Sweatin' to the Oldies

I put a bunch of low-impact fitness videos into our Netflix queue, so that about once every 4-5 weeks we'll get a new workout to try.

Sweatin' to the Oldies 2 came in this week, and I did the full workout. Well, I attempted it anyway.  I need to learn the moves. But I kept moving, which is what really counts.

It's still a little too much shoulder/neck impact for me. About 3/4 of the way through, I basically switched to walking at a fast pace, more like Leslie's workouts.  I did some of the floor/strength workout at the end and he does end with a good stretch.

If it was a Walk Away the Pounds DVD, it would be worth at least 3 miles. Anthony likes it, so I'll stick it in the queue for another day, but I am not ready to purchase it yet.

More Excuses

Late family chat resulting in 1 a.m. bedtime...

getting up at 9 a.m., having to leave by 10,

taking K and the boys to the doctor...
had to bribe Mr T. with ice cream but he did okay...

then it took forever to find an ice cream shop (and I was so good, I didn't eat any!)

it's easy to resist ice cream when your stomach hurts,

(one more excuse for not exercising today)

and then we got home by almost 3 p.m., and I had to pick up Missy L. by 3:40

and we got our project done, and I took her to meet her dad at dance,

(and a big hug from Missy M.) so I'm free now.

but I think I need the bathroom,

and the laundry is piled up because I haven't been feeling good...

but I WILL walk!  (6:40 p.m.)

8:56 p.m.

Never Mind! T. invited me to ride bikes and we went for about 40 minutes, and my legs are wobbly like jello so I guess it counts!  I love springtime!

A Day's Excuses

Yesterday I had great excuses to skip my exercise.

1. Planting flowers took a lot longer than I planned on.

2. I had to make lasagna for a family get-together.

3. Then I remembered I had promised a salad for a funeral and had to make arrangements to deliver it.

4. It was time to leave for the get-together. Oh well, we're going to be swimming, so I'll be okay. Plus we're going to be in the mountains, so I can walk up there. Packed the pedometer and walking shoes.

5. Went to change for swimming and discovered I grabbed the towel but my swimsuit wasn't wrapped in it like I thought.  Oh well, we'll still go for a walk. I forgot to shave my legs anyway and I think I'm getting a cold.

6. Watching the kids swim, bringing my grandson up to the condo when he got too cold. My walking partner's still hanging out at the pool.

7. K''s car is broken down, and Anthony has to run out and tow him in.

8. It's dinnertime now. I guess we'll walk after dinner.

9. D & H are leaving and need us to watch the kids. Anthony's running back to the pool with K's family anyway.  Ry falls asleep in my lap.  I don't want to move him.

10. Anthony decides it's time to go home because he has to come back up and tow K home with my car.

11. By this time, I'm really tired, and hungry again, so I sit down for a snack and get caught up in crossword puzzles. It's only a mile today anyway, so I'll be okay in a while.

12. Remember I have library books due. Gather them up and get T. to take them back for me.

13. It's 9:45 at night.  I guess I'd better get to it.  Oh no, it's a two-miler, not a one like I thought.  Start anyway. Get stomach cramps. They go away for a little while and them come back. T says small change is good. I tell him there's a dime in his dad's car.

14.  Stuck with it! Somehow! One more blue sticker, one more day not missed!

15. Next day....tired, have a cold...a good day for an easy outdoor mile. No way I'm doing the three I'm scheduled for. Maybe tomorrow. Takes until 2 p.m. to get the determination to go do it, and then mainly because Anthony came and asked me if I was ready to go.

A supportive partner is a big big help!

16. Got a Richard Simmons DVD on Netflix. Hope by tomorrow I'm up to it!

WHOO-HOO! I WON!

 I was going to write that I won the local fitness contest no matter what, because I feel so much better and I made some progress.

But I really won! First place for my age group!

Total weight lost: only 2 pounds. But this contest was based on body fat percentage, and I did well there. In 10 weeks I dropped from 40.1% to 31.2%!  

Fat Weight dropped from 78.5 lbs. to 60.5 lbs. Lean body weight increased from 117.5 lbs. to 133.5 lbs.

So I got home and got Dallen to take this picture with his new cell phone.

Cholesterol

14 months ago, I posted this:

• Total Cholesterol: 226. Normal is 0-200
• Triglycerides: 229. Normal is 0-150
• HDL: 36. Normal is 45-65
• LDL: 144 Normal is 0-130.

I also have low absolute lymphocytes: 1.10. Normal is 1.2-2.8.

Today I got the latest numbers:

• Total Cholesterol: 209   Borderline High
• Triglycerides 176          Borderline High
• HDL: 40.5                    Barely above low--Reference Range is 40-96
• LDL: 147.4                   Borderline High   <100 is optimal, 100-129 near optimal, 130-159 Borderline
• Calculated VLDL: 35.2  (20% of triglycerides, so last year was 45.8)
• Calculated Chol/dHDL (ratio) 5.2  Normal is 0-4.5, last year was 6.2.

Remember,  we want the HDL to be High, and the LDL to be low.  Less butter, cheese, and sour cream ought to take care of the rest of this. I just need to find good dairy substitutes.

I am so happy! It's not perfect yet, but I've made significant progress!

Pear-Shaped Body

I was looking at a magazine one day and commented to my husband that a certain style would not look good on me because I have a pear-shaped body. He responded: Oh, don't put yourself down!

I explained to him that magazines use those labels commonly to help you identify your body type and know what styles to wear and which to avoid at all costs.  Here's an example of why I don't wear things that are poofy or frilly around the hips. Something that calls attention to the upper body is much better for me.

Well, anyway, I found a total of 12 body shapes described by Trinny and Susannah.  They go beyond the typical pear, apple, triangle, block and hourglass (Think Marilyn Monroe, who despite what you may have heard, was not a size 16!) I decided that by their standards I'm more of a bowling pin than a pear.

I think I may have just found my next Halloween costume!

  

I got all my pear clipart here:  

Mental Breakthrough

Monday I put on a cute new outfit that accentuates my newly appearing waistline, and my flip-flops, and went off to run some errands. I felt slim and attractive--and later I went at my workout with new enthusiam. I can do this! I feel better! I feel more attractive! It can only get better if I keep up the effort!

This is lasting all the way into Wednesday!
I saw a friend along the way and I was glad I'd made some effort. It just felt good to feel good.

Early Workout

I got up today and did my workout before 3 p.m.

Wait--let me rephrase that! I got up much earlier, did other chores and studies, and then did my workout before 3 p.m. I even pulled a few weeds out in the garden, and Anthony came and joined me and we got quite a bit done in 20 minutes. That's gotta be true love!

Lots of Hearts: click here.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Kevin's car is kind of low; an old Cavalier. He has the 4-year-old strapped in, and I lean over him to buckle the 2-year-old into his carseat and kiss him good-bye. 4-year-old says, "Grammy, I don't want your fat on me!"

Though Kevin does chide him to be nice to Grammy, we are all laughing too hard to do much about it. Maybe they've been watching too much "Biggest Loser."

Struggling

I am struggling. It's hard to get the incentive. I know I look a little better, but I am not losing any weight. Well, okay, 6 pounds over 4 months. Hardly any. My clothes are all the same XL to XXL, though I am working out daily and watching what I eat. None of it seems to make much difference. Where's the breakthrough? Is this just middle-age madness and I will continue to be fat no matter what?

Am I only halting further gain, but not going to lose?  So I sit here typing when my dvd's are waiting for me. I got new workout capris and they are still in their bag. I want to see something happening here!

Off to walk, as soon as Dallen finishes his show. Kind of hard to use the dvd player at the same time, you know? Family rule is exercise comes before TV and movies, but it seems kind of rude to interrupt his show when I could have done this earlier today.

I will persist! And just to prove it I bought new blue stickers today! Can't let them go to waste!

Pretty

My daily word was "pretty." I had to come up with a sentence starting with "I feel pretty when____________." My response was "I feel pretty when I feel skinny."  There's probably some sort of significance in that. Something about the modern obsession with body image or something. I don't know. I just know it's true, and one more incentive to keep working on fitness so I can keep feeling skinny. And pretty.

Good Night, Sleep Tight

I keep reading that going to bed early and getting a good night's rest is very important to weight loss, for a number of reasons. One of which is that tired people eat more.

This is one area I consistently fail on. It's not that any of the evening things I do are so important, it's just that I like to putter and read at night, and I am undisciplined in this area. At night I am tired, and my determination falls by the wayside. I suppose "I am tired" should signal me "go to bed" but it hasn't been connecting that way in my brain.

It's All in the... ...

Flip-flops?

With the weather being nice for a couple of days, I started wearing my favorite flip-flops. Hurray!

I noticed something very interesting. When I wear my flip-flops I feel young and skinny. Since I feel skinny, I eat more like a skinny person. I am more conscious of food choices and eating thin.

What item of clothing do you have that does this for you?

Vice Busting (and other thoughts)

Just getting back into the groove. Went to yoga today. Walked two miles yesterday. I WILL Succeed!

I've been getting free daily e-mails from Julia Haver's Vice-Busting Diet. They are encouraging and give new hints now and then. She reminds me not to try to change everything at once, but to make one small change at a time.

I do not do her top 3 vices, but I have vices of my own. Instead of watching TV, I like to spend too much time on the computer. Instead of soda pop, I just like sweets too much. I exercise but I don't get enough sleep. I do drink lots of water! I can't remember her 3rd one, but anyway, the point is to pinpoint the one habit we most need to change.

So I cut out sweets again. I will watch for others.

Hint: If water gets boring, add a bit of lemon or lime juice and stevia (sweetener) to taste. Still practically no calories, but a change of pace. Sometimes for my fruit serving, I put in frozen berries or fruit instead of ice cubes. Yummy!

Black Eye

Just looking for some more sympathy...or at least a wince! I did walk yesterday, but only one mile, and I will walk today, probably a two or three.

Black Eye

Minor setback: On Monday I got hit by a board while working out in the garage. Darn thing just fell on me. I hollered and cried and yelled, pretty much in that order, and then I went in the house for an ice pack and Anthony called the nurse helpline. They pretty much said "ice it and take it easy for a couple of days."

Luckily I'd already done my workout, and I only had a two-miler yesterday, so that wasn't too bad. Today I'm facing a three, and probably going to skip and do a one-mile walk. So much for progress!

I'm amazed at how tired this has made me. I slept over two hours in the daytime yesterday and today. I've got a minor sore throat, and Dallen has a cold, so maybe I've got a cold coming on too and this just compounded it.  Sleepy or not, I will walk. And head to the store for some more Airborne! I will not give in!

Contest Progress 2

I went to the gym for my contest weigh-in, and they say I've gained one pound, improved my water intake, but still have a way to go, and ...
best of all...lost 9% of my body fat, adding 14 pounds of lean muscle.

Hmmm...If their machines are working right, that's great progress. I'm just not sure I believe it.