My husband's in the army, I have to be fit too! ee

OK, so here is my health and wellness blog:


My husband does PT almost every morning, and sometimes in the afternoons too. He is pretty fit and can run (I envy this, as I am still a running novice). So I decided that being a stereotype (the fat wife of a soldier) was overrated and it was time to take care of myself. Hey, don't get mad at me for saying what everyone else thinks about army wives. There is a stereotype and the only way to fix it is to fight it :)  


So I started with Zumba (so much fun) and started eating better, not the best, but better. I was counting calories and using the MyFitnessPal app for iPhone (which I still use). I also threw in some extra cardio with the elliptical trainer. I started shedding pounds. Then, I decided to get a personal trainer. She is currently kicking my butt with killer moves and teaching me a good way to eat. I have semi successfully cut out processed foods (like special K bars and such), added about 50 extra grams of protein per day, and have cut out wheat and most other grain carbs. I still eat rice on occasion and corn meal made things (sorry, but corn chips are great), but for the most part, if the carbs don't come from veggies and fruit, I don't eat much of it. 


This way of eating works. My proof is because I took a break from eating this way and felt horrible and had little to no energy or motivation and even got down right depressed. So, grain carbs are mostly bad and you can never ever get me to say otherwise again. WHEAT IS HORRIBLE!


Sample die for one day:


Breakfast at 8:30am- 1 large egg and two or three egg whites, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 sliced kiwi


Snack 1 at 11:30am- chobani (Greek) strawberry yogurt cup, 1 piece of fruit


Lunch at 1:30pm- 6 COOKED oz (8 oz uncooked) boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 cup rice, and a serving of salsa


Snack 2 at 4:00pm- 2 kiwi or 1 small banana, 1 oz of 2% cheese


Dinner at 6:30pm- 4-6 oz lean protein (6 oz if lean like fish or turkey breast, 4 oz if lean beef, like filet Mignon), greater than 1 cup (I eat two cups) of steamed veggies or salad veggies. 


Done right, this works out to about 1365 calories a day. I try to do this no matter what I burn. Sometimes I do a protein shake in place of a snack or breakfast, although people who consume eggs for breakfast tend to eat less calories throughout the day, according to some research I heard somewhere. I believe it though. But for dinner you could do 4 oz of protein and a bowl of homemade veggie soup. Also, Trainer Bob from the biggest loser tweeted that there should be NO CARBS after LUNCH. I take this to mean grains since the carb count in most fruits and veggies are nominal. 


OK, so here is the next portion of my blog: exercise. The dreaded exercise. Let me tell y'all something: I have more energy now then when I wasn't exercising. Yes, part of it is the 25 lbs gone, but my husband told me, "A body in motion tends to stay in motion." Yes, it takes a while to get into it, but once you do, you will be glad you did! So, I started off with a bang: Zumba and/or Hip Hop Hustle 3 to 5 times a week, elliptical 3 times a week, P90X when I could. Now, I am trying to do cardio everyday, whether long or short, with one easy day, and strength/circuit training 3 to five times a week. I have been running and can proudly say that I can now run a mile without stopping. It still sucks, but I can do it. My husband wants me to do a tough mudder with him this fall, and I need to endurance training that the circuit work gives. If you want a good circuit training workout go to www.toughmudder.com and click on training. Don't worry about taking the quiz, just click on go to training. It is in PDF form and it will kick your butt if you do it right. Start out with two circuits and build up to five. It is designed to get your body into shape for a tough mudder, which is approximately 12 miles and 25 obstacles long, and you have to sign a death waiver. Talk about brutal. Looks fun though. 


The best thing I can tell you is to start walking or running or taking a class that gets you moving your own body weight. A stationary bike or elliptical won't do that, and moving your body weight gets your respiratory system working a lot harder than the others. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Why? It is easier to workout when you can haul your own weight. I am sure there are more important reasons that I am overlooking, like better lung capacity and your body using oxygen more efficiently. But I don't know the whole physiological story behind it. Also, if you start out moving your own body weight it gives you a great advantage. I almost got discouraged when I started running because it was so difficult. Heck, it still is, but it gets easier every time. 


OK, so I am not gonna touch on herbs and supplements today, but watch for that one. ONE THING: Don't use stimulants except caffeine and only in small amounts. Don't be stupid. There have been some recent deaths in the military due to products like Jack3d and OxyElite Pro. So be wary of products claiming to get you ripped, jacked, and MAKE you lose weight and burn fat. There is no safe magic pill or beverage. BE SMART and DON'T FALL for gimmicks. 


And that's really all for the day. Have fun and go get your sweat on!

MRI, Kennedy Krieger

Ok, so this is a shorter post because I am gonna do another one later on health, wellness, and herbs. 


So, here's where we are: MRI. My MRI was negative for tumors and vascular issues. It was positive for an abnormality in the nerve sheath over my left frontal lobe. What does this mean? Who the heck knows. I have been instructed to not worry about it at this moment and we will check into it again way later unless I start having neurological symptoms. So, if you know me, you know I called my dad straight away and started asking questions. My father, a retired DO (Osteopathic Physician for those who don't know), told me that it could mean almost anything. I could have just been born that way. We don't have any previous MRI to reference, so who knows. Also, there are a number of rare neurological diseases that can cause a thinning of the nerve sheath, but usually this is all over the brain, not just in one particular spot. Also, it could have happened when I was in my car accident back in 2002, or the one in 2004 (I was a careless driver before those accidents, and I learned my lessons well!) The accident may have caused trauma to the brain in that area and therefore caused the thinning of the nerve sheath. Who knows. So we will just have to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. But hey, no tumors in my head, right?!! Yippee! Ok, so now onto the kids.


We had their 6 month appointment with Kennedy Krieger in Baltimore. The doctor, a neurologist, was pleased with their progress, told me not to worry about the stupid IQ numbers, and gave us information as to what to do with our concerns. We are going to look into behavioral therapy to address some of the issues that the kids have and look into occupational therapy for the displaced aggression that our daughter has. My husband went with me and was like, "Why did we come all this way and what did this accomplish?" True it wasn't inspirational or anything, but we did get some new info and some of my anxiety was lessened. So it was a good visit all in all. Plus, the staff there is so wonderful and they don't look at me like I am a terrible mom. To them, I am normal...whatever that is :)

Stressed out

So it has been a while. And I have been stressed beyond my max. Since we are recruiting and not in the "real army" I don't have quite the support net that I would like, so my blog is going to have to do for right now. I have been dealing with all kids of stuff: health problems (me), behavior problems (kids), work issues (my husband working freaking over time all the time), not having enough time to get stuff done, working hard toward my weight loss goal only to have injuries, and dealing with my own head (both literally and figuratively). I get the results of my MRI today. Also, I have been having such bad anxiety issues that it really is starting to impact my quality of life. And I am getting attacks from the smallest of stressers. Meds make me feel crappy and listless, so I am now trying herbal supplements. The passion flower seems to be working the most.

I have really lost sight of myself and my goals for life. I am trying to keep a positive attitude, but it has been really difficult. The kids went through assessments at school, both academic and cognitive. Blessing: they will now be including into a regular classroom for kindergarten. Problem: the test gave us IQs. The numbers weren't what I had hoped, but what I had suspected. This is a huge stresser for me. I should be thinking of the positive things about our meeting with the teachers: the kids will be going to normal kindergarten, we reached our number one goal! The kids have made leaps and bounds developmentally! I should be jumping for joy! But no...I am having anxiety attacks over a number that will change when they retest in three years. What is wrong with me?!! (Totally rhetorical. Last thing I need is for people to start posting what's wrong with me, lol.) Actually, I have GAD. Generalized anxiety disorder. Look it up and my picture just might be under the definition.

My kids behavior at school is pretty good. At home: not so much. They don't want to listen. And when I take away toys they throw temper tantrums and still won't listen. You know what the doctor told me: find parenting classes. Lol, I really wanted to punch him, just for a second. Then I realized he doesn't have children with disability. I am waiting to see what the doctor at Kennedy Krieger has to say and what resources they share. As for now, we are going to keep doing positive reinforcement and possibly a strict afternoon schedule. That way we can cut down on some of the chaos.

I do need a support system though. I need a mentor. Someone who has been there and done that in the world of Autism. I don't need a book. I don't need a therapist (although I am sure some would disagree). I need a real person, another mother of an autistic child who has gone through all this and made it out the other side.

It seems impossible to keep a positive attitude. I really do look at everything negatively. I mean, my MRI was just to rule out the worst since I haven't had a scan done for my migraines since I was five. But all I can think about is, "I might have a tumor and die..." Seriously. I actually had problems getting to sleep last night because I was so stressed out that I had heart burn and heart palpitations. Something has got to give! (I will let everyone know how the MRI turns out.)

So I am now working on writing down everything: my goals, my priorities, my stressers, and what makes me happy. I am gonna take those lists and make a schedule for my day and work on fixing what needs fixing and letting go of the things I can't control. I am going to change my way of thinking...with God's help and many prayers, I am sure, but I am going to do it. It may take the rest of my life to get everything under control, but at least I will be working on it. And I am going to take time out everyday for me to relax and meditate! But not yoga. I actually stress more when I try to do yoga, lol. And once my shin splints heal I am going to start running with a friend of mine. She is a super runner and a total sweetheart. I know she will be a prayer warrior for me, and a positive role model.

If you want to help and want to be a sounding board for me then tweet me @Tiger215. Please :) I need all the help I can receive!