Just life

So, things have been hectic around here. That’s not the start of an excuse for why I haven’t been losing weight. As a matter of fact, I lost 2.6 pounds last week and I haven’t been this low since the week of 12/25/2009. I have an Excel spreadsheet where I’ve been recording my weight on Fridays since October of 2001. It’s not in there for every Friday – there are blanks, but overall I’ve tried to keep a record. It’s sad to go back and see a regain, but it’s good to see consistent progress for the past few months. I realized I hadn’t talked much lately about my own journey other than the actions, so I thought I’d share that.


Hub has lost 37 pounds and is doing excellent. Last night he came home wiped out from working in the heat all day. The kids and I were in the pool (the boy, girlfriend, Noah, and N’s little sister) while dinner did its thing in the oven. Hub jumped in with us and we all splashed around a bit before going in for dinner. That’s exactly what I envisioned when we bought a house with a pool. It was great! Dinner was baked salmon, roasted zucchini, and a quinoa casserole. Yum!

After that we changed, ran a couple of errands (including picking up Butchie’s remains, which made us both cry), and then we went for a walk! I’m so thrilled that even when he’s tired, he’s committed.

Today I did the tank top workout I snagged from Norma – mostly. Here’s what I did: warm-up of 10 pushups followed by the workout (10 pushups, 24 biceps burners, 15 shoulder presses, 10 pushups, 15 tricep dips, 15 back rows, 15 lateral raises, 10 pushups, 15 tricep kickbacks). I did that twice and then I did 20 minutes of yoga with a Rodney Yee video. It took less than an hour and my arms were feeling very heavy and full – a sign of a good workout.

Tonight will be crazy as I wrap up a few things last minute and get the car all packed. Noah is going back to NC with us – we’ll have a full car going and a really full car coming back as we’ll have Belews with us as well. Luckily she is a really good traveler. I will not volunteer to spend one minute in the backseat of the Sentra! Sometimes it’s good to be the grown-up! Ha ha ha!

Today the team went out for lunch at an amazing Israeli pita place.  I had a schwarma platter with eggplant and cucumber salads.  It changed my life.  I might go back for dinner but they close at 4 on Fridays.  Just kidding (about going back for dinner, not about closing at 4).  But I will go back.  I bet the pitas are good too, but the veggies rocked.

Have a good weekend!

T minus 2

Headed out Saturday - trying to get everything taken care of at home.  Not to mention shopping & prepping some food for the hub so its easier for him.

I had a good workout today - Jeff was working with another lady so I went down and did 360 swings with the 26 lb kettlebell and 100 walking lunges.  I was toast.

Terrier-a go go

Yesterday I worked at home (I needed to take my car in to the shop plus I had a dental appointment) and hub wasn’t working. We dropped the car, he went into the office to drop off a time sheet, we picked up my car, he went to Lowe’s .. and everywhere we went, the terrier was along for the ride. That dog loves to go, and yesterday she was in heaven!

Sadly, I couldn’t take her to the dentist – I could’ve used the comforting. Long story short: I had to get a bridge when I was 15 for my 2 front teeth (swimming pool accident). I’ve had my current bridge for 6-7 years and it was killing the teeth holding it – so now I have issues with 4 teeth rather than 2. Yesterday the dentist removed my bridge and she & the oral surgeon (it’s never good when you get special guest visitors at your dental appointment) took molds and x-rays so he could tell me what he could do and then we could come up with a plan. I’m looking at either 2 or 4 implants. Ugh. I now have a temp bridge.

I left tired & feeling a bit weepy (I dunno – maybe I was just wrung out – I was there for over 3 hours). Dinner wasn’t happening – there was beef stew in the crock pot but my mouth was still numb and there was no way I could eat soup. We went out – thankfully there is a Mexican place that has good, healthy food – not loaded in cheese, not fried, etc. She knows we don’t eat rice so she always adjusts the meals to our needs, which is awesome.

I have to go back to the dentist today for her to adjust the temp bridge, so no AMP class for me. I’ll do kettlebells at home – not as fun, but a solid workout.  Tonight's dinner is something new: I am going to make General Tso's chicken - it's one of my husband's favorites.  Hopefully it goes well.  I'm serving it with steamed broccoli and leftover crab fried quinoa.

Ah vacation

I am leaving Saturday for NC and I couldn't be happier.  I need a break!  You know you need a break when you get pissy over every little annoyance, ya know?  Looking forward to it!

I am taking my kettlebell with me.  Which reminds me, I got another 26 lb kbell, so now I have one at home and one at work.  I christened the new one with 350 swings as part of my workout with Jeff yesterday.  He was on a call so I got started and he joined a little bit later.

I am working at home today as my car is in the shop (nothing serious, just an oil change and check-up prior to my trip). 

Hub's blood sugar was 115 this morning - I continue to be amazed by the difference regular exercise and our change in diet has made.  I read "The Blood Sugar Solution" by Dr. Mark Hyman - that is the gneral plan we are following.  I would describe it as "paleo lite" - we both have been surprised by how easy it has been to make these changes.

The house got a thorough cleaning over the weekend so its in good shape.  Hub has a couple of days off (the ups and downs of temp work) and he is using the time well - working on the pool, sprinkler system, regrouting the hall bath, replacing a broken towel bar.  Little things, but things that need to be done.

We are going to the gym this evening (hub will lift weights and I will use the arc trainer).  Besides that, I am going to go through my drawers in both bathrooms and get things better organized.  That'll take all of 15 minutes, but its one of those things that is long overdue.  When we moved in I put my make-up in the hall bath, but I get dressed in the master, so I need to just re-organize.

Well, that's about all I got.  Posting may be spotty next week since I'll be travelling and won't have my computer with me.  Take care!

Monday - blah

Had a great workout with Jeff this afternoon - I love that noodle-y feeling in your arms, manky smell & sweaty hair that lets you know you had a good workout.

Tonight's dinner was crab fried quinoa - a riff on crab fried rice (which my husband adores) but since we don't eat rice any more, I did it with quinoa.  It was yummy!  Hub's numbers are down in the solid pre diabetic range and he's dropped nearly 40 pounds in 2 months.  I am so thrilled for him - he's feeling so much better and is determined to keep going, which makes it much easier for me.  Win!

We worked like house elves this weekend cleaning, de-cluttering etc.  I could have used an extra day, but I'm working from home tomorrow so that's the next best thing.  I have a dental appointment - they are removing my bridge and figuring out what will be done: new bridge or implants.  That giant sucking sound is the $$ flying to the dentist and oral surgeon.  Oh well, whatcha gonna do?

A bit adrift

It’s been a tough couple of weeks. My son was in a car accident. He’s fine, but my mom’s car is totaled so she’s been without a car and we’re having to deal with the insurance and the adjustor is an idiot, so the whole thing has been a big headache. Of course the headache really starts once my car insurance goes sky high since my 17 year old son will have been in an accident. He didn’t get a ticket, but in the world of insurance, police reports are irrelevant.

Our dog Butchie passed away on Monday and we are both just heartbroken. We are having him cremated. It’s been really hard – he was 13 years old and he was very much a part of our family.

Anyway, the past couple of weeks have been tough and I haven’t been as consistent or as focused with either diet or exercise as I have been and it shows. I haven’t gained any weight, but I’ve only lost a pound in the past 2 weeks, which is essentially stalled.

It’s time to get refocused. Its tough when things happen, but being unfocused won’t change anything. It’s understandable, but not really helpful.

I had a very good AMP workout yesterday – upper body. Jeff is on the mend and is beginning to do weight training, so I’m hoping for some more really tough workouts. This weekend I am going to Play it Again Sports to look for a heavier kettlebell to bring into the office. The 18 pound one is no longer heavy enough. It’s great for cardio, but I’d like a tougher weight.

One step at a time.

midweek

Interesting article on Norma’s web site I thought I’d pass along - from Mark Hyman regarding REAL FOOD:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/food-industry_b_1559920.html?ref=diet-and-nutrition

The weekend plans changed a lot when we got the call from our son that he had been in a car accident Friday night. Thankfully he, the girlfriend, and her puppy were fine, but it was one of those major multi car pile-ups that happen on the highway due to bad weather. The damage is mainly the left front quarter panel – he avoided being squished between 2 other cars. (Unfortunately, they totaled the car.)

Yes he was fine and no, there wasn’t anything we could do. But after that we both felt wrung out and decided to postpone our trip to Port Charlotte until next weekend and just futz around the house. It was nice. We got in the pool Saturday, but Sunday just puttered around, I did the food prep, and we went to the gym. Nothing super special, just a nice weekend. As always, we felt like we ran out of time and energy!

For the fourth morning in a row, hub’s blood sugar readings were below the diabetic range. He is really making terrific progress. I don’t know what else to say about that. I went to WW – I continue to lose weight, but it feels like it is taking forever! I need to get over it. Two days wouldn’t feel “fast enough.”

What else? It’s a busy week at work, and we are trying to finish up a few odd chores that didn’t get done over the weekend, so that makes for a long evening. Plus we’ve been walking in the evening – we have a 2 mile loop we do. The good news is we haven’t had rain force us to cancel but a typical walk means about 90 degrees and what feels like 1000% humidity. I thought NC was humid – it’s freaking Arizona compared to this stuff! It’s not that we mind walking in the rain – it’s when we have the thunderstorms that we opt to stay home. But it’s been a few days since a big storm, which is a nice change!

Friday!

Things here are pretty good. Tuesday evening we went to the gym, ate dinner, and I spent evening 2 of operation “organizing my CDs” (which are in cases, each other’s covers, scattered about etc.). I suspect it will take 2 more evenings or so to get it all squared away.


We have a new person on our team. I took her with me to AMP Wednesday – she liked it. She has 3 dogs and a BlendTec blender – we have so much in common! Ha ha. Seriously though, she seems very nice.

Not too much else to report. Things here are going along. I’m headed to NC on the 23rd.

Wednesday’s dinner tonight was chicken with alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli, and quinoa. I was pooped after AMP, I went home, took a shower, we ate, and then I was a bum.

Last night we went to Miami to look at a couple of mid century chairs I found on craigslist. They were very comfortable and I think they ill well in the project room. They were a great price and I love the look of them, although they will need to be reupholstered down the line.