Friday, June 30, 2006

Okay, one more and then I'll stop bothering you guys

I am going to a water park this weekend. I thought it was just going to be Jason and me, but as it turns out, we are having some people from work come, too. I was fine with being in a bikini with Jason and a bunch of people I don't know, but I am really nervous about having to be practically in my underwear and wet with no make-up with people I do know.

Just needed to tell someone that. It doesn't make it better, but at least someone else can either laugh or cry with me. :)

One more: what you see is not what you think you see

This site is incredible.

A few good articles

This one is about getting out of your comfort zone. Really challenging and good! I loved this quote from Lance Armstrong:

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit however, it lasts forever.”

(For me, the pain is getting up early to exercise, not the muscle pain so much. But still...it's all about sacrifice for greater gain.)

This one is more interesting on a psychological level. It doesn't have a lot to do with fitness, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

My goals for this weekend are to get lots of activity and active rest and to indulge sparingly in sweets and fried stuff and eat veggies and lean protein as much as possible. I also need to avoid soda and drink lots of water to stay hydrated in the heat. I want to keep my goals in mind while also having a nice little relaxing vacation.

Have a great weekend, girls!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

I've noticed a couple of things recently:

if I don't exercise for two or three days in a row I start feeling lethargic and achey.

if I over-do on the sugar or carbs (which, of course, turn into sugar) my arthritis flares up

I think all the soy protein that I eat has really helped my hair, it is longer than it has ever been

hmmmmm.......

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Body Love by J

Breasts. Full, but not huge. Not saggy even after 44 years and 2 kids.
Lips. Nicely shaped. Perfect for kissing. (Do lips count?)
Skin. Clear and soft almost everywhere.
Shape. Hourglass, feminine, girlish.
So, I guess if I keep confessing this over and over whether I actually believe it or not it might actually sink into my brain????


I love my round tummy beause it has been home to 4 great kids, that and the fact that Mark loves it.

Great idea Sandy.

Body Love, Part 2

I love my fleshy, fat thighs because they help me run. And they connect the rest of my lower body to my extremely hot butt.

:o)

Body Love

I've been thinking about creating this post for a while. Kristens recent post spurred me on to actually posting it.
If you would like (and when I say "if you would like" I am really saying "you have to") create a post about a part or parts of your body that may not be your favorite and give a reason to love it/them. Please don't follow it up with anything negative about any other part of your body. I'll get it going.

I really love my pudgy abdomen because one day it will make a very comfortable home for a baby.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Answer me this

I'm not admitting to anything here (ahem), but is it wrong and/or sinful to be motivated to workout by wanting to look hot and sexy?

I always thought it was vanity (sinful), but I find it is a major motivator at times (sometimes my only motivator), and I'm wondering if that is bad, a sin, or something that will lead me to an eating disorder down the road. (Hmm, I realize many--maybe most?--eating disorders don't start out of a "I want to look good" mindset; they often start from a desire to control uncontrollable situations or gain attention.)

I don' t think there's anything wrong with wanting to be fit for your husband, but what if your motivation was also convoluted with desires to look good just for your own sake--or to drive your ex-boyfriend insane with jealous. Hmmm...

HELP!
I was horrible this weekend! I ate so much junk it's sad. We went to the beach and that was my excuse to have cotton candy and ice cream. It's only a once in a while sort of thing so I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm back on track starting today. I managed to lose 2.5 lbs last week. That feels pretty good! I need to kick my butt in gear this week if I want to keep it up. I should be getting BFL book soon! I'm ready to try something new and see what happens. Erin is staying with my sister-in-law until tomorrow so I've been taking it easy and enjoying some "me" time. I didn't go for a bike ride yesterday, but I plan on going for one today.
How is everyone doing?

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Bye Bye

I just deleted my old blog "Genuinely Jeanne." I'm taking names for a new one if you'd like to contribute ideas. On another note:

I hate to confess my failings.
I haven't gained, but I haven't lost either. I haven't been eating right and I haven't been exercising. I was talking to a friend yesterday about the things we do to escape pain; we were talking specifically about drinking, but then I got to thinking about how I do it, too; I eat to escape pain, I don't exercise because it hurts (my back specifically-which I'm going to the doctor in a week or so to find out what's wrong and to fix it.) and I watch TV to escape pain.
I'm kind of a mess right now. Pray for me, okay?

Friday, June 23, 2006

I'm reading a book, A Weekend to Change Your Life. evidently she has written a couple of others on the same subject of women taking charge of their lives. A lot of what she says I do agree with, especially the part about taking care of ourselves, our whole selves - body, soul, and spirit. I like that she talks about the need to carve time for yourself out of your busy life and that sometimes means saying NO to people, letting go of unhealthy relationships and just doing things because you feel like it is required of you.

What I don't like about the book, which she states in the first few pages and it kind of put me on the defensive for the whole book was that she left her husband so she could find herself.

She doesn't give any prerequisite for this, she doesn't say he was a bad husband or unfaithful, just that she left him so she could be alone and do the things she wanted to do.

That's a bit drastic, I think, and it did sort of ruin the rest of the book for me.

I'm off to start The Feminine Face of God.

I am going to add 5 more pounds to my bench presses starting next week, that means I'm up to 40lbs.
I have also added some stair climbing to my daily routine. It really hurts my knees so I will go slow.
I still haven't picked up the bike, just can't seem to get to Walmart.
I have worked out every night this week but one.
I started counting calories again just to see how much I was eating. On most normal days, eating healthy and feeling satisfied I am eating between 1600 - 1800 calories.

My weight remains the same.



Thursday, June 22, 2006

I DID IT!

I ordered "Body For Life" for myself and for my twin sister. It's my birthday present to both of us. My twin, Brandy, called me today. We've been talking about health recently and I told her a week ago that we should start checking in with each other. So today she called to tell me that she weighed herself and what the results were. We both decided we were going to do something about it. Of course, I've been at this for a while now, but she's just starting so I want to give her all the support I can. I told her I would order the books for us today and we could start as soon as we get them. I wish I could be closer to her to help. She's got two young kids and works 10 hour shifts four days a week. I know it's going to be hard for her, but I know she can do it. I wish she had access to a computer so she could join us here at skinny. That would be perfect!
Anyway, if you could all say a little prayer for her I'd appreciate it.
Hi Ladies! It's hot here. I'm glad I work in a nicely air conditioned facility. It's a cool 68 degrees in here.
The workouts have been great. Erin and I have been riding bikes three days a week ( we rode in 91 degree weather yesterday) and I've been lifting weights three times a week. The diet has been better. I'm tired of food. Last night I didn't eat at my usual time because I was bored with everything. By the time I did eat I was so hungry I ate pasta. I'm going to the grocery store today to try and stock up on a better variety of things. Watch out Trader Joe's! :)
Kristen, can you please tell me more about Body For Life? Do you think the nutrition portion of the book is sound? I'm not worried about the workout part as I seem to be doing okay there. I just want someone to tell me what to eat and when to eat it so I don't have to think about it so much. I've heard the book was pretty easy to follow. What's your take?
Anyone have any good and good for you recipes for summer? Anything light and fresh would be appreciated! :)

The following is not diet related!
David only has four weeks of school left. (Imagine me doing a happy dance!) He took to of his ASE certification tests last month and we just found out this week that he passed both. I am so proud of him that my eyes are welling up with tears as I type. He always underestimates himself just because he wasn't good in school and didn't go on to college. I keep telling him that college isn't for everyone. He's so mechanically inclined. He can't write a paper, but give him a broken engine and he'll take care of it. Not to mention the amazing things he can do with a computer. Trust me, I've crashed ours enough to know that he can fix anything! :)
I just wanted to brag on him a little.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

for sandra and my other peeps, a story:

How's work?
Work is a revelation... a wormhole into a parellel dimension where

I AM HOT.

Apparently, all I have ever needed to do to become Attractive Supreme is

1. Tie my hair up
2. Don ill-fitting tuxedo pants
3. Work in a steakhouse

I am being hit on at a rate of three passes per hour (co-workers and guests alike). I have been earnestly and sincerely asked to break my marriage vows (co-worker). I barely survived this at first (yes I cried) , so sheltered have I been for 27 years.

But now...
I can handle it. I can cope. I can roll my eyes and say "you are scum."
I can laugh and tell my ego that none of this is worth getting inflated over, these idle remarks are boorish. I can tell my inner Passion and Purity'd adolescent that: I am in no danger. Crass as it all is, it is work stuff and I can leave it there.

But I thought I should let you know how work "is"!

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Monday, June 19, 2006

The fastest way to lose weight

The craziest thing happened on my SparkPeople account. For some reason in logged another lady in as me and she posted her info to my account so it said I was 5'8 and 160 lbs. Yeah, I wish. Just thought it was kind of funny.

Interesting article

on emotional eating. We talk about this every once in a while on Finding Skinny, but I thought it did a good job of summarizing the feelings and things many of us go through.

My week is going good. I'm trying to make healthy choices, although with birthday celebrations spread out over three days this week, it's hard to not want to just eat crazy and spoil myself! :)
Happy Monday ladies!!!! How is everyone? Things here are going well. My weekend was horrible food wise, but Erin and I did go swimming on Saturday. We opted not to go rollerblading because it was so hot. We're planning on going today before it gets to warm.
I made some yummy cranberry oatmeal muffins last night, and had two for breakfast this morning. I threw in some flax meal too.
What do you ladies thing of this article? I'm thinking about incorporating it into my routine so my week would look something like this.

Monday
Zone Training

Intensity: 70% Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)
Volume: 30 minutes
Mode: optional

Tuesday
Lifting

Wednesday
Interval Training

Intensity: 60% MHR with 30-45 second Sprint Intervals incorporated every 3 minutes
Volume: 30 minutes or 10 Sprint Intervals
Mode: optional

Thursday
Lifting

Friday
Mixed Mode Zone Training

This session utilizes three different modes of cardiovascular training. Training with this method adds variety, challenges muscles to work in diverse capacities, and alters perceived level of effort (intense training should not feel as difficult as you switch modes of exercises - you just have to try it!). Perform ten minutes of each mode as described below.

Intensity: 70% MHR x 5 minutes; Increase intensity to 80% MHR x five minutes
Volume: Perform for three different modes, total of 30 minutes
Mode: Optional three (i.e., treadmill, bike, stair master)

Saturday
Lifting

Sunday OFF!

This is of course just something I'm thinking about. Erin and I are really into riding our bikes right now and I don't want to give that up. I think I could incorporate this with the bike rides.
Here's to a great week!

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Back to the basics

I exercised this morning ( for the first time in a little while) and have laid out an ambitious plan for the next three weeks. We'll see how it goes! I'm really trying to add more non exercise physical activity (NEPA) into my life (walks on my break at work, a few extra push-ups and jumping jacks here and there, doing some bicep curls while cooking, etc.).

I also ate a burger today called the Widowmaker, so...

but it had avocado in it and was delicious!
Food Journal
I had a few cheats yesterday. I ate two girl scout cookies and an ice cream from Schwans. It's not the end of the world. Erin and I went for a 4 mile bike ride and man was it hot! It wasn't Oklahoma hot or anything, but it was warm. The weather channel said it was 81 degrees, but if felt more like 90. At least we have more of a dry heat and not the sticky humid heat I was used to in OK. We are planning on going roller blading today and maybe swimming to cool off. It should be fun. Have a great weekend ladies!

Friday, June 16, 2006

This Next Week

I'm going to work on getting back in to the groove of things this next week. Due to a series of crazy events all in the last two weeks (and my own attitude about these events), I have totally backed off the exercise and eating right. So I'm making myself accountable to you all to do the right thing and get back on the bandwagon this next week, starting this weekend! Today!

Peace, ladies!
Happy Friday! I'm really looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend. :)
Here is my Food Journal for yesterday. We had lunch out because it was Erins last day of 4th grade! Yep, she's officially a 5th grader. It's amazing how quickly the year went by. I also had half of a No Pudge brownie. I've noticed that when I take a nap in the afternoon, I wake up craving chocolate. We were supposed to go roller blading yesterday, but I took a nap instead. I did do my strength training which consisted of the same exercises and weights as Tuesday but I did 2 sets of 10 reps. I literally had to force myself to do it because I knew I would have to post here if I didn't.
I really need to stay away from the scale. It's totally freaking me out!
Today is our bike riding day. I mapped out the trail we ride on using a nifty tool Kristen introduced us to in her running blog and our total route is 3.5 miles. We decided that next week we would go a little farther.
Here's to a great weekend ladies! Keep on keeping on!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Hey Aola, does the exercise you're asking about look like this?
I think it's called a leg curl or I've seen it called a hamstring curl. I'm pretty sure they are the same. I hope that helps. :)

Here is my food journal for yesterday. I didn't eat enough, but I still felt realy good and had a lot of energy. I ran out of fat free milk in the evening so I couldn't have my evening protein shake.
Erin and I went on a 35 minute bike ride. I'm not sure how many miles we went, but I'm going to look it up now. We had a lot of fun. That's the most important part.
Today, I'm going to continue to eat right, drink all my water, do a strength training session, and think good things about my body.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Sandy,
Here's the recipe for muffins:

ok, I just made this up but it works...and you may kind of have to adjust it to whatever you are adding into it
1 -1/2 to 2 cups of flour ( I use unbleached most of the time but you could probably use a soy flour or whole wheat)
1 cup oatmeal
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

that's the basic stuff you need

add 1/2 - 1 cup of oil or you can also substitute yogurt (when you use yogurt they are kind of gooey but have a good flavor)
and 1/2 to 1 cup of some kind of sugar or sweetener (depending on what you are adding) (I sometimes use brown sugar)

then you get really creative.

I used chopped cherries and pecans once.

Blueberries

or banana, walnuts, cinnamon

or peanut butter

dried cranberries and orange juice.

Throw in some flax seed or meal.

The consistency needs to be moist but pretty sticky.
Place in muffin cups, bake 20 min. at 400 degrees.

It's fun to come up with new ones.

One day down...

I typed up an entire entry and then blogger lost it! Oh well, I guess my fingers need the exercise. :)
Here is my food journal for yesterday. I stayed in my calorie range and only had one small piece of dark chocolate in the afternoon. I also drank all my water. I took a two hour nap in the afternoon so I wasn't able to squeeze in any cardio, but I did my strenght training session conisisting of the following exercises doing 5 sets of 6 reps for each.

Bench Press @ 65lbs
Leg extension @ 35lbs
Full Squat @ 65lbs
Standing Military Press @65 lbs
Deadlifts @65 lbs
Seated Cable Rows @ 35 lbs

My goal for today is to take a nice long bike ride and stay within my calorie range. I also want to increase my positive self talk.
We'll see how it goes.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Ok, so just how much exercise do I have to do to see a difference????

I'm working out at least 3 times a week usually more. I have increased my reps and the weight I am using for bench presses. I've kept my leg work out at 25 lbs hoping not to hurt my knees. I'm still doing yoga, usually two mornings a week but I just see no difference what-so-ever. My arms still jiggle as do the inside of my thighs.

I'm not giving up but it would be nice to see some results. Mark is going to go pick up my new recumbent (?) bike next time he is in Ada with the truck. It will replace my walking, at least until fall.

But, you know, I guess I do just feel better about myself for trying and not quitting. I've been buying some new clothes and not beating myself up because I still wear the same size. I find myself caring more about the way I look and to be honest I think I look pretty good in them.

I put on my new tankini and swam with Em the other day.
Here's a link to the article you requested, Kristen!
About The "E" Word

Enjoy!
Good morning ladies!
I really need to be held accountable for my eating now that David is back in school and things can return to almost normal. He only has six weeks of school left, so I really need to build up the good habits.
So, I'm going to post here a link to my daily spark menu for you ladies to check. This week (my "week" runs Tuesday to Tuesday) my goal is to eat 2,000 calories a day with no little extras that I tend to add in.
I've seriously been emotional eating the last week because a) it's almost that time of the month and b) it looks like we aren't getting the house I'd secretly been hoping for.
My other goal this week is to make exercise about having fun. I read an article in Prevention this morning that inspired me. Here is a snippet from the article by Geneen Roth.
""Sometimes it is necessary/ to reteach a thing its loveliness," writes the poet Galway Kinnell. the reason to move is to reteach our bodies their loveliness. We live most of our lives in our minds, but the fact is that we are spirits clothed in flesh and blodd and bones. By not moving our bodies, we are we are depriving ourselves of connecting to that long ago child wh loved running, dancing, and jumping in the sun and air. We've replaced the singular, personal joy of moving outdoors with the grin-and-bear-it machine workouts. Yuck. So, what to do? Stop battering, threatening, and torturing yourself. Stop whipping yourself into shape. Understand that taking the misery (and therefore the rebellion) out of exercise is a Major Big Deal because it involved unlearning self-hatred and, as Kinnell suggests, relearning your own loveliness.
Now take a breath and do the following experiment:
Say to yourself, Okay little missy-it's time to whip that butt into shape! Feel the tension in your body when you say those words.
Then, notice the differenc-how your heart opens and your muscles relax-when you say, Listen, I know you've been trying really hard to have a perfect body. Either that, or you've been beating yourself up for not trying hard enough. How about an alternative to all that crashing and burning? How about starting to appreciate the body you already have?"

It's a really great article and it reminded me to take it easy on myself. We should all be a bit nicer to ourselves. :)
So, be looking for my food journal post and please make all the comments you want.
My workout for today will be a bike ride with Erin (provided that it doesn't rain) and full body strenght training.

Monday, June 12, 2006

I went for two bike rides this weekend. Erin I went for one on Saturday. We rode for over an hour and had a great time. The weather was perfect and at the paticular park we went to there are great trails and it's right by the bay so the breeze is always nice. We went to the same park on Sunday with David, but my knees were so sore we only rode for about thirty minutes. Erin and I have decided that we would like to go bike riding three times a week. It's really fun exercise. We've also thought about pulling out the roller blades.
My eating was horrible this weekend, but David starts back to school tonight so I'll start back on program tomorrow. Wish me luck. :)

Work

I am moonlighting as a waitress for a high-end steakhouse. I sometimes make $30/hour, sometimes only$18 ish. The job offers the kind of scheduling I need, hours that don't take me away from Judah too much.
I have lost six pounds already in two weeks. I never eat dinner anymore.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

You know, I just want for ONE time someone besides my husband to look at me and say "Wow! Looks like you've been working out." One time and I would be happy, instead of looking at me and seeing nothing more than a fat, old woman.

Well, then.... get your fat ass in gear and pump that iron.

Ok,

I have been looking at stationery bikes since I just am not going to walk in 100 degree weather. I looked at one last night that had a big ol' chair-like seat and the peddles were to the front of the bike. The seat looked comfortable but would the peddles out front be harder on the knees?
I used one at the last hotel we stayed in that I really liked but I'm sure it was way more expensive than I can spend. It was like a regular bike but had built in computerized programs, very cool.

Any thoughts about bikes?

Friday, June 09, 2006

This has absolutely nothing to do with health or fitness but I just knew you girls would appreciate it...

I just took a business call from a man in Europe. I know, Europe is a big place.. I didn't catch where in Europe because he was hard for this Okie to understand and it was a very brief conversation.

But, oh, my, gosh, he had the sexiest voice!!!!!

Thursday, June 08, 2006

spinning off into insanity....

After my post last week, things got a little out of control, but I'm reeling myself back in. For a few days I lost all motivation. I thought about going on the Starbucks diet. Everyone I see at Starbucks is skinny. I thought about ordering Hoodia in the hope that it would make me hotia. I thought about just giving up and letting whatever happens happen. It took a few days of venting my frustration to realize that all the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwhiches weren't going to fix anything. In fact, they will only make it worse. So, I've kicked myself in the butt once again and I'm going to keep trying things until something works. I'm still working out and have added two days of running. I'm re-aranging the calorie intake to include 2400 calories for two weeks. At that point, I'll drop it down to 2100 and see what happens. I cut out my afternoon dark chocolate and the sugar free ice cream bars are no more. I've also exchanged my morning Starbucks for coffee made at home sweetend with a low calorie mocha creamer. I'm adding in a Curves workout here and there because I'm here for seven hours and might as well move my booty while I'm here.
It's been a little crazy this week. Erin's had dance practice after school every day, and David is out of school. It's tough to follow an eating plan when he is home, but I'm sticking to my guns.
On a good note, I bought 9 lbs of oatmeal from Costco yesterday for eight bucks. I thought it was a pretty good deal considering the oatmeal at Safeway is four bucks for 2lbs. Nine pounds should last me a while.
I really need you ladies to help keep me focused and on track. Don't let me slack on checking in here. If i'm not posting, I'm probably eating something I shouldn't be or finding an excuse not to work out.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

So, what have you been doing to keep yourself fit?

I have pretty much quit walking, the weather has been too warm to enjoy walking even right before dark but the worst part is the bugs.. the mosquitoes are just horrible here this year and you can't go out on the walking trail without being attacked by horseflies. It has become just not worth it.

I've gotten used to the weight bench, actually enjoy working out on it so I'm doing that about 3 times a week. I added something new to my leg workout last week.. laying on my tummy lifting that way...burn, baby, burn. I don't know what that's called but it is killer. Then I do leg extensions the other way. I increased my weight this week by 5 pounds for bench presses. I'm lifting more very slowly. I do heavier weights and curls a couple of times a week in addition to this work out routine. I do preacher curls on the bench, doing reps of 3 x 10 of each thing, legs and arms.

My eating hasn't been totally clean but still good. I don't beat myself up for having a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream once in a while but I'm eating lots of fresh veggies. I have eaten fresh squash out of my garden several times and the produce at the market is getting good.

My weight is right where it has been for the last 3 months but it doesn't really bother me like it did for a while. I just don't want it to go up again.

Sometimes I feel good about myself and what I'm doing to stay healthy sometimes I don't. Sometimes I feel like a body builder and other times I think about what Sandy said recently... you would look at me and think I've never seen the inside of a gym.

I'm having the blue dress I bought shortened to show off a little of that nice toned and tanned calf and I bought two pair of new shoes because I couldn't decide whether I wanted to go dressier or more casual. Now I have the option.

I don't feel like I have given up but rather like it has become my lifestyle which was our goal to begin with. I would still like to lose about 35 pounds but without big changes I don't see that happening anytime soon.

It took me 20 years to get here, hopefully I have 20 more years to work at getting rid of it.

Friday, June 02, 2006

The Lovely Marilyn Monroe

I just had to share this image with you gals. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!