I'm so stunned today, I almost forgot today's Progress Prompt:
What kind of clothes do you normally wear every day?
What I wear varies on what I have to do on a given day. I'm an events planner so if we're working at an event (again, depends on the event), I can be in shorts or jeans or really really dressed up. We also have days where we are lugging and slugging boxes and setting stuff up and crawling around in the basement (our office basement looks like something out of the goonies) so those days can be very casual, sneakers, tshirts, jeans.
What is your favourite piece of clothing?
At the moment, it is a pair of red capri pants which I purchased last summer. At the time of purchase (via eBay so I didn't try them on), I couldn't do the fly up on them and the legs were so tight I looked completely hideous. Now, they not only fit (and look good), I can slide them off without unbuttoning / unzipping them. Basically, anything I couldn't fit into before but can now, is a favourite!
What piece of clothing do you avoid the most? Why?
There isn't anything that I won't wear. I like to wear clothes that are comfortable and fit me and look okay. I wear shorts and skirts and dresses and will even wear a bathing suit. If there was anything in the past that I would avoid, it's sleeveless items. A couple of weeks ago though, I actually wore something sleeveless for the first time since I was a little kid. My arms are still fat and flabby but I can feel (and somewhat see) the muscles underneath the blubber now!
Do your weight issues influence the way you shop? Are you a clotheshorse, or do you only shop when you need a clothing item?
I've always been a fat girl so that's always influenced the way I shop. I have to shop in the fat girl stores. I'm not really a clotheshorse, I buy what I need.
Monday, June 30, 2003
Yikes, I have had an incredibly busy day. Unfortunately, I don't have much to post. I wrote a long and rambling, less than enthralling post about painting, cleaning and emotional breakdowns on my regular blog if you're interested in hearing about my day.
I haven't worked out officially in a few days. I've been doing a lot of very physical stuff but it hasn't been "exercise" per se. I feel a little bad about that and plan to get in at least a short ride on the bike tomorrow. Eating hasn't been terrible the past two days but it's not been the greatest. I had an on plan breakfast and lunch but had subway for dinner. A whole sub...and it was late, after 8 p.m. Two things that I don't ordinarily do. Oh well, c'est la vie right? In a couple of days, when my house is back in order and we have the biggest part of the work done, I'll be back to my normally scheduled eating and exercising. I didn't sleep well last night and I know that being off my routine is to blame. I should have slept really well, considering all the stuff we've got going on right now. Maybe I just have too much going on and my brain is working overtime. Whatever the problem, I should sleep okay tonight (here's hoping!).
I haven't worked out officially in a few days. I've been doing a lot of very physical stuff but it hasn't been "exercise" per se. I feel a little bad about that and plan to get in at least a short ride on the bike tomorrow. Eating hasn't been terrible the past two days but it's not been the greatest. I had an on plan breakfast and lunch but had subway for dinner. A whole sub...and it was late, after 8 p.m. Two things that I don't ordinarily do. Oh well, c'est la vie right? In a couple of days, when my house is back in order and we have the biggest part of the work done, I'll be back to my normally scheduled eating and exercising. I didn't sleep well last night and I know that being off my routine is to blame. I should have slept really well, considering all the stuff we've got going on right now. Maybe I just have too much going on and my brain is working overtime. Whatever the problem, I should sleep okay tonight (here's hoping!).
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Good morning all...I'm just getting that under the wire. As I type it, it's a little before noon and I've not yet been up for 2 hours. Bad huh?? Feels pretty good though.
When I open my browser, my home page is my.yahoo. I like to get the headlines from all over, in one spot. I read other sites too, the local paper, the NY times. This weekend, I've chuckled every time I opened my IE though, the health headlines this weekend are the ultimate in lame. Check this out:
The first story on the list was: Serious Spousal Spats Spike Blood Pressure. Can I get a "duh" from the crowd, please?
Article two: Listen Up, Ladies: Long, Lush Locks Lure Lovers. Who paid for this study? Clairol? What a stupid thing to have studied!!
The third article was deceiving: Men Can Benefit from Kegel Exercises, Too. At first read I though, hell yah they do, hello? The article is actually about how men can do them themselves, not benefit when us girls do it. The headline was a doozy though, wasn't it?
The last one was also a no brainer: Study: Sugary Drinks Help Children Get Fat. That's like me calling the paper and shouting "stop the presses...Eating too much ice cream will go straight to your hips!!"
I'm hoping that they are just pulling these stories out of their butts because things are slow from the approaching holiday. Yikes, what won't pass for news these days!?
When I open my browser, my home page is my.yahoo. I like to get the headlines from all over, in one spot. I read other sites too, the local paper, the NY times. This weekend, I've chuckled every time I opened my IE though, the health headlines this weekend are the ultimate in lame. Check this out:
The first story on the list was: Serious Spousal Spats Spike Blood Pressure. Can I get a "duh" from the crowd, please?
Article two: Listen Up, Ladies: Long, Lush Locks Lure Lovers. Who paid for this study? Clairol? What a stupid thing to have studied!!
The third article was deceiving: Men Can Benefit from Kegel Exercises, Too. At first read I though, hell yah they do, hello? The article is actually about how men can do them themselves, not benefit when us girls do it. The headline was a doozy though, wasn't it?
The last one was also a no brainer: Study: Sugary Drinks Help Children Get Fat. That's like me calling the paper and shouting "stop the presses...Eating too much ice cream will go straight to your hips!!"
I'm hoping that they are just pulling these stories out of their butts because things are slow from the approaching holiday. Yikes, what won't pass for news these days!?
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Considering how tired I was last night, I woke up pretty early this morning. We both did actually. It was good though, we were in and out of the Home Depot and back home at a reasonable time. We've started working on our bathroom and there is a lot of sanding to do. At the moment, there is dust flying everywhere. I'm trying to get as much of it as I can with the vacuum but it's a bit of a losing battle.
Before we went to the Depot, we went out for breakfast. Saturday is our "free" day. It ends up that I'm usually totally within my caloric range but I don't worry about it as much. I've been doing this for about a month and have had good results. For some reason, it seems to kick my metabolism and I've been losing pounds and inches more steadily recently. The first month or so, things happened pretty quickly, then they started to slow down. I've had better and more consistent losses over the past 6 weeks I'd say, than I have had in a while. So we decided to have breakfast at Denny's. I like that they have egg beaters there, not every place does. I had a pretty decent breakfast, and really enjoyed it.
While we were sipping our coffee and waiting for our meal, we noticed this woman sitting at the table next to us. Her husband was enjoying a nice looking breakfast, and she'd ordered a plain, toasted bagel. She was hollowing out the middle of the bagel (i.e. the white fluffy stuff) with a spoon, and only eating the crust. This struck me as odd. It made me wonder if there is some new crust diet that we haven't heard about yet. If you've heard of some toasted bagel crust diet, please let me know. I love to hear about (not participate in) fad diets. If this is a new fad diet, it's a doozy.
Before we went to the Depot, we went out for breakfast. Saturday is our "free" day. It ends up that I'm usually totally within my caloric range but I don't worry about it as much. I've been doing this for about a month and have had good results. For some reason, it seems to kick my metabolism and I've been losing pounds and inches more steadily recently. The first month or so, things happened pretty quickly, then they started to slow down. I've had better and more consistent losses over the past 6 weeks I'd say, than I have had in a while. So we decided to have breakfast at Denny's. I like that they have egg beaters there, not every place does. I had a pretty decent breakfast, and really enjoyed it.
While we were sipping our coffee and waiting for our meal, we noticed this woman sitting at the table next to us. Her husband was enjoying a nice looking breakfast, and she'd ordered a plain, toasted bagel. She was hollowing out the middle of the bagel (i.e. the white fluffy stuff) with a spoon, and only eating the crust. This struck me as odd. It made me wonder if there is some new crust diet that we haven't heard about yet. If you've heard of some toasted bagel crust diet, please let me know. I love to hear about (not participate in) fad diets. If this is a new fad diet, it's a doozy.
Friday, June 27, 2003
As you can see, I switched things around a bit. I liked the blue but the yellow is a little more summery.
Today was a busy day for me. The weather was a lot cooler and nicer than it's been all week so I was outside a lot. I walked for about an hour and then did a tonne of yard work. I felt great after it was done but right now, I can hardly keep my eyes open. The fresh air has tuckered me right out.
I'm off to bed and will write more tomorrow. Hope everyone had a great, OP week!
Today was a busy day for me. The weather was a lot cooler and nicer than it's been all week so I was outside a lot. I walked for about an hour and then did a tonne of yard work. I felt great after it was done but right now, I can hardly keep my eyes open. The fresh air has tuckered me right out.
I'm off to bed and will write more tomorrow. Hope everyone had a great, OP week!
Thursday, June 26, 2003
I did workout yesterday afternoon and felt better for it afterwards. I did find that I wasn't moving as quickly as I normally due, probably because of the weather. We're having a heat wave here right now and it's really bad. The humidity is oppressive and while it's cool in the house (we have A/C), it's not ideal. It's not the same as having a fabulous breeze blowing through the house, which is what I'm used to.
My eating was great yesterday and I'm feeling good this morning. We got to sleep in our own bed last night after 2 nights in the spare room. The paint fumes are basically gone and I feel really rested today. I'm going to have a lazy day today I think. I'm planning to workout and maybe do a load or two of laundry but that will be about it.
I didn't see this until this morning. I must have gone to bed before Carla got is posted. I'm so glad to see that she's back though. Here's this week's Wednesday Weigh-In:
Is there someone in your life who would be disappointed if he or she knew how much you ate or the kind of things you ate?
The only person who would be "disappointed" if she knew how much (or what) we used to eat before we started doing this is my mother. I've talked to my other weight-loss buddies and have discovered that we've all done much the same things to get fat in the first place. When I lived at home, my mother tried to keep a very close eye on what I ate. I almost always ate the food that I wanted to eat outside of the house and lied to her about it. Looking back, I should have been honest with her and stood up to her. I didn't feel strong enough to do the battle at the time I guess. She had to know that I was lying though because I never lost as much weight as she would have liked.
I still remember, vividly, when she sat me down (I was in grade 6) and she told me that I was fat. When I look at photos from that time, I was not fat. I was taller than the other kids in my class, I had developed a lot sooner than most of the other girls so yeah, I was bigger. I probably would have been an "average" weight throughout my teen years if my mother had not insisted that I keep trying different diets. I feel that the fad diets she introduced me to basically messed up my metabolism for a time. They also caused me to "sneak" food while I lived at home, probably to rebel against my mum's good intentions. Once I moved out of the house and stopped dieting, my weight stabilized for several years. It wasn't until the last couple of years that I started gaining again (and have since started to lose it and change my lifestyle -- if you're a regular reader here, you know what we've done the past couple of years to get us up to the weight we were on January 6, 2003).
She went so far as to say to me at one time, again will all good intentions, that it would be really nice if I could get anorexia for a small period of time as a method of losing weight. I think you can figure out why I either lied about what I ate or just avoided the conversation about it with her. I know that she can justify what she did as having my best interests at heart. I feel that she went about it the totally wrong way though. Being honest with her about what I was eating would just upset her too much so we got to a point in our relationship where it wasn't discussed.
My eating was great yesterday and I'm feeling good this morning. We got to sleep in our own bed last night after 2 nights in the spare room. The paint fumes are basically gone and I feel really rested today. I'm going to have a lazy day today I think. I'm planning to workout and maybe do a load or two of laundry but that will be about it.
I didn't see this until this morning. I must have gone to bed before Carla got is posted. I'm so glad to see that she's back though. Here's this week's Wednesday Weigh-In:
Is there someone in your life who would be disappointed if he or she knew how much you ate or the kind of things you ate?
The only person who would be "disappointed" if she knew how much (or what) we used to eat before we started doing this is my mother. I've talked to my other weight-loss buddies and have discovered that we've all done much the same things to get fat in the first place. When I lived at home, my mother tried to keep a very close eye on what I ate. I almost always ate the food that I wanted to eat outside of the house and lied to her about it. Looking back, I should have been honest with her and stood up to her. I didn't feel strong enough to do the battle at the time I guess. She had to know that I was lying though because I never lost as much weight as she would have liked.
I still remember, vividly, when she sat me down (I was in grade 6) and she told me that I was fat. When I look at photos from that time, I was not fat. I was taller than the other kids in my class, I had developed a lot sooner than most of the other girls so yeah, I was bigger. I probably would have been an "average" weight throughout my teen years if my mother had not insisted that I keep trying different diets. I feel that the fad diets she introduced me to basically messed up my metabolism for a time. They also caused me to "sneak" food while I lived at home, probably to rebel against my mum's good intentions. Once I moved out of the house and stopped dieting, my weight stabilized for several years. It wasn't until the last couple of years that I started gaining again (and have since started to lose it and change my lifestyle -- if you're a regular reader here, you know what we've done the past couple of years to get us up to the weight we were on January 6, 2003).
She went so far as to say to me at one time, again will all good intentions, that it would be really nice if I could get anorexia for a small period of time as a method of losing weight. I think you can figure out why I either lied about what I ate or just avoided the conversation about it with her. I know that she can justify what she did as having my best interests at heart. I feel that she went about it the totally wrong way though. Being honest with her about what I was eating would just upset her too much so we got to a point in our relationship where it wasn't discussed.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
I'm really happy about how my eating has been this week. I'm on my vacation from work (I have been working a lot around the house though) this week and usually, when I'm home a lot, I can be easily tempted into snacking. Snacking isn't a problem at work but at home, it can be. I guess because I've been keeping so busy, I've been actually staying on track with my calories. I'm pretty happy about it too.
I haven't done regular workouts though. I don't feel bad about it though because the painting and cleaning I've been doing is working up a sweat, big time. I went and had my blood taken for the tests I requested. I'll get my results when I go back to the Doctor for my next weigh-in on July 9. They took four vials of blood and I had to pee in the bottle. I didn't know going in that I'd have to do that. I'd already peed twice before I got to the lab. It ended up not being a problem but I was a little worried for a second.
I think I'm going to go hit the bike and get a quick ride in this afternoon. As much as I've been keeping really active, I miss the regular stuff I've been doing. I know that I'll feel a lot better after I do!
I haven't done regular workouts though. I don't feel bad about it though because the painting and cleaning I've been doing is working up a sweat, big time. I went and had my blood taken for the tests I requested. I'll get my results when I go back to the Doctor for my next weigh-in on July 9. They took four vials of blood and I had to pee in the bottle. I didn't know going in that I'd have to do that. I'd already peed twice before I got to the lab. It ended up not being a problem but I was a little worried for a second.
I think I'm going to go hit the bike and get a quick ride in this afternoon. As much as I've been keeping really active, I miss the regular stuff I've been doing. I know that I'll feel a lot better after I do!
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
I got so busy yesterday, I forgot to check the Progress Prompt:
The issue of obesity is back in the headlines yet again. This time it's "fat tax". What are your thoughts?
I don't think that the issue of obesity is ever out of the headlines. I can find a story about it everyday pretty much. I have said this before and will say it again, the government needs to spend more money on educating people about healthy choices and healthy lifestyles. They need to put more money back into the schools so that physical education programs don't get cut, so that teachers in this province aren't on work-to-rule and can do after-school sports and fitness programs again.
I think that if anyone is going to be taxed highly, it should be the corporations (like Mickey D's, BK, A&W, etc.) who get banged. There is too much profit to be made by peddling crap to the masses. Companies like Subway have it right, offer a healthier (not healthy) fast food option. The fast food kings need to re-evaluate their own "lite" menus too. If you get right down to the nitty gritty, a lot of the salads or chicken salads have as many, and sometimes more, calories than a burger.
Taxing fast food for consumers isn't going to stop folks. Taxation has not stopped people from smoking. What has, is aggressive ad campaigns that get to the root of the problem and address why folks are doing something that is bad for them. It's like this weight-loss journey that we're all on. It's not going to work until we figure out why we over eat or why we don't exercise. Get past that and it'll work. Education is the key!
The issue of obesity is back in the headlines yet again. This time it's "fat tax". What are your thoughts?
I don't think that the issue of obesity is ever out of the headlines. I can find a story about it everyday pretty much. I have said this before and will say it again, the government needs to spend more money on educating people about healthy choices and healthy lifestyles. They need to put more money back into the schools so that physical education programs don't get cut, so that teachers in this province aren't on work-to-rule and can do after-school sports and fitness programs again.
I think that if anyone is going to be taxed highly, it should be the corporations (like Mickey D's, BK, A&W, etc.) who get banged. There is too much profit to be made by peddling crap to the masses. Companies like Subway have it right, offer a healthier (not healthy) fast food option. The fast food kings need to re-evaluate their own "lite" menus too. If you get right down to the nitty gritty, a lot of the salads or chicken salads have as many, and sometimes more, calories than a burger.
Taxing fast food for consumers isn't going to stop folks. Taxation has not stopped people from smoking. What has, is aggressive ad campaigns that get to the root of the problem and address why folks are doing something that is bad for them. It's like this weight-loss journey that we're all on. It's not going to work until we figure out why we over eat or why we don't exercise. Get past that and it'll work. Education is the key!
Monday, June 23, 2003
I'm completely pooped.
We got the first coat of paint on the bedroom and I'm really happy with it. I posted some stuff about the painting on my other page.
Food-wise, I had a great food day, was under in calories, kept very low fat. All was good. Exercise, well, I didn't workout per se, but I did bust my hump on the painting so it all works out okay. I'm off to bed now. We're sleeping in our guest room tonight, something we've not done before, should be interesting!
We got the first coat of paint on the bedroom and I'm really happy with it. I posted some stuff about the painting on my other page.
Food-wise, I had a great food day, was under in calories, kept very low fat. All was good. Exercise, well, I didn't workout per se, but I did bust my hump on the painting so it all works out okay. I'm off to bed now. We're sleeping in our guest room tonight, something we've not done before, should be interesting!
Sunday, June 22, 2003
What a day, it's been a blur.
As I mentioned over yonder on my other page, we spent today getting ready for me to paint tomorrow. My hunny hates painting but loves doing wiring, plumbing and wall-prep. These are things I hate to do, we have a great partnership!
I didn't get an official workout in but if you count all of the walking I did in Home Depot (and trust me, it was a lot AND it was pushing a really heavy buggy!) plus all of the housework I did when we got home, I think it counts. I'll be painting pretty much all day tomorrow so I'll see how it goes. I may try to squeeze my regular workout in before I start painting.
Foodwise, I did good today. I went to Wendy's and picked up salads for our dinner. I had noticed on the Wendy's US website that they offered low-fat dressings but hadn't noticed it on the Canadian one. When I was there tonight, I saw that they had low-fat honey mustard (my favourite!) and I tried it. It was 1/3 of the calories and about 10% of the fat of the regular one. It was a bit thin but very tasty. I really enjoyed it.
I have more taping to do before bed tonight. Hope you all had a happy and productive weekend (or restful -- if that's what you were after!). 'night all!
As I mentioned over yonder on my other page, we spent today getting ready for me to paint tomorrow. My hunny hates painting but loves doing wiring, plumbing and wall-prep. These are things I hate to do, we have a great partnership!
I didn't get an official workout in but if you count all of the walking I did in Home Depot (and trust me, it was a lot AND it was pushing a really heavy buggy!) plus all of the housework I did when we got home, I think it counts. I'll be painting pretty much all day tomorrow so I'll see how it goes. I may try to squeeze my regular workout in before I start painting.
Foodwise, I did good today. I went to Wendy's and picked up salads for our dinner. I had noticed on the Wendy's US website that they offered low-fat dressings but hadn't noticed it on the Canadian one. When I was there tonight, I saw that they had low-fat honey mustard (my favourite!) and I tried it. It was 1/3 of the calories and about 10% of the fat of the regular one. It was a bit thin but very tasty. I really enjoyed it.
I have more taping to do before bed tonight. Hope you all had a happy and productive weekend (or restful -- if that's what you were after!). 'night all!
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Today was a break day. This break on Saturday thing is working for me. I was down another pound today when I weighed in and I've lost another .25" on my hips. I've also lost an inch on my arms. I didn't work out officially but we did a lot of walking today. We did a lot of errands so we walked a lot in stores but we also walked outside a fair bit. It was a gorgeous day, this first day of summer and I was glad to be outside for part of it.
I have found though, that taking a break from really seriously counting calories and stuff, I still keep within what I eat on my on program days. Today for example, we had a big breakfast and went out with our little old guy for dinner, but I stayed basically in line as far calories go because we only had the two (big) meals. At dinner actually, I only ate about 1/3 of what was on my plate and I was stuffed.
I noticed too that my flexibility is probably better now than it's been in years. I've found myself being able to contort my legs while in the car, in ways I probably haven't done since I was a teenager. Right now, I feel better physically than I have in years and years. It's very cool and it makes me wish that I'd started doing this serious, regular exercise thing years ago. Who knew huh?
I have found though, that taking a break from really seriously counting calories and stuff, I still keep within what I eat on my on program days. Today for example, we had a big breakfast and went out with our little old guy for dinner, but I stayed basically in line as far calories go because we only had the two (big) meals. At dinner actually, I only ate about 1/3 of what was on my plate and I was stuffed.
I noticed too that my flexibility is probably better now than it's been in years. I've found myself being able to contort my legs while in the car, in ways I probably haven't done since I was a teenager. Right now, I feel better physically than I have in years and years. It's very cool and it makes me wish that I'd started doing this serious, regular exercise thing years ago. Who knew huh?
Friday, June 20, 2003
So, see, I was going to write this cool, funny post and update you all on what I've been doing and all and here I am, not writing it at all. This is neither clever, nor informative. It's not educational or enlightening. I apologize. Suffice to say that I'm completely brain dead and worked really late tonight so that I could start my vacation with a clean desk. The result is that many others around me now have tasks piled up on theirs but at least my deal is done for 2 weeks. I'm not going to think about what will be waiting for me when I get back on July 7. I'm going to enjoy my break.
Be assured though, I'm simply taking a break from work, not from working out or eating healthy. I'm sticking on program and will do my best to take advantage of the time off to get in some extra exercise and to pamper myself a bit.
I will write better, more informative and hilarious posts sometime over the weekend. In the meantime, hope you all have lovely, sweet dreams!!
Be assured though, I'm simply taking a break from work, not from working out or eating healthy. I'm sticking on program and will do my best to take advantage of the time off to get in some extra exercise and to pamper myself a bit.
I will write better, more informative and hilarious posts sometime over the weekend. In the meantime, hope you all have lovely, sweet dreams!!
Thursday, June 19, 2003
It is so late. I know it doesn't seem late to normal folks but we're up way past out bedtime. It's been a really busy, runaround kind of day. Busy but good, don't get me wrong. I had a lot of fun today. Food was okay today, exercise was great. I'm putting more into and, subsequently, getting more out of, my workouts lately. All along I've been noticing improvement in energy level and overall strength but it's really increased significantly lately. Weirdly (for me) the more I exercise, the more I want to. A year ago, I'd have thought that this was nuts, but it's not, I am, but it's not. Anyway, I'm off to bed and will write a more substantial, clever and witty post tomorrow!! Toodles!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Yikes. We just got home from our weekly dinner with our little old guy. Our little old is my hunny's dad. I'm sure that many of you have little old guys of your own and can appreciate how much patience is required, at times, to deal with a really elderly, crotchety person. Anyway, all through dinner, anytime I would say anything, he would cut me off. If he actually had something to say about the topic, I almost wouldn't mind but he is usually just bored with the topic (or doesn't have anything perhaps to contribute) so he just starts talking, loudly, about something else. I started to really steam up as dinner was ending.
We were at the Chinese buffet and I almost never have dessert (unless they have brownies and I'm PMSing). Tonight I was PMSing, and they had brownies, and he was pissing me off. All I could think of was going over to the brownies, filling my plate and then eating them all. Just because I was upset. I thought to myself, I can either be upset with him now or upset with myself later (if I eat the stupid brownies) so I didn't eat any. And I didn't kill him...and he's safely at home right now...and I may go have some strawberries!
We were at the Chinese buffet and I almost never have dessert (unless they have brownies and I'm PMSing). Tonight I was PMSing, and they had brownies, and he was pissing me off. All I could think of was going over to the brownies, filling my plate and then eating them all. Just because I was upset. I thought to myself, I can either be upset with him now or upset with myself later (if I eat the stupid brownies) so I didn't eat any. And I didn't kill him...and he's safely at home right now...and I may go have some strawberries!
I feel like total crap right now. I haven't felt crappy all day though. I think it's partly because I still have a touch of whatever it was I had yesterday and partly because I'm eating my lunch about 90 minutes later than usual.
I had a tough time getting up this morning but when I did I got a good workout in. Really sweaty. I can feel it in my arms right now. I've been increasing my reps slowly each day. It's going well and I think it's good that I can feel it so much in my arms. Did I mention that my arms are sore? I can really feel it, really! Seriously though, I know that I'm making good progress in my workouts. I like how my exercise session in the morning has become a reflex, as integral a part of my morning as brushing my teeth or combing my hair. I'm really mixing things up and don't really have a routine for it other than the time of day but each day I am committed to that. If you could see me in the morning, you'd laugh. I crawl out of bed, go pee and then get into my workout gear, in the dark, with bed-head, blurred vision..it's not pretty. To quote Suzanne Sugarbaker, "I am, but it isn't!"
As I type this, I feel a little better than when I started this post. Whatever is wrong with me should be out of my system soon. It's just too nice outside for me to be feeling sick any longer than this.
I had a tough time getting up this morning but when I did I got a good workout in. Really sweaty. I can feel it in my arms right now. I've been increasing my reps slowly each day. It's going well and I think it's good that I can feel it so much in my arms. Did I mention that my arms are sore? I can really feel it, really! Seriously though, I know that I'm making good progress in my workouts. I like how my exercise session in the morning has become a reflex, as integral a part of my morning as brushing my teeth or combing my hair. I'm really mixing things up and don't really have a routine for it other than the time of day but each day I am committed to that. If you could see me in the morning, you'd laugh. I crawl out of bed, go pee and then get into my workout gear, in the dark, with bed-head, blurred vision..it's not pretty. To quote Suzanne Sugarbaker, "I am, but it isn't!"
As I type this, I feel a little better than when I started this post. Whatever is wrong with me should be out of my system soon. It's just too nice outside for me to be feeling sick any longer than this.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
I felt like total crap this morning. I'm not sure what happened but I got almost no sleep last night. My hunny was feeling wonky yesterday and I figure that I must have picked it up from him. I went back to bed for a while and just took it really easy. After lunch, I really perked up. I was laying around, watching television...half looking at my bike. Eventually, I hopped on it and did a 30 minute program, 6.78 miles. I feel really good now. Still a little woozy but nothing like this morning.
My food's been good the past couple of days. Yesterday's workout wasn't what it could have been but I suspect that I was a little less energetic than normal because of the bug. All day yesterday I just figured it was my muscles paying me back for the gardening on Sunday. Now I'm not so sure. I'm pretty sure that by tomorrow, I'll be feeling good as new. I'm sure I must have sweated the sickies away earlier.
My food's been good the past couple of days. Yesterday's workout wasn't what it could have been but I suspect that I was a little less energetic than normal because of the bug. All day yesterday I just figured it was my muscles paying me back for the gardening on Sunday. Now I'm not so sure. I'm pretty sure that by tomorrow, I'll be feeling good as new. I'm sure I must have sweated the sickies away earlier.
Monday, June 16, 2003
I tell ya, that gardening stuff is hard. I'm still feeling it today. This morning, when I was working out and doing my arm work with the weights, I thought that they were going to fall off (my arms, not the weights). This morning I can really feel my forearms and the backs of my thighs. Yesterday, the majority of the stuff I was doing was either on the ground or way over my head. Needless to say, I slept like the dead last night. Looking over the yard this morning though, I feel that it was well worth the effort. Things are really looking good in our garden and by the time my vacation is over I should have everything in ship-shape.
Anyway, here is this week's Progress Prompt:
Most of you have "Favorite Links" on your journal/weblog. Name one journaler/blogger off your list that you would most like to meet/visit in person. Why? How long have you read her or him?
Oh my goodness, there are so many folks who I feel that I know so well and would love to meet. I think that someone should organize a big convention where we can all gather! That having been said, I would love to meet Ms Carrie, the Redheaded Princess. I have been reading her journal for a few months now and just love it. Her honesty and humour keep me coming back again and again. I love the way she is able to be so open and personal with her journal. Her sense of humour is amazing, much like my own and I think that she'd be really fun to hang out with!
Anyway, here is this week's Progress Prompt:
Most of you have "Favorite Links" on your journal/weblog. Name one journaler/blogger off your list that you would most like to meet/visit in person. Why? How long have you read her or him?
Oh my goodness, there are so many folks who I feel that I know so well and would love to meet. I think that someone should organize a big convention where we can all gather! That having been said, I would love to meet Ms Carrie, the Redheaded Princess. I have been reading her journal for a few months now and just love it. Her honesty and humour keep me coming back again and again. I love the way she is able to be so open and personal with her journal. Her sense of humour is amazing, much like my own and I think that she'd be really fun to hang out with!
Sunday, June 15, 2003
I'm pooped.
I didn't technically workout today but I did do a tonne of work in the garden. We were outside almost all of today and I did a lot of stuff in the garden. I've been weeding and trimming hedges, cutting down some small trees, some heavy stuff, some not so tough. I feel pretty stiff right now so I think I used some muscle, I definitely sweated a fair bit. I noticed that my upper body strength has increased significantly, as has my stamina. I remember this time last year, not having the ambition or drive to do much more than the bare essentials in the garden. This year I've been working on biggish projects that I've been wanting to do for ages. I'm able to get a lot it done on my own too, which is a nice feeling.
We also snuck in a visit to both of our dad's today, and did some errands. Overall it was a great day but I'm pooped. It'll almost be a break to get back to work tomorrow. One of the nice things though is that there is a bunch of stuff that I don't have to do when I'm on holidays. I really accomplished a lot of stuff this weekend and it feels great.
I didn't technically workout today but I did do a tonne of work in the garden. We were outside almost all of today and I did a lot of stuff in the garden. I've been weeding and trimming hedges, cutting down some small trees, some heavy stuff, some not so tough. I feel pretty stiff right now so I think I used some muscle, I definitely sweated a fair bit. I noticed that my upper body strength has increased significantly, as has my stamina. I remember this time last year, not having the ambition or drive to do much more than the bare essentials in the garden. This year I've been working on biggish projects that I've been wanting to do for ages. I'm able to get a lot it done on my own too, which is a nice feeling.
We also snuck in a visit to both of our dad's today, and did some errands. Overall it was a great day but I'm pooped. It'll almost be a break to get back to work tomorrow. One of the nice things though is that there is a bunch of stuff that I don't have to do when I'm on holidays. I really accomplished a lot of stuff this weekend and it feels great.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
mmmm....I'm having a lovely, lazy Saturday.
It's decadent and I'm loving every minute of it. I have been doing a little bit of laundry but mostly I've been vegging out and pampering myself. I've been really busy at work lately and am feeling a little brain dead. This has been a really enjoyable treat.
Yesterday ended up being a good food and workout day. It rained here all day yesterday and I think that the dampness was making my muscles act up. I was really stiff and sore last night but I didn't think it was because of exercise because my hunny felt the same way too. We had a good sleep in this morning and I feel much better for it. The rain stopped but it's been dull and foggy all day. I wanted to get out into the garden but everything's soaked and the mosquitos have taken over. I'm not upset about it though, it kept me indoors and now my toes are sparkly gold (well, not the whole toe, just the nails!). I think we're going to go out for dinner tonight but I'm not sure where. I realize now that I'm just rambling so I'll shut up soon (see, brain dead I tell ya!). Hope you're all enjoying a lovely lazy Saturday too. We've all been working so hard, we deserve it (and if you can't take the whole day, take 10 and paint your toenails, trust me, it'll do you a world of good!!)!!
It's decadent and I'm loving every minute of it. I have been doing a little bit of laundry but mostly I've been vegging out and pampering myself. I've been really busy at work lately and am feeling a little brain dead. This has been a really enjoyable treat.
Yesterday ended up being a good food and workout day. It rained here all day yesterday and I think that the dampness was making my muscles act up. I was really stiff and sore last night but I didn't think it was because of exercise because my hunny felt the same way too. We had a good sleep in this morning and I feel much better for it. The rain stopped but it's been dull and foggy all day. I wanted to get out into the garden but everything's soaked and the mosquitos have taken over. I'm not upset about it though, it kept me indoors and now my toes are sparkly gold (well, not the whole toe, just the nails!). I think we're going to go out for dinner tonight but I'm not sure where. I realize now that I'm just rambling so I'll shut up soon (see, brain dead I tell ya!). Hope you're all enjoying a lovely lazy Saturday too. We've all been working so hard, we deserve it (and if you can't take the whole day, take 10 and paint your toenails, trust me, it'll do you a world of good!!)!!
Friday, June 13, 2003
PMS be damned, I've been doing a good job of keeping the eating under control this week. My lower back is a little sore right now but I know that it's partly PMS and partly damp, cold rainy weather.
Last night, after work, we were out doing errands and stopped off at our neighbourhood supermarket on the way home. My hunny was craving a bottle of Fresca and I wanted "something." I'm not sure what I wanted, I think I wanted something chocolaty (non-chocolate part of the trip aside, you can read about what happened at the IGA here. So, we wandered the aisles and I couldn't figure out what I wanted. It was just the PMS monster raging, I know this. Finally, we left the store and I didn't pick up anything. I still wanted something but we were heading for home now. When I got home, I still wanted something. Fat Free Chocolate pudding or Skinny Sticks were not going to cut it. In the end, I didn't have anything (although I did have a conversation in my head about what I wanted, all night, in my head). I went to bed grumpy about it but woke up happy that I didn't have anything. Weird huh?
Lately, I've been weighing and measuring on Saturdays and then, if I want a treat, I have it after weigh-in. What I've been doing, when I crave something really decadent (for me this is chocolate stuff), I'll go to the bulk store and get a really tiny amount of a couple of things I like, like M&M's or Reese's Pieces. Not enough for a whole package, just a taste. I find that this totally works for me. It's not a huge pig out but it is a nice, normal (i.e. not fat free/sugar free) treat. I'm not sure if this would work for other folks. It does require a lot of discipline while you're in the store.
I'm hoping for a good result again tomorrow. I'm sure that my hard work will pay off again. Overall, I'm really pleased at how well I've been doing over the past couple of weeks. Now that I'm back on track and have figured out exactly what I'm doing, I know that I should be able to keep things under control.
Last night, after work, we were out doing errands and stopped off at our neighbourhood supermarket on the way home. My hunny was craving a bottle of Fresca and I wanted "something." I'm not sure what I wanted, I think I wanted something chocolaty (non-chocolate part of the trip aside, you can read about what happened at the IGA here. So, we wandered the aisles and I couldn't figure out what I wanted. It was just the PMS monster raging, I know this. Finally, we left the store and I didn't pick up anything. I still wanted something but we were heading for home now. When I got home, I still wanted something. Fat Free Chocolate pudding or Skinny Sticks were not going to cut it. In the end, I didn't have anything (although I did have a conversation in my head about what I wanted, all night, in my head). I went to bed grumpy about it but woke up happy that I didn't have anything. Weird huh?
Lately, I've been weighing and measuring on Saturdays and then, if I want a treat, I have it after weigh-in. What I've been doing, when I crave something really decadent (for me this is chocolate stuff), I'll go to the bulk store and get a really tiny amount of a couple of things I like, like M&M's or Reese's Pieces. Not enough for a whole package, just a taste. I find that this totally works for me. It's not a huge pig out but it is a nice, normal (i.e. not fat free/sugar free) treat. I'm not sure if this would work for other folks. It does require a lot of discipline while you're in the store.
I'm hoping for a good result again tomorrow. I'm sure that my hard work will pay off again. Overall, I'm really pleased at how well I've been doing over the past couple of weeks. Now that I'm back on track and have figured out exactly what I'm doing, I know that I should be able to keep things under control.
Thursday, June 12, 2003
I saw this on yahoo today & thought it was an interesting article:
The Science Behind Healthy Weight Loss
Control the amount of calories you eat, and fill your plate with lean protein-rich foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Fad diets, such as those that severely restrict carbohydrates while plying you with protein and animal fats, may well work for a while, but it doesn't take much snooping to figure out why: They're low in calories. And lowering calories will lead to weight loss, no matter the quality of the diet. But is this a diet that's built to last?
The ongoing challenge is to keep calories under control while enjoying satisfying portions of healthy foods. For that, you can't get around the importance of a diet that's:
- Low in fat
- Adequate in protein
- Rich in high-fiber complex carbohydrates
We'd all love to believe that the latest fad is the one that's going to miraculously remove those unwanted 20 pounds for good. But we're better served by relying on proven choices than pie in the sky. Our best allies are low-calorie foods that are naturally filling: lean protein, low-fat dairy or soy foods, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. All skimp on fat, and all are swimming in water and fiber, which stimulate "satiety signals" - they make you feel satisfied without adding calories.
The Lowdown on Fat, Protein, Carbs and Water
Fat
Gram for gram, fat has more than twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates. Excess calories from fat end up as body fat far more easily than excess calories from carbohydrates or protein. Your body has to work to convert carbohydrates or protein to body fat, which takes energy - that is, it burns calories. But dietary fat turns into body fat with very little calorie loss. That's why it's important to cut calories from fat.
Protein
Eating lots of protein isn't a recipe for losing more weight, though getting enough protein is important. When you cut calories to lose weight, your goal is to lose body fat, not lean body mass (muscle). Taking in enough protein helps you maintain lean body mass. Protein is also more "satiating" than fat or carbohydrates, so it helps you feel full on fewer calories.
Carbohydrates
No, pasta isn't uniquely fattening. Neither are potatoes, rice or bread. It's true that many overweight people have difficulty metabolizing large amounts of carbohydrates, but that's an effect of their physiology, not a cause. The cause of obesity is too many calories and not enough exercise. Focus on carbohydrate quality: Refined snacks and sweets made with white flour and sugar are highly caloric, while fiber-rich whole grains, fruits and vegetables are much more filling, with fewer calories.
Water
Let the water flow freely in a weight-loss diet. Besides drinking lots of it, eat plenty of foods that are naturally rich in water, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk. Pair them up with poultry, fish and beans - all low-calorie foods that provide plenty of bulk.
Keep a place in your diet for water-rich dishes like soups, stews, casseroles, pasta with plenty of vegetables, and fruit-based desserts. Water helps you control calories by diluting the calories in a portion of food. When you add water-rich blueberries to your breakfast cereal, or water-rich eggplant to your lasagna, you add food volume and weight, but hardly any calories.
Estimating Calorie Needs
The average, moderately active person needs about 15 calories per pound to maintain weight. For instance, to maintain a weight of 150 pounds, you need about 2,250 calories a day. However, this is just a rough estimate. Your true caloric needs are more closely linked to the amount of fat and lean tissue you carry. A well-muscled 150-pound wrestler burns more calories than a 150-pound couch potato, even on days when the athlete decides to kick back and grapple with the remote control.
The Science Behind Healthy Weight Loss
Control the amount of calories you eat, and fill your plate with lean protein-rich foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Fad diets, such as those that severely restrict carbohydrates while plying you with protein and animal fats, may well work for a while, but it doesn't take much snooping to figure out why: They're low in calories. And lowering calories will lead to weight loss, no matter the quality of the diet. But is this a diet that's built to last?
The ongoing challenge is to keep calories under control while enjoying satisfying portions of healthy foods. For that, you can't get around the importance of a diet that's:
- Low in fat
- Adequate in protein
- Rich in high-fiber complex carbohydrates
We'd all love to believe that the latest fad is the one that's going to miraculously remove those unwanted 20 pounds for good. But we're better served by relying on proven choices than pie in the sky. Our best allies are low-calorie foods that are naturally filling: lean protein, low-fat dairy or soy foods, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. All skimp on fat, and all are swimming in water and fiber, which stimulate "satiety signals" - they make you feel satisfied without adding calories.
The Lowdown on Fat, Protein, Carbs and Water
Fat
Gram for gram, fat has more than twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates. Excess calories from fat end up as body fat far more easily than excess calories from carbohydrates or protein. Your body has to work to convert carbohydrates or protein to body fat, which takes energy - that is, it burns calories. But dietary fat turns into body fat with very little calorie loss. That's why it's important to cut calories from fat.
Protein
Eating lots of protein isn't a recipe for losing more weight, though getting enough protein is important. When you cut calories to lose weight, your goal is to lose body fat, not lean body mass (muscle). Taking in enough protein helps you maintain lean body mass. Protein is also more "satiating" than fat or carbohydrates, so it helps you feel full on fewer calories.
Carbohydrates
No, pasta isn't uniquely fattening. Neither are potatoes, rice or bread. It's true that many overweight people have difficulty metabolizing large amounts of carbohydrates, but that's an effect of their physiology, not a cause. The cause of obesity is too many calories and not enough exercise. Focus on carbohydrate quality: Refined snacks and sweets made with white flour and sugar are highly caloric, while fiber-rich whole grains, fruits and vegetables are much more filling, with fewer calories.
Water
Let the water flow freely in a weight-loss diet. Besides drinking lots of it, eat plenty of foods that are naturally rich in water, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk. Pair them up with poultry, fish and beans - all low-calorie foods that provide plenty of bulk.
Keep a place in your diet for water-rich dishes like soups, stews, casseroles, pasta with plenty of vegetables, and fruit-based desserts. Water helps you control calories by diluting the calories in a portion of food. When you add water-rich blueberries to your breakfast cereal, or water-rich eggplant to your lasagna, you add food volume and weight, but hardly any calories.
Estimating Calorie Needs
The average, moderately active person needs about 15 calories per pound to maintain weight. For instance, to maintain a weight of 150 pounds, you need about 2,250 calories a day. However, this is just a rough estimate. Your true caloric needs are more closely linked to the amount of fat and lean tissue you carry. A well-muscled 150-pound wrestler burns more calories than a 150-pound couch potato, even on days when the athlete decides to kick back and grapple with the remote control.
fruity day
I just enjoyed a big piece of fresh pineapple with my fat free strawberry/banana yogurt. It was really delicious and refreshing!
I'm having a great day so far. My breakfast and lunch have been really low in fat and I had a good workout this morning (read "very sweaty"). Just like Tuesday, I did my 1 mile WATP and then did 4.19 miles on the recumbent bike. I use my 2lb hand weights when I do WATP and really feel the workout in my arms and shoulders when I do. I am glad that I've decided to do it every other day because I don't know that I could handle the perky-ness every day!
My appointment with the doctor went really well. We talked about the gas attack (my word for it) and at first, she thought that I may have a gallstone. The type of pain I had though, and the time frame for it after eating, is not consistent with it. I guess that gallstone pain would not go away from belching, like mine does. She said that if it continues, she'll send me for an ultrasound just to rule it out completely. I asked her if I could have some blood-work done. I haven't had any done in a while and would like to see how I'm doing with regards to my diet and my sugar levels, cholesterol, etc. When I'm on holidays at the end of the month, I'll do it. I'm going back to see her for another weigh-in on July 9. She's really pleased with my progress and is super supportive. Not that she ever really made an issue of my weight or anything...but in the past, I would resist making regular visits and having tests done because (like an ostrich) I didn't want to hear that I had some weigh-related health problem. As I mentioned yesterday, medically I'm very lucky and in the past, my blood work and everything is always good, but I always feared bad news and a lecture about my weight (funnily enough, the only person who ever lectured me about it was my mum).
As I mentioned to my doctor yesterday, my long term goal is not to be a size 6 or anything... it's to be a really healthy 80 year old lady. She kind of laughed at that but it's that goal that helps me keep things in perspective. I know that everything good that I do now, is going to help me later on down the road. I'd rather use that as my ultimate focus than just a dress size or a number on the scale. I'm working on those things too but they are just a by-product of the other. Overall, it was a really good, positive appointment and I'm glad that I've involved her in this. She's a fabulous woman!
I just enjoyed a big piece of fresh pineapple with my fat free strawberry/banana yogurt. It was really delicious and refreshing!
I'm having a great day so far. My breakfast and lunch have been really low in fat and I had a good workout this morning (read "very sweaty"). Just like Tuesday, I did my 1 mile WATP and then did 4.19 miles on the recumbent bike. I use my 2lb hand weights when I do WATP and really feel the workout in my arms and shoulders when I do. I am glad that I've decided to do it every other day because I don't know that I could handle the perky-ness every day!
My appointment with the doctor went really well. We talked about the gas attack (my word for it) and at first, she thought that I may have a gallstone. The type of pain I had though, and the time frame for it after eating, is not consistent with it. I guess that gallstone pain would not go away from belching, like mine does. She said that if it continues, she'll send me for an ultrasound just to rule it out completely. I asked her if I could have some blood-work done. I haven't had any done in a while and would like to see how I'm doing with regards to my diet and my sugar levels, cholesterol, etc. When I'm on holidays at the end of the month, I'll do it. I'm going back to see her for another weigh-in on July 9. She's really pleased with my progress and is super supportive. Not that she ever really made an issue of my weight or anything...but in the past, I would resist making regular visits and having tests done because (like an ostrich) I didn't want to hear that I had some weigh-related health problem. As I mentioned yesterday, medically I'm very lucky and in the past, my blood work and everything is always good, but I always feared bad news and a lecture about my weight (funnily enough, the only person who ever lectured me about it was my mum).
As I mentioned to my doctor yesterday, my long term goal is not to be a size 6 or anything... it's to be a really healthy 80 year old lady. She kind of laughed at that but it's that goal that helps me keep things in perspective. I know that everything good that I do now, is going to help me later on down the road. I'd rather use that as my ultimate focus than just a dress size or a number on the scale. I'm working on those things too but they are just a by-product of the other. Overall, it was a really good, positive appointment and I'm glad that I've involved her in this. She's a fabulous woman!
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
I could have slept all day, today. It was so dark when I finally did drag my butt out of bed that I thought it was still night-time. I did workout this morning but I only did the 20 minute bike program (plus my weight work) instead of the 30 minute program that I had planned. The time crunch got the best of me this morning. 10 minutes at that time of the day makes a big difference.
My eating was totally on program yesterday. I'm pretty happy with myself at the moment. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon and I'm going to ask her to do some blood work. She may fall over because I usually try to avoid having tests done at any and all costs but I'd like to know how my cholesterol is and have her check my thyroid and check the sugar thing. There isn't any diabetes in my family but at my weight, I'm concerned about it. I know that my diet is good right now, low fat, low cholesterol, very few refined sugars, etc. I'd like to have official word from her that everything's good. I've been extremely fortunate in that, even at my weight, my health has been very good. I'm lucky and I know it. Good genes I guess. I'd like to do everything that I can to keep myself "lucky."
My eating was totally on program yesterday. I'm pretty happy with myself at the moment. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon and I'm going to ask her to do some blood work. She may fall over because I usually try to avoid having tests done at any and all costs but I'd like to know how my cholesterol is and have her check my thyroid and check the sugar thing. There isn't any diabetes in my family but at my weight, I'm concerned about it. I know that my diet is good right now, low fat, low cholesterol, very few refined sugars, etc. I'd like to have official word from her that everything's good. I've been extremely fortunate in that, even at my weight, my health has been very good. I'm lucky and I know it. Good genes I guess. I'd like to do everything that I can to keep myself "lucky."
Here is this week's Wednesday Weigh-in:
While you're losing weight, or since you've reached your goal, have there been any changes that have concerned or scared you? How do you deal with them or how do you think you should deal with them?
I had a really big, scary, gas attack. This is something that has only happened to me a couple of times and only since I've started losing weight. The first time it happened, I wasn't sure what it was or when (or if) it would end. I think that my whole metabolism has changed and I have to really be careful about how much I eat now. I notice that when it happens, it's because I've eaten a shitload of garlic or broccoli. It's odd.
Something that scares me a little (but I don't dwell on it) is the fear that I can gain back the weight I've already lost and undo all my hard work. I have no plans to change my lifestyle again. I made a commitment to a healthy lifestyle back in January. I've also figured out how to create balance in things so that I can be healthy and active and still enjoy the occasional "forbidden fruit" type of food. As I said, I have no plan to ever gain the weight back but I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't something that I thought about from time to time.
While you're losing weight, or since you've reached your goal, have there been any changes that have concerned or scared you? How do you deal with them or how do you think you should deal with them?
I had a really big, scary, gas attack. This is something that has only happened to me a couple of times and only since I've started losing weight. The first time it happened, I wasn't sure what it was or when (or if) it would end. I think that my whole metabolism has changed and I have to really be careful about how much I eat now. I notice that when it happens, it's because I've eaten a shitload of garlic or broccoli. It's odd.
Something that scares me a little (but I don't dwell on it) is the fear that I can gain back the weight I've already lost and undo all my hard work. I have no plans to change my lifestyle again. I made a commitment to a healthy lifestyle back in January. I've also figured out how to create balance in things so that I can be healthy and active and still enjoy the occasional "forbidden fruit" type of food. As I said, I have no plan to ever gain the weight back but I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't something that I thought about from time to time.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
I'm back on track, totally, today.
Yesterday, my food was back on track but I didn't quite get a proper workout in. I'm quite pleased though that I did get 2.5 miles on the bike in. By the time we got home, I wasn't sure that I'd actually get anything done.
This morning, I got up a little earlier than I normally do so I could get in a mile with WATP. It had been almost a week since I did it last (the first time I did it) and I really worked at it. I was a little more coordinated than the first time too. When I started, I heard myself whining in my head, my back hurts, my hips are sore, I should quit now, this can't be good for me...etc. I didn't stop though, my back stopped hurting, my hips loosed up, I got through the whole thing and felt really good by the end of it. After the cool down, I hopped on the bike and did almost 4 and a quarter miles. I've decided that I'm going to shoot for doing the 1 mile WATP and 20 minutes of the bike on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays and do shoot for 30 minutes on the bike the other days. I'm feeling really good right now and want to keep pushing myself. I sweated a lot this morning too which is a good thing for me to be doing.
So that will be my fitness goal for the next couple of weeks. I'm really working hard at keeping the fat intake low and the water intake high. It's also PMS week so I may be fighting chocolate cravings as well. I'm going to try to do my very best because, really, that's all I can do.
Yesterday, my food was back on track but I didn't quite get a proper workout in. I'm quite pleased though that I did get 2.5 miles on the bike in. By the time we got home, I wasn't sure that I'd actually get anything done.
This morning, I got up a little earlier than I normally do so I could get in a mile with WATP. It had been almost a week since I did it last (the first time I did it) and I really worked at it. I was a little more coordinated than the first time too. When I started, I heard myself whining in my head, my back hurts, my hips are sore, I should quit now, this can't be good for me...etc. I didn't stop though, my back stopped hurting, my hips loosed up, I got through the whole thing and felt really good by the end of it. After the cool down, I hopped on the bike and did almost 4 and a quarter miles. I've decided that I'm going to shoot for doing the 1 mile WATP and 20 minutes of the bike on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays and do shoot for 30 minutes on the bike the other days. I'm feeling really good right now and want to keep pushing myself. I sweated a lot this morning too which is a good thing for me to be doing.
So that will be my fitness goal for the next couple of weeks. I'm really working hard at keeping the fat intake low and the water intake high. It's also PMS week so I may be fighting chocolate cravings as well. I'm going to try to do my very best because, really, that's all I can do.
Monday, June 09, 2003
I'm so glad that Blogger is out of it's funk today. I didn't write much all weekend because several times, when I tried to update, Blogger was down. I know that they've been working on upgrades and stuff lately but would it kill them to send us an email about outages? Sheesh.
I'm feeling much better today than yesterday. I just felt like I'd been hit with a truck yesterday, not good at all. Because I'd napped in the afternoon, I got to bed much later than I normally would last night. I kind of slept in this morning and didn't work out before heading to the office. My plan is to do it tonight when I get home. I've been taping Dr Phil so I figure I'll pop the tape on and just do it then. By tomorrow, I should be totally back on track.
I'm feeling much better today than yesterday. I just felt like I'd been hit with a truck yesterday, not good at all. Because I'd napped in the afternoon, I got to bed much later than I normally would last night. I kind of slept in this morning and didn't work out before heading to the office. My plan is to do it tonight when I get home. I've been taping Dr Phil so I figure I'll pop the tape on and just do it then. By tomorrow, I should be totally back on track.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
I'm feeling a bit better than I did a few hours ago. I'm completely exhausted though so I won't be working out today. The upside of feeling this lousy is that I didn't each much today, no dinner at all actually. I'm sure I'll feel a lot better in the morning and will be back into my routine. I sure hope so anyway.
ugh
I woke up this morning, feeling great. We had a nice breakfast of scrambled egg substitute with onions, peppers, garlic and little itty bitty shrimps. I also had a toasted, dry bagel. It was really yummy. A couple of hours later, I had another gas attack. It was as bad as the first one I had but this time, I knew what it was and that it would, eventually, end. I must have drank about 5 cans of diet ginger ale before it passed. I felt really wonky once it had passed and ended up grabbing a nab this afternoon. I think it's because of the garlic and onions this morning. Ordinarily they don't bother me but it might have been a bit too much for me to eat so early (we ate before 8 a.m.)
I still haven't worked out and am not sure that I will. I'm going to try but I'm not sure how far into I'll get into it. I still feel a little fragile at the moment.
I woke up this morning, feeling great. We had a nice breakfast of scrambled egg substitute with onions, peppers, garlic and little itty bitty shrimps. I also had a toasted, dry bagel. It was really yummy. A couple of hours later, I had another gas attack. It was as bad as the first one I had but this time, I knew what it was and that it would, eventually, end. I must have drank about 5 cans of diet ginger ale before it passed. I felt really wonky once it had passed and ended up grabbing a nab this afternoon. I think it's because of the garlic and onions this morning. Ordinarily they don't bother me but it might have been a bit too much for me to eat so early (we ate before 8 a.m.)
I still haven't worked out and am not sure that I will. I'm going to try but I'm not sure how far into I'll get into it. I still feel a little fragile at the moment.
Saturday, June 07, 2003
break day
Today was an official break day for me. I didn't workout at all. I spent the early morning cleaning up the house and getting things ready for company. Two of my best girlfriends were coming over for lunch and some serious patio/cocktail time. It's been ages since we've done that and I couldn't remember the last time I had anything alcoholic to drink. We had a great time. I had made a huge veggie platter with some low-fat dip and got a small pumpernickel loaf and spinach dip for us to nibble on. None of us wanted to have a big lunch so I thought that this was a good idea. We just snacked on stuff through the afternoon and made a few pitchers of blender drinks. The weather was overcast but warm and the rain they kept calling for never happened.
When my hunny got home from work, he hung out with us for a bit and then drove them home. As this was a day off, we decided to grab a pizza for dinner. I just figured out my calories for the day and despite the pizza, booze & bread, I didn't do too bad at all. Probably because until we had the pizza, everything else was pretty low calorie (alcohol aside). I'll be totally back on track tomorrow. The day off on Saturday thing is working for me though. I've done it the past couple of weeks and while I never go totally nutso, I do get to treat myself. I find that even on my free days now, I usually stay pretty close to what I would otherwise. I just can't eat as much as I used to and I don't crave much of the crap anymore. It's nice.
Oh, by the way, I measured up this morning and I'm happy to report that I lost .5" from my chest, hips and calf this week. That's a total of 11.5" from my chest and 11" from my hips since January. I was also down 2 pounds on the scale and I'm really thrilled about that.
Today was an official break day for me. I didn't workout at all. I spent the early morning cleaning up the house and getting things ready for company. Two of my best girlfriends were coming over for lunch and some serious patio/cocktail time. It's been ages since we've done that and I couldn't remember the last time I had anything alcoholic to drink. We had a great time. I had made a huge veggie platter with some low-fat dip and got a small pumpernickel loaf and spinach dip for us to nibble on. None of us wanted to have a big lunch so I thought that this was a good idea. We just snacked on stuff through the afternoon and made a few pitchers of blender drinks. The weather was overcast but warm and the rain they kept calling for never happened.
When my hunny got home from work, he hung out with us for a bit and then drove them home. As this was a day off, we decided to grab a pizza for dinner. I just figured out my calories for the day and despite the pizza, booze & bread, I didn't do too bad at all. Probably because until we had the pizza, everything else was pretty low calorie (alcohol aside). I'll be totally back on track tomorrow. The day off on Saturday thing is working for me though. I've done it the past couple of weeks and while I never go totally nutso, I do get to treat myself. I find that even on my free days now, I usually stay pretty close to what I would otherwise. I just can't eat as much as I used to and I don't crave much of the crap anymore. It's nice.
Oh, by the way, I measured up this morning and I'm happy to report that I lost .5" from my chest, hips and calf this week. That's a total of 11.5" from my chest and 11" from my hips since January. I was also down 2 pounds on the scale and I'm really thrilled about that.
Friday, June 06, 2003
I made it through the pizza
I survived the pizza party at lunch. It really helped that the pizza arrived late and didn't look that good. The other thing that helped was the fact that my lunch smelled way better (to me anyway) than the pizza.
I'm pretty pleased with myself as far as my eating goes this week. I've also had a great exercise and water-intake week so I'm hoping that I'll see some results tomorrow when I "measure up." I'm feeling very positive.
Tomorrow will most likely be a break day from exercise (although I do have some serious housework to do in the morning so I may "workout" after all). After many postponements, I'm having 2 of my girlfriends over tomorrow for the afternoon. We're going to sit on my patio and have some drinks and munchies. I think I'm going to do a big veggie platter and I know that we're going to partake of some blender drinks. It's okay though, Saturday has become my break day (not that I go totally overboard but I do allow myself some "treats" on Saturdays. It should be fun and I'm really looking forward to it!
I survived the pizza party at lunch. It really helped that the pizza arrived late and didn't look that good. The other thing that helped was the fact that my lunch smelled way better (to me anyway) than the pizza.
I'm pretty pleased with myself as far as my eating goes this week. I've also had a great exercise and water-intake week so I'm hoping that I'll see some results tomorrow when I "measure up." I'm feeling very positive.
Tomorrow will most likely be a break day from exercise (although I do have some serious housework to do in the morning so I may "workout" after all). After many postponements, I'm having 2 of my girlfriends over tomorrow for the afternoon. We're going to sit on my patio and have some drinks and munchies. I think I'm going to do a big veggie platter and I know that we're going to partake of some blender drinks. It's okay though, Saturday has become my break day (not that I go totally overboard but I do allow myself some "treats" on Saturdays. It should be fun and I'm really looking forward to it!
Thursday, June 05, 2003
second hurdle passed
Today was our professional development day at work. I wrote about this earlier, about the barbecue luncheon and the poor options I would be offered. I had my breakfast and coffee at home so when I got to registration I wasn't tempted by the coffee, danish, muffins, etc. which were on display. I grabbed a bottle of water and went to the opening session. I was pretty happy with myself. I didn't even bother with the fruit because "hello!" it's extra sugar/carbs that I just didn't need. When lunch rolled around I discovered that the "vegetarian option" I'd ordered was a dried out veggie burger. I ate it, sans bun, with some mustard and onion on it and piled up a bunch of raw veggies and grabbed a diet coke. It was not really my idea of a good meal but at least it got me through the day.
In the afternoon we had "musical round tables" where we went to round table discussions given by our colleagues. The idea behind them is that we can get up to speed on what other folks are doing in their units. One of my co-workers manages a program which sells "care packages" to parents (they are then delivered to their student, during exams, when the student has a cold, birthdays, etc.). I noticed that she was giving away care packs to folks who went to her session so I grabbed an empty seat when one opened up. It turned out that this particular kit contained 2 bags of chips, oatmeal cookies, a freezie, a coke and some candy. Not what I was hoping for exactly. I'd hoped that it might have some toiletries or office gadgets. So I carried this box of calories and fat around with me all afternoon. I overheard the director of our IT department teasing two of his staff members that they'd have to share their kits with him because he didn't get into that session. After the final session, I found him and gave him my kit, explaining that I couldn't really eat any of the stuff in it and that if he would enjoy it, he should have it. He was really pleased and I was happy to not have to bring it into the house.
In a nutshell, I survived the day and only have one more hurdle to face, tomorrow's pizza lunch. I do have some really yummy stir-fry leftovers to take for my lunch so passing up pizza should be fairly easy. I'll keep you posted!
Today was our professional development day at work. I wrote about this earlier, about the barbecue luncheon and the poor options I would be offered. I had my breakfast and coffee at home so when I got to registration I wasn't tempted by the coffee, danish, muffins, etc. which were on display. I grabbed a bottle of water and went to the opening session. I was pretty happy with myself. I didn't even bother with the fruit because "hello!" it's extra sugar/carbs that I just didn't need. When lunch rolled around I discovered that the "vegetarian option" I'd ordered was a dried out veggie burger. I ate it, sans bun, with some mustard and onion on it and piled up a bunch of raw veggies and grabbed a diet coke. It was not really my idea of a good meal but at least it got me through the day.
In the afternoon we had "musical round tables" where we went to round table discussions given by our colleagues. The idea behind them is that we can get up to speed on what other folks are doing in their units. One of my co-workers manages a program which sells "care packages" to parents (they are then delivered to their student, during exams, when the student has a cold, birthdays, etc.). I noticed that she was giving away care packs to folks who went to her session so I grabbed an empty seat when one opened up. It turned out that this particular kit contained 2 bags of chips, oatmeal cookies, a freezie, a coke and some candy. Not what I was hoping for exactly. I'd hoped that it might have some toiletries or office gadgets. So I carried this box of calories and fat around with me all afternoon. I overheard the director of our IT department teasing two of his staff members that they'd have to share their kits with him because he didn't get into that session. After the final session, I found him and gave him my kit, explaining that I couldn't really eat any of the stuff in it and that if he would enjoy it, he should have it. He was really pleased and I was happy to not have to bring it into the house.
In a nutshell, I survived the day and only have one more hurdle to face, tomorrow's pizza lunch. I do have some really yummy stir-fry leftovers to take for my lunch so passing up pizza should be fairly easy. I'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
I saw this on Yahoo and thought it was really interesting. It seems that getting off the couch and moving your butt while watching TV is a lot better for us than I realized:
Couch Potatoes Accrue Deadly Fat Deep Within
By Gary Gately
FRIDAY, May 30 -- A sedentary lifestyle leads to a buildup of dangerous levels of fat deep within the belly, increasing the risk of heart disease and other conditions. That's the conclusion of a new study by Duke University Medical Center researchers. They say this "visceral fat" accumulates at a surprisingly quick rate around organs and deeper in the body than subcutaneous fat, which lies under the skin.
On the upside, the researchers found that months of regular, moderate exercise can prevent the build-up of visceral fat, while vigorous exercise can significantly reduce levels of such fat.
Researchers presented the study May 28 at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in San Francisco. The study is part of a five-year Duke trial on the effects of exercise, funded by a $4.3 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Researchers followed 170 overweight men and women aged 40 to 65 for about eight months. The researchers divided participants into four groups.
One group did no exercise. The other three groups were classified based on a weekly exercise regimen equivalent to about 11 miles of walking, 11 miles of jogging, or 17 miles of jogging.
Lack of any exercise led to significant increases in visceral fat, the researchers found. "This finding emphasizes the high cost of continued physical inactivity for sedentary, overweight adults," they wrote.
Dr. William Kraus, a Duke cardiologist who led the exercise trial, offers simple advice to counter the buildup of visceral fat.
"Get out and do something; don't sit," says Kraus, an associate professor at Duke's medical center. "Being sedentary is very bad for your health."
It's even worse than researchers had previously realized, adds Kraus. "The most striking result was how bad the sedentary people got over eight months," he says.
Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a professor of medicine and director of preventive cardiology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., says the study illustrates well the "vicious syndrome" that results from visceral abdominal fat.
Fletcher, also a spokesman for the American Heart Association, says visceral fat buildup increases the risk of high blood pressure, blood clotting, elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol and insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
While stressing the importance of exercise to prevent the intestinal fat buildup, Fletcher notes that more than two-thirds of Americans are overweight.
"I'm just hoping this study will motivate our obese public to do things we've been preaching for years," Fletcher says. "We looked at all ways to treat [visceral fat buildup], and the best way is physical activity."
Even elderly patients who had been sedentary can benefit greatly from moderate exercise, he says.
In the Duke study, for participants who did not exercise, visceral fat increased an average of 8.6 percent. Such fat decreased an average of 8.1 percent among those who did the equivalent of 17 miles' jogging weekly. Those in the two less-intensive exercise groups had no significant increase in visceral fat, demonstrating the preventive role of moderate exercise.
Men who didn't exercise averaged a 1.5 percent overall weight gain; women, 0.6 percent. However, women averaged an 11.6 percent increase in visceral fat, more than twice that of men (5.7 percent). Researchers say determining why would require further study.
Participants exercised on treadmills, elliptical trainers, or cycle ergometers in a supervised setting, and nobody changed their diet during the study.
In another Duke study, based on the exercise trial and also presented May 28 at the San Francisco sessions, researchers found the benefits of months of heavy exercise in reducing harmful cholesterol can persist even two weeks after you stop exercising.
The researchers divided 182 sedentary, overweight men and women at risk for developing diabetes or heart disease into three groups: high-amount/vigorous intensity (the caloric equivalent of 20 miles of jogging per week); low-amount/vigorous intensity (equivalent of jogging 12 miles per week); and low-amount/moderate intensity (equivalent of walking briskly for 12 miles per week).
Those in the high amount/vigorous intensity group showed improvements in HDL cholesterol (the so-called "good" form of cholesterol), HDL size and large HDL for the entire 14 days.
Previous research has shown that small HDL particles are associated with atherosclerosis and that large HDL particles help protect against the disease, the Duke researchers explain.
Couch Potatoes Accrue Deadly Fat Deep Within
By Gary Gately
FRIDAY, May 30 -- A sedentary lifestyle leads to a buildup of dangerous levels of fat deep within the belly, increasing the risk of heart disease and other conditions. That's the conclusion of a new study by Duke University Medical Center researchers. They say this "visceral fat" accumulates at a surprisingly quick rate around organs and deeper in the body than subcutaneous fat, which lies under the skin.
On the upside, the researchers found that months of regular, moderate exercise can prevent the build-up of visceral fat, while vigorous exercise can significantly reduce levels of such fat.
Researchers presented the study May 28 at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in San Francisco. The study is part of a five-year Duke trial on the effects of exercise, funded by a $4.3 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Researchers followed 170 overweight men and women aged 40 to 65 for about eight months. The researchers divided participants into four groups.
One group did no exercise. The other three groups were classified based on a weekly exercise regimen equivalent to about 11 miles of walking, 11 miles of jogging, or 17 miles of jogging.
Lack of any exercise led to significant increases in visceral fat, the researchers found. "This finding emphasizes the high cost of continued physical inactivity for sedentary, overweight adults," they wrote.
Dr. William Kraus, a Duke cardiologist who led the exercise trial, offers simple advice to counter the buildup of visceral fat.
"Get out and do something; don't sit," says Kraus, an associate professor at Duke's medical center. "Being sedentary is very bad for your health."
It's even worse than researchers had previously realized, adds Kraus. "The most striking result was how bad the sedentary people got over eight months," he says.
Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a professor of medicine and director of preventive cardiology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., says the study illustrates well the "vicious syndrome" that results from visceral abdominal fat.
Fletcher, also a spokesman for the American Heart Association, says visceral fat buildup increases the risk of high blood pressure, blood clotting, elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol and insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
While stressing the importance of exercise to prevent the intestinal fat buildup, Fletcher notes that more than two-thirds of Americans are overweight.
"I'm just hoping this study will motivate our obese public to do things we've been preaching for years," Fletcher says. "We looked at all ways to treat [visceral fat buildup], and the best way is physical activity."
Even elderly patients who had been sedentary can benefit greatly from moderate exercise, he says.
In the Duke study, for participants who did not exercise, visceral fat increased an average of 8.6 percent. Such fat decreased an average of 8.1 percent among those who did the equivalent of 17 miles' jogging weekly. Those in the two less-intensive exercise groups had no significant increase in visceral fat, demonstrating the preventive role of moderate exercise.
Men who didn't exercise averaged a 1.5 percent overall weight gain; women, 0.6 percent. However, women averaged an 11.6 percent increase in visceral fat, more than twice that of men (5.7 percent). Researchers say determining why would require further study.
Participants exercised on treadmills, elliptical trainers, or cycle ergometers in a supervised setting, and nobody changed their diet during the study.
In another Duke study, based on the exercise trial and also presented May 28 at the San Francisco sessions, researchers found the benefits of months of heavy exercise in reducing harmful cholesterol can persist even two weeks after you stop exercising.
The researchers divided 182 sedentary, overweight men and women at risk for developing diabetes or heart disease into three groups: high-amount/vigorous intensity (the caloric equivalent of 20 miles of jogging per week); low-amount/vigorous intensity (equivalent of jogging 12 miles per week); and low-amount/moderate intensity (equivalent of walking briskly for 12 miles per week).
Those in the high amount/vigorous intensity group showed improvements in HDL cholesterol (the so-called "good" form of cholesterol), HDL size and large HDL for the entire 14 days.
Previous research has shown that small HDL particles are associated with atherosclerosis and that large HDL particles help protect against the disease, the Duke researchers explain.
Wednesday Weigh-In:
What will be different?
We've all been on the diet merry-go-round. When you reach goal this time, what will you do differently not to be here again?
I actually stayed off of the merry-go-round for a long time, about 15 years or so, I'd say. This time, I am focusing on overall health and not just a dress size. I think that this has helped me enormously in terms of perspective. I know that this is a life-long commitment which I have made to being a more healthy human being. My long-term goal is increased longevity and I know that if I keep the weight on (or gain it back once it's all gone) I'll just be hindering my health. If I stay focused on fitness and not thinness, I should be able to maintain whatever amount of weight it is that I end up losing.
What will be different?
We've all been on the diet merry-go-round. When you reach goal this time, what will you do differently not to be here again?
I actually stayed off of the merry-go-round for a long time, about 15 years or so, I'd say. This time, I am focusing on overall health and not just a dress size. I think that this has helped me enormously in terms of perspective. I know that this is a life-long commitment which I have made to being a more healthy human being. My long-term goal is increased longevity and I know that if I keep the weight on (or gain it back once it's all gone) I'll just be hindering my health. If I stay focused on fitness and not thinness, I should be able to maintain whatever amount of weight it is that I end up losing.
I feel good!
I wasn't sure that I would!
My Leslie Sansone DVD's arrived yesterday. I didn't pay for expedited shipping but someone at Amazon must have felt that I needed to receive them, lickity-split, because they only took one day to get here. I opened the first one, with the 1 and 2 mile workouts in it, and popped it in the TV last night. I wanted to have a preview of what I was getting myself into. I was really relieved to discover that Leslie isn't disgustingly perky (like some folks on these tapes are) and it didn't look too difficult. What I most liked was that you didn't need a huge amount of room to do the walking in. Our living room is full of furniture plus a recumbent bike so I don't have a lot of extra space for running and jumping about in. I felt confident that I'd be able to get through the whole thing and still do my regular workout.
I got myself up about 10 minutes earlier than usual so I'd have a little extra time to do the 20 minute tape. It is actually a lot more strenuous than it appears to be. I did the whole mile and felt really excellent when I was done. She suggests that you use these weighted balls (which she sells) for the arm work but I used my 2lb hand weights and got along just fine. I wasn't sure that I'd be all that coordinated as it's been a while since I've done an exercise tape but I kept up pretty much all the way through.
When I finished the cool down, I grabbed a bottle of water and hopped on my bike. I did my usual 20 minute program on that and got in about 4.33 miles. I'm so happy with myself for doing both things this morning. I feel great. I wasn't sure that I would but I do. I have a tonne more energy than I normally have and I've been almost running up and down the stairs all morning (well, walking as quickly as my sandals will allow!). I'm really feeling so much better lately. The more distance I put between myself and that end of April / beginning of May pig-out, the better I feel.
I'm really getting excited again about the progress I'm making. A really funny thing happened this morning actually, speaking of "progress." Today I wore this sun dress to work that I've had for a while (and it's really getting big on me!). When I stood up from my desk, my slip fell down around my ankles and I nearly tripped over it. I didn't know what was happening until I looked down at my feet. It was pretty hilarious! Fortunately, it happened right here and not while I was running up the stairs, I'd have probably wiped out and killed myself! I must say though, I really don't mind when stuff like that happens!!
I wasn't sure that I would!
My Leslie Sansone DVD's arrived yesterday. I didn't pay for expedited shipping but someone at Amazon must have felt that I needed to receive them, lickity-split, because they only took one day to get here. I opened the first one, with the 1 and 2 mile workouts in it, and popped it in the TV last night. I wanted to have a preview of what I was getting myself into. I was really relieved to discover that Leslie isn't disgustingly perky (like some folks on these tapes are) and it didn't look too difficult. What I most liked was that you didn't need a huge amount of room to do the walking in. Our living room is full of furniture plus a recumbent bike so I don't have a lot of extra space for running and jumping about in. I felt confident that I'd be able to get through the whole thing and still do my regular workout.
I got myself up about 10 minutes earlier than usual so I'd have a little extra time to do the 20 minute tape. It is actually a lot more strenuous than it appears to be. I did the whole mile and felt really excellent when I was done. She suggests that you use these weighted balls (which she sells) for the arm work but I used my 2lb hand weights and got along just fine. I wasn't sure that I'd be all that coordinated as it's been a while since I've done an exercise tape but I kept up pretty much all the way through.
When I finished the cool down, I grabbed a bottle of water and hopped on my bike. I did my usual 20 minute program on that and got in about 4.33 miles. I'm so happy with myself for doing both things this morning. I feel great. I wasn't sure that I would but I do. I have a tonne more energy than I normally have and I've been almost running up and down the stairs all morning (well, walking as quickly as my sandals will allow!). I'm really feeling so much better lately. The more distance I put between myself and that end of April / beginning of May pig-out, the better I feel.
I'm really getting excited again about the progress I'm making. A really funny thing happened this morning actually, speaking of "progress." Today I wore this sun dress to work that I've had for a while (and it's really getting big on me!). When I stood up from my desk, my slip fell down around my ankles and I nearly tripped over it. I didn't know what was happening until I looked down at my feet. It was pretty hilarious! Fortunately, it happened right here and not while I was running up the stairs, I'd have probably wiped out and killed myself! I must say though, I really don't mind when stuff like that happens!!
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
I had such an excellent day yesterday. I was able to keep my eating completely on plan and I even had a little bit of dessert last night. Not a lot, just a taste of white cake with some pineapple on the side. I had budgeted my calories in such a way that I could do it and I really enjoyed it.
A funny thing happened to me last night. After dinner I was watching Dr. Phil. I've taken to taping him everyday. I don't necessarily watch each episode, sometimes the topic is of no interest to me. I also find that sometimes, I can breeze through some segments if I find a particular guest to be boring. Anyway, yesterday's episode was "Get Straight With Your Weight, Part 2" and I knew that I'd be in for the long haul. I was sitting on the couch, watching the show and couldn't get comfortable. We have a bad couch, it's a futon sofa and I hate it but it'll have to do until we can afford to replace our living room furniture. Eventually, I got so antsy that I decided to get on my bike. It's comfortable and in front of the TV. I jumped on and rode it until the end of Dr Phil, which was about 20 minutes. I put in an additional 4.61 miles on it, bringing my total for the day up to almost 9 miles! Not bad huh?
The Dr. Phil episode was good but not really anything I'd not heard of or thought before. He was explaining to some women how they need to get to the root cause of their weight gain and figure out why they overeat. If they do this, they'll be able to get healthy. One woman in particular was interesting. She'd lost weight by having her jaw wired shut and then gained it all back. She was talking about getting WLS but was afraid of gaining the weight back. I'd be afraid too. You can't start this journey until you've got your head sorted out. If you do, you'll just sabotage yourself and will never be able to keep it off. Whatever she decides to do, I think she figured out that she has to resolve whatever is going on in her head before she does it. That was cool.
Oh, I also got an email from Amazon this morning that my order had shipped so I should have my Leslie Sansone DVD's in a couple of days, yay!!
A funny thing happened to me last night. After dinner I was watching Dr. Phil. I've taken to taping him everyday. I don't necessarily watch each episode, sometimes the topic is of no interest to me. I also find that sometimes, I can breeze through some segments if I find a particular guest to be boring. Anyway, yesterday's episode was "Get Straight With Your Weight, Part 2" and I knew that I'd be in for the long haul. I was sitting on the couch, watching the show and couldn't get comfortable. We have a bad couch, it's a futon sofa and I hate it but it'll have to do until we can afford to replace our living room furniture. Eventually, I got so antsy that I decided to get on my bike. It's comfortable and in front of the TV. I jumped on and rode it until the end of Dr Phil, which was about 20 minutes. I put in an additional 4.61 miles on it, bringing my total for the day up to almost 9 miles! Not bad huh?
The Dr. Phil episode was good but not really anything I'd not heard of or thought before. He was explaining to some women how they need to get to the root cause of their weight gain and figure out why they overeat. If they do this, they'll be able to get healthy. One woman in particular was interesting. She'd lost weight by having her jaw wired shut and then gained it all back. She was talking about getting WLS but was afraid of gaining the weight back. I'd be afraid too. You can't start this journey until you've got your head sorted out. If you do, you'll just sabotage yourself and will never be able to keep it off. Whatever she decides to do, I think she figured out that she has to resolve whatever is going on in her head before she does it. That was cool.
Oh, I also got an email from Amazon this morning that my order had shipped so I should have my Leslie Sansone DVD's in a couple of days, yay!!
Monday, June 02, 2003
challenges
What a week this is turning out to be. I totally forgot that our staff barbecue is today. This is an annual event, hosted by the Principal and his wife and they have burgers & dogs & chips & pop for everyone on campus. It's set up right next to our office and all morning, I've been smelling grilled meat floating in the window. I don't want to go outside and risk walking into temptation so I'm sitting at my desk eating my brown rice and veggies instead.
On Thursday, we have a professional development day and that will have a barbecue luncheon too. What are these people trying to do to me? I have emailed one of my colleagues to find out exactly what is on the menu. I may end up bringing my own food to that event. I know it may possibly seem anti-social but I have to plan my meals out really carefully, particularly lunches, or it'll throw my entire day off. Yikes.
Now, I've been invited to a Pizza Party on Friday at lunch. I RSVP'd (it's a thank you luncheon for those of us who helped out with the framing service at Convocation) but told them that I'd bring my own food. At least that one is just folks in my immediate department so it won't seem as rude. People don't make it easy for you do they?
To further motivate myself, I have broken down and ordered myself Walk Away the Pounds With Leslie Sansone: 2 Workouts and Walk Away the Pounds With Leslie Sansone: Super Fat Burning from Amazon. Hopefully I'll have them by the weekend. I'm looking forward to giving them a try, I need something else to add to my exercise routine. It's supposed to be a lot of fun, from what I've heard. I think what I may do is continue to do my 4+ miles on the bike and then do a Leslie session. That'll be the best part of an hour each day, before I go to work. Now that I'm seeing movement with the measuring tape again, I want to keep it up!
What a week this is turning out to be. I totally forgot that our staff barbecue is today. This is an annual event, hosted by the Principal and his wife and they have burgers & dogs & chips & pop for everyone on campus. It's set up right next to our office and all morning, I've been smelling grilled meat floating in the window. I don't want to go outside and risk walking into temptation so I'm sitting at my desk eating my brown rice and veggies instead.
On Thursday, we have a professional development day and that will have a barbecue luncheon too. What are these people trying to do to me? I have emailed one of my colleagues to find out exactly what is on the menu. I may end up bringing my own food to that event. I know it may possibly seem anti-social but I have to plan my meals out really carefully, particularly lunches, or it'll throw my entire day off. Yikes.
Now, I've been invited to a Pizza Party on Friday at lunch. I RSVP'd (it's a thank you luncheon for those of us who helped out with the framing service at Convocation) but told them that I'd bring my own food. At least that one is just folks in my immediate department so it won't seem as rude. People don't make it easy for you do they?
To further motivate myself, I have broken down and ordered myself Walk Away the Pounds With Leslie Sansone: 2 Workouts and Walk Away the Pounds With Leslie Sansone: Super Fat Burning from Amazon. Hopefully I'll have them by the weekend. I'm looking forward to giving them a try, I need something else to add to my exercise routine. It's supposed to be a lot of fun, from what I've heard. I think what I may do is continue to do my 4+ miles on the bike and then do a Leslie session. That'll be the best part of an hour each day, before I go to work. Now that I'm seeing movement with the measuring tape again, I want to keep it up!
Sunday, June 01, 2003
forgot to mention
I have moved my "measuring Monday" to Saturdays from here on out. The weekends are super hard for me and I always really work my ass off through the week. In the past I thought, "if I weigh in on Monday, it'll keep me on track through the weekends." I've accepted the fact that if I'm going to have a free meal, or a break day from exercise, it's going to be over the weekends so I might just as well measure up on Saturdays. This week, I lost .5 pound and .5 inches from my hips. I'm really happy about this. I've been stuck in a holding pattern for the past couple of weeks so any downward progression is happily accepted.
Also, for the first time in ages, I went into a dress shop yesterday. I didn't bother looking at any new clothes (it was Pennington's) because I don't want to buy anything new until I'm in the 3x/4x range (at present, I'm in the 4x/5x range -- down from 6x/7x - yes, sadly there is a 7x). What I did do though, was buy some new undies. My granny panties have taken to falling around my ankles when I put them on so I've thrown them all away. They were totally, uncomfortably large on me. The granny panties I threw out aren't old or anything, they just don't fit. I bought them last fall/winter and I'm so happy to be getting rid of them.
I bought some of the cheap panties (the 3 for $12 variety) which are actually kind of cute. It's so nice to be buying cute undies again. What I'm really looking forward to is getting down into the 48DD and below bra size so I can get back into cute bras again. I shouldn't say "again" really because back when I was a 48DD there weren't cute. They've really made a lot of improvements as far as large size, cute bras goes in the past 5 years or so. At the present, I can get into some of my old 50DD that I hung onto and my 52DD/54DD/F's will soon be joining the granny panties in the garbage.
I have moved my "measuring Monday" to Saturdays from here on out. The weekends are super hard for me and I always really work my ass off through the week. In the past I thought, "if I weigh in on Monday, it'll keep me on track through the weekends." I've accepted the fact that if I'm going to have a free meal, or a break day from exercise, it's going to be over the weekends so I might just as well measure up on Saturdays. This week, I lost .5 pound and .5 inches from my hips. I'm really happy about this. I've been stuck in a holding pattern for the past couple of weeks so any downward progression is happily accepted.
Also, for the first time in ages, I went into a dress shop yesterday. I didn't bother looking at any new clothes (it was Pennington's) because I don't want to buy anything new until I'm in the 3x/4x range (at present, I'm in the 4x/5x range -- down from 6x/7x - yes, sadly there is a 7x). What I did do though, was buy some new undies. My granny panties have taken to falling around my ankles when I put them on so I've thrown them all away. They were totally, uncomfortably large on me. The granny panties I threw out aren't old or anything, they just don't fit. I bought them last fall/winter and I'm so happy to be getting rid of them.
I bought some of the cheap panties (the 3 for $12 variety) which are actually kind of cute. It's so nice to be buying cute undies again. What I'm really looking forward to is getting down into the 48DD and below bra size so I can get back into cute bras again. I shouldn't say "again" really because back when I was a 48DD there weren't cute. They've really made a lot of improvements as far as large size, cute bras goes in the past 5 years or so. At the present, I can get into some of my old 50DD that I hung onto and my 52DD/54DD/F's will soon be joining the granny panties in the garbage.
The weekend is just flying by.
I did take yesterday as a break day from working out. I did spend a lot of time walking around the mall. I'm not a mall person any more. When I was a teenager, I lived there with my girlfriends, I could tell you exactly where everything in the place was. We only have a few malls here, this is the big one I'm talking about. Anyway, I had a lot of errands to do yesterday and started out at the big box store mall. This week is my parent's anniversary, my girlfriend's birthday and Father's Day is coming up, so we have 2 dad's to buy stuff for too. I spent over an hour going from big box store, to big box store and ended up at the big mega-mall. It's so huge now, I forgot that they put this big addition on the place. Of course, since I don't do malls any more (I find that the smells of all the perfumes and plastic appliances really gets to me) I didn't know where anything was so it took me twice as long as it should have to get what I needed to do, done, because I kept doubling back and wandering around in circles to find stuff. The nice thing about it is that I wasn't all pooped and winded, like at Christmas when I went through a similar ordeal. I got all the presents that I needed and I probably clocked two hours of walking in, over all.
I know that I've lost inches off my stomach and hips but where I'm really noticing it is in my thighs. I guess because of the bike riding. When I was driving around yesterday, I noticed that my jeans (my thinner jeans) are slightly baggy in the thighs when I'm sitting (something that NEVER has happened to me in my entire life) and are only tight through the tummy area. Don't get me wrong, I've still got a LONG way to go, but it's nice to notice the change nonetheless.
Today we had a lazy morning and just returned home from a big visit to the box store mall. The bulk of our purchases were made at Home Depot but we had to schlep around Bouclair and Futureshop pricing stuff out before we ended up at the Depot. We wanted to get a new A/C unit for our bedroom and some new blinds (for our bedroom, and the bathroom). The window coverings in these rooms are the ones that came with house - I've replaced everything else - and we wanted to get new ones because we're planning on painting both rooms at the end of June when we're on vacation. I've yet to workout today but I plan to do it this evening. I'll get in some time with my weights and do a good ride on my bike. Hopefully, if it stays nice, we might even get a walk around the neighbourhood in.
I did take yesterday as a break day from working out. I did spend a lot of time walking around the mall. I'm not a mall person any more. When I was a teenager, I lived there with my girlfriends, I could tell you exactly where everything in the place was. We only have a few malls here, this is the big one I'm talking about. Anyway, I had a lot of errands to do yesterday and started out at the big box store mall. This week is my parent's anniversary, my girlfriend's birthday and Father's Day is coming up, so we have 2 dad's to buy stuff for too. I spent over an hour going from big box store, to big box store and ended up at the big mega-mall. It's so huge now, I forgot that they put this big addition on the place. Of course, since I don't do malls any more (I find that the smells of all the perfumes and plastic appliances really gets to me) I didn't know where anything was so it took me twice as long as it should have to get what I needed to do, done, because I kept doubling back and wandering around in circles to find stuff. The nice thing about it is that I wasn't all pooped and winded, like at Christmas when I went through a similar ordeal. I got all the presents that I needed and I probably clocked two hours of walking in, over all.
I know that I've lost inches off my stomach and hips but where I'm really noticing it is in my thighs. I guess because of the bike riding. When I was driving around yesterday, I noticed that my jeans (my thinner jeans) are slightly baggy in the thighs when I'm sitting (something that NEVER has happened to me in my entire life) and are only tight through the tummy area. Don't get me wrong, I've still got a LONG way to go, but it's nice to notice the change nonetheless.
Today we had a lazy morning and just returned home from a big visit to the box store mall. The bulk of our purchases were made at Home Depot but we had to schlep around Bouclair and Futureshop pricing stuff out before we ended up at the Depot. We wanted to get a new A/C unit for our bedroom and some new blinds (for our bedroom, and the bathroom). The window coverings in these rooms are the ones that came with house - I've replaced everything else - and we wanted to get new ones because we're planning on painting both rooms at the end of June when we're on vacation. I've yet to workout today but I plan to do it this evening. I'll get in some time with my weights and do a good ride on my bike. Hopefully, if it stays nice, we might even get a walk around the neighbourhood in.
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