Werking for the weekend

Except I am working ON the weekend.  Took a client on a 2 mile hike this AM. We did interval training (60 second fast walk followed by 30 second recover, repeat for 2 miles). He also did calenstetics for 30 minutes.  Then I went home, made my 2nd shift snack+food pack and the second client wanted to go hiking.  so we hiked a mile and a half.  I burned about 600 calories before I was able to even get 967 into my belly.  I may need to start doing bigger breakfasts and more snacks (lean protein types)   My legs hurt e that I aglad or ompression ks.

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I have been working REALLY hard on making my body stronger, leaner, and tighter so its easier for me to walk, sleep, etc.  It meant cutting out crap foods (except on cheat day) making myself eat 1100 calories a day ( am a chubby recovering anorexic who would eat 900 calories, work out t burn 600 calories, then eat nothing but sugar free Popsicle, sugar free jello and water, then wake up with horrible stomach cramps from hunger)  I get up and plan when I eat my small meals 7AM  Snackwells Cookies (my early indulgence) 9AM Raw Almonds (13) 11AM Protein bar 1PM 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 3PM Greek yogurt 5PM small salad/vegan chicken patty/veggie burger/turkey burger with 1 cup steamed vegetables, 2 sugar free Popsicle.  I may switch up and have yogurt for breakfast and cookies as a snack, or switch cookies to graham crackers, I keep my fat grams under 30 and calories at 1100 minimum 1200 maximum.  I plan walking, weight training, hiking, biking, yoga, and calisthenics 6 days a week and on my "day off" I clean the house.
So far I think I am jump starting my metabolism I use Live Strong My Plate to make sure I am staying in my recommended calories and make sure that I eat 1100 calories (after I burn them so if I eat 1100, burn 600  means I have to eat 500 more calories in lean, low fat high protein, so egg white omelet with Parmesan cheese or Kashi go lean is often a choice.
SO I have been doing really well and thoroughly enjoying my cheat days without remorse or guilt, except yesterday I "relapsed"  I ate 600 calories, burned 400 and didn't eat anything else.  I woke up this morning hunched over, barely able to move, my joints, ribs, and fascia were swollen, I immediately ate a yogurt, then my stomach started growling like a large cat, so I ate a graham cracker.  It ws so bad my doctor called in a scrpt for Lyrica and made me promise to take the night off from working out and eat some simple carbohydrates.

I am learning.  I am stronger than I think and at the same time I need to remember I have a Chronic Degenerative Disease with no cure and little treatment.  A friend said "a car can't go with an empty tank"  I nodded unimpressed, then my friend Joe said "A carafe can't make coffee without being filled with water" and somehow THAT was my Ah ha! moment. 

Twerking Out

So I have actually been working out 3 or more hours a day since last August of 2013.  BUT I had not reimplemented weights and only biked.

Now I am  mixing up cardio doing hiking, walking, and cross training along with eating at least 1100 calories a day, increasing my protein, and doing high impact calisthenics.

So I have been trying really hard to keep to my diet and exercise, only hormones, stress, and chronic illness and injuries threaten to derail me. 

My right ankle has been shattered twice and broken 3 other times.  I have chronic Costochondritis (swelling of th fascia between the ribs) migraines, and neuropathic pain.

It is hard, every day I have to wake up and plan a workout into my day, just as I have to plan iceing my ribs, and ankle, taking my meds, stretching, and eating.

Eating has been hard, I was anorexic in college and old bad habits (not eating all day, only eating 500 calories a day, over exercising) seem to pop up even though I know better.

ON most days that I get enough calories I have to tell myself over and over not to over do it on exercise.

So I am documenting my feelings/journey here.

Solidarity

KJ

Summer time flea control

I am a big DIY and natural here at Casa TooManyMammals.  That said I have been known to break out the emergency capstar or advantage when I see the neighbors cats have fleas.

NOW however I use all natural stuff and we have nary a flea outbreak (4 years going, finger crossed!)

What I found out about Flea collars was that they are 1. Dangerous and 2. Ineffective.

http://www.thebugsquad.com/fleas/flea-collar-on-pets/

Once I started making my on flea deterrent I found nary a flea.  Step one was making my own "flea spray"

I use a small spray bottle, and fill with  two cups boiled water (cooled)
5 drops Cedar essential oil
5 drops tea Tree
5 drops lavendar
5 drops pine

I have about 20 essential oils on hand you can use any combo, the importance is 10 drops per one cup water.

I spray this about every other day on my dogs neck and back before we hike (Yep, we hike, in the woods, plains, ANYWHERE and nary a flea or tick!)

I also vacuum using a flea deterrent mix:

1 cup diatomaceous earth
1 cup baking soda
 5 drops lavender
5 drops Cedar

I sprinkle this on carpets, let sit for a few minutes, then vacuum it up. I also put a little in the vacuum container.

clean, fresh, no fleas (and no worms either!)

I hope this helps!  I am not against meds. I treat my dog and cat with ivermectin 6 months out of the year for heartworm prevention but I don't waste money on flea collars and sprays when this stuff has worked really well!

EDIT:  I no longer treat my American Bulldog with Ivo-Mec every month, I do a 30-1 dilution (appropriate for TINY dogs) for him instead.  So far he has tolerated it well.

Good Luck and happy summer!