Good news from the scale this morning. I'm back down to my 20-lb loss mark. Let's see if I can get through the weekend without screwing it up!
I was up bright (not so much) and early (quite) for my workout. My damn exercise tube-thingie snapped while I was pulling on it - that's the second one I've broken this year. They weren't cheap, either. I bought them in a specialty sporting goods shop in February.
Anyway, I followed up with the new Tae Bo DVDs I bought yesterday. Well... looks like I'm taking it back to the store. The DVDs come with "Billy's Bag" (don't laugh), which I had trouble filling (no, really - don't laugh). I started by putting water in the base, and it wouldn't get full. I pulled it out of the sink (REALLY heavy) and proceeded to fill the outer part with air. Wouldn't you know it - water started coming out of the air hole. WTF? By the time I got the whole HUGE thing blown up (it's a boxing bag), it weighed a ton. I ended up saying "screw it" and stuck it in the bathtub to drain. I tried the DVD anyway, figuring I could just "picture" the bag beside me. Unfortunately they do a lot more than just hit the damn thing, so the bag is necessary. I'll just take it back to the store and be done with it.
I've decided to just go out and buy DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) for my PS2. It will be an early Xmas present to myself (and the girls, of course, hehe). The temperature is falling to about 10 F tomorrow morning, so walking is pretty much out of the question. I need some CARDIO, people! What is DDR, you may ask? It's a game for Playstation 2 that comes with a dance mat with arrows on it. You have to hit those arrows with your feet, as indicated on the screen. I've never tried it, but it looks like a fun way to get your sweat on. I'll let you know how it goes...
I have no children tonight. Hubby and I are going to spend the evening ALONE. Hmmm... My mother is keeping my baby (she's 7), and my eldest is staying over at a friend's. Too bad hubby is working his long shift - he doesn't feel like going out tonight. Maybe we'll just have a quiet supper and watch Criminal Minds. If TOM doesn't show up today, we might just get in a little exercise, too (hehe).
Private Practice wasn't on this week! Grey's Anatomy was a repeat! WTF? Not happy.
My, I certainly am "talkative" this morning. I really should get to work. Have a great weekend!
Sorry I'm late in posting today. Busy, busy, busy!
Well, I was all set to exercise this morning. I had even laid out my snow pants! I dragged myself out of bed at 4:20 and put on my sports bra. Having bowled last night, finally getting to bed just before midnight, I was utterly exhausted. Knowing how important proper rest is to weight loss success, I chose to return to bed. Ah, well! There's always tomorrow!
I did get a little exercise this morning, though. I had to pick up a few things at Costco, so I got a little shop-toning in. Haha. Actually, I picked up a Billy Blanks Tae Bo kit, including 2 DVDs and an inflatable punching bag. I think it'll be a great alternative to walking on those cold, windy mornings of winter.
I will be buying Dance Dance Revolution PS2 for my girls this Christmas. I have an ulterior motive, though. I figure it will be a fun way for me to get some cardio in at the end of the day, maybe even on weekends. I'd better get my butt over to Wal-Mart before they sell out!
Now I'm off to read your posts, time permitting. I've been neglecting my work - yikes!
I really should change my outdoor thermometer. It read 0C (32F), so out the door I went in my usual walking suit. I made the mistake of wearing ankle socks and my boots dug into the skin on the back of my foot - the agony! Anyhoo, about the temperature, turns out it was actually -9C (15.8F). No wonder I couldn't warm up when I got home! I'm glad I went, though. I walked/jogged for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Upon my return I did 10 minutes of flexibility exercises. As a reward to myself, I ate my oatmeal while watching the rest of The Biggest Loser. I had gotten through 90 minutes the night before, but was too tired to watch the whole thing. I wasn't surprised to see who was eliminated.
I'm happy to report that the mysterious 2 lbs gained yesterday have disappeared. Weird!
Bowling tonight - can't wait!
Is there a husband-of-the-year contest going on that I'm not aware of? Mine has been absolutely AMAZING of late. He got the Xmas lights up, has been grocery shopping, picking up and doing homework with the kids EVERY NIGHT, AND he made his famous spaghetti sauce last night. Oh-My-God I'm in HEAVEN!!!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate walking into the house after work without having to first stop for groceries and picking up the kids. Plus I haven't had to help with the homework or cook for that matter. I just walk in the door and sit my butt down with a glass of red wine. If that isn't romance, I don't know what is!
I must be incredibly bloated - up 2 lbs from yesterday morning despite eating extremely well yesterday AND drinking all my water. My pooch feels like a giant football. I wish TOM would just get here so I can get it over with!
I was back up at my normal exercise time this morning: 4:20 am. I did my hour-long strength training session, followed by approximately 40 minutes of trudging. Indeed, it wasn't so much a walk and jog as it was a messy trudging session through inch-thick slush. The air was extremely pleasant, though, with snowflakes falling lightly out of the sky. After my "walk", I shovelled the driveway. After THAT, I hit the hot tub for 15 minutes or so.
I bought new clothes this weekend: Size 8 (that's right - yay!) Lee jeans and MEDIUM sweaters. I used to dread shopping but now that I actually fit into "normal" sizes, it's pure pleasure.
Thanks for all your comments yesterday - I feel guilty for not commenting on yours. I should have time today, though (assuming you post). Enjoy your day!
First off, I'd like to apologize for not commenting on any blogs today. I've read a few so far, but still have around 50 to go. With all the work I have piled on my desk, I doubt I'll be able to get into the EP routine until tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who wrote me while I was away. I wasn't going to blog today, but since everyone wants to know how the shopping trip went, here's a quick post:
The 5-in-1-room situation worked out really well. In fact, we all got along super well and laughed until our bellies hurt. We got in TONS of shopping, especially on Friday when we hit the stores at 4 am. I won't get into the messy details, but needless to say Kohl's was the CRAZIEST I've ever seen. I'm talking MINIMUM 2 hour waits in the checkout lines. Some of my friends actually did it, but I put my stuff down and walked out into the mall for breakfast. No way was ANYTHING in my hands worth waiting that long for.
At 5 am, some other stores in the mall opened up, so I enjoyed peaceful shopping while the nutjobs were sweating it out at Kohl's. I ended up buying lots of Xmas presents for the kids, plus I even grabbed a few amazing deals at JC Penny just for myself! Saturday and Sunday I didn't buy anything but a few groceries. All in all it was a great trip and I will definitely go back next year - preferably to New Hampshire.
Needless to say, I was NOT on plan this weekend. I didn't go completely overboard, but definitely ate to my heart's content at mealtime. Saturday night we drank 2 bottles of wine between 3 of us, so were feeling no pain. Last night I raided the kids' Halloween bag and scoffed approx 10 miniature chocolate bars. I also ate chips and drank a Diet Pepsi. Why not end the weekend with a bang, right? Today my eating is back to normal, so losing the 2 lbs gained shouldn't be a problem (despite the fact that TOM is right around the corner). I didn't exercise this morning, opting instead to catch up on some much needed rest.
My BFFs convinced me to go down to South Burlington VT for Black Friday. We're leaving at 6:00 pm for the normally 2-hour drive south. Unfortunately we're in the middle of a snow & freezing rain storm at the moment. To make matters worse, I HATE crowds, am not a big shopper, AND we'll be 5 women in one room sharing ONE bathroom. How in the heck are we going to fit the 5 of us, plus shopping bags in one suite? I certainly don't want to leave my purchases in my car for fear of theft. OH MY GOD. I wanted to reserve two connecting rooms but NO - that would be way too expensive, my friends said...
You know, the trip wouldn't have been so bad if it was just myself and my two BFFs. But NO, one of them just HAD to invite her daughter AND her daughter-in-law. WTF???? We'll see how it goes - I'm not sure I'll want to repeat the experience next year.
Happy Thanksgiving, my American friends! Gobble gobble! Remember to stuff only your turkeys - NOT YOURSELVES!!!
Well, at least I got half my workout done this morning. One hour of strength training, and I left it at that. I was in no mood to face the elements two days in a row, so I sat my butt down to watch the second half of The Biggest Loser. Loved it - loved it - loved it! I'm not saying anything else about it, so don't worry about any spoilers. Loved it!
Bowling tonight. I'm looking forward to it as usual. www.Thedailyplate.com says I can burn 298 calories per hour. Hmmm... I play for 3 hours, but spend 2.5 exercising my gums (I talk a LOT) - only about half an hour is spent actually throwing my 9-lb ball.
I was all set to tell you about the great walk I had on dry roads in balmy 41F weather this morning. I was so thrilled not to have to wear my heavy boots over my shoes, that I stepped out with a spring in my step. I even jogged for awhile. That was until, halfway through my walk while on the other side of town that the snow began. Not so bad at first, actually. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, it was a full-out snowstorm. I'm talking wind-whipped bullet-like snow pelting my face. I was still half an hour away from home! Well, I made it safe and sound. Whew!
I went for a massage and manicure before work. I must have slept crooked Saturday night, because I've had a pinch in my lower back ever since. It's much better now. As for the manicure, that was a necessary evil. I HATE having my nails done. They were WAY overdue, though.
For those of you who asked for the link to Kimby's discovery, it's thedailyplate.com. Not only does it track calories, it also tracks carbs, sodium, fat & protein. I love it! You also enter your daily activities, which increases the number of calories you can consume. Cool huh? Since I eat pretty much the same thing every weekday, I find their meal tool handy - instead of having to enter the same list menu items every day, I just group them under a name. For instance, I created "weekday breakfast". When I enter my food for the day, I just add that group (I can modify items individually if I need to). Thanks again, Kimby!
Who knew calorie counting could be so much fun (sort of). Kimby introduced this site and I decided to check it out. Cool! I'm done eating for today (except for the rest of my wine & snacktime green tea, but I've already accounted for those), and have a tally of total calories consumed, sodium, carbs, etc etc. This is AWESOME! Assuming this site really works, I SHOULD be able to lose 2 lbs per week. Hmm... Of course I don't expect to lose consistently - there's always water weight, lactic acid buildup in the muscles, TOM, etc. BUT this site offers a priceless tool to help me stay on track.
Well the scale liked me yesterday. 164.4 lbs is what it said. That put me in the "normal" weight range for my height. But alas it was not to last. This morning I was back to 165.4. Oh, well!
I think I slept crooked Saturday night. My lower back was sore all day. It feels like a pulled muscle. Despite the pain I managed to clean out my hot tub for the winter. Now the water is all nice and fresh. In fact, I had a quick soak after my workout this morning.
Nothing exciting to report - we were pretty busy as usual this weekend. Saturday night was a spaghetti supper fundraiser for DD's ringuette league. I only took half a plate and skipped on the bread. Whew! Overall I was pretty good foodwise, except for the few french fries I ate on Saturday, plus a couple of fried potatoes yesterday. I had a piece of chocolate cake at my inlaw's after supper - what a treat! I drank too much wine again, but it doesn't appear to have done any damage. I'm back to my regular, boring eating routine today.
Good morning!
