Archive for the 'Daily life' Category
July 22nd, 2008 by Cynthia
Well, if you've been by, you've seen that I lost 1.4 pounds for the week. The change was getting my exercise in and really watching the calories. And drinking my water. It feels good.
Unfortunately, I felt so good Friday that, after water aerobics, I started my usual quarter mile swim. For once, my shoulder wasn't bothering me. Nor my knee. I was in a rhythm, so I kept swimming until I'd done a half mile. Tired after, but otherwise fine. Then I walked, slowly to cool down for a quarter mile. The swim shouldn't have been a problem, but it was.
I was EXTREMELY sore Saturday. In fact, today, Tuesday, is the first day I haven't felt sore. And though my legs were normal sore, my shoulder felt aggravated sore, not muscle sore. That's not so good. So, Saturday I rested. Sunday I managed a little Nordic Track as fasted cardio. Monday I skipped water aerobics. Oh, I wasn't so sore leg wise that I couldn't have gone, but I was worried about making my shoulder worse. It was cooler outside and I decided to do a bit of housework and yard work instead.
Today, natch, my feet were hurting. But the yard remains.
I made the decision this past week that I need help. I simply can't prune the trees that need pruning, take out assorted shrubs that are taking over, dig for edging, etc... etc... etc... myself. Oh, if I didn't have the foot and shoulder and arm and knee issues I do, I could do a lot of this and would. Shortly after we moved here, I managed to take out an entire dead tree by myself!
But right now, I can't cope. The yard got bad last year when my feet were bad off and it is only worse now. I called a landscape company. They are going to do some of the badly needed pruning and cleanup. Then they will install some things like a retaining wall where a wooden one is breaking down and some edging so we can keep the grass out of areas we don't want it. There's one little catch. $$$$
So today was cool again and overcast, so I thought maybe I could help keep costs down if I started working on some of the cleanup myself, at least with weeds and stuff. My feet are starting to feel painful. Turns out digging isn't only bad on my feet, but makes my cranky knee hurt too. I found that out after discovering some new, noxious looking, THORNY VINE.
I'm going to get my frozen water bottle and ice. Don't know about dinner... maybe pizza. THREE HOURS of yard work should've burnt a few calories.
I did better with my eating and exercise goals, but hardly perfect.
July 16th, 2008 by Cynthia
I've got to run pack my gym bag and get off to class, but I'll get back here eventually and find some time to post and catch up! Monday's weigh-in was a definite loss of over 2 pounds... but then I goofed up and didn't realize that a TV dinner I bought was TWO servings, not one. And I ate a muffin. And last night had a bowl of potato soup and bread with salad when we ate out. I did leave the lump of sour cream they put on top sitting lonely and unloved in the bottom of my bowl though.
Calories have been staying roughly OK though, in spite of all that, so I think my recent upswing on my weight graph is just water again.
Spent a little time bike shopping yesterday... well, actually, getting a second opinion on the fit of my new bike. Unfortunately, that opinion concurs with the first, in that it is a size too large frame for me. I did get to sit on and pedal a smaller bike though! More later on that when I get a chance!
July 12th, 2008 by Cynthia
It's funny how, when you start thinking about goals again how habits that were so easily dumped for a few weeks are also fairly easily resumed. Sometimes, like the Nike commercial, you "Just do it."
Yesterday was a good day for both eating and exercise.
Two days of decent eating and suddenly, instead of feeling sluggish and slow, I had ENERGY for yesterday's water aerobics. VRROOOOM! Naturally, my instructor decided to take us through a LOT of leg exercises as well as arm exercises. I was SORE this morning. And I felt tempted to ah, postpone small session of fasted cardio exercise until tomorrow. And then I thought about being under 200 pounds again next year and did it.
After doing my Nordic Track, I fixed a lovely egg white omelet, with two cups of assorted veggies inside.
Then I de-fuzzed the living room. This involves piling all the cat toys that normally reside there elsewhere until the vacuuming is done. We've got a "Crinkle Cave", two different style "Crinkle Tunnels" a "Play Cube", a "Play Center", a "Mystery Triangle" and a cat bed we call a "Kerfloppen".
One thing sure, if it comes to "They win who die with the most toys.", my cats are on top of the heap. This is only the tip of their massive collection. And boy, do they get concerned every time I pick the toys up!
July 10th, 2008 by Cynthia
Well, last night came the realization that, if I want to meet my goal of getting under 200 pounds by January, I've got to get cracking! There's really no room for messing up or slacking off anymore. So I'm taking it a day at a time and trying to get back on track with both eating and exercise.
One of my recent strategies is less computer time. I was posting on several forums, but now am sticking to just a couple and less of those. One, less computer time means less aggravation of the chronic tendinitis in my forearms and two, it gives me more time to work on projects, chores and exercise. Oh, that doesn't mean I won't be reading blogs and commenting and stuff like that, but I'll probably be doing less of it.
Yesterday, I got in a good 90 minutes of exercise, kept the calories on target and got my water in. Unfortunately, my knee was bothering me pretty badly in water aerobics and after, and I realized that when I mess up on the eating, I also sometimes forget important supplements that help my joints out, like fish oils and glucosamine chondroitin. Oops! Well, I got those in yesterday and have had my first dose today as well.
Today, the knee is still bothering me. I thought about NOT doing my little bit of fasted cardio on the Nordic Track this morning, then I thought about my goals and got up and did it anyway. 15 minutes was perfectly do-able, even with my knee not entirely happy. I'll try and add a bit more later.
I cooked up 4 oz. lean ground meat with a pile of onion, carrot, mushrooms, cabbage and zucchini for breakfast. Next... I want a cup of green tea. And our fuzzy girl cat Sister wants some play time. Funny how the cats are ALWAYS ready to play and get some exercise. I should be like that!
Will head bump for TOY...
For those who wonder why Luna gets all the camera love, well, Luna is just THERE, she is the aggressive one of the bunch and involves herself in everything. Sister and Tablet are a bit more shy.
We refer to Sister as "royalty with a price on her head". Sister is a bit paranoid about things like assassins, paparazzi and the like. She is very loving, playful and social with us... but heads straight for the basement at top speed should anyone else come into her house! Luna and Tablet like to aggravate Sister, they can make her snarl like a bobcat!
July 9th, 2008 by Cynthia
As regular readers know, back in late May, I won one of the Lipton Tea bikes being given away in various blog contests. The first step was to give my personal info to Liz at Everyday Goddess after being notified of my win. Liz immediately tendered that to the powers that be and shortly, she received an email from the contest representative:
Subject: RE: Can you confirm you received my info.?
Yes, thank you I did receive Cynthia's contact information. We will be sending her the bike soon.
Thanks,
Tanya
Soon turned out to be June 27th, when a UPS Quantum View tracking email arrived in my inbox! My bike was coming to me all the way cross country from Connecticut.
This message was sent to you at the request of ZANES - TREK CYCLE to notify you that the package information below has been transmitted to UPS. The package(s) may not have actually been placed with UPS for shipment. To verify when and if the shipment is tendered to UPS and its actual transit status, click on the tracking link below or contact ZANES - TREK CYCLE directly.
Important Delivery Information
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scheduled Delivery: 07-July-2008
Monday FINALLY came. WOW! It was a BIG BOX! Luna immediately took possession. She is funny that way. In fact... she resisted being moved from the box. But I had to get into that box myself! Here come the pictures...
All boxes belong to Luna!
Given the size of it, I just started unpacking! I wasn't too convinced that I could move it out of the way of the front door easily otherwise. At around 35 pounds, it wasn't insurmountably heavy exactly, just AWKWARD!
Inside the bike box...
Once I removed Luna from the box and pried up all the staples holding it together, this is what I greeted my wondering eyes when I peered inside. Amazing. They fit the bike in there all right! I found a small box wedged in there somewhere and I thought I best open that first. A label on the outside of the big box said that the necessary tools for assembly were included and I had a hunch they might be in the little box.
Little box full of goodies
The little box contained an allen wrench, pedal wrench, owner's manual, pedals and the front wheel skewer. Plus the assembly check for $75 and several coupons for FREE 1.5L bottles of Lipton White Tea, any flavor.
There was also a sheet of directions for assembly. I did a quick read, decided I ought to get better acquainted with my bike and intrepidly forged ahead. It was either that, or figure out how to get that VERY BIG BOX down to the bike shop and admit to being a total bike assembly wuss.
Bike booty unpacked!
Hmmm... this didn't quite look like a bike yet, and it was up to me to fix that. A big surprise was the included Bell Radar bike helmet, I wasn't expecting that! Kudos to Zane's World Famous Cycles for tossing that in!
Anyway, I set to. I put the seat post into the frame and clamped it down. That was easy! Getting the handlebars on was a little more complicated, but once I puzzled through the dark illustrations, not so bad.
Then I got to mount the front wheel. It looked much more like a bike at this point! I hit a snag connecting the front brakes though. I just couldn't get the cable to seat in the bracket and was afraid to force it. That I left for the bike shop. Pedals went on easily and suddenly, I was done!
And here's the BIKE!
OK, I forgot and left a little packing material on the rear frame. I'll do a better photo later, when it returns from the bike shop with the front brakes connected. Chalk it down to excitement!
Three cheers for Lipton Tea and their bike giveaway!
July 8th, 2008 by Cynthia
OK... I'm not avoiding y'all... but the BIKE arrived yesterday!
Sitting at the computer writing a post vs. unpacking a BIG EXCITING BOX. Hmmm... the box won that battle handily. Can you blame me?
The bike, she is beautiful! Only the frame is clearly too large for me. I have not yet been successful getting on the bike. Well, I can, but only with the aid of my couch and only with the seat in the very lowest position, which probably would not be the ideal position for my legs to pedal in.
I have to take it to the bike shop anyway, as though I was able to successfully assemble most of the stuff that needed assembly with the included tools, I have not been able to connect the front brakes, a sort of essential item. So maybe they can teach me how to get on. More later... I took pix while I was unpacking.
Monday's weigh-in sucked. 230.6 pounds.
Exercise... well, I did two sessions on the Nordic Track Sunday, each lasting about fifteen minutes.
Yesterday, given I needed to stick around to receive the bike, I missed water aerobics. But I did get up early AM and skiied 20 minutes on the Nordic Track. All other exercise involved bike assembly and attempts to get on. So at least I'm starting to get back in a bit of an exercise groove. My feet hurt this morning, so I will have to ice tonight.
I had a smoothie this morning and am going to eat a Jack in the Box salad hubby brought me last night. Then it's bike shop errand time!
July 6th, 2008 by Cynthia
Well, I had a nearly perfect day last Wednesday, but then slipped right back into old habits. This sure isn't getting me anywhere! At least I managed to weigh myself on Thursday and Friday... forgot to Saturday and then did do it today. I dread doing it tomorrow, but I know that I have to face it.
I woke early today... and started thinking that I *should* get back to exercising more, thinking yeah, I'll do that Monday. And then my common sense kicked in and I installed the needed new batteries in the Nordic Track computer and put on my shoes and my heart rate monitor, turned on the music and did 15 minutes. I told myself I only had to do 10 minutes but once going, I felt I could do 15 minutes.
I did feel my left ankle badly at first, then it settled down and things were fine. I could feel my feet a bit, so I didn't push it after fifteen minutes. I just want to get the habit back first. Otherwise, I'm just going to hurt and get discouraged. Which I think is often a trend I have, I push too hard, feel crappy and then back off of exercise entirely.
Anyway, according to the heart rate monitor, I burned a hundred calories.
The new bike should, if UPS tracking is correct, arrive tomorrow. I'm hoping it will get here early, otherwise, I may have to miss water aerobics to be here to receive it. It's not something I want sitting in full view on the porch! Anyway, the plan is to hope that I can make class and be ready for that. And if not, do at least something for exercise tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I've been thinking of places I can learn to ride and I think I have a couple ideas. And I also registered on BikeForums.net the other day for help and advice and inspiration. They actually have a whole forum for people who are of larger size, called Clydesdales/Athenas.
Hope everyone had a good 4th of July... I was quiet here, hubby was working and evening shift at that. We did watch some TV fireworks together when he got home.
