Too many balls, but I’m keeping them up there!
No sooner than I had posted…..
Hub is working on a very big painting job this week, with a very tight deadline of “before we leave town on Friday”. Yesterday he put out the 911, and after work the boy and I went over to paint. Yep, my 11 year old can roll walls like a pro. We rolled primer on the walls while hub worked on trim. Tonight we are going over to roll the paint. Does painting count as cardio?
Here’s a recap of yesterday:
B: yogurt with ¼ c oats, 1/8 c granola, and a couple of chopped walnut halves. Omelet with 1 egg + 3 whites.
S: ½ c cottage cheese with berries and a couple of walnut halves chopped
L: salad with (heated up refried beans & extra lean ground beef), topped with guacamole and salsa for the dressing. It was all homemade, so very healthy. I crumbled a couple of baked taco chips on top.
S: string cheese. My orange was moldy, so I got some peanut butter crackers from the vending machine.
D: subway 6 inch club with mustard & loads of veggies.
S: sugar free fat free blue bunny ice cream bar.
Exercise yesterday was walking for 90 minutes, with some running thrown in during the morning outing.
That’s about all I know. Looks like there won’t be any more trips to the gym this week, but I am walking 1 hour at lunch every day so that’s helping.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
How I’m moving & what I’m eating
Thanks for the comment Sue – and you are right. Family, work, blah blah all play into our fitness. But I’d gotten to the point where I never came here to write about what I’m doing for my health, and I want to get back to that.
And another blogger introduced me to those D^% buffalo pretzels, so its only fair I share the love! :-)
I am walk/running in the morning, walking at lunch, lifting weights, and doing HIIT. My goals are AM – 4 times per week, lunch – 5 times, weights – 3 (but I’ve been getting only 2), and 3 for HIIT, but averaging 2. So, doing pretty good. I just need to make a little more effort to get to the gym and up my intensity a bit.
Food has gotten off kilter, but I’m back on board with my 5 small meals (and one after dinner snack). Last night that snack was a sugar free popsicle and half a cup of lowfat chocolate milk. A typical breakfast for me might be a 1 egg + 3 whites omelet with a bit of cheese and a small bowl of oatmeal. Meal 2 is ½ c cottage cheese and berries, with some crushed nuts for fat. Lunch is often a salad with tuna or chicken, some type of bean, olives, a bit of sunflower seeds, and lf dressing. Dinner varies a lot, but I am trying to buy plenty of veggies from the farmer’s market. I need to keep my after dinner snack small – too much food keeps me awake at night. Maybe a pudding or lowcal ice cream bar. It’s not a balanced meal (I’m working on that!), but we eat dinner early so I typically need something around 8.
Well, that’s what I’m doing. I’m also reading Tom Venuto’s ebook “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” – a good read!
Take care.
Thanks for the comment Sue – and you are right. Family, work, blah blah all play into our fitness. But I’d gotten to the point where I never came here to write about what I’m doing for my health, and I want to get back to that.
And another blogger introduced me to those D^% buffalo pretzels, so its only fair I share the love! :-)
I am walk/running in the morning, walking at lunch, lifting weights, and doing HIIT. My goals are AM – 4 times per week, lunch – 5 times, weights – 3 (but I’ve been getting only 2), and 3 for HIIT, but averaging 2. So, doing pretty good. I just need to make a little more effort to get to the gym and up my intensity a bit.
Food has gotten off kilter, but I’m back on board with my 5 small meals (and one after dinner snack). Last night that snack was a sugar free popsicle and half a cup of lowfat chocolate milk. A typical breakfast for me might be a 1 egg + 3 whites omelet with a bit of cheese and a small bowl of oatmeal. Meal 2 is ½ c cottage cheese and berries, with some crushed nuts for fat. Lunch is often a salad with tuna or chicken, some type of bean, olives, a bit of sunflower seeds, and lf dressing. Dinner varies a lot, but I am trying to buy plenty of veggies from the farmer’s market. I need to keep my after dinner snack small – too much food keeps me awake at night. Maybe a pudding or lowcal ice cream bar. It’s not a balanced meal (I’m working on that!), but we eat dinner early so I typically need something around 8.
Well, that’s what I’m doing. I’m also reading Tom Venuto’s ebook “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” – a good read!
Take care.
Lift well, Eat less, Walk fast, Live long
Listening to my meditation CD last night helped. So did exercise, healthy food, and a good night’s sleep.
As I was out this morning doing my walk/run, I realized that this blog has gotten pretty far from what it’s supposedly about: fitness. That’s not too surprising – that realization was followed by a second: my life has gotten pretty far from that focus as well.
I’m bringing this blog back to its roots. And while I haven’t given up on fitness, I want to make my health a higher priority. Watching my MIL slowly and painfully kill herself with the processed, packaged, modified, fake food product stuff she consumes as the mainstay of her diet has made me realize that I value my health, I enjoy “real” food, and I love pushing my body to its limits.
You can expect to see more here about what I’m eating, what I’m doing in the gym, and whether the birds were awake yet when I got up to walk (they weren’t this morning). You are welcome to come along, if there is still anyone still reading this thing! And even if there isn’t, well, its here to help me after all.
Listening to my meditation CD last night helped. So did exercise, healthy food, and a good night’s sleep.
As I was out this morning doing my walk/run, I realized that this blog has gotten pretty far from what it’s supposedly about: fitness. That’s not too surprising – that realization was followed by a second: my life has gotten pretty far from that focus as well.
I’m bringing this blog back to its roots. And while I haven’t given up on fitness, I want to make my health a higher priority. Watching my MIL slowly and painfully kill herself with the processed, packaged, modified, fake food product stuff she consumes as the mainstay of her diet has made me realize that I value my health, I enjoy “real” food, and I love pushing my body to its limits.
You can expect to see more here about what I’m eating, what I’m doing in the gym, and whether the birds were awake yet when I got up to walk (they weren’t this morning). You are welcome to come along, if there is still anyone still reading this thing! And even if there isn’t, well, its here to help me after all.
Monday, April 24, 2006
I’ll post an update later – this is a long rant about why my MIL is driving us all insane
Words that describe my MIL: lazy, ineffectual, pathetic, needy, demanding. You get the idea. This is a woman that expects us to take care of her, while she refuses to lift a pinky to help herself.
MIL was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – a direct result of being obese I’m sure. She’s supposed to keep a food diary for her doctor, so the doctor can make sure her dosage of medicine is correct. Yeah, right. She complains that my mom is frequently gone in the evenings out with friends so she has nothing to eat, and is eating nothing but oatmeal. Yep, she can’t even open a can of tuna to make herself a sandwich – she’d rather risk her health so she can complain. Why is my mom responsible for her food???? Yesterday she ate a bowl of oatmeal and 3 Lean Cuisines. Now there’s a healthy diet!
And let’s not forget the creamer of course. She uses a half gallon of liquid creamer in her coffee per week. That’s 550 calories per day in creamer. She’s supposed to be on a 1500 calorie per day diet. Hoo!
She reads her books on diabetes but doesn’t follow the diet. Hell, I wrote her out a food plan but she insists on consuming nothing but “non-food” – she won’t eat fruit, shuns vegetables. And even her oatmeal is the packets of instant flavored junk. Gah.
And she totally mooches off my mom. For example, for my birthday dinner my mom paid for her meal (she never has money). Do you think she even thanked my mom??? Of course not. She lives in my mom’s house, doesn’t clean up after herself (other than a dab here & there), uses my mom’s laundry detergent etc, and then says things like “I’m so hungry. I’d have a bowl of cereal but I’m out of milk”, hinting for my mom to give her some of hers. Yet she’s been saying for a month she needs to go down & renew her food stamps, but hasn’t been bothered to do it. She’s rather mooch off my mom (except my mom isn’t letting her!).
MIL sleeps 12 – 16 hours a day, and when she’s up all she does is drink coffee & smoke. My mom had to leave a note taped to the mirror in the hall bathroom reminding this woman not to put paper towels down the toilet. I have 16 boxes of her quilting fabric in my dining room so she can work on her quilts – except she hasn’t made any real pogress on that in the past 3 months. She supposedly had a couple that were nearly finished she could just quickly assemble to sell (she desperately needs the money), but she hasn’t. It’s one lame excuse after the other.
She has no money. No job. No other family member will take her in at this point. So now we are the only thing between this woman and the street, and she’s such a selfish bi*&^% that she isn’t even the least bit thankful or thoughtful.
I feel better. Thanks for listening. :-)
Words that describe my MIL: lazy, ineffectual, pathetic, needy, demanding. You get the idea. This is a woman that expects us to take care of her, while she refuses to lift a pinky to help herself.
MIL was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – a direct result of being obese I’m sure. She’s supposed to keep a food diary for her doctor, so the doctor can make sure her dosage of medicine is correct. Yeah, right. She complains that my mom is frequently gone in the evenings out with friends so she has nothing to eat, and is eating nothing but oatmeal. Yep, she can’t even open a can of tuna to make herself a sandwich – she’d rather risk her health so she can complain. Why is my mom responsible for her food???? Yesterday she ate a bowl of oatmeal and 3 Lean Cuisines. Now there’s a healthy diet!
And let’s not forget the creamer of course. She uses a half gallon of liquid creamer in her coffee per week. That’s 550 calories per day in creamer. She’s supposed to be on a 1500 calorie per day diet. Hoo!
She reads her books on diabetes but doesn’t follow the diet. Hell, I wrote her out a food plan but she insists on consuming nothing but “non-food” – she won’t eat fruit, shuns vegetables. And even her oatmeal is the packets of instant flavored junk. Gah.
And she totally mooches off my mom. For example, for my birthday dinner my mom paid for her meal (she never has money). Do you think she even thanked my mom??? Of course not. She lives in my mom’s house, doesn’t clean up after herself (other than a dab here & there), uses my mom’s laundry detergent etc, and then says things like “I’m so hungry. I’d have a bowl of cereal but I’m out of milk”, hinting for my mom to give her some of hers. Yet she’s been saying for a month she needs to go down & renew her food stamps, but hasn’t been bothered to do it. She’s rather mooch off my mom (except my mom isn’t letting her!).
MIL sleeps 12 – 16 hours a day, and when she’s up all she does is drink coffee & smoke. My mom had to leave a note taped to the mirror in the hall bathroom reminding this woman not to put paper towels down the toilet. I have 16 boxes of her quilting fabric in my dining room so she can work on her quilts – except she hasn’t made any real pogress on that in the past 3 months. She supposedly had a couple that were nearly finished she could just quickly assemble to sell (she desperately needs the money), but she hasn’t. It’s one lame excuse after the other.
She has no money. No job. No other family member will take her in at this point. So now we are the only thing between this woman and the street, and she’s such a selfish bi*&^% that she isn’t even the least bit thankful or thoughtful.
I feel better. Thanks for listening. :-)
Friday, April 21, 2006
I’ve been here before.
The past week has been filled with lame excuses, overeating, and generally feeling physically bad and emotionally guilty. Why am I here again? I feel like someone lost in the woods, who comes to the realization that they are walking in circles.
I put a call in to my doctor regarding my Welbutrin. I think I may either need a different medicine or a different dose. I felt like it was working for a while, but it doesn’t seem to be any more. Or maybe my perception is skewed?
I guess its no surprise that I didn’t get on the scale this morning. I had to shop for capris last night (I needed more warm weather work bottoms), and that felt like enough punishment for one week.
Besides still trying to get the house & yard squared away from being on vacation, I think part of the issue this week has been my MIL. She isn’t managing her life very well – not paying bills (or knowing where they are), not remembering appointment times, etc. Hub wanted to talk to her therapist to make sure the lady understood just how dysfunctional Mil is right now, and he probably also needed to let her know just how dishonest MIL is when discussing the past. Anyway, MIL threw a big fit about it and didn’t want him talking to her and was really acting like a goob, even though hub really was trying to help. So until 4 pm on my birthday, I wasn’t sure whether I would need to uninvite MIL from coming out to eat with us because of that situation.
In the end, hub did talk to the therapist and MIL had told her she wasn’t managing things well. He didn’t get a chance to talk about his mother’s dishonesty though. Which is a pretty major thing – she is completely off base in her portrayal of family relationships & events. I guess it’s a bit of a moot point – she owes over $200 at their office, and can’t come back until her account is current. Which will likely be never – she stills owes my mom half the money my mom loaned her for her glasses. I wish this woman weren’t in our lives. Sigh.
This weekend is going to be about getting my house tidied, de-stressing myself, and just generally getting my self back on track. I think I’ll rent a funny movie while I’m at it. Any suggestions?
The past week has been filled with lame excuses, overeating, and generally feeling physically bad and emotionally guilty. Why am I here again? I feel like someone lost in the woods, who comes to the realization that they are walking in circles.
I put a call in to my doctor regarding my Welbutrin. I think I may either need a different medicine or a different dose. I felt like it was working for a while, but it doesn’t seem to be any more. Or maybe my perception is skewed?
I guess its no surprise that I didn’t get on the scale this morning. I had to shop for capris last night (I needed more warm weather work bottoms), and that felt like enough punishment for one week.
Besides still trying to get the house & yard squared away from being on vacation, I think part of the issue this week has been my MIL. She isn’t managing her life very well – not paying bills (or knowing where they are), not remembering appointment times, etc. Hub wanted to talk to her therapist to make sure the lady understood just how dysfunctional Mil is right now, and he probably also needed to let her know just how dishonest MIL is when discussing the past. Anyway, MIL threw a big fit about it and didn’t want him talking to her and was really acting like a goob, even though hub really was trying to help. So until 4 pm on my birthday, I wasn’t sure whether I would need to uninvite MIL from coming out to eat with us because of that situation.
In the end, hub did talk to the therapist and MIL had told her she wasn’t managing things well. He didn’t get a chance to talk about his mother’s dishonesty though. Which is a pretty major thing – she is completely off base in her portrayal of family relationships & events. I guess it’s a bit of a moot point – she owes over $200 at their office, and can’t come back until her account is current. Which will likely be never – she stills owes my mom half the money my mom loaned her for her glasses. I wish this woman weren’t in our lives. Sigh.
This weekend is going to be about getting my house tidied, de-stressing myself, and just generally getting my self back on track. I think I’ll rent a funny movie while I’m at it. Any suggestions?
Thursday, April 20, 2006
To weigh or not to weigh?
Thanks for the birthday wishes - I had a great day. We did teambuilding at work - we hung siding at a Habitat house, had a nice lunch, & went to see "Scary Movie 4". Then I went out with my family & got some nice gifts and a (small thankfully!) ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery.
I am terrified of the scale - I feel like an elephant. So, do I face reality or keep working at it & take a peek next week? Sigh.
I have to tell you guys - Edisto is so great. Not terribly commercial, very nice beach with lots of shells, and just very gorgeous. Our house was not so great unfortunately. It should have been ideal - huge porches with ocean views. But it was an older home and hadn't been well maintained. The company gave us a discount and were very nice about it - I think they didn't realize how bad some things had gotten over the winter. But we are already making plans to go back next year! I went there every year with my grandparents as a child, so its great to be able to share that with my son.
We won't be able to go to Ga. this weekend. :-( For one, we have a lot of stuff to do at home (oil change, lawn mowing, blah blah), and for 2 the boy was going to be with his granddad, but he (grandpa!) had a stent put in yesterday, so the boy may not be going up there this weekend.
Well, back to the salt mine.
Blogger won't upload pics right now, but I have some!
Thanks for the birthday wishes - I had a great day. We did teambuilding at work - we hung siding at a Habitat house, had a nice lunch, & went to see "Scary Movie 4". Then I went out with my family & got some nice gifts and a (small thankfully!) ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery.
I am terrified of the scale - I feel like an elephant. So, do I face reality or keep working at it & take a peek next week? Sigh.
I have to tell you guys - Edisto is so great. Not terribly commercial, very nice beach with lots of shells, and just very gorgeous. Our house was not so great unfortunately. It should have been ideal - huge porches with ocean views. But it was an older home and hadn't been well maintained. The company gave us a discount and were very nice about it - I think they didn't realize how bad some things had gotten over the winter. But we are already making plans to go back next year! I went there every year with my grandparents as a child, so its great to be able to share that with my son.
We won't be able to go to Ga. this weekend. :-( For one, we have a lot of stuff to do at home (oil change, lawn mowing, blah blah), and for 2 the boy was going to be with his granddad, but he (grandpa!) had a stent put in yesterday, so the boy may not be going up there this weekend.
Well, back to the salt mine.
Blogger won't upload pics right now, but I have some!
Monday, April 17, 2006
T minus 2 days, and counting.
1) Wednesday I am turning 40. I’m not sure how I feel about this. 30 was no big deal – I was the single parent of a 14 month old, going to grad school full time and working 2 or 3 jobs. I didn’t have time to even think about it. This one is a bigger deal. Most days I feel between 28 and 32. But 40? No way.
2) What was up with that finish of the Paris-Roubaix? I haven’t looked at any cycling news, I just watched what I tivo-ed. Bruneel didn’t seem a bit upset about his boys getting disqualified. I think they went through that train intersection on purpose, knowing they’d get disqualified, just to screw with Boonen. Fifth place in a race he thought he’d win? That’s gotta be a blow to the confidence. I think that’s why they did what they did. Besides, if they had all waited for the train, he likely would’ve beaten them in any case.
3) The beach was good. I’ll post more details later in the week. The weather was amazing, I found some gorgeous shells, we rode our bikes every day on a beautiful path…. Now here I am, back at reality! Ouch!
1) Wednesday I am turning 40. I’m not sure how I feel about this. 30 was no big deal – I was the single parent of a 14 month old, going to grad school full time and working 2 or 3 jobs. I didn’t have time to even think about it. This one is a bigger deal. Most days I feel between 28 and 32. But 40? No way.
2) What was up with that finish of the Paris-Roubaix? I haven’t looked at any cycling news, I just watched what I tivo-ed. Bruneel didn’t seem a bit upset about his boys getting disqualified. I think they went through that train intersection on purpose, knowing they’d get disqualified, just to screw with Boonen. Fifth place in a race he thought he’d win? That’s gotta be a blow to the confidence. I think that’s why they did what they did. Besides, if they had all waited for the train, he likely would’ve beaten them in any case.
3) The beach was good. I’ll post more details later in the week. The weather was amazing, I found some gorgeous shells, we rode our bikes every day on a beautiful path…. Now here I am, back at reality! Ouch!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
It’s the Tour baby! (The Tour de Georgia, that is)
Thanks for the get well wishes – yes, I am feeling better. I got loads of sleep last night, and I know that helped. Also, I managed to eat a bit better yesterday – I’m sure that helped also.
I was on OLN’s web site today, trying to decide whether to order live streaming of the Giro (if they get enough takers will they show more on tv?), and I saw the Tour de Georgia. On a whim I checked out their web site. Turns out the Saturday stage is up in the Ga. Mountains – not too far from where my grandparents used to live and not too far from us. I’m going!!!! I’ll be there on the mountainside, doing my best imitation of a Basque fan(atic), with my face painted T-Mobile pink. Envy me!!! And I will post pics.
Gotta run!
Thanks for the get well wishes – yes, I am feeling better. I got loads of sleep last night, and I know that helped. Also, I managed to eat a bit better yesterday – I’m sure that helped also.
I was on OLN’s web site today, trying to decide whether to order live streaming of the Giro (if they get enough takers will they show more on tv?), and I saw the Tour de Georgia. On a whim I checked out their web site. Turns out the Saturday stage is up in the Ga. Mountains – not too far from where my grandparents used to live and not too far from us. I’m going!!!! I’ll be there on the mountainside, doing my best imitation of a Basque fan(atic), with my face painted T-Mobile pink. Envy me!!! And I will post pics.
Gotta run!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
A little secret about me
How many times have you been checking out the reader letters at bodybuilder.com or Velo News or in the latest issue of Runner’s World and read something that goes a little like this “I have a question about training while sick. While doing a (12 mile recovery run, 50 mile ride, lower body workout) I coughed up a lung. To make matters worse, then I tripped over it and broke my left leg! I have a (20 mile run, hundred mile ride, power lifting competition) this weekend. Is Saturday too early to get back into it, or should I wait until Sunday?”
This is so not me. If I am sick, I immediately curl up in my chair with a book, munching on crackers or something, until fully healed up. I even walk slow lest I inhibit my recovery. I’ve been fighting a cold since Saturday, so that means 4 days of no exercise and not so great eating. I dread getting on the scale Friday. I am probably the only person in America who thinks they’ll lose weight on vacation, but that’s what I’m hoping for next week. Sigh. On the plus side, I can tell you that "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King is one terrific ghost story!
That’s why I’ve been so quiet – too busy irrigating my sinuses with salt water and rubbing Neosporin over the rawness that is my nose to take time to post. This week is pretty much shot from an exercise perspective – I sure am glad I have those exercise bands for next week! I’ll try to do better food-wise, even though its hard when all I want to do is comfort myself by stuffing my belly. I hate being sick.
How many times have you been checking out the reader letters at bodybuilder.com or Velo News or in the latest issue of Runner’s World and read something that goes a little like this “I have a question about training while sick. While doing a (12 mile recovery run, 50 mile ride, lower body workout) I coughed up a lung. To make matters worse, then I tripped over it and broke my left leg! I have a (20 mile run, hundred mile ride, power lifting competition) this weekend. Is Saturday too early to get back into it, or should I wait until Sunday?”
This is so not me. If I am sick, I immediately curl up in my chair with a book, munching on crackers or something, until fully healed up. I even walk slow lest I inhibit my recovery. I’ve been fighting a cold since Saturday, so that means 4 days of no exercise and not so great eating. I dread getting on the scale Friday. I am probably the only person in America who thinks they’ll lose weight on vacation, but that’s what I’m hoping for next week. Sigh. On the plus side, I can tell you that "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King is one terrific ghost story!
That’s why I’ve been so quiet – too busy irrigating my sinuses with salt water and rubbing Neosporin over the rawness that is my nose to take time to post. This week is pretty much shot from an exercise perspective – I sure am glad I have those exercise bands for next week! I’ll try to do better food-wise, even though its hard when all I want to do is comfort myself by stuffing my belly. I hate being sick.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Friday!
TGIF – the weather here is fantastico and we are taking our new boat out this afternoon. Woo hoo!
I was a little down when I got off the scale today – no change from last week. But when I went to enter it into my weight tracker Excel sheet, I realized that I lost for 3 straight weeks, and have had 2 weeks of maintain. That kinda put it in perspective for me – I had some solid losses, and now my body is “consolidating its position”. I’ll continue to lose – right now I can’t maintain this weight on this amount of food & exercise.
Thanks for the warm comments yesterday – I agree 100% that both all and nothing are the wrong approaches. You have to be somewhere in the middle to make this a lifestyle. I think though that I have been a little too far toward the “nothing” side of the scale, particularly in the food department. I do need to tighten that up a bit.
All that being said, yesterday was a good day. 1 hour of walking and an awesome leg workout at the gym. The legs aren’t sore though, but I sure was beat driving home from the gym! That’s a good thing.
Well, another busy day here at the salt mine and my breakfast break is over. I’m including a funny & calling it a day.
Have a great weekend!
HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it...don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO ..... Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"
TGIF – the weather here is fantastico and we are taking our new boat out this afternoon. Woo hoo!
I was a little down when I got off the scale today – no change from last week. But when I went to enter it into my weight tracker Excel sheet, I realized that I lost for 3 straight weeks, and have had 2 weeks of maintain. That kinda put it in perspective for me – I had some solid losses, and now my body is “consolidating its position”. I’ll continue to lose – right now I can’t maintain this weight on this amount of food & exercise.
Thanks for the warm comments yesterday – I agree 100% that both all and nothing are the wrong approaches. You have to be somewhere in the middle to make this a lifestyle. I think though that I have been a little too far toward the “nothing” side of the scale, particularly in the food department. I do need to tighten that up a bit.
All that being said, yesterday was a good day. 1 hour of walking and an awesome leg workout at the gym. The legs aren’t sore though, but I sure was beat driving home from the gym! That’s a good thing.
Well, another busy day here at the salt mine and my breakfast break is over. I’m including a funny & calling it a day.
Have a great weekend!
HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it...don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO ..... Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"
Thursday, March 30, 2006
All, nothing, or somewhere in between? You be the judge.
I am on a Body For Life e-group. This morning there was a re-posting from a member who was a finalist in a BFL challenge. She was discussing how she worked the program to get the results she did. The moderator also linked to an article discussing the mindset behind the champions, and a joking (but true) description of how to guarantee you won’t be a champion (set no goals, skip workouts, eat cake at the office). But the whole thing got me thinking.
I am following BFL, but in a fairly lackadaisical fashion. I do not weigh my food or obsessively check the nutrient ratios, I could certainly eat cleaner than I do, I include faux beer and chocolate in my diet on a regular basis. These behaviors aren’t going to peel 2 pounds of fat of my body per week, at least not week over week. On the other hand, I don’t go into my free day, slavering at the bit because I’m going to die if I can’t get my pizza fix. I have “less than optimal” foods built into my diet, so that I enjoy them as I go along. This doesn’t feel like a diet to me, it’s just my lifestyle.
On the other hand, we all know how long I stayed stalled. Yes, the weight is (slowly) coming off now, but for how long? If you think of your program (whatever it is) as a sort of sliding scale, where are you? Where am I? The folks that win the BFL challenges are at an 11 on a scale of 0 to 10 – 0 being no effort and 10 being total effort. I don’t want to be at 0, and I can’t sustain a 10 or even a 9 without driving myself nuts and crashing and burning after only a few days. So where is the best place to be?
I’ve spent the last year somewhere around a 2 or 3 if I’m honest with myself. Right now I feel like I’m operating at a 6. I’d like to hover somewhere between 7 and 8 – IMO, that’s a pretty good effort, without making yourself obsessive or nuts.
I like BFL because it’s a program that doesn’t require excessive weighing or measuring. For most people, a certain amount of measuring is needed until you get your eyeballs adjusted and can make accurate estimates of portions. On the other hand, I can’t help but feeling like I would see better, more, faster results if I did a bit better on my food. Exercise-wise, I feel like I’m right on. For example, choosing more veggies in place of some of the whole grains. Having either a piece of dark chocolate OR a faux beer, just not both. I’m wondering if a few little tweaks wouldn’t pay off. But I don’t want to turn into one of those obsessive people who slice up a cuke to put their tuna salad (FF mayo only!) on so they can eliminate the 5 whole wheat Ritz crackers from their snack. I guess I’m wondering where I need to draw my line. What are good choices, and what is “over the line”? And how sad is it that I don’t know the answer to that question?
Maybe I’m just feeling bad that yesterday didn’t turn out as I had hoped. Yep, I got up and walked. But I was running late and feeling fatigued, so I skipped cooking breakfast and took the boy & me to Sonic. I had a diet limeade and a ham & egg sandwich (no cheese). A little over what I normally eat, a bit high on the fat, and there’s that white bread, but not too bad.
There was breakfast at the meeting which I knew ahead of time to avoid (no protein), but I did indulge in a fourth of a pecan sweet thingie. No biggie, right? I had my snack, so when we went to lunch I wouldn’t be famished. I limited myself to 3 nacho chips with some topping and one cracker with crab dip from the load of appetizers ordered. I had French onion soup for lunch (left about a third of the cheese) and a grilled chicken Caesar salad (no parm, dressing on the side). We didn’t get dessert, so when we got back I did have another third of that pecan thing because I wanted something sweet. Afternoon snack was skipped because we got out of the meeting late.
Because I got out of the meeting late and had to get the boy, I missed my chance to hit the gym. Hub was working late, so I figured we’d go out. We went out for Chinese with another family. Actually that was no problem – I ordered steam veggies with tofu & chicken, steamed rice and sauce on the side. I didn’t eat much of the rice at all, but I did use all of the general tso’s sauce on my meal and then ate a fortune cookie. Have you ever seen a fortune cookie with a nutrition label? I read this one after I’d eaten the cookie – 210 calories and 10 grams of fat! Good lord! How do they squeeze all that into that tiny, crisp cookie???
After we got home we took a walk, and I had a faux beer. All day long I made a series of “pretty good’ choices. But are they “good enough” to get me the results I want? I know it was just one day. But it’s our response to a series of decisions every single day that determines the outcomes we create for ourselves.
I’ve made a lot of positive changes lately – I’ve majorly curtailed my consumption of both beer & diet soda. I’ve cleaned up my evening snacking in a bit way. Am I just being impatient, or am I expecting more payoff than I’ve earned? I don’t know the answer to any of this, but I definitely want these thoughts at the front of my brain – as long as they don’t keep me up at night!
I am on a Body For Life e-group. This morning there was a re-posting from a member who was a finalist in a BFL challenge. She was discussing how she worked the program to get the results she did. The moderator also linked to an article discussing the mindset behind the champions, and a joking (but true) description of how to guarantee you won’t be a champion (set no goals, skip workouts, eat cake at the office). But the whole thing got me thinking.
I am following BFL, but in a fairly lackadaisical fashion. I do not weigh my food or obsessively check the nutrient ratios, I could certainly eat cleaner than I do, I include faux beer and chocolate in my diet on a regular basis. These behaviors aren’t going to peel 2 pounds of fat of my body per week, at least not week over week. On the other hand, I don’t go into my free day, slavering at the bit because I’m going to die if I can’t get my pizza fix. I have “less than optimal” foods built into my diet, so that I enjoy them as I go along. This doesn’t feel like a diet to me, it’s just my lifestyle.
On the other hand, we all know how long I stayed stalled. Yes, the weight is (slowly) coming off now, but for how long? If you think of your program (whatever it is) as a sort of sliding scale, where are you? Where am I? The folks that win the BFL challenges are at an 11 on a scale of 0 to 10 – 0 being no effort and 10 being total effort. I don’t want to be at 0, and I can’t sustain a 10 or even a 9 without driving myself nuts and crashing and burning after only a few days. So where is the best place to be?
I’ve spent the last year somewhere around a 2 or 3 if I’m honest with myself. Right now I feel like I’m operating at a 6. I’d like to hover somewhere between 7 and 8 – IMO, that’s a pretty good effort, without making yourself obsessive or nuts.
I like BFL because it’s a program that doesn’t require excessive weighing or measuring. For most people, a certain amount of measuring is needed until you get your eyeballs adjusted and can make accurate estimates of portions. On the other hand, I can’t help but feeling like I would see better, more, faster results if I did a bit better on my food. Exercise-wise, I feel like I’m right on. For example, choosing more veggies in place of some of the whole grains. Having either a piece of dark chocolate OR a faux beer, just not both. I’m wondering if a few little tweaks wouldn’t pay off. But I don’t want to turn into one of those obsessive people who slice up a cuke to put their tuna salad (FF mayo only!) on so they can eliminate the 5 whole wheat Ritz crackers from their snack. I guess I’m wondering where I need to draw my line. What are good choices, and what is “over the line”? And how sad is it that I don’t know the answer to that question?
Maybe I’m just feeling bad that yesterday didn’t turn out as I had hoped. Yep, I got up and walked. But I was running late and feeling fatigued, so I skipped cooking breakfast and took the boy & me to Sonic. I had a diet limeade and a ham & egg sandwich (no cheese). A little over what I normally eat, a bit high on the fat, and there’s that white bread, but not too bad.
There was breakfast at the meeting which I knew ahead of time to avoid (no protein), but I did indulge in a fourth of a pecan sweet thingie. No biggie, right? I had my snack, so when we went to lunch I wouldn’t be famished. I limited myself to 3 nacho chips with some topping and one cracker with crab dip from the load of appetizers ordered. I had French onion soup for lunch (left about a third of the cheese) and a grilled chicken Caesar salad (no parm, dressing on the side). We didn’t get dessert, so when we got back I did have another third of that pecan thing because I wanted something sweet. Afternoon snack was skipped because we got out of the meeting late.
Because I got out of the meeting late and had to get the boy, I missed my chance to hit the gym. Hub was working late, so I figured we’d go out. We went out for Chinese with another family. Actually that was no problem – I ordered steam veggies with tofu & chicken, steamed rice and sauce on the side. I didn’t eat much of the rice at all, but I did use all of the general tso’s sauce on my meal and then ate a fortune cookie. Have you ever seen a fortune cookie with a nutrition label? I read this one after I’d eaten the cookie – 210 calories and 10 grams of fat! Good lord! How do they squeeze all that into that tiny, crisp cookie???
After we got home we took a walk, and I had a faux beer. All day long I made a series of “pretty good’ choices. But are they “good enough” to get me the results I want? I know it was just one day. But it’s our response to a series of decisions every single day that determines the outcomes we create for ourselves.
I’ve made a lot of positive changes lately – I’ve majorly curtailed my consumption of both beer & diet soda. I’ve cleaned up my evening snacking in a bit way. Am I just being impatient, or am I expecting more payoff than I’ve earned? I don’t know the answer to any of this, but I definitely want these thoughts at the front of my brain – as long as they don’t keep me up at night!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Let's meet!
Just a quick note - I've got an all day meeting today.
Food was fine yesterday. After work, I hit the gym for a fun little workout I call "Drop Set Mania". Start with the largest muscle (I did upper, so I started with back) - start with the heaviest weight you can move, then drop to the next lowest when you can't do it any more. Do that down the weight rack. Don't take any breaks. Then go to the second largest muscle group & repeat.
It looked kind alike this:
db row: 40/18 35/8 30/8 25/6 20/6
chest press: 30/10 25/6 20/6
shoulder press: 25/10 20/6 15/2
tricep overhead press: 30/5 25/8 20/6
bicep curl: 20/10 15/8 12/6
As you can see, I only did 3 iterations after the first exercise b/c those muscles were laready getting pretty fatigued. My arms feel like lead today, which is a good thing.
I got up and walked this morning. I had Sonic breakfast sandwich (no cheese) for breakfast - I was in a hurry and I wanted to avoid the bagels & juice at this meeting.
Have a great day!
Just a quick note - I've got an all day meeting today.
Food was fine yesterday. After work, I hit the gym for a fun little workout I call "Drop Set Mania". Start with the largest muscle (I did upper, so I started with back) - start with the heaviest weight you can move, then drop to the next lowest when you can't do it any more. Do that down the weight rack. Don't take any breaks. Then go to the second largest muscle group & repeat.
It looked kind alike this:
db row: 40/18 35/8 30/8 25/6 20/6
chest press: 30/10 25/6 20/6
shoulder press: 25/10 20/6 15/2
tricep overhead press: 30/5 25/8 20/6
bicep curl: 20/10 15/8 12/6
As you can see, I only did 3 iterations after the first exercise b/c those muscles were laready getting pretty fatigued. My arms feel like lead today, which is a good thing.
I got up and walked this morning. I had Sonic breakfast sandwich (no cheese) for breakfast - I was in a hurry and I wanted to avoid the bagels & juice at this meeting.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
I feel like bustin’ loose (right outta my pants)!
Why did I wear my “they just fit” jeans today???? I am suffering from either carb or PMS bloat – or both, and I feel like a sausage. I generally avoid carbs with my dinner so I can have a faux beer & square of dark chocolate after dinner. Last night I had a square of dark chocolate, 2 faux beers, and a serving of lowfat ice cream! Hopefully today is the last day of feeling like a sausage.
The funny thing is that other than that, my eating was very clean and on plan yesterday. I managed 1 hour 45 minutes of exercise – including a super intense HIIT session on the elliptical. It was definitely a step up in intensity from the treadmill. I figure 2 weeks of HIIT on the treadmill alternating with 2 weeks on the elliptical will keep my body guessing.
Changing my medicine helped a little, but I still had a bit of trouble sleeping last night. Sigh. Not sure what to do. They have to be 12 hours apart – I wake up at 5 and go to bed at 9, and any time between 6 and 9 pm doesn’t seem to work, but earlier would mean waking myself up to take a pill. Ugh.
Despite the sleep woes, I did get up and walk this morning. Hurray!
Why did I wear my “they just fit” jeans today???? I am suffering from either carb or PMS bloat – or both, and I feel like a sausage. I generally avoid carbs with my dinner so I can have a faux beer & square of dark chocolate after dinner. Last night I had a square of dark chocolate, 2 faux beers, and a serving of lowfat ice cream! Hopefully today is the last day of feeling like a sausage.
The funny thing is that other than that, my eating was very clean and on plan yesterday. I managed 1 hour 45 minutes of exercise – including a super intense HIIT session on the elliptical. It was definitely a step up in intensity from the treadmill. I figure 2 weeks of HIIT on the treadmill alternating with 2 weeks on the elliptical will keep my body guessing.
Changing my medicine helped a little, but I still had a bit of trouble sleeping last night. Sigh. Not sure what to do. They have to be 12 hours apart – I wake up at 5 and go to bed at 9, and any time between 6 and 9 pm doesn’t seem to work, but earlier would mean waking myself up to take a pill. Ugh.
Despite the sleep woes, I did get up and walk this morning. Hurray!
Monday, March 27, 2006
Scuppers the Sailor Dog
When my son was a little boy, the Little Golden Book “The Sailor Dog” was one of his favorites. Maybe it was the sailor dog crib bedding – maybe it was that grandpa was a pro waterskiier at Cypress Gardens a billion years ago. In any case – he has always loved the water and has been skiing since he was 1 year old.
When my mom & stepdad divorced, my mom really missed being out on the water and missed watching the boy ski. She always wanted a pontoon boat, but they always had ski boats. This weekend her 20 year dream became a reality: we boat a pontoon boat. Yep, a new 20 foot Starcraft! I ordered a grill so my hub would have something to do *smirk*.
Oh – Friday my MP3 player broke at the gym! Luckily the hub bought the insurance, so we went to Best Buy Friday night and picked out a new one. Then we spent time over the weekend loading music onto the computer and then onto the new player.
Saturday was a lot of shopping – for the boat, the hub for pants, for groceries. Sunday was cleaning the house & the cooking.
Food was kinda crazy on Saturday – more eating out than I would have liked, but hey, that’s what a free day is for. I am trying to get sick with something, so I spent the rest of the time trying to get some quality rest.
Speaking of which, I think I figured out why I am having insomnia, and figured out the cure. I take a 12 hour time release Welbutrin, and the evening one was causing the insomnia. By taking it right before bedtime, I bypass the insomnia. Yay!
Have a good day.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Insomnia
Okay, I had insomnia last night for the third time this week. Argh! Not sure if it’s the new job, new medicine, or what. I’m going to try to faithfully use my guided meditation CDs next week to hopefully quiet my mind. If that doesn’t help, I’ll call the doctor to ask if it could be the medicine & what I can do about that. Maybe I’ll do both.
In other news, my weight remained the same this week. Given that this is “the week” when I am typically up a pound or 2, I think that’s pretty good. Hopefully I’ll see some scale movement next week.
Exercise this week: M 1.5, T 1, W 1.5, H 1, F will be 1 hour. Good lower body workout at the gym last night, and a good walk at lunch.
Driving to work one morning, I noticed a sigh that read “We buy & sell used boats” – there is apparently a boat store right next to where I had my trailer hitch put on, across the road from the farmers’ market I go to nearly every weekend and I never noticed it!
So I called yesterday afternoon and spoke with a very nice fella named Randy who told me that they would be getting in a used pontoon boat next week, and that he felt confident that he could get us into a new boat in our price range. What made me so excited talking to Randy was the fact that he talked to me like I had a clue. He actually seemed to think I knew what he was saying when talking about engines, and he seemed to understand that 2 women might actually have the money to purchase a boat.
Shopping last weekend for boats, mom and I kept checking each other to see if our “cloak of invisibility” had inadvertently been slipped on, as we seemed to go unnoticed until we rudely asked for service. Those places needed a sign on the front door “No penis, no service.” Hrumph!
I told hub mom & I were going to look at boats Saturday morning, and he asked if he could come with us. The guy who was totally against us getting a boat! Seems he has seen some country music video for a song “Red Neck Yacht Club” and has decided that a pontoon boat looks fun. I told him he would come around, and of course he disagreed vehemently. Ha! I know my husband.
Must plan my food & activity for the weekend, but I am setting myself up for scale success come next Friday. Have a great weekend!
Okay, I had insomnia last night for the third time this week. Argh! Not sure if it’s the new job, new medicine, or what. I’m going to try to faithfully use my guided meditation CDs next week to hopefully quiet my mind. If that doesn’t help, I’ll call the doctor to ask if it could be the medicine & what I can do about that. Maybe I’ll do both.
In other news, my weight remained the same this week. Given that this is “the week” when I am typically up a pound or 2, I think that’s pretty good. Hopefully I’ll see some scale movement next week.
Exercise this week: M 1.5, T 1, W 1.5, H 1, F will be 1 hour. Good lower body workout at the gym last night, and a good walk at lunch.
Driving to work one morning, I noticed a sigh that read “We buy & sell used boats” – there is apparently a boat store right next to where I had my trailer hitch put on, across the road from the farmers’ market I go to nearly every weekend and I never noticed it!
So I called yesterday afternoon and spoke with a very nice fella named Randy who told me that they would be getting in a used pontoon boat next week, and that he felt confident that he could get us into a new boat in our price range. What made me so excited talking to Randy was the fact that he talked to me like I had a clue. He actually seemed to think I knew what he was saying when talking about engines, and he seemed to understand that 2 women might actually have the money to purchase a boat.
Shopping last weekend for boats, mom and I kept checking each other to see if our “cloak of invisibility” had inadvertently been slipped on, as we seemed to go unnoticed until we rudely asked for service. Those places needed a sign on the front door “No penis, no service.” Hrumph!
I told hub mom & I were going to look at boats Saturday morning, and he asked if he could come with us. The guy who was totally against us getting a boat! Seems he has seen some country music video for a song “Red Neck Yacht Club” and has decided that a pontoon boat looks fun. I told him he would come around, and of course he disagreed vehemently. Ha! I know my husband.
Must plan my food & activity for the weekend, but I am setting myself up for scale success come next Friday. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
A quote, a question, and the hunger thing
"The world is full of flat squirrels who couldn't make up their mind."
In big corporation buildings the bathrooms frequently have multiple stalls, lined up in one or more rows. If you walk in & sit down, and then a second person comes in, why do they always sit in the stall next to you??????
My girlfriend suggested a glass of milk before bed, since I am awake 3 hours after dinner. I gnawed on a cold piece of leftover fish from last night's dinner before we walked at lunchtime because I was starving. I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10 I was at 11. Also, for the third day I've eaten about 100 calories of vegetable soup in addition to my lunchtime salad to fill the pit. I think the problem is my morning source of protein this week is mostly protein powder with just a little egg (I made french toast) - also its pretty low in fat. So its probably not lasting as long as the egg with a bit of cheese and small serving of oatmeal I've been eating. But I had gotten bored. Back on the egg band wagon for me next week! If that doesn't work, then I'll add half a glass of milk before bed.
"The world is full of flat squirrels who couldn't make up their mind."
In big corporation buildings the bathrooms frequently have multiple stalls, lined up in one or more rows. If you walk in & sit down, and then a second person comes in, why do they always sit in the stall next to you??????
My girlfriend suggested a glass of milk before bed, since I am awake 3 hours after dinner. I gnawed on a cold piece of leftover fish from last night's dinner before we walked at lunchtime because I was starving. I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10 I was at 11. Also, for the third day I've eaten about 100 calories of vegetable soup in addition to my lunchtime salad to fill the pit. I think the problem is my morning source of protein this week is mostly protein powder with just a little egg (I made french toast) - also its pretty low in fat. So its probably not lasting as long as the egg with a bit of cheese and small serving of oatmeal I've been eating. But I had gotten bored. Back on the egg band wagon for me next week! If that doesn't work, then I'll add half a glass of milk before bed.
Ravenous
Sounds like the name of a bad zombie movie, doesn’t it? Come to think of it, I feel a little like one of those zombies in the sense that I AM STARVING!!!!!
I have upped my exercise, and apparently ye olde body is trying to tell me that it isn’t caring for the current caloric deficit. Monday was 1 hr walking, 30 minutes HIIT, Tuesday was 30 minutes walking and 30 minutes lifting, yesterday was 1 hr walking and 30 minutes HIIT, today is 30 minutes walking and 30 minutes weight lifting.
Food was most excellent yesterday – last night was baked fish, sautéed carrots, and a salad. Followed by 1 square of Dove dark chocolate and a “Faux Milwaukee beer”. The weird thing is I am now used to non-alcohol beer. I haven’t had a soda since Sunday. Who is this woman????
I am concerned about vacation and the lack of weight lifting. I think I’m going to investigate the possibility of buying some resistance bands or something I can take with me so I don’t go all flabulous. Does anyone have any experience with these things, or other suggestions???
MIL went in this morning for an ultrasound on some sort of cyst, tumor, something. Mom went with her.
In other news, there is thankfully no other news!
Sounds like the name of a bad zombie movie, doesn’t it? Come to think of it, I feel a little like one of those zombies in the sense that I AM STARVING!!!!!
I have upped my exercise, and apparently ye olde body is trying to tell me that it isn’t caring for the current caloric deficit. Monday was 1 hr walking, 30 minutes HIIT, Tuesday was 30 minutes walking and 30 minutes lifting, yesterday was 1 hr walking and 30 minutes HIIT, today is 30 minutes walking and 30 minutes weight lifting.
Food was most excellent yesterday – last night was baked fish, sautéed carrots, and a salad. Followed by 1 square of Dove dark chocolate and a “Faux Milwaukee beer”. The weird thing is I am now used to non-alcohol beer. I haven’t had a soda since Sunday. Who is this woman????
I am concerned about vacation and the lack of weight lifting. I think I’m going to investigate the possibility of buying some resistance bands or something I can take with me so I don’t go all flabulous. Does anyone have any experience with these things, or other suggestions???
MIL went in this morning for an ultrasound on some sort of cyst, tumor, something. Mom went with her.
In other news, there is thankfully no other news!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Feeling Groovy
I generally loathe music from the Simon & Garfunkel era (I think my subconscious relates it to my parents’ miserable marriage), but that song captures how I’m feeling today. Optimistic.
That in spite of a few things: In the past 3 days, my MIL’s dog has taken a dump in my bedroom three times! When I told hub about last evening’s little present (complete with some urine for him to stream clean up), he went postal. Over the cell phone, I heard him stop for a chocolate shake & fries and then he let me know he wanted to go out because he wanted buffalo wings and beer for dinner. Eeks! I tried to talk him out of it, to no avail. He had 12 wings and a beer for dinner. I had half a breadstick, 1 wing, and a child’s order of spaghetti with meat sauce. Not the best meal perhaps, but not terrible.
In the ongoing drama that is my MIL’s life, she got pulled by a state trooper yesterday – her car inspection, registration, AND license were all expired. He must’ve been a big softie, he wrote her a warning with the promise that she would fix it all that day (which she did).
Oh, and we’re back to winter mode here, with temps below average!
But ya know what? I ate pretty well yesterday in the face of stress. I did a killer upper body workout at the gym. I got up and walked this morning. My navy pants don’t fit yet, but my second pair of jeans do. I’m getting back to where I was – and then I’m gonna blow by it!
Yesterday’s workout was another “circuit of pain”. I did this first circuit twice through: cable row, cable lat pulldown, cable bicep curl, cable tricep pressdown, cybex machine shoulder press. Then I did once through this dumbbell circuit: db row, db incline press, bicep curl, did dips between benches, with 50 pounds on my lap, and then front and side raises for the shoulders. The thing I love about circuits is you can move from exercise to exercise quickly, maximizing your workout time. Felt great!
I generally loathe music from the Simon & Garfunkel era (I think my subconscious relates it to my parents’ miserable marriage), but that song captures how I’m feeling today. Optimistic.
That in spite of a few things: In the past 3 days, my MIL’s dog has taken a dump in my bedroom three times! When I told hub about last evening’s little present (complete with some urine for him to stream clean up), he went postal. Over the cell phone, I heard him stop for a chocolate shake & fries and then he let me know he wanted to go out because he wanted buffalo wings and beer for dinner. Eeks! I tried to talk him out of it, to no avail. He had 12 wings and a beer for dinner. I had half a breadstick, 1 wing, and a child’s order of spaghetti with meat sauce. Not the best meal perhaps, but not terrible.
In the ongoing drama that is my MIL’s life, she got pulled by a state trooper yesterday – her car inspection, registration, AND license were all expired. He must’ve been a big softie, he wrote her a warning with the promise that she would fix it all that day (which she did).
Oh, and we’re back to winter mode here, with temps below average!
But ya know what? I ate pretty well yesterday in the face of stress. I did a killer upper body workout at the gym. I got up and walked this morning. My navy pants don’t fit yet, but my second pair of jeans do. I’m getting back to where I was – and then I’m gonna blow by it!
Yesterday’s workout was another “circuit of pain”. I did this first circuit twice through: cable row, cable lat pulldown, cable bicep curl, cable tricep pressdown, cybex machine shoulder press. Then I did once through this dumbbell circuit: db row, db incline press, bicep curl, did dips between benches, with 50 pounds on my lap, and then front and side raises for the shoulders. The thing I love about circuits is you can move from exercise to exercise quickly, maximizing your workout time. Felt great!
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