Weight: 212
Loss to date: 72 pounds
Don't you just love it when it all just clicks? I'm down another pound, so that goal of 199 by Winter Solstice, or December 21, is looking pretty good! My original intention -- nay, EXPECTATION -- had been to reach Onederland by Thanksgiving, several weeks prior. However, with the slowdown in my loss, I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment. I'm still not sure Thanksgiving is doable, because that would require a 2.89 pound loss per week for 4 1/2 weeks straight. And even if I could make that happen, it might not be the best idea. So I'm officially sticking with my Winter Solstice goal. Just between you and I, though -- I'm actually REALLY shooting for December 13, with hopefully a couple more by the 21st. I don't expect to overindulge over the holidays. My drinking days are over, we don't have lots of parties to attend or throw, and I'm on way too important a mission to get sidetracked. We don't have kids or lots of others to please, so I think I'll be just fine.
Lorraine's doing well also. I don't want to speak too soon, but I'm really, really proud of her.....Day 6 and she's holding strong. (If you don't count the brewskies!)
Sunday, October 31
Saturday, October 30
I love me some JuJu!
Julie, aka JuJu, is so amazing to me. I can't tell you how much I respect her and enjoy her writings. Read this, and find yourself thinking -- about maintenance, about progress along the way, about dreams of what lies beneath.
Friday, October 29
Quick Update
I am very pleased to report that I stuck to my guns and did my workout: I biked 6 miles in 20 minutes, with intervals, and then did the 2-mile WATP with my 3 lb. hand weights. I did NOT feel like it, but I did it anyway. And I love myself for it! Eats for the day were beautiful -- met all my goals with respect to calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, potassium, water, sugar, fiber, and no unmet nutritional minimums.
Another One Off
Weight: 213
Loss to date: 71 pounds
And another one bites the dust! Ain't life grand... I thought I'd share my exercise totals to date for the month:
Miles Walked: 46
Miles Biked: 43
Weights Workouts: 7
I said I was going to hit it hard last night, and I was just so exhausted by the time I got home that I just didn't muster the energy to do much of anything. Tonight, however, I will not grant myself that leeway.
Loss to date: 71 pounds
And another one bites the dust! Ain't life grand... I thought I'd share my exercise totals to date for the month:
Miles Walked: 46
Miles Biked: 43
Weights Workouts: 7
I said I was going to hit it hard last night, and I was just so exhausted by the time I got home that I just didn't muster the energy to do much of anything. Tonight, however, I will not grant myself that leeway.
Thursday, October 28
Next Stop: Onederland
Weight: 214
Loss to date: 70 pounds
I've done it. I've achieved my third mini-goal of 215, and am now down 70 pounds since March. I stand now literally at the halfway point! 70 down, and 70 to go. So my next short-term goal is of course 199. Is it just me, or did you, too, hear an angelic chorus at once hit a single high note? Whew. Wierd. Anyway, that weight loss shangrila, that Mecca for the obese, "Onederland" beckons. I will follow the call. And I will follow it before Christmas. Yep, you heard it here first, folks. In fact, December 16th would be even better.
Off now to sweet dreams of a size 14, which is apparently now not at all far away. I am shrinking. God, I'm happy.
Loss to date: 70 pounds
I've done it. I've achieved my third mini-goal of 215, and am now down 70 pounds since March. I stand now literally at the halfway point! 70 down, and 70 to go. So my next short-term goal is of course 199. Is it just me, or did you, too, hear an angelic chorus at once hit a single high note? Whew. Wierd. Anyway, that weight loss shangrila, that Mecca for the obese, "Onederland" beckons. I will follow the call. And I will follow it before Christmas. Yep, you heard it here first, folks. In fact, December 16th would be even better.
Off now to sweet dreams of a size 14, which is apparently now not at all far away. I am shrinking. God, I'm happy.
Monday, October 25
Back to Square One and Loving It!
Weight: 216
Loss to date: 68 pounds
I'm so thrilled to back at 216! My minor lapse has been erased in less than a week, and in no time at all I'll have achieved my third mini-goal: 215. Then it's on to Onederland for me, boys and girls! I'm thrilled to pieces. I am feeling great about my exercise and eats. I've exercised 8 of the last 9 days, up from the 4-5 times per week I was doing before. I gave myself a day of rest on Saturday. And it was good. As for eats, I'm so on track it isn't even funny -- and I'm definitely reaping the rewards of that.
I don't log my exercise here, because then it would be logged in six places, not five. Five is enough, thanks, sufficient to stress to myself its importance in my daily life. Gotta say, it sure does feel good to report in with good news day after day. I love it! I feel like I've broken through some sort of thin curtain, made the transition from exercise as something to do in order to reach my goals to exercise as enjoyable for its own sake. My body is most definitely thanking me. I actually enjoy it DURING the activity now, instead of just afterwards. This is huge progress. And I know that it is a daily happening. Just part of the day. Even all the years I had no weight problem, I couldn't say that. Will wonders never cease.
Loss to date: 68 pounds
I'm so thrilled to back at 216! My minor lapse has been erased in less than a week, and in no time at all I'll have achieved my third mini-goal: 215. Then it's on to Onederland for me, boys and girls! I'm thrilled to pieces. I am feeling great about my exercise and eats. I've exercised 8 of the last 9 days, up from the 4-5 times per week I was doing before. I gave myself a day of rest on Saturday. And it was good. As for eats, I'm so on track it isn't even funny -- and I'm definitely reaping the rewards of that.
I don't log my exercise here, because then it would be logged in six places, not five. Five is enough, thanks, sufficient to stress to myself its importance in my daily life. Gotta say, it sure does feel good to report in with good news day after day. I love it! I feel like I've broken through some sort of thin curtain, made the transition from exercise as something to do in order to reach my goals to exercise as enjoyable for its own sake. My body is most definitely thanking me. I actually enjoy it DURING the activity now, instead of just afterwards. This is huge progress. And I know that it is a daily happening. Just part of the day. Even all the years I had no weight problem, I couldn't say that. Will wonders never cease.
Friday, October 22
Hello, kneecaps, my old friends...
Hello, lovies! (Nod to the lovely Clarrie, on the other side of that body of water.) I'm in some pain, but it's all for good. It's a happy byproduct of exercising hard every day. I've been doing beautifully on the exercise front, thank you very much. I'm power walking with weights, power walking using the Walkblaster ramp, doing HIIT biking, working out with weights (dumbbells) and my CrossBow, and walking on the treadmill.
Exercise Update:
Thursday: 3 1/2 miles WATP walking with the 6 lb. weights, followed by lifting to failure - shoulders.
My MTD totals as of today:
Miles Walked: 32.5
Miles Biked: 37
Weights Workouts: 5
My eats are still simply above reproach.....as I said in my last post cal's are low at an average of 1300, but that's just till I reach my 3rd mini goal of 215. I'm sure my muscles are appreciating the increased protein percentage, since I'm working that weights thang more than I have heretofore.
I'm still getting lots of compliments on my loss -- it's so gratifying, and so motivating. Unfortunately, half of the clothes I just bought are a bit baggy now. I say unfortunately not because I'm ungrateful or displeased (as IF!!) but because I am on a budget. We do not have unlimited funds to buy me pretty things for each stage of the loss. Sad, but true. I think from here on out, I'm going to take the time (I hate shopping) to really try different sizes, and go with the one that's just a teensy bit on the small side. The initial pinch would probably be motivating, and it would buy me more time. We'll see.
Major, public thanks to the aforementioned Clarrie for her kind support with Lorraine's smoking. I talked to her about it again last night, and broke down in tears. With big tears streaming down my face, I told her how I don't want her to die, or get cancer, or develop emphysema, or heart disease, or any other of the host of diseases caused by cancer. She said some different things (among them that she loves me, which had the converse effect of making me cry more.) Among them, that she loves smoking (and crack addicts love crack -- and your point is??) and the other that she's picked the date of January 1st. We talked it through, and it seems that by then she'll have lined up medicinal support, like Zyban (wellbutrin,) lozenges or the patch or whatever, and begun to try to cut back and implement the behavioral changes recommended in the brochure I brought home from the asshole pulmonary doc's office. Clarrie's helping too, bless her non-smoking heart.
So we progress. I'm down 4 of the 5 pounds I gained over the Delaware weekend, so I anticipate that before too long I'll see some virgin loss. Gotta love that.
Exercise Update:
Thursday: 3 1/2 miles WATP walking with the 6 lb. weights, followed by lifting to failure - shoulders.
My MTD totals as of today:
Miles Walked: 32.5
Miles Biked: 37
Weights Workouts: 5
My eats are still simply above reproach.....as I said in my last post cal's are low at an average of 1300, but that's just till I reach my 3rd mini goal of 215. I'm sure my muscles are appreciating the increased protein percentage, since I'm working that weights thang more than I have heretofore.
I'm still getting lots of compliments on my loss -- it's so gratifying, and so motivating. Unfortunately, half of the clothes I just bought are a bit baggy now. I say unfortunately not because I'm ungrateful or displeased (as IF!!) but because I am on a budget. We do not have unlimited funds to buy me pretty things for each stage of the loss. Sad, but true. I think from here on out, I'm going to take the time (I hate shopping) to really try different sizes, and go with the one that's just a teensy bit on the small side. The initial pinch would probably be motivating, and it would buy me more time. We'll see.
Major, public thanks to the aforementioned Clarrie for her kind support with Lorraine's smoking. I talked to her about it again last night, and broke down in tears. With big tears streaming down my face, I told her how I don't want her to die, or get cancer, or develop emphysema, or heart disease, or any other of the host of diseases caused by cancer. She said some different things (among them that she loves me, which had the converse effect of making me cry more.) Among them, that she loves smoking (and crack addicts love crack -- and your point is??) and the other that she's picked the date of January 1st. We talked it through, and it seems that by then she'll have lined up medicinal support, like Zyban (wellbutrin,) lozenges or the patch or whatever, and begun to try to cut back and implement the behavioral changes recommended in the brochure I brought home from the asshole pulmonary doc's office. Clarrie's helping too, bless her non-smoking heart.
So we progress. I'm down 4 of the 5 pounds I gained over the Delaware weekend, so I anticipate that before too long I'll see some virgin loss. Gotta love that.
Wednesday, October 20
She speaks!
Sorry for the delay, friends. Crazy time, and it seemed daunting to give a full update.
We had a great time at the B & B, truly a lovely weekend. If any of you are ever in that neighborhood, I'd heartily recommend this place -- charming, great hosts, relaxed, comfortable, fabulous food. The rooms are to die for, seriously. Eating was not as planned. That is to say, not On Plan. When I left I was 216 (didn't get around to updating the weight here, for those of you playing along at home.) When I returned, I was 221. Woopsie daisy! I'm back down to 218 now, and I'm sure I'll be able to get rid of the rest this week. I'm exercising my ass off, and eating so on plan I inspire awe in my own damn self. *insert James Brown grunt here*
Monday: Biked 8.25 miles mostly steady rate, but with a couple of intervals
Tuesday: Walked 3 miles (2-mile Shape and Firm ramping workout with squats and lunges, followed by 1-mile WATP with 3 lb each hand weights, followed by more squats, lunges and walking lunges -- all with heavy dumbbells
Wednesday: Walked one mile on the treadmill, then did weights - arms: bi's and tri's, followed by 5.75 miles on the bike in 20 minutes
Calories are low at around 1300 on average, and I'm going low carb (not no carb) and 12-15% low fat. 45 grams fiber. 1800 grams sodium. 160 oz. water per day. I'm hitting it hard so I can recoup and get back to 216, then I'll give myself some more calories and a little more fat, but I've told myself I'm in bootcamp for 2 weeks, and I am EXTREMELY focused! I am no joke, man. Serious.
Pulmonary function test results put me at 65% of normal breathing capacity. Fabulous. I'd already explained to the asshole doctor the timeframe for my weight loss, as well as the development of my breathing problems. So when I asked him how I was going to increase that percentage, I was more than a little surprised when he responded with, "Lose weight." He said a bunch of crap about "You look great, and you've already lost a lot of weight, but your BMI still puts you in the overweight category, and it's affecting your breathing." Ok, so I'm not yet in the "overweight" category, and won't be till I hit 176, but anyway.... My articulated response was, "68 pounds ago I breathed just fine. This problem developed AFTER I'd lost over 10% of my body weight, and it has worsened since then. He just looked at me like I hadn't said anything, and then mumbled something about still needing to see my chest x-rays. Gotta say, don't really love that guy. He kept trying to suggest that I have sleep apnea because I referred to my energy being low. I don't even snore!! (This, verified by the lovely light sleeper who shares my bed.) But he did say that said lovely light sleeper's smoking is a big problem for me and must stop, and he gave me a prescription to Allegra in lieu of getting rid of the 7 cats. Alrighty then. He also really felt a biopsy on my pet lymph node (I might name it) was in order. However, all of that stuff will be handled by my GP, whom I like. He's a little odd and kinda wacky, but that's A-OK by me. He actually told me to avoid the other asshole -- I made my appointment with the aforementioned asshole's brother, but somehow I ended up with Dr. Pencil. YOU know what I'm talkin' about. *serious, meaningful nod*
Sending you love, my faithful readers; I apologize for my silence these past days. You guys are simply the best.
We had a great time at the B & B, truly a lovely weekend. If any of you are ever in that neighborhood, I'd heartily recommend this place -- charming, great hosts, relaxed, comfortable, fabulous food. The rooms are to die for, seriously. Eating was not as planned. That is to say, not On Plan. When I left I was 216 (didn't get around to updating the weight here, for those of you playing along at home.) When I returned, I was 221. Woopsie daisy! I'm back down to 218 now, and I'm sure I'll be able to get rid of the rest this week. I'm exercising my ass off, and eating so on plan I inspire awe in my own damn self. *insert James Brown grunt here*
Monday: Biked 8.25 miles mostly steady rate, but with a couple of intervals
Tuesday: Walked 3 miles (2-mile Shape and Firm ramping workout with squats and lunges, followed by 1-mile WATP with 3 lb each hand weights, followed by more squats, lunges and walking lunges -- all with heavy dumbbells
Wednesday: Walked one mile on the treadmill, then did weights - arms: bi's and tri's, followed by 5.75 miles on the bike in 20 minutes
Calories are low at around 1300 on average, and I'm going low carb (not no carb) and 12-15% low fat. 45 grams fiber. 1800 grams sodium. 160 oz. water per day. I'm hitting it hard so I can recoup and get back to 216, then I'll give myself some more calories and a little more fat, but I've told myself I'm in bootcamp for 2 weeks, and I am EXTREMELY focused! I am no joke, man. Serious.
Pulmonary function test results put me at 65% of normal breathing capacity. Fabulous. I'd already explained to the asshole doctor the timeframe for my weight loss, as well as the development of my breathing problems. So when I asked him how I was going to increase that percentage, I was more than a little surprised when he responded with, "Lose weight." He said a bunch of crap about "You look great, and you've already lost a lot of weight, but your BMI still puts you in the overweight category, and it's affecting your breathing." Ok, so I'm not yet in the "overweight" category, and won't be till I hit 176, but anyway.... My articulated response was, "68 pounds ago I breathed just fine. This problem developed AFTER I'd lost over 10% of my body weight, and it has worsened since then. He just looked at me like I hadn't said anything, and then mumbled something about still needing to see my chest x-rays. Gotta say, don't really love that guy. He kept trying to suggest that I have sleep apnea because I referred to my energy being low. I don't even snore!! (This, verified by the lovely light sleeper who shares my bed.) But he did say that said lovely light sleeper's smoking is a big problem for me and must stop, and he gave me a prescription to Allegra in lieu of getting rid of the 7 cats. Alrighty then. He also really felt a biopsy on my pet lymph node (I might name it) was in order. However, all of that stuff will be handled by my GP, whom I like. He's a little odd and kinda wacky, but that's A-OK by me. He actually told me to avoid the other asshole -- I made my appointment with the aforementioned asshole's brother, but somehow I ended up with Dr. Pencil. YOU know what I'm talkin' about. *serious, meaningful nod*
Sending you love, my faithful readers; I apologize for my silence these past days. You guys are simply the best.
Wednesday, October 13
Be still my heart
She's coming home! She's coming home! I'm so damned excited, I can hardly stand it! She's gone away before lots and lots -- at one time she was out of town for about 30% of the time. But this time it's seemed just interminable! Time has just dragged, and I feel like it's been forever. I guess I just like her. Oh lucky girl am I. To the single girls out there: never lose hope, and keep your heart open. You simply do NOT know what's right around the corner if you can manage not to close your hearts and minds -- give it a chance. Word to your mother.
I am experiencing rather a dip in my motivation. No worries, I'm fully on the wagon, with both muscular thighs firmly in place Within the Wagon. However, I am without a certain burning, driving UMMPPHHH. Maybe I just need some kisses to get me back on track. From my lips to God's ears. Did I mention she was coming home? She's coming home.
Oh! Wonderful news! We are not going to spend this weekend with her homophobic sisters discussing divorce....long, unpretty story; trust me, you don't want me to launch into it. So we're not going to do that. And that is a GOOD thing. What we are going to do instead is to go to a charming B & B in Dover, Delaware, with Louie -- "and our little dog too!" I have the lung capacity eval on Friday morning with the Esteemed Doctor of the Lung, and then afterwards off we go! It only takes a little over 2 hours to get there (just enough time for Louie to throw up on me, that's his favorite) so we'll get there in good time! The B & B is an 1860's farmhouse on 8 acres, not that far from the ocean....and it's run by 2 New Yorkers, one of them a former restaurateur and chef -- so I'm in hog heaven! He holds classes, so if he has one this weekend, I'm IN! I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but my degree (in Innkeeping) is from a culinary school and I learned to cook in Italy, so I'm all ABOUT the cooking! It's great because Louie is welcome, they have a fenced-in area, and they don't have rules about coming and going, so we can maybe go to a dyke bar in Rehoboth some night and not worry about a curfew. I wanted to get one of the rooms with a jacuzzi, but those were booked already. I'm just happy to have been able to get an opening, with such short notice, at someplace nice that welcomes dogs, isn't too far away, and doesn't cost too, too, too much!
Just in case you're wondering, my plan for The Plan is to take a couple of Leslie DVD's with me to play on my laptop, so I'll still get in some focused, elevated heart rate exercise. For eats, I'm planning to try as much as possible to stay on plan during the day, with healthy choices for dinner one of the two nights, and a splurge but not a food-orgy on the other night. And, of course, no alcohol. I will still log all my food and exercise in my Diet Power, since I'll have my laptop with me. I'm so excited! Also, when I spoke to my boss about taking the whole day off (not just the morning for the doctor's appointment,) she told me to just take it, and not use the PTO. Pretty cool, eh? She says she has a favor she has to ask of me when I get back next week -- something to do with one of the cars in our fleet -- so it's all good. That is a nice thing, and well and truly appreciated.
I'm really going to try to get in a little workout tonight in the midst of whirlwind cleaning in expectation of Lorraine's return. I don't think the house is too bad, but my "not too bad" is, in Lorrainespeak, "a hellhole." She is Felix to my Oscar. (Hey, it worked for those two, right? You know they were doin' the do in the dead of those NY nights, those rascals.) So some cleaning is in order just for her to feel ok -- but truly no reasonable person would find it so bad, so I think I'll still have time to fit in a bit-o-cardio.
I am experiencing rather a dip in my motivation. No worries, I'm fully on the wagon, with both muscular thighs firmly in place Within the Wagon. However, I am without a certain burning, driving UMMPPHHH. Maybe I just need some kisses to get me back on track. From my lips to God's ears. Did I mention she was coming home? She's coming home.
Oh! Wonderful news! We are not going to spend this weekend with her homophobic sisters discussing divorce....long, unpretty story; trust me, you don't want me to launch into it. So we're not going to do that. And that is a GOOD thing. What we are going to do instead is to go to a charming B & B in Dover, Delaware, with Louie -- "and our little dog too!" I have the lung capacity eval on Friday morning with the Esteemed Doctor of the Lung, and then afterwards off we go! It only takes a little over 2 hours to get there (just enough time for Louie to throw up on me, that's his favorite) so we'll get there in good time! The B & B is an 1860's farmhouse on 8 acres, not that far from the ocean....and it's run by 2 New Yorkers, one of them a former restaurateur and chef -- so I'm in hog heaven! He holds classes, so if he has one this weekend, I'm IN! I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but my degree (in Innkeeping) is from a culinary school and I learned to cook in Italy, so I'm all ABOUT the cooking! It's great because Louie is welcome, they have a fenced-in area, and they don't have rules about coming and going, so we can maybe go to a dyke bar in Rehoboth some night and not worry about a curfew. I wanted to get one of the rooms with a jacuzzi, but those were booked already. I'm just happy to have been able to get an opening, with such short notice, at someplace nice that welcomes dogs, isn't too far away, and doesn't cost too, too, too much!
Just in case you're wondering, my plan for The Plan is to take a couple of Leslie DVD's with me to play on my laptop, so I'll still get in some focused, elevated heart rate exercise. For eats, I'm planning to try as much as possible to stay on plan during the day, with healthy choices for dinner one of the two nights, and a splurge but not a food-orgy on the other night. And, of course, no alcohol. I will still log all my food and exercise in my Diet Power, since I'll have my laptop with me. I'm so excited! Also, when I spoke to my boss about taking the whole day off (not just the morning for the doctor's appointment,) she told me to just take it, and not use the PTO. Pretty cool, eh? She says she has a favor she has to ask of me when I get back next week -- something to do with one of the cars in our fleet -- so it's all good. That is a nice thing, and well and truly appreciated.
I'm really going to try to get in a little workout tonight in the midst of whirlwind cleaning in expectation of Lorraine's return. I don't think the house is too bad, but my "not too bad" is, in Lorrainespeak, "a hellhole." She is Felix to my Oscar. (Hey, it worked for those two, right? You know they were doin' the do in the dead of those NY nights, those rascals.) So some cleaning is in order just for her to feel ok -- but truly no reasonable person would find it so bad, so I think I'll still have time to fit in a bit-o-cardio.
Monday, October 11
Sarah walks and has a neck but doesn't lift a lot.
Weight: 217
Loss to date: 67 pounds
Miles walked so far this month: 20.5. Miles biked so far this month: 23. Weights workouts so far this month: 2. I really should be giving a lot more attention to resistance training with my free weights and CrossBow than just 2 times in 11 days -- I truly don't know why I don't. Before, it was an issue with my ability to breathe in the basement; now, with the inhalers and the nighttime cough medicine, that does not present the issue it did. So I don't know. I guess it's one thing at a time, you know? I didn't intentionally set out to emphasize the cardio, but I'm still trying to Create This Damned Habit (in case you hadn't heard) and so maybe I just need to phase in the different aspects of this new physically active life I now lead. I'm a little disappointed in myself, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it just yet. On the upside, I do LOTS of walking lunges and just regular lunges and squats, and I can definitely feel a difference in my shoulders and arms from using the Ironhands during my Leslie workouts, believe it or not! Now that I did not expect; I just figured I'd reap the benefits of an increased heart rate and caloric burn....I didn't expect them to actually get stronger, harder, and more flexible -- since I'm using 20 pound dumbbells for my shoulder presses, and 50 lbs. bow resistance for my lat pulldowns, I sort of figured the 3 lbs wouldn't give any significant muscle-building benefit! But really it's active and it's repeated, and there are a lot of them. So.... and I say this with love for myself: Um, Sarah? Duh?
Oh! This just in: it has just occurred to me that my neck is really quite lovely. Ok, not quite as lovely as it's going to be once I've got that to-die-for clavicle back....but we've got BONES, people! Bones and tendons. And curves, oh my! Ok, enough gloating, Sarah. You've still got one last chin to lose (and that aforementioned clavicle to gain!)
I'll try not to let so much time pass without posting. There are times you feel less communicative than others, no? Anyway, I didn't mean to neglect my beloved bloggina. Sorry!
Loss to date: 67 pounds
Miles walked so far this month: 20.5. Miles biked so far this month: 23. Weights workouts so far this month: 2. I really should be giving a lot more attention to resistance training with my free weights and CrossBow than just 2 times in 11 days -- I truly don't know why I don't. Before, it was an issue with my ability to breathe in the basement; now, with the inhalers and the nighttime cough medicine, that does not present the issue it did. So I don't know. I guess it's one thing at a time, you know? I didn't intentionally set out to emphasize the cardio, but I'm still trying to Create This Damned Habit (in case you hadn't heard) and so maybe I just need to phase in the different aspects of this new physically active life I now lead. I'm a little disappointed in myself, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it just yet. On the upside, I do LOTS of walking lunges and just regular lunges and squats, and I can definitely feel a difference in my shoulders and arms from using the Ironhands during my Leslie workouts, believe it or not! Now that I did not expect; I just figured I'd reap the benefits of an increased heart rate and caloric burn....I didn't expect them to actually get stronger, harder, and more flexible -- since I'm using 20 pound dumbbells for my shoulder presses, and 50 lbs. bow resistance for my lat pulldowns, I sort of figured the 3 lbs wouldn't give any significant muscle-building benefit! But really it's active and it's repeated, and there are a lot of them. So.... and I say this with love for myself: Um, Sarah? Duh?
Oh! This just in: it has just occurred to me that my neck is really quite lovely. Ok, not quite as lovely as it's going to be once I've got that to-die-for clavicle back....but we've got BONES, people! Bones and tendons. And curves, oh my! Ok, enough gloating, Sarah. You've still got one last chin to lose (and that aforementioned clavicle to gain!)
I'll try not to let so much time pass without posting. There are times you feel less communicative than others, no? Anyway, I didn't mean to neglect my beloved bloggina. Sorry!
Thursday, October 7
The Quick and Dirty
Whoo! Not much time to update, but I did want to check in quickly, just to share with my loved ones that I live, breathe, and continue to persevere -- nay, progress!
This period thing is ridiculous, I must say. You may not want to hear it, but it seems I must say it! (It's my blog and I can cry if I want to, cry if I want to!) I will continue, only to say that I am mightily pleased that I have an apppointment lined up with the gynecologist in November. Gee, I hope she has warm hands.
Moving on....Lorraine goes to Vegas tomorrow. The last time she was there, I was too, and we had our commitment ceremony outside the Bellagio, and she surprised me with our beautiful rings. Mine is just so beautiful to me....lovely big diamonds in a simple setting. Go me! Of course "big" is a relative term....these are not J Lo big, but they're big enough for me. I gaze at this ring with love and appreciation as I think of how lucky I am to have this love in my life.
The doc called yesterday with my blood test results and more: my blood sugar and blood pressure are great, my cholesterol and LDL are low, I'm negative for insulin resistance or diabetes, negative for thyroid stuff, and my risk for heart disease is "below average." (For the record, before I lost weight through correcting my eating habits and exercise, my cholesterol was high, as was my blood pressure and blood sugar. And I'm certain I was on the road to adult-onset diabetes. So there we are.) My white blood cell count is apparently extremely high, though -- so he chided me for not getting that chest x-ray taken care of yet. He's concerned about that and the ever-present enlarged lymph node on my neck. This Saturday. Don't know where yet, but this Saturday. I totally spaced it last Saturday, and even that was really late.
More anon, gentle reader.
This period thing is ridiculous, I must say. You may not want to hear it, but it seems I must say it! (It's my blog and I can cry if I want to, cry if I want to!) I will continue, only to say that I am mightily pleased that I have an apppointment lined up with the gynecologist in November. Gee, I hope she has warm hands.
Moving on....Lorraine goes to Vegas tomorrow. The last time she was there, I was too, and we had our commitment ceremony outside the Bellagio, and she surprised me with our beautiful rings. Mine is just so beautiful to me....lovely big diamonds in a simple setting. Go me! Of course "big" is a relative term....these are not J Lo big, but they're big enough for me. I gaze at this ring with love and appreciation as I think of how lucky I am to have this love in my life.
The doc called yesterday with my blood test results and more: my blood sugar and blood pressure are great, my cholesterol and LDL are low, I'm negative for insulin resistance or diabetes, negative for thyroid stuff, and my risk for heart disease is "below average." (For the record, before I lost weight through correcting my eating habits and exercise, my cholesterol was high, as was my blood pressure and blood sugar. And I'm certain I was on the road to adult-onset diabetes. So there we are.) My white blood cell count is apparently extremely high, though -- so he chided me for not getting that chest x-ray taken care of yet. He's concerned about that and the ever-present enlarged lymph node on my neck. This Saturday. Don't know where yet, but this Saturday. I totally spaced it last Saturday, and even that was really late.
More anon, gentle reader.
Tuesday, October 5
Sarah feels good about exercising!
I walked 4 1/2 miles today! 1 1/2 regular miles plus the 3-mile WATP workout with my 6 lb. weights. Man, those kickbacks are a killer! I'd barely recovered from Sunday's 5 1/2 (including the ramp) but I didn't want to lose momentum. I just love having a clean conscience, don't you? So that puts me at 13.5 miles walked this month so far.
Two days in a row I've been told that I look 10 years younger! And, to my knowledge, neither of the individuals who told me that was trying to get in my pants! I love this week, even if I do have my period like 60% of my life.
Two days in a row I've been told that I look 10 years younger! And, to my knowledge, neither of the individuals who told me that was trying to get in my pants! I love this week, even if I do have my period like 60% of my life.
Monday, October 4
The workaround to editing
Something's most decidedly up with ol' Blogger, because I can't edit the previous post now that I was finally able to publish it.
I wanted to provide a link to the aforementioned "Creating a Habit, or the Last Unconquered Demon" post. Now I have.
I wanted to provide a link to the aforementioned "Creating a Habit, or the Last Unconquered Demon" post. Now I have.
We're walking, we're walking.....
Weight: 218
Loss to date: 66 pounds
Wow, rough time this morning posting here! Nothing on the status page, so I don't know what's going on.
Well, my thighs are sore and my conscience is clean. Life is good. When it comes to the process of losing weight, for me there really is nothing more gratifying than the feeling of having exercised well. We all have our struggles; for some it's food and others exercise. I have the eats pretty well under control most of the time (this weekend was a little off in terms of ratios but calories were ok.) Along the road to now, my struggle has been in the area of Daily Exercise, capital D, capital E.
But, echoing a previous entry here entitled "Creating a Habit, or the Last Unconquered Demon," I am working towards that goal. It requires repetition and a steady will rather than bursts of enthusiasm and a spiked motivation. I am on the road. I have the tools and I have the desire, I have an exercise calendar all mapped out for the month, I have goals, and I have the ability.
Saturday I walked 2 miles, and Sunday 5 1/2. I received my Walkblaster (one of three workouts was duplicated and one was omitted, so I called Good Times' customer service today to get that missing DVD and they couldn't have been more gracious - I should have it in a week to a week and a half.) That ramp and those workouts are FUN! I tried it out on Saturday for the first time -- did the Sculpt and Burn workout (high intensity calorie burn combined with squats, lunges, and some mambo-action up and down and all over the ramp.) It's a 2-mile walk in 37 minutes, and it definitely works the hams and glutes much more than her typical workout, which focuses much more on the quads. Of course, there's still the arm work with the light weights. I think most people use her 1-pound weighted balls, but I use the 3-pound apiece Ironhands. So that was the 2-mile walk.
On Sunday, I did the Shape and Firm workout with the ramp and weights -- 2 miles plus a stronger emphasis on squats and lunges. Later, after walking outside with an exuberant Louie for a half-mile (God, I love that dog!) I did the 3-mile WATP walk (again with the weights) before dinner! I did have to quickly hit the inhaler while walking in place, but I hit the whole thing hard and had no let-up of intensity. I'm really proud of myself.
Today, I'm Bloat Girl. There's something a little insulting about getting terrible periods and all of their accroutement when you're never even going to freaking reproduce. Worse still when you actually WANT to reproduce but never will because you've chosen your lover (who wants not children) over that desire. But that's a story for another day. We all make choices in this lifetime. The best you can hope for is to make them with full knowledge and as much wisdom as you can muster, and then to do so FULLY; that is, not to rethink/remake them for the rest of your life and make yourself and others miserable with your regret. That's where I am with it. And that's all I'll say about that.
I didn't walk this morning, so it's the 3-mile again tonight. Yesterday I struggled a bit with the breathing aspect...physically I was GREAT! God bless inhalers, and the folks who created them! Tomorrow morning will be biking. Whoo whee!
Loss to date: 66 pounds
Wow, rough time this morning posting here! Nothing on the status page, so I don't know what's going on.
Well, my thighs are sore and my conscience is clean. Life is good. When it comes to the process of losing weight, for me there really is nothing more gratifying than the feeling of having exercised well. We all have our struggles; for some it's food and others exercise. I have the eats pretty well under control most of the time (this weekend was a little off in terms of ratios but calories were ok.) Along the road to now, my struggle has been in the area of Daily Exercise, capital D, capital E.
But, echoing a previous entry here entitled "Creating a Habit, or the Last Unconquered Demon," I am working towards that goal. It requires repetition and a steady will rather than bursts of enthusiasm and a spiked motivation. I am on the road. I have the tools and I have the desire, I have an exercise calendar all mapped out for the month, I have goals, and I have the ability.
Saturday I walked 2 miles, and Sunday 5 1/2. I received my Walkblaster (one of three workouts was duplicated and one was omitted, so I called Good Times' customer service today to get that missing DVD and they couldn't have been more gracious - I should have it in a week to a week and a half.) That ramp and those workouts are FUN! I tried it out on Saturday for the first time -- did the Sculpt and Burn workout (high intensity calorie burn combined with squats, lunges, and some mambo-action up and down and all over the ramp.) It's a 2-mile walk in 37 minutes, and it definitely works the hams and glutes much more than her typical workout, which focuses much more on the quads. Of course, there's still the arm work with the light weights. I think most people use her 1-pound weighted balls, but I use the 3-pound apiece Ironhands. So that was the 2-mile walk.
On Sunday, I did the Shape and Firm workout with the ramp and weights -- 2 miles plus a stronger emphasis on squats and lunges. Later, after walking outside with an exuberant Louie for a half-mile (God, I love that dog!) I did the 3-mile WATP walk (again with the weights) before dinner! I did have to quickly hit the inhaler while walking in place, but I hit the whole thing hard and had no let-up of intensity. I'm really proud of myself.
Today, I'm Bloat Girl. There's something a little insulting about getting terrible periods and all of their accroutement when you're never even going to freaking reproduce. Worse still when you actually WANT to reproduce but never will because you've chosen your lover (who wants not children) over that desire. But that's a story for another day. We all make choices in this lifetime. The best you can hope for is to make them with full knowledge and as much wisdom as you can muster, and then to do so FULLY; that is, not to rethink/remake them for the rest of your life and make yourself and others miserable with your regret. That's where I am with it. And that's all I'll say about that.
I didn't walk this morning, so it's the 3-mile again tonight. Yesterday I struggled a bit with the breathing aspect...physically I was GREAT! God bless inhalers, and the folks who created them! Tomorrow morning will be biking. Whoo whee!
Friday, October 1
Another One!
Weight: 218
Loss to date: 66 pounds
Ahhhh......another one off. Life is good. I weighed myself a few times, and the number shining back up at me ranged from 217.6 to 218.4 -- so I'm going with 218 on the button. I predict that by Sunday or Monday I'll be at 216-217. It's my goal to be in Onederland by Thanksgiving, and I think to achieve that, I'll need to be around 208 or 209 at Halloween. Fairly ambitious, at this stage in the game. Ah well, weight loss is not for the faint of heart, is it? Come to think of it, you don't see a lot of people training to win (like athletes) aiming for second place. Wanna be a winner? Act like a winner.
Off I go.
Loss to date: 66 pounds
Ahhhh......another one off. Life is good. I weighed myself a few times, and the number shining back up at me ranged from 217.6 to 218.4 -- so I'm going with 218 on the button. I predict that by Sunday or Monday I'll be at 216-217. It's my goal to be in Onederland by Thanksgiving, and I think to achieve that, I'll need to be around 208 or 209 at Halloween. Fairly ambitious, at this stage in the game. Ah well, weight loss is not for the faint of heart, is it? Come to think of it, you don't see a lot of people training to win (like athletes) aiming for second place. Wanna be a winner? Act like a winner.
Off I go.
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