Geeez! I almost forgot

I haven't been on the blog in a while. I didn't realize how long until I logged in today.

I do NOT have Celiac Disease. Yay! I was getting very worried about that. I don't - and that puts me back at square one with my stomach issues - but since I have dealt with these problems since I was 14 I am OK with that.

My blood was not anemic anymore and my vitamin D levels were fine. My sed levels, however, were still up and higher than in December. This is the non-specific indicator that picks up on inflamation somewhere in your body. 20 is the high end of normal. I was 23 in December and 27 this month. She wants me to have my blood tested AGAIN next month. I told her that I thought it was my emergency root canal (happened about a week after my blood test) that was causing the inflamation. She said possibly but she wanted to do some other tests since I have been talking about joint pain. She checked me for artritis in December, and I don't have it. Lately, though, my legs have been having that "growing pain" sort of ache in them that I (Dr. Amy) have decided the increase in my iron has caused. Who knows. Since Friday the aching has been so bad that I think maybe it is a virus - which is good, because that means it will go away. My buzzing back and foot muscle hasn't stopped. She wants me to see a neurologist - but I am not convinced that it is worth the effort. I am sure it is just muscle twitching at very high speeds. Sarah said that I should go because an achy tooth is no big deal until you need an emergency root canal. I don't think this is QUITE the same thing - but maybe I should have it checked. I have this fear of doctors thinking that I am just making it up - or worse - making a mountain out of a molehill! But on the other hand, twice in the past month I have been told spontaneously that indications of gall bladder trouble are felt in your shoulder blade. Maybe I will call next week for that...

Anyway - Last night I dreamed I was exercising. I dreamed I was doing lateral pull downs using 310 pounds. Hummmm. In my dream I was wondering why everyone always told me to do 40-70 pounds on the lat machines when I was capable of doing 310 pounds. The trainer in the gym (in my dream) said that I should be able to handle more weight since I had about 1/16th of an inch of muscle in my shoulders... I don't know what THAT meant. I think I need to start working out again.

Yoga has been going well. I still like it - it definitely makes me feel stronger and more balanced.

142.6

Also going in the wrong direction, but I was blaming this entirely on NOT exercising last week--I only got to the gym three times. I had planned on it being a light week, but I was hoping for not quite that light. I did spend three hours trudging along a stream on Sunday cleaning up trash, and while it wore me out, I think that had more to do with being knee deep in cold water and keeping track of Girl Scouts at the same time.

143.0

Going up!  That's the wrong direction.  That's the punishment I get for getting some exercise!  I started that push-ups routine on Saturday and then did cross-country skiing (up- and downhill falling down and getting up, more than cross-anything skiing) yesterday, which left me too injured to do the pushups, but maybe I'll try them again today.  We've also shifted our schedule so the kids can start school, so I'm getting up an hour earlier and everything in my system feels a bit out of whack.  But if the number keeps going up I'm going to start cutting calories (I can cut out desserts and cookies, for starters -- I never buy cookies like this at home!).

Toddling along

So all is pretty good on my front -- I don't have a child who doesn't want to sleep (sorry Sarah) -- but work has cut into the frequency of my workouts. Still ... no excuses.

I started phase two of my workout routine and -- OUCH -- big OUCH. I could do almost all the reps but, man, I felt it. But I understand the method of trainer's madness. Each day builds on the other, working interlocking muscle groups. So, technically, the workouts should help with any soreness and stiffness. My aim is to do the workouts back-to-back to find that out. But this week it just didn't work that way.

So today I decided that I will do a short routine in the morning and a bigger workout after work.

I was sent two cool workouts -- one to work toward 100 push-ups in a row and another to work toward 200 sit-ups in a row.

The sites are hundredpushups.com and www.twohundredsitups.com.

The have nice printable workouts and you only have to do them three times a week. This morning my workout literally took five minutes.

I think the other lesson I've learned recently -- especially when I look at the exercises laid out in the book I follow -- is I've got to give them a try. I have surprised myself lately with what I can do. So my goal is to really push myself. I actually went for a run last weekend. It has been a long time because it's so high impact and my knees suck. But it was fine and I was able to run a couple of miles comfortably and without any ill effects on my knees.

So right now I'm just hoping for some warmer weather so I can spend my weekends outdoors and for more daylight so I can do a run or bike ride if I can get home before sunset.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Divergence

Oh, well!  I was up slightly, to 142.6.  Too bad!  I wouldn't have minded the one pound drop.  But I haven't done anything to deserve it -- still eating pretty much whatever, and still only getting exercise by walking around town.  I know I should be setting some goals -- I'm probably going to see an upswing after Easter, if past years are any indication.

I'll post first for a change

I was 141.8 this morning, only half a pound down from last week. Emily? Is that what you were too?

This in spite of 6+ hours of exercise, 3593 calories burned (why didn't I burn another 7?), and being careful with my diet all week. But at least my weight is slowly coming down, and this probably means that the loss is actual fat. I'm pretty sure I'm gaining muscle as I go too.

I did my first "brick" on Sunday--10 miles on the bike followed by 2 miles running. I think they call it a brick because that's what your legs feel like afterwards! Actually I felt pretty good during and after that workout, but yesterday, even though I *thought* I felt fine, I was like a slug on the treadmill. I was able to do my usual workout at the usual speed, but it involved two pauses and lots of holding on to the treadmill. My heart rate looked good, but my muscles were toast. I think I'm going to take it easy this week--probably slow down my speed on the interval run and skip the biking to work tomorrow to give my legs time to recouperate a bit before hitting them hard again next week. Then I'l have two hard weeks and one easy week prior to the first triathlon in April.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

142.4 Same weight as Emily again! And with sort of the same circumstances--I've been hovering in the 142-144 range all week and this morning I was down at the lower end. Mine, however, was done with a great deal of effort. According to my handy-dandy heart rate monitor I worked out seven times last week and burned 3451 calories in the process. I don't know if I'll be able to do the same amount this week-I'm losing two days this week to all day training sessions. But I was at the gym yesterday, will go to the pool today, will bike to work tomorrow and work out during lunch, and will get in another short swim on Saturday when Connor is at his lesson, so that leaves me only one long run from what my goal is for the week.

142.4

So that's a drop of almost 2 pounds.  It's been skipping around in the 142-144 range all week, but this is the low end.  No complaints here!  This is the first time since we started the blog that my weight has gone down without a substantial effort at exercise and/or dieting.  And it's not down much and I know I can't count on a long-term change, but it's kind of nice anyway.

700+400+700

That's my calories burned today (give or take) with the commute in, swimming at lunch, and the commute home (assuming I don't break my leg or something between now and 5:00). That adds up to the total calories I burned through exercise all last week! But isn't it colossally unfair that exercising like this doesn't make you lose five pounds in one day? It really should work that way. But then, I had second breakfast when I got to work--I had eaten a bowl of oatmeal at home, but around 10:00 I realized that I wasn't going to make it through a swim workout if I didn't have something more substantial than almonds, so I had another bowl of oatmeal at that point. Hard to lose five pounds eating that way.

Did I mention that I signed up for another triathlon? This will be my first first triathlon and the Iron Girl will be my second first triathlon. This one doesn't really count--they're calling it a "super sprint"--only 250 meters of swimming (in a pool, no less), 9.3 miles biking and 2.5 miles running. And it's a fundraiser for Autism Speaks, so I couldn't not do it, right? But I only have about a month to get ready, which is why I want to do a few of these days where I push myself in a couple of forms of exercise instead of spreading it all out through the week. Sara, Connor's kindergarten teacher, is signing up to do it with me, so I'll have the support/presence of someone who has done a triathlon before. I think this'll be good practice for the Iron Girl.

Baked Beans

OH! I meant to point out that I made baked beans in my crock pot yesterday. They are SO yummy!! I think I put too much sugar in them, but that is probably why they are so good. 8-)

Also - I wanted to say that I had Noodles Bancock Curry with Shrimp yesterday for lunch (it was payroll day and I hadn't packed anything - so Ginger picked it up for me). I went to check the nutritional information, and I am pleased to report that my favorite Noodles dish is the one dish that is on all of the healthy choices lists they publish - low fat, low calorie, and the other ones that I don't remember. The large serving is 400-something (the small is 286 calories). So - that's not bad for pseudo fast food that tastes awefully good!!

244.2

Not really. I just thought it would be funny to have that as my weight since BOTH Emily and Sarah had 144.2. Saddly, however, my weight was UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE to 244.2 - which means that I am almost 100 pounds heavier than my sisters - EACH!. If you could take that extra weight from each of them and merge it together you would get one WHOLE overweight person. Or - even if you take JUST the extra weight from me to ONE of them you would have enough for a whole SKINNY person. But I am talking a grown-up. I have by-passed "I am carrying around an extra 6 year old child" and have moved on to "I am carrying around an extra PERSON." No wonder I have a surprisingly firm ass - and calf muscles.

I can't remember what I wrote last week. I think I reported that Katie and I finally moved the bulky furniture out of the sewing room. Now all that remains is the STUFF. I have done two trips carrying stuff downstairs. My rule on Sunday was that I had to take something down with me each time I went downstairs - but I mostly forgot. This is a Lenten resolution - get the basement done - but I think I am running out of Lent. Sigh. I always have great plans when I am here at work - but by the time I get home I have run out of momentum. Maybe I will go home right now (lunch break) and carry two loads of stuff down. Is it worth the extra trip to and from work to do that? Hummmmm - maybe it is... I wish I lived as close to work as Katie does - but on the other hand - Katie rarely gets more than 20 minutes for lunch. I just rarely take lunch.

I have another dentist appointment tomorrow to have Dr. Behar look at more sore tooth. I don't know if he will find anything - again - but it sure is getting frustrating!!!

144.2

Ack! That's two pounds up for me this week, and I have no idea why. I haven't been weighing myself this week so I don't know if I moved up gradually or if this is a spike (why do people recommend only weighing in once a week? I like to know if my weekly weight is a pattern or an anomaly). But I did only get to the gym four days last week and no exercise on the weekend (unless you count hauling two kids to the playground, with one of them on my back most of the way there and back!), and I really haven't been watching what I eat. But then, I wasn't watching what I ate for those weeks when I was losing weight steadily either. So I think for my own peace of mind I'll call this a spike and go back to weighing in every day.

Also in the past week I signed up for the Ride On for Autism Research, the annual fundraiser for Kennedy Krieger. I think I'll be doing the 25 mile distance, which is longer than my rides have been typically, but only by seven miles or so, so it shouldn't be a big deal. I'll be pestering all of you for fundraising, so you may want to start avoiding my emails.

144.2

I didn't actually remember to weigh myself this morning, but I can guarantee that's what it would have said, because that is what it has said every single morning for the past week, except one, when it said 143.2.  I think it's stuck.  And I weighed myself long after breakfast today, when I did finally remember, and it was 144.2 then.  My exercise has just been walking around the neighborhood a few times, or walking around downtown, yesterday (I went to change money and they wouldn't take it at the nearer post office, so I had to go downtown to do it -- and it turns out all those people who claim the post office gives the best deal are wrong.  Bad exchange rate and high fee, by my standards.  ATM fees were cheaper, and the rate was better.  But at least we're not sitting on any excess cash anymore).  Nothing vigorous.  I don't get a lot of movement within the apartment, so any added walking over what I'd do in Blacksburg is offset by the lack of walking inside.  And our eating has been so-so -- not too much food, but not as many whole grains or vegetables and fruit as I would normally like.  Now we have that cash, so we'll be OK for shopping for the week, and I can get more fruits and veggies.  That probably won't change my weight significantly, but I'll feel healthier, at least!

Going Down?

Probably not, but I was down almost 4 POUNDS from last week - which pretty much brought me back to where I have been all along. Wow - party weekends really do a number on me!! This past week included Ash Wednesday, and a non-eventful weekend. So I didn't eat much. Katie and I are just about finishing up the left overs from the past two weeks of parties - but we are pretty much down to nothing now. Last night I didn't eat dinner because Katie went out with Susie, and I wasn't particularly inspired by anything in the house. I had a fairly late, somewhat calorie intensive (real mac and cheese) lunch, so at about 11pm I ate a handful of nuts (mostly almonds) to keep my stomach from growling overnight. It didn't growl, but the smoke alarm went off at 3am!! So often when I wake up during the night all I can think to do is eat. I didn't this time. I scowled at the alarm until I realized that the house wasn't burning down and the alarm was no longer going off, went back to bed, and managed to fall back to sleep.

Recent improvements I have noticed... This yoga thing seems to be helping parts of me. I have noticed in the past two weeks that I don't worry about getting out of the bathtub anymore. I know! Silly - but it has made a difference. I don't know if I am stronger, or more limber, or what - but I don't feel quite so much like I will end up living in the bathtub! My lower back - while still causing me some pain - isn't as bad as it was, and I have figured out how to hold my lower back so it doesn't get as tired. I hold my sholders straighter. And TODAY, I was demonstrating Downdog at work (like you do...) and I (while still REALLY BAD) was better than the other two people who did it. Mostly, I noticed that I didn't bunch my shoulders up and I didn't SEEM to be in as much pain as them... 8-)

23 and dropping

That number has nothing to do with my weight -- it's the temperature outside right now. Brrrr ...

So first, I want to pass along an interesting blog: fitbottomedgirls.blogspot.com

I like the name and it's a cool blog with interesting links and posts. One of the women is training for a half marathon so maybe there's some inspiration added in for good measure.

My routine is going pretty well. I'm in week six of my routine and there's a noticeable difference. My clothes are much looser and I'm feeling pretty good.

But I'm at my past plateau. I can't seem to get past this point. So I'm going to really try to push through these last couple (hopefully) brisk weeks and keep dropping the pounds to get myself to warmer weather so I can spend more time outside and pep up my exercise routine.

I continue to work on and rework my routine -- food and exercise -- so I don't get bored. I know that's the one thing that is key for me mentally and physically. I have to keep tricking my body physically. If I do the same routines my body adjusts and doesn't advance.

I'm sticking to a mostly raw diet -- salads, veggies and fruits -- and that has been a huge help in providing much-needed energy and weight loss.

But there's more work to be done.

142.6

Up a tiny bit this week. Not surprising given my activity level of last week--I only got to the gym three times and didn't get out on the weekend at all. Five days of exercise really does seem to be the minimum for losing weight for me.

Not much else to report. Now that we've gotten our snow for the year (yay!) I want to put winter behind me and get on with spring. In spite of all of my preparations, I wimped out on commuting by bike all winter long, so I want to get back to doing that. And running outside instead of on the treadmill. Again, I could have been doing that this winter but I didn't, at least not more than a couple of times.

144.2

I don't know what that is relative to my scale at home; this scale definitely reads lighter than mine there.  But I've dropped two pounds (it was three) since I first weighed myself here, so that can be taken as meaningful.  I have not done any formal exercise, even once, since we arrived; I haven't even figured out where I could do crunches, since the entire apartment is hardwood and I am without a mat and the towels have the texture of sandpaper.  There is a small area rug on the living room floor, but it is covered up by a large coffee table, and it doesn't seem worth the effort to rearrange just for crunches.  If I am inspired to crunch, I guess I'll work something out.

I have not been inside a car since the 21st, when we arrived, and I've been getting out in public, so logic dictates that I have been getting some exercise.  It's more walking than at home, but probably not enough to qualify as exercise, especially since in the home I am getting less exercise, since it's all on one floor.  I do have my WAtP video with me, but I hesitate to distress the neighbors downstairs with that!  The days are getting longer, and today the temperature is above freezing, so walking in the neighborhood is a real possibility, at least in the near future. I am eating a little less, because food is so expensive that I feel guilty when I eat anything unhealthy.  At any rate, my weight seems not bad for now, and my clothes are fitting just fine, so I'll probably keep doing what I'm doing for now and see how things go over the next few weeks.