Snow bound

Ok, so it's been more then a week since we've had "normal" weather. We had 9" of snow yesterday before it started snowing, and we're supposed to get another 4-5" today (its' been snowing off and on all morning so far. I'm starting to feel a little trapped, but at the same time I kind of don't want it to clear up till Friday so that Christmas really feels more cozy. I have a friend that was supposed to get a flight out from the airport today, but I don't know if she even made it there let alone had the flight. Most flights have been cancelled because of not enough de-icer. I'm hoping that if she doesn't make it out that we can pick her up on Thurs. for Christmas at least (she lives 3 blocks from here). It's her first Christmas alone since her husband died in June. However, I think we'll be boring and she'd enjoy seeing her friend she was going to visit more.

So far we've had power and been doing ok. I have work to do this week, and John's home on vacation anyway. We spent yesterday at the neighbor's for quite a while which helped break up my beginning stir-craziness. :)

Twisted Sister

So yesterday I found out that I am certifiably the "twisted sister." I went to the orthopedic place to find out about my scoliosis. They took a whole torso x-ray this time. Apparently my spine looks a little like a snake (twists to the left, then the right, then the left) so that my curves balance each other out. Since my head is squarely above my hips (good to know) and apparently scoliosis doesn't usually progress in adults I don't have to return unless I start having problems.
So at least that is one thing I can cross off my list.

Lack of sleep -:> coughing

just a little reminder that I'm still alive, and I've finally succumbed to the first chest cold of the year. I figure it's inevitable with young children, but it still sucks. I'm not helping by staying up late and getting up almost early (aka early enough to get us out the door and to school on time, but not early enough to get much else accomplished).

The worst part is there isn't much that can be done. I'm not really coughing much, but there's that tightness in the chest and the nasty taste that comes up when you do cough.

Finally, there's the semi-friendly but mostly complaining reminder that some of my co-workers (mostly my dept mgr) who would really rather I be at home and not coughing anywhere in his vicinity. Like I wouldn't rather be home in bed! But by the time I've dropped off the kids and figured how to pick them all up again and factored in the dogs and whether or not M will be at home, I'm really better of staying at work and drinking enough tea that I'm constantly running down the hall to the bathroom.

Winning while Loosing

Hey, I won $185 for coming in second in the contest! The winner won the pot that all the entrants contributed too, and the owner matched the pot, so that amount was split 2/3, 1/3 between the next two winners.

Woo Hoo!

I'm a big loser, but not the biggest

The manager at the gym told me Wednesday that I wasn't going to win the contest. She was very apologetic - I lost by 1/2 a percentage point. See, since everyone is starting out at different weights, they do it by who looses the highest percentage overall - weight, measurements, body fat. So I think this other woman lost more body fat or measurements, even though I lost more actual weight.

I'm not upset, and I'm not upset that the manager kept saying she thought I would win. It certainly kept me motivated the last week! And it turns out I was in my PMS week, which wreaks havoc with my appetite and willpower, not to mention I probably retain water then. So if the weigh-in had fallen at a different time of month, I might have won... but who knows?

Regardless, I lost 22 lbs for the contest and 31.5 overall. Pretty damn good if I say so myself! And while I'm certainly being a little more relaxed this week, I haven't gone hog-wild (even yesterday!) so I'm hoping to continue this downward trend. And I certainly don't want to gain any back!

So, all positive with only the slightest amount of disappointment. It would have been nice to offset some of the yarn I've been buying!

Happy Holidays

I think I can officially say Happy Holidays to everyone now, no matter what you practice. I hope everyone had a good Turkey day and felt good about what they ate. We had the neighbors over for Turkey and a potluck style meal. Had a good time and taught them a new card game (hand and foot). We had a nice walk both today and yesterday, but got rained on last night. Not too bad overall though.
It's interesting, I've never figured out why men have an easier time walking (at least my husband does) then I do. This doesn't matter whether I'm pregnant or not, it's been bothering me for years. I walk 6 days a week with the dog in the morning, and the last year and a half or so we've added in walking in the evening every night. John only joins me on Sat. when we do a longer walk of 4 miles, and in the evenings. Evening walks are slower and more stops because we're with a group. So, supposedly I should be more in shape then he is right? But I always have trouble keeping up when we walk together. When he takes vacation time and walks everyday with me, his feet hurt and previously his back has bothered him, but he can still out pace me without getting winded. What's up with that? Just seems weird to me, and sometimes rather annoying.

Counting Down

The weigh-in for the Biggest Looser contest at the gym is on Monday. I've decided that I'm going to stop dieting at that point, although I hope to be able to incorporate the new eating habits. Basically, keep eating right (mostly) but not be quite so disciplined about it. And then, after Christmas, I'll probably do another round of 6 weeks or so.

I'm just having a hard time following the plan at this point. I'm doing ok (not great, but ok) with snacks and portion sizes, but a little tired of the plan - even with 6 weeks of menus, it's feeling repetitive. It's time for a break.

It has been fun buying some new clothes. I can almost shop in the Misses department now (pretty much a size 18 now), but I would like to get down to a 16 and have more choices! I actually bought a new coat at Costco - an XL, which was not an option before. Now, granted, there was only one style where the XL actually FIT, but still!

So Monday I'll get weighed and measured, and then they'll probably post the contest results on either Friday or the following Monday. I hope. I'm kind of excited!

As if I needed something else...

So add this to the list of people who went to the doctor for one thing and came out with another (I recently had a professor who went in for a routine check-up...everything came out abnormal and then on recheck normal and then they found a benign tumor in her stomach). Anyway, Jim encouraged me to go back in last week because I had finished my antibiotic but was still coughing and runny nose (though MUCH improved from before).
She decided I had bronchitis and did an X-ray to make sure there was not pneumonia. I did not have pneumonia but she did mention scoliosis....I didn't know I had that. So today I got the official reading on the x-ray and now I get a referral to an orthopedic specialist.
Oh, and if I still have cough and nose issues after this round of antibiotics and steroids (and inhaler...which tastes terrible...) then we get to treat it as allergies.
On the more positive side I am actually still losing weight even without going to the rec center. Somehow walking on campus and getting distracted so that I forget to have desert seems to be working for me. A slow but steady decline in weight is not a bad thing as long as I can survive next week with the in-laws for Thanksgiving.

Survivormom

Whew! I survived the camping weekend (complete with buffet) and still lost 4 lbs. this week. Even though I'm a little burned out on dieting, it is easier in the sense that I have a much better handle on portions, and if I eat too much, I feel too full much faster.

So since August (early September, really), I've lost... (drumroll, please) almost 30 lbs. I'm 10lbs away from what I weighed when I first got pregnant with JC, so I'm finally loosing the baby weight, I guess!

It's all about portion control and quality foods. For example, I used to eat pretzels, because they are low fat, but it's all white flour and no protein. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, it really is making a difference for me. Combining protein with quality carbs is working - I always knew WHAT to do, it's doing it that's hard.

Ok, enough preaching. I'm not trying to boast but to inspire. Anyone who wants the book from Curves, just let me know. It's really just a regular diet, but it does have a nice emphasis on keeping your metabolism stoked.

Ugh

I hate being sick. Good news is I'm already starting to feel better then I was yesterday, but boy it makes me feel like a slug. I've done some work today but not a lot. Hopefully I'll be over this soon and up and moving and not feel like I've had such an energy drain.

Slogging along

You would think this dieting thing would get easier, not harder, over time. Perhaps it's the time of year, but this last week has been really challenging. Halloween temptation hasn't helped! I've been limiting myself to small size candies, and no more than one (ok, maybe two) in a day. And PMS on top of that.

I'm still losing, but feeling a both a little burned out and also a little scared of going back to "regular" eating. I will clearly have to continue really watching portion sizes and food choices, because I really don't want to regain the weight I've lost. We're going camping in Lancaster County PA this Thursday, and I'm a little worried. Biggest challenge will be an all-you-care-to-eat buffet that everyone else wants to go to. Ok, I'll eat more than the plan but I think I can control myself. But if we eat some lunches out too, it starts to get a little harder - overdoing it at one meal, I can make up for it at others, or the next day. 3.5 days of extra challenges is mostly just depressing.

But I feel like I'm struggling at home, too. Grey weather doesn't help. But I'm committed to doing it until November 26th - the end of the "Biggest Looser" contest at the gym. I have an actual shot at winning. How motivating would THAT be?!?

It's amazing

How quickly you can lose momentum from not exercising. I didn't walk for a few days at the end of last week as Lucy, our dog, had a boil/cyst between her toes and it was painful. This happened almost exactly a year ago too. So, we didn't walk on Thurs. and Friday and then I had to work on Sat. morning and Sunday we don't walk. Wow what a difference that made in my stamina. I had to challenge myself to push myself a bit more at the beginning of this week since I was feeling it more then usual.
I guess this is a good reminder that it's easier to keep up the habit then come in and out of using those muscles! I seem to be mostly back to my walking stamina/speed minus some adjustments for pregnancy. But it's good to feel I'm doing positive things for my body overall. Now I just have to get my eating back to less sugar levels as we've made it through the birthday business of the last two weeks (both John (hubby) and I have birthdays in Oct.).

Reality Check

I gained a pound last week. John did point out that a pound is probably within the error for the scale.

It's a little depressing, although not unexpected. I took the kids out to Perkins for dinner, and while I had scrambled eggs and wheat toast (not too bad) I also ate most of the hash browns even though I was trying to resist. The next night was my birthday and I took the kids to a hibachi steak house, and while I didn't clean my plate like I usually do, I ate over half, and of course it's a lot of white rice and noodles. And I had ice cream. Oh, and JC and I split a California roll and tuna sashimi. So LOTS of white rice. And I had Chipotele for lunch on Friday, although I had NO rice, just their salad but it was probably too much meat. Then on Saturday, I was at the church garage sale until about 1pm and came home starving. Ate the rest of the Sushi House leftovers (more rice and noodles), then we ended up having pasta for dinner. High protein pasta, which I did measure out only 1 cup of, and meatballs for more protein but probably lots of fat. And a small slice of birthday cake at church on Sunday.

So I was both way off course but still more controlled than pre-diet. I was kind of hoping I would at least maintain, but it's proving to me I still have to be really conscious about what I eat, which is a little depressing just because that probably applies to the rest of my life.

Oy. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

Hanging in there

I had a MAJOR cheat this morning - iced coffee and a glazed donut from Dunkin' Donuts. Rachel had an orthodontist appt. and requested a snack as I took her back to school. She had to have three attempts at making the impression for her palate expander, so I was feeling sympathetic. And hungry myself. Yes, I know it wasn't the best choice, but I feel like I am choosing better - less rationalization. I can rationalize anything, you know.

So still feeling very positive about this diet thing - but it helps that I am seeing big results. Nothing like instant gratification! And I actually think it is healthy (in a way) that I feel that I can "cheat" and still get back on track. I lost another 4 lbs last week, so that makes, like, 16 since the beginning of September? SO motivating!

I'm hoping I'm being inspirational rather than gloating. It is a HUGE help that I am at a point where all three kids are in school full time (and on the bus!) and I happen to have a number of local friends that also go to this Curves. It's that accountability thing, you know? I think there is an activation energy (the energy needed to start a process) and then a snowball effect (once you're started, it's easier to keep going). You have to be realistic about what you're capable of concentrating on at any given moment. I'm spending a lot of time thinking about and planning meals, which would have been really hard a few years ago. Not to mention the time at the gym.

But it is very exciting, and I want that to rub off on all of you too!

I'm hungry...

okay, so it is lunch time out here on the west coast. I just ate my leftover chicken enchiladas and I should wait at least 5 minutes before I decide that I'm starving enough to wander across the street to the nasty school cafeteria to pick up another lunch. :)

yeah, well, I'm posting here hoping that I'll think about all the willpower you all have shown recently and I'll pass on second lunch so that I can keep off some of the weight I've lost and continue to want to lose.

especially since I choose to sleep in this morning instead of going for a walk with the dog. I justified it because C is home from school with a cold (his eyes get goopy until his nose starts to run, so they want him out of school even though I'm positive it's just viral and not bacterial, but oh well), and I haven't been getting enough sleep since I got over strep.

I'm still hungry. maybe I'll eat the applesauce cup I have in the fridge, but I really want a burger and fries.

Woo Hoo!

Had my official weekly weigh-in at Curves on Monday - I've lost 9.5 lbs. since the beginning of September. And of course, 90% of that was probably last week.

So this week I'm doing 200-400 calories more than last week, depending on if I opt for a protein shake. Day 1, I was stuffed. Day 2, I forgot to eat my snack in the morning, got caught out of the house and at the mall in the afternoon - our mall food court is under construction, so I had a choice of Aunt Annie's Pretzels or Nathan's Hot Dogs. Hmmm...I opted for the hot dog, and was not far off on calories and protein, but WAY over on fat, of course. And because it was lousy quality food, I was hungery after dinner and opted for the shake. But, and this is where I'm actually proud of myself, I didn't eat anything else extra.

I thought about it.

I thought about it REALLY HARD.

But the thing that is working for me is the "eat exactly this" instructions (easier than I thought it would be) and writing everything down. I'm eating way more fruits and vegetables than I usually do, and having good quality protein sources, and when I do that, I'm not hungry.

The only thing I'm sad about is that I made homemade salsa for my burrito on Monday - and I really really want to eat more of it. But chips do not qualify as a quality protein or carbohydrate source. Guess I'll freeze it for later in the winter, when I'm done with the 6 week program and taking a break. Sighhhhhh...

Swimming with asthma

Since I was having such a sucky week, I decided I really needed to go swim on Wed. I decided that I wasn't being productive at work anyways, so swimming was a good idea.

To be honest, I decided I needed exercise earlier in the week and tried to go at lunch time unsuccessfully, so I went after work with a friend. The pool was way too crowded, and we didn't swim very far. But it was enough to make me feel better.

The worst part was I had a mini-asthma attack (couldn't get enough air) while swimming and came up short one lap. I think I freaked out my friend a bit, but a few minutes later I caught my breath and continued, albeit much slower.

I'd been avoiding my asthma medication since I didn't notice any wheezing, and I wasn't feeling like getting a refill. So much for being lazy. I guess I need to take care of myself more often. And now I'm using my inhaler every night. I'm not so good about remembering in the morning, but I've been doing it every night since Wed.

Makin Progress!

Ok, I started the Curves Weight Management thing on Monday. Their program is very metabolism focussed. You do a week at 1200-1400 calories, ~6 weeks at 1400-1600 calories, and when you stop loosing weight or need a break, they have a 2000-2500 calorie program. The whole idea is to keep from switching your body into starvation mode where you stop loosing weight. And you have a choice of high protein (60/40 protein/carbs) or high carb (40/60 protein/carbs).

I'm doing 1400 cal on the high carb plan, and I haven't killed anybody yet.

Actually, I'm doing ok. Monday was REALLY hard. Hungry all day, thinking, I can't do this. Tuesday was better, and it's been better every day since. In fact, I just realized I didn't eat the 60 calories of fruit allowed with lunch (that's like a cup of raspberries, so pretty filling!). But I'll eat it with my snack, or maybe dinner. Mostly this diet is portion control, and balancing protein and carbs. I'm not sure I completely believe their whole metabolism theory, but so far it appears nutritionally sound and safe. Although 1400 cal (let alone 1200!) is WAY less than I've been eating.

But I've lost 5 lbs. already. I'm telling myself I shouldn't weigh every day because that will be misleading/demotivating. But MAN, it is tempting! Monday I kick up a couple of hundred calories, so we'll see what happens.

Makin

Haven't posted in a while

Ok, ready for an update here as I haven't posted in a while. I think you all saw in the forward from Ann that I'm pregnant. I'm HOPING that I can find a way to motivate myself to continue my walking after baby comes in March/April. A friend had a good point that the timing for weather will really help in being able to get out with both baby and dog and make me get moving again.

We had a good ultrasound yesterday so that was a lot of fun and I'll be out of my first trimester the end of next week. I'm still walking every morning with the dog though we've slowed down a bit. I just know like Jill said, my default is lazy and the only reason I walk is because John goes to work earlier so I feel it's my job to get the dog out and she's a good motivator. So... I need to keep it up as much as I can.

Not as many steps back as I thought...

I went for a run today (when my MIL was here -- I hope to do that every week.) I did over 2.5 miles and I managed to do it without slowing to a walk!! It was just under a 12 minute/mile pace, which was typical for me when I was training for the Tri. While I give a lot of credit to my iPod shuffle and tons of credit to you guys for keeping me moving instead of slowing down (I kept thinking, "If I keep going I can write a blog entry that I ran the whole way!"), I am very impressed that I have maintained some endurance from the training I did 2 months ago.

How's everyone doing?

I must admit, I've really stopped all real physical activity since I finished the triathlon. (I was hoping it would give me some momentum, but, alas, laziness seems to always prevail for me.) Anyway, now that it's the fall and the school and activity schedules begin to rule my life again, I was thinking now is an opportunity to fit the exercising into the schedule. Like on Thursday when my mother-in-law plays with the kids, and Tuesdays when they're both in school, I could go for a run! Maybe I should schedule a Saturday morning run before my shower and an evening workout a couple of nights a week. The important thing is to put it in the schedule. What about you all?

Back to the gym

The kids start school tomorrow. So I have made plans to meet a friend for coffee - after I go to Curves. I'm setting a goal of three times a week - and I'm going to try to walk (or something) on the in-between days.

Of course, I came back from camping with huge itchy bug bites on my legs, including one that sits right under or at the edge of most of my socks. Here's hoping it's not too bad!

Bicycling

T learned to ride his bike this summer so when we went to Portland last week, we hauled all 3 bikes and the trailer. We actually went on a few bike rides, too. The first one was a meander through the neighborhood M grew up in. It made me appreciate how flat neighborhoods are much more bicycle friendly.

The next day, we put the trailer on M's bike checked out a new bike trail along the river. Since we let T set the pace both days, I can't say I got much of a workout on either day, but it was fun.

I wish it was less hilly in our neighborhood. I'd almost forgotten how much fun it is to ride your bike.

Not One Size Fits All

We only got two workouts in last week, but we went yesterday so I feel good that Jim and I are continuing to go. Childcare is a bit of an issue because right now Ben is helping his family while his grandfather is on Hospice. Hopefully I can tag some of the college kids at church tonight so that we can go tomorrow.
I also wanted to share that I have had at least two people ask me if I have been working out and that they have "noticed" on my upper torso. Now do I really think that just two workouts have made that much of a difference?
No
I did have ever buy new bras. When I discarded my nursing bras I was wearing bras that were pre-children bras. They probably fit ok at some point but they were pretty stretched out. So last month, when they were having before school sales and a "tax free" day here Jim and I went and did some clothes shopping. I made sure that I got bras that not only fit but also had the proper amount of support. So I am here to attest that if you need a "quick" body image improvement think about what your clothes are doing for you.

We went!

Over the summer we joined the student rec center but really only made it to the pool with the kids.
Today, things finally came together so that Jim and I went and worked out. So now we have paid for the rec center for Jim this semester and other then having some transportation issues that should be worked out when I go buy a parking pass tomorrow (long story...) we should be in line to actually workout regularly this semester.

I was thin once....

I have been unpacking more boxes and I did a box with photo albums in it. I, of course, had to look through all of the pictures in the albums. I saw pictures of myself as a teenager and realized that I was actually thin. In my mind I have always been overweight, but in reality I was maybe 10 pounds overweight as a teen and it wasn't until I hit college that I really put on weight. My big issue was that I didn't gain the Freshman 15....I gained the Freshman 50. So I was thinking that it was inspiring to realize that I actually COULD be thin. Now I just actually work on getting back to that place.

My New Hero

My new hero is...Dara Torres!

She's 21 days older than me, and just look at her! (Oops, did I just give away my age?) I can't wait to see how well she performs at the Olympics. She's already got one medal (this time -- she's got tons of others from her previous four times!)

In case you're living under a rock, and don't know who she is, google her or check out her wikipedia page.

I just thought I'd provide a little inspiration here!

Finished!

I finished the race today! To get my results, go to the Danskin results web page and click the link. Scroll to the bottom and select "2008 NEW ENGLAND RESULTS" under "Search Results Data." You can look me up by name or number, 1211.

I'll post a description of the race shortly on my other Blog, Midlife Motherhood.

The day before...

How goes the Triathlon preparation? Are you excited for tomorrow? Just here cheering you on.

Still on Track

I've been updating in the comments of the last post, but I thought I'd put in a post to let everyone know I'm still on track with the final 2-week training I outlined. The only thing I'm missing is the practice race, where I do the whole swim/bike/run. At this point, I don't think I'll do that because I don't want to overwork myself within a week of the race. But today at the pool I swam 1/4 mile (1/2 the race distance) and then rode for 20 minutes on a stationary bike. That felt pretty good (although a stationary bike doesn't feel much like a real bike.) I'm scheduled for a rest tomorrow and then I've booked childcare at the gym to swim on Wednesday. (Perhaps I'll do another transition to bike and maybe even transition to a 5 minute run, as well.) Then a couple of bike rides Thursday and Friday, and I'm off to the race expo on Saturday!! I'm not really nervous (yet). It will be a fun weekend away from home with my friends.

If you are interested to check out the race: www.danskin.com/triathon and look up the info for the New England race.

More updates later!

From here to triathlon...

Ok, it's 11 days to race day. Here's my training plan for the next 10 days and my race goals. I figured I write them for all of you to see, so I can be held accountable.

Thurs (7/17) Race practice run: Swim 1/2 mile at pool, drive home (5 min), bike 11 miles, run 3 miles (last run before race)
Fri. Rest day (Need to make a birthday cake.)
Sat. Bike ride
Sun Early morning open water swim at Walden Pond with training comrades
Mon Swim at pool with Sara
Tues Rest day
Wed Swim at pool with Sara
Thurs Bike ride
Fri Bike ride
Sat Rest day and race check-in day
Sun RACE DAY!!

Race goals:
Swim - Under 30 minutes
Bike - 1 hour
Run - Hard to predict, without the preceding swim & bike, I think I can do 35 min or less. I definitely don't want it to take longer than 45 min, no matter how badly I'm hurting. Maybe I'll update my goal after my practice run tomorrow.
Transitions - I'll keep these as short as possible -- no dilly-dallying perhaps 5-6 min. on the 1st and 2-3 on the second.

Overall time: I'd love to beat 2:10.

Sporadic training

I've been having a hard time keeping up with the training on a frequent enough basis. I did those 2 runs in a row, then a week later, I did an 11 mile bike ride (in 55min - ugh!), and then today I ran 4 miles. I really had to push to get in all 4 miles and it took me 50 minutes, but I did it. I wanted to prove to myself that I could keep running even when I'm really tired. (It was hot, too.) I did more walking than I would have liked, but I did run (at my slow and steady pace) for most of it. Sometime in the next week I want to do a swim/bike/run combo and use the parking lot at the gym(pool) as my transition area. I've got a route planned from there with an 11 mile bike and 3 mile run. Wish me luck. (The race is in 2 weeks.)

Quick update

So camping and hiking on a long road trip resulted in weight gain (only 2 lbs). I'm not entirely surprised, but disappointed. We had lots of long driving days and veggies were hard to find. We ate lots of hamburgers, chicken strips, and french fries. The hikes weren't very long, but both M and I were hauling over 20 lbs between kid, water, and other supplies.

I'm trying to eat better (I've been craving vegetables), and started swimming at lunch again. If I can get to bed at a reasonable hour (ha ha ha), I hope to walk the puppy in the morning again.

It's been awhile

It's been awhile since I actually posted more than a comment. Mostly this has been because there hasn't been much to tell. I haven't really gained weight but I definitely haven't lost any either. I am getting a bit more sleep mostly because Jo usually sleeps through the night these days. My house is moderately clean as always (though we have weeded out a whole bunch of toys) and I am slightly less stressed than normal (partly due to not taking classes this summer even though I haven't really done as much work on the paper I am supposed to be doing). I have been unpacking more things so hopefully I can get most of it done so that I am not torn between unpacking, normal household things, and working on coursework during the school year.
Anyway, we did make the move today to go and join the student rec center. During the school year I will automatically have a membership but Jim is also pushing for him to join so I will have a workout buddy. Hopefully we can work out babysitting and then get on a schedule.

Two in a row!

I was sore today from running yesterday. It didn't even occur to me to work out. (duh!) But Steve offered to put the kids to bed so I could go running and work through the soreness. A storm had just passed through and the weather was perfect for a run. You just don't turn down an offer like that! I went 2 miles in just under 23 min. I'm happy with that.

Positive day

I went running this morning. The sad part is that I haven't actually gone running outside in a long time (I can't remember how long -- perhaps not since the road race.) However, the other sporadic exercise I've been doing seems to be having some effect because I really actually ran most of it! I went a mile before I slowed to a walk. (Usually I just go down the block before I want to slow to a walk.) The iPod shuffle was a major contributor to being able to continue running. I really like it. And I went 3 miles in 36 min. Not too bad. If I can do that in the Tri (after swimming and running) I'll be more than pleased.
Then I spent the afternoon on landscaping -- lots of physical work. I'm exhausted.

Not so inspiring

Ok, i can't resist. Maybe inspiring in a different way.


more cat pictures

Inspiring story

This is an inspiring story about a woman who lost 83 lbs in less than 10 months and trained for a triathlon. She used hard work and lots of support from family and friends to do it.

Pool etiquette, or lack thereof

I need to vent. My girlfriend and I, who are trying to train for a triathlon in 5 weeks (eek!) went to the pool today for a workout. We have to call no more than 2 days in advance to reserve a 1 hour block in the childcare room. The room books up on Fridays, so you've got to call first thing in the morning. Ok, so we got a slot. I was running a little bit late (kids) and my friend, even later because her 6 mo. old was actually taking a long nap and she didn't want to wake him too soon. So by the time I got to the pool, the time was ticking on our workout because we only get the time reserved, even if we're late. The pool was having family time, which meant that only 2 of the 4 lanes were available for lap swimming. Anyhoo... I got there right after 2 older women (who were together) entered the pool and each took a lane. I proceeded to enter the pool and waited at one end for the woman to swim back and asked her if she had a preferred side for splitting the lane. She just said, "Oh, I can't share a lane." She outright refused to share a lane because it would interfere with her workout. Are you kidding me? I've never heard of someone refusing to share a lane. I stormed off to the front desk to ask what the gym's policy is on lane sharing. "You can share a lane..." Of course I CAN share a lane, but what do I do if someone won't share a lane? Basically, she said, they won't make anyone do anything -- a totally non committal answer. When my friend arrived, seeing that I was fuming, decided to try to talk to the women and to appeal to their common courtesy by telling them that our kids were in the childcare room and we had very limited time. You won't believe what the response was to that. "I don't have kids." No kidding. I gotta say, the word that kept entering my mind over and over and over was b****. Anyway, luckily for us, shortly thereafter, the 2-lane area where the families were swimming cleared out and we were able to swim there (sharing it with another swimmer and offering it to a 4th who opted to wait for an open lane,) and luckily no other families came to swim until we were done. I looked up "pool etiquette" on the web and I could only find rules for how to actually share, but nothing on what to do if someone won't share and nothing that said you could refuse! Why are people so inconsiderate? And I can say, that after my 3 month membership is up, I won't ever re-join that health club because they did nothing to facilitate my time time there! (Perhaps if they come out with a pool etiquette policy, I'd be willing to consider it.)

Plugging away

Weighed in at Curves yesterday, and lost a miniscule (but measurable) amount of weight. I keep having to tell myself I feel better when I go - I've lost all momentum since Memorial Day. And this week and next will be a little wierd. William is out of school sooner than JC and Rachel, so I'll have two regular Curves days that he'll be home and they won't, which makes it hard to go. And I scheduled all the doctor and dentist appoinments for the next two weeks, so it'll be a little wierd.

I still haven't figured out the 3 weeks that JC will be a camp. I may try to hook up with Curves friends who also need babysitters and we'll alternate days or something. But if I can keep any sort of momentum over the summer that will be good.

Doesn't help that it's SO DARN HOT here. They actually sent the kids home from school early yesterday, and will again today because of the heat. Snow days I understand, but these are my first heat days! But it's brutal. Betting the front tonight will have wicked thunderstorms, given our heat and humidity!

June Flu

Honestly, it started at the end of May, but I still feel like crap and it's JUNE! I can't believe I really got the flu, but I got the aches and pains and total exhaustion and conjunctivitis (pink eye) and sore throat to prove it. I've been fighting it since last Friday, but two days in bed (not consecutive, I am a MOM after all) and lots of cat naps later, I'm still tired. The sore throat is getting better, and so is the pink eye (or at least I'm optimistic).

I just want to get better before we go on vacation. Partially because it'll be more fun if I don't feel like crap, but mostly because I need some energy to get us packed to go!

Sometimes I feel like I can't catch a break.

Confessions

Well, since my post last week about swimming a 1/2 mile I've gotten NO exercise. And I've been eating poorly, to say the least. I think I've put back on about 2 or so lbs. Help! Steve was away most of the week and I'm so tired at night that I pass out in front of the TV so quickly, I never get to the workout or any of the other tasks on the to do list, for that matter. I'm feeling pretty unhappy with myself. Ugh!

Swimming update

The pool membership is turning out great! Actually, it's a gym located in a local hotel. So there's more to the membership to just the pool. Here's some highlights of my gym/pool use so far:
- The first time we used the childcare room for our kids (my 2 and my friend's 2) they claimed that there was nothing to do and were bored the whole time. The next time we walked them in and pointed out a handful of things that would be fun, and they did have a good time. Phew! We were afraid the childcare thing wasn't going to work out!
- Friday night I swam at the pool with both of the women that are training with me. I actually did an entire 1/2 mile. I was so tired at the beginning, I didn't think I could go that far, but at the end when I started to get close, I just said, "I'm going to bang out these last 4 laps to get to a half mile," and I did. Those were probably my best 4 laps of the evening. (Then we went our for martinis!)
- Tuesday night I went in for a 1/2 hour cycling class to get myself started on the biking part. It was a great class and a great alternative to going out on the road to get the legs doing the right thing.
- I may also look into taking some other classes, like a strength training on the ball, so I can get some good routines under my belt that I can work on at home.

Still Curving

Ok, I've been really faithful going to Curves three times a week. I've lost maybe 5 lbs. since January, but gained back a couple in the last month BUT at my last weigh-in I was down a couple percent on body fat and a couple of inches here and there.

Not a lot, I know, but combined with generally feeling better, it's incentive! And I haven't tackled diet yet. I find that VERY hard.

Of course, the bad news is that the neurologist decided I don't have a hereditary neroupathy, so we don't know what it is. But the MRI, while not showing any issues with my brain, did show that I have "sinus disease" so she recommended going to an ENT. I've been feeling like there was something going on, so I guess it's good to know it actually IS all in my head!

I have to keep reminding myself that I can't wait for all the health issues to be resolved before I work on the rest of my life. It's the "I'll start on Monday" syndrome. Gotta start NOW, even if it is Thursday!

These shoes....

were made for walking... So I made the realization the other night when John and I were doing a longer evening walk then usual, that I've walked over 3100 miles in the last 5 years. That was really staggering to me. That's not counting when we walked 7 days a week versus just 6 days a week in the morning now, or when we walk longer then our average 2 miles a day in the morning (the dog and I do the walking). Plus now we walk in the evenings with the neighbors but not as far, it's more for social time then exercise.

Hmmm... how long till I could have walked from one coast to the other. Guess I should figure that out!

Somehow it just boggled my mind.

Sore feet

I'm too old to go running as much as I have been. I've been running 3-4 days a week for about 15-20 minutes, and my feet are sore. The sore legs have gone, but my feet are killing me.

It's harder to get out of the office and go to the pool. To go swimming, it takes at least 90 minutes from the middle of the day whereas I can go for a run by only adding about 30 minutes to my morning before the kids wake up. Sigh.

Maybe I should get new running shoes, but these are fairly new with very low mileage on them. I'm sure if I lost some weight it would help (it always helps my plantar facsitis when I lose weight), but it'd be easier if I could run without my feet hurting for the next 2 days.

It's always the chicken or the egg problem. I'd have more energy if I worked out, but it'd be easier to make time to work out if I had more energy.

Splish splash

Well, I joined the pool. It's a 3 month membership, just to get me to the Tri. My friend, Sara, joined with me yesterday, and we swam a bit and hung out, just to get familiar with the routine. We're hoping to go on Friday and put all of the kids (her two and my two) in their childcare room (we figure it won't be that boring if they're all together entertaining each other) and put in a real workout. The pool is small, but it will do.

WOOHOO

SO I survived the semester. I don't think I gained too much weight (I have been slowly losing on the "distracted" diet...so it may be a wash in the end). Last night (way too late) I got my stats final turned in and now I have nothing else course related from this semester. Now I just need to survive my grad assistant duties which are on going....

Happy Mother's Day!

This is hilarious! Enjoy!

Things Mom says in a day.

Road Race Results

I did it! I ran a 5K today. I wasn't sure how I would do -- my training has been slow (in more ways than one.) I've been running about a 15 min. mile. (Yes, I know that doesn't sound like running, but my jogging and walking seems to average out to a fast walk.) And I've probably only been running about 2 miles at a time. Here are my results as posted:
Place No. Name Ag S Div/Tot Div Town St Fin5k Pace
190 2572 JILL ATKINS 40 F 26/29 F4049 WESTFORD MA 38:05 12:17

That's 190th place out of 204 (26th of 29 in my division). I did a 12:17min mile. Awesome! Way better than I expected. Now my friend and I are going to go join the pool and start biking, too. The Danskin's less than 3 months away!

Pigging out

I was starvingly hungry all day, and looked at the calendar tonight. Yup, I'm in that PMS time. So now I have to come up with a strategy. I can't deal with being hungry all day, but I can't stuff my face with carbs all day.

Maybe spreading little protein-based snacks throughout the day so I'm never starving.

My excuse

So I've been blathering on to everyone that I've been getting up to go running before I walk the dog and wake the kids. Partially it's because I can't keep my mouth shut, but also I realized it's so I'll be embarrassed when I don't get my butt out the door for a run in the morning.

So, K at C's preschool volunteered to ask me how my run went each day I go to pick him up. It worked. I was awake, but not motivated to running this morning, and I thought about how I would answer K when I picked up C this afternoon. It was too much effort to think of an answer, so I got dressed and went for a run. I'm glad I did, because it was another glorious morning and I ran almost halfway before I had to stop. And I wasn't as out of breath as I had been.

I'm putting little stickers on my calendar each day I get exercise, and I'm letting myself eat more than I think I should. I figure if I can make it to month of more or less daily exercise, I'll be on my way to a habit. I might have even motivated M (or at least he's talking about it again).

Ya gotta ASK

So, I've been moaning and groaning to myself that I don't have a workout buddy. My occasionally swim buddy had a baby about 7 months ago, and hasn't had reliable child care, and when she has, she'd rather be finishing her PhD thesis (who can blame her), than scheduling swimming with me. So, it's been months (like since before turkey day) since I've been to the pool.

So, I told one of my lunch buddies, that I've been running, but I would love to go swim at the pool. Well, ask and you shall receive! She'd love to go swimming sometime. She's even excited by it. So, we're going swimming at lunch on Wed.

I'm getting into the swing of things, especially since I went running on Sunday and this morning. (Mostly, it was because I was so sore I could barely walk down the stairs by Saturday evening.)

If I could just slow down the eating (I've been starving and hence, wolfing down everything in sight, since Friday.), I might actually lose some of the 10 pounds I've gained since September.

Go ME!!!

I've been thinking about it for weeks now, but I finally did it this morning. I went for a run before I had to wake the kids up. It's a little harder with a puppy in the house, but I decided to stop using him as an excuse. I took R out for a quick piddle and had to suffer his big sad brown eyes when I put him back into his crate.

I didn't go very far, and I didn't go very fast. At this point, I'm just happy I got out of bed and into my running shoes. It felt great. It didn't hurt that the weather was beautiful. The lake was glassy and you could mostly make out Mt Rainier. I even managed to do a few crunches and stretches before taking a shower. I'm just hoping I can keep this up.

I love this weather!

Today, for the first time since I started training for this Tri (and I use the word "started" loosely,) I ran outside! How awesome is that? And I have to say that it was very encouraging.

Running on the treadmill in the basement is hard. There's not a lot of motivation -- you're in one spot just looking at how much time is left and how little "distance" you've gone. And you have to pick a speed and set it rather than just letting your body set its own speed. I haven't really been able to stay motivated on the treadmill long enough to get in much of a run and I've been worried that I won't be able to finish the 5K in a couple of weeks.

Once outside, I could set small goals: "I won't slow to a walk until I reach that driveway/tree/intersection." I won't say it wasn't painful, but once I got home and was done with the run, I felt great! I felt like I could do it again and I'm looking forward to it. I also rode my newly tuned up bike up the block and back just to feel how the tuneup turned out. That felt great, too, and I'm looking forward to some riding (although my butt isn't!)

Argh...

I've been trying to be positive. I've been trying not to be negative. I've been making happy lists. I've been trying to shake it off. I've been smiling when I don't feel like it.

Truth be told, I just want to bite someone's head off. I don't really care who's head it is at this point. Anyone's will do. Screwy thing is I don't even know what I'm so pissy about anymore.

Sigh.

Hmmmm....

Ok, I'm feeling better today, in a way. I haven't sat down and done my "10 favorite things" list, because I was cranky enough that it seemed hard. I'm still eating poorly, but trying to be at least aware of the choices I'm making (even if they're bad). And physically, I'm having a bad day, achy and my back hurts.

But you know what? It's all better, because I know WHY. It's that time (you know, THAT time), and I am much more hormonal in the past few years than I ever remember before. It isn't necessarily an excuse, but I know WHY I feel like I have to shove everything in my mouth, and I'm cranky and tired and depressed. And knowing why makes it feel better already. And hopefully, as I work on strategies, it gets a little easier to handle.

And because it's cyclic, in a couple of days I'll feel much better, and can work on strategies to prepare for next time. I have to remember that I don't have to feel ambushed, I should anticipate and prepare. As best I can, at least!

Chiming in

I just had a friend change how she does her "to do's" lists. Instead of listing things she has to do (which I still do since sometimes I need the visual), she lists her things as "things done". It's a way to look at the positive things you've done in a day, and not get hung up on the things you haven't gotten to. If you think about each of our days it's a busy time, and we could fill every moment with work and things but it'd be exhausting! Kids and family are probably a huge part of the "done" list since getting them to school, making lunches/dinners/etc. are a big part of everyday energy.

On another positive note I heard someone saying how important it was to rework our thinking. So instead of beating ourselves up over negative things in the day, have you and/or spouse/kids etc. list 3 positive things that happened to you for the day. John finds that more challenging then I do because I'm the optimist and he's the realist in our relationship, but that makes it interesting too.

So far this morning (and it's just aver 7am here), I have 1. slept better then I did last night (no headache) and 2. got to snuggle under the covers and hit snooze which I love and 3. Looking forward to working from home today which will hopefully mean more progress here.

=)
Lisa

10 things ooolia's like

To borrow from Susan's last post:

Ten things I like (that don't involve food) :

1. Silliness with my boys.
2. Fresh flowers in the garden.
3. Getting mail from a friend.
4. New blog postings.
5. Waking up before the alarm clock.
6. Playing with Willapa (especially since she's old and often grumpy).
7. Hugs and kisses from M, T, and/or C.
8. Doing stuff outside.
9. Finishing a knitting/crochet/sewing project (although these days I'm happy to get to work on it).
10. Talking with friends.

10 things I like

My inspiration after Ann's last post was to think about things that I enjoy doing (that do not involve food...though I like eating stuff too....)
Ten things I like (That don’t involve food):
Listed in no particular order…
10. Having a DVR to watch my favorite shows whenever I want (Whose Line is it Anyway, Ace of Cakes, Good Eats, etc.)
9. Playing Everquest
8. Being able to cross something off my to-do list (even if it is that I have made a to-do list)
7. Hugs from Doug, Andy, & Jo
6. Kisses and being close to Jim
5. Doing neat things with my kids (going to the park, having a picnic, going to the library, etc.)
4. Music I can sing with (I need to listen more than I do)
3. Blogging (yes I am addicted enough that I sometimes think in blog entries)
2. Learning something new and interesting
1. Reading something for entertainment

I challenge each of you to list the things you enjoy doing...the things that you do to perk up your day and make you happy.

Two Steps Backward

I am keeping up with my commitment to get to Curves three times a week (keep trying, Julia!). But I am eating horribly. Too much and mostly poor snack choices. Yes, I know I should have a little protein and a little carbs for snacks, and space them out through the day so I don't get too hungry, and watch portion control, and all that.

But at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when I'm TIRED, I'm shoving whatever junk I can find in my mouth. It starts with being hungry, and then it's like I just can't stop. I have actually gained weight since I joined Curves (just a little), but not lost inches anywhere either.

I know that part of the problem is that I'm tired. I'm not getting to bed early enough, and getting up at 6 to see JC off to school. I have no willpower when I'm tired, and sometimes it feels like I'm eating to stay awake. Part of the problem is that I'm stressing over the consignment sale - and one of my (not good) reactions is to freeze. I'm not doing the things that need to be done, because, well, I don't really know why. It's this procrastination response where I feel like I'm bored, even though I have things that I really need to do, but I can't get started. And then I eat.

I know I can do this sale, I've done 3 or 4 as the lead coordinator, and numerous others as a helper. But I'm REALLY short on consignors and I just feel... unmotivated. I'll get it together, but not in a terribly graceful way, and we'll make money, but probably not as much as we could have, and... I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if I am depressed, in the clinical sense. I'm pretty high functioning, but I could do much more if I could just get moving!

Wanted: Exercise Buddy

It's become abundantly clear to me in the last month that I really really need an exercise buddy. I really want to get off my duff and get moving again. I'm motivated. My body is motivated (also known as cranky and stiff and sore). Sitting at my computer for 40 hours a week is driving me NUTS.

But, I can't seem to just do it. In the morning I just want to get out of the house, to the office, and get my day started (and the gym is the wrong direction in terms of traffic). At lunch, I want some company and FOOD. By the end of the day, I just want to get my kids home and fed and in bed so I might have a little bit of time before I collapse. I know that if I had an exercise buddy in the morning or at lunch, I'd be much more likely to get moving.

Maybe after Spring break, I'll just get up early enough to go for a walk or run before waking the kids. Here's to dreaming.

*************

So I just called the local Curves. They're TWO blocks from my house, but they don't open until 6:30 in the morning. Sounds early enough except that I absolutely positively NEED to get T up by 7 AM in order for him to be ready for carpool at 7:35 AM and there's NO WAY for me to squeeze in a workout and get back up the hill (even w/ a CAR) in time for that to happen.

Oh, I'm just SO frustrated.

Looking for veggies

I don't have it often, but I've been craving veggies today, and a salad in particular. Maybe I just haven't been getting enough servings of fruit and vegetables so far this week, but I'm finding it irritatingly difficult to find a salad. Not just any salad, but preferably a not too expensive salad bar like place where I can get lots of veggies and not much lettuce or cheese or meat or other sources of protein (that's what hamburgers are for).

Usually I'd pop across the street to the dining hall of the dorm for my usual little bit of spinach, lots of beets and peas, maybe some broccoli or shredded carrots and whatever else looked appetizing (can be difficult at times), but it being spring break around here, they're closed.

So, I went down the street and started perusing menus and peeking at tables. Most places has a caesar salad which is almost entirely romaine lettuce, and house salad which is mostly lettuce, a pale slice of tomato, a few shreds of carrot and/or red cabbage, and maybe some onion. You might find an entree salad which is guaranteed to have some sort of cheese (usually blue or feta) and grilled chicken. I found a pea salad that had bright orange cubes of cheese and enough white fattening dressing that I found it downright scary. Oh, did I mention that being lactose intolerant lack of dairy in my salad is a BIG plus? Lastly, none of the above mentioned salads would have cost me less than $5 after tax and tip; that includes the caesar and house salads without chicken.

So, I'm stuck at my desk eating old baby carrots and a squished green banana. I might go back down to the corner store to grab a bag of Terra chips since that's the closest to veggies not in a salad I could find. Plus, I'm hoping that I remembered to ask M to pick up some veggies, any veggies, on the grocery list I left him last night. Otherwise, I might have to drag a toddler to the co-op for an early evening veggie run.

Reaching a plateau

A note on reaching a plateau in your weight loss.
One is to make sure that you are still drinking enough water. A health instructor I had for a health class said that most diets advertise losing 5-10 pounds in the first two weeks. Most people do it successfully because... before that they are not drinking enough water, and once they do they lose the water they were retaining which sheds somewhere in the neighborhood of...5-10 pounds.

A second thing to do is when your body hits a plateau in weight loss a physical therapist told me once to "eat a big meal." It kicks your body back in to losing mode.

I've also heard varying your routine because your body gets efficient at doing what it does normally.

Silver Lining

So I'm probably in the worst shape of my whole life. I can barely walk up a few stairs without being winded. But (as I posted before) I've signed up for a Danskin mini-triathlon in July. I also plan to go on a backpacking trip this summer. (I'll save details of that for a future post.) We have a great gym setup in our basement. It includes a nice new TV and Tivo (which we don't have anywhere else in the house.) And yet I haven't worked out down there in... well.. I don't know how long it's been.
However, I did start with an easy 30 min. workout last night on the eliptical machine. (yea!!) I pressed the User 2 button (that's me) and the machine proeceded to step me through some settings to confirm. (Here comes the silver lining part.) Despite the fact that I haven't worked out in ages, my current weight is 7 lbs. less than when I set my weight on the machine! Cool! (Trust me, there's still a long way to go!)

Epiphany

I finally came to a realization about at least a good part of the reason I have such a problem going to bed on time.
Despite the fact that I go to work and spend time away from the kids, while I am at work I am running around like a crazy woman trying to get things done. When I am at home I am with the kids and running around like a crazy woman trying to take care of children and get things done.

The evenings are my only real time that things might be quiet. Usually I try to get whatever chores done and I then can have maybe some quiet time. However I also don't necessarily want the last thing I do during the day to be that I have cleaned the kitchen (or whatever the chore happens to be). I don't mind ending with the feeling I have accomplished a job but somehow doing the kitchen over and over and over again is not the same as say...I unpacked a box, or I sorted out all of my clothes to be donated, or I did something creative.

So therefore I find myself doing little stupid things and staying up really late. It probably doesn't hurt that pre-children my natural preference was for late night (not late late night...just late night....)

So now that I have come to realization that I am fighting my natural preference, craving some quiet time, and generally looking to end the day on something more meaningful or fun...I have to figure out how I am going to address this issue.

Menu planning

I've been trying to help Michael help me out around the house, and this week I discovered that if I make a menu and post it on the fridge, it helps make the grocery list easier to figure out (which means its easier for M to go to the store for me), and it's easier for him to start dinner when I'm running late in the evening (which is almost always).

While I was procrastinating surfing the web, I found Menu Plan Monday. Okay, so it's Thursday, but I didn't do the whole week on Monday. I don't know if I'll post my menu plan, but it meant that there was yummy crockpot corned beef for dinner tonight.

A serious goal!!

I just signed up for the Danskin Triathlon in MA that takes place at the end of July. I have a LONG way to go to get in shape, but a goal will help a lot. PLUS, my local friend, Sara, wants to do it with me. So I'll have a training partner. Yea!! I'd better get on that treadmill tonight!

BTW, I was thinking of also signing up for the NY metro area race (which takes place in Sandy Hook, NJ) since I have friends ;-) to stay with nearby, but that one's already full!!! Danskin runs a very popular race.

Daylight Savings Time

I want to call it "taking my daylight away from me time" because I really really miss having the sun up when I have to get out of bed in the morning. The winter days are too short here in Seattle, and I feel so much better when there is sun in the morning. It was only about a month ago when the sun was starting to show when I have to get up in the morning, and now it's gone again.

I can't say that I appreciate the extra light in the evening much since I spent it trying to wrangle the kids to bed and extra sunshine doesn't help.

I was good and moved my SAD lamp into the bathroom so I can sleep as long as I can manage and then turn on all the lights in the bathroom AND the SAD lamp so it's super duper bright in there while I take my shower and get ready in the morning. It seemed to help a bit this morning.

Of course, unless I go to bed soon, it won't be enough tomorrow.

We are here, we are here, we are here!

I haven't posted here in forever, sorry! I have been being good about going to the gym, 3 days a week since the beginning of January. I did miss one session when William had a day off from school and the other two didn't and one session when we had a snow day - but I used the snowblower and cleared the whole driveway, so that counts.

However, I am eating JUNK and too much of it. I lost no weight or inches for the month of February. I am very much an emotional eater and struggling with it. I make decent choices at mealtimes and then spend the afternoon shoving junk in my mouth. Somehow I have to get that under control or I will make very little progress.

Monday I go to the neurologist, finally. I will admit to a mild amount of underlying stress about that, which probably doesn't help the eating, and I really have no idea what she's going to say. I don't even know what I'm hoping to hear. But we'll find out!

Good Trend?

I have had two days where I got outside with the kids. My back hurts a little bit from having Jo on my back for so long (one day we were outside for about 2 hours), but I think I got at least some exercise because I tried to get some of the leaves up. I want to keep up the trend...although it is predicted to get cold again.

Sleep glorious sleep

I must be sleep deprived because my body tells me so. I've fallen asleep in Timothy's bed for the last several nights (um... 3?) before the boys fell asleep. After I spent most of 2 nights sleeping in their room, last night Michael woke me up at around midnight to come up to bed. Oh, did I mention that I took a 90 minute nap on Sat?

I can't blame not enough sleep since I'd been getting at least 8 hours a night the whole week before. I think it's just my body telling me that if I want to get healthy I need to get more sleep. The cough is getting better, but spring is in the air. No really, both Timothy and I have had the mild itchy red eyes since late last week.

Getting better, maybe

So I've been pretending I feel better so far this week. I've still got congestion in my upper chest and stuffed up sinuses, but I can get away with feeling almost normal with Sudafed and Robitussin. At a friend's suggestion, I've been trying to walk at lunchtime (or at some point during the day). I've only been successful 2 of the 4 days this week.

My goal is to feel well enough to make it to the gym next week. I don't know about swimming yet, but I can at least pretend and use some of the machines. I hope.

That probably means I should go to bed since I need to get up early to drive carpool tomorrow. Besides, by the time I get home from work, I'm tired enough to skip dinner if I didn't have to feed the boys.

My own Blog!!

Hey, I've decided to jump in on this new trend and start my own blog!!
http://midlifemotherhood.blogspot.com/

Update on my status

Well, I haven't been exercising like I'm supposed to. I haven't been getting in my workout clothes right after getting the kids to bed. I haven't been going to bed on time. I'm craving food.

But, on the plus side, a few days ago we got a nice 10 inch covering of snow followed by days of gorgeous weather (just above freezing, no wind!) So we've been going out every day before lunch and tubing down the hill in our back yard. It's quite a fast hill and we started building a luge track with a wall that curves around and keeps you from running into the house. So at least there's fresh air and a little bit of physical activity involved. Here's a video of Sierra and I going down our cool luge track.

Exercise

I went skiing today. It doesn't sound like much except it's the first real exercise (aside from an occasional walk) since Thanksgiving. I should add, it was downhill skiing, not cross-country skiing, so most of the effort came from putting on my boots and hauling my gear around.

It was definitely the most expensive day of skiing ever. I'd purchased a 5 day discount ski pass at the beginning of the season thinking that I'd be up to Whistler for two whole weeks this ski season not expecting to be sick the whole time. This was the ONLY day I'd be using that 5 day pass. I'd rented skiis & boots in Seattle since it was easier and less expensive than renting skiis in Canada. I also bought a new helmet since I'm most likely to fall in our family.

The weather was beautiful and clear. We could see the mountains all around. The snow was fair: packed powder and only a little crunchy in spots. Sounds beautiful? I thought so until we headed down the first slope, and my legs started to hurt so badly from my boots that didn't fit right. The pain shooting up and down my legs made me cry. I'm not entirely sure how I made it down the mountain.

The good news is I found a rental shop, got new boots, and salvaged the day. I was sore and out of shape, but the skiing was beautiful. Now I have to feed the kids dinner and pack so we can drive home tomorrow. Maybe I'll find some ibuprofen first since I'm stiff already.

Influenza

We're supposed to be in Whistler, B.C. enjoying a winter wonderland. I rented skis and have prepaid lift tickets. So why am I sleeping and lounging on the sofa? Because somehow, I've managed to get the flu. And I've likely passed it on to the rest of the household. Michael is feeling achy and has a cough. Timothy has a sore throat. And Christopher is just a toddler who has a perpetual runny nose and an occasionally cough.

Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather be sick here than at home trying to manage taking kids to school and missing work, but it sucks to be sick on vacation, and I seem to often be sick on vacation. Plus, is just sucks to be sick all the time.

Thanks for listening to me rant. I've finally bored Christopher to sleep, and I can go to sleep.

Valentines Day

I don't quite understand Valentine's Day.

I have to make a lunch for some one else's toddler and some other poor parent has to make a lunch for mine. Timothy had to sign almost two dozen pre-printed valentines that he picked out because it had Looney Tunes characters on them. I don't think Timothy has ever ready any of the valentines he's received. He only cares about the candy that many of them come with. Neither boy has any clue why we're doing this or really seems to care.

This year Michael and I decided it was absurd to find a babysitter to go out to dinner on the same night that hordes of other adults are doing the same for poor service by overwhelmed wait staff when we could be packing to go out of town the next day. We're going to get his parents to watch the kids and pick a random night next week to go and pretend to be adults.

Valentine's Day just seems like another crass opportunity to commercialize something really special. Love is about appreciating your partner. Not an occasion to buy overpriced roses and go out to dinner.

Maybe I'm too old to be a romantic. I don't think I ever was a romantic. All I want for Valentine's Day is the opportunity to take a bath in peace and to go to bed early and not get awakened until I want to the next morning. Hmm. I think I'm a sleep deprived mom.

More of the same

I've been pretty lousy about what I've been putting into my mouth. Mostly because I'm eating too much, but I haven't been making great food choices either. Chinese New Year makes me want Chinese food, and Chinese food is relatively high in sodium. It doesn't need to be high in fat, but that's much of what I like and don't have as much the rest of the year. It's sort of like having Thanksgiving and Christmas again.

I finally decided that was the only way I was going to get over the coughing was to get enough rest. I still have a little something, but it's not too bad except for the pulled chest muscle. It hurts to cough, to sneeze, to laugh, and sometimes to twist or lift. But after over a week of spending 12 hours a night in bed, work and kids have eaten into my sleep allowance. As a result, my cough is somewhat more persistent.

More worrisome is Christopher has had a fever for the last two evenings. It was high enough (104.4F) on Sunday evening that I went to the ER for a kid for the first time. Of course, the nurses and doctor nicely told me that all we needed was ibuprofen and that it was normal for a viral infection. So we're all paranoid about catching another cold. Bother.

How Depressing

Just watched a Good Morning America segment on diet sodas. It was yet another study showing that artificial sweetners seem to affect the metabolism in an unkown way, leading to weight gain, metabolic syndrome, and other bad stuff.

I either have metabolic syndrome or am darn close to it - it's the current term describing the confluence of insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and weight gain. Hmmm, that sounds familiar. And I drink a lot of Diet Coke, in fact, I can't really get through the day without it - and it's not just the caffeine. The doctor on GMA said, "these individuals know who they are, that they should give it up." I know I should, but it's SO hard. It fits with everything medical I've been going through, but it's so hard to stop. I feel lousy when I don't get my fix and it really is a fix - an addict getting what she wants.

Now would be a good time to do this - I have 2 2L bottles of Diet Coke, and that's it in the house right now. I'm gonna try. Oh, this is so depressing - but if it makes the appetite and weight loss easier to deal with, not to mention the whole metabolism thing, I really have to give it up.

Surprisingly good

Well I found I actually had a pretty good day for fruits and veggies, which is the main area I struggle with. 3 servings of fruit and 3 of veggies. Not a usual day for me, but maybe my body will implode from shock. You never know!

Finally back to work at the quilting as it's been a series of errors since my quilting machines foot broke when a friend borrowed it two weekends ago. Then they sent me the wrong replacement foot (just like the different feet for a sewing machine). So... behind on work except that a friend let me use her machine and that was nice as I was able to get a few projects done. Now hopefully tomorrow I can be nice and focused and productive!

I was worried when I changed positions that the same thing would happen with the quilting that happened with the counseling and I'd have trouble getting business as networking isn't my strongest thing. However, quilters are social by nature and while I feel my quilting still has a long ways to go, I'm booked out into April at this point for customer quilts. My husband points out that must mean something!

17 Fitness truths

Found this at Zen Habits. I found it rather inspiring, and very realistic.

http://zenhabits.net/2008/02/17-fitness-truths-to-get-you-in-great-shape/#more-642

Getting well (I hope)

Hopefully I am on the mend. Jim talked me into going to the doctor today. One of the things that the doctor brought up was that it was possible my pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine had worn off and that that could be why I had a cough. I asked him if I needed a booster and when I said that my last tetanus shot (which is part of the same combo vaccine) was as an undergraduate he went ahead and had them give me a PDT (Which I think is pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus). He said it wouldn't help this time but perhaps help some other time. So I guess this is a reminder that even as adults we need to think about getting the occasional booster shot.

Go Giants!

Sorry Jill, but I'm completely psyched. Not only do I usually root for the underdog in sporting events anyway, but the Giants are a team I actually follow (I've been reading the sports section of the paper all season) and they were REALLY not expected to win.

On the home front, I have William's cold, no fever but I'm completely stuffed up. Fortunately, the congestion moved out of my throat/chest, so I am no longer coughing a nasty, painful cough and feeling rotten, just stuffy and a regular cough. William is still congested and complaining of ear pain, although the dr. looked on Tuesday and saw nothing. I suppose that could have changed. I may give that another day or two before I go to the office AGAIN - that would be three times in three weeks.

I did join Curves officially on Friday. I was on a 30 day free trial, which ended up saving me $100 off the initiation fee in addition to the free month. But I went three times a week the whole month except for last week was only two. And that's with being sick twice in that time.

So we're pretty good - the house is pretty clean except for my office/craft room. The freezer is full of good food if I remember to thaw it in time for dinner. I have ambitions of sending out our very belated Christmas cards as Chinese New Year cards, so I have 4 more days. Maybe!

Checking In

I wish I had some big positive news to post, but I don't. I just thought I would check in with everyone.
I haven't been good about going to bed recently, but I have made significant progress on staying on track with my course work.
We haven't been doing very well at making progress unpacking lately, but I have been keeping up with laundry and dishes. We are also planning on tackling a couple of things on the house to-do list this weekend.
I am looking forward to next week. My schedule is going to change slightly because I will be sitting in and helping with a course one of my professors teaches. This means that I will work more of my hours on Wednesday and the way I have it arranged with my baby-sitter means that I will actually get to spend Friday at home with the kids. I don't know what this will do for me as far as getting course work done, but it will give me more flexibility with household things.
How is everyone else doing?

Hopefully back on track

Sigh, William has been home the past two days, so no gym yet this week. I almost made it all of January, three times a week. He should be back in school tomorrow, I hope, so I'll go tomorrow, but somehow going Wed, Thu, Fri doesn't seem like the best idea. We'll see how it goes.

And I'm obviously not doing so great on going to bed earlier because it's already 11:15. But the kitchen is cleaned up!

Getting well...

I think it sounds like lots of people have had crud lately that is hard to shake. I actually don't feel that bad but I am coughing at times (like when I go to bed). I keep hoping that I am actually getting better. Jim has threatened to drag me to the doctor (which I have already gone once) if I am not well by Thursday. I think the hardest part is listening to Jo cough (which she only really does at night). Andy seems mostly well and Doug seems fine (just a little bit of lacy red rash left on his butt after having fifths disease). I think I need to work on the more sleep bit and I have had an issue remembering to take my vitamin the last couple of days.
On the more positive note the house is really starting to feel like home even though we still have tons of unpacking and organizing to do. I also feel like I have been doing pretty well with food lately. I haven't been over eating (much) and I have been making decent choices on what to eat (not always the best but it certainly could be worse). I have been doing a moderately well job at remembering to carry my water bottle with me and we haven't been eating out much at all (like maybe even only once a week). I continue to walk on campus rather than take the bus and for the most part it is working to have the kid's toys separate from the TV so that we don't just leave the TV running with no one really watching it.

They grow up so fast!

I know this is off topic, but I also know that almost all of you are moms and will sympathize.
The day before we left on vacation, Sierra climbed out of her crib. ("How did you get out of your crib?" "I don't know." "Owen, how did Sierra get out of her crib?" "I teached her!") She then proceeded to climb in and out of it for the next few days and managed to hurt her back doing it. Ok, Sierra, no more crib for you -- it's dangerous! So we bought her a big girl mattress and put it on the floor. Today is her first night in the big mattress. She looks so little in there.... I spent the afternoon rearranging the furniture in the room so I could fit the mattress in. Steve said he thought that I would just take the crib apart and I know I should have.... Just thinking about it made me cry. My baby is not a baby any more. sniff, sniff,... Is it wrong to want to leave the crib in her room?

cough cough

So far, I'm still trying to recuperate from a never ending bout of bronchitis. At least I'm calling it bronchitis. It started with a nasty taste in the back of my throat and progressed to a never ending cough which eventually was diagnosed as bronchitis, and almost 3 weeks later, I'm still sick. I actually think this is my third viral something or another that has run together, so I've been sick for much of this new year.

I'm going to lay the blame on Christopher. Toddlers aren't good at sharing toys, but they're very good at sharing germs. Between sharing food that has been in their mouths and the perpetual runny nose along with the refusal to wash hands, especially when soap is involved, loving a toddler is sharing their illnesses. At least we all got our flu shots early this year.

Meanwhile, Michael has started a year long leave, and I start working full-time at the beginning of February. I realized this morning that I haven't worked full-time since I had Timothy (which was 7 years ago). I don't expect it to be a huge change since it's the same job, just more hours. Still, it's a bit of a shock to be the primary breadwinner in the family again, since last time it was just the two of us and no mortgage.

When it rains, it pours. I also have a mess of dental work to deal with now. I managed to lose a crown. I had a baby tooth extracted about 5 years ago and had an implant and crown installed. The crown keeps popping off. It did again earlier this week, and I wrapped it in a tissue and stuck it in my pocket since I had to go pick up Timothy and take him to Chinese class. After I get there, I find a icky used tissue in my pocket and throw it away since I've got nasty used tissues everywhere because it's cold and flu season. A few hours later, when I'm picking Timothy up, I realize that the nasty tissue I threw away contained my crown. After pawing through several bags of garbage and not finding my crown, I give up. YUCK!

The good news is, my dentist thinks we should do something about the implant post because the crown is obviously not staying attached. So, even if I did have the crown, we probably would have looked into replacing it eventually since this is the 3rd time it's come off in 5 years. It's supposed to stay permanently attached. So, I have a missing tooth in addition to the sore throat and cough.

Can I use that as an excuse for not getting around to Christmas cards or thank you notes?

Goals

Well, it's the fourth week of January, and I am reaching my goal of going to Curves three times a week (not counting the first week, it was short so I went twice). I went today, but will go again tomorrow as Saturday is probably crowded. This is working ok for me - better when I can go right after I drop off William, but I'm making it work on days that I can't do that. And it's fun, and I definitly work hard enough to have my heart rate in the proper zone, and I work up a sweat.

It is probably time to work on the next issue. I think i will probably choose sleep, even over eating habits. I clearly snack more when I am tired, so working on sleep will help both. But of course it's 10:30 already, so now I'm late for bed.

Ahhhh... vacation!

I got to go to Cancun, Mexico with Steve on his "company offsite" for the long weekend. There was like a minute on the trip where I thought, "remember what it was like not having kids?" THAT was relaxation! Despite the rain for the last half and the seasickness on the group catamaran trip, I really did have a good time. On Sunday I hit a tennis ball back and forth with Steve (I wouldn't call it "playing tennis" but it was a workout) and we went for a very short paddle in kayaks (we didn't dare venture far from the launch point because of the high winds) and I tried to jog a little between destinations at the resort. It was actually exercise, it was fun, and I felt good. Now I need to keep up the exercise and remember that it is fun. So far, I'm using Steve away again on business as an excuse to be too tired, but I know that I'm being bad. I'm really going to sign up to do a Danskin mini-Triathlon and a backpacking trip this year. Really. (Do I sound convinced?) I think I need a partner in crime to help keep me on track....

Friday

I was able to go to Curves today, so it was perfect. But then I ate too much - uncomfortably full, even. Gotta work on that. But I'm also working on getting more sleep and I'm sure the two things are related.

Off to bed. Go to bed, everyone!

Slow steps

I am getting the stuffing my face thing sort of under control. I'm thinking it's related to something mid-cycle for me, a form of PMS, because it often corresponds to being very moody, even depressed, and no energy. I should probably track it with respect to my period. Not that it would necessarily help, but it might explain.

And I went to Curves again today, and am trying to decide if I go tomorrow, because I can't go Friday, or if I go Saturday. I'm thinking Saturday is better than three days in a row - but will I pry myself out of the house and actually go? Tomorrow would be "easier", but then I'd probably have 3-4 days off (kids are out of school on Monday for MLK day). Hmm...

Helping Each Other

Jim has decided that we consume way to much sugar (which is probably true) and that he is going to cut us back on the amounts of sugar (sweets and carbohydrates) that we eat. I am trying to decide if I am happy that he is putting less sugar in my coffee. I can't complain much because he does fix it for me and leave it on the counter for me. I guess I will have to make a real decision after I have had a chance to get used to the "new" taste for about a week.

I am still waiting to find my scale but I will say that happily when I went to the health center to deal with my cold last week that I was down almost ten pounds from my "official" starting weight from my pregnancy with Jo.

Cool Site

In my effort to avoid actual work, I came across a cool website/blog. It's all about living simply and Zen. I liked this article from today.
http://zenhabits.net/2008/01/the-minimalists-guide-to-fighting-and-beating-clutter-entropy/#more-601

Don't know if I can get rid of two things for each one that comes in, but it's good to be mindful about why you're shopping.

Quality Ingredients

I walked across campus to buy my textbooks yesterday and bought lunch in the student center while I was there. I actually was good and got the combo with the side salad. I never managed to figure out where the salad dressing was but I was surprised because the salad tasted really good to me even without salad dressing. The lettuce was very crisp and it reminded me of how food can taste better when you are using good ingredients that are fresh. I just need to figure out how to duplicate that at home because you don't get that taste from a bagged salad and I don't think I go through enough lettuce to keep up with a head of lettuce. I do feel good about my lunch choice because it was healthier than what I had originally planned to get (which of course included fries in the original plan).

Gym again

Ok, this Curves thing might work for me. I went again today - after going to the dr, and getting breakfast (I had to fast for the dr) and going to Target. Went to the gym on my way home, did my 30 minutes which seems to actually be about 45, and went home. It was good!

Back on Track

Ok, I'm falling off the wagon a little bit. I have been loosing weight, mostly because of the medication, most likely, but the last couple days I'm back up a couple of pounds. I've been snacking a LOT - partly PMS, partly tired, and I'm hoping not anything else. I'm rationalizing that it's also because I went to Curves twice, so therefore burned more calories those days and since my body isn't used to that anymore, I was hungrier than usual too.

Here's hoping that with my period over I can get myself under control a little better. I'm not trying to be rigid, just thoughtful about what and why I'm eating. But tomorrow will be tough - I have to fast for bloodwork at the dr's office and my appointment isn't until 9:45. I can do that, but not stopping at the nearby Dunkin Donuts afterwards? That's going to be hard.

I went to the gym! Woo Hoo!

Yes, I really did. Friend of mine (bless her heart)didn't say, "do you want to go to Curves with me?", but rather "WHEN are you going to Curves with me?"

So I had my introductory workout, and have a one-month trial membership, and ran into at least three other people I know. All good.

Of course, I had a major binge-fest at lunch and after school snacking with the kids. I think it's directly tied to being really tired today - had to get back on school schedule, and we went to bed pretty late last night. Should be better tomorrow.

But I went, it was fun, and it definitely got my heartrate up.

Positive Spin

We are at my in-laws for a couple more days. Then we have to go home and actually unpack all of our stuff. I am looking forward to it because it will be nice to have our things once more. I am dreading it because I have to actually finish cleaning up anything else I want to clean up (like wiping off shelves, etc.) so that we can find places to put all of our stuff. I have decided that I need to keep putting a positive spin on things in 2008. So for instance I am telling myself, that while I didn't get to decorate a house for Christmas (which I didn't miss that much because Dec. was so hectic anyway) that at least I don't have Christmas decorations to pack up. I didn't have time to bake any goodies but that also means I don't have stuff sitting around for me to be eating all the time.