It Happened in Vegas

My newest book is now available at Amazon.com in ebook format. Paperback coming soon. Happy Reading!!

Mallory couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Brad was divorcing her to marry his secretary, who just happened to be pregnant something that had not happened to Mallory. Her life was torn apart in the blink of an eye. When her boss gave her a weekend trip to Vegas she considered not going. Little did she know how that trip would change her life, she would meet Nate. He was younger than she was, why would he want to be with her? That weekend trip leads to friendship, love and then kidnapping and murder.

New Year, New Life Day Eleven

Well, it sounds like winter is about to arrive in Iowa, in full force…..oh boy. We could have gone all winter without snow and I would not have cared. I hate driving on nasty roads.

Yesterday actually went pretty well, I kept my willpower a little more in control, thank goodness. One day down, and on to the next one. Just keep thinking – “I hate junk food”… we’ll see what happens….

The number is 223 (yeah! a little change!)

New Year,New Life Day Ten

Well, I missed writing yesterday, worked a twelve-hour day and just didn’t feel like it last night. Wished I could have missed the entire day all the way around. I had no will power what so ever and that is my main thought this morning. How am I ever going to change that? What is going to give me the power to change? I used to use a little trick and not sure if it will work or not. When going to sleep at night just think over and over “I hate junk food”. It is a mind game and I think maybe I will try that again. Kind of a hypnosis kind of thing. Got to try something, cause right now nothing is working….

The number is 226

New Year, New Life Day Eight

Well, we have made it through the first week, some good, some bad. We definitely have eaten a LOT more fruits and vegetables than we are used to eating. Yesterday we were in town and find the easy choices almost non-existent, so we made the wrong choices, slipping back into old habits. Last night when we got home, I was exhausted and it was so much easier to just order a pizza and I have to admit, it tasted really good. Shame on us!!! Thank goodness this is a new week and a new start. I have to go the grocery store soon and at least I am in the right frame of mind before I go, that should help. I find it is hard to break years of old habits and tastes, but our journey goes on,  one week of some good choices is still better than no good choices at all!!!

The number is 224

New Day, New Life Day Seven

Yes, it is 4 o’clock in th morning and I am up. Going to help with the Health Fair this morning. Maybe it will inspire me and my willpower. Yesterday I had absolutely none of either. I started out good and then I lost all willpower. I even ate a candy car, that damn chocolate. Why can’t I as an adult, an old adult have some willpower? This is ridicules! I did eat a salad for lunch and then took the cheeseballs too, that was stupid. I have plenty of inspiration, my age, my health, my son’s upcoming wedding… where the heck is the willpower????

The number is 224

New Year, New Life Day Six

Friday – we all loves Fridays! Hope it is a good day and that we are busy, not that I want people sick or hurt, just like being busy. Yesterday was a meeting day so my food choices were limited. I had a granola bar, a turkey sandwich and chicken noodle soup. At least there were vegetables on the sandwich and in the soup.

Today I feel soooo bloated…. ick… and the scale shows it, damn. Drink more water today, that should help.

The number is 226

New Year, New Life Day Five

A day without chocolate – woo hoo I made it through an entire day and the chocolate devil did not get me. That is a big accomplishment for me, as I am an admitted chocoholic! Anyway you can have chocolate, I like it….love it. White, milk, dark, it doesn’t matter it all tastes good to me. I have often said I feel that a lot of my weight problem is that I like the taste of food. I think I eat more to get the taste, than I am hungry. I like the different textures of food, I like the feel of “crunch”. I think making it through the first day with out chocolate is a step in the right direction!

Ron is not so sure about this new way to eat, as now he has a cold. It must be because of the way we are eating now….lol. What always amazes me about a man is no matter what is wrong with them, they are dying. It is the worst that they have ever felt in their whole life! and then the next thing out of his mouth is – what can I eat? Anyone who has ever been really sick, knows that eating does no longer feels like a priority when you are really sick. So if Ron asks for food I am pretty sure he is not dying.

The number is 225

New Year, New Life Day Four

Well it is back to work today. Hope we are busy, that tends to keep my mind off of food. Think I will take gum today, maybe that will make my mouth happy….lol. I have been really bad at drinking water, that at least seems to be easier at work. We have a great ice machine and the ice cold water does taste good. Also have heard that ice cold makes your body work harder, so you burn more calories. Another thing that I read was you should weigh yourself everyday, people who do weigh less. My guess there is that you are more aware of what is going on and less likely to eat what you should not.

Just about all of the “bad” foods are out of the house. I know they say to throw them away, but with the price of groceries I have a hard time doing that. Ron finished off the oyster crackers last night, so at least that salty item is now gone.

Poor Trooper does not like this much at all. He always got bites of our meals and not much he likes now. I do have to say though that he loves cantaloupe and watermelon… one strange dog!

The number is 225

New Year, New Life Day Three

Another is almost past and I did really well until those darn chocolate covered cherries from Christmas called me this afternoon. Well, at least they are now gone and can’t tempt me anymore. Tonight I may Garlic Chicken Rice A Roni and added carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, water chestnuts and a can of chicken. It was really good and mostly vegetables. Even Ron liked it!

Last night we started eating our evening meal at the table in the kitchen. This is another thing that the Blue Zones recommends. Turn off the TV and actually have to talk to each other – though that is not really a problem for Ron and I, we really do spend a lot of time talking. Anyway as we ate last night Ron decided that he needed to go to the refrigerator in the garage and get a bottle of water to set on his night stand, as he gets thirsty in the middle of the night. As we talked I asked him if he had any extra rolls of paper towels in the garage and he said he would check. When we were done eating all we could remember was that he needed to get paper towels, we couldn’t think of the bottle of water. Finally we remembered the water and then we couldn’t remember the paper towels. We both laughed until tears rolled down our cheeks… it is hell getting old, but the Blue Zones talks about laughter too and we covered that part, that is for sure.

The number is 225

A New Year, A New Life December 31, 2011

Well it is that time of the year again to make a resolution. I am not calling this a resolution, but a life change. In November I read Dr. Furhman’s book “Eat to Live”. Then at work we were given Dane Buettner’s book “The Blue Zones”. Both talk about eating a more plant based diet, with a lot of astounding research behind them. I work in an Emergency Department and over the past six months I have seen so many people my age or younger that have died or are dying and it is scary. There are a lot of things that I want to do yet and it is my responsiblity to make sure that I do all I can to make sure that happens. So tomorrow our lives change, my husband has no choice, he will do what I do. If I only buy foods that are more natural and that is all I have in the house, that is what he will eat. He is a type two diabetes patient, so we will follow his progress as well as mine. I plan to be open and let you know my struggles as well as the successes.

In the Blue Zones they did a lot of research in different parts of the world on people that were over 100 years old and what they did differently in their lives. They ended up with nine areas that seem to really make a difference. The book says to start with three to help you towards success, any more than that and it may be hard to make that many changes at once. So here are the three that I have chosen –

Eat more plant based food – give up the processed, chemical laden items that we Americans have come to love so much

Drink more water. I have to admit that I am a Diet Mt Dew fanatic. I truly believe that you may become addicted to diet soda. I have no idea how many I drink a day, but it is a lot. From the time I get up in the morning, until one more swallow before I go to bed. I can honestly say that I have gone months at a time without taking a drink of actual water.

Go to church. I am a believer and also believe that God does not care what church you go too, as long as you believe.  Here is a quote from the Blue Zones – ” Studies have shown that attending religious services even as infrequently as once a month – may make a difference in how long a person lives. A recent study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior followed 3,617 people for seven and one half years and found that those who attended religious services at least once a month reduced their risk of death by about a third. It appears that people who pay attention to their spiritual side have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, stress and suicide and their immune systems seem to work better.  This I will have to start later in the month as tomorrow I have to work.

I welcome you to follow my journey and see what happens. Tomorrow I will list weights and BMI’s.

It should be an interesting journey, though my husband says he prefers that I peel his grapes, I will not be going to that extreme!