vg_ford | Entries tagged with swimming

I love this picture. I love the feel of the greenery, of the moving water, of the sheer potential it represents. To me, running water and the outdoors is happiness.

I haven’t been able to do much in the outdoors over the past couple of years, due to a lot of weight gain, injuries (in large part due to that weight gain) and illness. For someone who grew up outside (and yes, I loved the outside when I was younger, although I admit I usually was curled up someplace in it reading), this has been a hard couple of years, and I’m almost positive that being inside and not able to hike and swim and walk the way I want to has contributed to my depression.

In August 2015, I finally admitted I needed real help. Not just nutritionally, but a coach who would administer the tough love and unconditional support I needed to get my life healthy again. I was lucky enough to find that in my friend Shannon, who is a coach for Herbalife. If you’ve ever met me, you know I LOVE food. Like, seriously, LOVE food. The taste, the smell, the mouthfeel – yeah, I’m a bonafide foodie, and for years, I was resistant to having anything to do with meal replacement shakes. Of course, it didn’t help that the ones on the commercial market like Ensure and Boost are full of chemicals and SMELL like chemicals as soon as you open the bottle. So I was skeptical.

Trust me, I’m not trying to sell anyone anything. For one thing, I know that my path isn’t everyone’s. We’re all different. But let me tell you, without Shannon, I wouldn’t be doing as well as I am. I’m walking again. I’m down nearly 30 lbs since August. And the shakes – well, to be perfectly honest, they’re amazing. I love them. (And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I can have cookies and cream cheesecake for breakfast. Okay, well, maybe a little.) And the best part? It doesn’t smell chemically. When I open my vanilla protein powder, it smells like vanilla. My hubby and roomie loved the waffles I made with them (reminder to self, make more waffles.).

For another thing? It’s not cheap. Now, granted, in the long run, it’s cheaper than eating fast food all the time, and it’s cheaper than medical bills. But it does require some outlay of cash.

But for me, it’s been worth it. If you are interested in talking to my coach, you can hit Shannon up – her husband Tom is a coach as well, if you want a guy instead. I can personally vouch for both of them – they’re amazing, and I’m lucky to have them in my life. Because of them, I’m looking forward to hiking this summer, and maybe, just maybe, getting my bike out again.

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.

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I’m trying really hard to keep updating this blog. I feel bad that it seems to be only on Mondays – I promise, I will get onto more of a schedule soon. Life has just been…well, life, lately.

Hubby is still job hunting, and any good thoughts (or job prospects!) that you folks can send our way would be awesome. He’s looking hard, and in the meantime, I get to enjoy things like the house being cleaner than normal, and my laundry being done. Honestly, if we could afford it, I’d love to keep him as a house husband. He’d be happier too. We need to win the lottery or something.

I’m still writing (yes, this is totally counting as words today, because it is after 11 pm and I’m brain-dead after a Monday), and I’m up to 23 days, I believe. Not even hurricanes or hurricane-related hangovers stopped me, so one day of weird chats (and dear lord, were they weird. Especially the guy who wanted to make sure he was still employed, because he couldn’t change his contributions online. From his work computer. While he sat in his office. I swear, I can’t make this stuff up!) is not going to stop me. And as my friend LC pointed out last week, the fact that I have a life means I have more inspiration. And I do!

I’m hoping to get Into Thin Air out this week. It’s on my list, and Wednesday after my PT appointment, I’m planning on heading to the studio and getting it out. This is a labor of love – I really, really love these characters, and I think the story and the concept are awesome. It’s a new universe, a new plotline – and I can’t wait to share it with you. I’m thinking Wednesday I might post a scene for you.

Health update! We think the kidney stone passed while I wasn’t looking (a 4mm stone, or so they thought. My friend Bob uses pearls smaller that that in his jewelry. O.o) but I go to the urologist on Wednesday to find out. There’s no pain anymore, which is good, but apparently now I’m prone to them (kidney stones, that is). Joy. It’s been stupid cold here, so my knees are not happy. I think Wednesday might also be swim day, as I have a 3 hour block of time in between urologist and PT. And the pool is warm. I just have to find my swim suit.

But right now, I’m not going to think about sore knees, or bills, or anything like that. I just wanted to thank you guys. All of you, who believe in me, who like the stories and the characters that I bring into life. I want to be thankful that I can continue to write. And I want to remind myself, and everyone else out there, that I always have my writing, and that’s a very, very cool thing.

Even if it is stupid cold out. (Seriously, it’s -17 degrees F before the wind chill. WTF? It’s March! It’s baseball season! This is NOT AWESOME!)

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.

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and it’s official – I have a cold. Gluten does not cause green snot to come out of my nose. *sigh* Just what I needed before Capclave. I’m alternating tea and juice and hoping to kill it dead.

Bah. I hate having a depressed immune system. However!!! I resisted Panera this morning! (Managers brought us in breakfast – they brought me a fruit cup, since I requested that, rather than gluten.) Go me!

I’m getting this under control. Tonight, we swim.

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.

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Part of the reason I write this page every week is to remind myself of what I’m trying to do. Yeah, I know, Yoda said to either do, or do not – there is no try, but honestly, I’m human, not a Jedi Master, and I have to try. Because more often than not lately, my best intentions have gone the way of the dodo (wow, talk about mixing metaphors!).

It’s stress. I am really lousy about dealing with stress. I internalize a lot of it, and then I blow my top, and my diet, and everything else. I don’t take my meds on time all the time. I don’t eat right. I end up rushing, and not taking the time to make the foods that will make me feel better, or forgetting them at home, and then I eat fast food, which doesn’t help either.

It’s a journey. I really need to remind myself that I didn’t gain the weight all at once, and that stressing about it is not healthy either. I need to set up meals the night before. I’ve written up a meal plan for the week, and rather than just doing dinners, as I’ve done before, I actually sat down and planned out the entire week of food: breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. I’m planning on going to the gym and swimming on Tuesday and Thursday (they have new hours for the pool) and I have morning appointments on Monday and Wednesday. I’ve made allowances for those days, working that into my food plan. It really is all about the planning, and the follow-up to the planning. Make the plan easy enough to follow through.

I’ll let you know how I did next Monday!

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.

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Yes, I know, it's only March - but it was a glorious day today! I didn't even wear a jacket into work. Just short sleeves. The sun was brilliant, and the air smelled fresh.

Happy Val!

I swam today too. 30 minutes, and it felt good. 20 minutes of stairs (running up and down), and I've got 4 extra points today. Go me!

Yesterday, I made a roast chicken and strawberry jam and garlic smashed potatoes. Today, all I made was a caprese salad with baby greens. I slacked. :p But I packed about 1/2 a box of books, and yes, I actually put some books in the to-be-sold pile. *sigh* I hate getting rid of books. Then again, it's more room for other books to be bought!

I hate packing. I really do. But this time, I'm doing it right. EVERYTHING'S going to be labelled, dammit!

More later.

Current Mood: spring!!!
Current Location: work, unfortunately
Current Music: none

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Well, today has already been a busy day! I put laundry away, started sorting through my clothes (uck!) and went to weaving circle. That was fun - I got the bead loom rewarped, and have started some cuffs for

argus7hills new tunic. Green and silver - I like. :D

Then I went swimming, and then Walmart. Now, I've eaten dinner and am getting the bead weaving kits together for tomorrow. Of course, I left all my major beads down in the car, but I figure this is a chance to get rid of some of my odds and ends beads. *grin*

Tomorrow is the demo at Dartmouth. Yay!

Current Mood: busy
Current Location: in front of the heater
Current Music: Food TV in the background

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Well, I got to the gym today. I'm up to 5 meals a day, and I am SOOO a convert now.

I was really, really feeling like I am constantly eating. Still do. But they've been small meals, and I got confirmation today that the plan works, at least for me.

The last time I went to the gym was June 15th. I know, bad me. Well, I went today, swam for an hour (36 laps, which is a little over a half-mile in our pool) and treated myself to the jacuzzi for 10 minutes.

Then I stepped on the scale and closed my eyes. When I weighed myself June 15th, I was 281 lbs. Yeah, that big.

I opened my eyes. I blinked. Several times. Then I asked the lady beside me to confirm the numbers.

274.8 lbs.

GO ME!!!

Needless to say, I am now a convert. Bring on the small meals!!!!

Oh, and have to share

empath_1111's yummy guacamole recipe, that I treated myself to today. It's just tomatoes, avocado and lemon juice. I added a bit of roasted garlic (because garlic makes EVERYTHING taste better, IMHO), and YUMMY!!!

So excited. So very excited.

(x-posted to

writing_healthy)

Current Mood: go me! go me!
Current Location: getting ready for work
Current Music: Paula Deen

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Swam again today, and added another 100 yards onto my goal (so I did 600 yards, instead of 500). I'm six laps from my first mile - and if I'd had another 15 minutes, I would have made it, but I didn't want to be late for work.

64 / 350
(18.3%)

Got the sex scene done - now I have to decide what I want to do next. I still have another day before they can go back to the house, but do my readers really want a day of Sapph and James being cute? Dunno.

We'll see.

Current Mood: sore

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swimming

Finally!

Jeez, you'd think I'd never written anything naughty before. It was like pulling teeth!

But I got through it. And sorry, I'm not posting it here. This one, you'll have to wait and buy the book. :)