Oatmeal

Why? Explain to me why its good for a person? Better yet, just cut to the chase and explain to me how to eat it - in a bowl, instead of baked in a cookie. Or, can I get the same nutritional value out of a eating a oatmeal cookie versus hot oatmeal for breakfast.

Maybe I need to back up and examine this from the eyes and tastebuds I had as a child. Every day in the fall and winter, momma always made me eat a hot cereal as part of breakfast. Matter of fact, I never ate cold cereal growing up, she called that stuff candy and I snacked on it after school. Back to the hot cereal as part of breakfast. Momma cooked a big breakfast every morning. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup, toast, juice and milk. That was standard fare. In the fall and winter, when the weather broke and cold started creeping in, she added Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat to the menu. Even as a child I couldn't tolerate the Cream of Wheat so that is definitely not a consideration, but I did eat with regularity, Oatmeal. This was a yearly ritual which lasted at least 4 months and looking back maybe it was the lessor of the two evils but I remember eating it and asking for it. As I became a teenager and momma backed slowly out of her kitchen and invited me to have an intrigal role in meal preparation, I made the oatmeal on cold mornings. I can remember going to college and making oatmeal because it was the thing to eat to get me started in the morning on cold mornings. So why... can I not stomach it anymore?

I moved south, married a southern man, and adopted a southern baby. Grits are all the rage here, so I learned to cook creamy butter and cheese filled grits but never liked them for myself. On cold mornings, my family ate Grits, I turned to Coca Cola and left Oatmeal alone. Then along the way Oatmeal became the rage, its lowers cholesterol, is full of fiber, comes in a microwaveable mix and seems to be the cereal to eat. Why can't I get a spoonful down now? My gag reflex can't handle it, not to mention the taste of it is just "off" to me.

If I want to get the benefits of oatmeal: cholesterol lowering, high in fiber, fulfilling breakfast, what would be a more palatable substitute? Oatmeal just doesn't go down well...

Operation 80 by 40

OK, I did it. I'm on a weight loss plan. This is something I really don't understand, especially since I'm really happy with myself, but I want to see what all the hype is about so I'm going to find out for myself. I've decided that I am going to lose 80 pounds by the time I'm 40. Then I've also decided that I'm just crazy enough to report my progress for the entire world to see... it might keep me on the target. I've always been adverse to doing things I don't like to do. I don't see the point, and life is too short to do things which you don't want to do. I realize people have differences in opinion about such a statement, but I've lived this far in my adult life, doing just what I please.

I started this insanity of Friday July 17th, weighing a whopping 236 pounds. I also had 450 days exactly. Today (July 21) 5 days into this, I've lost one pound and I'm breaking the coca cola addiction I have. To date, I've have 1, (Saturday) and I have a cold one sitting here in front of me, which I might indulge in shortly. If I can keep from having one on exercise/gym days and if I can only have 1 a day when I do decide to have one, I will have come a long way.

I put my money where my mouth was and joined the gym yesterday. Can you believe I've never used a piece of exercise equipment? I can read and they have detailed images on the machine, but the gym gives me 2 personal training sessions so I'm going to use one, to just get acquainted with the machines. I can see myself strung up on a cable at some point if I'm not properly shown. Honestly though, I hate to sweat. Its plain and simple not ladylike in my opinion. I don't like the feeling or the sensation of sweat, and I don't like to be wet, unless I'm in a shower or in some... um... other... um... well never mind. Going to the gym, encourages sweat. Getting on the equipment after someone else has been on it and has perspired (sweated) on it, is just nasty to me, so I gotta learn to like to sweat.

My water intake has drastically increased. I used to drink a gallon of water a day, then I started drinking less and less as my coke intake increased. I am very pleased to be back on the water kick again. I am conscious of what I eat all of the sudden too. I haven't had fast food since Friday, which is another miracle for me. No shame in my game, I'm a Wendy's girl. I didn't get to be this size on coke alone, Wendy's was a contributing factor. Alas, if I'm going to lose 80 pounds in 445 days something else is going have to go too. I found this nifty little app (for free) for my iPhone. Its called Lose It. It is a calorie and exercise counter. I'm pretty good with budgeting money, so I can be equally as good with budgeting calories. I only have a set amount to use each day, I can get more calories by exercising which is what I will have to do if I indulge but I'm trying to start off right, and stay on the wagon for as long as I can. I did walk outside today and smell Burger King and it made me weak, but I kept moving to get my 1.5 litre bottle of water. Hey, and that walk, counted as exercise too :)

My goal: Get back in a bikini, and have a last hurrah before I let it all go to pot again. Now I'll freely admit, I used to be a wild thing. There isn't too much I didn't do when I was younger and I had the time of my life doing everything I pleased. Then I married, and along came a child and decided that I would settle into adulthood. Now, the child is almost grown, and being "settled" isn't all its cracked up to be. I intend on putting the top back (on the cabriolet) when I turn 40, and riding out having people exclaim that I can't possibly be 40. I won't look like it and I won't act like it!

In your comments, I would love to hear about what exercises you do for various body parts. I need a routine of some sort I think.