1/31/04 9:26 PM

Well, I feel like I am trying to get a cold or some allergies. I am sure that it has to do with eating some chocolate yesterday and getting a few too many starches in. There are just certain times where chocolate and some starches are tough to resist. The good news is that I stayed to allowed starches only.

We have terrible allergies at this time of the year here in San Antonio. Everyone gets stuck with “cedar fever” from the cedar trees and this year is no exception. My daughter has some problems with this, but some visits to my chiropractor, working towards getting her to eat right for her type (we’re not all there yet with her but MUCH better than 4 months ago), and keeping her on nettle, fenugreek-thyme, garlic, hyssop, and mullein has really helped. She’s nearly symptom free AND I love not worrying about giving her all of that pharmaceutical poison (sorry Erika).

I have worked out 8 days in a row, and I finally had to take a day off. On Friday at they offer a 30-minute fast paced aerobic class (she changes it up each week – sometimes it’s step, sometimes boot camp, sometimes interval, whatever) followed by a “power fit” class, which is 45 minutes of free weights, bands, abs, pushups, etc. I love the class because they change the workout every 4 weeks – no chance of getting bored or your body getting used to it. I am so damn sore from the Power Fit, though. Everything hurts. I decided today was definitely a day off.

I often end up conversing with people regarding the pros and cons of working out at home vs. joining a gym. I guess that it depends on what works for you. I simply don’t work out at home. I just don’t. When I used to run long distances on a regular basis, I would start the running from home, but I never could run long distances on a treadmill. Whatever the problem is with me, the best thing for me is to do classes. I can MAKE myself get out of the house on time to make it to a class. Once I am there, I know that I will hang in there until it is over. Each step aerobics class has abdominals at the end as well as stretching. I am really lucky, too, the health club to which I belong has about 10 branches here in the city and each branch has all sorts of classes at all sorts of time. You can take a kickboxing class at 5 AM right on through to power yoga at 8 PM and everything in between. They have trekking classes on the treadmills, cycling classes, step classes (everything from step movement classes which feature a lot of choreography to easy “silver” classes for seniors), water aerobics, weight lifting classes, interval classes, yoga, thai chi, belly dancing, hip hop and more. There are classes all day. I feel like there is really no excuse not to make it most days. I DO recommend that if you do the gym thing, make sure that you find a gym that offers things that fit into your schedule AND that is very convenient to your location.

Anyway, enough of that. I am continuing to add in the allowed carbs and it is going extremely well. I feel better AND I don’t feel crazed. We’ll see if I continue to lose weight.

It’s always a struggle. Right now I am a true size 14 at just under 6 ft tall. I have broad shoulders, huge hands (I always laugh at the Seinfeld episode where he complains about his very attractive date having “man hands” – that’s me – my bones are larger than most men’s) – I’m an Amazon. Regardless, I dream of being skinny. I have been there many times in my life, but each time it didn’t “take”. I’m very interested to see where this goes. I feel very comfortable in the 170-180 pound range, which puts me in a size 11/12, but I love being even smaller than that. The thing is this: I’m not willing to starve anymore to get there, nor am I willing to take any pills anymore. I want a normal life when it comes to food. So far, the BTD has taken me closer to that goal than any attempts so far. For the first time in my life, food is for nourishment first. It is no longer wrapped up with lots of other things – at least not in the day in, day out. I am so very excited because eating this way makes me feel so good. It is also very clear that eating the wrong way can make you feel SO bad. Each time a stray I pay for it. Either my back and knees start to hurt, or I get fatigued, or I get into a nasty mood or, worse yet, I start to feel like I am getting sick. Each time I make a poor choice, it becomes easier and easier to make a good choice the next time after that. It is getting better, and so am I.

On another subject, I am looking into getting a ½ of a beef. There is a woman locally who raises a few beef cattle on her property. They eat only the grasses and feed stuffs that grow on her property. She has been taking them to sale, but, as of recently, has been unable to find someone to slaughter one for her. I think that we have found a place that will slaughter and butcher the beef about an hour from here. I am so thankful. I would like to be there when they slaughter the animal. I know that it might sound macabre, but I would like to be able to thank the animal, and know it a little before it becomes food for my body. I have been so miserable about supporting the animal production industries, but I haven’t had a lot of choice. I eat so much meat that I just can’t afford to go to Whole Foods and pay upwards of $10 per pound for natural meat. I can get ½ a steer for a few hundred dollars and put it in the deep freeze. I hate to say this, but I hope that she might have a veal calf, too. I thought that, when I went Vegan last year, that my meat eating days were over, but I am afraid that it is not meant to be this go around.

I have also found an outlet for some completely organic, home raised chickens. I already have home raised eggs. Whereas my eggs are absolutely amazing tasting (nothing, not even the "organic free range" eggs that you buy in the store compare to them - to have eggs taste great, the chickens should be eating BUGS as the mainstay of their diet), the chicken did not impress me. I am not a big chicken fan (I always think that the chicken from the grocery stores taste dirty), and the home raised chickens, to me, have no taste at all. I will have no problems limiting my chicken consumption.

OK – starting to yawn. Off to bed for tonight.