Sunday, July 31, 2005
Settling In...

I'm still adjusting to being back home. Man, after days of chicken broth and pudding, that is all I'm hungry for!! If my body can adjust to such lower calories so quickly, Allan's plan sounds a little bit easier. The temptation is too strong for me to stay away from the goodies like he does!! If I continued with the type of meals I got at the hospital, I'd never be able to stop exercising because the weight would jump up pretty quick...which is why I imagine that I'll gain something this week as I get back to the regular meal plan.

My body has been doing some crazy things this past week...my arms and legs have decided to periodically go to sleep on me even when standing! And once they wake up, the prickles last forever. I'm assuming it has to do with my potassium and blood still getting back to normal. I have a checkup on Friday, so I'll keep eating my bananas and hopefully will be great by then :)

Saturday, July 30, 2005
Calorie-Burning Drink??

I'm not usually on the ball with covering the news, but I just read this article and thought it was pretty darn interesting!

Coke's Calorie-Burning Enviga Slated for 2006 Debut

Wed Jul 27, 5:17 PM ET


NEW YORK Coca-Cola is planning to launch Enviga, a soda that is said to burn 50 to 100 calories just by drinking a 12-oz. serving, next year, per one executive.

Enviga, a green tea-based, caffeinated, carbonated drink, is in clinical testing and is said to speed up the user's metabolism. The beverage will target active lifestyle consumers. A Coke rep said, "Some [of our projects] may find their way to market and some may not." Studies have shown that drinking green tea may promote weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories.

What do you all think about this? Would you be first in line to buy it if it does hit the market??

How to Lose 12 Pounds in 10 Days


This is definitely not recommended!
  1. Ignore body signals that something is a bit skewed (kidneys taking a vacation, night sweats, etc.) because you're really sick of going to the doctor and don't want to waste money to be told, "Ummmmm, what do you think we should do?"
  2. Decide that temperatures above 90 degrees F are the PERFECT time to get in some marathon training.
  3. Wait until stomach rebels against you with not being able to keep food down and lovely diarrhea for four days.
  4. Faint at the toilet, wake up and can't remember how you got there, and decide to call the parents to get you to the ER.
  5. Spend four days and three nights at the hospital, being nursed to health by IV, chicken broth, pudding, sherbet, and finally chicken mush and oatmeal before getting to go home.
So yes, I'm home with two pounds back on my body after the ordeal. My internal clock is still on hospital morning mode (5:30 am steal my blood, 6:30 take first set of vitals, 7:30 breakfast mush time) so I can't even sleep in! The ER doc thinks it may have been a bad case of gastroenteritis that has been going around and my regular doctor decides that after my summer of sick fun, I need to go see an infectious disease doctor to figure things out. Wonderful!

So anyways, I joined Renee's Labor Day Beaker Babe Challenge (and again, I do not recommend sickness as a way to get a start on it!), so I'm set for a challenge until then! That'll give me a bit more time to decide my own goals for my next Blogger year!!

Saturday, July 23, 2005
The Retard Strikes Again!

This afternoon, I was sick of sitting in the air conditioning. I had the wonderful idea to go for a little walk (gotta get back on that marathon track, ya know!) Well, I threw on my lightest clothes and sneakers and headed outdoors. It didn't feel too hot outside, so it looked like the perfect time to go. I walk....and walk...and walk...my feet were feeling great! (Finally had on good shoes!) I turn a corner and the sun decided to kick it up a notch. Nothing wrong with a bit more sweat, right?

So, I walk into the sun for awhile...I didn't want to turn around now! After about 3.5 miles, I felt a little cruddy and tingly so I knew it was time to get home. The last mile home was the worst!!! By the time I got to my place, my lungs were on FIRE and it was a struggle to breathe normally. I dropped onto the couch as soon as I got in the door. I've been chilling here for the past hour and I'm just finally feeling better. Just checked out the temp...99 degrees! Yes, I am the queen of retards this week. Lesson learned: bring my water bottle with me more often and be aware of the damn sun! Hopefully my brain will turn back on before this weekend is over :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2005
What Happened?

Gosh, I try to post more but then that darn thing called life steps in yet again. For the past couple of months, my gram has been having a hard time emotionally. Hearing strange music, seeing dead or imaginary people, forgetting who people are, and making sandwiches for nobody are only a few of the strange things she has done. About a month ago, she spent a few days on the senior psych ward while they figured out her pills. She was good and then went back to the ER again after acting strangely again...due to a UTI this time. Then this week, she's back to her kooky self, no infection or pills to blame, and is up on the senior floor again. My mom's the medical expert (well a nurse at least!), so she's been the one to chat with gram's caseworker. Well, he doesn't feel comfortable having her go back home with her son and daughter-in-law, so now the family has to start looking into a nursing home. It's one of the things my grandma dreads most. Luckily, she hasn't been diagnosed with Alzheimer's...but it is possibly a milder form of dementia. Her brother's wife did have the nasty A and gram has repeatedly said she never wants to end up that way...hopefully she won't!

Looking back at my history here, next month will be my one year anniversary blogging! If it wasn't for my health issues in the past two months, my total weight loss for the year would be CRAP! This year has been such a darn roller coaster...I'm not used to so much drama. I keep thinking tomorrow will be the day my life is back to my interpretation of "normal"...and it just isn't happening yet. But, I can't just sit around so I am going to snap out of it and start taking back my life (again). Geez, it feels like I'm saying this all the time, but no matter how many times I fall, I refuse to give up. So, Monday will be Day #1 of my new challenge for myself! I'd say tomorrow, but I'm still deciding what I want to focus on and what plan I'll be following. Look for updates soon, along with progress shots (yeah, I finally found my cord so the vacation shots will be coming soon) and more fun stuff!!

Wednesday, July 13, 2005
The Sinister Microwave!


It is official...the microwave hates me! All microwaves don't have an agenda against me, but mine at home sure does. I think this is due to me not using it for quite awhile!! It is very sensitive and isn't as precise as many of the newer ones, so I usually have to heat things for a minute or so longer than prescribed. Well, today I found a microwave healthy soup in my room and it looked pretty good for lunch. (Yes, I have decided to finally take a step back from the peanut butter!) Why was the soup in my room? I'm not quite sure...I guess I forgot to put it away when I bought it awhile back or was protecting it from the roommates who sometimes like to eat my good stuff!

So, I throw it in for 45 seconds longer than the cup said because I really didn't want cold soup. I even waited to take it out for the minute prescribed after it was done. (Zara, you are definitely not the only one who has a hard time waiting! I actually stopped myself because I thought of your post!) Then, I reach in to grab it out...BIG MISTAKE! HOT, HOT, HOT!!!! Finding a towel, I finally got it out and on the stove before the heat started seeping through. OK, no problem, I'll just wait another couple of minutes and it'll be touchable, right? WRONG! I grabbed the towel to carry it to the table and used my shirt to give it a platform to rest on so my hand wouldn't get burned again during the move. I made it a few steps with no trouble, but the soup bowl must have been in cahoots with the microwave because it decided to spill out a bit around the edge of the lid. Oh the pain! I tried to get a better grip on it, but I somehow made it tip over more and just about scalded my belly!!! So I shriek, the dogs look at me with sour expressions, and I dropped the bowl. The soup splashed my tummy, the stove, and the floor! Alas, no soup for me. And it looked all chickeny and vegetably and smelled so yummy too :(

After cleaning up myself and the mess, I had a Boca burger and some peach yogurt instead. Luckily, that food prep went without any more accidents. So the moral of this story is either "Never neglect kitchen appliances!" or "Jodi needs to hire a personal chef!"

Tuesday, July 12, 2005
I'm a Sheep!!

Saw this on a few other blogs that I read, and I just have to join in!

Take the MIT Weblog Survey

Nope, nothing else substantial to say today, but I'm making a habit of posting more often again :)

Monday, July 11, 2005
Alive and Kicking!!

I made it to my place and I'm fine!! Emotionally at least!! We won't talk about the physical, but peanut butter is helping me bunches. Now I know I should be watching how much I consume, but it is just too easy to slap together a peanut butter sandwich...or peanut butter and banana...or PB&J...I could go on and on. Yes, my ass is probably expanding, but it sticks in the tummy nicely (instead of trying to sneak up my throat!) :)

So, today I got another official email from the Prevention team for the marathon. I was kind of wondering if they ever received my check after almost three months!! It is my official wake-up call that I only have 4 months of training left...and yes I've been slacking. Time to get back on the horse with everything! As long as I get back to work and can afford the trip, I'm so going! Hopefully I'll have Saturdays off by then, so I won't have to ask for any vacation time...which is pretty much nonexistant after this summer!

Yes, I know, I still haven't uploaded my pictures yet from both tripsI'll hunt down my cord tomorrow and hopefully share some of them!! Until then, stay tuned!!

Thursday, July 07, 2005
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

Well, I've been back from Florida since Sunday night and am still settling in. I still need to upload my many pictures to share. I've come back a little tanner, a lot poorer, and brought home a lovely new rash too! If I knew that I wouldn't have to attend most of the seminars, I would have packed a bunch more casual clothes. I spent a lot of time at Universal and Disney...wish I would have got a chance to get to SeaWorld. I also got soaked so often...it rained everyday, but it didn't last too long.

So how'd the competition go? Arrrrrgh!!!! 11th out of 80 in accounting (some states sent their 2nd place winner too) so one short of a trophy. In computer applications (another event I could have chosen since I won it, but state rules allowed me to compete in only one event :(), the 2nd place winner got 6th in the nation. I could have brought that home! But, I have at least another year to compete...three more years if I continue on with another school that has a PBL chapter. My advisor said I should be proud because most of these people have at least a year more accounting education above me...but still, my pride is a bit hurt!

After getting home, I had a nice 4th of July with my family and extended relatives. It was nice to just chill out and not have to worry about anything for another day.

Yesterday, I went back to the doctor again. Yes, I'm sure he's sick of seeing me, but after spending the end of my trip with a rash, night sweats, and two bloody noses along with all the other old symptoms, it was time to be checked out again. I also discovered a huge bruise on my abdomen that wasn't there before I left. Still waiting for results...he is running a bunch of bloodwork, did a chest X-ray since my lymph glands seemed quite swollen, and is also checking for West Nile virus (hello, I haven't been bit by a mosquito recently!) This whole situation is making me quite depressed...there just seems to be no end in sight. I also just don't have the energy to do much of anything...everything is such an effort! I haven't went to my own home yet either...my sisters are sick of seeing me at their place so I know I have to go. They have yelled at me every second they can get and I know I've overstayed my welcome, but I just don't like being alone. I think it's about time to talk to another type of professional about this too...why can't I get my act together? Arrrgh!!

Well, if I don't post again soon, my sisters have either beat me into submission (LOL) or have found a way to get me committed to the looney bin!!