Let’s talk water…

I know that Thursdays is where I generally post makeup reviews during the week, but I can think of no better beauty secret then drinking plenty of water. Not everyone agrees on how much water is enough water and most people I know are pretty sure they aren’t drinking enough no matter how much they are actually drinking.

To be honest, I was not entirely sure how much I was drinking. I tend to lose track throughout the day. I find that I do drink more water if it is carbonated. Somehow it doesn’t sit as heavy on my stomach as still water does.

Because of this Iong ago purchased a Soda Stream. I have one of the older models which i believe has been discontinued. while I love it and use it daily, there is a part of me hoping that it will wear out soon because the new models they have out are simply fabulous. Have you seen them? The new Art Icy Blue is the one i have my eye on. I know mine works well and it works the same as mine does it just looks so sweet. I took a screen capture. I am trying to fight my desire for pretty. I won’t repurchase until mine does break (and no I won’t break it just to get a new one, I don’t want the pretty that badly.) and then i will pick up something like this. It will take a while as these machines last forever.

But seriously, is that not so sweet looking. They have other colors but I love the shape of the body as well as that handle. It just appeals to me.

But moving on.

I have the soda stream for carbonation but I don’t drink from the bottle. I never have. I think because it is simply too big for me to feel comfortable drinking from it. My babydoll does drink straight from his bottle and we do have to replace his bottles twice as often as we do mine. They are plastic and after repeated use (he also adds more flavors to his bottle while I add them to the glass) they will eventually get off flavors with them. Even then we replace his once a year and mine every other year.

I picked up this glass carafe with a straw from Smartass and Sass. I love their on-line store (and at the moment they have a 60% off clearance sale. I think this exact carafe was down to $8.95 and still available should you be interested.) I sometimes find their boxes a bit too much but each box has one or two items in it that I like so I tend to buy those items rather than the box. But that is just me. I think this water bottle/carafe and the travel mug are the two best things I have picked up from the, Although I do have to add the desk calendar provides me with great dark humor daily.

but back to the water. I don’t like drinking out of the Large Soda Stream bottle. So this smaller glass water bottle with a straw is perfect for me. I know, some of you are looking at the top picture and seeing the even larger water bottle next to the Soda Stream and thinking I had best get to explaining myself.

Like I said I lose track of how much water I drink in a day and would really like to actually know how much I drink and then f course figure out how much i am supposed to bedrinking and work towards making those amounts match. Hence the giant bottle with measurements marked down the side.

My current system, while I am trying to figure out my amounts, is to use the soda stream and empty the Soda Stream bottles into the Giant jug ‘o water where there are measurements. It takes two and a half of the Soda Stream Bottles to fill it. Then throughout the day I refill my actual drinking glass with the carbonated water from my jug ‘o water.

At the end of the day I tally everything up to see how much water i am drinking. And I don’t have to worry if I emptied my drinking glass before I refilled it or how many times I refilled it throughout the day. I just look at what is left in the giant jug. And before you ask. I keep it on the floor under the desk rather than on the desk. Mostly because this feels like something I should take on a picnic or a camping trip rather than to my desk.

I’m sure in time I’ll feel more normal about seeing it, but for now it is a little strange. It is however helping me to track how much water I actually drink without having to think about it too much. I have tried multiple formats, notes with tally lines and star stickers were my last two attempts to count. They pretty much failed because I would lose track or refill the glass when it was still halfway full.

I don’t know how many of you are trying to figure out or keep track of your water consumption. when I first started to try to lose weight it was something my doctor really emphasized as something to watch, hence the various ways I have tried. if you are in the same boat, perhaps this will help you out. You can pick up these bottles in loads of places for not that much money. I think TJMaxx has a huge selection as does Home Goods, Walmart and Target. And I am sure loads of other places as well as on-line. The thing is to make sure it seals tightly, has a decent pouring capability and has one side of the bottle marking measurements so you can keep track of things. Then throughout the day you can drink what you are going to drink (whether it is carbonated or not) and find out just how much water you are drinking in a day.

For me this was an easy fix to an irritating problem. I wanted to know how much water I was drinking in a day but kept losing track. Now, I don’t lose track and can more easily work towards my goal. It is a bit silly, i will grant you that, but it works. And in the end I can stand to be a little silly.

Getting into the guts of things…

They say beauty comes from within. And so today, it is inside we are going. One of the things I have always had issues with are my guts. I have a very slow metabolism. I like to thing that as my tastebutds like to savor flavors, my innards like to savor neutrients.

As amusing as that image is, it is less amusing when you have to feel the effects of it. And as we are talking about the inside, I will have to admit that my body does not like releasing gas either. In either direction although when it does release it tends to go up rather than down. Admittedly that does mean that I often feel as though there is a giant softball sized bundle of gas trapped just behind my sternum. Which is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.

And so I tend to try all sorts of different products to sort of settle things down. The item I am trying now is the OLLY Metabolism Gummy Rings.

According to the website…

he secret to a mighty metabolism? Here’s the in’cider scoop. These delicious gummies help boost digestive health, improve metabolism and rev energy production. The best part: our Apple Cider Vinegar contains the “mother” (strands of protein packed with gut-friendly probiotics) so you can get all the benefits of ACV without having to drink it.*

I know the thought of eating a gummy to lose weight is a very appealing one. However I did choose to try these out because of the apple cider vinegar. When I was little constipation was a routine feature of my life. It is actually less so as an adult. One of the things I was given to drink then, and still make now when I need it, is a homemade remedy.

The homemade version we used for a constipation cure is One tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, Two tablespoons of lemon juice and eight ounces of water. It is not the most pleasant of tasting drinks so I always put in a straw and just suck it back as fast as I can. About half an hour later, the bathroom is my best friend. This is not a concoction to drink when you have to be away from a restroom. It is my emergency constipation cure.

When I saw that this Metabolism Gummy had Apple Cider vinegar in it I figured it was possible it could help me out. The container (retail $19.95) has a thirty day supply and today I am taking my last gummy in the jar. For the past month i have taken one each day. with my mind thinking about my constipation cure, I started the thirty days on a day where I knew i wasn’t going to be leaving the house for a meeting. It was a day, I would be home and I am glad I did.

The first one worked a bit like a slow acting version of my homemade concoction. After about an hour, I found myself visiting the restroom. So i was very glad that I scheduled my start at home. I did have some concerns about a daily dose. The second day there was a need to be near the bathroom, but it was less than the day before. By the third day a more normal course had been resumed. I think that was my body purging and getting used to the gummies.

Taking them regularly sort of regulated my insides. It was just the first that blasted through like human Drain-o.

Once I adjusted, I did find that I was also a bit more regular and I felt less bloated and my guts less cramped. I also had a lot less trouble with trapped gas. So I burped more this month than usual, which wouldn’t normally be something to be happy about. But for me is a very good thing. I had fewer problems this month with my guts than I have for a while.

As for the taste…much better than my homemade concoction. It still has the vinegary tang I would expect, but the sugar of the gummies brings out the apple. They are sweet but not quite candy sweet. They are pleasant to eat, but i would never mistake them for a candy gummy ring, which is perfectly fine with me. The jar tells you not to eat more than one a day and I can say while I am fine with eating one a day, I don’t find myself wanting to reach for a second.

While i will probably still try other items, This is definitely a repeat purchase item for me. I will continue to take it as long as it continues to work. I’m sure i will try other things, but for now, I think this is going to be my standard. I don’t think it helped with any weight loss this month, but it certainly made me feel better, and when I feel better, i am more inclined to exercise. It isn’t a magic weight loss pill, because such a thing doesn’t exist. But it does help me feel a lot better. The OLLY Metabolism Gummy Rings get two thumbs up from me.

Weekly Weight: 232.8 lbs

There is something almost amusing about this cycle. I lost 4 lbs and then stayed the same weight for two weeks in a row, then I lost two pounds and again I find myself at the same weight I was last week. Perhaps next week will be another two pounds gone, but this week, I have the same weight as last week.

It was an interesting week for workouts though. We started the week with rain and flooding of the walking tail so I ended up with indoor strength training exercises and watching my calories like a hawk. Midweek instead of a normal workout i spend pretty much half a day clearing fallen tree branches post Tuesday night windstorm. I have no idea how many calories were actually burned during that but i can tell you even now I can feel the effort in my arms.

Luckily by Thursday the park was no longer flooded and I could walk again. I think if left to just the strength exercises there would have been no workouts at all because Thursday my arms felt like limp noodles. Today they are just a little bit achy so I am sticking with the walking trail.

it is a good reminder of why i need to get the strength training exercises on a regular basis. I need to work on my arm strength. Because I burn more calories walking, and because I prefer to walk, that is what i concentrate on. I have also been about two years without a gym. Part of that is because of the pandemic, but even though I have been considering going back to the gym, it is on the other side of town and to be honest, gas prices are what is keeping me from actually signing up again. The nearest gym is on the other side of town and at the moment I am trying to reduce the amount I drive, not increase it.

I think if I can get into a set routine then I will be fine. The trick is that I need to make it a habit, regardless of the weather.

I know this may sound like an odd thought pattern, but part of this is due to the reasons I am trying to lose weight in the first place. I am not trying to look good in a bikini. I don’t need to fit into a specific dress or look good for a wedding or a reunion. I want to lose weight to take pressure off of my knees so that when i am in my 80s and 90s I have a better chance of them still working reasonably well. I want to be a healthy weight so my organs don’t have as big a strain. Health is the main goal.

Don’t get me wrong a smaller waist line and an expansion of the clothes I can fit into is also a big draw, because there are so many clothing items I like that they just don’t make in my size that I would love to be able to wear.

the big draw however is health. I want to be healthy and have my knees work and have the rest of me work as well. And so I need to remember my arms and abs and other bits of me that need to get back into working order. I don’t like working them as much as I like walking, so I tend to push it to the side. Unfortunately I don’t think that is good for me, so I need to find a way to encourage non-walking workouts on non-rainy days without a gym.

Yeah, its the encouragement that i am going to have to work on. Because I have the work outs. I just need to get into the habit of using them.

Something to think about today and maybe start implementing in the morning. Implementing today is just not happening. But tomorrow, my arms might not hurt as much and I might be able to talk myself into it. For now though…

The Stats

Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs

Last Week’s Weight: 232.8 lbs

This week’s weight: 232.8 lbs

Change this week: 0.0 lbs

Lost thus far: 13.2 lbs

And so the journey continues…

Weekly Weight: 220.0 lbs

Today I am pleased I lost some of the weight I gained over the holidays. I am happy I lost over a pound this week.

I didn’t always get my workouts it. Or at least not my full ones but I did manage to keep on track with my calories. So that was a pretty big deal. And I’ll admit, there were days this week I really didn’t want to. I’ve been waking up sore and stiff and I couldn’t figure out what was happening.

I foolishly started checking medical websites. After ten minutes I thought I was dying. Then I realized most of the symptoms didn’t match anything I had. The worst was when I thought it could be a heart attack and so I listened for my heart to see if it was beating okay and if there were any chest pains.

Then I realized that to listen I was holding my breath, which was starting to cause chest pains until I released it.

It turned out it really was pillow and possibly mattress related. We did a pillow swap and while the muscles still ache, I can tell it isn’t as bad as yesterday. New pillows will be ordered this weekend and the great mattress replacement quest will begin.

But as health related as that is, it is not the point of this post.

Although I will leave you with the recommendation that if you are going to look at medical websites, have someone with you to tell you when you are being crazy. Don’t search them when you are alone or you will make yourself crazy.

But back to the weight. Less exercise but maintaining my calorie count helped. I don’t know why I’m shocked as it is basic logic. Yet somehow, I am.

So to the stats!

Starting weight: 246.0 lbs

Last week’s Weight: 221.2 lbs

This week’s weight: 220.0 lbs

This week’s loss: 1.2 lbs

Lost thus far: 26.0 lbs

So I am going into the weekend feeling slightly foolish for my reaction to medical websites but over a pound lighter than last week. It doesn’t erase the feeling of foolishness, but it helps. I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday. And uses the buddy system for medical websites.

Weekly Weight: 205.6 lbs

It is finally Friday. This has been a long one. I think part of it was because I was out of the house more than I have been in a while. Don’t worry, I had my face mask. To be honest I think the change in my weight this week was due to just sweating in the heat while standing around. I certainly didn’t get in all of my normal walks.

I have to say, one thing that came in super handy this week were those Busy Beauty Body wipes. I may not have had to avoid the black showers of doom in my gym but I threw a hand full in my bag when I went out and while I used one, I shared with those around me, Let me tell you the peppermint cool was much appreciated on sun fried arms and legs. As my neighbor pointed out, we have now entered the season where we have the air you can wear. Seriously it is the fashion accessory no one wants, but you can’t leave at home.

This season comes between the spring rains and summer drought, in case you are wondering.

Its when all the rain that fell sort of hovers for a last goodbye before disappearing. You know, for that extra special touch that makes you wonder what you did to anger God. Or maybe not the big god, maybe like one of the little imps from Dante’s Infermo taking a short vacation from the seventh circle or maybe the eighth. It’s been a while since I read Dante.

Maybe I’ll read it this weekend. After I order more body wipes. Seriously, they are far more useful than I anticipated. Hopefully the new batch will be used in happier times.

Speaking of happy, despite everything I smiled when stepping on the scale this morning. It was such a weird week I had no idea what to expect. Exercise was strange and almost non-existent and food was really hit or miss rather than anythinglike a scheduled meal. It was a pleasant surprise and I’m trying to be very low key about actually passing the 40 lbs mark. That particular mark has made me exceedingly paranoid, so I’m not going to talk about it, just smile quietly to myself and list the stats.

Starting weight: 246.0 lbs

Last week’s weight: 206.4 lbs

This week’s weight: 205.6 lbs

This week’s loss: 0.8 lbs

Total lost thus far: 40.4 lbs (squee)

Total left to lose (apx.): 82.6 lbs

Okay, quiet giggles of personal glee, and off to work for the day. With everything going on this week I am so far behind and will be spending much of the day trying to see a reasonable dent in my inbox. I’ll be posting the Makeup Bag post right after this and then later today (hopefully after a mountain of work has been cleared) I will be back for the Friday Face Mask. Hope everyone has a good Friday.

The Water Diaries Week 3

In an attempt to consume the eight eight ounce glasses of water recommended each day, I have been tracking my water intake for a full thirty days. we are at the end of week three of the month long trial and thus far things have been interesting. To be honest, I didn’t expect a lot of changes to occur. I regularly drink water, although as I found out at the beginning not as much water as I thought I did.

At the moment I will leave previous weeks to stand on their own and combine all my findings into one post at the end of week four when my official trial is over.

This week, while I did find the water easier to consume, I have also found myself waking up thirsty more often than not and immediately reaching for the water glass on my night stand as soon as I wake.

Oddly enough I did have one day where I didn’t meet my goal of water consumption. Although that is a bit of an understatement. It was the week to vote in the primaries in Tennessee and as I missed the early voting I had to go on Tuesday. Since I’ve only done early voting I only knew where my early voting location was and as it turns out this is not my regular polling place.

Of course as it happens my regular polling place wasn’t my regular polling place wither, at least not this time. we’ve had a load of torrential rains recently and my regular polling place was flooded. So I trekked to the alternate location to perform my civic duty as a registered voter.

I can tell you this, I will not be forgetting my early voting next time. My early voting is at the library. It is easy to find and located on high ground so it doesn’t flood.

To be honest, I had my morning coffee and then later in the day, around dinner time I think I had one or two of my recommended eight glasses. I didn’t want to drink too much too late and thus spend the bulk of the night running to and from the powder room, so I didn’t.

What’s the worst that can happen, I reasoned. I’ll have to admit to a day of failure. I can do that.

Yeah. Turns out my body had other plans.

Not only did I wake up feeling dryer than the Sahara, my body craving water. But I had a bit of a headache and I felt pretty wrecked. I seriously thought I was coming down with something and took my temperature.

My temperature was fine, so I popped a couple of Ibuprofen and went on with my morning.

That day I not only drank my allotted water but I drank more than my allotted water with no problems. I didn’t drink double, but I did end up drinking a little over a gallon of water that day. The headache faded, I felt better and things are now back to normal.

I think my body has gotten used to the extra hydration and was not terribly happy about being denied. And I did go to an extreme of a lot of water to very little. I’m sure if I lowered my daily amounts slowly it wouldn’t be as big a problem. It was just an unexpected strangeness.

To be honest, it felt a little like a hangover.

I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me as one of the main reasons for a hangover is that alcohol dehydrates you. So I suppose I dehydrated myself, without the cocktails.

Not as much fun really.

But good to know.

And that is it as I prepare to go into my final week of my water challenge. I have to say, I’ve learned more about my body this month than I expected.

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