18 January 2006

"should be a relatively calm january" Famous last words.

Goodness, this year is moving to fast already!! I obviously haven't found a schedule that allows me to get to my journal and track my progress each week. I've been dancing around a 15lb weight loss for a couple weeks now. 15.6 to be exact as of Tuesday, and less than half a pound away from my halfway mark (unless I change my goal, which I may do).

I feel like I am finailly in my exercise groove ... as long as I am in the same city, but still get thrown off kilter when I travel.

This month (and next) my concentration is dining out choices and portions. For me they go hand in hand. I do ok at home or when I pack my lunch, but tend to have a generous eye when dining out. I figure if I can get a good comfort level now, I'll be better prepared for March Madness.

overall mood:

still plugging along. Down 1.5lbs this week. Looks like the strategies I put into place for the holidays has been working well for me. I am enjoying the momentumI have going into the New Year.

Still doing weights and cardio, still every other day due to my holiday festivities and traveling committments. Two more vacation days and that's it for the year.

Should be a relatively calm January. One can hope anyway.

between vacations, traveling, holiday parties and what nots I just keep forgetting to stop on in here and update my weekly information.

In the past how ever many weeks it's been (two? three?) I've lost 3.6lbs. I'm at 13.4lbs total since mid-October. Downward progress is what I like to see. Especially during the holidays since I've had a lot of social activities to attend or host, and a good bit of traveling as I use up the last of my vacation.

Exercise kicked up a bit, I switched back to using weights ever other day with cardio. To the gym every other day, that has been my routine these past two weeks.

That's about it for now. Just a couple more social engagements to attend, I'm feel I've got some momentum going here, and am not really anticipating any thing coming up that I can't face and deal with. Portions have been the key for me, I think. Nothing touches on my plate, that way at parties, I know I'm not over serving myself.

Back to my holiday songs and present wrapping!

overall mood:

27 November 2005

Didn’t weigh-in this week. Well I did and forgot to log it. A throw rug had lodged itself under my scale … I think the number was a bit whacked anyway. (Seemed too low).

This week brought a lot of traveling. Down to Atlanta for my Annual Gyn Exam. Let’s talk about that for a minute. I’ve had to get Mammograms “as a precaution” ever since it became apparent that I had a chronic fibroid issue. While it’s not something I enjoy, I can honestly say I don’t mind them simply cause the mammographer I go to is good and quick. But, as you can see, my annual exam is during the winter. It’s cold in that room. The Machine is COLD! I about died laughing when I walked in to the room on Wednesday. She had a heating pad sitting on the machine! I LOVE this lady!

My Gyn exam was uneventful, and that’s just the way I like em. Well, the NASCAR conversation was a bit too ‘neck for me, so I just sat in my paper shirt and shook my head. This was followed by some Football talk (umm well the TopCats anyway), my latest geographic move, Turkeys and how we will cook them (him: big green egg. DSw: covered roaster in the oven in case you are wondering).

I actually joined the ranks of normal women and have been put to a once a year schedule. He was a bit hesitant to do this, so I had to promise at any sign of pain I had to come right in. (With out questions I would do this). I like this very much, even if I won’t get to have a chat during my spring visit about the state of baseball, the Braves, the Angels, and early projections for the World Series.


exercise week in review:
I didn’t. end of list. But I did wear my pedometer on Black Friday. I logged 16 miles! That my dears is a whole lotta shopping!!


Overall Mood: (it was cold in ATL!)

20 November 2005

Weight continues to go in the right direction, down 2.5lbs this week.

Exercise has been consistent, though we’ll see how it goes in the upcoming week. Heading home for Thanksgiving, I’m quite certain I’ll be a couch potato (bless Southern men … they like to cook the big stuff), saving all my energy for Black Friday shopping. Yes, we are the crazies that go out and shop the day after Thanksgiving. I find we don’t actually buy and holiday presents. We buy stuff for ourselves.

The pedometer wearing has been sporadic. At the end of the day I set it on my bedside table, and there it sometimes sits for a day or so. Perhaps I should hang it with my keys. I just can’t seem to remember to clip it on every day. Though, the few days I have worn it I have been averaging 9,000+ steps. Guess that’s not high on my concerns list.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: 3 miles
• Tuesday: 5 miles
• Wednesday: 3 miles
• Thursday: 3 miles
• Friday: 2 miles
• Saturday: 6 miles
• Sunday: none

This coming week also marks the time for my annual gyn exam. I always get a bit anxious. I don't think that will ever go away. Part of me always expects a fibroid to return at any time. On a lighter note, you gotta love a doctor who wears santa socks. All will be well.

Overall Mood:

13 November 2005

Lost 1.4lbs this week, let's just round that to the half. With alst weeks rounding, I was able to get all but half a pound of what I gained last week off. Not bad.

Exercise is moving along and back to 6 days a week. I think I am going to get back to weightlifting in December.

I picked up a new pedometer, I work a desk job, but was pleased to see just how much I move around. Or does that mean I'm roaming around the office visiting and not actually working? Hmmm.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: 2 miles
• Tuesday: 3 miles
• Wednesday: 2 miles
• Thursday: 2 mile
• Friday: 1 mile
• Saturday: 3 miles
• Sunday: none

My pedometer counts:

The first day I wore my pedometer my step count was 6,927. The next day was 7,315. I forgot to wear it the next day. Saturday was 10,588 and right now I am up to 10,231 steps. My step counts do not include my exercise time. Guess they should. I always knock it off when I am working out.

Overall Mood:

6 November 2005

Gained 1.9lbs this week, yeah ok just call it 2. I bought a new scale a while back, and iot measures in 1/10th of a pound increments. Normally I’m not that fussy and just go by ½ pound increments. I’m not too distressed over the gain, I think it’s just a matter of my traveling last week catching up with me.

Exercise. Ah yes. Still struggling with it compared to in the past. I think part of the change is when I was in TN, there was NOTHING else to do, so I went to the gym. Now, in NC there’s TONS to do and I find I’d rather be exploring my new city rather than exploring the inside of the gym. The weather here is quite mild, so at least when I do go exploring, it is on foot. Granted, that’s not an aerobic workout by any means. Although I have a long stride, I walk pretty slow. Guess I’m never in a rush to get anywhere.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: 1 mile
• Tuesday: 1 mile
• Wednesday: none, had to catch up on grocery shopping
• Thursday: 1 mile
• Friday: none
• Saturday: five miles (roughly)
• Sunday: 3 miles (roughly)

I’ve been slammed at work and putting in a lot of hours at the office. Consequently it’s been all I could do to squeeze in a mile here n there. The weekend days are estimates because I was walking around the city and going to n from the arena for various events. This week should be a lot calmer at the office, so my workout time should be better as well.

Overall Mood:

30 October 2005

The cold didn't last but a day, with a couple of afternoons where the tireds took over. Lost 1.3 lbs this week, seems pretty good.

exercise week in review

• Monday: 2 milesl
• Tuesday: 2 miles
• Wednesday: 1 mile
• Thursday: 2 miles
• Friday: none - traveling
• Saturday: walking around Gatlinburg, TN
• Sunday: none - traveling

If you were in Gatlinburg over the weekend and saw a bunch of Mini Coopers on parade, dressed up in costumes (the cars, not the drivers), that was us! Sorry if I beaned you with a bag o candy!

Overall Mood:

23 October 2005

had a minor set back at the end of the week, having caught a cold from a co-worker. Started the herbal stuff at the first signs and am happy that it was only one day of sniffles and a couple days of needing a nap or early bedtime. Lost 5.6lbs this week, , not too worried about such a high number since my body always makes a few adjustments after being out of the country. This coming week should be a more normal number for me.

exercise week in review

• Monday: 2 milesl
• Tuesday: 2 miles
• Wednesday: 1 mile
• Thursday: 2 miles
• Friday: none - sick
• Saturday: 3 miles
• Sunday: 3 miles

Unlike usual, my exercise right now is walking, which I don't really enjoy, but it's a good way to ease towards a more normal routine for me. The weekend walks were through Uptown, so not really aerobic, but still being active since I could have taken the trolley to my destination.

Overall Mood:

It’s now mid October. It’s been a rough re-entry back to civilization after spending a little over a week in Mexico. While down there we sit out on our patio having our morning coffee overlooking the Caribbean sea. This morning, I sat on the balcony overlooking South Boulevard. BIG difference!

Back from vacation and struggling to get into work mode. There’s nothing better than spending a week in your swimsuit to put you in an exercising frame of mind. I’m also remembering that at this time three years ago I was watching the Angels playing on TV in the castle with my , having what appears to have been my final surgery to remove one last fibroid after I had my TAH.

The boxes here are just about all put away. I need to get a bit creative with storage. My open floor plan doesn’t have rooms in which to hide (and forget about) excess junk. Anyway, resuming exercise:

week in review:

• Monday: none – jetlag
• Tuesday: 2 miles
• Wednesday: 3 miles
• Thursday: 2 miles
• Friday: 2 miles
• Saturday: 5K charity walk
• Sunday: ouch, 2 miles

Pounds gained on vacation: 2 … but worth every ounce.

Overall Mood:

25 September 2005

May! That’s the last time I did a week in review. Makes perfect sense to me. Between then and now, my company was sold off to a competitor, my office was shuttered, I was hired by the new owners but couldn’t tell anyone for a month, and even then it was supposed to be “hush hush.” I quit going to the gym because they quit running the AC. Funny thing, if I am exercising indoors and it is too hot, I will faint. Go figure. Oh yeah, and I had to find a place to live because the new job meant moving to another state. The good part was that I didn’t have to pack up anything. Although I was ready to say goodbye to Tennessee, it was still tough leaving behind all the friends I had made. As the office staff got smaller and smaller, spirits got lower and lower. We’d become an office of stress eaters. Nice.

These past 2 months my exercise consisted of packing and unpacking a few boxes of stuff at my temporary residence. Climbing up n down ladders while painting walls and my new residence, and unpacking way more boxes than I thought I’d ever see. (Why to professional packers have to kill a forest using all that paper and boxes??). Oh, and walking 10 minutes and one flight of stairs twice a day from my car to my office and back.

Two weeks ago I started easing back into an exercise routine. 30 minutes of cardio 4 times a week. Boy how quickly I got out of shape! Last week I tried a 50-minute aerobics class and was huffin n puffin by the end. Ugh! Mid week I slipped on a cardboard box and my knee hit the floor. Normally not a bad thing if you have padded carpeting. But we don’t. Stained concrete floors, OUCH is about all I can say.

On the plus side, now that I am somewhat settled in, and really enjoying my new city, I’ve lost 7lbs in two weeks. I expect exercise to be light until my knee is not so bruised.


overall mood:

15 May 2005

Life is still quite hectic. My time at the gym suffers because of it, but I am still trying to get exercise in other ways. Weight remained constant this past week, which given all the upheaval at work and the stress it brings on, is perfectly OK with me.

exercise week in review

• Monday: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical
• Tuesday: Treadmill 35 minutes, Elliptical 20 minutes
• Wednesday: none
• Thursday: none
• Friday: weights, total body
• Saturday: car washing & polishing
• Sunday: car washing & polishing (2 of em)

The balance ball/weight thing is something new I tried. Seemed like not much while I was doing it, but boy oh boy am I sore today. I feel it a lot in my back and my abs. This coming week at work will be challenging. Seems this whole month has been finding the balance between working out enough to offset the stress level. Most days it's working.

overall mood:

9 May 2005

So much has been going on in my life lately, that I seldom turn on the computer while I am at home. In doing that, my weekly reviews fell by the wayside. So here I am catching up.

2 weeks ago

• Monday: 3 mile walk
• Tuesday: None, car club meeting
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross train, 30 minutes elliptical
• Thursday: none
• Friday-Sunday: None – mini vacation

last week

• Monday: aerobics class
• Tuesday: weight training
• 45 minutes elliptical, 45 minutes treadmill
• Thursday: none
• Friday: Travel
• Saturday: weight training, 30 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes elliptical, Pilates class
• Sunday: 5 mile walk

There. Caught up. Time to go!

overall mood:

24 April 2005

More rain please! All this pollen needs to be washed away. As much as I love the blooming flowers and the trees, it's all the stuff floating around that is just making me miserable. ACHOOO! All my years growing up in Southern California, I was allergic to nothing. The air out there didn't even bother me. I still remember when DSw made his first trip out to CA and I took him to Griffith Park Observatory. We climbed the short flight of stairs to get to the top for the grand view of the L.A. Basin. He put his hand to his chest and said "man, why does my chest burn?" I said, "That's our Air! Breathe deep, and welcome to L.A.!" It was a stage 2 smog alert.

Fast-forward a few years and a move to Georgia. After several sinus infections the doctor put it together and said, I'll bet you anything, you are allergic. Sure enough. Welcome to Georgia, you're allergic to the South. Tennessee isn't as bad as Georgia, so I guess I'm thankful that this is just a "mild" seasonal transition allergy bout. The cough is still lingering a bit; today I'm more sneeze-y than usual.

Weekly weigh-in stayed flat for all intents and purposes. Not bad considering I didn't go to the gym much, and probably had more cough syrup than was healthy, honey & lemon, tea & whisky - whatever.

exercise week in review

• Monday - Friday: None
• Saturday: 45 minutes elliptical. Random weight routine. 1 hour Pilates class with weights
• Sunday: car washing & household chores

The Pilates class was interesting. We used 5lb hand weights for toning our arms. It felt really awkward to be in Pilates poses and stretches but to have to be supporting these weights. A workout in a different way, for sure. The only down side of class, is every time I cough, my abs ache just a little bit.

On to another week. I predict it will be a good one!

Overall Mood:

17 April 2005

Twice a year I get really sick. I have allergy-induced asthma which always hits me in April and October. This is hampering my workouts. If I can't breath well, even with the help of my inhaler, I skip the gym.

Weigh-in this week went quite well. I showed a loss of 3.6 pounds, which is very unusual for me. Part of that loss, I'd say a pound, maybe a pound and a half, is due to having weighed in at noon time rather than my usual 6pm. Even with that in mind, still respectable progress.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical
• Tuesday: 20 minutes treadmill (4mph)
• Wednesday: skip - ill
• Thursday: skip - ill
• Friday: skip - ill
• Saturday 3-mile walk, cross train circuit 3C
• Sunday: car washing

I'm still on track with the marathon training, if I miss some of the intermediate walks during the week, I do try to get the long walk in , as happened this week.

I like to bake. When I am stressed out, I exercise, play an instrument or bake. Thing is, when you are trying to lose weight, a love of baking doesn't necessarily support that goal. Even if you bake light recipes, fact is you have a slice, and that might be OK, but then there's the leftovers to deal with. I like to bake cookies, and even on a good day a half batch of some of my recipes render 3-dozen. I read about a cookbook in Fitness magazine, and went to check it out at the bookstore the other day. It's called "Small-Batch Baking" or something like that. I made one recipe for a shortbread cookie. It was really good. And I ate half the dang batch. It made 5 cookies. All the recipes are for 1 or 2 servings. A good find!

Right. Time to get in gear with the household chores.

Overall Mood:

10 April 2005


Another week gone by, time to log my exercise. The scale jumped down 3lbs, putting me back to 13.2 lbs lost so far this year. I’ve also lost 8 inches. The Season change and mild weather we are having is making me want to be outside more. Sometimes, especially on the weekend, I do not really want to spend my time in the gym. I know that will change come summer when the humidity is through the roof here, but for now, it’s a bit of a struggle. Sunday is the day I’ve set aside for outdoor walking. I don’t do this on Saturday as well because fact is; I really dislike walking so much that I don’t do it fast enough to keep my heart rate up. By not doing that, I’m just strolling along, and not really gaining any ground towards my weight loss goals. I think as I progress through my Marathon training, that might change. I do have to be mindful of speed on those days.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: none
• Tuesday: 20 minutes treadmill (4mph)
• Wednesday: Weights 3A, bicycle warm-up and cool-down (30 minutes)
• Thursday: 20 minutes treadmill (4mph)
• Friday: 2 miles @3.5mph
• Saturday 30 minutes treadmill, Weights 3B, elliptical cool-down, Pilates class
• Sunday: 20 minute outdoor walk, car washing

I’m trying to follow a marathon-training guide. It will probably take me another week or two to get into the groove of that. Some days I just don’t feel being in the weight room, so things get shifted around. Saturday would normally be the day I do my extended walking training, until I get past mileage that I don’t normally do (4 miles) I won’t be sticking to it quite as rigorously.

Overall Mood:

3 April 2005

April. Wow. 1/4 of the year has gone by. To date I have lost 10.2 lbs. Should be more, but had a bit of a setback on the scale this past week. Both my consultant and I are positive that a few things contributed to this showing, with very strong beliefs that none of it is actual weight gained. I kept a food diary while I was out of town, and even the things I indulged in, 2 Miller Lights, 2 Anchor Steams, sour jelly beans, etc … it in no way added up to 10,500 calories … which is what I would have had to have consumed, with no exercise, in order to actually gain 3 lbs of weight. The additional stuff I had, didn’t even add up to 1,000 calories. I do know that when I am traveling I don’t drink as much water as I normally would, and that does play a part in flushing the salty stuff out of my body … like the crab legs. Anyway, unofficially the gain has already come off, so I know I will have a good weigh-in this coming week.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: 30 minute step class, Weights 3A, 30 minutes elliptical
• Tuesday: 40 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes bike
• Wednesday: 60 minutes treadmill, Weights 3B, 30 minutes elliptical
• Thursday: none
• Friday: 30 minutes treadmill, Weights 3C, 45 minutes elliptical
• Saturday 60 minutes treadmill, 45 minutes elliptical, Pilates class
• Sunday: Marathon Training Day 1, 20 minute outdoor walk

OK, I just realized I forgot to log last week’s exercise. Probably because there wasn’t much and I got home quite late on Sunday. Here it is: Monday: 55 minutes treadmill, 20 minutes bicycle. Tuesday: None – Car Club Meeting. Wednesday: 30-minute aerobics class. Thursday –Sunday: None, out of town.


Overall Mood:

25 March 2005

It usually doesn’t take much for me to be motivated to head to the gym and exercise. Driving home from work, I have to pass my house in order to go to the gym. It is very tempting to take my exit and head home. Some days I do exactly that. Once I get home, I think I should have gone to the gym. In TN I live in an apartment complex with a full work out facility. If it’s just a cardio day for me, I’ll use the treadmill, elliptical or bicycles there.

For a while I’ve been wanting some type of cardio exercise I could do at home, that wouldn’t be too obnoxious for the person who lives below me. On a whim I started using my WATP tapes for a couple weeks. I ran into Mr. Neighbor and introduced myself as the person upstairs. I asked him to let me know if I ever got too noisy. He confirmed what I suspected at this place, he can not hear me at all. Oh YAY!

Just to make sure I’ve turned part of my office into an exercise area. This room is above my neighbors spare room which he does not use. Anyway, I had a point here when I first started writing today’s entry. Let me take a minute and rediscover it.

Right. Yourself Fitness. I have been using a copy of this on loan from a friend for a couple of weeks now. YF is a personal trainer in a box. I was skeptical when I first heard about it, but giving a go these past days has made me less so. It’s available in two version, one an X-Box game, the other a PC version. You create a profile for yourself by entering your stats and your goals. Goals can be things like increase upper body strength, lower body strength, weight loss … stuff like that. Your first “meeting” with Maya (the CGI trainer), is a fitness assessment. This is done every few weeks to chart your progress. You create a commitment calendar, and mark which days of the week you will exercise and for how long. If you skip a day you were scheduled to workout, when next you sign on, Maya says “hey there I missed you last time!” There’s even planned menus to follow if your goal is to lose weight. (I haven’t taken a look at these).

Beginning each workout you select the focus for the day. The program recommends one, but you can change it. (weight loss, cardio, upper body, lower body, flexibility). Next you select duration (15 minutes to an hour), environment, music, and the type of home equipment you own if any. (step, hand weights, stability ball, heart monitor). If you mark that you own equipment, chances are you'll be using it in your workouts. Then Maya guides you through your workout. Periodically she will stop and ask how the last segment of your workout was. If you tell her no sweat, the next time you have that type of segment, it’s a bit tougher. If you tell her you couldn’t keep up, the program goes easier next time. You can pause at any time, or select to go to a tutorial if you don’t know how to do a particular exercise.

What as surprised me most is just how varied all the workouts are. The music doesn’t get too terribly repetitive, and boy oh boy I do work up a sweat. Even when I chose the 15 minute option! It’s a bit funny as you are doing any given exercise to hear Maya saying come on, one more you can do it … right when you’re struggling and wanting that segment to end. HOW’D SHE KNOW??? I’ve been using this for 15 minutes of cardio every morning. I haven’t done longer workouts, and I also haven’t tried out the meditation garden which is 20 minutes of yoga. From what I see so far, I give this CD a

Overall Mood: :eyes:

21 March 2005

Spring is here! (achoooooo!) hmmm. back to back week in review entries. Guess I was too busy to pop in during the week!

Finally came off the mini plateau I had been on for the past three weeks with a 2lb loss this week. Surprising but good, since a lot of foods didn’t seem to be agreeing with me last week. I’m pleased with those results, to say the least.

exercise week in review:

• Monday: 30 minute step class, Weights 3A, 30 minutes elliptical
• Tuesday: 60 minutes treadmill, 20 minutes elliptical
• Wednesday: 30 minutes treadmill, Weights 3B, 30 minutes elliptical
• Thursday: none
• Friday: 30 minutes treadmill, Weights 3C, 45 minutes elliptical
• Saturday 60 minutes treadmill, 45 minutes elliptical, Pilates class
• Sunday: 3 mile outdoor walk

I’ve gotten into a groove with the new weight workouts, and fortunately am not real sore afterwards. When I flex my triceps I can see how those evil painful exercises have helped. (first off, I never even knew I could flex my triceps … but I can, and it moves!! I am definitely seeing a difference in my body in many areas. There’s not much that can put a smile on my face when catching a glimpse of oneself in spandex exercise wear and a ceiling to sink bathroom mirror. But I can actually smile about the changes I see. Still, spandex is a privilege not a right, I still be wearing a t-shirt to the gym.

Overall Mood:

13 March 2005

Past week went well, although the scale did not reflect it completely, lading on neither a loss nor a gain. Oh well, happens sometimes, ya know? Can’t say that it bothers me because it’s only been 2 weeks that I’ve stayed at the same weight although I’ve stuck to my 1700 calorie menu plans. If you are reading this, my exercise journal, comments on the weight “plateau” are not necessary, please.

My main disruption was exercise. My ankle seems to be pretty much healed, with few exceptions, so I am back to the gym nearly full force now, though it was touch n go getting there. I say nearly only because I’m again easing back up to my previous level just so I don’t undo do the healing process.

Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: 20 minutes elliptical warm up, weights – 3B legs and triceps, 15 minute treadmill cool down
• Tuesday: 1 mile outdoor walk
• Wednesday: Aerobics class
• Thursday: 15 minute aerobic wake-up,
• Friday: 15 minutes morning aerobic wake-up,45 elliptical, 45 treadmill
• Saturday: 20 minute treadmill warm-up, weights – 3C legs and shoulders, 30 minute elliptical cool down
• Sunday: Step class

Where I am having difficulty is getting the consistency of my weight routine. Due to my schedule, I can’t seem to get three days in during a 7-day period. I know I can make some minor adjustments to change this … the question is, do I really want to. Time will tell.

Overall Mood:

12 March 2005

Snow? What snow? All we saw was a few flurries last night on the way home from work. Today, beautiful, 60-something and windy. Windy as March should be because it's kite flying time! Took my kite out to the lake here with a picnic snack and a book and had a nice relaxing afternoon.

But before relaxing could happen, it was a bit of self imposed torture called the gym. I only refer to it as torture right now simply because I am still working through a new weight routine. It has 3 different segments, and today was my first go at the third segment. About 2 1/2 hours later I walked out of the gym smiling n energized. (ok a bit sweaty too).

Today's workout was 20 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, then off to the weight room. Leg extensions, Leg Curls, dipping lunges, dead lift, calf raises, inner & outter thighs, butt, leg press, and walking lunges. No No Noooo we're not done yet. On to shoulders. Overhead press, straight arm lateral raise, rear delt flyes, upright row. Just for good measure I threw in ab work. 40 curnches, 40 right and left obliques, 40 lower abdominal crunches. Back out to the cardio floor, for a hard 40 minutes on the elliptical hills. After some relaxing stretching, I was done.

I'm not anticipating the soreness from these exercises that I experienced from the arm exercises the other day. While I can tell I defintiely used some muscles I had not been using, my shoulder areas don't get as sore as my chest or arms. Hopefully I won't have to eat these words tomorrow!

My ankle is not 100%, I'd say it's more like 98 point something. I had to actually stop and restart on the elliptical because it was too stiff and needed to pop. A few localized stretches for it, and I was back on track.

Overall Mood:

11 March 2005

concentration curl. rope press down. dumbell kickback. I'm sure there was more, but that's all I remember without my workout sheet infront of me. 3 set of 15 reps and all this spells is TORTURE.

Oh well, the pain will go away in a day. It always does. Just intime to work another muscle group.

Overall Mood:

8 March 2004

So I’m a couple days behind in my journal. But here I am none-the-less to track my exercise for this past week. I didn’t get to workout as much as I would have liked to, doctor’s orders. I got the go ahead on Friday to resume regular exercising and just take normal precautions if my ankle flares up again.

Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: 3 mile walk
• Tuesday: 1 mile walk
• Wednesday: 2 mile walk
• Thursday & Friday: None
• Saturday: 15 minute warm up & cool down on the treadmill, weight program 3A in the middle, washing & polishing the Mini
• Sunday: none

Getting back to the gym on Saturday felt good. I’m trying out a new weight routine. Probably a combination of being energized by the beautiful weather we were having (it’s snowing now), and just being happy to be back at the gym, I overdid it a bit. I probably should have stopped at 2 sets on the flat and incline chest press, but I pushed it to 3 sets. I felt it on Sunday. OW! Yes, it’s a good sore and not an injured sore, but it’s still being sore!

The tough thing has been working out my schedule. This routine should be an every other day thing. I’ve been advised not to workout with weights the day before my weigh-in, so that knocks out Wednesday night. Thursday I don’t normally go to the gym because that’s weigh-in and it’s a logistical nightmare to weigh-in, bring my food home, and get over to the gym as all three points are in totally opposite directions. It may be doable, but I’m not sure. So that leaves me Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Hmmm. I can think of a couple ways to make this work, so I’ll just have to think about it and try a couple things out.

Overall Mood:

4 March 2005

I know I blinked and January came and went in an instant, but February too? Oh sure it lingered a bit mid month, thanks to the two evil red velvet hearts containing 8 pounds of See’s chocolate. Does February really count? It’s such a short month.

Anyway, come on March! I’m ready for ya! Ready for the sunny days, and the bulbs peeking their heads through the soil after a long winter’s sleep. I’ve lost 10lbs so far this year, stalled this past week with neither a loss nor a gain. I fully expected it.

My ankle bothered me enough to call for a doctor visit, who referred me to a sports injury specialist. (since when does falling off your shoes qualify as a sports injury ) Anyway, I simply aggravated an old ligament injury. I hope to get clearance today to exercise more.

In theory I knew if I wasn’t exercising at my usual capacity I should have cut back on my eating. But did I? NooooOOOooooo. But that’s all February’s news. I’ve refocused and it’s time to put that blah month end behind me.

March will have some challenges. Namely March Madness. I’m not really a college basketball fan. (My University Men’s team was terrible, though the Women’s team rocked!) Basketball in general annoys me. The squeak of the sneakers on the wood floors is the equivalent for me of drawing one’s fingernails across a blackboard. Ugh! But my sweetie is among the height mutants (6’ 9”), and enjoys basketball (go figure). I learned a long time ago, if I want to see him during the month of March, I’d best start following the Madness.

March Madness equals beer. Pitchers of it. Parked for 3 days in a row at the sports bar. People watching is at an all time high. Hopefully the scale will be kind to me. Time will tell.

3 March 2005

Oh goodness how I am ready for Spring. Sitting at the base of the Smoky Mountains, every other day the weather is changing. Sunny and warm, then rainy, then snow, back to sunny and cold. Sunny and whatever. That’s all I ask for. Preferably warm.

About this time very year my thoughts turn to those of white sand beaches, turquoise blue oceans. Colorful drinks with paper umbrellas.

The other morning, a sudden snow shower turned my usual 20 minute commute into an accident snarled 2 hour commute. After the first hour I was wishing I had a car with an automatic transmission. No better way to cope than by sticking a Jimmy Buffet CD in and drifting off to Margaritaville. My travel coffee mug wasn’t quite the right drink, but it worked. Note to self, put emergency stash of paper umbrellas in glove box.

27 February 2005

I was down 2.2lbs this week, which bring the total to 10lbs for the year. I’m pleased with that progress, my average losses have remained healthy and consistent.

Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: 45 minute total body cardio class
• Tuesday: 30 minutes aerobics
• Wednesday: 30 minutes aerobics class
• Thursday: none
• Friday: 45 minutes cardio class w/arms strength training
• Saturday: 30 minutes treadmill, testing out new weight routines
• Sunday: 3 mile walk outdoors

Terribly busy week at the office that translates into fewer times the computer at home gets turned on. In all I am pleased with this past month. My exercise was not as aggressive as it has been, but it was consistent at 30 minutes of a cardio class. The challenges I had were a car club meeting at a Chinese restaurant, back to back days of being locked in a meeting room for 8 hours, with lunch provided, and bowls of snacks on the tables.

Because I track my exercise and weight losses or gains, overtime I am able to see patterns develop. So far I have noticed a distinct pattern to my weight losses or gains. I lose or gain the same about on the same weeks of each month. My consultant at jenny Craig purposed an interesting thing to look at over the next few weeks. When I gain or lose less than I have been, did I lift weights on Wednesday of that week? So far I don’t think that is the case, but I might change to just 30 minutes on the treadmill on Wednesdays, and see if things don’t even out a bit.

March might not be the month to aim for more consistent loses. I know I have some social engagements coming up that involve Basketball and beer. Lots of both. We’ll take it as it comes.

Overall Mood:

20 February 2005

Considering I had a very limited range of motion in my ankle, I think this past week went well.


Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: 30 minutes elliptical, weight circuit 1
• Tuesday: 30 minutes aerobic class with step
• Wednesday: 45 minutes aerobics class, ditched the step.
• Thursday: none
• Friday: None
• Saturday: 60 minutes elliptical, weight circuit 1, tested out two new weight circuits

It occurred to me that I always refer to my time in the weight room as “weight circuit 1”. I find this amusing simply because in a very long time I’ve not done a weight circuit 2. It’s not that it is a bad routine, it is actually very good in that it works two muscle groups at a time and is designed to have a much longer after burn, the time after your exercise that your muscles continue to burn calories. Although it is a longer workout I find it boring.

I talked to one of the trainers over the weekend and got some suggestions for different workouts to try. I spent some time trying some of the exercises out on Saturday, but will decide which one I will do for a while on Monday if I can schedule some time with a trainer to run through the proper form on all the exercises.

Down 1.8lbs this week, I am pretty happy with those results after last week’s gain. In tracking my weight loss, I have noticed a definite pattern. Next month my goal is to start working towards breaking up that pattern.

Overall Mood:

18 Febraury 2005

Yes. Back to Chocolate. As I said in my first journal entry, my writings here would look at my exercise and occasionally chocolate. California Brittle, In-N-Out burger n fries, Vince’s Spaghetti and Northwoods Inn Cheese bread are all things I enjoy that I can’t get since I’ve moved to the southeast, and all remind me of the place I grew up, Southern California.

On the table of the common area of my office is still sitting two beautiful giant red velvet boxes. Holding inside them yummy luscious goodness. Each heart was 4 pounds of See’s candies … we’re talking the primo assortment, not just the everyday 1 pound box of chocolates. California Brittle, heaven in a brown paper candy cup. The crunchy toffee center with buttery almonds, covered with luscious milk chocolate. The name, reminds me of my home. The endless days spent on the beach. ScotchMallows. That triple decker concoction of caramel, topped with a marshmallow, and covered in dark chocolate. The butter chews (more commonly known as caramels). The molasses crisps … always a treat because you got two pieces in one paper cup. I’ve never been fond of the Bordeaux or anything in the walnut family. But the almond family of the “nuts” and all the “chews” … yum-O!

Except one. Anyone who has enjoyed a box of “nuts & chews” and is particularly fond of the caramel squares, has been tricked by this candy. Outwardly it appears so similar. It’s the same size. It’s covered in milk chocolate just like my beloved chews. The filling however, is brown sugar. Getting this candy when you are expecting a vanilla caramel is like getting a mouthful of sweet tea when you are expecting unsweet. (in non-southern terms, getting coke when you expect lemonade). Bleah! Ickie!

For lunch I had a cup of soup and a small salad. I decided I wanted a piece of candy. So I open the red velvet heart box and gazed upon the confections within. I eyed them all and instantly recognize the pieces I loathe (generally the rectangle ones), a few truffles I don’t care for (criscross white chocolate patterns), and then I see it. A small square treat covered in milk chocolate. Ooooooooo, a caramel! That’s the one I shall treat myself with! I carefully pick up the candy and it’s brown paper cup (everyone hates people who leave the brown papers behind in the box!). The aroma, to die for! I sit back at my desk. I am at one with my piece of chocolate.

I bite into the end. Mmmmmm … my brain engages. Something is wrong here. I look around for a napkin. I must spit this out. Ewwwwww! Yup. #%*$@!& brown sugar. That’s it! This relationship is over!

Good thing too. I really don’t like chocolate

Overall Mood:

17 February 2005

Last Saturday I fell off my shoes. I find that women can usually understand this phrase. For some reason this never happens to men, but my girlfriends can relate. (Unless I’m really a klutz and they are just being nice because that’s what girlfriends do!)

It’s been years since I’ve fallen off this particular pair of shoes, but it has happened before … probably why they stay in the closet most of the time. I was running errands and heading to the gym later in the afternoon. These aren’t particularly high shoes, they are actually tennis shoes with just a little thicker than normal sole. Tommy’s in Red Velvet. I really like them, but now it might be time for them to head off to the Goodwill. How can I possibly part with red shoes though???

Anyway, at the gym I was getting ready to change. As I usually do, when wearing tennis shoes, I went to take them off by placing the toe of one foot on the heel of the other and lifting my foot out. In doing this, I tweaked my right ankle. OW OW and more OW! It didn’t seem very bad, I didn’t fall or anything, just simply said “ow” and continued changing.

Hopped on the elliptical and did a whopping 2 minutes before the pain forced me off. Looked at the treadmill and thought better of it. I considered going home, but sheesh, after all the trouble of getting to the gym, changing and being ready to exercise, I was going to get a workout in period! I decided on the recumbent bike, thinking I could keep my foot flat on the pedal and maybe it wouldn’t be too painful.

I lasted 15 minutes. But did make it through my weight circuit … though I could hear my ankle pop with every calf raise I did on the leg press machine. It looked a little bit swollen. Time for Advil and ice when I got home.

Monday I toughed out 30 minutes on the elliptical and my weight circuit. Tuesday I settled for taping my ankle and doing a 30 minute aerobics class, ice n Advil. Yesterday I managed a 45 minute aerobics class, but definitely had some modifications and didn’t use a step. I think I’ll give it a rest now and hope to get back to routine by Saturday.

It’s such a minor thing, but dang it! It’s throwing off my evenings!

Overall Mood:

13 February 2005

I started this past week off on vacation. I’d full well expected a gain when I weighed in on Thursday for a couple of reasons; First being smack on my cycle there was some bloating, and second, well … I was on vacation. I don’t really crack down on what I eat while I am on holiday, and I don’t usually make trips to the gym. My time during these breaks is better spent elsewhere.

Super Bowl was of course one of my downfalls but I enjoyed every bit of it. Homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies which are to-die-for if I do say so myself. I had two over the course of the weekend, so they weren’t really an issue. I had my fair share of beer and that definitely contributed to the bloating and weight gain, as did our menu of BBQ (pulled pork, chicken and ribs), BBQ baked beans, coleslaw, and Texas toast, with banana cream pie for dessert. Southern BBQ is a tradition for us on Super Bowl Sunday. All had fun.

My Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: none
• Tuesday: 50 minutes treadmill, 20 minutes elliptical
• Wednesday: 45 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical
• Thursday: 15 minutes elliptical, weight circuit 1 (max reps)
• Friday: 60 minutes treadmill
• Saturday: 15 minutes recumbent bike, modified weight circuit 2, Pilates class
• Sunday: none

I had good momentum going into the weekend, but did something silly and ended up with a slightly twisted ankle. I toughed it out on Saturday, but couldn’t really do any cardio. The 15 minutes I spent on the bike were in totally bad form, as I had to keep my foot absolutely plastered to the pedal. Although I have better range of motion today, I won’t know until I get on the machines if I can do cardio tomorrow.

Up 2.2 pounds this week, but since I obviously know where every single ounce of those pounds came from, it is not something I am sitting here scratching my head over or causing me to stress out. Right now I’m just hoping my ankle is back to normal and I can be back in the gym full force this week.

Overall Mood:

11 February 2005

I'm thinking of chocolate today. Rich, creamy milk chocolate. Even better if some toffee, carmel or almonds is mixed in. The zit on my jaw is telling me it's my cycle week. CHOCOLATE! NOW!

I received a giant box this morning from a vendor. It is a 4lb velvet heart filled with See's chocolates. (nuts n chews no less!) I miss See's candy, almost as much as I miss In-N-Out Burgers. I am trying to resist the temptation to dive face first into this beautiful candy box. A co-worker also received one of these hearts. Now, I walk by the mmeting table in the center of our office and think ... chocolate. But you know, these giant heart shaped boxes? All I can see is them firmly attached to my butt. Although a california brittle or scotchmallow is calling my name, I think I shall win the chocolate war this week.

Ever since my hysterectomy I’ve craved chocolate during my cycle. Funny thing about it is I don’t even like chocolate. The first time the craving hit me, I couldn’t figure out what it was I was wanting. I walked down to the market, and browsed around. Suddenly a Hershey Bar just up and jumped into my hand! That’s about the only chocolate that does it for me. Except the Mexican chocolate that comes in the round yellow cardboard thing with the picture of a granny on it. That stuff makes killer hot chocolate (especially with a shot of crème tequila).

My DSw was so excited when I told him I must be PMSing because I was craving chocolate. He responded by asking “you like chocolate?” My TAH/LSO was in mid December. By late January there I was walking to buy a chocolate bar. It was cold out! I wasn’t allowed to drive yet! I NEEDED A FIX!!! And so I walked to the market for three days in row, each day purchasing one plain Hershey bar.

Come February, DSw was quite excited. He handed me a Valentine’s Day card (normal) and a small heart shaped box of chocolates (who is this man??). Never in all our years had he given me chocolates. I don’t like chocolate, after all. Why the change? He remembered I had told him I was craving chocolate for the first time, the month before. A man that listens??? OH MY GOSH! I LOVE THIS MAN! Of course he also figured if I didn’t like chocolate, he would get to eat them. (I had a bite of one, he got the rest).

Now I had talked to Dr. Mike about this and in his ever charming way, he chuckled. (this man also chuckled when I voiced concern over become a raving hormonal psycho you-know-what when he first told me I might want to consider a permanent procedure for my recurring fibroids). On a more serious note he speculated that the chocolate craving may be my body’s way of telling me I needed more copper in my diet. My nutritionist thought the same thing, so she changed the mixture of the trace minerals I was taking. Who knew chocolate could be so scientific. Fact or Fallacy I do not know, but I do know I don’t crave chocolate every month like I used to. It’s down to about every 4 months.

Chocolate. I don’t really like the stuff. DSw on the other hand, stocks up on rolos and peanut butter cups the 3rd week of every month. We’re on the same cycle.

6 February 2005

I’m happy with this past week. I’ve lost 2.8 pounds, which gives me some good momentum going into this, the second month of the new year. I’ve known all along this coming week would put a stop to that, if not even reverse my weight loss simply because I’ve been on a mini holiday break for 4 days and made no efforts what so ever to really watch what I ate or drank. It’s just the way it is sometimes.

My Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: 15 minutes CrossTrainer, 15 minutes Elliptical, Circuit 1 (max reps)
• Tuesday: 45 minutes Treadmill, 30 minutes Bicycle (and it was a grueling course!)
• Wednesday thru Sunday: none

There’s a reason for my abbreviated workouts on the days I did go to the gym. It was so hot and miserable in the facility that my goal was simply to get in and out of there as quickly as possible. Wednesday night I found out they “accidentally” had the heat on instead of the air conditioner. Not sure why it took them two days to figure this out, since several people complained on Monday & Tuesday, either way I couldn’t tolerate another 80 degree night in the gym. Too dangerous in my opinion.

While I was on vacation, I could have worked out. My gym membership allows me to use affiliated facilities all over the country, one of which is right down the street from the house. We also have a full workout facility as part of our neighborhood club house. No excuses, I just didn’t feel like it.

Overall Mood:

2 February 2005

Now I know Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of Winter. All I can say is so sorry for you Northerners.

General Beauregard Lee, our resident Ground Hog, emerged from his weathering heights mansion and didn’t see his shadow! Since I’ve lived in the South, General Beauregard has always been right. early Spring in these parts.

OK, so I deviated from the theme of my journal. Part of the south I have come to love are our traditions and ceremony. Here’s a little more about General Beauregard.

30 January 2005

I’m happy with this past week. I’ve lost 2.6 pounds. Drank enough water. Ate all the foods I planned to eat (and a few that were not on my planned menu). Didn’t get in quite as much exercise as I would have liked, but enough to not be considered a couch potato. I feel energized even though the weather around me is so dreary

My Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: Pilates Class, 1 mile WATP tape
• Tuesday: none – car club meeting
• Wednesday: 45 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical, Weight Circuit I (increased weight, lowered reps)
• Thursday: none
• Friday: none
• Saturday: 45 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical (interval program), Weight Circuit I (max reps)
• Sunday: 3 mile WATP tape

I missed a couple days at the gym due to my sinuses. While I don’t have an issue exercising when I am feeling under the weather (as long as I’m not contagious!), I don’t exercise when my sinuses are whacked out, since in those cases it is affecting my balance.

My workout on Saturday was better than normal. It was so dreary and cold out, which makes for a great day to be at the gym! I pushed myself in the weight room, and am feeling it today in my pectoral muscles. (My armpits hurt!) I used a machine to work my oblique muscles (40lbs) and did my usual crunches. By the time I was done, I thought I was going to Now that’s a good workout!

Last week I had noticed a pattern to my workouts, so I made an effort to plan this week differently. For February, my plan is to continue my current level of cardio (60-90 minutes a day), plus make sure I do Circuit I three times a week.

Overall Mood:

28 January 2005

Oh YAY! It’s Friday! Naturally I love Friday’s because who doesn’t look forward to two days in a row where you don’t have to wake up early, don’t have to sit in a stuffy office at a desk, staring at a multi shades of white wall. (They keep trying to match the paint and it’s not working). Who doesn't love that? I ask ya!

With the start of the New Year most of America has made some sort of New Year’s resolution. Statistics show the number one resolutions are to lose weight or to get in better shape. It definitely explains the explosion of people at the gym, already now starting to thin out a bit. So knowing that the likelihood that a lot of people are trying to watch what they eat, what’s my company do? It’s VA Treat Week!

They do this twice a year, when we are trying to collect money from our Vendors. They joke about the hours we put it during this pretty stressful time of year. The thought is, we are so busy on the phone trying to beat the vendors up for money, we don’t have time to eat. So they bring us snacks to sustain us.

Monday: Fruit & Granola Bars
Tuesday: Fresh Popped Cheese Popcorn
Wednesday: Hot Glazed Donuts (Krispy Kremes)
Thursday: Ice Cream (my weakness)
Friday: A Nacho Bar for lunch

I have made it through the week only caving in to an ice cream sandwich. Ice cream and I do not have a nice relationship. I love it. If I have it in the house, I will eat it. No matter how hard I try, I just can not measure and eat a ½ cup serving. No matter how small the bowl I use is. The bowl just begs to be filled up again. I fought this battle for a while. It’s been a few years, but I finally decided I will never win the battle of the Ice Cream, and had to ban it from my house. Yup, BAN. It DSw wants some, he has to buy something I absolutely hate, and have no chance of wanting even a taste. This is not difficult for him to do since he loved Starbucks ice cream, and I hate coffee flavored anything (ummmm, other than coffee). We live in peaceful co-existence.

Now, this is not to say I never eat ice cream. The deal is, if I really really REALLY want ice cream, and some days you just HAVE to have it, then I walk down the road to the ice cream parlour. It’s about a mile each way, so it’s not something we do very often.

All this to say, yeah I had an ice cream sandwich on Thursday.

And it was darned good.

24 January 2005

My “last straw” came in 1999 while I was recovering from my third myomectomy. I had been put on Lupron in 1998, and after surgeries one and two, which were back to back, I’d gained 40 pounds. I wasn’t a small gal to start out, but that 40 extra pounds put me at my largest size of a tight 22. I was thoroughly disgusted with what I saw in the mirror. I did some research, asked around, and read bulletin boards for various weight loss programs. I thought long n hard about what I wanted to achieve, and what I thought were my biggest hurdles to overcome.

At the turn of the New Year, I signed up with Jenny Craig. 1 year later, and another myomectomy, I had lost just over 50 lbs. 53 to be exact. I was more than half way to my goal, but at that time things started to fall apart at the center I was using. Another myomectomy loomed on my horizon, number four, so I called it quits on Jenny Craig and decided to concentrate on getting my health back, and keep practicing all the principles I learned

Hand in hand with losing a good amount of weight came an increase in activity. Invariably someone will ask me how I got in the exercise habit. For me, it was literally starting at 10 minutes of a low impact aerobics tape every other evening. When I felt I could do 10 minutes comfortably, I would add another 5 minutes. I kept progressing gradually until I could do the full 55 minute tape. Slow and gradual is my motto. When I started on the Jenny Craig program, they emphasized that not only eating the right foods, but also exercising regularly, would help you be successful on their program. I took that to heart since I wasn’t going to be plunking down $100 a week for nothing! I was committed to giving myself the gift of being healthier, and still am.

When my fibroids rebelled from the exercise, I simply did as much of a tape as I could. If I was too tired from my chronic anemia I skipped exercising. When the doctor forbade me from exercising, I listened.

7 months after myomectomy number four I had a TAH/LSO, followed 10 months later by an exploratory lap to get one last fibroid. Both my Doctor and I agree, that there is no way I could have made it through all of these surgeries and subsequent recoveries without having been physically fit going into them. After each recovery I eased back into exercise knowing it’s what my body needed to build up strength. Through it all, I built my exercise habit. It is a gift to myself.

As I started to love exercising, I wanted to try more types of exercise. I wanted to see what it felt like and how it changed my body. I thrive on the energy I get from a good workout. When I’ve been over-stressed at work I add in another exercise session. For me, 20-minutes of cardio can make all the difference between leaving a bad day at work there, and bringing a bad day at work home.

I just passed the two year mark from my last exploratory lap. I think my body has quit growing fibroids. , so I decided it was time to return to Jenny Craig and lose the rest of the weight I want. I haven’t gained weight in the time I’ve been away from the program. Well, I have, but I’ve also gone down a size. While muscle may not weight more than fat, it does take up less room. Knowing that it came from my dedication to myself and my exercise regime, it’s rewarding to be able to say “I’ve gained muscle.”

What keeps me motivated? I will always remember how I felt when I reached my last straw in 1999. I refuse to go back there again.

Overall Mood: Happy

23 January 2005

I’m feeling pretty good about this past week. I’ve lost 1.6 pounds, drank enough water, ate all the foods I planned to eat (and none that I had not put in my menu). I seem to be going to bed later, but still having lots of energy to get me through the day. In all, things are going well.

My Exercise Week in Review

• Monday: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes bike with arms, 30 minutes elliptical
• Tuesday: 45 minutes treadmill, 45 minutes elliptical
• Wednesday: 20 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical, Weight Circuit I
• Thursday: none
• Friday: 20 minute Pilates tape
• Saturday: 45 elliptical, 45 bike with arms, Weight Circuit I
• Sunday: cheering for the Falcons!

I try to have one day where I don’t exercise to give my muscles a break, but I also aim to have no more than 3 days off so that I end up working out more days in the week than I take off. Tough my routines were a bit messed up because of the whole water bottle incident I wrote about a couple days ago, and a trip to the market to beat the weather induced flood of people there sometimes I think it’s good to get out of those routines.

Each day my planner has written in it what I am planning to do for exercise. I plan this out for three weeks at a time, mostly to make sure I keep a varied program going and to make sure I’m not doing the same exact thing on the same days each week. I’ve already noticed my Monday and Tuesday routines are identical to last week. I think that’s OK for now, but I’ll have to plan a little better the next time I sit down to do my workout schedule.

Overall Mood:
(I miss Southern California Winters!)

22 January 2005

I think I’ve had a pretty productive day. Woke up early, had a nice breakfast of French toast and mixed berries, along with a vanilla yogurt. Did the following at the gym:

30 minutes treadmill, 3.5MPH
30 minutes elliptical, 6.8mph
Circuit Workout, 20 reps each

• leg press
• flat bench press
• leg extension
• lat pulldown
• leg curl
• shoulder press
• inner thigh
• bicep curl
• outer thigh
• Triceps
• calf raises
• incline bench press
• leg press, knees holding ball
• obliques
• crunches
• stretching cooldown

Had some lunch, chicken, broccoli & cheese stuffed sandwich, salad and fresh strawberries. Now it’s time to go run some errands and figure out something fun for the rest of the day!


Oh yeah, 40ozs of SmartWater. More on water later.

Overall Mood: Energized!

21 January 2005

One thing can throw off your whole day. It started with forgetting my water bottle. I take a 1 ½ liter bottle of water to work each day, and pack two 20-oz smart waters in my gym bag. I left my big water bottle on my kitchen counter. I realized this as I was getting out of my car at work. This one little thing, threw everything off.

When I am really involved at work I don’t think about eating or drinking. Come noon I was absolutely parched. Lunch came and went; fortunately we have vending machines where I can get a 20-oz bottle of water. Only had two of those today. I’ve been trying to catch up all day.

If that wasn’t bad enough, when I’m thirsty sometimes I think I’m hungry. So it was a constant, am I thirsty or am I hungry? Thirsty? Hungry? My neat little compartmentalized meals n snacks schedule got thrown right on out the window.

Normally I am more prepared than this. Normally I have several bottles of water in my office, and a couple in my boot. All I had in the boot were SmartWaters and didn’t want to bring those in since I reserve that stuff for working out. So to top it off, I had to go shopping tonight.

Not had to, rather choose to go to the market tonight rather than to the gym. The weather forecast is looking pretty icy tomorrow and snowy on Sunday. Being in the South, we don’t do snow well. I imagine there will be a run on the markets tomorrow for milk bread and eggs. I want to avoid that mess. Missing a day here n there at the gym isn’t the end of the world, but it felt so weird being home earlier than normal.

Who’d have thought one bottle of water could throw my whole day off!

Overall Mood: Parched

18 January 2005

There are two sides to every coin, or so they say. Having checked my piggy bank, yes indeed, each coin in there does have two sides. Funny how that works out! I say this because “they” say there are two types of exercisers, those that prefer solo exercising and those that prefer social exercising. I’m pretty much a solo exerciser though I participate in the occasional class. I like variety for a couple reasons.

First I believe you can get in an exercise rut by doing the same thing each day that you set out to exercise. My belief is when you do this, your body just says “yawn. Eh. Big deal. Same old same old. To show her, we’re not going to burn up any calories.” And suddenly what routine you were once maintaining your weight on (or losing) suddenly does nothing for you.

Second, while I can get into my ruts, like ordering vanilla ice cream when there are 31 flavors to chose from (but I REALLY like Vanilla), or going to the same places on vacation each year (ok, my real estate holdings dictates this one), in life I like Variety. My wardrobe isn’t all one color, my socks aren’t all white, and my underwear on occasion is neon green for goodness sakes. Exercise is no different for me.

I suppose it’s because I equate ruts with boring people, something I really try not to be. It is also that I like the challenge of learning a new exercise and what it can do for my body and how I feel.

In 2004 I have done:

• Curves
• free weights
• crunches, crunches n more crunches on a balance ball
• signed on with a personal trainer (that wasn’t my mechanic)
• worked out on weight machines (circuit training)
• walked miles on a treadmill
• ran miles on an elliptical trainer without whimping out on the arm action
• gone thousands of steps on a cross-trainer
• rode major miles on two different kinds of exercise bikes
• Pilates for Dummies class
• yoga class
• Walked Away the Pounds at home
• AM/PM Yoga at home
• Windsor Pilates at home
• walked in 5K races (Race for the Cure & Buddy’s Race to Cure Cancer)

Wow. Not bad. Suddenly without even trying, I have a great sense of accomplishment.

Of everything I've done, I was least impressed with Curves. I was most pleased with the 5K's. I HATE to walk for exercise. So doing not one, but two, I had to wonder if I hadn't gone off the deep end just a bit. I had a tremendous sense of satisfaction when I crossed the finish line.

Overall Mood: Accomplished

16 January 2005

I bit the bullet and stocked up on some more SmartWater on Saturday. I don’t know if it’s all mental, but I really feel better hydrated when I drink this stuff during my workouts. I think it does as good a job as Gatorade, but doesn’t have the intense flavoring or calories. I have some issues with the price though. There was a six-pack of sports bottles at the market. Looking at the price tag on the shelf it said price per liter: $7.99. Good lord what a rip-off! Course, the bottles I buy aren’t cheap either, about $1.65 per liter. Hence, it’s only my workout water, not my all-daylong beverage of choice.

My exercise week in review:

• Monday: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes bike with arms.
• Tuesday: 45 minutes treadmill, 45 minutes elliptical
• Wednesday: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical
• Thursday: none
• Friday: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes cycle with arms
• Saturday: 45 elliptical, 45 bike with arms, 30 minutes weights, Pilates class
• Sunday: Household chores

Normally I would have done a weight routine on Saturday, but my trainer teaches Pilates and talked me into taking her class. (ow).

Friday I seemed to hit upon the right combination of eating, least for that day. I was able to go to the gym straight after work, and had enough energy to get through my exercising. I swapped my lunch and dinner meals, and had my late night snack just before I worked out. When I got home, I was neither famished nor exhausted.

This left me with a fairly light dinner, which I liked a lot. I don’t like the fact that I sit down to dinner about 8:30 in the evening. I’ve chosen to spend my time at the gym and don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. I’m going to keep up this switched-up eating this coming week to see if I still make it through my workouts feeling good.

Overall Mood: Energized!

14 January 2005
the last line in my previous entry explains today's title.

As I figured, showed a not-quite-2lb gain. But we've come to the conclusion that it's my cycle week. I've never called it PMS cause I've never had PMS symptoms. (DSw is thankful for that!) Anyway, looking back over my client charts from pre-hyst days confirmed that. Funny how after so many years of knowing exactly what day your period would arrive and how long it will last, after a few years I've almost totally forgotten. <oops, jumped track>

Discussed the whole eating and exercise thing, and my consultant gave me some ideas. Turns out she has the same problem. She teaches some killer classes, so it's nice to know someone can relate. I'm swapping my evening and afternoon meals, and taking my last snack of the day ... dessert if you will, and moving it to 30 minutes before I work out.

Not sure how that last snack will work since that timing would be while I am in the car driving to the gym. I don't eat in the car. (aside from it being new, it's just not something I've ever done). I have to pass my apartment in order to get to the gym, so maybe I'll stop at home for 10 minutes, change and have my snack, then go on to the gym. hmmmmm.

ANyway, not too down about the gain this week, I know next week will just show a larger than normal loss. err it dang well better with all this exercise I do.

13 January 2005

It’s getting easier. The 30/30/30 cardio workout wasn’t a bit difficult to complete. The abs work, well after all the abdominal surgeries I’ve had I’m usually just thrilled that I can do any type of crunches at all. Managed to get through 50 regular, 50 right and 50 left oblique and 50 froggers. The obliques are the toughest for me, those muscles get burned fast! Also did a quick circuit (15 reps).

Having adjusted my snacks I was a bit better in the energy category by the end of the workout and didn’t totally crash on the way home, but I still think my food needs tweaking. Tonight I have a JC consultation and weigh-in, so we’ll get their take on my eating pattern. Although the JC gals are nice, and in the case of this particular center in Knoxville, quite knowledgeable about exercise and nutrition (rare at a JC center), she’s also got availability to a registered nutritionist for input as well. Just incase I’ve fired off an e-mail to my regular nutritionist as well.

I am thinking I need to make lunch my bigger meal of the day, so I want to swap dinner with lunch. There are a few changes to investigate, and it may take me a few days to hit the right combination. But I’m confident I will.

Hmmm, some musings about weigh-in tonight. I seriously doubt I will show a loss. First I was adding in a milk portion when I should not have been (it only took 2 weeks for this light bulb to go on!) and I did have a couple carb attacks after the first couple of aggressive workout nights. For those two things I know what I’ve done wrong and I’ve corrected the milk thing, as am working on the carb attack thing. It won’t help that I’m smack in my cycle but that’s just a factoid of life.

You know how some days ya just feel like a cow? Well, Mooo!

3:-O

12 January 2005

Gah! Eating my afternoon snack later worked out better for exercising, but then I had too much food left to eat by the time I got home from the gym. I guess I should say it really isn’t a matter of being out right hungry when I am done at the gym so much as having enough energy to push through the entire workout. Yesterday’s snack was good in that it was a bit of protein and a fruit. The fruit and cottage cheese both have simple carbs which are what fuel me through the workout. The protein in the cottage cheese, helped it all digest a bit slower so it would stay with me a little bit longer, though not too long as to make me want to while I was working out.

2nd day of increased cardio. You know, it’s not as bad or as painful as I thought it would be. 45 minutes on the treadmill (3.2MPH) … this isn’t a leisurely walk for me but it’s not what I would call brisk either. It’s just a comfortable pace where I don’t have to jog a couple steps to keep from falling off the end of the treadmill. I read while I walk … it took a bit to get the hang of it, but now it’s something I just must do. Walking to me is the most boring exercise on the face of the earth, so I have to make it interesting in my own way. Current Treadmill Reading Material: Sweet Potato Queens’ Field Guide to Men: Every Man I Love is Either Married, Gay or Dead The book is hilarious in a southern way. I try not to burst out laughing too much. Don’t want to startle the gals on either side of me and watch them slip off the end of their treadmill.

45 minutes on the elliptical however, was not as easy. I had to keep telling myself I could do it. It isn’t that long. In my mind I broke it up into 15 minute sections. 15 minutes is a piece of cake on the elliptical. Paced myself slower than normal at about 6.5mph, with busts to 9.0 on the hills. The calories burned on this machine, according to the computer on it, was 425. Holy cow. Plus another 250 from the treadmill really hit home the importance of eating the right things prior to starting and drinking lots of water through out.

I drink about a liter of water during and after exercising. During I drink Smart Water, any other time of day, just regular ol mountain spring bottled water. I use Smart Water because it seems to quell the thirst better without making me feel too full or have to take bathroom breaks during my gym time. SmartWater is supposed to be a smaller water molecule better absorbed by the body and it is infused with electrolytes. I heard about it on some show about celebrities and thought it was a load of crap. I tried the stuff while I was at one of our fancy schmancy stores in Birmingham that had a hoity-toity wellness shop. I was thirsty and it wasn’t soda. They have mildly flavored waters, vitamin waters and plain. I bought one and liked it. At my local market they carry the full line in the health food aisles. I find I don’t have to drink as much while exercising so I try to stock up while it’s on sale.

So, I’ve adjusted my eating and snack times, let’s see if I can make it through tonight’s workout. 30/30/30 plus

11 January 2005

I blinked and we’re nearly 2 weeks into the new year.

Right. So, towards the end of last year I decided it’s time to suck it up (so to speak) and seriously work on losing more weight. I have been quite successful at this in the past, but took a hiatus once my fibroids started growing and re-growing and re-growing and on and on. It became too much for my body to try to heal itself, rebuild my blood supply and be on a low calorie, though balanced, eating plan.

December marked three years since my hysterectomy and October marked two years that I’ve been fibroid free. Feeling confident that I’ve reclaimed my body, I re-joined Jenny Craig. The scale had gone up since I’d last been there, but the inches had gone down. I’ll attribute that to taking up weightlifting at the gym.

Anyway, this is a journey in itself … what better way to track it, than to journal it. I’ve got a blog to record my travels as a Mini owner, so what’s another few words on a page? Sorry it won’t be fascinating reading since my intention is to track my exercise and perhaps delve into the deeper side of chocolate (and I’m not talking dark chocolate).

Yesterday was the first day I upped my cardio. K, I thought I was gonna die! Normally I do anywhere from 30 to 55 minutes walking on the treadmill (3.5MPH), or the elliptical trainer (6-9MPH using random hill programs), the cross trainer (like the elliptical without arm things), the recumbent bike (80MPH using random hill programs) or the I forget what it’s called cycle where you not only pedal but have the arm action going too. (72MPH legs, 35 MPH arms). I do this every other day. On the “off days” I do 20 minutes of cardio on any of those machines, and do a full body weight circuit (meaning I work every single muscle, one muscle group at a time) or a weight circuit that works two muscle groups at a time. (I enjoy this one the least of the two programs).

Hmm, drifted a bit there. I upped my cardio. My goal is to do 90 minutes 6 days a week. Last night I tackled it as 30 cycle thing with arms, 30 treadmill and 30 elliptical. Because I was having problems programming the cycle, it broke down as 15 minutes in the beginning and 15 minutes at the end of my workout. About 2 minutes into that second 15 minute set I was already regretting the fact that once I got home I was going to have to climb three flights of stairs. It took everything I had not to quit. Boy oh boy did I want to, but I kept telling myself I’ll be darned if I put down anything less than 30, 30, 30 on my tracking sheet.

I don’t think it was purely the physical effort that got to me. I was STARVING! I go to the gym after work. Usually dressed and ready to go by 6:15. I had eaten my afternoon snack at 3pm (raspberry cheesecake and non-fat milk). That so did not hold me. Today, I’m trying to eat my snack later, closer to 5pm, and I’m having cottage cheese and a pear. I can’t exercise on an empty stomach, but timing seems to be the key here. If things don’t improve tonight, then I’ll keep my 3pm snack and move up my evening snack to when I leave the office. I’ll have to discuss this one with my trainer tonight and get her thoughts as well.