Veggies have the perfect "crunch" in either salads, as a side dish, or as an ingredient in things like cassaroles or sauces. Baby carrots are a nice snack. Broccoli and cauliflower are wonderful side dishes, and cauliflower can be mashed like taters (actually I’ve never tried those … hmmm gotta do that soon)

I like veggies. Of course I am going to be realistic and admit pizza tastes better … but veggies are good on pizza, too. lol

Rick and I have a nice back yard and we sit there alot in the evenings when it’s not too hot. This year the mosquitos are bad … and they love to bite me! I have been getting huge welts all over every night I sit out.

It’s so tempting to drink when I am out there, so I just like to do it on the weekends. Friday and Saturday nights for party in the back yard, lol When I do this on the weeknights it makes it a little tough to get up early enough to make it to work on time Also, since alcohol is so fattening I keep it to a minimum.

However, I don’t think that anyone needs to eliminate it completely unless they are an alcoholic. It’s important to have a few cheats now and then to keep ourselves sane. I know people who compete can’t cheat … I don’t know if I could ever compete for that reason I really admire people who compete. So much work goes into that 15 minutes of fame! lol

My junkfood-loving SO is getting better about this … tonight he got Chinese right after I got home and made my shake He offered a couple of tasty wontons and I declined Hahaha, he asked only a couple of times tonight. We even grilled chicken last night! He’s learning, I swear!

That is excellent considering the times I cheated :devil: But, I have been working very hard at keeping the cheats at 20% or less of my total meals.

Brian was pumped! He gets really excited when his clients do well. I’m so glad I found him!

We also discussed what the best bodyweight for me would be. He calipered my navel area, the side area and my tricep. If I keep the lean mass I have now, I would be 20% bf at 155 lbs :) I think that is a reasonable goal.

Right now I am at 36% bf

I also went to my doctor and told her about the fatigue I have been experiencing. She told me that the beta blocker that I take at night could be a culprit. My bp is about 114/74, low enough to have wiggle room if the 2nd med has to go. If my thyroid levels are okay, we’ll drop my 2nd med. Yay! :) My goal, of course, is NO MEDS!!!!

Rick is getting a little better about my eating habits, lol. I think he is realizing how important this is to me. I told him that my doc is very happy with my lifestyle, which warmed him up more.

One sad note: by the time I left Brian’s and finished grocery shopping, it was too late to stop at the gym  I’ll miss tomorrow night, too :( I will do my best to make it Wednesday thru Sunday!

My dietary discipline isn’t as grand. Of course, I am doing much much better than I did before. Seeing an expert on bodybuilding nutrition, and taking decent supplements (Beverly) has helped a bunch I eat clean about 70% of the time now. I know that we should eat clean 80% of the time or more. I am working on it, haha!

Geezle, it is alot more fun working out than eating right. I do enjoy the cooking, though, and I am glad I spend more time in the kitchen. I feel tons better when I eat clean. My clothes fit better, too And, even though my discipline has not been perfect I am still making progress. People come up to me and tell me that I look great. Some guy I was talking to in the gym today told me that I have changed quite a bit since starting the program (the Beverly program). A girl in my Thursday kickboxing class mentioned the same thing. So … it’s getting better I still stand amazed at the people who eat clean 100% of the time I think they would have to be single, haha Spouses and partners don’t like bb’ing diets too much!

 Soooo …. at 46 I am looking in a new direction. I have been playing around with the idea of entering the health field for some time now, but I am rather sceered because I wasted $23K in a useless Online degree hahaha I am about $45K in debt (credit cards, school loans, and my car) … crazy. I have done alot better with my finances and therefore am paying the debts off. But … going back to school (and yes, I am doing it right and going for my Bachelor’s) will increase the debt by $20-30K. Shit!   I am so tired of borrowing money that is due back with interest.

 Despite all of that unhappy horseshit I realize that I really have to go back to school. Now’s the time to begin planning before I get canned, haha. I certainly don’t want to have to settle for $10-12/hour jobs. Since the graphics industry has dried up (and I am not very good at programming) I have to make the smart decision. Smart decisions have 3 parts:

1. Make sure it’s something that I like, am interested in, can be passionate about. I am passionate about obstetrics, nutrition and physical fitness (of course ) That way, I know I can stay the course.

2. Make sure it’s a career that pays as well as being something that I like. Nursing surely fits that bill.

3. When the decision is made, attend a TRUE, ACCREDITED, TRANSFERABLE UNIVERSITY! I tell you, there’s alot of Higher Ed scams just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting souls

Since I am 46 and not 26, my health is the utmost importance for the rest of my life. Bodybuilding fits the bill for that … eating wholesome foods and maintaining my strength with weights and cardio. Perhaps, when I’m 70 or so, I’ll be ready for another career change And I’ll be up to the challenge!

I started this journey here last April at 198 lbs … I tried a variety of diets and did well on them for a while, but eventually backslid. I got down to 181 for a couple of weeks .. my lowest weight in 15 years. However, after suffering from food poisoning several times in a 6-week span, and because I live with a total non-dieter, I went off of the wagon … and guess what??? My bodyweight shot back up to 201.5 grrrr

Last month, I decided to get serious again and starting consulting a local dietary expert. The diet that I am on is strict indeed … here is a sample. It is the same thing every day. Boring? Yep … but my personality demands this kind of structure (can you say food addict??? lol)

#1: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/3 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup berries, 4 oz lean (<10% fat) beef patty

#2: 1 protein shake, 1 cup raw almonds

#3: 1 tuna patty (4oz tuna, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 2 egg whites, seasoned to taste) with either salsa or ketchup

#4: Pre w/o shake (protein powder, water/ffmilk, 1/4 cup oats)

#5: Post w/o shake (just the powder and water/ff milk)

#6: 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 cup green veggies, 1 handful raw almonds

Yikes! The food does not taste bad but it is very strict. My bf is still not very happy with my eating style (he doesn’t mind my gym time) … as a matter of fact he just left to get himself something to eat. Like McDonald’s for a sandwich. On the cheat day I will eat out with him, but that is the only time. I know this is hard on him but I have GOT to continue eating clean … I can tell a difference with how my clothes are fitting and I feel better (sometimes more tired, though). I will find out how I did over the past month when I see my nutritionist on Monday. He will caliper me and also whack me with that darn scale … lol

I have promised myself to NOT weigh myself over the month. I am happier when I don’t use that evil scale!

It’s time to fix supper. Gotta go!