Pumping & Squeezing

Yesterday was a big day! I had my echo cardiogram which I was nervous about because it is the test that will tell me if there was any damage from my heart attack and if my heart is doing okay.

They just called with the results and everything is good! She said my heart is pumping and squeezing as it should and there are no valve issues! Woo hoo! That is a HUGE relief.

I also chatted with the nurse a little bit, because lately I have been getting light headed every now and then when I stand up. It kept happening a week or so ago and I took my blood pressure and it was 100/68. I asked her if that was low and she said its right on the borderline, if it drops into the 90s I definitely need to call. But she said that since I'm losing weight, etc...we may need to adjust my meds and lower them. So that would be amazing because one of my main goals is to get off a lot of these medications!

After I did that yesterday, I went to the gym to workout with my trainer. This is my last week. I'm a little nervous because after this week I will be totally on my own. Up until now I have constantly had someone to be held accountable to, from rehab to training. But now its just me, so gotta keep it up!

I worked out with someone yesterday who is super motivating though! She works with my trainer and writes a blog as well, her journey is really inspiring. You can read it at http://gfitkc.com/category/real-life-loser/. It was nice to be able to chat and it really made the workout fly by. She has completely changed her life as well with how she eats and working out, so it makes me feel like yeah I can do this too!

Last night I made a really yummy salsa recipe that my Mom sent me. I'll copy it below. I also made my own tortilla chips which was SUPER easy. I just bought some corn tortillas, lightly brushed them with extra virgin olive oil, cut them into eighths and lightly salted them, then I baked them at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them though, because they burn quickly! Even Jason approved.

I just got two dresses in the mail to try on for my Aunt's wedding, they are two different sizes, so I'm hoping one of them works! It's always fun to buy new clothes (if they fit!).

So until I go to Florida, I'm trying to be more strict with myself. It's been awhile now since I've really lost weight. My trainer researched my meds and there is one we think is not helping the cause, but we also talked about how even though I'm doing cardio 5-6 days a week, I may not be getting my heart rate high enough. I was taking my Ipad and reading while I worked out but I think that was slowing me down. So I'm trying to work a little harder.

I also have not been being as good with food as I should. I definitely still eat waaaay better, and I probably shouldn't be so hard on myself. When I eat something not so great, I beat myself up about it, so I just need to be better with portion control. But I went to the store Friday night and planned out some meals for this week.

I've been looking for a way to show weight I've lost without posting pictures of myself (sorry, still insecure here) and I finally found an idea I liked on pinterest, so I'm copying it! The funny thing is, the images on pinterest had the glass things mostly filled so I bought big ones and once I filled them, I was like oh, I probably could have gone with slightly smaller. But its nice motivation to see and want to move the glass beads from one to the other (one direction only!). So here's where I sit currently.

Here is the salsa recipe and the link where it came from! She has other things on her blog that look yummy too!

You can change ingredients as desires, I didn't put Cilantro in mine.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/01/restaurant-style-salsa/

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• 1/2 whole Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Posted by Ree on January 27 2010