like today.
We need tomatoes.. I could eat a good many of them.. and they are good for me too.. low sodium. I can spritz them with dressing..also low sodium.
Chicken will be grilled using olive oil and Mrs Dash seasoning.
SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN!
And of course, I'll be weighing in every morning from now till I see the doctor in a month or so.
I have not given up the thought of calling him and having a BNP run .. that's a blood test specific for Congestive Heart Failure. We shall see how I do for a few days first.

whoa............

This is a nightmare.. my ankles are solid.. swollen.. I'm getting concerned. The weight gain was 6# since the last time I got on the scales ... I think Monday when I was still at my 8# loss.
I'm cutting back the sodium starting today.. for sure. No wonder I feel so sore all over.
This is not a game anymore.. gotta get those pounds off for my health.
I took my dyazide today..will repeat it at 4pm.
So far I've had 2 cups coffee
and a 2 serving banana
and 2 serving mandarin oranges
Now I'm heading out for a bottle of water..
I'm determined to get my real ankles back. One day I may take a picture of them just to remind myself that they are small and not bad looking except when I am retaining fluids. AAACCKKK!!!!
The goal for the day:

• get in at least 2 bottles of water
• keep the sodium under 200 mg
• move a little more today..
  

I MISSED THE GOAL

Well, I missed my goal of 20# by Christmas.. perhaps it wasn't good timing? I'm not making excuses, but there were a lot of goodies around and I love goodies!
So....... back to work.. need to set a new date for my goal. How about by March31? That seems reasonable to me. Okay.......

• EXERCISE
• MORE WATER
• FOLLOW THE DIET CLOSELY
• BATTLE THE BULGE!

There is good news here... I haven't gained any that I lost.. just staying the same.

THE SCALES TELL ALL.....

The scales usually tell all..... but I haven't gained a pound over this holiday..WOO HOO !!! Considering I ate chocolate and goodies, but not excessively. I was careful to have only what I really liked.. a tiny piece of cheesecake and 4-5 chocolate dipped strawberries. I ate a bunch of berries.. but those are pretty good for the diet anyway.
On my feet a bit and my feet are again swollen.. ugh. Never ending battle with the feet. Likely the salt in ham, veggie pizza, and of course, the chips I ate..though not many.. just a couple makes for havoc for me.

So..... gotta watch closer and move a bit more.. back to crunches every morning.
I've been missing my breakfast every morning too.. for about 4 days worth. I don't get fueled well so I don't eat well much of the rest of the day.
I need water again.. that slows me down too.
On to tomorrow......... !

HOLDING MY OWN

I am holding my own. I've not been routine about eating at all. So many things get in my way during the holidays. At least there is no gain. Food takes a back seat for me. I eat when I get the chance, and usually start out right in the morning, but as the day wears on, I forget and grab something quick- my downfall. Last night it was BK chicken sandwich with some fries.. on the run. I gotta learn to eat slower and less and with less calories, though the BK sandwich is pretty balanced. Today will be another day of running around.. I will try to do more constructive meals from here on in... we'll see how it goes.
In the mean time...every morning on the scales which show my stationary weight is not all bad..just not real encouraging.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

I got on the scales as usual this morning. I've not been unfaithful to my diet, but just haven't been able to eat everything on it. That's important-to eat. You have to eat to lose weight. And drink more water. I've not been good at either, but I'm trying.
Well, happily, I have been in a holding pattern for the past week, but today one more ugly pound has been eliminated. Happy Day !!
So on to today.. a healthy breakfast and a cup of coffee to get me started.

MONDAY..

Well, I didn't eat well over the weekend, but the scales are stationary for the moment reflecting that bit of poor eating. It wasn't how much I ate.. but what I ate.. Nothing sweet.. but not balanced.
Today I'm already doing much better:
Cheerios 1/2 cup with Non Dairy milk
1 small banana
2 cups coffee with ND milk

Ah.. lunch......
4 oz tuna
1 apple
1 tbsp mayo
1 cup coffee

I did stop today and bought 2 cases of bottled water. That will last the rest of the week I hope. Water goes fast around here.
Tonite we are having a pork roast. I can smell it in the crock pot and it makes me want to try some now.. but I'll wait. I'll have Mandy bring home some salad stuff and we'll have green beans with it.. and perhaps some fruit for dessert.
Yep... back on track again.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG WITH GOALS

Well, with all that's gone on this week, imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scales this morning and saw another pound gone. I'm lacking in exercise.. but trying to stay on the diet.
It's not easy when I have to cook for myself.. Wendell is still on the BRAT diet.
I'm concentrating on amounts. I need to get some water.. drinking water. I'm out and that limits me on the amount that I consume.
I'll do better.
Wish I could hop on a bike like the above picture.. I need to access the exercise bike upstairs.
More later..gotta eat a healthy breakfast..

BUMPS IN THE ROAD

Yeah... yesterday was a bump in the road. I've been good till yesterday.
I had coffee for breakfast and a hoagie for lunch..thanks to John and Mandy.
Supper was about 9pm.. a small dish of rice.
Not a healthy day .. not healthy eating.
Today is another day. I've had 2 slices of toast with peanut butter and a banana. Coffee is always on my menu.
Hopefully, things will improve here. Back to the 1800 cal ADA diet !!!!

WALKING

Walking has been my favorite exercise for many years now. It's a healthy thing to do..
I won't get into all the benefits, but I know from experience that it gives me a boost of energy that no B12 can offer..
Today I thought I'd be able to add (or subtract) 2#... but , alas, only one.. well, I'm not unhappy..it's a LOSS, not a gain or a standstill. Pretty good for one week anyway.. not even one week. AMEN

BETTER & BETTER

My daily habit is to get on the scales when I get up and before I get dressed or eat. Not just a habit, but directed by my PCP in return for my complaint that my ankles swelled so much I couldn't see them any more. It is the result of vascular disease I've had for many years.
The scales were always dreaded, but today, not so. I welcome the scales and look to the DOWNSIZING of my body. I wasn't disappointed this morning either.. Tomorrow I'll set the ticker to reflect yet another loss. It's amazing when I think that I ate till I was well satisfied last evening.
Today...
Breakfast: coffee, cereal, toast, fruit
Lunch: chicken salad sandwich...
Supper: to be decided later. Likely soup and sandwich at work.

Snack.. fruits !!
I may get some pretzels to help me along with my bread exchanges. This seems to be a problem area.
Gotta get some bottled water too. I'll stop on my way to work today to get a case.
Can't wait to post tomorrow !!

THANKFUL

What a surprise today.. I have to weigh every day anyway because of the fluid
on my ankles, but when I got on the scales I'd lost 5# in 2 days!! I'm assuming
that my increased intake of plain old water + just trying to stay on the 1800
calorie diet has been the reason.. no offence, Mr Simmons..
I'm finding it difficult to get all the servings of bread in each day.. but with
pizza 2 nights ago (veggie lovers), and last night's alfredo chicken, I'm able to
get at least close. I'm not much of a bread eater.

I'll be packing a lunch today..
Tuna salad and then some fruit.. canned pineapple and an apple..
Breakfast? Well, if I can pull it together before I have to leave, it'll be same
as yesterday.. eggs and toast and fruit.
Works for me !! If not.. Hello McDonalds..and an egg McMuffin..
Just have to keep counting exchanges and then drink a lot more water.

DAY 2.. STAYING ON THE MARK

Trying to stay on target.. breakfast is not a problem.. it's the rest of the day that causes stress..
This morning?
2 Eggs
2 toast/butter
2 fruits.. peaches ! mmmmmm

Can't decide whether to meet with Richard Simmons or take my walk outdoors.. it's pretty chilly, but not when I'm walking..

OFF TO A GOOD START

I'm off to a good start today..
Cheerios/milk for breakfast
Cottage cheese/ peaches for lunch..
toast too.
So far 1 coffee and 2 warm-ups..
Gotta get the water going here.

Dishes are washing.. Richard Simmons and I have been doing a
super duper workout.. WHEW!
Not feeling chilly now.