Weight: 209
Loss to date: 75 pounds
I've had better weeks on plan, to be honest. I'll go ahead and get the excuses out of the way now: I'm not doing so well with the reduced carb thing these days. Additionally, I'm not pushing back hard enough on Lorraine when she wants to go out for dinner (I'll eat an on-plan dinner but share an appetizer) or order in (I'll eat a dinner of chicken and salad, and throw in a slice of pizza.) All told, my average calories last week were 1789 -- lovely not so much. And my exercise tapered off slightly, with two days missed. (So much for that Every Day in November challenge, right?) To be honest, there were more great days than not-so-great days, but big-picture, I didn't accomplish my goals.
Now let me be clear: I'm not dwelling, I'm not mired in regret. It is what it is, and what's been done cannot be undone. So it's a new week. I will say that I'm really going to have to have another heart-to-heart with Lorraine. Tonight I came home and wanted to work out and she wasn't pleased, since she was starving and wanted me to cook dinner. She quickly recovered and was ok with my working out, but then 20 minutes into it, she didn't like that it was taking so long. So I abbreviated the HIIT biking from 30 minutes to 20 minutes, but held to my guns with the arms weight workout afterwards. It's hard enough psyching myself up to work out for an hour after a 10-hour workday without having to apologize to and worry about her disappointment that I'm doing it at a time not of her choosing. And no, she doesn't want to do it with me -- I've tried that one more than once. Alrighty then.
So I move forward. Here's my exercise for last week, Week 2, with MTD totals through yesterday:
WATP Miles Walked: 6 miles last week; 30 miles MTD
HIIT Miles Biked: 17.25 miles last week; 30 miles MTD
Weights Workouts: 1 workout last week; 3 workouts MTD
Step Workouts: 1 workout last week; 3 workouts MTD
Ramp Workouts: 0 workouts last week; 2 workouts MTD
So there it is. Not really the exercise behavior of a motivated person. Which indicates to me that for some reason my motivation lagged last week. That's ok, it's back this week. Life goes on.
Monday, November 22
Saturday, November 20
On the Subject of Partnership
As regular readers know, I've been with my partner, Lorraine, for 6 years now. I dream of a time when I can marry her and be assured of equal lawful protection of our life together. I have no family. She does, and if something were to happen to her, at least one of them would immediately lay claim to our home and other assets. I would quickly find myself embroiled in a legal battle which would be difficult to win, despite having put in place the legal protections available to us at this time.
I'm heartened by the UK's Civil Partnership laws which were approved this week and will take effect next autumn. Here in America, the queer community's goal of equality was set back immeasurably by Bush's reelection and collective state smackdown of marriage and anti-discrimination bills. Most straight folks don't know what all the hullaboo is about. There are so many compassionate, well-meaning heteros who believe that we can put into place legally all the desired protections by paying an attorney to just take care of it for us. The perception is that the whole marriage hubub is really a religious symbol, which could be replaced by an equally symbolic "commitment ceremony." My beloved and I have had one of those commitment ceremonies, and we have paid an attorney handsomely to give us all the relationship-protective paperwork we can have at this point. So what IS all the stink about? It's about this, and this.
And it's about this, from GLAD, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders:
Protections, Benefits, and Responsibilities of Marriage
Marriage confers automatic rights and responsibilities that are integral in the formation and sustenance of a family. The law recognizes marriage is an intimate and confidential relationship and an economic partnership. Marriage laws affect nearly every aspect of a married couple's lives. Some protections are available in times of vulnerability, allowing spouses to make medical decisions, visit in the hospital, and make final decisions about a loved one's remains. Other laws affect more mundane but practical needs, such as filing joint tax returns, allowing a surviving spouse to inherit property from one's spouse free from certain estate taxes, and the ability to transfer property between spouses without gift or transfer tax consequences, as well as obtaining joint health, home and auto insurance policies.
Marriage also provides security for children; a child who grows up with married parents benefits from the fact that his or her parents' relationship receives the support of the law.
While gay and lesbian families can provide limited protections for themselves by creating wills, health care proxies and co-parent adoptions, there are hundreds of state and federal rights and obligations into which people simply cannot contract. In addition, this partial protection is only available to those who can afford lawyers, and as a result many gay and lesbian couples are left without even minimal security for themselves and their children. Only when the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry is recognized will these families have the level of protection that they need and deserve.
Protections of Marriage that Cannot be Replicated
Medical/Health/Illness -- Without Marriage:
1. Lesbian and gay couples are not automatically entitled to medical decision-making powers and hospital visitation rights when his/her partner falls ill;
2. A same-sex partner of a worker injured or killed is not entitled to dependency benefits from the worker's compensation system;
3. Protections for families of crime victims, including confidentiality of address, the right to information, and the right to make a victim impact statement are not available to a same-sex partner;
4. Same-sex partners are not entitled to family medical and bereavement leaves from employers;
5. Lesbian and gay couples lack access to family health and auto insurance policies.
Death -- Without Marriage:
1. The surviving same-sex partner is not entitled to protections such as taking a forced share of the estate, and transition protections related to staying in the family home, receiving allowances from the estate to meet current expenses, and being allowed to drive the family car;
2. Surviving lesbian and gay partners are denied automatic inheritance rights, along with spousal preference for administering the estate and taking care of a loved one's remains;
3. A same-sex partner of a public employee is not entitled to pension survivor rights and accidental death benefits. In addition, partners of police officers, firefighters and prosecutors who are killed on the job do not have access to line of duty benefits;
4. Gay men and lesbians do not have standing to bring claims of wrongful death or loss of consortium when a loved one's death results from wrongdoing.
Divorce -- Without Marriage:
1. Lesbian and gay couples are not entitled to legal protections upon the dissolution of their relationship, such as equitable division of property based on both parties' contributions to the relationship and the possibility of partner support. If the couple has children, there is no automatic system for deciding on adequate child support as well as custody and visitation based on their best interest.
2. The list is long, numbering hundreds of protections granted by the state and over a thousand by the federal government.
3. (For a more extensive, but still not exhaustive, list of the benefits and obligations of marriage see GLAD's publication, “Protections, Benefits and Obligations of Marriage Under Massachusetts and Federal Law”)
Responsibilities of Marriage
1. The above-mentioned rights and benefits are accorded to married couples on the understanding that they will be mutually dependent and support one another throughout their time together. The law enforces these mutual obligations.
2. Duty of Support: Married people are responsible for each other's support as well as the necessary debts of their spouses, including medical bills. In addition, when a married woman gives birth, her spouse is automatically responsible for child support.
3. Commitment to Remain Married: Once two people marry in a civil ceremony, they cannot undo their marriage without first obtaining the state's permission. The commitment to remain married, and the stability and continuity that provides for families and society, is the major reason why the government provides married couples with extensive legal, social, and economic protections.
Why Civil Unions Are Not Enough
1. The word “marriage” is one of marriage's protections: everyone knows it means you are a family. Nothing else immediately conveys that reality;
2. Marriages are more likely to be respected by other states, and ultimately the federal government than some other status that has no parallel in our history. For example, a Massachusetts couple visiting relations in Florida would have a harder time getting emergency personnel to recognize a civil union than a marriage;
3. When some states allow marriage, the federal government will begin to revisit the federal law that presently bars same-sex married couples from receiving protections under federal law, such as social security survivor rights, Family & Medical Leave rights, and joint tax filings; and
4. The only reason a state would bother going to the trouble of creating a separate system exclusively for gay people, when it could easily fold same-sex couples into the marriage system, is to stigmatize same-sex couples and convey the message that gay people are unworthy of marriage.
When I woke up today and thought of updating my blog, I hadn't set out to go into this, but in celebrating this enormous step towards reason in the UK, I was reminded of how far behind them we are here in the US in extending civil liberties to our own citizens.
On the weight-loss front, life continues as usual.
I'm heartened by the UK's Civil Partnership laws which were approved this week and will take effect next autumn. Here in America, the queer community's goal of equality was set back immeasurably by Bush's reelection and collective state smackdown of marriage and anti-discrimination bills. Most straight folks don't know what all the hullaboo is about. There are so many compassionate, well-meaning heteros who believe that we can put into place legally all the desired protections by paying an attorney to just take care of it for us. The perception is that the whole marriage hubub is really a religious symbol, which could be replaced by an equally symbolic "commitment ceremony." My beloved and I have had one of those commitment ceremonies, and we have paid an attorney handsomely to give us all the relationship-protective paperwork we can have at this point. So what IS all the stink about? It's about this, and this.
And it's about this, from GLAD, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders:
Protections, Benefits, and Responsibilities of Marriage
Marriage confers automatic rights and responsibilities that are integral in the formation and sustenance of a family. The law recognizes marriage is an intimate and confidential relationship and an economic partnership. Marriage laws affect nearly every aspect of a married couple's lives. Some protections are available in times of vulnerability, allowing spouses to make medical decisions, visit in the hospital, and make final decisions about a loved one's remains. Other laws affect more mundane but practical needs, such as filing joint tax returns, allowing a surviving spouse to inherit property from one's spouse free from certain estate taxes, and the ability to transfer property between spouses without gift or transfer tax consequences, as well as obtaining joint health, home and auto insurance policies.
Marriage also provides security for children; a child who grows up with married parents benefits from the fact that his or her parents' relationship receives the support of the law.
While gay and lesbian families can provide limited protections for themselves by creating wills, health care proxies and co-parent adoptions, there are hundreds of state and federal rights and obligations into which people simply cannot contract. In addition, this partial protection is only available to those who can afford lawyers, and as a result many gay and lesbian couples are left without even minimal security for themselves and their children. Only when the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry is recognized will these families have the level of protection that they need and deserve.
Protections of Marriage that Cannot be Replicated
Medical/Health/Illness -- Without Marriage:
1. Lesbian and gay couples are not automatically entitled to medical decision-making powers and hospital visitation rights when his/her partner falls ill;
2. A same-sex partner of a worker injured or killed is not entitled to dependency benefits from the worker's compensation system;
3. Protections for families of crime victims, including confidentiality of address, the right to information, and the right to make a victim impact statement are not available to a same-sex partner;
4. Same-sex partners are not entitled to family medical and bereavement leaves from employers;
5. Lesbian and gay couples lack access to family health and auto insurance policies.
Death -- Without Marriage:
1. The surviving same-sex partner is not entitled to protections such as taking a forced share of the estate, and transition protections related to staying in the family home, receiving allowances from the estate to meet current expenses, and being allowed to drive the family car;
2. Surviving lesbian and gay partners are denied automatic inheritance rights, along with spousal preference for administering the estate and taking care of a loved one's remains;
3. A same-sex partner of a public employee is not entitled to pension survivor rights and accidental death benefits. In addition, partners of police officers, firefighters and prosecutors who are killed on the job do not have access to line of duty benefits;
4. Gay men and lesbians do not have standing to bring claims of wrongful death or loss of consortium when a loved one's death results from wrongdoing.
Divorce -- Without Marriage:
1. Lesbian and gay couples are not entitled to legal protections upon the dissolution of their relationship, such as equitable division of property based on both parties' contributions to the relationship and the possibility of partner support. If the couple has children, there is no automatic system for deciding on adequate child support as well as custody and visitation based on their best interest.
2. The list is long, numbering hundreds of protections granted by the state and over a thousand by the federal government.
3. (For a more extensive, but still not exhaustive, list of the benefits and obligations of marriage see GLAD's publication, “Protections, Benefits and Obligations of Marriage Under Massachusetts and Federal Law”)
Responsibilities of Marriage
1. The above-mentioned rights and benefits are accorded to married couples on the understanding that they will be mutually dependent and support one another throughout their time together. The law enforces these mutual obligations.
2. Duty of Support: Married people are responsible for each other's support as well as the necessary debts of their spouses, including medical bills. In addition, when a married woman gives birth, her spouse is automatically responsible for child support.
3. Commitment to Remain Married: Once two people marry in a civil ceremony, they cannot undo their marriage without first obtaining the state's permission. The commitment to remain married, and the stability and continuity that provides for families and society, is the major reason why the government provides married couples with extensive legal, social, and economic protections.
Why Civil Unions Are Not Enough
1. The word “marriage” is one of marriage's protections: everyone knows it means you are a family. Nothing else immediately conveys that reality;
2. Marriages are more likely to be respected by other states, and ultimately the federal government than some other status that has no parallel in our history. For example, a Massachusetts couple visiting relations in Florida would have a harder time getting emergency personnel to recognize a civil union than a marriage;
3. When some states allow marriage, the federal government will begin to revisit the federal law that presently bars same-sex married couples from receiving protections under federal law, such as social security survivor rights, Family & Medical Leave rights, and joint tax filings; and
4. The only reason a state would bother going to the trouble of creating a separate system exclusively for gay people, when it could easily fold same-sex couples into the marriage system, is to stigmatize same-sex couples and convey the message that gay people are unworthy of marriage.
When I woke up today and thought of updating my blog, I hadn't set out to go into this, but in celebrating this enormous step towards reason in the UK, I was reminded of how far behind them we are here in the US in extending civil liberties to our own citizens.
On the weight-loss front, life continues as usual.
Thursday, November 18
Addendum
Woopsie! Totally forgot to mention my exercise history since living on plan. Up until a couple of months ago, I was only exercising like 3 times a week on average. That escalated to about 4-5 times a week. Now, I'm up to every day.
I doubt I'll plan on holding myself accountable for 7 days/week after November.......but 6 days/week: NO DOUBT. That's just the way it's going to have to be. I'm getting there, and I do have fitness and exercise goals that are completely unrelated to weight loss. So the fitness challenges will continue during and after the loss.
Life is a good and active gift of beauty and motion.
I doubt I'll plan on holding myself accountable for 7 days/week after November.......but 6 days/week: NO DOUBT. That's just the way it's going to have to be. I'm getting there, and I do have fitness and exercise goals that are completely unrelated to weight loss. So the fitness challenges will continue during and after the loss.
Life is a good and active gift of beauty and motion.
Marla Ponders the Hen While Humming Softly
Weight: 209
Loss to date: 75 pounds
Gotcha with that title, no? I slay myself -- such a prankster I am. See, there are times when I grow weary of conjuring up engaging, relevant titles to my entries....I definitely think that Marla is a brilliant one for starting out with those whimsical self-referencing titles. Ok, she's brilliant for some different reasons, but that's one of them! Hey, Marla, did you ever figure out that comment-posting thing on my blog? If so, CAN I get a hallelujah?
You may have noticed that I'm down another pound. Well, steady as she goes, apparently. Yesterday was Day 12 on the exercise front. I had too much sodium yesterday and Tuesday *insert sad, DOH!-face here* so I suspect I'm carrying some extra H20 -- particularly since I typically really limit my sodium. I know from my faithful DietPower logging that I almost always achieve my daily sodium goal of keeping it under 1900 grams.
In receiving a lovely, supportive and gently guiding comment from the charming Chris, in which he encouraged me to select healthy, low-glycemic add-ons to up my calories rather than the aforementioned half a donut and dinner roll (gasp!) it occurred to me that I haven't discussed here in quite some while the nutritional portion of my plan. Since beginning this Chapter Two in the Life of Sarah back in March, I have found the eats thing easier to manage than the move-yer-ass thing. So I talk about the exercise thing all the time in an attempt to increase my awareness, accountability, motivation and progress. (Not necessarily in that order.) My nutritional habits are pretty much on auto pilot, with the "Hey, what the hell was I thinking putting that in my mouth?" occurring relatively infrequently. I think I might be the exception to the rule here, because I tend to hear more "I ate the wrong thing" than "I can't make myself exercise regularly."
I'm not sure I can adequately express how happy I am with my progress in terms of both exercise and diet. Raised as a vegetarian, I was an active child, dancing for hours daily (I took ballet for 9 years, and for 7 of those 9 years, I lived in a house inside which dance was taught daily on a gorgeous dance floor designed right into the house by the architect/owner/father of the family in which I lived.) After an active life in NYC, I moved to southwest Florida to this home, and there I canoed, sailed, hiked, and walked through high school. Not long after that I was walking all over Italy, then India, then Ireland. I didn't own a car, and I always lived in cities, so I was a perrenial pedestrian. And a healthy eater. But after India, my previously vegetarian habits had to be shelved, and with the introduction of meat and reduction in vegetarian options, some additional unhealthy foods I'd not eaten much of before. Still I wasn't "still," nor was I overweight. I wasn't as slim as I'd been, and I certainly wasn't as active, but I wasn't yet in the danger zone. That happened after I met my lady love, Lorraine. (Well, she sure ain't no lady -- she more frequently gets called "sir" -- but I can testify that she sure is a love!)
In shacked-up bliss, I prepared for and ate with her the things that she enjoyed, things that I had not previously regularly included in my diet: cream, butter, steak, baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese.....you get the picture. And I now lived in the 'burbs -- hello car, buh bye walking. My work changed also: no more standing-and-walking job, hello sitting-in-one-place job. I drank more wine, developed a heretofore unknown sweet tooth, and snuggled on the couch a lot more. I got fat -- like 200-220 fat. Then, when I got laid off, all of the above was exacerbated to the Nth degree. And that's when my fat became just REALLY over the top. Like 284 fat. A corner was most decidedly turned.
Well, it was turned again when I quit drinking the aforementioned wine in late February, then started living on plan March 1, 2004. I've used DietPower since the beginning, and it has been key to my ability to ensure that I'm achieving the following goals:
Calories (now) between 1500-1700 (depending on the intensity of exercise that day)
Fat around 25% of my total calories
Saturated fat at like 4-6 grams/day max
Protein around 40% of my total calories
Carbs at around 35% of my total calories, with a HUGE emphasis on keeping them low-glycemic
Sugar below 15-18 grams/day
Sodium below 1800-1900 grams/day
Fiber over 40 grams/day, but NEVER below 35
Water 140-160 oz. per day
100% minimum of all required vitamins and minerals (Potassium can be a challenge on my low spinach days!)
I spread the calories over 5-6 meals, eating every 3-4 hours. As I mentioned, I'm religious (at the expense of my relationship on some evenings *wink* ) about logging all of my eats and exercise in DietPower. I know with absolute certainty what my ongoing relationship is with selenium and phosphorus. Serious.
My zeal for achieving nutritional nirvana was not so easily applied to exercise, however. That's been a battle. I know when I discovered the lure of sitting, but am less clear on when I raised it so effectively to an art form. I DO know that I've got Day 12 under my belt now, and am looking forward to the satisfaction I'll gain from making it 13 tonight.
On the topic of titles, as it turns out, I could come up with something now, but if I changed it at this point, I'd have to remove that shout-out to the lovely Marla...and that would break my heart.
Loss to date: 75 pounds
Gotcha with that title, no? I slay myself -- such a prankster I am. See, there are times when I grow weary of conjuring up engaging, relevant titles to my entries....I definitely think that Marla is a brilliant one for starting out with those whimsical self-referencing titles. Ok, she's brilliant for some different reasons, but that's one of them! Hey, Marla, did you ever figure out that comment-posting thing on my blog? If so, CAN I get a hallelujah?
You may have noticed that I'm down another pound. Well, steady as she goes, apparently. Yesterday was Day 12 on the exercise front. I had too much sodium yesterday and Tuesday *insert sad, DOH!-face here* so I suspect I'm carrying some extra H20 -- particularly since I typically really limit my sodium. I know from my faithful DietPower logging that I almost always achieve my daily sodium goal of keeping it under 1900 grams.
In receiving a lovely, supportive and gently guiding comment from the charming Chris, in which he encouraged me to select healthy, low-glycemic add-ons to up my calories rather than the aforementioned half a donut and dinner roll (gasp!) it occurred to me that I haven't discussed here in quite some while the nutritional portion of my plan. Since beginning this Chapter Two in the Life of Sarah back in March, I have found the eats thing easier to manage than the move-yer-ass thing. So I talk about the exercise thing all the time in an attempt to increase my awareness, accountability, motivation and progress. (Not necessarily in that order.) My nutritional habits are pretty much on auto pilot, with the "Hey, what the hell was I thinking putting that in my mouth?" occurring relatively infrequently. I think I might be the exception to the rule here, because I tend to hear more "I ate the wrong thing" than "I can't make myself exercise regularly."
I'm not sure I can adequately express how happy I am with my progress in terms of both exercise and diet. Raised as a vegetarian, I was an active child, dancing for hours daily (I took ballet for 9 years, and for 7 of those 9 years, I lived in a house inside which dance was taught daily on a gorgeous dance floor designed right into the house by the architect/owner/father of the family in which I lived.) After an active life in NYC, I moved to southwest Florida to this home, and there I canoed, sailed, hiked, and walked through high school. Not long after that I was walking all over Italy, then India, then Ireland. I didn't own a car, and I always lived in cities, so I was a perrenial pedestrian. And a healthy eater. But after India, my previously vegetarian habits had to be shelved, and with the introduction of meat and reduction in vegetarian options, some additional unhealthy foods I'd not eaten much of before. Still I wasn't "still," nor was I overweight. I wasn't as slim as I'd been, and I certainly wasn't as active, but I wasn't yet in the danger zone. That happened after I met my lady love, Lorraine. (Well, she sure ain't no lady -- she more frequently gets called "sir" -- but I can testify that she sure is a love!)
In shacked-up bliss, I prepared for and ate with her the things that she enjoyed, things that I had not previously regularly included in my diet: cream, butter, steak, baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese.....you get the picture. And I now lived in the 'burbs -- hello car, buh bye walking. My work changed also: no more standing-and-walking job, hello sitting-in-one-place job. I drank more wine, developed a heretofore unknown sweet tooth, and snuggled on the couch a lot more. I got fat -- like 200-220 fat. Then, when I got laid off, all of the above was exacerbated to the Nth degree. And that's when my fat became just REALLY over the top. Like 284 fat. A corner was most decidedly turned.
Well, it was turned again when I quit drinking the aforementioned wine in late February, then started living on plan March 1, 2004. I've used DietPower since the beginning, and it has been key to my ability to ensure that I'm achieving the following goals:
Calories (now) between 1500-1700 (depending on the intensity of exercise that day)
Fat around 25% of my total calories
Saturated fat at like 4-6 grams/day max
Protein around 40% of my total calories
Carbs at around 35% of my total calories, with a HUGE emphasis on keeping them low-glycemic
Sugar below 15-18 grams/day
Sodium below 1800-1900 grams/day
Fiber over 40 grams/day, but NEVER below 35
Water 140-160 oz. per day
100% minimum of all required vitamins and minerals (Potassium can be a challenge on my low spinach days!)
I spread the calories over 5-6 meals, eating every 3-4 hours. As I mentioned, I'm religious (at the expense of my relationship on some evenings *wink* ) about logging all of my eats and exercise in DietPower. I know with absolute certainty what my ongoing relationship is with selenium and phosphorus. Serious.
My zeal for achieving nutritional nirvana was not so easily applied to exercise, however. That's been a battle. I know when I discovered the lure of sitting, but am less clear on when I raised it so effectively to an art form. I DO know that I've got Day 12 under my belt now, and am looking forward to the satisfaction I'll gain from making it 13 tonight.
On the topic of titles, as it turns out, I could come up with something now, but if I changed it at this point, I'd have to remove that shout-out to the lovely Marla...and that would break my heart.
Monday, November 15
Update on the Movement of the Ass (Which is Considerably Smaller, Incidentally)
Weight: 210
Loss to date: 74 pounds
Hello, lovelies! (You too, Howie!) Ok. As promised, I'm checking in with a little what say about my ass' movement this past week. ('Cuz I know how concerned you all are with the happenings of and around my ass.) Here goes:
WATP Miles Walked: 13 last week; 24 MTD
HIIT Miles Biked: 12.75 last week; 12.75 MTD
Weights Workouts: 0 last week; 2 MTD
Step Workouts: 0 last week; 1 MTD
Ramp Workouts: 2 last week; 2 MTD
There we are, sports fans. Not so hot. On the other hand, today will be Day 10 of consecutive exercise days. A couple of posts ago, I listed my different exercise activities. Please note -- should you care even slightly -- that I am adding the following four workouts to that list:
11. Kathy Smith's Step Workout DVD
12. Kathy Smith's Great Buns and Thighs DVD
13. Kathy Smith's Timesaver Workout: Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD
14. Tamilee Webb's I Want That Body DVD
So two for step, and two for weights. I need some verrrry basic step workouts, along the lines of, "Up and on the step," "Now down and off the step," "Ok back on the step we go," "Work that step -- woopsie, you need to be back on the step there, Sarah....." See what I mean? Simple, is what I'm saying. So I got myself a couple of simple ones that are well respected, and I'm going to step all over those muthas! Then after a while I'll put Cathe's Basic Step back into the mix, because she really is terrific.
As for the weights workouts, I really need something structured and short to tag on before my cardio workouts a few times a week, because the whole hour sessions that I have been doing just don't fit in as well and, therefore, just don't get done as frequently as they should. So these two DVD's contain multiple workouts for both upper and lower body, and, at around 20 minutes per workout, I'd have to be pretty lame not to find time to do them.
I've had to rethink my calories since upping my exercise. About Day 3 or 4 of the consecutive exercise days, I discovered that I was at risk of gnawing on other people's fingers if I didn't up my food. So I did. I ate tiny bags of fat free pretzels and cheetos -- both of them no-no's -- and added a roll to dinner one evening, and didn't decline a half of a donut when it was offered me. Nothing catastrophic, thanks to sheer gritty will, but there was a lesson there. The normal 1300-1400 calories weren't cutting it once I was burning an extra 400-800 calories/day consistently. I have since opted to up my cal's to an overall average more in the neighborhood of 1500-1600. Shocking and thrilling I know, but in the name of comprehensive weight-loss blogging, I thought it only right to report this latest development.
Loss to date: 74 pounds
Hello, lovelies! (You too, Howie!) Ok. As promised, I'm checking in with a little what say about my ass' movement this past week. ('Cuz I know how concerned you all are with the happenings of and around my ass.) Here goes:
WATP Miles Walked: 13 last week; 24 MTD
HIIT Miles Biked: 12.75 last week; 12.75 MTD
Weights Workouts: 0 last week; 2 MTD
Step Workouts: 0 last week; 1 MTD
Ramp Workouts: 2 last week; 2 MTD
There we are, sports fans. Not so hot. On the other hand, today will be Day 10 of consecutive exercise days. A couple of posts ago, I listed my different exercise activities. Please note -- should you care even slightly -- that I am adding the following four workouts to that list:
11. Kathy Smith's Step Workout DVD
12. Kathy Smith's Great Buns and Thighs DVD
13. Kathy Smith's Timesaver Workout: Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD
14. Tamilee Webb's I Want That Body DVD
So two for step, and two for weights. I need some verrrry basic step workouts, along the lines of, "Up and on the step," "Now down and off the step," "Ok back on the step we go," "Work that step -- woopsie, you need to be back on the step there, Sarah....." See what I mean? Simple, is what I'm saying. So I got myself a couple of simple ones that are well respected, and I'm going to step all over those muthas! Then after a while I'll put Cathe's Basic Step back into the mix, because she really is terrific.
As for the weights workouts, I really need something structured and short to tag on before my cardio workouts a few times a week, because the whole hour sessions that I have been doing just don't fit in as well and, therefore, just don't get done as frequently as they should. So these two DVD's contain multiple workouts for both upper and lower body, and, at around 20 minutes per workout, I'd have to be pretty lame not to find time to do them.
I've had to rethink my calories since upping my exercise. About Day 3 or 4 of the consecutive exercise days, I discovered that I was at risk of gnawing on other people's fingers if I didn't up my food. So I did. I ate tiny bags of fat free pretzels and cheetos -- both of them no-no's -- and added a roll to dinner one evening, and didn't decline a half of a donut when it was offered me. Nothing catastrophic, thanks to sheer gritty will, but there was a lesson there. The normal 1300-1400 calories weren't cutting it once I was burning an extra 400-800 calories/day consistently. I have since opted to up my cal's to an overall average more in the neighborhood of 1500-1600. Shocking and thrilling I know, but in the name of comprehensive weight-loss blogging, I thought it only right to report this latest development.
Saturday, November 13
Sorry Everybody
This site is amazing -- thousands of pictures from Americans and our world neighbors lamenting Bush's reelection. It's amazing, it really is. I found these messages so moving, and comforting, and sad, and empowering. You've really got to spend some time there.
Thursday, November 11
two ten, or two steps closer to one ninety nine
Weight: 210
Loss to date: 74 pounds
Alright, now we're talking! I'm down another 2 to 210, and 74 since March. I'm definitely not going to hit 199 by Thanksgiving.....but the beginning of December? No problem.
Did HIIT biking last night, so that makes 6 consecutive days of exercise. I'll be updating that tally here whenever I post an entry, in support of my Every Day in November Challenge (EDIN) over at Video Fitness. (Awesome site, incidentally -- just an all around great resource.)
Loss to date: 74 pounds
Alright, now we're talking! I'm down another 2 to 210, and 74 since March. I'm definitely not going to hit 199 by Thanksgiving.....but the beginning of December? No problem.
Did HIIT biking last night, so that makes 6 consecutive days of exercise. I'll be updating that tally here whenever I post an entry, in support of my Every Day in November Challenge (EDIN) over at Video Fitness. (Awesome site, incidentally -- just an all around great resource.)
Wednesday, November 10
Choo Choo!
Ok, I'm on my 5th consecutive day of exercise, and I feel great. I've entered a challenge over at Video Fitness; I've committed to exercising every day this month, without exception. Lorraine said, "Oh, God!" In joining yesterday, I started a little late, but I've already got some days under my belt, and all things considered, it just doesn't matter that much to me that I started late. The point is that I started. I'm still committing to working out 26 days in a row, which would be first for me since I was like, um, 14. Note, Thanksgiving falls within the month of November, as you may recall, and we will be travelling to Long Island early that morning to see Lorraine's family (always traumatic) -- so exercising that day and the next will require doing so early the morning of Thanksgiving (before the drive from Maryland) and then later in the evening of the following day, upon returning home again. Lorraine said again, "Oh, GOD!" Complete with very lovable grimace. Really though, a 20-minute WATP mile walk counts, so I am holding firm with this commitment to myself. And you, dear reader.
My exercise activities will include:
1. HIIT biking
2. Weight training with free weights and/or the CrossBow
3. Leslie's Walk Away the Pounds 1-3 mile power walks with 6# weights
4. Leslie's 4-mile Express Challenge power walk
5. Leslie's 3 Ramp Workouts, each 2 miles walked, plus emphasis on glutes and hams
6. Step bench workouts using Cathe Friedrich's Basic Step/Body Fusion DVD
7. Step bench workouts using Kathy Smith's Step Workout DVD (when it arrives!)
8. Weight training workouts using Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD (when it arrives with the other KS workout DVD)
9. Gaiam's Pilates for Weight Loss DVD
10. Hiking outside nature trails with Louie (the beloved pup with his hoppy, happy bottom)
TOM should be leaving any time now (I'm a believer, so faith abounds.) This means that it should soon be safe to believe the scale. When this occurs, I will post my weight. For the time being, know that I'm exercising daily (I believe we established that) and I am eating beautifully. The latter after some post-election depression-related unfortunate choices that took me off the path but not down the road, if you know what I mean. I won't report another 4-lb loss like last week, but I do expect a little something-something.
More anon.
My exercise activities will include:
1. HIIT biking
2. Weight training with free weights and/or the CrossBow
3. Leslie's Walk Away the Pounds 1-3 mile power walks with 6# weights
4. Leslie's 4-mile Express Challenge power walk
5. Leslie's 3 Ramp Workouts, each 2 miles walked, plus emphasis on glutes and hams
6. Step bench workouts using Cathe Friedrich's Basic Step/Body Fusion DVD
7. Step bench workouts using Kathy Smith's Step Workout DVD (when it arrives!)
8. Weight training workouts using Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD (when it arrives with the other KS workout DVD)
9. Gaiam's Pilates for Weight Loss DVD
10. Hiking outside nature trails with Louie (the beloved pup with his hoppy, happy bottom)
TOM should be leaving any time now (I'm a believer, so faith abounds.) This means that it should soon be safe to believe the scale. When this occurs, I will post my weight. For the time being, know that I'm exercising daily (I believe we established that) and I am eating beautifully. The latter after some post-election depression-related unfortunate choices that took me off the path but not down the road, if you know what I mean. I won't report another 4-lb loss like last week, but I do expect a little something-something.
More anon.
Michael Moore Gives Comfort
Just thought I'd share 17 bits of comfort given by Michael Moore on November 5th.
Friday, November 5th, 2004
17 Reasons Not to Slit Your Wrists...by Michael Moore
Dear Friends,
Ok, it sucks. Really sucks. But before you go and cash it all in, let's, in the words of Monty Python, “always look on the bright side of life!” There IS some good news from Tuesday's election.
Here are 17 reasons not to slit your wrists:
1. It is against the law for George W. Bush to run for president again.
2. Bush's victory was the NARROWEST win for a sitting president since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
3. The only age group in which the majority voted for Kerry was young adults (Kerry: 54%, Bush: 44%), proving once again that your parents are always wrong and you should never listen to them.
4. In spite of Bush's win, the majority of Americans still think the country is headed in the wrong direction (56%), think the war wasn't worth fighting (51%), and don’t approve of the job George W. Bush is doing (52%). (Note to foreigners: Don't try to figure this one out. It's an American thing, like Pop Tarts.)
5. The Republicans will not have a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate. If the Democrats do their job, Bush won't be able to pack the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues. Did I say "if the Democrats do their job?" Um, maybe better to scratch this one.
6. Michigan voted for Kerry! So did the entire Northeast, the birthplace of our democracy. So did 6 of the 8 Great Lakes States. And the whole West Coast! Plus Hawaii. Ok, that's a start. We've got most of the fresh water, all of Broadway, and Mt. St. Helens. We can dehydrate them or bury them in lava. And no more show tunes!
7. Once again we are reminded that the buckeye is a nut, and not just any old nut -- a poisonous nut. A great nation was felled by a poisonous nut. May Ohio State pay dearly this Saturday when it faces Michigan.
8. 88% of Bush's support came from white voters. In 50 years, America will no longer have a white majority. Hey, 50 years isn't such a long time! If you're ten years old and reading this, your golden years will be truly golden and you will be well cared for in your old age.
9. Gays, thanks to the ballot measures passed on Tuesday, cannot get married in 11 new states. Thank God. Just think of all those wedding gifts we won't have to buy now.
10. Five more African Americans were elected as members of Congress, including the return of Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. It's always good to have more blacks in there fighting for us and doing the job our candidates can't.
11. The CEO of Coors was defeated for Senate in Colorado. Drink up!
12. Admit it: We like the Bush twins and we don't want them to go away.
13. At the state legislative level, Democrats picked up a net of at least 3 chambers in Tuesday's elections. Of the 98 partisan-controlled state legislative chambers (house/assembly and senate), Democrats went into the 2004 elections in control of 44 chambers, Republicans controlled 53 chambers, and 1 chamber was tied. After Tuesday, Democrats now control 47 chambers, Republicans control 49 chambers, 1 chamber is tied and 1 chamber (Montana House) is still undecided.
14. Bush is now a lame duck president. He will have no greater moment than the one he's having this week. It's all downhill for him from here on out -- and, more significantly, he's just not going to want to do all the hard work that will be expected of him. It'll be like everyone's last month in 12th grade -- you've already made it, so it's party time! Perhaps he'll treat the next four years like a permanent Friday, spending even more time at the ranch or in Kennebunkport. And why shouldn't he? He's already proved his point, avenged his father and kicked our ass.
15. Should Bush decide to show up to work and take this country down a very dark road, it is also just as likely that either of the following two scenarios will happen: a) Now that he doesn't ever need to pander to the Christian conservatives again to get elected, someone may whisper in his ear that he should spend these last four years building "a legacy" so that history will render a kinder verdict on him and thus he will not push for too aggressive a right-wing agenda; or b) He will become so cocky and arrogant -- and thus, reckless -- that he will commit a blunder of such major proportions that even his own party will have to remove him from office.
16. There are nearly 300 million Americans -- 200 million of them of voting age. We only lost by three and a half million! That's not a landslide -- it means we're almost there. Imagine losing by 20 million. If you had 58 yards to go before you reached the goal line and then you barreled down 55 of those yards, would you stop on the three yard line, pick up the ball and go home crying -- especially when you get to start the next down on the three yard line? Of course not! Buck up! Have hope! More sports analogies are coming!!!
17. Finally and most importantly, over 55 million Americans voted for the candidate dubbed "The #1 Liberal in the Senate." That's more than the total number of voters who voted for either Reagan, Bush I, Clinton or Gore. Again, more people voted for Kerry than Reagan. If the media are looking for a trend it should be this -- that so many Americans were, for the first time since Kennedy, willing to vote for an out-and-out liberal. The country has always been filled with evangelicals -- that is not news. What IS news is that so many people have shifted toward a Massachusetts liberal. In fact, that's BIG news. Which means, don't expect the mainstream media, the ones who brought you the Iraq War, to ever report the real truth about November 2, 2004. In fact, it's better that they don't. We'll need the element of surprise in 2008.
Feeling better? I hope so. As my friend Mort wrote me yesterday, "My Romanian grandfather used to say to me, 'Remember, Morton, this is such a wonderful country -- it doesn't even need a president!'"
But it needs us. Rest up, I'll write you again tomorrow.
Friday, November 5th, 2004
17 Reasons Not to Slit Your Wrists...by Michael Moore
Dear Friends,
Ok, it sucks. Really sucks. But before you go and cash it all in, let's, in the words of Monty Python, “always look on the bright side of life!” There IS some good news from Tuesday's election.
Here are 17 reasons not to slit your wrists:
1. It is against the law for George W. Bush to run for president again.
2. Bush's victory was the NARROWEST win for a sitting president since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
3. The only age group in which the majority voted for Kerry was young adults (Kerry: 54%, Bush: 44%), proving once again that your parents are always wrong and you should never listen to them.
4. In spite of Bush's win, the majority of Americans still think the country is headed in the wrong direction (56%), think the war wasn't worth fighting (51%), and don’t approve of the job George W. Bush is doing (52%). (Note to foreigners: Don't try to figure this one out. It's an American thing, like Pop Tarts.)
5. The Republicans will not have a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate. If the Democrats do their job, Bush won't be able to pack the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues. Did I say "if the Democrats do their job?" Um, maybe better to scratch this one.
6. Michigan voted for Kerry! So did the entire Northeast, the birthplace of our democracy. So did 6 of the 8 Great Lakes States. And the whole West Coast! Plus Hawaii. Ok, that's a start. We've got most of the fresh water, all of Broadway, and Mt. St. Helens. We can dehydrate them or bury them in lava. And no more show tunes!
7. Once again we are reminded that the buckeye is a nut, and not just any old nut -- a poisonous nut. A great nation was felled by a poisonous nut. May Ohio State pay dearly this Saturday when it faces Michigan.
8. 88% of Bush's support came from white voters. In 50 years, America will no longer have a white majority. Hey, 50 years isn't such a long time! If you're ten years old and reading this, your golden years will be truly golden and you will be well cared for in your old age.
9. Gays, thanks to the ballot measures passed on Tuesday, cannot get married in 11 new states. Thank God. Just think of all those wedding gifts we won't have to buy now.
10. Five more African Americans were elected as members of Congress, including the return of Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. It's always good to have more blacks in there fighting for us and doing the job our candidates can't.
11. The CEO of Coors was defeated for Senate in Colorado. Drink up!
12. Admit it: We like the Bush twins and we don't want them to go away.
13. At the state legislative level, Democrats picked up a net of at least 3 chambers in Tuesday's elections. Of the 98 partisan-controlled state legislative chambers (house/assembly and senate), Democrats went into the 2004 elections in control of 44 chambers, Republicans controlled 53 chambers, and 1 chamber was tied. After Tuesday, Democrats now control 47 chambers, Republicans control 49 chambers, 1 chamber is tied and 1 chamber (Montana House) is still undecided.
14. Bush is now a lame duck president. He will have no greater moment than the one he's having this week. It's all downhill for him from here on out -- and, more significantly, he's just not going to want to do all the hard work that will be expected of him. It'll be like everyone's last month in 12th grade -- you've already made it, so it's party time! Perhaps he'll treat the next four years like a permanent Friday, spending even more time at the ranch or in Kennebunkport. And why shouldn't he? He's already proved his point, avenged his father and kicked our ass.
15. Should Bush decide to show up to work and take this country down a very dark road, it is also just as likely that either of the following two scenarios will happen: a) Now that he doesn't ever need to pander to the Christian conservatives again to get elected, someone may whisper in his ear that he should spend these last four years building "a legacy" so that history will render a kinder verdict on him and thus he will not push for too aggressive a right-wing agenda; or b) He will become so cocky and arrogant -- and thus, reckless -- that he will commit a blunder of such major proportions that even his own party will have to remove him from office.
16. There are nearly 300 million Americans -- 200 million of them of voting age. We only lost by three and a half million! That's not a landslide -- it means we're almost there. Imagine losing by 20 million. If you had 58 yards to go before you reached the goal line and then you barreled down 55 of those yards, would you stop on the three yard line, pick up the ball and go home crying -- especially when you get to start the next down on the three yard line? Of course not! Buck up! Have hope! More sports analogies are coming!!!
17. Finally and most importantly, over 55 million Americans voted for the candidate dubbed "The #1 Liberal in the Senate." That's more than the total number of voters who voted for either Reagan, Bush I, Clinton or Gore. Again, more people voted for Kerry than Reagan. If the media are looking for a trend it should be this -- that so many Americans were, for the first time since Kennedy, willing to vote for an out-and-out liberal. The country has always been filled with evangelicals -- that is not news. What IS news is that so many people have shifted toward a Massachusetts liberal. In fact, that's BIG news. Which means, don't expect the mainstream media, the ones who brought you the Iraq War, to ever report the real truth about November 2, 2004. In fact, it's better that they don't. We'll need the element of surprise in 2008.
Feeling better? I hope so. As my friend Mort wrote me yesterday, "My Romanian grandfather used to say to me, 'Remember, Morton, this is such a wonderful country -- it doesn't even need a president!'"
But it needs us. Rest up, I'll write you again tomorrow.
Monday, November 8
Muscle
Exercise for November Week One:
WATP Miles Walked: 11
Step Workouts: 1
HIIT Biking Miles: 0
Weights Workouts: 2
I only exercised four days last week, so it seems that I was experiencing a malaise of the same sort suffered by the esteemed JuJu, who generously discusses her own post-election sloth. But, like JuJu, I am back on track. I worked hard over the weekend to end up the week with some semblance of respectability. Expect more from me this week. I intend to update my exercise totals each week, adding activities as warranted, and providing week and month-to-date totals as I go. I'm not going to report calories and other food stat's, because that area is less of a focus for me. I've got that pretty much under control. It's the exercise that I'm still trying to elevate to the next level.
Which would you prefer to have more of?
A word on the Leslie Sansone walking thang -- it's official: the 4-mile Express Challenge is most def my fave. I LOVE it! The energy level, the pace, the music....it's just SO much better than the others. The only thing is that it just doesn't work the upper body very much. But that's ok, Leslie, you still rock! I just really am focusing now on challenging myself more. Hence, the step bench purchase, and the introduction to stepping with Cathe Friedrich. There's another workout, by Kathy Smith, that I think I might get. Actually two. One for step, and the other for weights.
A note to sweet Marla: I'm really going to miss the ability to talk to you, but I'm comforted by the knowledge that at least you're still talking to us. My heart and faith are with you, and I just love you to pieces, you smart-assed, smart-brained, smart-hearted sweetheart. I look forward to reading you every day, and I just know you're going to ride this out just fine. You deserve the fruit of your labor, and I know you'll be reaping baskets full of the stuff sooner rather than later. I heart you bunches, Marla.
WATP Miles Walked: 11
Step Workouts: 1
HIIT Biking Miles: 0
Weights Workouts: 2
I only exercised four days last week, so it seems that I was experiencing a malaise of the same sort suffered by the esteemed JuJu, who generously discusses her own post-election sloth. But, like JuJu, I am back on track. I worked hard over the weekend to end up the week with some semblance of respectability. Expect more from me this week. I intend to update my exercise totals each week, adding activities as warranted, and providing week and month-to-date totals as I go. I'm not going to report calories and other food stat's, because that area is less of a focus for me. I've got that pretty much under control. It's the exercise that I'm still trying to elevate to the next level.
Which would you prefer to have more of?
A word on the Leslie Sansone walking thang -- it's official: the 4-mile Express Challenge is most def my fave. I LOVE it! The energy level, the pace, the music....it's just SO much better than the others. The only thing is that it just doesn't work the upper body very much. But that's ok, Leslie, you still rock! I just really am focusing now on challenging myself more. Hence, the step bench purchase, and the introduction to stepping with Cathe Friedrich. There's another workout, by Kathy Smith, that I think I might get. Actually two. One for step, and the other for weights.
A note to sweet Marla: I'm really going to miss the ability to talk to you, but I'm comforted by the knowledge that at least you're still talking to us. My heart and faith are with you, and I just love you to pieces, you smart-assed, smart-brained, smart-hearted sweetheart. I look forward to reading you every day, and I just know you're going to ride this out just fine. You deserve the fruit of your labor, and I know you'll be reaping baskets full of the stuff sooner rather than later. I heart you bunches, Marla.
Sunday, November 7
that wendy (aka Poundy) -- she's a hoot
Cool chick, with a fabulous entry in response to the recent election results. And she's got an upcoming book (due out Spring 2005) on weight loss blogging and body image -- ought to be interesting!
Saturday, November 6
Supersized Me -- Exercising!
Weight: 212
Loss to date: 72 pounds
I love Morgan Spurlock!
I just saw this movie last night and it was AWESOME!! Amazing. Truly, it ought to be required viewing for all citizens of all nations in which McDonalds does business. Crazy. I've been reading Morgan's blog off and on for a while now, but I had NO IDEA how much I would love that guy! Seriously, if you haven't yet seen Supersize Me, you simply must rent the DVD. The life you save could be yours. And the soundtrack is kickin'!
Here are my exercise stats for November so far:
WATP Miles: 7
HIIT Biking Miles: 0
Weight Workouts: 1
Step Workouts: 1
Today I did my first step workout! Go, me! Actually, go Cathe Friedrich, kicking my ass! That chick is no joke, I tell you. Have you SEEN her? Anyway, I made it through my first workout, using my new spiffy step bench. I now have her Basic Step/Body Fusion DVD, and I did the DVD's first 30-minute step workout today. I got totally lost in parts (she goes FAST) but I moved the whole time. Then I went immediately into Leslie Sansone's Sculpt and Burn 42 minute ramp workout, which contains a lot of squats and lunges and stepping on and off the ramp (which I had at the higher of the two heights for more intensity) -- lots of emphasis on the glutes and hams. Then after that -- and I was all rubbery and shaky and sweating up a storm -- I did Cathe's 20-minute upper body workout from the Body Fusion portion of her DVD.
I'm feeling so badly about slacking this week -- I only exercised twice, had a bunch of Thin Mint cookies ("I voted for John Kerry and all I got to show for it was this box of Girl Scout cookies"), a slice of pizza, and I even had ice cream with cinammon apples and whipped cream last night at Outback with Lorraine (the rest of my eats were beautiful though -- grilled salmon, salad and veggies, with water.) So I have a bit of catching up to do, TOM or no TOM. I'll be hitting it hard tomorrow also.
Rar.
Loss to date: 72 pounds
I love Morgan Spurlock!
I just saw this movie last night and it was AWESOME!! Amazing. Truly, it ought to be required viewing for all citizens of all nations in which McDonalds does business. Crazy. I've been reading Morgan's blog off and on for a while now, but I had NO IDEA how much I would love that guy! Seriously, if you haven't yet seen Supersize Me, you simply must rent the DVD. The life you save could be yours. And the soundtrack is kickin'!
Here are my exercise stats for November so far:
WATP Miles: 7
HIIT Biking Miles: 0
Weight Workouts: 1
Step Workouts: 1
Today I did my first step workout! Go, me! Actually, go Cathe Friedrich, kicking my ass! That chick is no joke, I tell you. Have you SEEN her? Anyway, I made it through my first workout, using my new spiffy step bench. I now have her Basic Step/Body Fusion DVD, and I did the DVD's first 30-minute step workout today. I got totally lost in parts (she goes FAST) but I moved the whole time. Then I went immediately into Leslie Sansone's Sculpt and Burn 42 minute ramp workout, which contains a lot of squats and lunges and stepping on and off the ramp (which I had at the higher of the two heights for more intensity) -- lots of emphasis on the glutes and hams. Then after that -- and I was all rubbery and shaky and sweating up a storm -- I did Cathe's 20-minute upper body workout from the Body Fusion portion of her DVD.
I'm feeling so badly about slacking this week -- I only exercised twice, had a bunch of Thin Mint cookies ("I voted for John Kerry and all I got to show for it was this box of Girl Scout cookies"), a slice of pizza, and I even had ice cream with cinammon apples and whipped cream last night at Outback with Lorraine (the rest of my eats were beautiful though -- grilled salmon, salad and veggies, with water.) So I have a bit of catching up to do, TOM or no TOM. I'll be hitting it hard tomorrow also.
Rar.
Thursday, November 4
The second day of another four years.
Just to get us off on the right foot, I'll start us off with this timely quote from George W. Bush:
"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."
So sayeth Dubbeyah in Washington, D.C., May 11, 2001.
The comments in response to Wednesday's post were heated. I want to be respectful to everyone's sensibilities and belief systems. At the same time, I feel I must point out a fact that is very relevant to me, to others like me, and to still others who respect those of us who fall into an under-respected category. You see, I'm a lesbian. A gay person. A self-loving, woman-loving -- specifically, Lorraine-loving -- homosexual. This facet of my person frequently informs my decisions. There really are so many reasons I fear Bush's ongoing presidency, I am not going to go into them all here. As I said yesterday, it doesn't "matter worth a shit anyway." But in acknowledging and responding to the sincere emotion and conviction which was expressed heatedly in my comments -- and then elsewhere -- I feel compelled to point out that when you're posting commments on the blog of a gay person, and you're talking about George Bush, there's a gap, a discrepancy, between my recognition of what my rights should be as an American, and what this man feels they should be.
For my community there exists a Civil Rights issue. This man has clearly stated that he opposes any equality or parity of rights between heterosexuals and gay people. As a current gay person, and a former (reformed) straight one, I have a fundamental problem with that. So Howie, love you like a brother, and respect the heck out of you as a person -- but when you draw comparisons between your four years with Clinton, and my eight years with Bush, I have to correct you. Telling a gay person that Bush is not so bad is like telling a black person that an anti-Civil Rights, KKK-loving bigot is not so bad. That's how it is for me.
I cried and cried learning that Bush had won. It's a highly personal loss I experienced. His win has set my rights back I don't even know how far or how long. For those who don't agree, fuck you. Your sense of entitlement clearly precludes you from having a clue what it is like to be gay in today's America. I've lived as a straight woman and I've lived as a gay woman, and I can tell you there's a world of difference in how OTHERS perceive and treat me, and there's a world of difference in my rights and concerns now vs. then. My personal experience living with this discrepancy clearly illustrates that the issues are not mine. I remain the same Sarah, looking, acting and presenting the same, and wanting the same things now with the woman I love as I did with the man I wanted to love. The disconnect does not lie within me, it lies in others' bigotry, fear, close-mindedness, and unwillingness to accept another's experience as valid. There are those in the gay/les community who feel that the current backlash against our perceived gains is proof positive that we're getting somewhere. Perhaps I'll come around to that way of thinking. But for now, I feel betrayed and isolated and terribly, terribly sad. I experienced a huge loss when Bush won, the Republicans won an additional 5 seats in the Senate, and those 11 states gave a smackdown to gay rights.
I've experienced personally the effects of legalized bigotry. I've been verbally harrassed, experienced workplace discrimination, and been beaten so badly I had to be hospitalized. All simply for just being gay. When our leaders come out against a group of people, a clear message is sent empowering those who hate us.
I'll return to the topic of weight loss presently. For now, I'm upset, and sad, and worried more than ever about the security of our country with this ignorant bully and his right-wing cohorts at the helm.
Maybe I should just go home and make love to my wife.
"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."
So sayeth Dubbeyah in Washington, D.C., May 11, 2001.
The comments in response to Wednesday's post were heated. I want to be respectful to everyone's sensibilities and belief systems. At the same time, I feel I must point out a fact that is very relevant to me, to others like me, and to still others who respect those of us who fall into an under-respected category. You see, I'm a lesbian. A gay person. A self-loving, woman-loving -- specifically, Lorraine-loving -- homosexual. This facet of my person frequently informs my decisions. There really are so many reasons I fear Bush's ongoing presidency, I am not going to go into them all here. As I said yesterday, it doesn't "matter worth a shit anyway." But in acknowledging and responding to the sincere emotion and conviction which was expressed heatedly in my comments -- and then elsewhere -- I feel compelled to point out that when you're posting commments on the blog of a gay person, and you're talking about George Bush, there's a gap, a discrepancy, between my recognition of what my rights should be as an American, and what this man feels they should be.
For my community there exists a Civil Rights issue. This man has clearly stated that he opposes any equality or parity of rights between heterosexuals and gay people. As a current gay person, and a former (reformed) straight one, I have a fundamental problem with that. So Howie, love you like a brother, and respect the heck out of you as a person -- but when you draw comparisons between your four years with Clinton, and my eight years with Bush, I have to correct you. Telling a gay person that Bush is not so bad is like telling a black person that an anti-Civil Rights, KKK-loving bigot is not so bad. That's how it is for me.
I cried and cried learning that Bush had won. It's a highly personal loss I experienced. His win has set my rights back I don't even know how far or how long. For those who don't agree, fuck you. Your sense of entitlement clearly precludes you from having a clue what it is like to be gay in today's America. I've lived as a straight woman and I've lived as a gay woman, and I can tell you there's a world of difference in how OTHERS perceive and treat me, and there's a world of difference in my rights and concerns now vs. then. My personal experience living with this discrepancy clearly illustrates that the issues are not mine. I remain the same Sarah, looking, acting and presenting the same, and wanting the same things now with the woman I love as I did with the man I wanted to love. The disconnect does not lie within me, it lies in others' bigotry, fear, close-mindedness, and unwillingness to accept another's experience as valid. There are those in the gay/les community who feel that the current backlash against our perceived gains is proof positive that we're getting somewhere. Perhaps I'll come around to that way of thinking. But for now, I feel betrayed and isolated and terribly, terribly sad. I experienced a huge loss when Bush won, the Republicans won an additional 5 seats in the Senate, and those 11 states gave a smackdown to gay rights.
I've experienced personally the effects of legalized bigotry. I've been verbally harrassed, experienced workplace discrimination, and been beaten so badly I had to be hospitalized. All simply for just being gay. When our leaders come out against a group of people, a clear message is sent empowering those who hate us.
I'll return to the topic of weight loss presently. For now, I'm upset, and sad, and worried more than ever about the security of our country with this ignorant bully and his right-wing cohorts at the helm.
Maybe I should just go home and make love to my wife.
Wednesday, November 3
I can't really say much.
Bush won. I am so sad, so angry, so disheartened, and so frustrated. I feel helpless and hopeless and voiceless. I am full of so much emotion and none of it positive. I just don't even know where to begin, and it doesn't matter worth a shit anyway. So I'll just end with, "Tomorrow's another day." That's the best I can do.
Tuesday, November 2
Please, God
Please, dear God, don't let George Bush win. Please, please, please, please, please, please...........
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