Archive for November, 2007

Headbanging: Also Aerobic

I have a feeling that, if done properly, banging one’s head against the wall in frustration might just be an effective method for weight loss. I can’t tell you for certain whether that’s true or not since I’m still a bit too dizzy to actually read what the scale says. And, darn, my forehead hurts.
What’s [...]

Garlic is Good For You

If there’s one flavor I could never live without, it’s got to be garlic. I use it a lot, and I do mean a lot. But anyone stepping into my kitchen would know that — even if their nose didn’t tell them — by the twin pair of garlic-shaped sconces flanking the 6 foot [...]

I Made Myself Do It

My fingers resemble Vienna sausages, swollen round little pink things that refuse to type without misspellings. My eyes feel like I’m peering through a big glob of Vaseline on my contact lenses, but even when I switched to glasses the haze didn’t disappear. All day long I’ve felt like I’ve had a hangover, although I [...]

Digging Is An Aerobic Activity

Cooking is one of my favorite ways to unwind, which probably explains why I find it so very difficult to diet. After all, chopping vegetables for a salad just isn’t as rewarding as, say, putting together individual Beef Wellingtons with a side of mashed red potatoes with garlic and Parmesan.
Oh, man, I just made [...]

Following The Aspirin’s Fine Print

When I told my husband that I’d been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, his first reaction was “Oh, so in other words they STILL don’t know what’s wrong with you.” So I sat him down in front of the computer and pointed him to the Mayo Clinic page on it so he could find out a bit [...]

Another Bad Day

I woke up this morning determined to follow my doctor’s advice and get in 30 minutes of exercise. Unfortunately, after a short walk to the mailboxes by my subdivision’s entrance — a mere two blocks — I wound up returning home so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open during homeschool.
Then I started [...]

Moisturize With Olive Oil

As much as I love winter since everyone looks a bit Chubby under multiple layers of clothing, I absolutely hate winter skin. The dryness, the flaking, the itch.
It’s not for lack of drinking water. I easily gulp 10 8-oz. glasses of liquids a day.
It’s not for lack of moisturizing either: for years I’ve [...]

Diagnosis: Fibromyalgia

For years now, my doctor and I have been sporadically trying to pinpoint the reason for my fatigue, aches and pains. I say “sporadically” because my pain itself isn’t a constant: there are days when even brushing my teeth seems like a Herculean task, and weeks when so full of energy my body practically vibrates. [...]

My Own Personal Obstacle Course

While I was sleeping last night, the Mess Fairies must have raced through our house. Or maybe it was the cats chasing each other. Hard to say.
Regardless, I woke to find my sofa throw blankets strewn across the living room floor, vases knocked over, shredded newspaper throughout the kitchen, and a box of my son’s [...]

The Weekend Derailed My Diet

I’d been doing so good avoiding wheat and dairy products this past week. I’d really felt some benefits, too: less congestion, no stomach problems, and I’d even lost a pound.
Saturday morning, I woke up with a lovely sore throat and a bad case of laryngitis. I get it every winter and spring — it must [...]