The Bear Necessities! April 2019 W.I.S.H Goals

I got my acceptance letter to nursing school!!! After a couple of years of being wait-listed at my local community college near my house (it's a 2-year program with very low standards, so they get wayyyyy to many applicants and it's a lottery system now, it was "who gets in line first" before that... ) I finally got fed up and applied to the 4 year school which actually uses crazy things like test scores and grades and letters of recommendation... and my letter came Friday!!!

*BUT*... this class is my last requirement... so I guess I should sign off and work on it for a bit now, huh. SO. BORING. Back later!

:cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1: Yes! Congratulations!

Joining in at the end of the month. My goals for the rest of the month are :

:welcome: Your goals look great.

What's got you motivated this week?

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hehe burning off the Easter chocolate ... it did show up on my scales this morning :rotfl:


Wish it was a little warmer and sunny but at least it isn’t raining!

Hope it gets warmer for you soon. Rain, rain, rain is what I have here again today ... and it is expected for another 4 days yet. We have had LOTS of rain recently.
 
We're back to MOTIVATION MONDAY!!!
Well, I started out strong today. I did a cardio workout and a weight lifting workout before getting ready for work. But then my energy sort of fizzled out. I'm thinking of taking the dog for a walk before dinner to see if that helps me get some energy back. Fresh air often helps, right? Everyone seemed to be dragging at school today, including the kids.

My motivation is to get back on track after some poor food choices (ok, A LOT of poor food choices) the last four days...or more. We have a countdown to summer on the refrigerator, so maybe that will help motivate me too.
 
Congratulations @Zhoen

Motivation Monday - last two days I was soooo bad! Ate way too much. Need to do better this week. My husbands birthday meal out stress over having to start thinking about packing and the upcoming move to my parents in law.

It's hard going

Motivation - I hope to book vacation for next year this week. Offers are due to come out in 2 days.
 


Thankful Thursday!!! I am thankful for thieving, as in, I love Lizanne's ABC idea, so I'm stealing it!! Can you do a whole alphabet of gratitude! (If you can't it might just be because you are too busy with a full life, which is ALSO something to be grateful for!)

A- Australia... I have never been, but just the idea of a place that is so opposite from us in time zone and seasons, yet so like us in a lot of other ways is just intriguing. Then there's the fact that it's so BIG that people sometimes rediscover "extinct" species still alive there! Air conditioning, because... humidity!

B- Bella, which is a nickname for DD15; the beach- we are going to our little local one in about an hour to look for shells and beach glass

C- Chocolate, and Cristin (Mickeymom76), coupons

D- Dental floss, because seriously, have you ever needed it and NOT had it??? Drive-thrus--these made life SO much better when the kids were still in the carseats! Dishwasher, because hand-washing dishes sucks!

E- Easter break... sleeping in, blossoms, egg hunts, sleeping in...

F- Flexibility... unfortunately the physical version of this has mostly left me and continues to fade, but mentally, it's great to be able to adapt, given the mercurial nature of things! Freedom, in all its forms, and those who stand up for it.

G- Geochaching, even though I haven't done it lately... I love the idea; gardening, even though I'm terrible at it; Guacamole

H- Happy Grape, heat lamp (because it makes the baby chicks happy and quiet

I- Iced tea, and the fact that it hasn't spilled on me or Lizanne lately... Internet! because I love being able to research so many things even when the libraries are closed

J- … the first great love of my life was a J-name. I'm grateful to have met him, because he helped me discover a lot about who I am. I'm grateful to still know him on facebook, because it helps me remember that we have both grown and changed and while I will always love that 16 year old (TBH, he looked a LOT like Disney's Tarzan, so yeah...) I am thankful that it worked out the way it did, and not the way I wanted back then...

K- Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yep, I said it. Ethics aside, the grilled chicken is good when you are hungry for meat-and-salt and you want it NOW... my kids love the cruddy chemical mashed potatoes. H loves the overly salty/oniony green beans, but I have learned to copy those

L- Lizanne, Linda, Lena, Laura! "Less," which I can always use MORE of... The Library at my college, which is a good place to go to study, and I always seem to run into people there!

M- Magdalene, movies

N- Nicole; NOT hitting any deer with my car for almost 5 weeks straight!

O- Old things! Something about old houses, old buildings, even junk people are throwing out feels romantic... a connection to the past

P- Piglet1979, pay-at-the-pump gasoline-- for the same reason as drive-thrus. When the kids were in car seats, this saved me having to unbuckle/rebuckle them! (Not to mention, who wants to take a toddler into a convenience store filled with eye-level candy and toys????) Peanut butter

Q- Q-tips, same logic as dental floss. This is one that people seem to mention a lot when talking about the Appalachian trail. Personally, I'd carry the extra gram of weight and lose the extra 2cm of pack space to carry some of these with me.

R- Retirement!!! I think that even once I am through school, I may not go back to work full-time. Just even remembering how sick the stress used to make me is hard.

S- Sandy, Sam, Spencer, smartphone; The Smithsonian museums, which aren't far from here. I could happily spend HOURS the art and history museums... HATE the Air and Space Museum and am happy that as an adult, I am not being dragged there constantly on school field trips!!!

T- Travel (need to get me some more of that!)

U- Umbrellas!!! During my military years, I was in a service that WAS allowed to use umbrellas, and yes, there were times I smirked as I saw the others getting drenched in the summer rain. Back then I could only have blue or black umbrellas in uniform, so I would get the wildest ones I could for the rare hours I was NOT in uniform, and to this day I only buy pretty ones!

V- Vera Bradley and Vera Wang!!! Video games-- personally I don't play them, but they keep H busy and sometimes the kids, too. Plus did you hear that they are using some of the data from Assasins' Creed to research the rebuilding of Notre Dame??? Voluntary simplicity, which allows me a lot more freedom/flexibility in my life

W- Whole foods market-- I like their ethically sourced flowers and their hot bar. Plus, they sell the tea I like so I don't have to pay to have it shipped!

X- Xrays and MRIs, hoping for good results for all of you awaiting them

Y- Yard sales, because when they have nothing I want/need, they remind me that I have all I need and don't really want for much, either

Z- so I can have a funny name!

These are awesome!
 
If you joined in you are braver then me! Good for you :-)



That's awesome - its such a good feeling isn't it? :D

***************

Okay got some good news on the sister front this morning... NOT cancer ... she has Graves Disease (involves the thyroid) and gotten a rare effect of Graves Ophthalmopathy - she has to see an endocrinologist now to see what happens next, medication, possible surgery and possibly still some radiation treatment on the eye. She has to give up smoking it makes the Graves worse and she has to be closely monitored as it can increase risk of cancer in the future. Phew - we agreed we aren't even telling mum she was being tested for cancer.

To help me with my funk about weight loss this morning - I decided to re-measure myself and compare to the measurements I took on my first day of keto eating back in January - I have lost 8cms off my waist! and a couple off my hips and thighs. Even though the tape measure wasn't really showing it I know I have lost some off my chest - I can tell by my underwear fit - but thinking female fluctuations may be hampering the measurement. :P

Great news about your Sister not having cancer!
 
Good morning lovelies!

I'm back from my long weekend... it was kind of a mixed bag. Thursday and Friday were mostly appointments with Sister, then Saturday we headed up the beach and met up with Niece and Nephew-in-law at the AirBnB. The house was really cute and we had a good time chatting and binge watching The Great British Baking Show. Everyone else was in to Game of Thrones, so I've now watched my first episode of that as well. Even not really knowing what was going on it was pretty good, and I can see why/how people get so hooked on it.

Sunday, for Easter, we had a yummy late breakfast and then munched on stuff the rest of the day, so for dinner I just put out the meats and cheeses and we munched on that as well.

I felt very off track the entire weekend, with not enough movement and not enough water and too much Easter candy, so when I got home yesterday I drank copious amounts of water and had straight up protein for dinner and I'm feeling much better for it this
morning. My focus for the rest of this week is going to be on eating lots of protein and also getting back on to probiotics.

 


Hello, Dearies! How beautiful the weather is here today! Not that I can tell, because DD15 is back in the hospital today, on the side with no windows, and insists on keeping the lights off. She spiked a high fever last night and we are waiting for the IV fluids to fill her bladder enough for her to do a urine sample and an ultrasound. Never a dull moment with that one. Meanwhile, DD11 spends wayyyy too much time on Pinterest, and has been bugging me that "it's time for spring cleaning!" Which brings us to:

TOPIC TUESDAY: FIBER!!!! (Hehe, I've been waiting for this one!!!)

So let's start with the obvious disclaimer... "Ain't nobody agrees on how much fiber you should eat, or why."

So then why eat fiber at all? (Umm... because popcorn is DELICIOUS???) Most often, we hear about fiber as "eat more whole grains." Or "Make half your grains whole." Or stuff like that. But why? What is the point of fiber?

Older people will talk about "it keeps you regular..." as if pooping a lot is a good thing... others talk about how eating cheerios "lowered their cholesterol," and dieters like to say that fiber helps you feel fuller longer. Probably some truth to most of that, but as with all things, your mileage may vary. Your LDL (bad cholesterol) MAY be reduced if you eat a lot of soluble fiber that soaks up fat and bile in the digestive tract, but alas, a big part of blood cholesterol is genetic. You MAY have "more regular" poop if you eat fiber, but Adkins-lovers swear they poop just fine while eating minimal carbs (and therefore less fiber in the process.) Does it keep you full to lose weight? Some people say so, but I know I'd rather go hungry than chew through raw broccoli all day...

What is the recommendation for fiber? Brace yourselves. For women under the age of 50, it's 25 grams daily! (For over 50, it's 21 grams.) So what does that look like?

Breakfast:
1 cup of oatmeal (4.4g)
medium banana (3.1g)

Lunch:
Baked potato (about 4 grams)
Medium orange (3.1g)

Dinner:
Bean soup (about 8g per cup, give or take depending on the beans)

If you're over 50, you can stop there, for the rest of us a half-cup of raspberries (if you're feeling rich) or a cup of cooked broccoli for the rest of us should get you there... of course you'll need more protein than this provides, and some healthy fats, and while there is SOME calcium in those foods, you'll need more... man, eating healthy is EXHAUSTING!!!!

Of course 25g is the low end, some recommendations say 25-50 grams (they are crazy!!!) And did you notice that there actually AREN'T a lot of whole grains on that menu? That's because calorie-for-calorie, veggies are more fiber-dense than whole grains.

Personally, I'm a BIG FAN of cheating. I buy the special double-fiber bread that tastes like cardboard but has 8g of fiber in 2 slices for 100 calories. Reduced-sugar craisins pack 10g in a quarter cup at about 100 calories! And I love Fiber One bars for when I want a candy bar feeling, the 90 calorie ones have about 5 grams per bar...

But *BE CAREFUL*!!!! when increasing fiber!!! Increase slowly over time and drink LOTS of water!!! (Just ask my kids, that stole my fiber one bars and ate 2 boxes in less than 2 days.... heheheheh instant karma!!!!

Alright, I apologize for the delay getting this typed up, the wifi here is spotty today for some reason. It's already after lunch... how is your fiber today? When in doubt, be like Popeye and chug an entire can of (low sodium) spinach!!!
 
I am just stopping in for a quick update. Work has gotten really busy as well as home so I am not sure how much I will be on. But I will stop in as I can. First up an update on DD. We were told by the nurse practitioner on Friday that it was indeed Arterial Ankle Impingement. She had us stop Aleeve and switch to motrin and no weight for a week. Motrin has made a huge difference. Yesterday I got a call from the doctor and the was more that was found on the MRI. She has an extra fiber like something (need to get more info) that is in her ankle that goes from her shin to her heel. He said this is what has been causing her pain for 3 years. We go back on Monday to get a standing x-ray. He did warn me that he will most likely recommend surgery to remove it and with that remove some fatty tissue from her stomach (most likely area) to add to her ankle as well as do a scope to clean out her ankle. This was a big shock. DD is handling this very well. For being my child with high anxiety on a normal day, she is taking this very well. She is more relieved then anything. So Monday we will get more info. We are also getting a second opinion too just to make sure. We see that doctor on May 9th.

Last night I also got a call from my dad. He had a heart attack yesterday. He sounded good and I am hopeful that he will be ok. He goes for more tests today. I am just waiting to hear from my step mom. I can't stop by to see him because he is in a hospital in Tennessee. 2 states away. He told me not to come down. We would only be sitting around. So I am waiting patiently (not real patient) to hear from either my dad or step mom. This is a big step with my dad's and my relationship though. Normally he doesn't tell me anything. I find out from other on Facebook. He called me because he didn't want me to find out from others. Maybe my step mom is rubbing off on him. My aunt also contacted me to make sure I knew. I told her last summer that noone ever tells me stuff that I should know. It is really nice to be in the loop with that side of the family for once.

All in all I am doing ok. Everything has hit me today and I have been a bit weeping at times. I think I am just worried and over whelmed with everything happening at once. I was surprisingly very calm yesterday. I think it just hadn't fully hit me yet until today. Eating has been not so good yesterday or today as I just want to stress eat but also trying to not go over board too.
 
FIBER! oh, not the yarn/knitting kind of fiber, which I get high levels of on a regular basis. Eating fiber is yet another thing that I'm not good at because I'm not paying attention to it at all. I was taking a fiber via a gummy, but stopped at some point... that's the easiest way to get going again, so I'll have to get some when I run to the supplements store tonight. Thanks for the reminder!
 
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I am just stopping in for a quick update. Work has gotten really busy as well as home so I am not sure how much I will be on. But I will stop in as I can. First up an update on DD. We were told by the nurse practitioner on Friday that it was indeed Arterial Ankle Impingement. She had us stop Aleeve and switch to motrin and no weight for a week. Motrin has made a huge difference. Yesterday I got a call from the doctor and the was more that was found on the MRI. She has an extra fiber like something (need to get more info) that is in her ankle that goes from her shin to her heel. He said this is what has been causing her pain for 3 years. We go back on Monday to get a standing x-ray. He did warn me that he will most likely recommend surgery to remove it and with that remove some fatty tissue from her stomach (most likely area) to add to her ankle as well as do a scope to clean out her ankle. This was a big shock. DD is handling this very well. For being my child with high anxiety on a normal day, she is taking this very well. She is more relieved then anything. So Monday we will get more info. We are also getting a second opinion too just to make sure. We see that doctor on May 9th.

Last night I also got a call from my dad. He had a heart attack yesterday. He sounded good and I am hopeful that he will be ok. He goes for more tests today. I am just waiting to hear from my step mom. I can't stop by to see him because he is in a hospital in Tennessee. 2 states away. He told me not to come down. We would only be sitting around. So I am waiting patiently (not real patient) to hear from either my dad or step mom. This is a big step with my dad's and my relationship though. Normally he doesn't tell me anything. I find out from other on Facebook. He called me because he didn't want me to find out from others. Maybe my step mom is rubbing off on him. My aunt also contacted me to make sure I knew. I told her last summer that noone ever tells me stuff that I should know. It is really nice to be in the loop with that side of the family for once.

All in all I am doing ok. Everything has hit me today and I have been a bit weeping at times. I think I am just worried and over whelmed with everything happening at once. I was surprisingly very calm yesterday. I think it just hadn't fully hit me yet until today. Eating has been not so good yesterday or today as I just want to stress eat but also trying to not go over board too.

Wow... good to hear they've found what is bothering DD's ankle and hopefully surgery will resolve what's been going on. And hope all goes well with you Dad as well... and it it great that they included you this time!
 
Joining in at the end of the month. My goals for the rest of the month are :

:welcome:
We have a countdown to summer on the refrigerator, so maybe that will help motivate me too.

Shhh! I'm SO not ready to think about summer yet!!!

Congratulations @Zhoen
Motivation - I hope to book vacation for next year this week. Offers are due to come out in 2 days.

Soooo EXCITING!!!! I wanna plan a vacation :sad:

I am just stopping in for a quick update.
Hi Piglet. Wow, lady, you've got a LOT going on!!! Sometimes crying is the right thing to do, just let it all out. But it's good that at least they found something with your daughter's ankle and can formulate a plan, once the second opinion is done and assuming they agree. Best wishes for your Dad, too!
 
FIBER! oh, not the yarn/knitting kind of fiber, which I get high levels of on a regular basis. Eating fiber is yet another thing that I'm not good at because I'm not paying attention to it at all. I was taking a fiber via a gummy, but stopped at some point... that's the easiest way to get going again, so I"ll have to get some when I run to the supplements store tonight. Thanks for the reminder!

Don't eat the yarn, Lizanne!!!
 
@piglet1979 I'm sorry to hear that everything seems to be hitting you at once. When it rains, it pours. But glad your daughter has some answers and will hopefully have some relief soon. And it's ok to cry! As moms, we always feel like we need to have it all together. But even super moms break down at times ;)

@Zhoen I'm sorry to hear your daughter is back in the hospital. Hope she feels better soon!
 
I forgot to address the topic-I am at or slightly over 21g-and that’s eating pineapple, grapes, broccoli, carrots and grape tomatoes today! My breakfast is pathetic as far as fiber-I could do better there.
 
Hi again, all!

I won't even TRY to calculate my fiber for today... skipped breakfast, leftovers and junk for dinner once we got home (but we ARE home, yay! so no complaints!!!) For lunch I did have a salad with spinach and kidney beans and an artichoke heart (but only one because while they ARE a pretty good source of fiber, they are also high calorie and high sodium when they are marinated... which these were, but YUMMM....)

So it turns out this trip was due to an extremely aggressive UTI, probably all the way up in the right kidney, but they've pumped her full of antibiotics, and now she just needs to sleep and drink and wait for it all to work. She has to be below 100.3F for 24 hours before she can return to school, so she'll miss school again tomorrow. It's funny, but in our world, this is good news... something identifiable and easily treatable. I wish I could say that I used the boring time sitting in the ER to do statistics work, but... nope... I'll pretend it was the spotty internet and not the fact that I have fun games installed on my phone...

But I did get the van put in for body work today after being attacked by Bambi last month, so that's good.

Graduating from a 4 year program will make you a very attractive job candidate as well.

Thanks to all for the congrats! Honestly, originally I just wanted to go to the 2 year program 4 miles from my house... so convenient... and this is a "second act" career for me, with an eye on working in a nursing home some day, so a basic RN would have been enough... but it has been such a drama getting onto the list at that school, it will actually be FASTER for me to just do the 4 year degree (because I've already completed the first 2 years of courses.) While I was waiting on the 2 year RN program, I was teaching/tutoring for Anatomy and Physiology (some of my students were actually *IN* the nursing program, how's that for a kick in the teeth???) and I was reminded how much I love teaching, so in the end, the 4 year program is probably a better fit for me, because I can do that, do a part-time Master's while I get some practical experience, and then eventually maybe I can teach part-time somewhere. The nice thing is that nursing is a job that is needed all over the country, so I'm not locked into any one region like with tech or government work. (Although, I've heard there's a lot of old people down in Florida... maybe I can find a place in the Orlando region....) :idea:
 

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