I am 75% done with my Chemotherapy

It dawned on me today that I only have 5 more weeks of chemotherapy, and I started at 20 weeks.   I am 75% through!!  Woo hoo!    It hasn't been near as bad as I had imagined it to be.  I was very stressed about it beforehand, but it hasn't been that bad.   I've only missed one day of work due to sickness.  I get my treatments on Thursdays, and I have a very difficult time sleeping Thursday nights, because the steroid kicks in.  I still feel pretty good on Fridays.  Usually Friday evenings is when the chemo crash hits.  Most weekends I hardly leave the house.  I take a shower and put on a different pair of jammies.

However, this weekend I intend to walk at least 2 miles each day and I have a new strength training program to do.  I would like to do at least one, and take a rest day on the other day.   We will see.   I'm hoping that will help offset the fatigue.

My surgery is set for February 10, so I want to be in the best shape possible going into surgery.  My research has taught me that weight bearing exercises will make recovery easier.  So, weight training I shall do!

I'm just very excited that I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and I am praying that it isn't a train!  :)

Thankful

As Thanksgiving rolls around once again, I have to say I have many things to be thankful for.  I am celebrating Thanksgiving in an entirely different manner this year.

Usually, I go to a family gathering with approximately 40 relatives, many of them children.  It seems like somebody is always coming down with something or just getting over something.  It is just the nature of the beast when you get that many people together.   So, this year we are staying home.  My treatments are going so well, and I don't want to expose myself to anything that could make me miss a treatment.   I will miss my family, but I also know that I will have many, many Thanksgivings in my future to celebrate with them!

I'm thankful that my father is alive and will spend the day with me.  Two years ago I almost lost him.  The journey he has had to recuperate himself and get himself HOME, after spending 8 months between the hospital and nursing home, is very inspiring.  He is a fighter, and I think I have inherited that from him! 

On Friday I am usually one of those crazy people braving the crowds at 4am looking for a bargain.   This year, I will not be partaking.   Normally, I take my chemo treatments on Thursdays, but Illinois Cancer Care is closed this Thursday.   So, my chemo treatment has been rescheduled to Friday.   My best friend, who is more like a sister to me than a friend, is coming over Thursday night to spend the night and then she is taking me to chemo on Friday.   I am SO thankful that treatment is available to me and that I have great insurance that is allowing me to receive it.

It might seem odd, but I actually look forward to going for chemo.  First off, if you know anyone who needs to go through chemotherapy, suggest that they get a port.  I hate needles and I would be a blubbering idiot if they had to poke me every time to take blood and administer the treatment.   The port makes it easy.   Everyone at the Cancer Center is super friendly and I always find someone interesting to talk to.    I feel like I am really doing something to fight this when I go.  It is like a great kickboxing workout and cancer is my victim!

I have also been blessed with great friends and family to go with me.  I even had a friend drive down from Minnesota, spend the night in a motel, and come pick me up to take me to chemo!  How amazing is that!  I've had several other friends and relatives, including my Dad, take me, and I so appreciate it!

So, yes, I am going into this Thanksgiving season with a full heart and I am very thankful for the blessings (and I have many) that I have!

Genetic Testing Results

Last month, I met with a genetic specialist at the Cancer Center.  They were running extensive genetic testing on me.    The results of the test would determine how extensive my surgery needed to be.   If I tested positive, they told me that I would need a double mastectomy and removal of my ovaries.   I will need 7 weeks of radiation after my surgery, partly due to a lymph node that they are unable to remove as it is buried in my sternum.  The problem with having a double mastectomy (and the reconstruction immediately afterward), was it was going to make zapping that lymph node a little more difficult.  The radiologist said that with two implants in, it would be trickier to pinpoint exactly where the radiation needed to go.    I could always do reconstruction at a later date, but when you do that after radiation the skin doesn't stretch.  Lot's of decisions would have to be made.

However, if the results were negative, I would be able to keep my left breast intact.   This would make radiation of the lymph node much easier and precise.   They will "lift" the left side later, to even things up.   From the radiologist oncologist viewpoint, this is the best way.  Ridding myself of the cancer is the first and foremost objective.  Reconstructure is important, but it is secondary to saving my life.

The good news is, the genetic testing was all negative.   I am not a carrier of the "gene".  It does make me pause to wonder how/why I got this, when there isn't a genetic reason?  The answer, I don't know and I will never know.  I am just one of a small percentage of women who get breast cancer without the risk factors.  It just is. 

I am very thankful for this diagnosis.   Since the first diagnosis of the "Big C", I have been fortunate.  I have no complaints.  My treatments have gone smoothly so far and now I don't have to make a decision about reconstruction before/after radiation.   I can proceed with radiation and feel pretty confident that they are going to be able to eradicate that pesky lymph node!

I am thankful.

Did living a healthy lifestyle keep me from GETTING cancern? No. But it has helped me.

I've had many people tell me that I was one of the last persons that they would imagine would get cancer.  I lived such a healthy lifestyle.  I exercised a lot, I ate healthy (mostly), I slept 7-8 hours a night, I rarely drink, I don't do drugs, I try to practice what I preach.  I listen to my body, I rest when I'm tired and I eat when I'm hungry.

I have none of the normal risk factors people associate with cancer.  But, you know what?  I have a gene that mutated.  It is as simple as that.  My healthy lifestyle did not prevent this.  But, it has helped me IMMENSELY in the battle to save my life.

When I was given my treatment plan, I was told I would have 8 weeks of a very brutal treatment.  A cocktail called Adriamycin and Cytoxan (A/C)   One is nicknamed the "red devil" because of the side effects.   I would get this every other week for 8 weeks.  My oncologist said that this would be the worst part of my treatment.   So far, I have 3 of them under my belt and I can't complain one single bit.  I'm tired.  I get very tired very easily, but that is minor compared to what I COULD have.  I have had no nausea whatsoever, and I have managed to work every single day, except one where I slept all day.    I have no complaints about that!  And, the treatment is WORKING, thank God.   My lymph nodes that were HUGE in my armpit area have shrunk considerably, by more than half.  The swelling in the area is way down.  If they are responding so well, we have every indication that the tumors are also.   This is important, because I have one lymph node in my sternum area that cannot be removed surgically.  The chemo and radiation have to get it for me to survive.  I have faith it will.  

So, I have one more treatment of A/C and then I start Taxol weekly for 12 weeks.  My Oncologist thinks I will breeze right through this.   She says I am in better healthy than 99.9% of the peopel she sees.  My bloodwork looks like I am very healthy.  My EKG looked like I was in my 30s.  Why?  Because I have taken care of myself. 

The fact that I have taken such good care of myself, my body is in a position to fight the good fight against this deadly disease.  I have given myself the tools to fight it off.  I also credit Shakeology for keeping me feeling so well.  So many people can't eat during treatment and they get weaker and weaker from it.  I am drinking Shakeology, with my Oncologist's blessing, and I am getting a full dose of nutrients for the day.   Those nutrients are helping my body do battle every single hour of every single day.

I also can feel the prayers of every single person praying for me.  It is a great comfort to know I have so many people who care enough to do this for me.  They are working, and I ask that you keep them coming!

I have the best family and friends!   I love you all!

Kindness.....It isn't that hard

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately.   I see a trend in women where we are tearing each other down.  I don't like it!   We should be lifting each other up!  A little kindness and compassion goes a long way.

I see women who choose to work after having kids feeling guilty for those choices, and I see women who chose to stay home with their children, feeling like they have to justify their choices.   They are doing the best they can, with what they have, and making the best choices for their families!  Just because someone chooses something different than what you have, doesn't make it wrong.  It doesn't make your choice superior.  It just makes it....different.   Unique.

I have a little secret for you.   We are all hot messes.  Yep.   You read that right.  No one has everything together.  You have seen me for years preaching exercise, healthy eating.    Guess what?   Some days I eat potato chips and chocolate.   I don't feel guilty when I do it.  I don't do it every day, but if I want potato chips I'm going to eat them!  No guilt!   Sure, there are people that won that lottery in the gene pool, but guess what?  They have fears, insecurities, troubles and failures just like everyone else.   It is part of being human.

One trend I have been seeing really bothers me.  I see ladies trying to better themselves and people put them down.  I don't get it.  Does it make you feel better to crush someone's spirits?  How about making someone feel good instead!  Try it!  I can guarantee you, you will feel better about yourself than you do by putting someone down.

My challenge for you today:  Lift someone's spirits.   Say a kind word to someone that you don't know.   Do something nice for someone that is not expecting it.  Smile at the strugging mama, hold the door and wait for the elderly gentlemen maneuvering the walker (without making them feel you are rushing them), tell a frazzled sales clerk to have a nice day and MEAN IT.  

Kindness, let's pass it on!

Hair Loss

On Friday, I tentatively washed my hair, being very careful with it.  I lost a little more than normal, but I was being very careful with it.   I didn't comb it, using my fingers to arrange and separate my curls.  As I noticed it breaking and coming out, I knew it was time.  I called Marsha, my good friend who has done my hair for almost 30 years.   I told her it was time.   She said she was free all weekend and to give her a call when I was ready.

I had invited my two beautiful granddaughters, Ryleigh and Keighley, (10 & 9) to spend the night with me on Saturday night and I told them that they could cut my hair.   Their eyes twinkled and sparkled at the thought of it!  LOL  I knew that having them there would make me be strong and not cry.  

They came after their cheerleading on Saturday and we had a ball.  They chip chopped on my hair for about 20 minutes, creating a very unique style.  We laughed and giggled and it did my heart good.  Marsha came about an hour later, and she finished the job off.  I discovered that I have a very nicely shaped head, if I don't say so myself.  No big bumps or flat spots.  However, it's not a look I would CHOOSE to have, but it is a look I will have for awhile while I kick cancer's a$#.

It was empowering to get it off.  I had had such high anxiety over the past few days over my hair.  Yesterday, I felt in control.  I decided when this was happening, not this horrible disease that is trying to kill me - and it will FAIL miserably, I might add!  It has taken my hair, but it is on my terms.

On a PLUS note, I haven't shaved my legs in 3 weeks and they are as smooth as can be!  Some with my underarms.  Now, if that pesky hair that I keep plucking off my chin would follow suit, I will be a happy girl!

I'm not going to lie, I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and burst out in tears.  I'm going to allow it, for a bit, today.  It didn't last long.  Keighley woke up and I wiped the tears away and gave her a hug and a kiss and we are watching The Chronicles of Narnia.  Today is the LAST DAY I will shed tears for my hair.  LAST DAY!!!   It is a small price to pay for my life, and it isn't important in the long run.

Stay well, my friends, and thanks for coming on this journey with me!

September 11, 2001 The day our world changed

September 11.   I can't hardly say the date without a tightening in my chest.   I will never forget where I was and what I was doing.   I remember staring at the TV in disbelief.   Surely, no one was attacking us like that?    Who would do that?   Who could be so senseless and cruel?

Unfortunately it was deliberate and it was evil.   Pure unadulterated evil. 

But, do you know what I also remember?  I remember the way our country was on September 12th, 13th and 14th.  We were ONE.   We were a country in mourning.   There wasn't any race card being played, there wasn't any discrimination due to sex, there wasn't any "group" looking own on another "group" and judging.   We were American's.   We weren't Ango-Saxon Americans, we weren't African-Americans, we weren't American Indians.   We were American's in mourning.  We were a country unified, not divided.

Can we please get back to that point now? 

It certainly has been a busy few weeks.  I'm still in a  bit of shock about my cancer diagnosis, but that hasn't stopped me from tackling it head on.   I have no doubt I am going to beat this, but I know the battle won't be a pretty one.

I was suprised at how GOOD I actually felt most of the weekend.  Until Monday afternoon.   Wow.   I think I slept from Monday 5PM until Wednesday 6:30 am, all except a few hours.  I felt like I had been hit by a truck and put thru a wringer.   But, today I am back to feeling as close to "normal" as I can feel.  I tire easily, but I'm doing ok.

I am sitting her now, feeling GRATEFUL.   Grateful for family and friends.   The outpouring I have received has been incredible and has greatly touched me.  I am blessed.  Right now, I am feeling like one of the richest women in the world.   I have genuine friends and family that love me and aren't afraid to show it, aren't afraid to say it and they are going out of their way to how me.  That, my friends, is being rich.  You can't put a price tag on that.

I want you to know that every prayer, note, card, call and smile is appreciated.   It really is.   I have everything that I could ever want.

You have Breast Cancer - 4 words you don't want to hear

The past week and a half has been a whirlwind for me.  In July I noticed that I had a lump in my armpit.  I figured that it was a lymph node and that I was fighting an infection of some sort.  I decided to watch it.  A few weeks later I noticed another one.   I still wasn't concerned.   Then, I noticed that my armpit area was swollen.  I had recently started a new weight lifting program, Body Beast, that had me lifting heavy.  I figured that I had twisted something putting a weight down.

Finally, I decided I needed to go get it checked out.  I started Googling "lumps in armpit".   Well, Dr. Google and I determined that I had some weird form of Bird Flu Ebola West Nile H1N1 strain of flu.  But, I decided to let the real doctor's take a look.   The problem was, I didn't really have a doctor.   I called the Clinic to get a doctor's appointment, and said that I needed a general practitioner.   When I told her what was wrong, she said that I needed to see an OB/GYN, because the armpit is considered part of your breast.   Woah, Google didn't tell me that!  They got me in that very day, last Monday.  The doctor I saw did not feel anything during the breast exam, but the lymph nodes concerned her.  She referred me to the Komen Center for a mammogram.    I went there Monday at 8:30 am.  They did the mammogram, and then the doctor said that he wanted to do an ultrasound.   I could see his face, and it wasn't good.  He said he saw a mass in my right breast and then he showed me the lymph nodes in my right armpit.   He then showed me the ones in my left armpit.   They looked nothing alike.   He said that he wanted to do a biopsy, today, right now.   I immediately freaked out, momentarily, but pulled myself together.  They did the biopsy and made an appointment for me to come back at 2:30 on Thursday.  On Thursday morning, they called and said that the pathologist needed more time with my tissues, and they changed my appointment to Friday.

When we went back on Friday, it was the same as the initial diagnosis.   I had breast cancer and it has spread to my lymph nodes.   I felt like all of the air was being sucked out of the room.   How was I going to tell my Dad?  I had told my children, Ryan and Steff the night before.   I have 2 granddaughters.   How do you tell them this?  

The Komen Center is wonderful.   I have a nurse, a breast navigator, who will be with me the entire process.   She is scheduling appointments and making sure I get in quickly and don't get the run around or put off.   She has already pushed my appointments up.   She had already talked to my surgeon, who said that I will need chemo before surgery, and then radiation after surgery.   I don't know the extent of the surgery yet, it will depend on today's MRI and the PET Scan that I get soon.

Since then, things are moving quickly.  I went today, Tuesday, and had lab work done.   Then, I had an MRI on both of my breasts.   On Thursday, we meet with my oncologist at Illinois Cancer Care.  

To say I'm scared is an understatement.   But, I'm also at peace.   I know that, however things turn out, I will be fine.  I'm saved.  I'm not ready to leave, and I intend to fight every step of the way.  I think all of those years of teaching Turbokick will help me kick cancer's ass! 

I'm otherwise healthy, I eat healthy, I exercise, I'm STRONG.   I will continue to exercise, I will continue to eat healthy, I will continue to drink Shakeology (no soy!), I will continue to LIVE!!! 

Perfect EASY way to fold a fitted sheet!!

The curse of almost everyone's linen closet is the dreaded fitted sheet.   How to fold them neatly?   Sure, there are several Youtube videos out there, with rather difficult instructions on folding the sheet.   To quote the infamous Sweet Brown, "ain't noone got TIME for that!".   

I have found a solution that works perfectly for me and my linen closet is ready for inspection!   The best part, I am willing to share what I do!  Okay, okay, I haven't cured the common cold or discovered life on another planet, but come on!   A neat linen closet is pretty important, right?

I take my whole set of sheets.   I pick up one pillow case and open it up.  I roll up the fitted sheet and put it in the pillow case.   I then put the flat sheet in the pillow case.  Next, I put the other pillow case in the pillow case.   I then take the pillow case and put it in the linen closet.  On my shelf, I have 3 sets of sheets, all neatly ensconced inside their respective pillow cases.   When it is time to change the sheets, I just grab the one pillow case and I have everything that I need.   No more rummaging around looking for the correct pillow case and having other people wreck havoc in my linen closet.   It's the little things, sometimes, that can make you smile.  

How to get rid of puffy eyes while you sleep!

I have allergies.  Practically every night I would go to bed and, when I would wake up I was always struggling to breath.  It seemed like my nostrils would swell shut. It was a weird feeling.   Also, I would have puffy eyes.  I figured it was genetics and that there wasn't much I could do about it.  I used eye creams that helped a little, but I figured that there wasn't much more I could do - short of having my eye bags removed surgically - and I wasn't going to do that.

I was watching a Youtube video called HotandFlashy, by a lady named Angie.   She is in her early 50s and I really enjoyed what she had to say.   She recommended sleeping on your back, with your head elevated, to help with eye bags.   Now, this was really a stretch for me.  I was a tummy sleeper.   I couldn't go to sleep if I wasn't on my tummy!  Oh, but my journey to get rid of my eye bags prompted me to give it a try.   While walking through Bed, Bath & Beyond I saw a wedge pillow for back sleeping.   I thought, well, what have I got to lose?

That first night, I really struggled to fall asleep.   When I woke up, I was still on my back! I hadn't rolled over!   I went to the bathroom and guess what?   My eye bags were pretty much gone!   Then, I realized that, not only were my eyes not puffy, but I could BREATH!   My nose wasn't congested!  Wow.  

Seriously, I wish I had watched this video years early.   The bags are pretty much gone and I wake up breathing clearly.   It is wonderful!  Give it a try!

HotandFlashy YouTube Chanel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/HotandFlashy

Picture of Wedge Pillow.  I put my pillow on top of the highest part.  It is actually very comfortable!

Family

There is something about me that many people don't know.  I have a half brother who lives in Germany.   That in itself isn't so unusual.   What IS unusual is that I didn't know he existed until I was an adult.   I was out of school and married with a family of my own.  

My entire life I was a Daddy's girl.   Always.   Up until this revelation, I was under the impression that I was his only child.   He was a step father to my other half-siblings:  Susie, Bobby and Mike.   He was wonderful to them and they loved him.   But, I always knew I was the apple of his eye.  Always.   I'm ashamed to admit that when I first found out about Peter, I had my nose pushed out of joint for a bit.  All of a sudden I wasn't the center of his universe.   What a selfish way to think!   Here I was, living with my Dad while growing up, and I was jealous of my newfound brother, who hadn't grown up with him.   How self-centered and selfish of me.  Luckily, these feelings changed within a few days, and no-one (other than my husband) knew how I felt.

It DID explain a lot of things to me.   My Dad took on a widow with 3 children when he married my mother, who never worked outside the home (other than being the lunch lady at a grade school for a little spending money and something to do).  He treated those 3 kids with love and respect and made many sacrifices for them.  My brother, Mike, was sick a lot, and my Dad took care of him.   In my mind, it made sense.  He was taking care of Mike, and he was hoping that Peter was being taken care of as well.

I'm sure leaving Peter in Germany, and returning to the US was very hard.   It was 1960, and my Dad was in the Air Force.   He had to return to the states,  and his mother (a widow with several other children) could not leave her country.   There was no bad blood between them, but she said she would not send her son across the world to visit and have him grow up splitting his time.  My Dad said he wasn't even sure that Peter knew about him.

When Peter was engaged to be married, a friend of his mother's contacted my Dad and said that Peter wanted to meet him.   My Dad was thrilled.  My Mother, whom he met after Peter was born, had known about him the whole time.   My Dad and I made a trip to Germany shortly after that, and his family was wonderful to us.   They opened up their homes and their hearts and they were amazing to us.

I am thinking of all this now, because my brother Peter is visiting from Germany right now.   I am sitting here with both of them and my heart is full.  

I have lost my other siblings.   Mike passed away 7 years ago, and I lost Bobby and then Susie in the last year.   So, my message to everyone who reads this is, love your family.  Cherish your differences and celebrate the fact that you are connected by love.  Blood doesn't make a family, love does !

Get Organized with Labels, labels, labels!

I admit it.   I have a label maker, and when I pull it out, my pulse races slightly.  I love to make labels.  I label many things in my house.  I've had people ask me why I label something that is very obvious (like in my bathroom closet.  I have labeled Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Wash Cloths).   Those labels aren't for ME.   I know where everything goes.  It is for everyone else who puts their little paws in my closet.  I don't want them putting things back in the wrong place.  It's amazing how this works.   You put a label somewhere, and people put the item back in the same place.   Without it, they just put it anywhere.  I've labeled storage bins in the same closet, mainly so that people don't rummage through every container looking for something, getting everything all mixed up.   Seriously, this works!   Give it a try!

I also found these wonder labels on Amazon called Label Once.   They are of various sizes and you put them on your containers that you put in the fridge.   You can write on them what is in it and the date.   Example:   Chicken Breast, Friday 8/7    Then, people aren't opening it to see what is in it.  Also, you know how long an item has been in there and if it is safe to eat.  When the container is empty, you wash it (it does go in the dishwasher) and you just wipe off the writing on the label and use it again.   Easy Peasy.   I love these things!

Seriously, labels do make the world a better place!

Cardio or Weights First?

It’s an age-old question. No, not which came first the chicken or the egg. Rather, which should you do first, cardio or strength? Many people ask. Most fitness professionals seem to have an opinion. And surely there are plenty of studies to support answers on both sides. So what’s the truth? Do you get your run or bike ride in first and then lift weights, or do you get your lifting in and then head over to your favorite cardio machine? Let’s look at the arguments on both sides to help you decide will work best for you.

A CASE FOR PUTTING CARDIO FIRST

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?

Many people prefer to get their cardio in before their lifting. Some dislike the cardio portion so it helps to “get it out of the way”. Some say it helps to warm their body up more gently than lifting weights. Still others say they become more mentally focused during cardio, which leads to a better strength training session.

WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?

Experts on this side tell you to pay attention to your goals. If your primary goal is to increase aerobic capacity or lose body fat, then doing cardio first is probably your best option. This is where the bulk of your energy will be placed whereas doing weights first will zap some of that away leading to a less productive cardio session. The same goes for those trying to train for a 10k, half marathon, bicycle race or other cardio events. Your best bet is to put your energy into the cardio portion of your workout so that the quality of your workout is used to better your performance.

A CASE FOR PUTTING WEIGHTS BEFORE CARDIO

 WHAT DO THE PEOPLE SAY?

Just as some feel the cardio warms them up for the weights, others will claim the opposite. Plenty of people feel like the strength training and the range of motion involved gets their body prepared and pre-stretched for the cardio afterward. Some prefer to get the “lifting” portion of their workout out of the way so they can enjoy the cardio as their “dessert”.

 WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?

Experts who prefer to promote weights first say that when you start your workout on the weight floor the strength training depletes the body of its carbohydrates or sugars so that by the time you get to the treadmill or bike you end up tapping into your fat as fuel to keep your aerobic system going strong. Essentially this means you will burn more calories, especially fat calories, during AND after the workout. It should be noted, however, that the evidence of this being a fact is still unclear.

In addition, those weighing in on weights first tell you that if your legs are pre-exhausted from running, biking or elliptical machines first you end up with sloppy form in your squats and lunges. If your goal is to build muscular strength it is better for you to start with strength training so the best energy is focused on that portion of your workout.

A CASE FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT

If you are still confused as to which order would work better for you, be assured that if your goals are general health and fitness, you can mix it up and still reap all the benefits your body needs. One week put the strength first and the next week focus on cardio first. Another great option, if you have the time, is to divide your workouts into one or the other. In other words, Monday is cardio-only, Tuesday is strength-only, etc. This way each portion gets the best you have to offer. A bonus benefit with this option: your workouts are shorter.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The fact that you are even questioning the order of your workout means you are working out. This puts you ahead of most of the population and this is truly what matters. If you are working out consistently, chances are the order of your workout will not make THAT much of a difference. Even the Mayo Clinic remains neutral. According to Edward R. Lasowski, M.D. “Whether you do weightlifting before or after an aerobic workout is up to you. Research hasn’t definitively shown that one way is better than another.” His words are supported by a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research which looked into the question of workout order to determine if one or the other led to more fat loss. The study titled, The Effects of Combined Resistance Training and Endurance Exercise Program in Inactive College Female Subjects: Does Order Matter?” investigated the matter using an 8-week exercise program on inactive college females. Feel free to click on the study for more details, but let me “bottom line it” for you: order didn’t matter! There was significant improvement for everyone in terms of lean body mass, VO2max and strength but the only participants who really saw their body fat go down were those who began to eat better!

So basically we are back to what we know: eat right and exercise – in any order you like best. This is how you get results!
-Kim Pieper

My first blog

I didn't think I would ever do it, but here I am blogging.   Truthfully, it is a natural fit for me.  I love to write, so I don't know why I was resistant to do this.  I plan on writing about a variety of things, not just health and fitness.   I want to bring things to you that I find interesting, and I hope you do to.   I am a crazy dog lady, with three loveable pooches that make my heart happy, so you know you will hear about them.   I have a large extended family that I'm very close to, and they provide me with many funny things to share.  

I plan on sharing healthy recipes - that actually taste good - because, let's face it, if it tastes like cardboard I don't want to eat it!  Eating healthy can be delicious, too!  Honest!

I also am very into organization.  Making a label makes me happy.  Weird, I know, but it really DOES make life easier.  I have lots of tips to share that I hope you find useful!

To my immediate family, I won't share anything embarrassing about you, I promise (crosses fingers behind her back)