I know vending machines are bad. I know that I should not be visiting a vending machine (of ANY kind...) no matter what. But there are circumstances that are necessary and if you have some kind of control of yourself it should be fine once and awhile. I am not going to say that the vending machine was out to get me (weirdo...) but I do think that it is a SIGN of sorts if you have a mortifying incident at a (you guessed it!!) vending machine.
I can say with COMPLETE confidence that ONCE and for ALL I am CURED of any visitation between me and (any) vending machines. Now don't get me wrong. There are some vending machines that are filled with more nutritional items to purchase or they are filled partially with items you may have forgotten on a trip. But the candy/naughty ones and I are OVER. Once you hear it you will understand.
I was at training all week. The last night there we have a large banquet. There is a cash bar but I don't normally drink and yes I did have one the night before. One cosmopolitan cocktail with friends for networking purposes ONLY!! So at the banquet my boss leads L (co-worker also attending the conference) and myself to the bar. I decline and he insists. L is allergic to alcohol so she gets a soda (nothing wrong with drinking or not drinking whatever the reason). I order ONE cranberry and vodka. They are in low ball glasses so they are small. I put my money down and he says he is buying. Ok. That is nice. I promise I will get to the vending machine incident... Fast forward two and half hours plus three additional cape cods (cranberry & vodka). After the banquet I feel fine because it was a very LONG banquet with awards and speeches. I go up to the bar in the hotel to meet M. She is a dispatcher too and SHE has LOST 58 pounds. She looks great!! I am slightly jealous but I am happy for her! It's just another motivation for me anyway. I have two more drinks. Turns out one vendor a night during training pays for drinks for EVERYONE in 9-1-1 ALL night. Two more is quite enough. I had a great night and I go back to my room. Gee. I am hungry.
I am hungry! Crap!! Now I absolutely cannot drive anywhere and there is no where near any place to eat PLUS it is after midnite. Ok. I am going to go down to the vending machine. *sigh* I am just going to get a bag of chips. I am SURE there is something somewhat acceptable to eat so I can sleep. I am on floor six and the vending machine is floor one. I go down to the first floor. I get one bag of sun chips. I say to myself, I should get one more because if I don't eat it tonight I can eat them on the way home. I put my money in for bag number two. The bag. Is. Stuck. NO NO NO NO!! So think okay if I buy one more it will push it out and I will addional bag but I can take it home. I put the third set of money in. The SECOND bag is ALSO stuck. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I have to to the lobby (floor #2) and tell the front desk who as to get on the portable radio and call the maintenance person to meet me down on the first floor. She and I are looking at each other and there is no way that she or we can shake this out. So back up to the lobby to get my $1.60. Really? I took my chips and my $1.60 and go back to my room to eat my snack alone.
NO MORE VENDING MACHINES. EVER. I WILL EAT THE TWO YEAR OLD CAN OF BEANS AT WORK BEFORE I GO BACK TO ANY VENDING MACHINE...
There are times that there is just a sign of what you should have done. I probably should have gotten my snack before the banquet. This was my sign. My resolve to be finished with the vending machines as a whole is now stronger then ever... Aside from that I had lots of fun and did a bunch of networking! Training was great and I brought a lot of ideas back to work!
Ciao
USMCdaffy
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Mini Meals, Chi & Acupuncture!
Unless you are like my friend D., who has self control of steel-unwavering, you may find yourself at the drive thru. Now my friend D. says you should never eat anywhere that you can get your food through a window! But there are times when it is necessary. There is a McDonald's where I live and I absolutely NEVER EVER sit inside. There is something about inside that place that I just can't deal with. So the drive thru is the only option for me. So for the most part if I go there (which is not that often) I go through the drive thru. And driving and eating a salad is sentencing you to bad juju via vehicle collision. Eating & driving is just has dangerous as talking on the cell or driving while tired! Anyway my son and I were there and I got a mini-meal. They are under three dollars and they are basically a happy meal without the toy. And we have to consider that the Happy Meal is actually an adult size serving NOT the regular meals! And I am not even talking about how the Supersized everything either! Happy meals are the CORRECT serving for an ADULT! So now don't get the regular meal if you decide to roll through McDonald's get the mini meal its enough food and without the silly toy!
Chi. Maybe my Chi is askew? The Chinese believe that Chi is the natural flow of the universe. There are all kinds of chi- organs have their own chi, blood flow has its own chi. They believe that if your chi (which ever one) is blocked then that is where medical problems occur. One way to put your Chi back where it should be or unblocked (which ever!) is to get acupuncture done. I personally have never had it done before but I know a few people and they say it works! AND bonus! My insurance covers it! HA!! So perhaps my Chi is off and I need to get it back to where it supposed to be. It is something certainly to think about. If meds are not working and you have done all that you can to make yourself better perhaps acupuncture is something that could work for you. Pain is only a symptom and pills only cover the pain so you can live. What if you had to chance to get rid of the pain once and for all without pill? Its worth a try. I am really considering it. My friend D.? She had it done and she is said it worked for her ailment. Plus I don't think it hurts like we think it is going to hurt! ;o)
Ciao
USMCdaffy
PS If needles completely freak you out.. There acupressure therapy! No needles involved!
Chi. Maybe my Chi is askew? The Chinese believe that Chi is the natural flow of the universe. There are all kinds of chi- organs have their own chi, blood flow has its own chi. They believe that if your chi (which ever one) is blocked then that is where medical problems occur. One way to put your Chi back where it should be or unblocked (which ever!) is to get acupuncture done. I personally have never had it done before but I know a few people and they say it works! AND bonus! My insurance covers it! HA!! So perhaps my Chi is off and I need to get it back to where it supposed to be. It is something certainly to think about. If meds are not working and you have done all that you can to make yourself better perhaps acupuncture is something that could work for you. Pain is only a symptom and pills only cover the pain so you can live. What if you had to chance to get rid of the pain once and for all without pill? Its worth a try. I am really considering it. My friend D.? She had it done and she is said it worked for her ailment. Plus I don't think it hurts like we think it is going to hurt! ;o)
Ciao
USMCdaffy
PS If needles completely freak you out.. There acupressure therapy! No needles involved!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Caulifower.
I used to hate cauliflower. I didn't like the smell or the taste. It was mainly the smell that did it for me. As a child I don't think I actually ever ate it. I was a picky eater. I could skip meals with the best of them. I remember everyone else eating ham for dinner and I would make a sandwich after dinner. I found that I didn't like cauliflower raw. I found that I really enjoy eating it steamed. It is so easy nowadays to get steamed cauliflower (or other veg) during the winter by buying the steambags. YUM!
There are so many good things about cauliflower! It prevents cancer! But of course your veg helps greatly in the fight to stay healthy!! It is when you over cook the vegetable is where problems arise. First off over cooking a vegetable makes the taste not so great AND you can cook the nutrients out of it! That is why steaming is so popular and recommended so often. It takes the least amount of nutrient out of your veg!
Cauliflower has phytonutrients. These little fellows help the body promote liver detoxification! And lets just say we are really hard our livers (those babies are constantly working to detox our bodies with all the meds and junk we eat!). Plus phytonutrients also help as antioxidants to fight free radicals. A little research goes a very long way but be careful! Some of that information is not always the whole truth!! When looking online you must check the website and where it gets the information! I look on www.whfoods.com. This site is called World's Healthiest Foods and they post on Google every week-healthiest food of the week! This week is cauliflower!!
Tonight I am making cauliflower grautin and the recipe is from Food Network Magazine. The recipe is probably on the website too but I discovered it in my magazine a few months ago. Now I don't know how healthy it really is because the recipe calls for heavy cream and Gryere cheese. It is the cheese that is used to make fondue. It is a very simple recipe and I think as long as you watch your portions you will be fine. I am trying it this time as warm, not warmed up! Try something new! What if you like? Just because you don't like something prepared one way does not mean you won't like it another!
Ciao
USMCdaffy
There are so many good things about cauliflower! It prevents cancer! But of course your veg helps greatly in the fight to stay healthy!! It is when you over cook the vegetable is where problems arise. First off over cooking a vegetable makes the taste not so great AND you can cook the nutrients out of it! That is why steaming is so popular and recommended so often. It takes the least amount of nutrient out of your veg!
Cauliflower has phytonutrients. These little fellows help the body promote liver detoxification! And lets just say we are really hard our livers (those babies are constantly working to detox our bodies with all the meds and junk we eat!). Plus phytonutrients also help as antioxidants to fight free radicals. A little research goes a very long way but be careful! Some of that information is not always the whole truth!! When looking online you must check the website and where it gets the information! I look on www.whfoods.com. This site is called World's Healthiest Foods and they post on Google every week-healthiest food of the week! This week is cauliflower!!
Tonight I am making cauliflower grautin and the recipe is from Food Network Magazine. The recipe is probably on the website too but I discovered it in my magazine a few months ago. Now I don't know how healthy it really is because the recipe calls for heavy cream and Gryere cheese. It is the cheese that is used to make fondue. It is a very simple recipe and I think as long as you watch your portions you will be fine. I am trying it this time as warm, not warmed up! Try something new! What if you like? Just because you don't like something prepared one way does not mean you won't like it another!
Ciao
USMCdaffy
Monday, June 7, 2010
TurboJam! Power90! I love Beachbody.com
I love exercise. I love it more now because for a long while I was unable to do it. I love my yoga but there is something about that heart slamming lung screaming cardio that makes me happy. Endorphins. I am sure that is the reason but I feel so accomplished when I finish. I say that it burns the hate out. And sometimes as a dispatcher I have a LOT of hate to relieve! When I used to go the gym I would use the cardio machines with my ipod. I could feel all the tension and stress slip away. I turned to yoga because it was easy on my injured knee and I could modify the moves as I needed.
When I got hurt I could not do my cardio and it actually caused my injury. Well at least that is what the doctors guessed. I tore my meniscus. There are two of them. Unfortunately I tore the one on the inside of the knee. It is also the one that gets the least amount of blood flow which is important in HEALING. It also didn't help that it took months to diagnose. Two doctors and one cortizone shot later I was still hurt. And I was eating pains meds like candy. I won't take anything stronger then motrin or tylenol so I take a lot of them at a time. Which is not exactly great for your liver! I used my knee brace for every time I did my yoga. Its supposed to heal on its own. It wasn't... I started researching. I started icing. Icing is what helped me the most. It started feeling better. I went back to bits of different exercises. I was really scared. But I needed to try. You can really hurt yourself... WAIT! I did!! And I was very aware of my form and the doctor said injuries can just happen quietly like that. *UGH*!
I put on my brace and I put in my Power90 VHS (yes! VHS!!) tape. (Oh Tony Horton how I missed you!!) And I started. It did the sculpt tape (38 minutes) instead of the cardio tape because I was testing the waters. I DID IT!! I made it through with no pain!!! I got done and I immediately put some ice on my knees for about 10 minutes. So I sat sipping my water and icing my knees. Waiting. Hoping. I got up. I walked around. YIPPEE!! OK. This is where I can go terribly wrong. I did the one thing I normally don't do. I took it slow. Instead of getting over motivated I did yoga the next day. It's so easy for me to go full throttle. The next time I did a workout on the exercise ball (25 minutes). The time after that I used the ball workout but during intervals I got on my ellipitical machine for five minutes each time for a total of 15 minutes. Still icing my knees and sipping my water!!
Today. Today I did TurboJam. TurboJam is full on cardio. It was the 20 minute workout and I was terribly rusty but I DID IT! HA! No pain. No pulling. AND without my knee brace. I still iced my knees and sipped my water.
Before I go today I wanted to say that I get a lot of my work out DVDs (or VHS before the popularity of DVD) from www.beachbody.com. I have been going there since before they were selling DVDs AND only had the Power90 programon VHS tapes. Its a great site and now they have lots and lots of different DVD exercise programs. And it is home of the P90X. It's hard to pick a favorite but I love Shawn T. and his Hip Hop Abs (dancing! fun!!) And I adore Yoga Booty Ballet with Teigh & Gillian which is how I got so intersted in yoga in the first place! And of course Chalene Johnson & TurboJam. Go there and check it out. There is something for everyone. If you have Facebook everyone is on there too!
Ok! Time of finish my water and snack.
Ciao
USMCdaffy
When I got hurt I could not do my cardio and it actually caused my injury. Well at least that is what the doctors guessed. I tore my meniscus. There are two of them. Unfortunately I tore the one on the inside of the knee. It is also the one that gets the least amount of blood flow which is important in HEALING. It also didn't help that it took months to diagnose. Two doctors and one cortizone shot later I was still hurt. And I was eating pains meds like candy. I won't take anything stronger then motrin or tylenol so I take a lot of them at a time. Which is not exactly great for your liver! I used my knee brace for every time I did my yoga. Its supposed to heal on its own. It wasn't... I started researching. I started icing. Icing is what helped me the most. It started feeling better. I went back to bits of different exercises. I was really scared. But I needed to try. You can really hurt yourself... WAIT! I did!! And I was very aware of my form and the doctor said injuries can just happen quietly like that. *UGH*!
I put on my brace and I put in my Power90 VHS (yes! VHS!!) tape. (Oh Tony Horton how I missed you!!) And I started. It did the sculpt tape (38 minutes) instead of the cardio tape because I was testing the waters. I DID IT!! I made it through with no pain!!! I got done and I immediately put some ice on my knees for about 10 minutes. So I sat sipping my water and icing my knees. Waiting. Hoping. I got up. I walked around. YIPPEE!! OK. This is where I can go terribly wrong. I did the one thing I normally don't do. I took it slow. Instead of getting over motivated I did yoga the next day. It's so easy for me to go full throttle. The next time I did a workout on the exercise ball (25 minutes). The time after that I used the ball workout but during intervals I got on my ellipitical machine for five minutes each time for a total of 15 minutes. Still icing my knees and sipping my water!!
Today. Today I did TurboJam. TurboJam is full on cardio. It was the 20 minute workout and I was terribly rusty but I DID IT! HA! No pain. No pulling. AND without my knee brace. I still iced my knees and sipped my water.
Before I go today I wanted to say that I get a lot of my work out DVDs (or VHS before the popularity of DVD) from www.beachbody.com. I have been going there since before they were selling DVDs AND only had the Power90 programon VHS tapes. Its a great site and now they have lots and lots of different DVD exercise programs. And it is home of the P90X. It's hard to pick a favorite but I love Shawn T. and his Hip Hop Abs (dancing! fun!!) And I adore Yoga Booty Ballet with Teigh & Gillian which is how I got so intersted in yoga in the first place! And of course Chalene Johnson & TurboJam. Go there and check it out. There is something for everyone. If you have Facebook everyone is on there too!
Ok! Time of finish my water and snack.
Ciao
USMCdaffy
Friday, June 4, 2010
Venti vs Vending Machine....
I should have had the Venti. I love love love Starbucks. I don't have it often because it is very addicting for me! I try not to drink too much caffeine and I try to get as much sleep as possible. No matter how many energy drinks or coffees or sugar you consume eventually you will crash. Being tired is only cured by sleep. I am the FIRST person to say that it can be very difficult to get that sleep. Back to the Venti. Usually I get a hot venti non fat white chocolate mocha no whip or a hot venti non late latte with hazenut no whip. Most of the time I don't have time to pick up a coffee. Because usually I am racing to work and getting there in the nick of time. I should have made time last night. I should have made time for the coffee.
Last night I was tired. Dead tired by midnight. That is B-A-D! That means I have another SIX HOURS until I go home and then it is a 40ish mile commute home. It is a painful ride home when I am tired. OH so painful many times over the years.. Anywho! I did an unholy thing. I made a trip to the vending machine. I slinked over there and got some bad bad stuff. I don't do energy drinks and there was no coffee. I bought a Mountain Dew. The soda with the record number of caffeine. Also rumored to make men drop sperm count... People DRINK this stuff. Then I got some Cheetos. That color is not of nature! Its totally man made!! Then of course a Snickers bar. Was it necessary? At the time I thought it was but I have to take into account the delirium. Severe delirium! I wasn't tired after that. How could I be? I had enough sugar and caffeine (only 1/3 of the soda drank!) to last me for the night right? Not exactly. I was okay for a while. Then I started to feel myself come down off my sugar/caffeine high. I didn't crash per se but I could feel it slowly lowering... BOO! Dang! UGH!! Two more hours!!
I can say I made it home safe and sound. Beat down tired but home... And yet another discovery about myself. I prefer the Venti over the vending machine and sleep over the Venti. And that overloading myself with sugar and caffeine is no bueno my friends... I'll be working on my sleep on days off AND I am staying away from vending machines. Yuck.
Ciao
USMCdaffy
Last night I was tired. Dead tired by midnight. That is B-A-D! That means I have another SIX HOURS until I go home and then it is a 40ish mile commute home. It is a painful ride home when I am tired. OH so painful many times over the years.. Anywho! I did an unholy thing. I made a trip to the vending machine. I slinked over there and got some bad bad stuff. I don't do energy drinks and there was no coffee. I bought a Mountain Dew. The soda with the record number of caffeine. Also rumored to make men drop sperm count... People DRINK this stuff. Then I got some Cheetos. That color is not of nature! Its totally man made!! Then of course a Snickers bar. Was it necessary? At the time I thought it was but I have to take into account the delirium. Severe delirium! I wasn't tired after that. How could I be? I had enough sugar and caffeine (only 1/3 of the soda drank!) to last me for the night right? Not exactly. I was okay for a while. Then I started to feel myself come down off my sugar/caffeine high. I didn't crash per se but I could feel it slowly lowering... BOO! Dang! UGH!! Two more hours!!
I can say I made it home safe and sound. Beat down tired but home... And yet another discovery about myself. I prefer the Venti over the vending machine and sleep over the Venti. And that overloading myself with sugar and caffeine is no bueno my friends... I'll be working on my sleep on days off AND I am staying away from vending machines. Yuck.
Ciao
USMCdaffy
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Scary... Lost goal- FOUND!!
Last night I woke up gasping for air... It scared the holy crap out of me! My fear? That its sleep apnea! What?? Sleep apnea?? Ok. It's probably not but it still scared me. So I really started to think about taking this turn around health thing seriously. I have to be honest and I have been in denial PLUS I find that I can pretty much use any excuse for poor eating. I can find ANY excuse. This in fact is my main problem. I don't eat when I am bored. I don't eat when I am upset but I can eat some bad things... I love salt. I prefer savory over sweet. I can go for months without candy, ice scream, cookies, sugar, etc. Its the fat, the salt, the potatoes... ANY kind of potatoe!! Oh fast food.. Deep fry..
As I was doing my workout today I started thinking. A very long time ago I wanted to do the Marine Corps Mud Run. It's world famous and its open to the public now. As I was huffing away at my elliptical machine I started trying to figure how long it would take to get in shape. This 10k mud run is NO JOKE. If you are not in great shape you can really get hurt. I already have torn my meniscus and it totally derailed my cardio for a very long time. I was forced to do yoga while I was waiting to heal. Now I love yoga and it is helpful mentally/emotionally (especially as a dispatcher) but I miss my heart pounding lung screaming cardio! So I just don't want to get there and get hurt because it SUCKS!! As I have been injured I have come to realize how much I need that cardio because of my job. It burns off the hate.. LOL All my stress leaves and I feel better. But adding yoga into my workout has made me a lot happier and more relaxed.
SO! I my goal is to do the USMC Mud Run June 2012. I officially have stopped the BS and the denial in my food. Better food choices is a MUST. Its all about free will!
Ciao
USMCDaffy
PS Memorial Day weekend for a dispatcher is in fact EXTREMELY busy! But we all made it out okay!!
As I was doing my workout today I started thinking. A very long time ago I wanted to do the Marine Corps Mud Run. It's world famous and its open to the public now. As I was huffing away at my elliptical machine I started trying to figure how long it would take to get in shape. This 10k mud run is NO JOKE. If you are not in great shape you can really get hurt. I already have torn my meniscus and it totally derailed my cardio for a very long time. I was forced to do yoga while I was waiting to heal. Now I love yoga and it is helpful mentally/emotionally (especially as a dispatcher) but I miss my heart pounding lung screaming cardio! So I just don't want to get there and get hurt because it SUCKS!! As I have been injured I have come to realize how much I need that cardio because of my job. It burns off the hate.. LOL All my stress leaves and I feel better. But adding yoga into my workout has made me a lot happier and more relaxed.
SO! I my goal is to do the USMC Mud Run June 2012. I officially have stopped the BS and the denial in my food. Better food choices is a MUST. Its all about free will!
Ciao
USMCDaffy
PS Memorial Day weekend for a dispatcher is in fact EXTREMELY busy! But we all made it out okay!!
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