Wednesday, August 31, 2011

It Came Up In Me

I listen to a lot of Joyce Meyer, that's no secret to anyone listening in here.  It keeps my mind busy at work and I figure so much positive reinforcement ought to be a good thing.  I tend to feel jealous though, when Meyer talks about hearing from God. 

I don't hear from God.  I'm not super religious, I don't even go to church, I am ashamed to say.  But I talk to God all day.  Not in the traditional sense of getting on my knees.  I haven't gotten on my knees in a very long time.  I talk to God as I insert my contact lenses, as I drive to work, as I load the machines at work, and especially on the interstate.  I say please and thank you about 6,000 per day.  I never hear anything back.

Yesterday, I was listening to Meyer speaking of relationships, about how we go into a relationship saying, "You're supposed to make ME happy," when it should be the other way around.  Shawn & I do not spend a lot of time together & it puts a strain on our realationship, especially when I feel as though all I am doing is doing for him.  So I says to God, "Show me ways I can be more loving toward Shawn."

The ceiling did not open up and light did not shine down upon me.  A booming voice from the heavens did not shake my ear drums.  But I got a small thought in the back of my head.  It wasn't a man's voice, it was my own voice, my own thought.  And it occurred to me that if the Holy Spirit lives in, it could be God speaking to me.  Why not?

I received an answer.  "Forgive him for being absent minded."

And that was it.  There was nothing else; I heard no harps playing or angels singing.  Was this God speaking to me?  Well, I can tell you one thing for sure--it was not a thought I would think up on my own.

Shawn's absent mindedness is a HUGE problem for me.  I can't figure out why some people just leave stuff lying around and not put things in the place where they belong.  I don't understand how someone can be comfortable leaving 47 cans of Pepsi on their nightstand, desk, kitchen counter, and every other place in between.  I could write a book on the subject on how I don't get all this.  It always makes me feel as though he just leaves this stuff for me to do. 

It happens at work too.  People leave trash on the floor, on the break table.  I take it so personally, as though they're simply leaving their trash for me to come along and clean it up.  Why would you do that?  Why would you just leave things for another person to do?!  IT'S INFURIATING!!!!!

"Forgive him for his absent mindedness."

So what did I do?  As soon as I got home, I discovered a fork stuck to the bottom of the sink.  It had coagulated and hardened Hot Pocket remains.  Out loud I said to no one in particular, "Asshole!  There's a bowl of water right there!!"  I unstuck the fork and threw it into the dirty bowl so the fork could soak.

This morning I was complaining to myself in my own mind about how tired I felt all the time.  No matter what I ate, how I slept, how much I rested, how much I moved around, I was (am) tired.  All the time.  At the moment I listening to Meyer talk about how Moses' people wandered around the dessert for 40 years because of their lousy attitude.  That's why God kept them out there, she says, because they were always complaining, always blaming, always wanting to run back to Egypt where they thought things might be easier than out here.  (Did anyone tell them it was because of their attitude, or were they just left clueless about their behavior?)

Then another quiet thought came up in me.  "Maybe you're tired because of your attitude."

It was true.  That morning I had spent a great deal of time being agitated and frustrated with the misdeeds and mistakes of my imperfect coworkers.  I was dealing with their slowness and mistakes, and I was telling everybody about sick & tired of it I was.  Sick and tired.  Yes, exactly.

I have tried & tried & tried to change my attitude.  That's why I listen to so much blooming Joyce Meyer at work.  You say, "Well, that's the problem!  YOU are the one that's trying to do it!"  I have given it to God numerous times, more than I can count and I don't know how else to go about it.  No, I don't read the Bible because it doesn't keep my attention for very long.  I don't understand how reading random scriptures will change my attitude and give me enough energy to get off my lazy behind.

It has occurred to me in the past that I could "study" peace by looking up one scripture on peace each day.  That won't require much energy and perhaps it will manifest some changes in me.  Yes, of course I want to be zapped.  Yes of course I want a drive-through break through.  Who doesn't?


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Purging

As previously noted, I've been reading Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi.  de Rossi describes what she is feeling like I've never heard anyone describe.  I guess mainly because most are pretty uncomfortable talking about such things.  She describes purging as an honest woman should.  Loud, messy, runny nose and eyes, and vessels that pop around the eyes from immense pressure, displaying a tell-tale form of evidence.

I'm very glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who experienced this.  Like de Rossi, I had also heard of these other women who could vomit by force by an almost sheer will to do it.  Quietly, without turning red in the face and eyes, without water dripping from eyes and nose, these women could quietly puke and merely wipe their mouths.

As a teenager, I just found it to be a lot of work.  Forcing yourself to throw up is much different than vomiting by means of illness.  It hurts more, burns the throat and the taste that lingers is so much more than a teaspoon of shame.  It was something I had done that no one knew about.  I never even told my husband about it.  Why is it important now?  That was fifteen years ago.  It doesn't matter now.

I was so ashamed of everything I had eaten, even if was dinner--which is a required meal of the day.  I couldn't just shove a finger down my thorat, I had to stick it in there and jiggle things, again and again, gagging, fighting the urge to gag, fighting my natural instinct to stop.  It isn't natural to do this; the body knows this and fights against it.  I'd dry heave for a while until something came up.  Then the rest came up in small bits, splattering the toilet, creating an awful mess and more work.

My teeth always felt weird afterward, ever after I'd brushed my teeth.  It felt like I'd been eating candy all night after hours of trick-or-treating.  As a teenager, I wanted to do it more, but I couldn't bring myself to do it any longer.  It was painful, hard to hide in a small, old house with barely more than wooden paneling seperating the rooms.  It was no coincidence that I always showered immediately after dinner.

After much snacking or a large dinner, I'd resolved to doing better the next day, or working harder.  It was only one of 5,000 promises I'd make to myself and break.

As an adult, it was easy not to purge because somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, I'd learned what constant vomiting will do to your esophogaus and teeth.  I value those parts of my body.  It would do me no good to have my esophogous ripped apart by stomach acid, nor to have my teeth rot out of my head.

So today, as a full fledged (apparently) adult, I promise myself to eat less tomorrow, to work harder, to not sit on my ass in front of the television. 

Make that five-thousand and one.




(speel check knot working todday & i'm very lazzy--sory for esophogous.  Snuffle-esophogous)


Spending Time

My weight has been fluctuating a few pounds for 2 or 3 weeks, up & down, up & down.  I might lose three pounds in a single day, only to have them creep back up within a couple of days.  I don't know why.  I feel is that my body has it in for me.  On one "up" day I gave it up, fed myself an evil cupcake.  On one "down" day I rewarded myself for losing a couple of pounds.  Yesterday, I ate very healthy & very light, not even making it to 1500 calories.  I slept almost exactly 8 hours.  I ate enough, but I didn't over eat.  I slept deeply without waking up.  Today, I feel like utter crap.  Why do I go through this? 

If I feel like this, I may as well go back to eating pizza and not sleeping.  117 is unacceptable.  I won't accept it.  I keep a written tally of calories and spend them like money.  They're so precious, I have to be careful how I spend them.  Just like money.  Unlike money, I have a whole new paycheck every day.  However, it's certainly easy to squander the check on unhealthy purchases, so to speak.

I recently began reading Portia de Rossi's book.  I felt it would help me with my self image.  Ellen Degeneres suggested it for teenage girls or anyone with self esteem issues.  I'm not sure it's helping me yet.  It may be doing more damage than good because now I am understanding how she can get through the day without eating, what drives her from the inside.

Maybe I just need to get a few more chapters in.  This struggle with food is horrendous.  Every day is a battle.  I had an easier time quitting smoking.  At least I can usually get away from that.  Hamburgers and pizza are forever being blown in my face like some greasy, crunchy, tasty smoke. 

I understand perfectly how Portia got the way she was.  I go through periods where I become literally obsessed with my eyebrows because it's the only thing about my face that I can change.  I always thought Portia was one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen and most wonder how such a person could think of herself as purely ugly and hate herself so much.  I totally understand.


Friday, August 19, 2011

Discouraged

I've been on a plateau for ten years.  I took off the weight almost easily, but cannot lose that last ten pounds.  This is not news to anyone.

Last Friday, exactly as week ago, I was weighed at a doctor's appointment and it came out at 113.  I weighed myself yesterday at work and it was 114.  My pants are tight.  My boobs don't fit completely into the cups of my bras.  My pants and bras both leave marks on my skin when I undress.

This is bullcrap.  Yesterday I felt so discouraged because I've been eating all the right foods, counting calories and making sure I don't go above a certain number.  I.  Am.  So.  Sick.  Of.  Salad.  I'm also sick of shoving away & ignoring cravings for sweets and all things fried.

I got fed up last night and figured if I eat the right things and still gain weight, well by God, I'm gonna eat what I wanna eat!  So right before bed I had a Hot Pocket (ew) and a short stack of Ritz crackers with cheddar cheese.

That was a mistake, I suppose.  At work today I got one of those evil cupcakes that have 500 calories, 26 grams of fat and 41 grams of sugar.  "It took me five minuets to eat it and I'll probably regret it for the next 3 or 4 days," I muttered to a coworker.  "Nah, you move around so fast, you'll burn it off," he said.

YOU WOULD THINK SO!!!!  Sweating buckets and running around at work ain't burning off broccoli and lettuce!!!!  Soon after I ate the cupcake, I got on the digital scale at work.  117!!!!!!

"That can't be right!" I hollered to Patti.  "Well...." she gave me a sideways glance.  "You did eat that cupcake..."  Patti then winked at me and it became one big joke.

I had to stop at the bank after work and I passed what seemed like a hundred delicious fast food joints.  I never crave fast food, especially when it's over a hundred degrees.  I kept picturing Chik-fil-a nuggets and waffle fries in my hand, a big juicy Whataburger, even Bush's chicken tenders slopped in gravy.  God help me.

I figured if I could make to the interstate, I'd be alright.  Then once on the interstate, I remembered that I had to pass about three thousand more greasy joints, easy accessible by exit ramps.  Sigh.  And even when I hit my neighborhood, I cross the street with the Family Dollar whose shelves are lined with cakes, cookies, and bags of Cheetos.  I drove straight past the 7-11 and made it home. 

I shoveled more nicotine gum into my mouth.

When I quit smoking, it was an awesome thing.  I don't crave cigarettes.  I can sit next to someone smoking & it doesn't stir up the urge.  The smoke bothers me greatly, as in I cannot breathe, but I do not want one.  Why is it that with junk food, I fight it all day, every day?  I gave of smoking, I do not want it.  I gave up junk food--I WANT IT ALL THE FREAKING TIME!!!!!

I need therapy. 


Big Tobacco

Congress wanted to paste disturbing images on packs of cigarettes such as blackened lungs, etc.  Four out of the five major tobacco compnaies in America sued over this saying it violated their free speech rights.

????  I don't really see how, but, um, alright.....

Big Tobacco also said it would cost millions to print these images on the packages. 

Once again, I really don't see why it would cost more to print a lung than a camel in a cool leather jacket, but um, alright.....

I don't think I really need to write too much on how stupid all this is.  As a former smoker who has many smokers in her family with lung ailments, of course I am all for the blackened lung pictures.  Go for it!  While we're at it, paste a video of a heart attack on the back of Cheetos because I;ve had some major cravings lately.

Discuss....


7 Day Power Surge

I saw this on Dr. Oz and I am posting here so I don't lose it because I might try it sometime.

In morning
400mg magnesium with 600mg calcium
500mg Tyrosine (break capsule on tongue, drink water) available at Walgreens

Mid morning instead of coffee--wheat grass juice

Eat breakfast high in fiber & protein

Play soft music 45 minuets before bed & up till bedtime  (who does this?!)

Thursday, August 11, 2011

That's So Gay

A while back there was a commercial that played on TV where a girl would look at someone's ugly earrings (or something to that effect) and say, "That's so gay."  The girl was reprimanded by an onlooker and said something to the effect of, "What if I said, 'That's so girl with the pink skirt?'"  Then the ad would on and on about how we should all stop and think about what we say.

I was recently watching an old stand-up routine in which the comedian admitted to being bad about saying things like "That's retarded" and "That's gay".  And to quote him, "How else am I supposed to describe a fanny pack?"

Good point.  Ok, obviously we say LOTS of things that are vulgar and hideous, let alone to offend an entire community.  Personally I hate the term fagot MUCH more than saying That's So Gay.  I never heard anyone use that term to describe someone's ugly blouse.  I have heard and have used it myself to describe something a bit girlish being done or worn by a man.  (Like a fanny pack or eye shadow)

Someone paid money to put this on TV.  No one is concerned about the term "tubby" or "fatty", "throws like a girl" (and thousands of other words meant to bring women down) or the N-Word and so on and so forth (you could write pages of mere words).  Whoever paid for this ad was concerned enough about one silly phrase, however was not concerned enough about offending the king of the universe!

We respect the Creator of our lives so much that we gave Him a last name:  Dammit.  How sick am I of hearing this!!!!  There's no commercial advertising on TV about this one, that's for sure.  We use it as an exclamation (Oh my God!) as a complaint when we drop something (Oh GAWD!) as a means to curse (I dropped the godda---- bowl!) and most recently I heard a man on TV exclaim, "OH my fu--ing God!"

Yeah.  So why don't we think about we say?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Thinking of Food

I'm not hungry at all but I can't get my mind off it.  I don't wanna work out at all.  I figured it would be easier to just eat less.  I've been counting calories (what a miserable process) for a couple weeks.  I am merely guessing that I was eating 2000-2300 per day.  I read in a magazine that--duh--if you simply subtract a few hundred calories you will lose weight without effort.

Effort?  It takes all the effort in me to stay out of that kitchen!  Why am I so obsessed?  Why do i want to eat when i am not even hungry?  There are people literally starving to death all over and here I am wanting to eat out of boredom, for taste, for the pleasure of it.  I feel ashamed.

I weigh between 110 and 112 depending on how much salt I took in the day before.  And yes, I normally eat that calories amount stated above (or more) on any given day.  Now, before you get pissed at me, keep in mind that for my weight I am five feet tall and I am on feet all day, running around work, lifting, going, moving.  So yes, obviously if I eat a little less without keeping myself hungry (thus, slowing my metabolism) I should easily lose a few pounds without even trying.

I do not keep snacks for myself in the house and yet I still seem to eat too much.  So far I'm at 800 calories for the day.  Oh, and I had 7 french fries, how ever many calories that adds up to.  You see how obsessive this can get?  A bag of popcorn is 75 calories?  That doesn't sound right at all.  A serving is a cup which is 30 calories and there's 2.5 servings in a bag.  My math must be off.  The bag of popcorn filled me up so that I felt very full.  And yet....I still am still thinking of eating something!  I'M NOT EVEN HUNGRY!!!!

I'm trying to justify it by telling myself 800 calories is not enough for the day.  However it's 2.5 hours until bedtime and I cannot just pig out here.  I should have a bowl of veggies and find something to do to keep myself busy....

What is wrong with me?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Spelling Sound Off

It's no wonder kids can't spell or read anymore.  And why should they need to?  All they need to do anymore is decipher textenese. 

AOL?
GR8T!!
LOL!!
ROTFLMYAO....HTUUBFHIKUB!!!!

At the grocery store I noticed a national brand promoting a pizza that came packaged with "WYNGS".  On my way out (I'm not making this up) I saw in the Take One Free rack a small magazine titled "The Apartment Lokator".  And a few months ago, on my way to the bank, I would pass a building with the sign "Kowgirl Kuts".  Why make the Cs into Ks????  (And as a side note, you'd think SOMEONE at the DiGiorno company might notice the misspelling of "wings")

My screen is lit up with red squiggly lines, trying to tell me that I cannot spell correctly if my life depended on it.  The spell checker might have a nervous breakdown if I opened it. 

And just think, there was a time when teachers complained that students spelled "relief" as ROLAIDS. 
HA!