It's Not the Heat...

All my life I've heard, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" to describe the worst of summer, but I'm here today to tell you that it really is the heat. Eight days of 100+ temps have me just the teensiest bit cranky. Not to mention sweaty.

So, the folks from The Biggest Loser are in town doing try-outs for the new season. Several people who know I like the show have asked me if I planned to audition. Me, in spandex on national television. Me, in spandex anywhere. Not going to happen, folks. Evah. I do have one friend who says she's going over there, and I hope she will. She's perfect for the show, all charm and moxie.

Nothing much to report in my world. I didn't lose any weight last week, or so sayeth the scale, but I did learn that my cholesterol is looking pretty good. Total cholesterol is 141, which is really good, but the HDL is at 37. That's down two since I started exercising, which isn't what I was going for, but my doctor assures me it's nothing to worry about, given my overall low number.

Another good number: 15. That's the number on the weights I'm using for chest presses now. I'm at 12 pounds on all the others. I also increased my reps this week on several exercises. It wasn't particularly pretty, but I did it. :)

This weekend is about celebrating my birthday. I've timed it for my monthly splurge, so my family is taking me to Pancho's tonight, where I intend to have taco salad (not particularly splurge-y since I don't eat sour cream or guacamole, but it's good) and chip and dip. I refuse to count the tortilla chips for one night. Tomorrow morning, I will walk and pay the price for the indulgence.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Progress and then some

Yesterday was weigh-in day. Are you ready? Eight pounds! Yes, that's eight, the number after seven and before nine. I was a tad schocked, but oh so pleased. I guess the pounds were hanging on just to have a dramatic exit all at once.

The funny thing was that, while the eight pounds were exciting, the big drop wasn't the best part of yesterday. Or maybe it's more correct to say that there were other things that made me just as happy: two more people commenting about the changes they see in me, moving up five lunges in my workout, being guilted (happily) into adding 25 minutes of cardio at the end of my workout so that I'm now at 201 extra minutes for the month, doing my grocery shopping after my workout so that I would have the "right" foods on hand, when all I wanted to do was go home and cool off--all successes, too, of varying sorts. It all makes me feel really good about being me right now, and it makes me think I'm finally building a better 'big picture' for myself.

When Owwies Strike

I'm not sure how I did it, but I somehow injured my finger and developed an infection. This is my pinkie finger on my right hand. It is currently about the size of my index finger on my left hand. Painful doesn't begin to describe it. I had to get a shot and everything, but the good news is that my finger hurts so badly that I didn't even notice the aftereffects of the shot.

Try as hard as I might, I could not justify this owwie disrupting my workout schedule, nor did it seem severe enough to warrant having a hot fudge sundae. At this point, I might consider soaking my finger in a sundae, but that's all.

It sure doesn't do my nice new manicure justice, does it? Sheesh.

I Iz Dead

Walked for an hour with the FT group this a.m.

Early, this a.m.

I am not an outdoor person (all those bugs and such), but it feels really, really good to have done it.

Now, for a celebratory...nap.

Thanks to morguefile.com for the image.

Blame It on the Heat

At the end of this, the second week of temps in the high 90s, I finally cracked. At least, that's all I can think of to explain this most unusual behavior. Usually when one thinks of rabies and other end-of-summer diseases, it's frothing at the mouth or stumbling about the town snarling at people that are the headline grabbers. Me? I go wild and join a gym.

Yes, you read that right. I joined a gym, a real one. Well, it will be real in a couple of months. They're in the process of remodeling an old store (which earned them bonus points from me for re-using existing space rather than building something new). The best news is that it's about a half mile from my house. I can walk there. Or, if I break down and buy a bicycle, roll over there within minutes.

I've thought about joining a gym or fitness center before, but I was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to actually do anything once I got there. Now, I know I can get a good workout without looking like a total idiot. Plus, the timing is right. In a couple of months, I should be ready to step down to two trainer sessions a week and begin working out at the gym twice a week. I don't really like to think too much about the day when I'll be on my own, and who knows, maybe I'll win the lottery and be able to stay with my trainers forever, but the reality is that the gym is so much more affordable.

Huh. Me, with a gym membership. Gotta be the heat.

Fuel for the Fire

More people are noticing my weight loss success and mentioning it in the nicest ways. Over the past few days, four people have said something nice about the way I look. One comment came from a VP at my company, who said I'm inspiring him. Wow. That was huge. Only a miraculous surge of willpower kept me from bursting into happy tears. I think of all the compliments I've received that was the best. Not because it came from a VP, but just the idea that I could inspire anyone...

Last night when I was working with the trainer, I realized that while some exercises make me feel strong, others make me just feel fat. When I'm doing arm work, I feel great, but when we do any core work, I feel like a big fat blob. Any sort of wall sitting and planks are the worst. Jumping Jacks are a bitch too. I can hardly focus on the exercise for the chanting in my head: You'refatYou'refatYou'refat! Not the best frame of mind to build a future on. It makes the work that much harder.

I was pondering today, trying to figure out how to get myself into the right frame of mind, and I think I'm going to start substituting the last great compliment I received from someone in place of the nega-chant. I inspire, I inspire, I inspire! might be much more helpful in keeping me focused on the fight at hand. I certainly hope so!

Lessons from the Road

One of the reasons I love to take road trips (besides the whole anti-flying thing) is that I think a lot. I think about myself and the world around me. I solve all my friends' problems, and I write delicious stories in my head. It's a great way to unwind.

On this trip, I once again did not come up with solutions to any of the world's pressing issues, but I did figure some things out:

• Despite knowing better, I'm really still hung up on the numbers on the scale. I've had my blood pressure medication reduced by half, I've lost 20 pounds and almost 20 inches, my resting heart rate is down to 72 (from 80), and I've dropped 1.5 clothing sizes. But for 500 miles, I obsessed about the fact that I'd only lost 10 pounds in the six weeks I've been working with the trainers. I don't know how to fix this, or even if it can be fixed, but I do know I don't like it.
• Something I have long suspected, but only verified with this trip, is that convenience stores and truck stops haven't caught the clue bus on healthy living. I stopped at six different stores on my trip, and other than a few bruised bananas, water, granola and energy bars (most the high-cal variety), and a few other items, there wasn't a healthy item in sight. Where are the individual 100-calorie snacks, low-fat yogurt, apples and oranges, and soy milk? These folks could make a fortune off of this stuff. (I feel a letter coming on.)
• McDonald's catches a lot of flak for their mostly-grotesque menu, but they saved my bacon on this trip. So to speak. Between the fruit & yogurt parfait (160 cal./2 g. fat) and the apples (35 cal./0 fat), I was able to have healthy breakfasts and snacks on the road. (We're not counting the "country breakfast" I had on Sunday, my free day.)
• Exercising on the road is a hit-and-miss prospect for folks like me. My first hotel didn't have an exercise room (boo LaQuinta!), but since I was in a first floor room, I did some tricep dips, some old-fashioned jumping jacks (trying to atone the lack of cardio), and some push-ups. The second hotel was connected to an athletic club, but I never made if over there. I got all dressed to go, but I just couldn't make myself do it. I factored in all the walking I'd been doing, threw in a few crunches, push-ups, and bridge lifts, and called it all exercise. The last hotel did have an exercise room (yaaay Holiday Inn Express), and I did some time on the treadmill and the bicycle.
• The aforementioned hit-and-miss exercise schedule will make you pay when you return. I did my first trainer session today, and I thought I would DIE. I have so far to go.

See? No major revelations or resolutions. Just random thoughts and observations.

BlogHer07 - Day 2 & Wrap-Up

The second day of BlogHer was exceptionally nice, but not for the reasons I expected. I only attended two panels (one on technical blogging and the other an off-the-record session), the keynote breakfast (fascinating panel discussion of online communities and their extensions), and the very interesting closing keynote discussion with Elizabeth Edwards (Blogher taped it.) And that was all very enjoyable, but I think my favorite part of the day was the three hours of free time I had midday. I wandered around The Navy Pier and the park, sat and talked to a senior deckhand (and wannabe writer) from one of the water taxis, went to Billy Goat Tavern for a cheeseborger (don't really understand the fuss), and just generally people-watched. Random observations:

- flip flops are the new sneakers
- if you sit in one place in Chicago long enough, you'll hear half of the world's languages spoken
- Chicago has a Pepsi fixation
- some people shouldn't be allowed to own boats
- who knew there would be gulls this far north
- the traffic cops at the pier's entrance deserve their own reality show
- earning a captain's license requires a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time and money
- skateboarders are obnoxious everywhere
- I want to live here

I'm glad I came here. While I don't think I made any new and lasting friendships, I met some really nice people and I learned a lot, and that was the point all along.

BlogHer07 - Day 1

Greetings from Chicago! More specifically, from The Navy Pier in Chicago. It's a gorgeous, breezy summer day, and I'm sitting on the pier about 30 yards from Lake Michigan.

Looking at this picture, I'm underneath the tower on the left at the far end of the pier.

I'm in Chicago for the two-day BlogHer07 conference. This is my first BlogHer event, and I don't really know anyone, but I'm still having a good time. I've attended two panels so far, one on web design and another on body image and blogging. (I'm all about variety. ) And as so often happens at these things, I've met some really wonderful people.

I've also made a pass through the exhibitor area. Lots of interesting concepts out there and some goodies, besides. Plus, we got a swag bag from BlogHer. Now seems like a good time to check it out....okay, so there's way too much stuff in here to list, but it includes some CDs, a memory stick, and a bath/body set. And a really cool tote bag.

Right now I'm kind of hungry, and so I think I'll mosey down to the McDonald's at the other end of the pier for an apple dipper and a diet coke.

More later....

Playing the Numbers Game

The results are in on my six-week fitness assessment:
Inches lost:
neck -1.75
shoulders - 0
chest -4.25
waist -4.5
hips -4.5
thigh -2.5
calf -1.25
upper arm - 0 (all those weights!)
forearm -1

Total = 19.75" gone.

Weight loss was only 10 lbs. for the six weeks. I kind of expected more, but while I've cut out the unhealthy snacks (no-mo Li'l D Swiss Rolls), I haven't exactly starved. I've been averaging about 1200-1300 calories a day and I've stayed in my fat/carb limits every single day. I have to feel good about that. I'll just presume that the extra weight I feel I should've lost was actually converted to muscle. Yeah, that's it. Plus, it makes me feel pretty good that I lost 10 lbs. on my own before I started training.

The best news was that my resting heartrate went from 80 to 72. The goal is 65. I hope to get there by the end of August. The trainers (a.k.a. Satan's Grrrlz) are having some sort of cardio contest in August with prizes for the most cardio minutes racked up. I hope it's extra sessions, especially if I should win. :) Wish me luck!

Like a Bad Penny

I turn up again. I didn't realize until today that I had completely forgotten to post a progress report. Or two.

What's a real pity is that there's definitely progress to report. My blood pressure has gone from being high to being too low. For weeks now, it's been fluctuating between 80/50 and 94/60. My Before BP was usually high 120's/80's, and that was with the medication. So apparently they weren't lying when they said regular exercise and a healthy diet will help your blood pressure. :)

Because my energy level was so low, I went to see my primary care physician last week, and---*drumroll--- he halved the dosage on my medication! I think I might be on my way to getting rid of the prescription all together, which would be so very cool.

Dr. S. also informed me that I've lost 21 pounds since February! What's so especially wonderful about that is that I suspect I actually gained some weight in March and April, so it's possible I've lost more than 21 lbs. since May 8th. I have my first "fitness assessment" with the personal trainers next week, six weeks after starting this exercise program. I'll be sure to post a report. I've lost a size for sure, and am well on my way to being another size smaller.

I really can't believe how easy this has been. There have been moments here and there that have been difficult, but overall, the combination of sparkpeople.com, the trainers, and the support of truly wonderful friends has made this transition to a healthier me so much easier.

If you're one of those wonderful friends, I love you and I thank you from the bottom of my healthier-already heart!

Pants! And Other News

Okay, so who do you know who not only found pants that fit, but pants in a smaller size that fit? One guess.

All right, I'll tell you: ME! And these are not your ordinary pants. These pants have an actual button waistband without even a hint of elastic. To make things even better, I went to another store and found another pair of pants that fit. I picked up two different colors of that style. And then, finally, I went to yet another store and found a shirt...yes, in a smaller size! How much do I love myself and my trainers right now? (And this despite the fact that I'm pretty sure my trainers are trying to kill me--one appendage at a time.)

That all happened last Friday. On Monday, I went to the office nurse for a regular blood pressure check. It was 80/50. A couple more weeks of this, and I'll be knocking on my doctor's door.

Since I have to work tomorrow, I went ahead and had my July 4th splurge tonight. It was an order of Rafferty's french fries--the first fries I've had in months--and they were delicious... while I was eating them. A half hour later I wanted to pull the car to the side of the road and dismiss them. I won't be doing that again anytime soon. The barbecue chicken and salad were good, though. (My next scheduled splurge is July 26th in Chicago: Pizza! Real pizza with real crust and real cheese. I'm hoping for better results than I had with the fries.)

Nothing much happening otherwise. As I said earlier, I have to work part of tomorrow. I moved my workout to 8 a.m. to be sure I got it in. (I didn't even know about the fries at the time.)

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!

Where Do Weekends Go

It seems as though we zip straight from Friday night to Sunday night. The rest is just a blur.

Everything's clicking along nicely here on the health and fitness front. Weekends aren't quite as hard since I began scheduling trainer time on Friday night. That helps keep me focused on doing the right things throughout the weekend.

Had one of those blippy moments Thursday night. I was out shopping for new pants, and I was getting very frustrated. It seems I'm between sizes and nothing fits right. Add in a minor heat wave and a lack of dinner and you get one grumpy girl. At one point, the thought that all the workout time was for nothing, since I couldn't find any pants that looked good. I had wasted my time and hard-earned money when I could have just kept on doing what I was doing and my old pants would have fit just fine. No, they wouldn't have looked good, but they FIT!!

Fortunately for me, Rational Girl came running to the rescue to set Grumpy Girl straight. It's been a freaking week of workouts--at that point there had been a total of 3.5 workouts--and I can't expect my body to transform itself overnight. Sheesh! What was I thinking? Okay, I know what I was thinking. I was thinking about poor pitiful me, who hadn't even so much as glanced at a snack cake in six weeks. The one who spent a small fortune hiring personal trainers who made her sweat and chip her nail polish on the weight thingies. That poor girl deserved a Special Dinner. One that would make her feel better. It's the same kind of thinking that has plagued every effort I've made at eating healthier.

But not this time. On the way to the car, I decided my Pants-Don't-Fit Pity Treat would be an icy cold Diet Coke--the largest one I could find. I pulled into a KFC (a safe fast-food choice since I don't eat there, except I forgot about the chocolate chip cookies which I pretended they were out of). I ordered my drink, pulled up to the drive-through window, and awaited my fizzy treat. That's when the neatest thing happened. The clerk passed me my drink and said, "Have a great evening!" I waved my money at her, and she just smiled and said, "Nah, just enjoy it!" How nice is that? I told her so, thanked her enthusiastically, and drove off before she could see that my eyes were getting all blurry. I hope she knows what a generous gesture that was. Not the free soda. That cost KFC about 12 cents. In the space of 30-seconds, that clerk made me forget about my stupid pants. All I could think about was how bright her smile was and how good she seemed to feel doing something nice for someone.

And yesterday, when I tried on more pants at a different store, I couldn't even begin to feel badly when they looked pitiful. I just kept my eyes on the future, because I know that good things--big and small--are always there waiting, sometimes in the strangest places.

Until next time...

Sunday Pondering

Another week, another series of goals achieved. It has me wondering why this seems to be working now. It's not like I haven't tried most of this (excluding the trainers, which is a new thing completely) before. Why am I now able to eat healthy and exercise regularly? I've been thinking about it off and on today, and I've come up with a timeline, of sorts, that got me here:

1. In 2005, I learned that a new friend had, over the past several years, lost weight by exercising and changing her diet. That's not so unusual, except that she didn't work her way down to a size 2. She's a double-digit size, she looks great, and physically, she's the strongest person I know. She's also the first person I've ever known who recognized when it felt good and said, "I'm here." That's not to say she quit working at it. It's an everyday thing for her now (and it shows!) Everyone else I know keeps going for the lower numbers, and it occurs to me now that I don't know anyone personally who made it.

2. A little over a year ago, I started walking regularly. I tried to upgrade my eating habits, but it was kind of hit and miss. It seemed as though I couldn't get the diet and the walking/yoga working together. If I did one well, I let the other slide. A few times (dark days/weeks), I let them both go. But I always circled back to one or the other.

3. At the beginning of May of this year, I hit the treadmill again. At the same time, the Style Network kicked off a Make Me Over May campaign. Now, you have to know that this time last year, you could not have made me watch this channel if you had promised me a lifetime supply of Little Debbie's. I think my exact words were, "This is the worst excuse for a network I've ever seen." Fortunately for me, those words are fat-free and non-caloric, because Style's airing of The Biggest Loser was life changing for me. Here were fat people setting goals and meeting them. People my size exercising hard...and not dying from it. I decided to play along in my own version of a home game and cut out all the junk food from my daily diet.

4. In early June, I joined sparkpeople.com. I started reading articles on health, nutrition, and motivation. I set goals and began learning how to achieve them.

5. Last week, I started recording what I ate, paying attention to nutritional goals (calories, protein, fat, carbs), and ended the week by signing on with a personal trainer. I met my triceps. They're nice, if a bit unrefined at present.

So here I am. Nowhere near the end of this journey and not even sure where I am on the map. But it's nice to be off of the two-lane blacktop and onto the highway. I think, though, that I'll stay on this road rather than look for an expressway. It will take me longer to get there, sure, but I'll stand a better chance of arriving safely at my destination. :)

Have a happy...and healthy week everyone!

Mind Fritz

Okay, so the second workout was harder--nauseating, demoralizing, painful at times. And that's not even factoring in the actual exercises. I knew it would be tough, but I hadn't counted on the mental/emotional side of it. My mind is constantly at war with itself, with one part chanting, "You can't do this," while the other side says, "But you ARE doing it." I'm so busy trying to help the right side win that I find it difficult to focus on the important things like breathing and strength. I hope that changes over time. Next week would be good, since I have three workouts scheduled.

Speaking of other workouts...I bought three pairs of exercise capris today! One of them is even a size large (not XL). Of course, they kind of look like a pair of larges on a still-XL body, but I think it shows a sense of commitment. And won't it be fun growing into them. :)

It's hot here in Memphis and still no rain in sight. Hungry Girl sent out this recipe just in the nick of time: Cookie-rrific Ice Cream Freeze. Seeing that made me realize it's time to head out for dinner. And not a moment too soon.

Still Breathing

I survived my first session with the trainer, and I'm happy to report that I didn't die, nor did I want to die. I'm taking that as a very positive sign.

Today's workout was on the gentler side; tomorrow will probably be more of the same. They're easing me into it, and I appreciate that.

Per yesterday's post, I'm definitely going to be buying some more workout clothes. I' m tired of washing my single pair of exercise shorts, for one thing, plus I hadn't realized there would be m-e-n at this place. Granted, there's no socializing since we're in separate rooms, but you never know when you might bump into someone at the water fridge. Maybe if I'm wearing a cute top, they won't notice my beet-red-from-exertion face or the lovely aroma that proves I'm burning some calories.

I'm kind of proud of me right now.

Costume Change

I have a friend who teases me about my need for the appropriate attire for exercise. I tried to explain it to her the other night. In my yoga clothes, I'm tall and graceful. It doesn't matter that the woman in the mirror is dumpy and wide. If I put on my exercise shorts and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I wonder why that person isn't on the treadmill. Even if I hadn't planned on walking, I lace up the shoes and hop on the treadmill. I'm the suburban equivalent of FloJo, or perhaps one of those women wrestlers from Russia. I'm treadmilling for my country and I'm out front (there's no one ahead of me, so I must be winning). It's a costume. A chance at as if. As if I'm an athlete, as if I'm in charge, as if I enjoy excercising, as if I'm already at my destination.

But I'm not at my destination, not even close, and today I did something about that. I went to meet the folks at Fitness Together. They weighed and measured and did some godawful pinch test and wrote it all down in a red folder. Then they told me what it was going to cost. Ouch. It's in line with other trainer fees, but the kicker is that I have to pay it up front. You understand what that means, don't you? They're asking me to commit. They're asking me to invest in myself. That's low.

It's a lot of money, but in the end, not really a tough decision. My checkbook is in my purse, and I have my first session with a trainer tomorrow after work. Now I just have to figure out what to wear.

Sunday, Sunday

Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe Sundays? They feel so sad. Weekend gone, another lonnng week ahead. It's a vicious circle.

Another decent week on my goal work. I still haven't managed to walk for an hour a day more than occasionally, but the toes knows. I'm pretty much screwed at the whole thing if I don't get these things healed. A half-hour walk is good enough for now.

I bought hand weights today at Target. It's a convertible set up for 1-3 pound weights. Now I can do more of the targeted workout DVD.

A couple of changes/challenges for this week:
1) I'm using sparkpeople to record everything I eat. It's got a neat tool that breaks down all the nutrients and tracks calories. It also compares them to their recommended nutritional goals.
2) I'm calling a gym. I read about this company called "Fitness Together," which has a local franchise. They apparently have private workout rooms and trainers. I think that's best for me to start out. I'm not ready for the general public yet. More importantly, I seriously doubt the general public is ready for me. LOL

A few weeks ago I made a private list of reasons I want to maintain a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. Reason number 7: To be rescued, should the need present itelf. Now, I was joking at the time, or half-joking maybe, but the joke took a serious turn when I read this article.

'Woman left to die because she was too fat'
Angry John Teague has claimed that ambulance paramedics left his wife to die after joking that she was TOO FAT to lift.

Mr Teague, 58, alleges that the ambulance crew sneered that they would need a fire crew to lift seventeen-and-a-half stone Sandra Teague, 52.

Seventeen and a half stone is a little less than 250 pounds. According to the article, there were five ambulance attendants present. I'm no math genius, but I can work out this equation. And I'm outraged. I'm not sure what rips my heart out most--the insensitivity of the paramedics toward that woman and her family, or their ineptitude in being unable to figure out, between the five of them, how to get her to medical attention.

So what to take away from this that can be used for good? The article mentions that Sandra Teague had lost around 100 pounds and was on her way to regaining control of her health. I wish she could have achieved her goal here on this earth, but she didn't.

Unless, maybe...I think I'll print out Sandra Teague's picture and put it on my bulletin board. She will be in my heart every single day, constant evidence of success, and a brutal reminder that life is incredibly, horribly, wretchedly unfair sometimes.

I think I'll print out reason #7, too, because they don't rescue fat people.

I need yoga.

Free Time, Brought to You by Lifeblood

I saved a life today. Or so the folks at Lifeblood assured me. In exchange for saving a life, I get a night off from exercising: Lifeblood's orders! So now I have free time until 9:00 and House Hunters on HGTV, and I thought I could take up your valuable time with some ramblings...

As one might expect, the experience of giving blood was not without incident. I might have caused a minor scene when the lady next to me (I mean elbow-touching close) started eating a bag of Fritos and wave after wave of the greasy, fried smell breached the gap and threatened to asphyxiate me. Fortunately, I was able to move, though not without a wee altercation with some guy who had appointed himself Cot Police. It all worked out though.

While I was lying there s-l-o-w-l-y saving a life, I did come up with a brilliant idea. But first, a caveat: I fully support medical leave for pregnancy. I think it's one of the best ideas since pantyhose or Tampax. Until now.

My idea builds on the original concept of medical leave for pregnancy by incorporating it with the concept of crop subsidies. You know, where the government pays farmers for crops they don't plant? In my new plan, women who choose not to have children will receive medical leave for not having children! To be effective and fair, there will have to rules:

• Enrollment will require a visit to the gynecologist to determine whether or not the enrollee is not having a vaginal delivery or not having a C-section, but the office visit will be covered by her medical plan. If no determination can be made, the proram will split the difference by awarding the enrollee seven weeks leave.
• Enrollees are limited to two non-pregnancy leaves, except in Utah, where four leaves are permitted.
• Unplanned non-pregnancies are not covered by this program.
• The program does not extend to childcare programs or absences for tending to a sick child. (Note: It is believed that this savings in lost wages and productivity is what will make the plan attractive to companies, so don't push it!)

That's as far as I got before they told me I could leave, but I'm going to keep working on it. (Should a holiday be declared in my honor, I'd like for it to be held in March.)

I briefed my manager on the fundamentals of the plan, and--good news!--she didn't say no. She gave me a benefits card, but unfortunately it was the number of the Employee Assistance Program rather than the Benefits Coordinator. I'll get the right card tomorrow.

And with that, my free time is up. Happy Friday Eve!

A Sad Sunday Goal Check

It's pitiful when you can't remember to do the one thing on your to-do list for Sunday night, isn't it?

Not a bad week, but not a great one either. My toe problems continue. They're basically a mess of blisters and corns. I took Friday off from walking and on Saturday, I didn't do any of my scheduled exercise (I cleaned house instead!). I found these toe separator thingies at the drug store, and on Sunday I went to the zoo and walked for almost two hours. No pain until the very end! I'll try the treadmill for a half hour tonight and see how that goes.

I also tried out a new exercise DVD: Ten Minute Targeted Workout for Beginner. The idea is to work on one ten minute thing each day until I feel like I can start chaining some together. But I'm not supposed to work on any area two days in a row. I like the trainer and the abs targeted workout is tough but attainable. I'll try it out for a couple of weeks.

A few weeks ago a friend sent me a link to zenhabits, and it's now one of my favorite sites. Over the weekend I found a great link, Top 42 Exercise Hacks. It's going to help me a lot.

I'll post a pic from my zoo walk later today, but for now I should get back to work.

Sunday goal check

I'm feeling really frustrated right now. Mentally, I'm ready to take on more strenuous exercise, but my body keeps throwing up roadblocks. My legs just won't walk any faster! Plus, I have new blisters on the bottoms of my feet. My toes feel like they're on fire when I walk. I'm trying to push through, but I'm finding out that patience is yet another virtue I just don't have.

Pretty good week goal-wise. I walked at least 30 minutes every day, but I never did make it to an hour. I did two yoga practices. I had planned for three practices, but I came up a little short.
Got all my fruits and veggies in Every Single Day! And I made it through another week with no major splurges. Thank God for Sugar-free Fudgesicles!

Today I walked out at Shelby Farms, a park in East Memphis. I almost didn't walk outside today. We've got ugly air, due to drifting from the fires in Georgia and Florida, and we've had a gray haze for three days. You can see it, a little, in the photo below. The bison had apparently already completed their walk and were in the cool down phase.



I don't know when I'll try this park again. The trail I was on was 1.67 miles, which is perfect for me right now, but it also is almost completely without shade. Not good in the heat of a Memphis summer, though it will probably be okay for fall and winter. We'll see.

All in all, a satisfying week, and I guess wanting to do more exercise isn't totally a bad thing. It's a far cry from where I was this time last month, right? Right!

Onward and upward! Or in my case, downward! :-)

Sunday Goal Check

Okay, time for the scorecard. Overall, not too bad.

My goals last week were:
Exercise: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes per day, every day, with 3 days of 1 hour walking and 3 yoga sessions -- Almost made it, but...::drumroll::...I have an injury. A sports injury. Okay, so it's not a rotator cuff or a pulled hamstring or any number of other things that happen to us athletes, but blisters are not to be taken lightly. Especially when they're HUMONGOUS, like this one. Still, I managed to complete six of seven planned 30-minute walks, with two 1-hour walks in there. One of the 30-minute walks was at the zoo today, where I walked for over an hour, though not cardio-walking. I'm not going to let myself count that as a full one hour.

What pleases me most is that I exercised Every Single Day last week. I'm a little proud of that.

Diet: 5 fruits and vegetables a day, every day - I'm pleased to report that I was successful five of seven days, and on the two days that I didn't get the 5-count, I did manage four servings of fruits and vegetables. I'm mostly happy with my results, because I was in a class for three days last week, and I still managed to stick to healthy eating. Mostly. Also, I went to a family reunion on Saturday and despite two tables laden with starch, sugar, and animal fat, I only ate one single serving of my grandmother's fried corn. (When she started pushing her potato salad on me, I looked her in her 85-year old eyes and said, "Stop it." She did.)

Organization: Straighten out home office and master bedroom, top to bottom - I suppose if I was going to fail at something , this was the best one to let go. I straightened and neatened, but I never managed to get either room dusted or vacuumed. I think I should have started in rooms that don't have books, magazines, television, a bed, or my computer in them.

Fun and relaxation: Zoo trip! - A great big YES! I went early this morning and had a great time. My feet were screaming at the end, but I was smiling!

When I set these goals, I had no idea if they were stretchy or not. It turned out that they were a little much for me, which seems like all the more reason to just roll them over for this week. At this point, I consider myself successful every day that I simply try.

Bye for now,
Cammy

What I Need...Apparently

A friend sent one of those meme thingies this week, and it turned out to provide a giggle or two. The idea is to type in a google search with the phrase "yourname needs" in the search box. Then copy the first ten hits. Interesting results; here are mine:

Cammy needs...
1. to drool again
2. ...a lot more.
3. to fucking jump against low tigerts
4. someone his own age to play with so he will leave his brother alone
5. to win a scholarship to stay in ballet school
6. a comeback.
7. to come in and warm up.
8. more encouragement to click on the Reply button
9. his eyes checked.
10. a supercharger.

I drool enough as it is, thank you (#1), but I do need a lot more of something (#2) (maybe the supercharger (#10). The idea of me in a tutu (#5) is a howler, and of course, the gender for myself and my sibling is wrong (#4 #9). Most of the rest are fairly accurate.

Does anyone know what a "tigert" is?

Bye for now,
Cammy

True Confession #1:TBL

If you expected to read about mind-altering orgasms here, you might be a bit disappointed. This isn't that kind of blog. It would be if I was actually having mind-altering orgasms, or even just the ordinary everyday kind, but in the absence of George Clooney or any reasonable substitute, I'm taking my excitement where I can get it.

My newest passion is something I never, ever, expected: I am watching a television reality show! I know, I know. I swore I never would, but I was caught in a weak moment (in bed with a sinus infection) and I succumbed. Sue me.

The object of my desire is The Biggest Loser, currently airing season 2 on the Style Network. (Yes, I know I said the Style Network was the biggest waste of airspace on this planet and all the others--including Pluto, which I will always consider a planet--but I might have been a little bit wrong. This show and Clean House make it worth watching every now and then, but the rest of their schedule is pretty pathetic.)

What draws me to TBL is the overwhelming compassion and admiration I feel for the contestants. I can't imagine having the strength and courage to a) weigh myself, b) weigh myself in front of millions of people, c) appear on television in those skimpy workout clothes, d) exercise 3-4 hours a day, e) exercise for people's entertainment, f) discuss my inner feelings about my body image with a guy holding a video camera, and g) set myself up to fail in front of a national audience. Give me the faceless Internet! If I fail here, I hit the delete button.

The Grand Prize on TBL is $250,000. Worth dropping Little Debbie as my BFF, perhaps, but not if I have to get on stage in a sports bra and spandex bike shorts to compete. And I'm not so sure the money is what motivates the show's contestants, either. Maybe I'm imagining it, but it seems to me that they're far more interested in the opportunity to devote themselves to getting healthy(-ier) and the show is a way to jump start their weight loss efforts. Some of them have a sense of desperation about them, and I understand and identify with that. These are my people.

The basic premise of the show is that the contestants are sequestered on a "ranch" for a few months and organized in teams. Each week they face a new "temptation" and a new "physical challenge". One night they were offered a $2,300 prize if they ate a piece of cake (no one did!); another night, they could read letters from home if they ate a plate of their favorite food (no one did!) Physical challenges include running up mountains or moving a stack of gold bars equivalent to their weight from the bottom of a swimming pool to the side. Winners get extra prizes, sometimes tangibles, sometimes immunity from elimination. Oh yeah, that's the down side: each week, someone is voted out and sent home, which always makes me a little sad, but for the Style Network run, they've added a segment at the end that shows how the contestant does after he/she leaves the show. So far, almost all have continued their fitness quests and are enormously successful. (One guy didn't do so great.)

New episodes air every night at 7:00 (my time), and I tape them to watch after I've treadmilled. As crazy as it sounds, I sit there and watch, huffing and puffing after my 30 minute walk, and I'm one of them. I've avoided the day's temptations and endured my physical challenge. I listen to the lessons they learn and think about how to implement them in my own life. I laugh with them, and I cry with them. I feel their frustrations...and their unfailing hope. My people.

I have hope, too. Hope...and a plan.


Bye for now,
Cammy

Goals 05/13/07

So here's something new for the shiny new blog: weekly goals. I'm going to try (for a few weeks anyway) posting my goals and targets for the week. At the end of the week, I'll 'fess up. Maybe the possibility of public humiliation will be a good motivator.

Or maybe not. If this little feature disappears at some point, you'll know it wasn't working.

On to the show: Goals for the coming week...
Exercise: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes per day, every day, with 3 days of 1 hour walking; also 3 yoga sessions

Diet: 5 fruits and vegetables a day, every day

Organization: Straighten out home office and master bedroom, top to bottom.

Fun and relaxation: Zoo trip!

I'll let you know next weekend how it went. Wish me luck. Or maybe strength.

Bye for now,
Cammy

Something Old, Something New

Sheesh. You don't use a blog for a year or so, and they assume you're not going to be back. Since Blogger doesn't seem to recognize my sign in info anymore (I'm sure it's nothing I'm doing wrong), I'll just start over. If you want to see what I was up to before, you can click here.

But life goes on. Not much has changed about me in the past year. Still living in my singlespace. It's still disorganized, because I'm still disorganized. But I'm ever hopeful.

I'm also still struggling with too much weight, but I think I've got the beast wrestled into submission for now. I'm having to start over on my exercising (nasty sinusitis!), but this weekend was really productive: 2.5 hours of walking and one yoga session. And no major food problems. All things considered, I'm feeling pretty good about me right now.

Writing is...okay, I don't know what writing is anymore. It's a long story that I can't seem to find the words to tell, but I'm working on it. Restarting my blog is step one.

Lots of restarting and renewing going on, so maybe it's a good thing to have a shiny new blog. Even if I am the same old me.


Bye for now,
Cammy