Here I am, past day 60, Day 63 to be exact, and it's not been a good month.
I'm not going to get into specifics, but things have been about as bad as we've seen them around here.. lots of stressful things going on, and our workouts just became the easiest thing to let go. We just needed one less thing to have to worry about. So, days 31-60 were not as they should have been for us on Power 90.
I did however make a decision that for me at least, I am starting over at Day 30. This makes the fact that I stopped blogging on day 30 pretty handy actually. I'm just going to pretend the last month didn't happen, and start from here.
On Day 30 (formerly known as Day 60) I did the Strength Training 3-4 workout... well okay half of it. It's pretty hard core compared to 1-2 AND I hadn't really been working out regularly. I may have to just go back to 1-2 for a week or so, then try 3-4 again. I want to get some heavier weights though. I think that'll help my progress a lot actually. Right now I just have two 5lb dumbbells.
Day 31 was actually my birthday. Hubby, my 11 yr old and I went to the lake and swam for a long time. I'd say I was in the water about 2 hours. I've been trying to be a better swimmer, so I wasn't just splashing around. I was working on my form for a few swim strokes, as well as doing underwater exercises. I try to do all the cardio moves I can remember underwater since I am much more flexible underwater. Seriously, I had no idea I could lift my leg so high, or my knee, but when I'm in 5 ft deep water, it's easy. Sure makes climbing back up the steps out of the lake harder though haha! I was worn out!
My nutrition has been far from "clean eating" though. This is mainly due to finances. Healthy food is expensive. It's also due to stress. I'm sorry, but sometimes I NEED chocolate. To hell with what other people think.
I've only gained back about 5 lbs and those are starting to come back off (some was water weight I think).
I've gotten the treadmill set back up as well since it's so hot outside these days. Since I was so proud of myself for walking 5 miles on the walking trail a while back, I want to work up to doing 5 miles on the treadmill, then work on seeing how quickly I can do 5 miles. It would be great to be able to work up to 7 miles as well, since the trail we walk on is 3.5 miles long, so a round trip is 7 miles. The great thing is that on the treadmill I have a laptop holder, so I can watch my TV shows on Netflix while walking. I need to find more shows to watch though. I'm running out of stuff!
Hopefully I'll do better this time around and post here more regularly with good updates! I did it a month, I can do it again!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Power 90 Day 31 - Yesterday's photos and measurements!
We made it to Day 30! A third of the way there! I've still been kind of hit and miss with the workouts. I was so proud I didn't miss any for weeks, but then we both got off track and it's been hard to get back to it. I usually do the strength training days, but always find an excuse not to do cardio. I could tell though, yesterday when we did the strength DVD together, I was less in shape than I had been. I have to keep doing the cardio. Though after the workout, we went out and did yard work together and I know I got my heart rate up. Whew! I've not done my workout for today yet BUT the house has been full of teenagers and I want to workout with Christopher when he gets off work this afternoon. No excuses this time. I have to make him workout with me. he's missed more than I have.
Ok, my measurements on Day One were:
Chest 45.5
R Arm 16.5
L Arm 17.12
Waist 48
Hips 48.25
R Thigh 26
L Thigh 24.75
R Calf 17
L Calf 17
Measurements for Day 30 are:
Chest 44.5
R Arm 16
L Arm 15.25
Waist 44
Hips 46.5
R Thigh 24
L Thigh 23.75
R Calf 16
L Calf 16
For a loss of 14.12 inches overall! That's a lot of fat! Oddly I've only lost 3 lbs since I started Power 90. So I'm guessing there must be some serious muscle gain under all the fat that's making up for the loss. I'm ok with that. :)
So, now the photos!
Day One is on the left in blue. Day 30 is on the right.
I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I think the next month will show some really visible results. I've started using Shakeology which is the supplement meal replacement shake that Beachbody sells (not cheap either!). My coach actually gave us a bag for free which was part of a Challenge pack which included Hip Hop Abs! My daughters are doing that workout now. I hope to add some of the Hip Hop Abs workouts to my Power 90 workouts to get an extra boost. My coach said that was a good idea. It looks like a lot of fun, but I don't know if I'm that coordinated lol.
Anyway, the Shakeology has a ton of super foods in it, and I can tell my body is taking some time adjusting to it. I think it's definitely working as a cleanse LOL. I was hoping not to get too dependent on this brand of protein shakes since they're so expensive, but everything I've heard and read about how much they help with weightloss and making your body healthier might make me buy another month's worth afterall. Especially if they have another challenge pack with the Les Mills Combat workout. That one looks really awesome.
*** Update*** I just did my workout for today with Christopher. I did all the ab rippers!! Woohoo! My arms are jello now, which will be hard to type with at work, hah. Have a great night y'all!
Ok, my measurements on Day One were:
Chest 45.5
R Arm 16.5
L Arm 17.12
Waist 48
Hips 48.25
R Thigh 26
L Thigh 24.75
R Calf 17
L Calf 17
Measurements for Day 30 are:
Chest 44.5
R Arm 16
L Arm 15.25
Waist 44
Hips 46.5
R Thigh 24
L Thigh 23.75
R Calf 16
L Calf 16
For a loss of 14.12 inches overall! That's a lot of fat! Oddly I've only lost 3 lbs since I started Power 90. So I'm guessing there must be some serious muscle gain under all the fat that's making up for the loss. I'm ok with that. :)
So, now the photos!
I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I think the next month will show some really visible results. I've started using Shakeology which is the supplement meal replacement shake that Beachbody sells (not cheap either!). My coach actually gave us a bag for free which was part of a Challenge pack which included Hip Hop Abs! My daughters are doing that workout now. I hope to add some of the Hip Hop Abs workouts to my Power 90 workouts to get an extra boost. My coach said that was a good idea. It looks like a lot of fun, but I don't know if I'm that coordinated lol.
Anyway, the Shakeology has a ton of super foods in it, and I can tell my body is taking some time adjusting to it. I think it's definitely working as a cleanse LOL. I was hoping not to get too dependent on this brand of protein shakes since they're so expensive, but everything I've heard and read about how much they help with weightloss and making your body healthier might make me buy another month's worth afterall. Especially if they have another challenge pack with the Les Mills Combat workout. That one looks really awesome.
*** Update*** I just did my workout for today with Christopher. I did all the ab rippers!! Woohoo! My arms are jello now, which will be hard to type with at work, hah. Have a great night y'all!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Power 90 - Day 25! Really stoked!
I cannot believe we're already on Day 25 of Power 90!! It seems to have flown by since we finally passed that slow first 2 week period.
I've gotten back to doing my daily workouts. I haven't added anything else to them like walking or swimming since the weekend. Been too busy or the weather has been bad.Today was Sweat 1-2, and I was kind of ticked off at myself for having slacked off on doing the DVD workouts for so many days. Last time I'd done the sweat workout, I'd been able to do all of the Power Yoga stuff, and this time I couldn't. I had to just stop and catch my breath and watch Tony do another couple sets before moving on. Next time! I will do it all!
I did try on the large in those capris I talked about before. They did fit okay, but were a little snug in the butt.. I've actually got a butt now! I did a doubletake in the mirror when I first realized it too LOL! I decided to keep the XL ones in the two colors I got for now. They're comfy which is the point of them and I like the colors. The sand ones go with everything. The orange ones are great, but I didn't have a lot that went with them. So when Christopher and I were in the big town up the road a couple days ago, he asked if I wanted to check out Old Navy since they always have great clearance deals on stuff whenever we go. I still can't believe I did it, but I ended up getting 2 shirts at $2.99 each that were on clearance.. they were XL, but the clingy stretchy stuff. I'd been used to buying big baggy men's 2XL shirts to hide myself in. I don't even know what prompted me to try them on other than the great price, but I did it, and I was shocked! They didn't look horrible! They were snug, but it looked ok, good even. I didn't immediately think OMG cover that cow! This was a real turning point for me! I even remember thinking, "What's that?! I can see my belly button straight on?! " It used to "face" the floor since my fat roll was so big LOL. ... I still can't believe I can wear anything from Old Navy that's not in the big guy's section! And they're cute tops!
Another thing that's happened that's very weird for me, is I am wearing tank tops now. I used to REFUSE to wear a tank top unless I had something on over it. I hated my arms that much. I didn't want to see them, and I certainly didn't want anyone else to see them. While they're not great to look at now, I don't mind it anymore. I guess I finally just got over it. This is really great because most dresses these days have just straps at the top, not sleeves. Maybe I'll actually get and wear a dress again?!?! *gasp*
I've gotten back to doing my daily workouts. I haven't added anything else to them like walking or swimming since the weekend. Been too busy or the weather has been bad.Today was Sweat 1-2, and I was kind of ticked off at myself for having slacked off on doing the DVD workouts for so many days. Last time I'd done the sweat workout, I'd been able to do all of the Power Yoga stuff, and this time I couldn't. I had to just stop and catch my breath and watch Tony do another couple sets before moving on. Next time! I will do it all!
I did try on the large in those capris I talked about before. They did fit okay, but were a little snug in the butt.. I've actually got a butt now! I did a doubletake in the mirror when I first realized it too LOL! I decided to keep the XL ones in the two colors I got for now. They're comfy which is the point of them and I like the colors. The sand ones go with everything. The orange ones are great, but I didn't have a lot that went with them. So when Christopher and I were in the big town up the road a couple days ago, he asked if I wanted to check out Old Navy since they always have great clearance deals on stuff whenever we go. I still can't believe I did it, but I ended up getting 2 shirts at $2.99 each that were on clearance.. they were XL, but the clingy stretchy stuff. I'd been used to buying big baggy men's 2XL shirts to hide myself in. I don't even know what prompted me to try them on other than the great price, but I did it, and I was shocked! They didn't look horrible! They were snug, but it looked ok, good even. I didn't immediately think OMG cover that cow! This was a real turning point for me! I even remember thinking, "What's that?! I can see my belly button straight on?! " It used to "face" the floor since my fat roll was so big LOL. ... I still can't believe I can wear anything from Old Navy that's not in the big guy's section! And they're cute tops!
Another thing that's happened that's very weird for me, is I am wearing tank tops now. I used to REFUSE to wear a tank top unless I had something on over it. I hated my arms that much. I didn't want to see them, and I certainly didn't want anyone else to see them. While they're not great to look at now, I don't mind it anymore. I guess I finally just got over it. This is really great because most dresses these days have just straps at the top, not sleeves. Maybe I'll actually get and wear a dress again?!?! *gasp*
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Power 90 Wow Day 23 already?! Seeing results!
Well as I had said in the last entry, we were losing momentum. However, things have kind of turned around for me. I understand now why cross training is such a good idea. Doing the same workouts every day for 2 weeks was doing a little for me, but not enough. That has changed now.
Friday, I only had 2 of the girls at home since Faelyn was at her grandma's. Christopher was working, so I decided since I just got paid, why not take the girls to the pool at the Davy Crockett Birthplace park. It's in the middle of nowhere and usually only has campers in it. So we did! It was great! The pool hardly had anyone in it and the water was so crystal clear and warm.. It was really nice. I swam around in there, trying to work my arms and legs as much as I could for at least an hour, then got out and laid in the sun to dry my bathing suit and get some color. I have more of a tan this year than I have in decades! Though it's more like one big freckle lol.
Saturday, Christopher had to work again, but Faelyn was back home and Corina (my oldest daughter) had called and said she and her husband Tyler wanted to go swimming. So we all piled in their Explorer and went up to the lake. It's farther away but it's FREE! We ended up staying for over 5 hours, in and out of the water. Christopher even came up and met us when he got off work. Then we went out to dinner together. It was really nice. Anyway, I did more working out with my arms and legs in the water for a long time til I got pretty tired and got out to dry off and eat a protein bar.
Sunday was my rest day. While I hadn't done the DVD workouts on Friday or Saturday, I did still get a pretty good workout, so I'm counting that. By Monday morning, I was finally really noticing some changes. I'm starting to see definition in my legs. They're not just solid logs of round fat anymore. Parts of my thighs are starting to sink in a little. It's very slight, but I know it's there.
Unfortunately Monday ended up being a second rest day. I had plenty of time to do my workout early in the day, but I wanted to workout with Christopher. He was supposed to get off work at 2pm. However, he didn't get off work til after 4, then we had to run errands and make dinner then I had to work and he had an article to write. So, I never got my workout in at all yesterday.
Today I decided I was just not going to wait on him anymore. I had to make sure I did my workout no matter what. So, I got up early and did the workout first thing. I was really surprised! It was the day for cardio again which I usually hate. I don't like the power yoga part because I've not been able to do it well... but today I did all of it! I feel MUCH more flexible, and my legs feel stronger. The knee lifts also were a little easier, and I was able to get my knees much higher than before. I know this is due to the swimming exercises I've been doing. I'd work on getting my knees really high since it's so easy in the water. I think this helped get those muscles stretched and more flexible. It was awesome! I feel great!
Also, since the scales were so erratic in the bathroom floor which is uneven, we had moved the scales to the back door area by our bedroom door. It's much more stable there... I just wasn't happy because my weight on the scales there was a lot higher than in the bathroom. But I agreed it was more regular of a reading, so we left it there. Well, I'm finally below the weight I thought I was to start with! After seeing the weight suddenly go back to a higher number and then not move at all for a week or two.. it was really discouraging. Now, seeing it go down AND seeing the changes in my body, I am so thrilled!
One thing that's kind of freaking me out is that I may need to return a pair of capris I bought in an XL and switch them for a L! I've not work a large in anything in YEARS! maybe DECADES! I don't know for sure yet. Have to try on the L, but the XLs just feel much too big. Hooray!
The measuring tape says I've lost 4 inches on my waist! That's a LOT cause I was bit around to start with! So happy!
We take our 30 day photos soon. I can't wait to see what a difference there is now. One more week! Oh and I am going swimming again this weekend! I can't get enough of the lake!
Friday, I only had 2 of the girls at home since Faelyn was at her grandma's. Christopher was working, so I decided since I just got paid, why not take the girls to the pool at the Davy Crockett Birthplace park. It's in the middle of nowhere and usually only has campers in it. So we did! It was great! The pool hardly had anyone in it and the water was so crystal clear and warm.. It was really nice. I swam around in there, trying to work my arms and legs as much as I could for at least an hour, then got out and laid in the sun to dry my bathing suit and get some color. I have more of a tan this year than I have in decades! Though it's more like one big freckle lol.
Saturday, Christopher had to work again, but Faelyn was back home and Corina (my oldest daughter) had called and said she and her husband Tyler wanted to go swimming. So we all piled in their Explorer and went up to the lake. It's farther away but it's FREE! We ended up staying for over 5 hours, in and out of the water. Christopher even came up and met us when he got off work. Then we went out to dinner together. It was really nice. Anyway, I did more working out with my arms and legs in the water for a long time til I got pretty tired and got out to dry off and eat a protein bar.
Sunday was my rest day. While I hadn't done the DVD workouts on Friday or Saturday, I did still get a pretty good workout, so I'm counting that. By Monday morning, I was finally really noticing some changes. I'm starting to see definition in my legs. They're not just solid logs of round fat anymore. Parts of my thighs are starting to sink in a little. It's very slight, but I know it's there.
Unfortunately Monday ended up being a second rest day. I had plenty of time to do my workout early in the day, but I wanted to workout with Christopher. He was supposed to get off work at 2pm. However, he didn't get off work til after 4, then we had to run errands and make dinner then I had to work and he had an article to write. So, I never got my workout in at all yesterday.
Today I decided I was just not going to wait on him anymore. I had to make sure I did my workout no matter what. So, I got up early and did the workout first thing. I was really surprised! It was the day for cardio again which I usually hate. I don't like the power yoga part because I've not been able to do it well... but today I did all of it! I feel MUCH more flexible, and my legs feel stronger. The knee lifts also were a little easier, and I was able to get my knees much higher than before. I know this is due to the swimming exercises I've been doing. I'd work on getting my knees really high since it's so easy in the water. I think this helped get those muscles stretched and more flexible. It was awesome! I feel great!
Also, since the scales were so erratic in the bathroom floor which is uneven, we had moved the scales to the back door area by our bedroom door. It's much more stable there... I just wasn't happy because my weight on the scales there was a lot higher than in the bathroom. But I agreed it was more regular of a reading, so we left it there. Well, I'm finally below the weight I thought I was to start with! After seeing the weight suddenly go back to a higher number and then not move at all for a week or two.. it was really discouraging. Now, seeing it go down AND seeing the changes in my body, I am so thrilled!
One thing that's kind of freaking me out is that I may need to return a pair of capris I bought in an XL and switch them for a L! I've not work a large in anything in YEARS! maybe DECADES! I don't know for sure yet. Have to try on the L, but the XLs just feel much too big. Hooray!
The measuring tape says I've lost 4 inches on my waist! That's a LOT cause I was bit around to start with! So happy!
We take our 30 day photos soon. I can't wait to see what a difference there is now. One more week! Oh and I am going swimming again this weekend! I can't get enough of the lake!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Power 90 Day 18 - Losing momentum
I'm 3 days away from the 3 week mark for Power 90, plus the 6 day fat burn... so basically a month for us. I know it's working, but I am still getting discouraged. I've read over and over how I should not get hung up about what the scale says, but it's hard to let it go. I've gained 3 lbs according to the scale we have. of course it's a cheap ass thing. It's digital, but must be the cheapest digital scale available. /rant. Anyway, the measuring tape isn't changing much either! I just don't get it. I can see muscles developing and I feel stronger, but the tape isn't getting shorter? Why??
The one thing that has really kind of kept me from chucking it all is that I tried on a pair of shorts I've had forever. I've never been able to wear them. I got them on clearance at the end of summer one year, there were 3 pairs, different colors. I think they were sized wrong or something cause they say they're 18W, and I wore an 18W back then, but they wouldn't come close to buttoning when I got them home. I was pretty ticked off about it. I've had them so long I know I moved with them 4 years ago. They've been put in the give away bag so many times, and every time I take them back out saying they were such a good deal, and shorts cost so much now and I REALLY need to lose enough to get into them. Well, yesterday, I was looking for shorts since it was so hot, and I found those 3 pairs in the back of my bottom drawer. I figured, what the hell. might as well try. I knew I'd be disappointed. I think I almost wanted an excuse to just give up... it was that kind of day. But OMG they fit. I even tried on all 3 pairs to make sure. Oh they're tight, but I can fasten them and wear them without feeling like I'm being cut in half. I was astounded! Last time I tried, there was about 3 inches or more between the buttons and the button holes. Nowhere near meeting and buttoning.
So, that was a good thing, but I still find it hard to get excited about that when the scale and tape aren't budging. I know it's a mental thing, but that's me.
This past weekend not doing the Power 90 workouts has made us both lose momentum.. though life isn't helping. Doing my workouts while kids were still in school was easy. I'd get up around 1pm and do the workout and get cleaned up and dressed before they got home. Now they're home all day with friends running in and out. I have instituted a rule about no friends in the house while I workout, but it barely works. We get interrupted all the time, even by adults. Today, I laid in bed much longer than I should have. I just really wanted to get some extra sleep. Finally I rolled out of bed at 2pm, then piddled around a little, and talked to my kids. I was about to go workout, then take the gilrs and go for a walk like last week (though it was pretty hot and I was wishy washy about that).. then I suddenly realized I had a bill I HAD to pay today, and needed the car. I texted C to see if he had paid it for me or was coming home for lunch. He texted right back that he was on his way. So much for the workout! I got ready while he ate lunch and then took him back to work then went on to pay the bill. I figured I'd go ahead and do grocery shopping for the week since I had the car. Called Rhiannon at home and we hashed out a menu and she gave me ingredients I needed from the recipes on Team Beachbody, and I got the groceries.
By the time I got home, and got all the groceries put away, it was time to make dinner. Then it was time to get to work. So, yeah, no workout for me today. I could do the workout after work at 3am, but last night I could barely move at 3am and couldn't keep my eyes open. I'm thinking about just getting up early tomorrow, doing my strength training workout (which is what Day 19 should be) and then go to the pool at the campground and burn some calories there. I'm not sure though. I'd have to take C to work at 8am for me to have the car all day and that's a bit early for me.
Maybe I'll just do both DVD workouts sometime tomorrow. I could do Day 18 cardio when I wake up then do the Day 19 strength training with C when he gets off work at 5. I'd love to go swimming though. We'll see.
I just wish my shorts fitting was more of an incentive for me. I've got some hangups I need to get over.
Oh here's a shot of dinner. Baked chicken with a little olive oil and Italian seasoning and a sprinkle of parmesan with my spinach and baby arugula salad with blackberries and sunflower seeds, and home made baked sweet potato fries.
The one thing that has really kind of kept me from chucking it all is that I tried on a pair of shorts I've had forever. I've never been able to wear them. I got them on clearance at the end of summer one year, there were 3 pairs, different colors. I think they were sized wrong or something cause they say they're 18W, and I wore an 18W back then, but they wouldn't come close to buttoning when I got them home. I was pretty ticked off about it. I've had them so long I know I moved with them 4 years ago. They've been put in the give away bag so many times, and every time I take them back out saying they were such a good deal, and shorts cost so much now and I REALLY need to lose enough to get into them. Well, yesterday, I was looking for shorts since it was so hot, and I found those 3 pairs in the back of my bottom drawer. I figured, what the hell. might as well try. I knew I'd be disappointed. I think I almost wanted an excuse to just give up... it was that kind of day. But OMG they fit. I even tried on all 3 pairs to make sure. Oh they're tight, but I can fasten them and wear them without feeling like I'm being cut in half. I was astounded! Last time I tried, there was about 3 inches or more between the buttons and the button holes. Nowhere near meeting and buttoning.
So, that was a good thing, but I still find it hard to get excited about that when the scale and tape aren't budging. I know it's a mental thing, but that's me.
This past weekend not doing the Power 90 workouts has made us both lose momentum.. though life isn't helping. Doing my workouts while kids were still in school was easy. I'd get up around 1pm and do the workout and get cleaned up and dressed before they got home. Now they're home all day with friends running in and out. I have instituted a rule about no friends in the house while I workout, but it barely works. We get interrupted all the time, even by adults. Today, I laid in bed much longer than I should have. I just really wanted to get some extra sleep. Finally I rolled out of bed at 2pm, then piddled around a little, and talked to my kids. I was about to go workout, then take the gilrs and go for a walk like last week (though it was pretty hot and I was wishy washy about that).. then I suddenly realized I had a bill I HAD to pay today, and needed the car. I texted C to see if he had paid it for me or was coming home for lunch. He texted right back that he was on his way. So much for the workout! I got ready while he ate lunch and then took him back to work then went on to pay the bill. I figured I'd go ahead and do grocery shopping for the week since I had the car. Called Rhiannon at home and we hashed out a menu and she gave me ingredients I needed from the recipes on Team Beachbody, and I got the groceries.
By the time I got home, and got all the groceries put away, it was time to make dinner. Then it was time to get to work. So, yeah, no workout for me today. I could do the workout after work at 3am, but last night I could barely move at 3am and couldn't keep my eyes open. I'm thinking about just getting up early tomorrow, doing my strength training workout (which is what Day 19 should be) and then go to the pool at the campground and burn some calories there. I'm not sure though. I'd have to take C to work at 8am for me to have the car all day and that's a bit early for me.
Maybe I'll just do both DVD workouts sometime tomorrow. I could do Day 18 cardio when I wake up then do the Day 19 strength training with C when he gets off work at 5. I'd love to go swimming though. We'll see.
I just wish my shorts fitting was more of an incentive for me. I've got some hangups I need to get over.
Oh here's a shot of dinner. Baked chicken with a little olive oil and Italian seasoning and a sprinkle of parmesan with my spinach and baby arugula salad with blackberries and sunflower seeds, and home made baked sweet potato fries.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Power 90 Day 17 - Back on track and a Dr visit
Today I woke up wanting to get a walk in before all the other stuff started happening. It was going to be FDN (Family Dinner Night), and I wanted to work out with Christopher when he got home from work. However, when I finally got fully awake, I realized my mother in law was already here. That's not really a reason not to go walking, but it slowed me down a bit. Then I saw my kitchen. It was a disaster area. It looked like 90% of the tupperware stuff in the fridge had been emptied and all the leftovers eaten and dishes left all over the place. The sink was full, the counters were full, there was even stuff stacked on the stove. Rhiannon, I groggily remembered had gone to the park for a picnic and swimming with her boyfriend. It was her week to do dishes. I called her and blessed her out for leaving before doing her chores (she knows better). She came home a little later and got started on them.
Since I was no longer in the mood to go walking, I decided to get started on dinner. The only thing we could make that would feed a lot of people were kabobs, so I got the chicken prepped and the veggies. Then I realized someone had eaten all the chunks of pineapple and mushrooms. I also got the feeling we were out of charcoal. I sent Faelyn and her grandma to the store to get a list of stuff I needed, and I got the food I did have marinating in the fridge.
About that time I wondered where the heck Christopher was. He worked 6-3 or so I thought, and it was nearly 4. I texted him, and it turns out he worked til 5. Sigh. So I made my protein and spinach shake and went to listen to my Audible book. When Faelyn got back, she said they were out of pineapple, but I had found a handful someone had left in a small container in the fridge, oh well. Everything had been marinating about an hour by the time Christopher walked in.
He said the kabobs had to be ready to go as soon as he started the coals, so the girls put them together while he and I did our workout. We finally were back to doing the strength training workout. I am proud to say I did all the pushups! They may not have been perfect or very low, but I did them instead of just collapsing. My arms are fussing at me even as I write this. The back scratchers on my right arm were rough, but I felt great knowing I DID them! I love the strength training workout, even the pushups. I really like feeling stronger!
Christopher did tell me what happened at his Dr appt today... this was a special appt he set up after his TIA (mini stroke) last month. He's going in for a TEE next week. They need to see if there is a hole in his heart that a clot from his kidney tumor could have gotten through and into his neck or brain. If they don't find a hole, then he has to go for an ultrasound later to see if there's a severe buildup in his neck arteries. If there is a hole, then he'll have to have surgery to repair it. I was numb hearing all of this. Oh and if it is the arteries being blocked, then he'll have to go on coumadin for the rest of his life. That's dangerous. And he'll be on Plavix too. Scary.
Another thing was that one of his toenails just fell off last week. The Dr was not happy to hear that. He said it could have been due to a blood clot which could be very likely since his mother has a weid rare (in that no one else has ever had this before) blood disorder. Her blood runs think like molasses and even coumadin does nothing for it. She was on the highest dose they can give and she was still getting blood clots in her lungs. So, while we thought his health problems were really behind him and we were going to get healthy for the rest of our lives... it looks like we're still battling his heart disease. I hate it.
Here's a pic of dinner. So good!
Since I was no longer in the mood to go walking, I decided to get started on dinner. The only thing we could make that would feed a lot of people were kabobs, so I got the chicken prepped and the veggies. Then I realized someone had eaten all the chunks of pineapple and mushrooms. I also got the feeling we were out of charcoal. I sent Faelyn and her grandma to the store to get a list of stuff I needed, and I got the food I did have marinating in the fridge.
About that time I wondered where the heck Christopher was. He worked 6-3 or so I thought, and it was nearly 4. I texted him, and it turns out he worked til 5. Sigh. So I made my protein and spinach shake and went to listen to my Audible book. When Faelyn got back, she said they were out of pineapple, but I had found a handful someone had left in a small container in the fridge, oh well. Everything had been marinating about an hour by the time Christopher walked in.
He said the kabobs had to be ready to go as soon as he started the coals, so the girls put them together while he and I did our workout. We finally were back to doing the strength training workout. I am proud to say I did all the pushups! They may not have been perfect or very low, but I did them instead of just collapsing. My arms are fussing at me even as I write this. The back scratchers on my right arm were rough, but I felt great knowing I DID them! I love the strength training workout, even the pushups. I really like feeling stronger!
Christopher did tell me what happened at his Dr appt today... this was a special appt he set up after his TIA (mini stroke) last month. He's going in for a TEE next week. They need to see if there is a hole in his heart that a clot from his kidney tumor could have gotten through and into his neck or brain. If they don't find a hole, then he has to go for an ultrasound later to see if there's a severe buildup in his neck arteries. If there is a hole, then he'll have to have surgery to repair it. I was numb hearing all of this. Oh and if it is the arteries being blocked, then he'll have to go on coumadin for the rest of his life. That's dangerous. And he'll be on Plavix too. Scary.
Another thing was that one of his toenails just fell off last week. The Dr was not happy to hear that. He said it could have been due to a blood clot which could be very likely since his mother has a weid rare (in that no one else has ever had this before) blood disorder. Her blood runs think like molasses and even coumadin does nothing for it. She was on the highest dose they can give and she was still getting blood clots in her lungs. So, while we thought his health problems were really behind him and we were going to get healthy for the rest of our lives... it looks like we're still battling his heart disease. I hate it.
Here's a pic of dinner. So good!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Different Kinds of Workouts This Weekend
Saturday is our rest day (we get one a week), so we had to fit in a workout on Sunday. This wasn't really hard for me, since I was home with the girls all day. Christopher was working 10am-10pm and had the car. He was going to work out in the morning before going to work, but didn't get to it afterall. Weekends are rough on our routines.
I got up around 12:30 as normal and planned on doing my workout as normal, but then I had a great idea. I had the girls get dressed and into walking shoes, and we headed out. I knew from using runkeeper.com that Sav Mor grocery store (which is where I always get produce and many other things on my list) is only a little over a mile from our house if you walk through the neighborhood behind the elementary school. It was a beautiful day, and a walk would feel great, and I decided it would be my cardio for the day. Maybe a little mixing it up would help in my weightloss and getting toned up.
We walked down the road to the new connector road they just put in last year, complete with nice wide sidewalks. It's such a blessing. It goes over the hills between us and town. At the top of the hill if you turn on a little road to the right, you come in the back entrance to the elementary school. If you keep going instead of going up to the school, you end up in an apartment complex. I think it's one of those low-rent project ones. It's a really nice neighborhood though, with playgrounds and landscaping and lots of big shade trees. On the other end of the complex is the road that goes up the hill to my bank, and divides the apartments from the big shopping center. It used to be KMart and Ingles way back in the day, but now it's Tractor Supply and Sav Mor with a high-end furniture/decor store in between them. We decided to walk on to the next shopping center next to it, across another street. It now houses a cash advance place, a game store, the now-closed theater, Staples, and Big Lots. We walked all the way down to Big Lots where we got the girls Power Ades and I got a big bottle of water.
Christopher's KMart is directly across the 4-lane from Big Lots, so I *could* walk to Kmart and get the car sometime if I ever needed it for some reason I guess. Runkeeper says it's exactly 1.5 miles from my house to Kmart's front door. The problem is crossing the 4-lane. Even with a red light, it's still dangerous. I'd sure not do it with kids. This town is really not pedestrian-friendly. We lucked out that we can walk where we do without getting into much any traffic at all. We live right where we can come in the backway to everything on our side of the 4-lane.
On our way back, we stopped at Sav Mor and I got an avacado and some tortillas for the black bean veggie tostados. I don't know how I missed putting those on my list before, but I was glad to be able to "run" out and get them easily. We also got some strawberries and rhubarb for our surprise dessert for Christopher. As we walked back past Tractor Supply, I got a big re-usable shopping tote bag (didn't think to bring one with us) and a 6-pack of tomato plants they had marked down to $1. That was a great deal! The girls took turns carrying the heavy tote back back home, and I ended up with it the last half mile or so. And it';s all uphill to our house after we cross the hill between us and town. You kind of cross the hill in one spot, walk up the road a bit, then walk back up the hill to our house. There's nothing but a briar-filled field between our house and the new road, so we have to walk around. It's fine though. I needed the cardio. Boy, was I sweating by the time we got home! I definitely got a workout. The tostados that night were so yummy!
On Monday, Memorial Day, Christopher was off work (Hooray!), so we got up a little earlier than normal (well for me anyway) and loaded the Explorer up with towels, a quilt and lawn chairs, then headed to the lake. It's a little over a half hour away by backroads. Wish it was closer, but at least we have it at all. So many of the public swim areas have closed, and this one is still free! They have a special swimming area with trucked in sand, the big orange depth rope thing and big orange buoy things dividing us from the boats. I love just sitting and watching the boats. We counted 21 around the swim hole at one time. There was a guy sitting on the grass playing guitar. That was nice. I wish it had a little shop like the one I went to when I was a kid. It sold pizza and had a juke box that piped music down to the beach which was actually all sand even out of the water. This one we go to now is just sand in the water with grass on dry land. I remember hearing J Geils Band songs played over and over on that juke box the last summer I got to go before it was closed down.
The water was SO cold. BRRRrrrrrrr! We knew it would be. The damn hadn't let the water go up til recently, and it had rained pretty hard recently. Besides, the weather hadn't been very warm for long. In fact it was just barely above 80 when we went with a cool breeze. Once we finally got in the water and almost used to it, it made it easier to just stay in the water. Getting out, in the breeze was just too cold to think about. Finally the sun came out from behind the clouds and it warmed up nicely (outside the water anyway). After what felt like 2 hours in the water, Christopher and I got out and sat in the sun to dry off. He still has such a nasty sunburn. He didn't think to reapply his sunblock when he got out of the water. It'll turn to a tan anyway, which is what he wanted.
While we were in the water, he and I had decided to do some of our cardio workout since it was so much easier to move in the water. We did the knee raises and I could get that leg way up so the knee was out of the water (which was above my waist). We tried doing the kicks, which was hard with the resistance of the water, so we figured it would be helping the workout. When I went to climb the stone steps to get out of the water, I could barely pull myself up. I could REALLY feel gravity hit full force. Christopher had actually done his Sunday workout early Monday morning, so we were both due to be doing the strength training workout for Monday.
By the time we got home, we considered working out for a moment, then decided we were too worn out and sore from swimming. I don't know how the girls were even still awake. They were in the water a good half hour or more longer than we were. We started immediately on getting dinner prepped and cooking. We had two small lean steaks I got on mark down, as well as spinach parmesan turkey burgers for us, as well as hot dogs for the girls. Oh we also grilled corn cobs in the husks. Made baked home made potato wedges and sweet potato fries and a salad. For dessert we made a low-sugar strawberry rhubarb crumble and had light vanilla ice cream with it. Oh it was SO GOOD!
It was a really good day and the girls kept commenting on how much fun they'd had and how good the food was. What was nice was that it was just the 5 of us. The teens really had a great time swimming and playing together in the water. They made some great sisterly memories that day. Zoe had fun with us til we got out then made a slew of friends as always. There are always several dozen kids there. I miss sitting there, listening to the guitar player and the speed boats and seeing all the boats on the water and the people having fun, and my kids having a wonderful time.
I got up around 12:30 as normal and planned on doing my workout as normal, but then I had a great idea. I had the girls get dressed and into walking shoes, and we headed out. I knew from using runkeeper.com that Sav Mor grocery store (which is where I always get produce and many other things on my list) is only a little over a mile from our house if you walk through the neighborhood behind the elementary school. It was a beautiful day, and a walk would feel great, and I decided it would be my cardio for the day. Maybe a little mixing it up would help in my weightloss and getting toned up.
We walked down the road to the new connector road they just put in last year, complete with nice wide sidewalks. It's such a blessing. It goes over the hills between us and town. At the top of the hill if you turn on a little road to the right, you come in the back entrance to the elementary school. If you keep going instead of going up to the school, you end up in an apartment complex. I think it's one of those low-rent project ones. It's a really nice neighborhood though, with playgrounds and landscaping and lots of big shade trees. On the other end of the complex is the road that goes up the hill to my bank, and divides the apartments from the big shopping center. It used to be KMart and Ingles way back in the day, but now it's Tractor Supply and Sav Mor with a high-end furniture/decor store in between them. We decided to walk on to the next shopping center next to it, across another street. It now houses a cash advance place, a game store, the now-closed theater, Staples, and Big Lots. We walked all the way down to Big Lots where we got the girls Power Ades and I got a big bottle of water.
Christopher's KMart is directly across the 4-lane from Big Lots, so I *could* walk to Kmart and get the car sometime if I ever needed it for some reason I guess. Runkeeper says it's exactly 1.5 miles from my house to Kmart's front door. The problem is crossing the 4-lane. Even with a red light, it's still dangerous. I'd sure not do it with kids. This town is really not pedestrian-friendly. We lucked out that we can walk where we do without getting into much any traffic at all. We live right where we can come in the backway to everything on our side of the 4-lane.
On our way back, we stopped at Sav Mor and I got an avacado and some tortillas for the black bean veggie tostados. I don't know how I missed putting those on my list before, but I was glad to be able to "run" out and get them easily. We also got some strawberries and rhubarb for our surprise dessert for Christopher. As we walked back past Tractor Supply, I got a big re-usable shopping tote bag (didn't think to bring one with us) and a 6-pack of tomato plants they had marked down to $1. That was a great deal! The girls took turns carrying the heavy tote back back home, and I ended up with it the last half mile or so. And it';s all uphill to our house after we cross the hill between us and town. You kind of cross the hill in one spot, walk up the road a bit, then walk back up the hill to our house. There's nothing but a briar-filled field between our house and the new road, so we have to walk around. It's fine though. I needed the cardio. Boy, was I sweating by the time we got home! I definitely got a workout. The tostados that night were so yummy!
On Monday, Memorial Day, Christopher was off work (Hooray!), so we got up a little earlier than normal (well for me anyway) and loaded the Explorer up with towels, a quilt and lawn chairs, then headed to the lake. It's a little over a half hour away by backroads. Wish it was closer, but at least we have it at all. So many of the public swim areas have closed, and this one is still free! They have a special swimming area with trucked in sand, the big orange depth rope thing and big orange buoy things dividing us from the boats. I love just sitting and watching the boats. We counted 21 around the swim hole at one time. There was a guy sitting on the grass playing guitar. That was nice. I wish it had a little shop like the one I went to when I was a kid. It sold pizza and had a juke box that piped music down to the beach which was actually all sand even out of the water. This one we go to now is just sand in the water with grass on dry land. I remember hearing J Geils Band songs played over and over on that juke box the last summer I got to go before it was closed down.
The water was SO cold. BRRRrrrrrrr! We knew it would be. The damn hadn't let the water go up til recently, and it had rained pretty hard recently. Besides, the weather hadn't been very warm for long. In fact it was just barely above 80 when we went with a cool breeze. Once we finally got in the water and almost used to it, it made it easier to just stay in the water. Getting out, in the breeze was just too cold to think about. Finally the sun came out from behind the clouds and it warmed up nicely (outside the water anyway). After what felt like 2 hours in the water, Christopher and I got out and sat in the sun to dry off. He still has such a nasty sunburn. He didn't think to reapply his sunblock when he got out of the water. It'll turn to a tan anyway, which is what he wanted.
While we were in the water, he and I had decided to do some of our cardio workout since it was so much easier to move in the water. We did the knee raises and I could get that leg way up so the knee was out of the water (which was above my waist). We tried doing the kicks, which was hard with the resistance of the water, so we figured it would be helping the workout. When I went to climb the stone steps to get out of the water, I could barely pull myself up. I could REALLY feel gravity hit full force. Christopher had actually done his Sunday workout early Monday morning, so we were both due to be doing the strength training workout for Monday.
By the time we got home, we considered working out for a moment, then decided we were too worn out and sore from swimming. I don't know how the girls were even still awake. They were in the water a good half hour or more longer than we were. We started immediately on getting dinner prepped and cooking. We had two small lean steaks I got on mark down, as well as spinach parmesan turkey burgers for us, as well as hot dogs for the girls. Oh we also grilled corn cobs in the husks. Made baked home made potato wedges and sweet potato fries and a salad. For dessert we made a low-sugar strawberry rhubarb crumble and had light vanilla ice cream with it. Oh it was SO GOOD!
It was a really good day and the girls kept commenting on how much fun they'd had and how good the food was. What was nice was that it was just the 5 of us. The teens really had a great time swimming and playing together in the water. They made some great sisterly memories that day. Zoe had fun with us til we got out then made a slew of friends as always. There are always several dozen kids there. I miss sitting there, listening to the guitar player and the speed boats and seeing all the boats on the water and the people having fun, and my kids having a wonderful time.
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