Finding Radiance

Hey everybody – exciting news:

I am going to be participating in the Dr. Oz show taping on Wednesday in NYC!  I didn’t want to write about this until I actually had the travel arrangements in my little hands, as these things can go awry.  They are putting me on a train (about 4 hours) to the city on Tuesday and am staying in a hotel about 2 blocks from the Rockafeller Center.  Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I am so thrilled to have been asked to be a part of this show.  There will be 100 people who have lost 100 pounds and it is going to be such a fabulous thing to have a connection with all of those people.  The Century Club people

I know several bloggers who are going:  Diane and Sarah for sure.  I cannot wait to meet people in person!  I am scared and nervous, mostly that I don’t trip or pull some Lori-type embarrassing thing.  Of course, there is always that feeling like I don’t deserve to be there (even though that isn’t true).  Nothing like going on TV after coming back from a cruise….. *burp*

I am bringing the camera for sure, I hope they let us take pictures. I’ll keep you updated on what is going on.  Not sure how much we will be able to say about the episode before it airs.  I am sure they will tell us.

I tell you – I have so much on my plate right now it is crazy.  Another really exciting thing is happening, too, but I will wait a little bit on this .

The cruise was very nice and we would probably do another one at some point.  We did one 10 years ago, so I guess in another 10?   One of the things that was very different on this cruise versus 10 years ago was the fitness system available on the ship.  I did post some pics of the gym a few days ago, but here are some more.

Here is the locker area:

And the sauna:

I actually never used the outdoor track on one of the upper decks except for a 1 mile walk on one night.  It was pretty windy, and the deck was wet in the mornings when I wanted to run, so I just did the treadmill.  Let me tell you, running on a moving boat on a treadmill is weird.  We hit some rougher seas, but the ship really barely moves because it has giant stabilizers in it.  Occasionally you can feel a ‘leaning’ sensation, which you get quite used to as the days go by.  The other morning we had gone through a storm and the boat was moving a little more than usual when I was on the treadmill.  If any of you have run across a field or grassy area probably can relate to how it feels.  You are going along and it will take a shorter or longer time for one of your feet to hit the surface because it is uneven and you can’t really see that.  Same thing running on the boat.

John went with me or met me a few times in the gym.

There were a good number of people using the fitness center, which was good to see.  I did a good amount of exercise, and I give myself a grade of A for that.  Foodwise it was more like a C.  I ate too much.  While it was not anywhere near what I would have eaten in the past, it was still more than normal and I have some puffiness on the scale today.  I can’t imagine what it would have been without the exercise   No worries, though – that will come off.  While it is easy to eat healthy on the cruise choice wise, it is also very difficult to eat healthy at times just because of the availability of food.  I tend to fall prey to that.  It’s just my nature as a food lover

The last cruise we too, we actually enjoyed the ports of call the most.  This time, we were actually disappointed with our return to Cozumel.  It changed so much in 10 years.  We wanted to go to Chankanaab, which is the National Park in Cozumel.  Last time, we went there and enjoyed the beach and nature and did snorkeling.  When we got there, the base admission fee was $19 per person, which included a tshirt (??) and a beer (??) The view they must have of tourists….  Plus admission to ’shows’.  We didn’t want to see hokey shows, we wanted to see the natural beauty!  It’s so weird because in the US, national and state parks may have a fee for a car to drive in which isn’t much, but if you walk or bike, it’s free entrance and you go there to see nature.  It was like the Mexican government was trying to turn it into a theme park or something.  Just weird.

Also at the entrance of the park was this sign.

At the entrance of a national park you can pick up antibiotics, muscle relaxants, or steroid inhalers.  I stood with my mouth open for several minutes looking at this sign. Gotta love it.  I was infuriated about this because this leads to antibiotic resistance.  There are reasons why certain drugs are prescription only.  Sorry about that rant….

Let’s sweeten it up a bit.  The chocolate buffet.  It was actually part of the lunch time buffet, which was different.  It used to be a midnight buffet.  At least we didn’t have to stay up!

Chocolate orange cake:

Chocolate cheesecake:

Chocolate torte:

Chocolate pear cake:

Diet raspberry cake (their words)

Pink marshmallows, mini donuts, jellied fruit.

Mini espresso paniers, candied nuts and biscotti.

Raspberry hazelnut torte.

Check this out – looks like sushi, but it’s all sweet!  Dessert sushi. The rice is sweetened and it’s topped or filled with fruit:

I loved this.   I think I was irritating people because I was taking pictures and they wanted to fill their plates

Hope you enjoyed!

Time to go watch the Superbowl – Geaux Saints!!

Back in the USA!  And back at home.  Phew.  We arrived safely home with no flight delays, thanks to a fortuitous choice by John to choose to fly through Chitown instead of Baltimore on the way home.  Thank you, John!

Internet was costly on the ship, or I would have posted more and responded to comments.  It was 75 cents a minute, so it was pretty much create the post with LiveWriter, log on and send.

So, I thought I would do a post (or 2) on some randomness of the trip and the food that didn’t get talked about or posted.  Most people seem to ask about the food

The nice thing about Carnival is that they have lots of options for dining, from casual buffet to sit down dining.  There were also small dining options of a grill where you could get a burger and fries (or even a veggie burger!).  There was an Asian inspired area open at times that had stir fry made to order, and a sushi bar.

From the buffet lines:

Broiled Mahi Mahi.  Done to order, which is amazing on a ship of 2500 people!  You just had to ask.

From the deli for lunch, grilled pesto/tomato/mozzarella and arugula sandwich.

All that broccoli, you know that was my plate! California roll sushi (I don’t *ever* eat raw fish).

Available 24/7 is pizza, soft serve, and frozen yogurt!

We did 2 sit down dining room meals.  One was dress up night:

Starting with a wonderful salad with feta cheese and crisp grilled foccacia:

John had a crab cake:

My entree was prime rib.  I normally don’t eat corporate meat out, but I bent the rules a little on the cruise.  Plus, the only vegetarian option on this menu was eggplant (ick).

This was surprisingly good.  And way bigger a portion than I expected, as most portions on the cruise are small (or normal) in size.  I only ate maybe 1/3 of this.  With a little spinach casserole on the side and a baker.

Dessert was a grand marnier souffle with vanilla sauce:

I love the little individual desserts they serve.    The service in the dining room was impecable, too.  It felt very posh and upscale.  This is the dining room empty:

I’ll do another post on the chocolate buffet and more of the ship, as this one is getting long!

Breakfast on the boat!  I am loving the freedom of casual dining.  I do find I am eating more food though, because it is available. 

Our ship does 2 stops (Carnival Triumph), one is Cozumel and the other is Progreso.  Progreso is a relatively new cruise ship port, I think 5 years old?  Progreso is growing in size, although still poor from an American perspective. 

We docked along side another Carnival ship, but a smaller one (that’s relative, though….)

The 2 ships made a giant wind tunnel here – it was already windy as a cold front was passing through, and it funneled in between the ships.

Pretty beaches in Progreso:

The water was a little cool to swim, but the beaches were nice to walk around in.  Here was me getting a little shock of the cold water!

Not shown here are the dozens and dozens of people offering massages on the beach.  $10 for 60 minutes, which is quite the deal!  They all say “Massage, Lady?”  That struck me really funny for some reason because most times you hear the term ‘lady’ not used in a friendly way. 

Port market:

We took a tour to a smaller Mayan ruin (Xcambo).  We decided not to do one of the big ones, as it would take 1.5 hours each way, and we didn’t want to spend that much time on a bus. 

We could climb to the top of these pyramids, maybe 20 meters?

View from the top.  Amazing how they could put all this stuff together without modern equipment.  These ruins are 2000 years old.

That thatch roof building is actually a Catholic church that was built on this site in 1930. 

Our tour also included going through a flamingo area!

It was really cool to see these without them being in a zoo! Our tour guide was calling this area a swamp, but it wasn’t the type of terrain I think of as swamp.

Here are a bunch of iguanas soaking up the sun on a wall. 

All in all, a nice day.  Our tour had only 12 people on it, so it was quite nice.

Back to the boat and to some food!  They really do have wonderful food artists on board:

The late afternoon was spent with a book and a view:

I wanted to thank Lori for giving me the opportunity to write in her absence and be able to share some of my experiences on her wonderful blog! Every time I read through Lori’s posts, I’m so impressed by the care that she puts into her food choices and the absolute commitment she has to her physical fitness.

In case you’re not familiar with my story, I used to weigh 305 pounds. Twelve years ago, I lost 158 pounds and went from a tight size 26/28 to a size 6/8. Losing weight was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, but maintaining the weight loss for all these years is even more important than the number of pounds I lost.

People sometimes ask me about how difficult it is to maintain my weight. I often tell them that maintaining my weight is the fun part. All the hard work I put into losing weight was for one overriding goal; to get healthy and stay that way to the best of my ability.

Maintenance is a balancing act, especially the first year or two. It definitely took some practice to make some of the following decisions:

• How much more food should I eat to maintain my weight?
• Was the level of exercise I was doing enough?
• How careful did I need to be on a daily basis?

To be honest with you, the first question was the hardest to figure out. To my surprise, I quickly realized that to maintain my new, healthier weight I only needed to eat a little bit more food than I had as I was losing weight. And that little bit of food was probably only about 250 or 300 calories in total. That surprised me.

As far as the exercise went, I am a speed walker for my exercise of choice, so I just continued to do that, with the occasional very slow 5K thrown in. I continued to strength train a few times a week – but not as much as Lori does! She is amazing.

And because I had truly changed my lifestyle, and not just dieted on a temporary basis, I didn’t need to be that careful with regards to my food choices. I had learned how to eat the things I truly enjoyed in moderation and that was so freeing.

So the maintenance years have been 100% enjoyable. It’s been fun to buy clothes in the regular sized departments, it’s been fun to swim with my seven kids whereas before I didn’t even own a bathing suit, and it’s been wonderful to feel like I’m an active woman even as I get older.

No matter where you are in your journey, whether you are maintaining a healthy weight or desire to lose a few pounds, know that in the end – staying at a healthy weight by making great food choices and exercising on a regular basis is a small thing in return for the wonderful rewards of health.

Thanks again Lori – I so admire all you have accomplished!

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Thank *you*  Diane!

Woke up pretty early.  The boat was out in the middle of the Gulf by the time morning rolled around.

I hit the spa/gym and ran for 5 miles on the treadmill.  I was going to use the outdoor track, but it was wet and hadn’t had a chance to dry yet, so with safety in mind, I did it indoors.  John came up and met me there, and we headed out to breakfast.  We chose to eat on the Lido deck.   I was such a happy camper, because they had oatmeal available!!  I made up a plate of toppings to go with:  peanut butter, blueberries, and almonds.  With fresh fruit on the side and a little bit of scrambled eggs for protein.

The view with breakfast:

Then it was relaxing time!  On the deck:

John is ready for napping:

Don’t worry, I have 50 SPF sunscreen!  Wouldn’t want to burn those pasty legs

It’s funny how there can be 2500+ people on board and it doesn’t really feel crowded.  The ship is just so big.  Here is a view down our corridor for the stateroom:

It looks like one of those fake perspective things with a mirror – but it really goes all the way down there!  This is just one level, too. 

Main atrium:

One of the 5 or 6 bars – called the Big Easy or Oyster bar.  Those are oyster shells embedded in the walls:

With a cool piano bar to sit at (no it doesn’t play – I tried)

The casino open 24/7 while at sea.

There is a coffee house here:

Espresso drinks are not included in the food package.  I may have to get a latte later in the week.  The food is good on the ship, but the coffee is pretty much swill.  Although the coffee is available 24/7 – which is nice. 

The cafe also showcases a bit of food art:

That’s all chocolate.  Plus this cool dragon.

This is the gym, or some of it.  Stationary bike area:

Nice view, eh?  Treadmills are the same way, although each of them has a personal TV.  This is the free weight area (taken in stealth so I wouldn’t get anyone working out.

The gym also has a sauna and steam room.  I took a steam and it was heaven.  Funny how in summer I complain about heat and humidity, but I willingly went into the room and enjoyed it.  The room was scented with eucalyptus, too.  I was sooooo relaxed after I got out.  I am going to do a couple more steam room times this week!

Lunch buffet line:

Interesting food available.  I am dying for some strawberries, though.  Not a one to be had on the boat!  The fruit is all long lasting kinds like melons, apples, pears, and bananas.

Plenty of desserts available!

Some Mayan ruins on the agenda, then a day of beach time in Cozumel

Just Keep Going
by Leah from My New Ending

Almost everyone has seen the Pixar animated movie “Finding Nemo” that came out years ago, and we all remember the easily likable Dory.  She was the sprightly blue fish who forgets everything almost immediately and who becomes a friend to Marlin at the beginning of his journey to find his son, Nemo.  At one point in their search, Nemo’s father gets so very vexed that he becomes depressed, feeling like there’s no hope left of ever finding his son.  Suddenly Dory is singing brightly, “Just keep swimming!  Just keep swimming!  All you gotta do is swim, swim, swim.”  This is only one of her many attempts to encourage Marlin along the way, and thankfully it proves helpful as he continues looking for his son.

Like Marlin, there have been many times I have wanted to give up in my weight loss journey.  I’ve felt like there’s no hope.  “What was I thinking?  Me, thin?”  Sometimes thoughts of “I’m never going to change.” have invaded my mind, and I’ve wondered why I try. But somewhere deep inside comes a little voice telling me to keep going on.  “Don’t give up.  Just keep trying.” And I know that little voice is what has kept me going these eight months.

My weight loss journey is not a spectacular one of dropping large amounts of weight each week and seeing these amazing changes take place for all to see.  Instead it has been a slow, steady journey of changes coming from the inside and working their way out.  Along with days and weeks where I’ve done well and seen a loss I’ve also had weeks where I’ve struggled through food issues, or just not really cared at all about what goes into my mouth. Somehow through all of this I’ve just known in the back of my mind I’m not giving up.  I think that is where this journey is so very different from all the other attempts I’ve made at weight loss.  No matter how slow the weight is coming off, it is coming off and I refuse to give up until I’m in a more healthy state both physically and mentally in regards to food.

I’m learning what works for me, eat less and move more, and along the way I keep telling myself something similar to Dory’s little encouragement song, “Just keep going.  Just keep going.”  By not giving up I’ve seen a loss of twenty four pounds so far and I’ve seen myself reach levels of fitness I never thought I could.

If I can encourage anyone in trying to lose weight I would tell them the same thing, “Don’t give up.  You are worth it and you can change.  Just keep getting back up and try again.”  In the end, like Marlin, you’ll reach the end of your journey and you’ll be so glad you didn’t give up when times were hard.  In fact, we can all reach our goals if we just keep going.

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Thank you Leah!

Our last morning in N’awlins!  We did a run along the Riverwalk and a little through the French Quarter, maybe 2.5 miles or so.  Then stopped at Croissant D’Or patisserie, one of our favorite places.  It’s a very old building.

I love how it is full of subway tile, ornate molding, and stained glass:

Had an almond croissant, and then we split a piece of King cake.  Croissant D’Or does them a little different.  They are more flaky pastry, rather than yeast cake:

We then spent the morning taking in the sites and just enjoying the Quarter before boarding the cruise ship.  There was a jazz group playing in the streets, which is very common.

Many times these street groups are so good, you just can’t believe it.  This is Royal St, which is full of antique shops and upscale boutiques.  This road is barracaded off during the day for the shoppers, which is why the groups set up in the street.

Time for lunch and had another New Orleans staple – Jambalaya!

Rice with chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage and tomatoes.  This was really good. 

Before picking up our luggage, we stopped at CC’s coffee and had some chickory cafe au lait and a praline!

Time to board the boat!

Pictures just cannot show how enormous and vast this ship is.  The boat holds 2800 people.   Huge line to check in :

Finally on the boat.  We have a really nice cabin.  We actually have a window!

And a couch:

I was soooo happy to see this for dinner!

I was dying for fresh fruit and veggies!  I love the food in New Orleans, but it is very difficult to find fruits and veggies on any menu (at least in the Quarter).  Just can’t eat that rich food for very long any more.

I filled up my plate with all the fresh goodness.

Of course, I had to have a little dessert to go with:

Then we checked out the fitness center on the boat.  It’s really nice and includes a sauna and steam room, plus a bunch of equipment and free weights!  Yay!

That was a busy Monday, that’s for sure!  Tuesday is a day at sea before we get to Progreso (Mexico, not the soup).  I’ll showcase more boat photos then. 

Hi everyone! Many thanks to Lori for letting me do a guest post on her great blog. My name is Carrie and I write the blog Love Healthy Living. Here, I chronicle my experiences in learning about and trying to follow a healthy lifestyle.

I live with my husband and two cats on the central coast of California. We are fortunate to have an abundance of fresh produce. I try to take advantage of this opportunity and prepare fresh, healthy meals nearly every day. That’s not to say I spend hours in the kitchen. I love finding shortcuts (like using the crock pot) and we often eat leftovers with a fresh salad or vegetable on the side.

I wasn’t always so careful about what I eat. I never learned to cook when I was younger so my young adult years were spent eating packaged or quick fix meals that weren’t very nutritionally balanced. Then, after meeting my husband and entering a busy phase of my professional life, I started eating out at restaurants a lot more often. Before I knew it, we had both gained weight.

The turning point for me came in 2004 after watching the movie “Super Size Me.” This was the one about the guy (Morgan Spurlock) who eats McDonald’s for 30 days. What struck me was the dichotomy between the fast food from McDonald’s and the food that was prepared by Morgan’s vegan chef girlfriend before and after his experiment. The whole foods that she prepared with care and love jumped out at me from the screen. I realized at that moment that I was not feeding myself or my husband with the same amount of concern and that had to change.

After seeing the movie, I immediately went grocery shopping and filled my basket with fresh fruits and vegetables. Over the next several years, I learned basic cooking skills and how to eat right. My husband and I both lost weight and gained energy and self-confidence.

My personal transformation also led me to a career change into the field of nutrition. I am currently a graduate student in the field of public health in nutrition. I hope to use my education to help plan and execute programs to help other people live healthier lives.

From studying nutrition and public health combined with my personal journey to be healthy, I have come up with some nutritional guidelines that help me lead a more balanced life:

1. Eat fruits and vegetables with every meal. I use every opportunity to fuel myself with healthful ingredients.
2. Cut out the processed foods. Making your own meals will save you money and give you control over the ingredients.
3. Eat as a family. Studies show that this time together has a positive impact on healthy behaviors for you and your family.
4. Learn about where your food comes from and how the choices you make impact the environment.
5. Take the time to lovingly prepare and enjoy your meals. Eating mindfully is a great way to achieve a balanced diet.

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Thank you Carrie!