Accountability

Okay my friends.  Today is the day.  The day we start treating ourselves a little bit nicer. Mkay? I plan on getting my old self back without a whole lot of deprivation.  Wanna play along?

Here's my deal.  I am fairly tall (5'9"), and have rarely had to watch my weight.  Now there was that minor detour of a twin pregnancy where I may or may not have gained 90 pounds.  But that is all behind us now, and it was well worth it.   

 I think.

Anyway, year 40 was okay, not a big change, but when I quit smoking for good at 42, all bets were off.  I had smoked off and on for 20 years, with about ten years off during that span, but I  really decided that I wanted to stick around.  So I quit.  And if you smoke, you should think about making a serious effort to do the same.  It is bad for you, in case you didn't know.  But I digress.  So when I quit smoking, I started the South Beach Diet the next day.  It was great because my biggest smoking trigger was cocktail hour, and on the first few weeks of South Beach, you don't have cocktail hour.  Well you do have a five o'clock hour, but it is a seltzer, with a lime if you want to jazz it up.

I actually lost several pounds right after I quit smoking on this regime, but at about the age of 45, my metabolism just stopped.  Dead in its tracks.  I am 48 now, and do not want to enter the next phase of my life with sugar, blood pressure or heart issues.  All of which can happen even if you are just 20 pounds heavier than you should be (that would be moi).  At least that's what Dr. Oz tells us, and I think he is just the smartest guy out there.  And he's cute, too! That motivates me.

So, here's what I offer up this week:  No deprivation...unless you want to cut out one vice.  For me, that will be my wine (it's my sugar).  Whine.  I may have a toast for Annie's birthday on Wednesday, but not overindulge.  I sometimes do that.  Overindulge.  So the wine is out for a while.  What I want to focus on is adding more good things.

Here's what I'm adding this week:

• More water (double the intake every day)
• More exercise (at least an hour a day--and you don't have to do it all at once)
• More food in its natural state and nothing prepared (no Triscuits, Wheat Thins...)
• Take my calcium every day (I don't always)

I am purposely not setting too many goals because I want to end this week feeling like I did what I said I was going to do.  You know: Walk The Walk.

I am going to post some of my activities on my Twitter, and you can see it on the right side of this post.  Better yet, get yourself a Twitter account (Free!) and do your own twittering.  It is fun, and slightly addictive at times.  Any way, I think I will update my progress here on Mondays, and hope you will all try to add something good to your day.  I really enjoy your company, and I look forward to growing old and wise with you all!  What will you do?

xoxo, Mental Mama

What the...

?

 This carrot-squid popped out of the bag yesterday.

I didn't know whether to be nauseated

or

aroused.

Then Squazz came home,

 and he did this to it.

We generally don't play with food in our house.

But this was just too much fun.

Now I must get to my new letters over at Ask Mental Mama.  Drop me a line at mentalpmama(at)aol(dot)com and give me your random thoughts or queries. I'll to my best to come up with a witty yet profound solution to all your burning questions.  

UPDATE:  Lucia's cousin Miss J has sent another carrot for our viewing pleasure.  Their Aunt Tre grew this puppy.  Any more out there? Or is this enough for ya?

Metabolism Schmabolism

When I ponder the past year, as I am wont to do on New Year's Eve, I usually come away from the whole little episode feeling pretty darn good. Today, all that keeps coming up is that 2007 was the year of the diet. And when I say the diet, I don't mean just one. As chinese years are named after animals, the perimenopausal years should be named after various body happenings. I have declared 2007 The Year of The Diet.

Some highlights:

• Dr. Oz
• 11 day fruit and fish
• 4 day grapefruit, tomato and hamburger
• 2 week sugar release
• colon cleanse
• mini meal plan

These are just a few, mind you, and I didn't do the lemonade one because of the scary bathroom pictures. If you've investigated it, you know what I mean.

Yessir, 2008 is going to be the year I don't diet. Right.

2008, The Year of ____

What should we dedicate it to this year girls?

Happy New Year, Lauren