Healthy again

We're all over the flu now, but my oldest still needs breathing treatments for the next month. Geez. That's a lot of breathing treatments. I guess they really want to make sure the symptoms are gone.
Eating has been good, not great. I tend to not use the CRON o meter while my husband's home. Which is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. SO...I'm resolving to use it this coming weekend. I'm still not losing however, but I've begun working out again. I had to stop during the whole flu episode. I'm stuck right at the same number for a while now. I'm sure the key is the weekends. Not that I'm pigging out or anything, I'm just not as precise with my calorie intake.
I got my little one's pictures taken a few weeks ago. The photographers had me sign a release form because they want to put his pictures up in the studio, all blown up. I guess I got me a cute kid, or something! They were in love with Ivan, they kept asking me, "Are you sure he's two? He's better behaved than most of the two year olds we see. Is he for real?!" I don't know if they use that line on all the mommies, but I felt great:) I was going to try to keep my kid's' names anonymous on this blog, but I don't care now. My oldest is Jackson, and my baby is Ivan. I could have tried to give them cute little nicknames, but I'm just not that creative at this moment. Hopefully I don't have any stalkers out there!
We picked up from the farm yesterday. We got peas, broccoli raab, parsley, and lots of swiss chard. Oh and zucchini. But only two zucchini. I can make some yummy faux crab cakes out of the zucchini. It's easy, you just mix the grated zucchini w/ seasoned bread crumbs, egg, and some Old Bay seasoning. Then fry to golden deliciousness! Throw in some onion if you want. This whole farm thing is probably one of the highlights of the year for me. I get so excited to see what the spread will be and how to cook it. I am going to saute the broccoli raab in some onions and oil, then sprinkle some gorgonzola on it. Mmmmmm....... I've never eaten broccoli raab, but I'm sure it will be delicious. Everything's better with cheese on it, as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure most of you would agree. Who doesn't love cheese!! Well, don't answer that. I know someone out there is going, "Ewwww" over my ravings on cheese.
Well, that's it for me for now. Still plugging away at the healthy lifestyle. Hope all who reads this are well.

Influenza Virus A

Yep...flu A has taken out my family. My older son developed a bad cough and fever Sunday night. Well, we took him to the doctor yesterday, and he tested positive for flu A. Now, it could definitely be swine flu, however the doctor said that unless he was ill enough to be hospitalized we wouldn't know. I have symptoms, the baby has mild symptoms, and so does DH. We think the baby hasn't had much problems because he gets a steroid breathing treatment via nebulizer every night, which would reduce any inflammation and coughing. He did have a fever last night. They are both on Tamiflu. Which, just so you know, is INCREDIBLY expensive. My baby is covered by his dad's insurance and medicaid, so he didn't cost anything, but Jackson, my older boy, his tamiflu cost 86 dollars!!! With the insurance too, I might add. Aye, aye, aye....
I also found out that a good friend of ours has rectal cancer. He is interested in juicing and alternative therapies, so he wants to come over and check out my juicer and look in to some healthier nutrition. I've seen a documentary called The Beautiful Truth, which is about something called Gerson Therapy. Sounds incredible, but it's very healthy, and although I wouldn't say it can cure cancer definitively (what do I know??), it is very nutritious and includes juicing and raw foods. He's very eager to talk to someone about this. He has all these decisions to make and he wants to get some feedback from others. I think he's very scared and just wants someone to talk to. He's seen three different doctors and they all three had a different perspective and possible outcomes. He was supposed to come over yesterday, but we're quarantined here at the moment.
My diet continues to be pretty good. Not stellar sometimes, but every day is a new one, right? I've caved in to late night temptations a few times, but it's getting to be less and less. I'm into lowfat cottage cheese right now. I find that after my workout, it's what I want. I've also been digging honeydew melon. It is soooo sweet right now. I can't believe how sweet it is! Almost too sweet, but not really :) I've been having green juices about every other day. I find unless I put just the right ingredients in, I can't stomach it lately. This means lots of ginger and lemons and apples. I made some the other day with too much kale and it was awful. Kinda turned my stomach. What a turn off. I'm thinking maybe I'll dilute my juice with half filtered water to weaken the taste a little. My tastebuds just can't handle it lately.
Onward and upward! Well, if we're talking weight, then downward.....lol.

Natural Food Store Haul

I went to our local natural foods store and picked up hemp tortillas, organic bulgur wheat, gluten free mini pizza crusts (4 in pack), and my usual liquid greens supplement. This new liquid green supplement also has the superfruits in it. You know, noni, acai, etc. We'll see how this works. The hemp tortillas are particularly interesting to me. I'm wondering how I'll like the taste. I'll let you know when I know.
Food plan today: cottage cheese, pineapple, green juice (apple, romaine, cucumber, kale, lemon, ginger), hamburger on whole wheat bun, homemade wedgie fries, and of course my daily dose of quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla. Can't do without that these days. I'm having a hard time getting all my carbs in on the CRON-o-meter. I get the protein and fat, but with my calorie range it's been tough to fit in the carbs. I guess I could add in some brown rice or something, but that's pretty calorie dense. Hmmm.
I did workout number three of the 30 Day Challenge today. It had some tougher stuff in it. I did combos like bicep curls w/ shoulder presses, and there was also some plyometric side to side jumps, which my fat ass had a hard time doing. I did all the reps though, so I'm celebrating it as a success! Then the cooldown was this hilarious dance thing. I had a lot of fun doing the shopping cart:) All in all, a great purchase. It's even better with the Wii Fit balance board.
I have a busy day tomorrow. My oldest has his first field day at school, so I have to go cheer him on. I'm thinking he's going to have a meltdown. He's very hard on himself, and everybody's parents will be there, no pressure or anything, and I'm afraid if he doesn't do to well on something, he's gonna lose it. My little one also has pictures tomorrow. He hasn't had photos since the Christmas card. I want to do a little beachy theme with him. I'm putting him in little shorty overalls that are plaid. I will have him barefoot too. I can't wait to see how it comes out. Being the only girl in a house full of boys is very interesting. DH doesn't understand the need for pictures. I'm like, "Hello. He's only going to be this little and adorable for a very short time. When he gets older he'll get the usual school pics, but these will be special." He got all quiet and said, "ok." I've also become an expert burper, and can talk farts with the best. Totally gross, I know, but I'm a lone estrogen creature in an all testosterone environment.
Oh, my oldest has recently become interested in taking showers for some reason. Well, every time he gets in he states, "Aaaahhh there's nothing like peeing in the shower!" Only in a houseful of penises will you hear this;)

Quesadillas

As in, what have I been craving the most? Quesadillas. I've been having one a day for the past few days. I use whole grain tortillas, and low fat colby/monterey cheese. I'm still interested in the raw foods, but I'm thinking that 100% is not for me right now. I crave ooey gooey cheese and warm pastas too much.
The farm haul yesterday was great. Spinach, strawberries, something called a garlic scape (basically a tendril from a garlic plant, tastes like a cross between garlic and a scallion), lettuce, and salad mix. I still haven't used up all the arugula from last week, so I'm thinking I'll make some arugula pesto with what's left. Mmmmm.
I just started exercising again yesterday. I was on death's door from Wednesday til Saturday. I'm still not 100%, but good enough to exercise. I started the 30 day Challenge over AGAIN. That's 3 times, I think. I'm sticking to 1500 calories a day and have lost 2 pounds.
My DH and I went to a concert on Sunday. We saw Street Sweeper Social Club, Nine Inch Nails, and Jane's Addiction. Good stuff. I have seen Nine Inch Nails 6 times now. Will probably see them again. I'm getting old. You know you're getting older when the band says, "Thank you for supporting us all these years." Geez. Oh well, it was great seeing Jane's Addiction reunite for this tour. Perry Farrell (lead singer) actually said that the last time they played NY together was in 1991. They sounded great, like they never broke up.
The food for today: Green juice (romaine, cucumber, kale, apple, ginger, lemon), cottage cheese, quesadilla, tilapia, sauteed arugula with garlic and oil, and maybe some fresh strawberries for dessert:)

Awesomeness

The awesomeness I refer to is me:) I didn't snack attack last night, and I got my work out in. I stayed at 1500 calories for the day (actually just under). I just generally rocked it out yesterday!
I am having green juice for breakfast today (after I work out), cottage cheese and fresh cut pineapple for lunch, and homemade pizza with whole wheat crust and turkey pepperoni. I know, I might as well just have the regular pepperoni for all the good it'll do me, but I still cling to the notion that it's somehow healthier, even though loaded with salt and preservatives. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are my eating habits. So there.
My youngest son and I are both sick. I can't figure out if it's allergies or a cold. We both have sore throats, sneeze a lot, and have watery eyes and runny noses. My son's boogers are clear, and from what I've heard, clear nasal discharge is a sign of allergies. All I know for sure is that it sucks!
Today is Day 2 of the 30 Day Challenge on my Wii Active. I think tomorrow is a rest day. I did a lot of different moves yesterday, running/walking, squats, bicep curls, bent over rows, side lunges, and kickboxing. The running kicks my butt, and it's a little strange running in place in my living room. I didn't wear the right bra, and my boobs were hurting. I'm a 40D, so my cup definitely runneth over, and I practically need scaffolding to stop them from bouncing. That's one area I don't lose weight in, my chest. I'm not sure if it's a blessing or not. Some days yes, and some days, when I want to wear cool halter tops or tube tops, it's NOT. I have yet to find the right strapless bra. They all seriously lack in the support department. If anyone out there knows of a good brand, let me know!
Oh, we picked up at the farm yesterday. We got swiss chard, arugula, butter lettuce, and rosemary. Kinda light, but the season just started and we have til October to make up for it. We had a head of the butter lettuce with our grilled pork chops last night, and poor DH had a little sandy dirt in his salad. I only had one or two bites that were gritty. I just washed them under the tap real well (well obviously not that well) and put them in the spinner. I think next time I'll make a bath for them in the sink and swish them around, and then do the spinner.
So that's the rundown for me. Hope today's as good as yesterday, so I can get some momentum goin'. Hope all who reads this is well and healthy.

Still here

Well, I'm still alive, if not thriving quite yet. I'm starting today with my exercise again. My foot is totally healed up. Okay, it hurts very little, and I'm going to favor my other foot.
Food has been angelic during the day, and very devilish at night. I undo all of my good eating at night. Again, I don't sleep well, so I'm up every few hours. This is another issue that has to be dealt with, I know it's not optimal for losing weight. SO, any ideas on what to do when I wake up in the night? What the heck should I do, read? Watch some tv? Help!
So that's it for the Debbie Downer section of this blog entry.
We pick up our second batch from the farm today! I'm so excited. I wonder what we'll get. I am thinking probably more of what we got last time plus a new thing or two. We will go after my oldest gets home from school and finishes his homework.
Our garden...hmmm...it's surviving and not thriving (like me, lol, must be contagious). All of our plants from seed died, and DH bought seedlings already grown and put them in. We now have tomato, cucumber, zucchini, some hot peppers, and melon. This whole gardening thing is really a pain so far. We're thinking DH put the garden in an area where it's not getting enough sunlight. It gets sun, but not as much as we think it probably needs. Oh well, it's an adventure.