Good Bye Pepsi!

This week I said good-bye to my Pepsi! 
I can't believe how easy it was, no headaches.  I am now a water drinker.  I have never been a water drinker but it is really starting to grow on me.
Also this week I have been working on my diet.  I never eat breakfast or lunch, I wait until dinner and then over eat.  I have been forcing myself to eat breakfast and lunch.  I have switch from white bread to wheat and white rice to whole grain.
I have really been proud of myself, changing your eating habits is not an easy thing to do.  I am not being perfect but I am making changes in the correct direction.
I haven't been working out this week like I should be.  My knees have been feeling pretty good up until this past Sunday.  I was walking around in WalMart and my right knee popped!  OMG!!!!  A whole new experience of pain.  My knee has been hurting every since but it is a different type of pain.  Today the pain feels under control and I am meeting one of The Motivated Mommas for finning and aqua power. 
Tuesday starts my knee injections.  I am starting to get nervous about the injections but I am also very hopeful.

Watch Out Here Come The Motivated Momma's

I have been feel absolutely wonderful!!! 
I went for my second opinion on my knees on Tuesday, I was given a different kind of medicine to try until my injections on Feb. 1st.  This medicine has been awesome!  I still have some pain walking down the stairs and the range of movement is limited.
The Motivated Momma's are weighed and ready to win the Biggest Winner Contest.  After weigh in, 3 of the 4 team members hit the pool for some water aerobics.  It felt great!!!  I was a little sore this morning but this evening I took my daughter and we went swimming.
Since Tuesday, I went from being depressed and since the decrease in pain my mood has done a 180 degree turn.  My outlook on things is now positive!!
I feel like I am truly blessed!

Good News Knees!

After my horrible experience with the knee specialist a couple weeks ago I went into a horrible depression.  Sleeping and sitting on the couch the majority of time and not getting anything done!  The house became a mess!  Dishes were not getting done and laundry well is several weeks behind.  To walk down the stairs was a whole new meaning of pain.
Bright and early this morning I had my second opinion!  We started off with a whole new set of X-rays! (that wasn't even considered at the last dr.)  I received good and bad news today.  My knees have deteriorating cartilage.  My right knee is at 2 and my left knee is at 4.  (I don't know what kind of measurement this is) but this is how close my knee is to being bone on bone.  My right knee is also sitting at an angle due to the deterioration.  I know this all sounds like bad news.  The bad news is down the line I am going to need knee replacement surgery.  Short term there are injections of a gel that will be injected into my knees once a week for three weeks.  The gel replaces the cartilage temporally. This method can last up to a year!  I can't believe that I will be without knee pain.
The doctor was very much for me working out.  He told me that loosing 10lbs is like loosing 30lbs to your knees.  I can't wait!
I AM BACK!!!  WATCH OUT BECAUSE HERE I COME!!

Wildflower Words

While reading Life Is Short-Wear Your Party Pants, I came across what the author called Wildflower Words.  They are the following: joyful, delightful, encouraging, challenging, hopeful, creative, insightful, playful, whimsical, relaxing, amazing, brilliant, caring, thoughtful, amusing, courageous, brave, bold, and respectful.
Words can boost your mood!  When asked how you are feeling today?  How do you answer?   I usually answer with: "I'm fine", "So-So", and "Good".  How do you feel after you answer the question with a dull, boring, and lame response?    I don't know about you but after I answer with a boring response I end up feeling only "Fine"! 
I have been trying to answer "The Question" with more energy and enthusiasm.  This is where the Wildflower words come into play.  "How are you today?" "I am in joyful mood today:"  I don't think anyone has ever answered me with anything but the dull, boring response.  These wildflower words can cheer both people involved in the conversation.  I also discovered that when you use the "fine" response the conversation drops dead right there.  Use a wildflower word the conversation continues in a positive direction.
The author asks "Think about the words you use.  Do you act like you're in a vast field of wildflowers, or are you stuck in a ditch?
Here are some ditch words: awful, terrible, horrible, always, never, hopeless, impossible.
Out of curiosity I would like to ask you to try using Wildflower Words and comment on this post with the response you receive and how you feel after using these wonderful words.


I do have to retract the comment only being answered with dull and boring responses.  I have a wonderful friend named Kyle that always uses Wildflower Words.

A Great Week Comes To An End

After a horrible to start to the week, it end fairly well.  To start off: I have lost five pounds!!!!  Yahhhh.!  I am on a team for The Biggest Loser Contest!  I found a finning buddy for Tuesday and Thursday nights.  The back specialist gave me the OK to work out.  I have done a lot of self work this week.  I have been reading: Life Is Short-Wear Your Party Pants by Loretta LaRoche.  I am just sucking the information up!  If you are looking for a good self help book this is a great and to the point book.
On a sour note: the knee specialist did not go very well at all today.  I went back to the doctor who preformed my knee surgeries.  He was running over an hour behind, he spent less than five minuets with me, told me to take Alive for the pain and to wear a sleeve brace on my knee.  I am currently on vicodine for the pain and that only dulls it.  He didn't discuss the option of arthritis he was more worried about the surgery location.  He was also leary about having me work out in the pool for fear that I might hurt the surgery area.  Feeling very disappointed I called my family doctor and we are going to get a second opinion. 
Total weight loss - 5lbs.

And We're Off: To a Horrible Start!

This is me! And this is currently how I look!

Well the first of the year is here!  It is day three of my journey.  I really wish I could say that I am off to a good start but I am not.  My husband I went away for the weekend (our weekend turned out to be a disaster),  We ate out three times and only one time did I make the correct choice of food to eat.  I realized that this will have to be an area that I really need to focus on.  I thought that part of my weight gain was due to stress eating but after the weekend we had, I didn't see this being a problem area.

The queen of excuses showed up this morning!  It was a legitimate excuse that I cancelled my first work out with my trainer.  I did a lot of walking yesterday, in the middle of the night my knee starting hurting so bad that it woke me up.  I have an appointment with the back and knee specialist this week and would like to get their release before doing any exercise that might hurt me worse.

I just know that this pain has to go away!  I will do what ever it takes to take this pain away.  Weight loss is the number one thing I can do to help with the pain.  The only problem is that the pain makes it difficult to work out.  The pool really works.  So, tomorrow I hit the pool for some kicking, running, and treading water.