I love basketball. I love watching it, I love playing it, I love the simplicity of the rules and terminology, I love the fact that the ball is large and easy to catch, I love the unique physical requirements of playing the game. It's just a fun sport all around! I'm a Celtics fan but, as we all probably already know, the NBA has canceled most of the season so far due to contractual disputes between the players and the league. Boooo.
Last night I finally talked Snackers into 30 minute of play that turned into 45. I would have even liked to have gone longer but Snackers was tired of losing. Yep, I won. He's an excellent softball/baseball player and, in watching him with his kids during practice, I can see that he's a pretty darn good football player too but basketball is my sport. He doesn't suck at basketball, by any means. He can make a turning hook shot like nobody's business - but I used to sit in WalMart and other stores as a toddler and shoot baskets under the watchful eye of my dad while my mom shopped, and I played in a church league as a teen. Basketball is just a game Snackers hasn't practiced a lot and he tries to show off too much by doing really complicated moves. In other words, he either lets me win or he lets his own psychology get the better of him.
The important part, however, isn't who wins or loses, it's that we spent time together being active and having fun. We took the dogs and, at one point, Vladdy slipped his collar and ran big giant crazy circles around the court which freaked out all the kids who were playing on the other side of it. "It's a horse!" One kid exclaimed. But we quickly realized that Vladdy just wanted to play with the big giant ball too and it was FUNNY watching him paw at the ball and chase it down. It makes me want to get a soccer ball.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 serving leftover potato salad
1 fish burrito
------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 909
Activity:
Dancing to Halloween music: 2 hours between trick or treaters
Yoga: 45 mins
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
What to do
Well I woke up this morning and went straight into a work out starting with yoga, lifting, jumping jacks, and crunches. After that Snackers and I went to do our weekly grocery shopping and now we're home and I'm trying to talk him into joining me for 30 minute of catch in the back yard or basketball at the park or something. I wanted to go kayaking today but he wanted to watch football and, since we really haven't watched a full day of sunday football yet this season, I yielded. But I'm feeling restless and I don't want to go do something alone - it's just not as much fun. I'd like to take Vladdy for a run but my shins still hurt from the last run we went on. Not good.
Food:
130 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Chipotle bowl
>>rice, black beans, lettuce, corn, salsa, cheese
3 servings cheese &crackers
>>this is what I had for dinner, not nutritious I know
>>but I ate it and then realized I'd used up my calories
--------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 982
Activity:
Yoga: 45 minutes
Barbell Bench Press: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Barbell Squats: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Barbell Curls: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Tricep Extensions: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Standing Press: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Crunches: 50
Jumping Jacks: 100
Walking/Shopping: 1 hr
Sprints: 0.2 miles @ 4.5 mph
Basketball w/Snackers: 45 minutes
Food:
130 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Chipotle bowl
>>rice, black beans, lettuce, corn, salsa, cheese
3 servings cheese &crackers
>>this is what I had for dinner, not nutritious I know
>>but I ate it and then realized I'd used up my calories
--------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 982
Activity:
Yoga: 45 minutes
Barbell Bench Press: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Barbell Squats: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Barbell Curls: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Tricep Extensions: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Standing Press: 40 reps @ 20 lbs
Crunches: 50
Jumping Jacks: 100
Walking/Shopping: 1 hr
Sprints: 0.2 miles @ 4.5 mph
Basketball w/Snackers: 45 minutes
Lost Track
Hi everyone. Sorry for my absence last night. We had a pot luck party at our last regular season football game of the year (next games will be playoffs I think) so I have no idea what my caloric intake was yesterday. I didn't eat anything (other than drinking my cup of coffee) before we left because I knew there were going to be lots of yummy things at the game like musubi, adobo, rice, lumpia, and I took potato salad. But I did get some physical activity in yesterday.
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 100
Barbell Squats: 20 reps @ 20 lbs.
Restorative Yoga: 30 minutes
Walking: 1 mile
Stairs: 3 flights
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 100
Barbell Squats: 20 reps @ 20 lbs.
Restorative Yoga: 30 minutes
Walking: 1 mile
Stairs: 3 flights
Friday, October 28, 2011
Gone Fishin'
Today is Snackers' birthday but he had yesterday off work so I took yesterday off work also and we went to celebrate. First we went to two different sporting goods stores to shop for his birthday present, he wanted fishing stuff and he wanted to pick it out so that's what I got him. It took for-ev-er! We finally got everything that we needed and then came home to pack up the coolers with waters, snacks, and bait - then headed off to Lake Mead.
We got a tip from a bait shop along the way for a secluded little cove on the other side of the lake, not much of a tip as it turns out. We found this great little spot but realized, after casting, that the entire cove was filled with shallow weeds. After about an hour of cast-and-tug we started walking the bank looking for better spots and ended up going through three different coves. The walk was a mixture of two terrains: soft beach-like sand and rocky ledges so it was pretty much a cross between walking on the beach and hiking. Very exhausting for some already tired and sore legs. I had one bite but neither of us caught anything.
We were out there for about 5 hours, then packed up as fast as we could and headed for football practice where Snackers' team surprised him with a round of Happy Birthday and a cake. I had a little slice - it was yummy. After that we ran home to drop off the cake and feed the dogs, then headed to the casino for a late supper and to catch the end of the best world series game ever. I don't have a team preference in the WS, but the game's dynamics were baseball at their finest. After that we came home and went to bed. All-in-all a very good and productive day.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 serving leftover goulash
1 chicken sandwich
1 sliver Snackers' second birthday cake
--------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 964
Fitocracy is motivational - check out this workout!
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 130
Renegade Push-ups: 20 reps @ 10 lbs.
Side Bicep curl: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Front Bicep curl: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Over-the-shoulder pullover: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Butterfly press: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Dumbbell vertical lift: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Crunches: 50
Calf Raises: (standing on the edge of the coffee table, extended up and down): 20 reps holding 5 lbs.
Weighted Squats #1: 5 reps @ 40 lbs (tried doing it with a full bag of dog food)
Weighted Squats #2: 20 reps @ 10 lbs.
Bench Press: 75 reps at 10 lbs each arm.
Deadlift: 10 reps @ 20 lbs.
Hamstring stretch: 3 reps of 30 seconds per leg.
YEAH BABY!!!
We got a tip from a bait shop along the way for a secluded little cove on the other side of the lake, not much of a tip as it turns out. We found this great little spot but realized, after casting, that the entire cove was filled with shallow weeds. After about an hour of cast-and-tug we started walking the bank looking for better spots and ended up going through three different coves. The walk was a mixture of two terrains: soft beach-like sand and rocky ledges so it was pretty much a cross between walking on the beach and hiking. Very exhausting for some already tired and sore legs. I had one bite but neither of us caught anything.
We were out there for about 5 hours, then packed up as fast as we could and headed for football practice where Snackers' team surprised him with a round of Happy Birthday and a cake. I had a little slice - it was yummy. After that we ran home to drop off the cake and feed the dogs, then headed to the casino for a late supper and to catch the end of the best world series game ever. I don't have a team preference in the WS, but the game's dynamics were baseball at their finest. After that we came home and went to bed. All-in-all a very good and productive day.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 serving leftover goulash
1 chicken sandwich
1 sliver Snackers' second birthday cake
--------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 964
Fitocracy is motivational - check out this workout!
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 130
Renegade Push-ups: 20 reps @ 10 lbs.
Side Bicep curl: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Front Bicep curl: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Over-the-shoulder pullover: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Butterfly press: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Dumbbell vertical lift: 50 reps @ 10 lbs each arm.
Crunches: 50
Calf Raises: (standing on the edge of the coffee table, extended up and down): 20 reps holding 5 lbs.
Weighted Squats #1: 5 reps @ 40 lbs (tried doing it with a full bag of dog food)
Weighted Squats #2: 20 reps @ 10 lbs.
Bench Press: 75 reps at 10 lbs each arm.
Deadlift: 10 reps @ 20 lbs.
Hamstring stretch: 3 reps of 30 seconds per leg.
YEAH BABY!!!
Surpassing the Master
Some of you may remember that, among others, one reason I wanted a big dog was because I wanted a walking/jogging partner and Piper, my little dog, just can't keep up anymore in her old age with her short little Min-Pin legs. Well I remember back to when we first got Vladdy and he was afraid to walk - I had to practically drag him along on those first two or three walks because everything scared him from cars to strollers and skateboards. Then as he got older he loved to go on walks but he'd poop out on me rather quickly. Remember when I had to carry him home on my shoulders because he laid down in the middle of the street and wouldn't get up earlier this summer?
Well he's nine months old now, weighs 80 lbs, and standing on his hind legs he's almost as tall as I am. He's learned how to open his mouth and let me squirt water into it from the sport bottles on my water belt so it's easier to keep him hydrated on a walk but last night I realized that he has surpassed me in terms of energy and enthusiasm.
When we went running/walking together he was a VERY good boy. He ran right next to me and when I started to slow down or stop he would do the same. But it was obvious, once or twice, that he was frustrated with the fact that I can't run as fast as he can. He wanted to go full-bore, all-out, as fast as he could run and I just can't ever hope to keep up with that speed - ever. It's superhuman. When I had to stop and rest he would stop and sit, instantly, right next to me like a good boy but then he'd start to whimper a bit in frustration because he wanted to keep going. When I finally started walking instead of running (shin splints are going to be a huge problem) he walked with me but he had a spring in his step and a constant sense of alertness that suggested he was literally just waiting for me to start running again. And when we got home and I put him out in the back yard to get some water he went nuts! He sounded like a horse running around the back yard like a bat out of hell for over 20 minutes before he decided that he wanted to stop and eat his dinner. Clearly I got what I wanted, a dog with more energy and stamina than Piper. I had no idea that he would also have so much more energy and stamina than me.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 veggie sub
>>lettuce, onion, tomato, sprouts, peppers, cucumber
1 bowl of chilli with Frank's red hot
1 slice of Snackers' birthday cake @ football
---------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,124
Activity:
Walking/Shopping: 1 hr - 3 miles
Hiking: 30 mins - 0.75 miles
Fishing: 1 lb rod - approx. 40 + casts
Sprints: 6
Crunches: 50
Well he's nine months old now, weighs 80 lbs, and standing on his hind legs he's almost as tall as I am. He's learned how to open his mouth and let me squirt water into it from the sport bottles on my water belt so it's easier to keep him hydrated on a walk but last night I realized that he has surpassed me in terms of energy and enthusiasm.
When we went running/walking together he was a VERY good boy. He ran right next to me and when I started to slow down or stop he would do the same. But it was obvious, once or twice, that he was frustrated with the fact that I can't run as fast as he can. He wanted to go full-bore, all-out, as fast as he could run and I just can't ever hope to keep up with that speed - ever. It's superhuman. When I had to stop and rest he would stop and sit, instantly, right next to me like a good boy but then he'd start to whimper a bit in frustration because he wanted to keep going. When I finally started walking instead of running (shin splints are going to be a huge problem) he walked with me but he had a spring in his step and a constant sense of alertness that suggested he was literally just waiting for me to start running again. And when we got home and I put him out in the back yard to get some water he went nuts! He sounded like a horse running around the back yard like a bat out of hell for over 20 minutes before he decided that he wanted to stop and eat his dinner. Clearly I got what I wanted, a dog with more energy and stamina than Piper. I had no idea that he would also have so much more energy and stamina than me.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 veggie sub
>>lettuce, onion, tomato, sprouts, peppers, cucumber
1 bowl of chilli with Frank's red hot
1 slice of Snackers' birthday cake @ football
---------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,124
Activity:
Walking/Shopping: 1 hr - 3 miles
Hiking: 30 mins - 0.75 miles
Fishing: 1 lb rod - approx. 40 + casts
Sprints: 6
Crunches: 50
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Game
It's time that I confess another guilty pleasure of mine - MMORPG's. For those of you that do not fall into the "geek" category that stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Examples include WoW (though I never played it), Ultima Online (played that one for over 10 years), and Everquest (commonly referred to as Evercrack because of it's addictive nature and, again, I never tried it). Now there is another term that I need to make you all familiar with, it's called LARP which stands for Live Action Role Play. This is more commonly associated with table-top role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons but the variety is endless. It's basically people who get together and physically act out game scenarios so you might see folks in the park with wooden swords hacking away at each other. Here in Vegas they might be employees at the Excalibur practicing but they might also be LARPers LARPing.
Well yesterday my brother invited me to join the best of both worlds in an online fitness game based on role playing games. You are the character and as you perform exercises and log them to your account you earn points and, after you earn enough points you rank up. As you rank up or complete quests you can earn badges and titles for your profile - it's a blast.
The game is in BETA right now so I am going to omit the name of it because I'm not sure what the invitation structure is like right now but I started playing yesterday and am a level two. Talk about motivation! I did my 100 jumping jacks and only earned 39/100 points toward my first rank increase. Well that's hardly the way I am when I play a game so after football practice I did another 100 jumping jacks and some push-ups because I wanted to level up before bed. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is. Were it not for the new game I probably would have just gone to bed on 100 JJ's and 3/4 mile walking. They have special badges for running specific distances overall ... I've got my eye on those babies!!!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 serving sunflower seeds
8 oz roasted duck breast
------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 935
Activity:
100 jumping jacks
80 crunches
Walking: 0.9 mile
Sprinting: 0.9 mile (on/off)
I left the house and sprinted till I couldn't breathe, then stopped and stood still while I caught my breath. Then sprinted until I couldn't breathe, and stopped to rest. I did that until my shins started to hurt and I knew that I was slowing down from a sprint to a jog - then turned around and walked home - hence the perfectly equal distances. :) If I'd been tracking my distance as I went I would pushed in the full mile each way but I didn't know how far I'd gone until I got home and checked it out on Google Maps. Next time ... I'll go that extra 0.1 mile.
Well yesterday my brother invited me to join the best of both worlds in an online fitness game based on role playing games. You are the character and as you perform exercises and log them to your account you earn points and, after you earn enough points you rank up. As you rank up or complete quests you can earn badges and titles for your profile - it's a blast.
The game is in BETA right now so I am going to omit the name of it because I'm not sure what the invitation structure is like right now but I started playing yesterday and am a level two. Talk about motivation! I did my 100 jumping jacks and only earned 39/100 points toward my first rank increase. Well that's hardly the way I am when I play a game so after football practice I did another 100 jumping jacks and some push-ups because I wanted to level up before bed. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is. Were it not for the new game I probably would have just gone to bed on 100 JJ's and 3/4 mile walking. They have special badges for running specific distances overall ... I've got my eye on those babies!!!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 serving sunflower seeds
8 oz roasted duck breast
------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 935
Activity:
100 jumping jacks
80 crunches
Walking: 0.9 mile
Sprinting: 0.9 mile (on/off)
I left the house and sprinted till I couldn't breathe, then stopped and stood still while I caught my breath. Then sprinted until I couldn't breathe, and stopped to rest. I did that until my shins started to hurt and I knew that I was slowing down from a sprint to a jog - then turned around and walked home - hence the perfectly equal distances. :) If I'd been tracking my distance as I went I would pushed in the full mile each way but I didn't know how far I'd gone until I got home and checked it out on Google Maps. Next time ... I'll go that extra 0.1 mile.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Beneficial Craving
Last night Snackers had his bowling league and I was really looking forward to playing but there weren't any openings on the teams last night so I had to sit out. I decided that I wanted a cup of cold pressed coffee ... or something coffee flavored at the very least. Well the casino where Snacker's bowls has a Starbucks in it but the bowling alley is on one end of the casino and the Starbucks is on the other, so I walked my happy butt allllll the way across the casino in the pursuit of coffee.
When I got to Starbucks it turns out that they don't offer cold brewed or cold pressed coffee, they just pour hot coffee over ice which is yucky because the hot coffee melts the ice and waters down the entire drink. So I passed on that and then remembered that they had some awesome looking tiramisu at the casino's cafe the last time we ate there and that sounded yummy so I walked to the cafe. When I got there, however, they were all out of tiramisu and the other desserts that they had just didn't look as good because I wanted something coffee flavored durnit! That was when I remembered that there was a Ben & Jerry's back by the movie theater and they have coffee chip ice cream!!!
So I walked aaaaaaaaall the way across the casino again only to find that B&J was closed for the evening! Here's the really funny part. Snackers' bowling league starts at 9 but we get there 5 - 10 minutes early for practice. B&J closed at 9 so had I gone there first, instead of Starbucks, I would have made it in time. Defeated and disappointed I returned to the bowling alley and bought a bottle of water from the snack bar and when we got home my pedometer said I'd walked a little over a mile ... all in the pursuit of a craving that would have led to bad choices had I not been thwarted at every turn. The diet gods had my back last night!!!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
2 tuns w/avocado rolls
1 serving edamame
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
----------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 957
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 200
Walking: 3/4 mile
Push-ups: 50
When I got to Starbucks it turns out that they don't offer cold brewed or cold pressed coffee, they just pour hot coffee over ice which is yucky because the hot coffee melts the ice and waters down the entire drink. So I passed on that and then remembered that they had some awesome looking tiramisu at the casino's cafe the last time we ate there and that sounded yummy so I walked to the cafe. When I got there, however, they were all out of tiramisu and the other desserts that they had just didn't look as good because I wanted something coffee flavored durnit! That was when I remembered that there was a Ben & Jerry's back by the movie theater and they have coffee chip ice cream!!!
So I walked aaaaaaaaall the way across the casino again only to find that B&J was closed for the evening! Here's the really funny part. Snackers' bowling league starts at 9 but we get there 5 - 10 minutes early for practice. B&J closed at 9 so had I gone there first, instead of Starbucks, I would have made it in time. Defeated and disappointed I returned to the bowling alley and bought a bottle of water from the snack bar and when we got home my pedometer said I'd walked a little over a mile ... all in the pursuit of a craving that would have led to bad choices had I not been thwarted at every turn. The diet gods had my back last night!!!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
2 tuns w/avocado rolls
1 serving edamame
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
----------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 957
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 200
Walking: 3/4 mile
Push-ups: 50
A Yacking We Will Go
I've been saving small amounts here and there for kayaks ever since we rented some and paddled around the Colorado River and, thanks to plummeting fall prices on water sports gear, I had enough to buy them and the perfect weather in which to try them out yesterday so we headed to Dick's sporting goods. I also had coupons, three of them, for $10, $15, and $20 off purchases over a certain amount. We got two matching yaks, oars, seats, and rowing gloves and the cashier let me split the purchases up so that I could use each of the coupons. She even rang the two kayaks up separately and applied the $20 coupon to each one so I ended up getting $65 off the entire purchase.
First we loaded the yaks onto the car (I got a smokin' deal on roof racks and yak cradles on eBay a month or so ago) and tied them down. We ran home to grab the dogs (got smoking deals on doggy life jackets a month or so ago as well) and then we headed for Lake Mead. I had packed up a cooler with drinks and ice as well as a bag with towels, blankets, and chairs so we were ready to roll. When we got there we spread out a blanket, unloaded the yaks, put the seats in them, suited the dogs up in their life vests and then I decided to help them get comfortable in their jackets before trying them out on the yaks. Piper did well but hated the water because it was so cold to her little tiny doggy senses but it took a long time to muscle Vladdy into just relaxing enough to realize that he could float.
Once that mission was accomplished we took one yak out on the water and Snackers got in, then Vladdy. I towed the two of them around the shallow areas for awhile so that Snackers could learn how to control Vladdy in the yak and so that Vladdy could learn how to balance his weight to keep from tipping (they did tip over once and we spent 10 minutes chasing Vladdy around the beach trying to get hold of his leash). After that we went out to slightly deeper water so Snackers could practice getting Vladdy into the yak in deep water, in case he fell out.
At first Piper thought jumping off the front of the yak was better than sitting in it but, thankfully, the vests have handles on them so I plucked her out of the water and put her right back in the yak and that was when she realized that in-the-boat was dryer and warmer than out of it so she took to it quite well.
Next I practiced climbing into the yak in deep water where I couldn't touch the ground - I was really surprised that I was able to do it on the second try but it's not fun. Finally we were ready for some yaking but, by this time, we were losing daylight so we put the dogs in the yaks - Snackers with Vladdy and me with Piper - and paddled around in circles between the shore and the buoy just in case. Then Snackers and I took turns timing each other with a stop watch while we paddled out, around a buoy and back as fast as we could, and I won by 10 seconds!
After that we packed up the camp, dried off and loaded the dogs, and then loaded the yaks back on the car just as the sun was going down. When we got home we fed the dogs, unloaded the car, washed the yaks (Lake Mead has a serious mussel problem) and found a way to store them in the garage until I can get some wall racks for them. It was a blast!!! I love having my own kayaks! Now we can take them to So. Cal when we go to visit Snackers' brother and to Utah when we visit my family. Weeeee!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice Lunch
1 serving homemade goulash
>>1 slice garlic bread
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 944
Activity:
Walking: 1 mile
Funny story about this in today's post.
First we loaded the yaks onto the car (I got a smokin' deal on roof racks and yak cradles on eBay a month or so ago) and tied them down. We ran home to grab the dogs (got smoking deals on doggy life jackets a month or so ago as well) and then we headed for Lake Mead. I had packed up a cooler with drinks and ice as well as a bag with towels, blankets, and chairs so we were ready to roll. When we got there we spread out a blanket, unloaded the yaks, put the seats in them, suited the dogs up in their life vests and then I decided to help them get comfortable in their jackets before trying them out on the yaks. Piper did well but hated the water because it was so cold to her little tiny doggy senses but it took a long time to muscle Vladdy into just relaxing enough to realize that he could float.
Once that mission was accomplished we took one yak out on the water and Snackers got in, then Vladdy. I towed the two of them around the shallow areas for awhile so that Snackers could learn how to control Vladdy in the yak and so that Vladdy could learn how to balance his weight to keep from tipping (they did tip over once and we spent 10 minutes chasing Vladdy around the beach trying to get hold of his leash). After that we went out to slightly deeper water so Snackers could practice getting Vladdy into the yak in deep water, in case he fell out.
At first Piper thought jumping off the front of the yak was better than sitting in it but, thankfully, the vests have handles on them so I plucked her out of the water and put her right back in the yak and that was when she realized that in-the-boat was dryer and warmer than out of it so she took to it quite well.
Next I practiced climbing into the yak in deep water where I couldn't touch the ground - I was really surprised that I was able to do it on the second try but it's not fun. Finally we were ready for some yaking but, by this time, we were losing daylight so we put the dogs in the yaks - Snackers with Vladdy and me with Piper - and paddled around in circles between the shore and the buoy just in case. Then Snackers and I took turns timing each other with a stop watch while we paddled out, around a buoy and back as fast as we could, and I won by 10 seconds!
After that we packed up the camp, dried off and loaded the dogs, and then loaded the yaks back on the car just as the sun was going down. When we got home we fed the dogs, unloaded the car, washed the yaks (Lake Mead has a serious mussel problem) and found a way to store them in the garage until I can get some wall racks for them. It was a blast!!! I love having my own kayaks! Now we can take them to So. Cal when we go to visit Snackers' brother and to Utah when we visit my family. Weeeee!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice Lunch
1 serving homemade goulash
>>1 slice garlic bread
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 944
Activity:
Walking: 1 mile
Funny story about this in today's post.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Tracking Progress
We all know that my scale has been frustrating me with it's lack of evident progress and that I've stopped weighing for one month just to see what happens while maintaining my sanity. Not knowing what will happen at the end of 30 days but knowing that I don't want my next weigh-in to be a huge disappointment, I feel like I've been more motivated than I was before to get up and move. In doing so I realized something last night - a timeline of progress of a different sort presented itself to my psyche.
10 months ago I could barely walk up a flight of stairs or across a parking lot without getting winded. 7 months ago I had an exciting break through when I jogged from my parent's driveway to their side door and back again a few minutes later. 3 - 4 months ago I was elated to discover that I could sprint approximately half-a-block at a time before having to stop to catch my breath. 2 weeks ago I raced Snackers 1/8th of a mile across a park and an adjacent parking lot to our car and won. Last night I sprinted a 1/4 of a mile with Vladdy to help him burn off some of the pent up energy he's had from being cooped up while we were at Snackers' football game. In fact, were it not for the squats I'd done the day before, I probably could have taken a breather and ran some more last night but I'm feelin' those squats. After taking Vladdy back home Snackers and I went to do our grocery shopping late last night when the store wasn't as busy as it usually is and my thigh muscles seized up in the car on the way there. It was excruciating.
But they're just a little bit sore today, not overly painful, so I'm very surprised and pleased. I may not be seeing a scale difference right now at this point in my life but I am seeing other differences. Increased energy, stamina, and athletic ability. Now when I buy an XL shirt it's because I like the comfort of a bigger shirt, not because it's the only size on the rack that I can get over my head. I bought leggings last night off the discount rack without even trying them on ... and they fit perfectly this morning. Our practices and games at night are starting to get cold so I pulled out last year's winter clothes the other day and discovered that NOTHING fit - at least not in a flattering way. Everything was at least two sizes too big and baggy in places that did not look good.
I'm glad that I stopped weighing for a little while. I needed this opportunity to remind myself that the scale isn't always the only measure of progress. I do need to talk to my girl-doctor when I go in for my quarterly visit though. I've been retaining water for weeks now - my fingers and toes are so swollen that they go numb sometimes and yet I am CONSTANTLY thirsty (you may have noticed that my intake has been consistently over 120 - 130 oz per day for awhile now) and I'm peeing every 30 minutes on average. I would expect to not be retaining so much water given those circumstances but I am and it's not going away so I need to talk with her about what might be causing it and how I can get rid of it.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 egg substitute omelette
>>w/spinach, mushroom, tomato
1 veggie sub
>>cucumber, lettuce, tomato, onion, sprouts
>>light squirt of light mayo
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
1 large pickle
----------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 926
Activity:
Kayaking!!!!
(Details tomorrow. Sorry, forgot to take pictures.)
10 months ago I could barely walk up a flight of stairs or across a parking lot without getting winded. 7 months ago I had an exciting break through when I jogged from my parent's driveway to their side door and back again a few minutes later. 3 - 4 months ago I was elated to discover that I could sprint approximately half-a-block at a time before having to stop to catch my breath. 2 weeks ago I raced Snackers 1/8th of a mile across a park and an adjacent parking lot to our car and won. Last night I sprinted a 1/4 of a mile with Vladdy to help him burn off some of the pent up energy he's had from being cooped up while we were at Snackers' football game. In fact, were it not for the squats I'd done the day before, I probably could have taken a breather and ran some more last night but I'm feelin' those squats. After taking Vladdy back home Snackers and I went to do our grocery shopping late last night when the store wasn't as busy as it usually is and my thigh muscles seized up in the car on the way there. It was excruciating.
But they're just a little bit sore today, not overly painful, so I'm very surprised and pleased. I may not be seeing a scale difference right now at this point in my life but I am seeing other differences. Increased energy, stamina, and athletic ability. Now when I buy an XL shirt it's because I like the comfort of a bigger shirt, not because it's the only size on the rack that I can get over my head. I bought leggings last night off the discount rack without even trying them on ... and they fit perfectly this morning. Our practices and games at night are starting to get cold so I pulled out last year's winter clothes the other day and discovered that NOTHING fit - at least not in a flattering way. Everything was at least two sizes too big and baggy in places that did not look good.
I'm glad that I stopped weighing for a little while. I needed this opportunity to remind myself that the scale isn't always the only measure of progress. I do need to talk to my girl-doctor when I go in for my quarterly visit though. I've been retaining water for weeks now - my fingers and toes are so swollen that they go numb sometimes and yet I am CONSTANTLY thirsty (you may have noticed that my intake has been consistently over 120 - 130 oz per day for awhile now) and I'm peeing every 30 minutes on average. I would expect to not be retaining so much water given those circumstances but I am and it's not going away so I need to talk with her about what might be causing it and how I can get rid of it.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 egg substitute omelette
>>w/spinach, mushroom, tomato
1 veggie sub
>>cucumber, lettuce, tomato, onion, sprouts
>>light squirt of light mayo
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
1 large pickle
----------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 926
Activity:
Kayaking!!!!
(Details tomorrow. Sorry, forgot to take pictures.)
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Cool but Expensive
Yesterday Snackers sent me a text saying that he wanted to go to something called Blood Village that he'd heard about on the radio here in Henderson and asked me to check out pricing. Their website was pretty sweet. It said they had two haunted houses and there was a page that mentioned reserving booth space inside the village so I'm thinking this is going to be some kind of haunted community with little stores selling cool stuff and maybe people running around trying to scare everyone and only $15 per person for full admission. Good deal right? It was at the Henderson Pavillion which is a very large venue too, which made me even more excited.
Well we got there and it ended up being a lot smaller than we expected - about 1/4 of the parking lot was all. We probably should have turned around right there and called it a night but we paid the $30 admission anyway. Turns out there weren't any booths at all, just two haunted houses. I have to hand it to the people who put the whole thing together - they really utilized the small amount of space that they had to its full advantage. The haunted house were about three times longer than any I've ever been in before and FILLED with some of the best and most unique special effects and animatronics (lots of things I've never even seen before) but they were very short on live actors. It wasn't a guided tour so we could go as fast or as slow as we wanted through them so there were some instances where we pretty much just stood in one spot and looked around. The one haunted house was 3D so they gave us these paper glasses to wear and when we walked in we were just in awe. It's impossible to even describe - but there were entire long sections that were completely devoid of human interaction.
All in all I got the impression that the people running the place had a lot of really amazing, unique ideas but they lacked the full funding to see them through. It's a bit of a shame but maybe they'll be better next year.
Food:
150 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 fish burrito
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
1 chicken sandwich
>>w/lettuce, tomato, onion
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,021
Activity:
Walking: 3.25 miles (football, grocery shopping)
Sprinting: 0.25 miles (w/vladdy)
Stadium steps: 4 flights
Well we got there and it ended up being a lot smaller than we expected - about 1/4 of the parking lot was all. We probably should have turned around right there and called it a night but we paid the $30 admission anyway. Turns out there weren't any booths at all, just two haunted houses. I have to hand it to the people who put the whole thing together - they really utilized the small amount of space that they had to its full advantage. The haunted house were about three times longer than any I've ever been in before and FILLED with some of the best and most unique special effects and animatronics (lots of things I've never even seen before) but they were very short on live actors. It wasn't a guided tour so we could go as fast or as slow as we wanted through them so there were some instances where we pretty much just stood in one spot and looked around. The one haunted house was 3D so they gave us these paper glasses to wear and when we walked in we were just in awe. It's impossible to even describe - but there were entire long sections that were completely devoid of human interaction.
All in all I got the impression that the people running the place had a lot of really amazing, unique ideas but they lacked the full funding to see them through. It's a bit of a shame but maybe they'll be better next year.
Food:
150 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 fish burrito
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
1 chicken sandwich
>>w/lettuce, tomato, onion
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,021
Activity:
Walking: 3.25 miles (football, grocery shopping)
Sprinting: 0.25 miles (w/vladdy)
Stadium steps: 4 flights
Friday, October 21, 2011
Busy, Busy
Hi everyone. Sorry but I am going to keep today's post short and sweet because I need to attack my first final that is due Sunday. Loves to you all!
Huh ... well that ended up being the easiest final ever so I'm back to write a post after all. As it turns out, the final was to take each of the assignments that we've done over the past eight weeks, apply the suggested revisions and comments from the professor to improve them, and then combine them all into one program. Well, I got 100% on all of those assignments and the professor didn't provide any suggested revisions or comments so all I had to do was copy and paste my past eight assignments into one, spell check, and submit. Of course there's a chance that I won't get a perfect grade but considering the fact that the syllabus literally said to copy and paste the assignments and apply instructor feedback, I'd be surprised if I get anything less than 100%. I can't exactly apply instructor feedback if she never offered any right? Final #2 is next week. It will probably be a little bit harder.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 serving leftover spaghetti
1 grilled veggie panini
1 sweet potato
>>chopped up and baked w/salt
2 - 100 calorie snack packs
--------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1147
Activity:
200 jumping jacks
50 push-ups
50 deep squats
Walking: 2 miles (walked the district and then went through two haunted houses)
Huh ... well that ended up being the easiest final ever so I'm back to write a post after all. As it turns out, the final was to take each of the assignments that we've done over the past eight weeks, apply the suggested revisions and comments from the professor to improve them, and then combine them all into one program. Well, I got 100% on all of those assignments and the professor didn't provide any suggested revisions or comments so all I had to do was copy and paste my past eight assignments into one, spell check, and submit. Of course there's a chance that I won't get a perfect grade but considering the fact that the syllabus literally said to copy and paste the assignments and apply instructor feedback, I'd be surprised if I get anything less than 100%. I can't exactly apply instructor feedback if she never offered any right? Final #2 is next week. It will probably be a little bit harder.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 serving leftover spaghetti
1 grilled veggie panini
1 sweet potato
>>chopped up and baked w/salt
2 - 100 calorie snack packs
--------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1147
Activity:
200 jumping jacks
50 push-ups
50 deep squats
Walking: 2 miles (walked the district and then went through two haunted houses)
The Marathon Plans
As much as I hate to admit it, I am starting to rethink my plans to do the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in December. Not because I don't think I can do it, I'm pretty sure I'd make it, but because the entry fee is $155 for the half-marathon and I just don't have it right now. I'm kind of thinking of just planning out my own 14 mile route and doing it on the same day so that it's kind of like I did the marathon but without spending the money. Last year I found out about the marathon just days before it started but I found places where, if you registered to do the marathon for charity like a cancer foundation etc. they would set you up with a donations website and pay your entry fee for you and then you spend the whole year trying to raise money for that charity. I wanted to do that this year but I looked into it periodically throughout the year and couldn't find any info on that for this year's marathon so now, here I am just two months from the big day and the price just gets higher the longer I wait to register.
I mean my whole motivation in wanting to do the marathon in the first place was for the sense of self accomplishment I would get from doing it. A picture of me crossing the finish line would have been great and all but if I plan my own route maybe I can get Snackers to set up my own little mini finish line with a ribbon to run through and then he can take my picture there instead. :)
I should clarify that it's not that I don't have $155, because I do. I'm not broke or anything but now that I own a house I can think of at least a dozen ways that money like that could be put to better use. I guess my financial perspectives have just changed from what they used to be.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy choice lunch
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 antipasto salad
>>w/pico instead of dressing
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 880
Activity:
100 jumping jacks
Walking: 2 miles
Sprinting: 2 at football practice
Dancing: Went to a concert tonight after practice (Foster the People @ the Cosmopolitan)
I mean my whole motivation in wanting to do the marathon in the first place was for the sense of self accomplishment I would get from doing it. A picture of me crossing the finish line would have been great and all but if I plan my own route maybe I can get Snackers to set up my own little mini finish line with a ribbon to run through and then he can take my picture there instead. :)
I should clarify that it's not that I don't have $155, because I do. I'm not broke or anything but now that I own a house I can think of at least a dozen ways that money like that could be put to better use. I guess my financial perspectives have just changed from what they used to be.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy choice lunch
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 antipasto salad
>>w/pico instead of dressing
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 880
Activity:
100 jumping jacks
Walking: 2 miles
Sprinting: 2 at football practice
Dancing: Went to a concert tonight after practice (Foster the People @ the Cosmopolitan)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Running Late
I mentioned earlier that I'd set my alarm for 6:20 a.m. on Saturday so that Snackers and I could get up early for his youth football team's game and that I forgot to fix it and ended up waking up early on Monday morning as a result. Yesterday morning I woke up before the alarm was scheduled to go off so I just turned it off when I got up. Little did I know that when I "fixed" it to go off at the usual 6:45, I set it for 6:45 p.m. on accident.
So this morning I woke up to a text message coming in on my phone and was irritated. It was Snackers' maid texting to tell me she couldn't come today, which works out well because the dryer is broken today anyway and we've got to run to HomeDepot for some ventilation parts so she wouldn't have been able to do any laundry if she had come. After replying to her I went to go back to bed and then realized there was a lot more sun coming through the windows than I'm used to in the morning. Woopsy!
Thankfully I was only 20 minutes late for work and none of my co-workers were even online yet so I haven't missed anything. It felt kind of nice to sleep in, finally, since that doesn't seem to be happening on the weekends when it should.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 serving home made spaghetti
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 847
Activity:
100 Jumping jacks
Laundry: 7 loads washed, dried, folded and put away
Cooked supper and cleaned up the kitchen
So this morning I woke up to a text message coming in on my phone and was irritated. It was Snackers' maid texting to tell me she couldn't come today, which works out well because the dryer is broken today anyway and we've got to run to HomeDepot for some ventilation parts so she wouldn't have been able to do any laundry if she had come. After replying to her I went to go back to bed and then realized there was a lot more sun coming through the windows than I'm used to in the morning. Woopsy!
Thankfully I was only 20 minutes late for work and none of my co-workers were even online yet so I haven't missed anything. It felt kind of nice to sleep in, finally, since that doesn't seem to be happening on the weekends when it should.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 serving home made spaghetti
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 847
Activity:
100 Jumping jacks
Laundry: 7 loads washed, dried, folded and put away
Cooked supper and cleaned up the kitchen
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Energy Addictions
I'm really tired. I ended up staying up till 1 a.m. again last night because Snackers wanted me to read the first two chapters of the book I'm writing to him. Sunday night I stayed up too late because Snackers went to a big 48 hour music festival here in Vegas and drank a dozen or so Rockstar energy drinks that they were giving away for free at a promotional booth and then came home with more energy than any one man has a right to have. I kept saying "Goodnight hunny" and he'd say goodnight back and then just as I'd feel myself start to doze off he'd start talking again. lol
When energy drinks first came out, way before RedBull, Rockstar and all of the others that we're familiar with, there was a skinny green and black can with the words ENERGY printed on it in acid green letters. My older sister and I were in our teens, still living at home, and for some crazy reason we decided to split one at around 7 p.m. I remember that we both stayed up all night long talking and going into fits of laughter that were so bad we couldn't breathe. My mom kept coming into our room to literally BEG us to be quiet and go to sleep because our parent's room was right across the hall from our room but we just couldn't stop.
Honestly, I think that if a person drinks enough energy drinks they might as well take meth or speed. Maybe the energy drink doesn't quite have all the negative side effects of drugs like rotting teeth and bad skin but if you drink enough of it over an extended period of time maybe it does. I certainly believe that energy drinks can be addictive - lots of things can be addictive and we don't even think of them that way because if they modify our body's natural chemistry our bodies usually try to compensate. If we take too many antacids, for example, our stomach might start producing more stomach acid to compensate and then we're stuck with a habitual case of heart burn which might lead us to take more antacids (this happened to my mother). Chapstick and eye drops can be the same way.
I'll tell you one thing, Snackers was "coming down" yesterday and it looked an awful lot like someone trying to detox while having a hangover at the same time. That convinced me more than anything that those energy drinks can be dangerous if over indulged.
Food:
150 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 chicken and broccoli pot pie
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
1 piece of a chocolate bar
---------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 947
Activity:
100 jumping jacks
Walking: 1/2 mile
Cleaning/Laundry and fixing the dryer
When energy drinks first came out, way before RedBull, Rockstar and all of the others that we're familiar with, there was a skinny green and black can with the words ENERGY printed on it in acid green letters. My older sister and I were in our teens, still living at home, and for some crazy reason we decided to split one at around 7 p.m. I remember that we both stayed up all night long talking and going into fits of laughter that were so bad we couldn't breathe. My mom kept coming into our room to literally BEG us to be quiet and go to sleep because our parent's room was right across the hall from our room but we just couldn't stop.
Honestly, I think that if a person drinks enough energy drinks they might as well take meth or speed. Maybe the energy drink doesn't quite have all the negative side effects of drugs like rotting teeth and bad skin but if you drink enough of it over an extended period of time maybe it does. I certainly believe that energy drinks can be addictive - lots of things can be addictive and we don't even think of them that way because if they modify our body's natural chemistry our bodies usually try to compensate. If we take too many antacids, for example, our stomach might start producing more stomach acid to compensate and then we're stuck with a habitual case of heart burn which might lead us to take more antacids (this happened to my mother). Chapstick and eye drops can be the same way.
I'll tell you one thing, Snackers was "coming down" yesterday and it looked an awful lot like someone trying to detox while having a hangover at the same time. That convinced me more than anything that those energy drinks can be dangerous if over indulged.
Food:
150 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 chicken and broccoli pot pie
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
1 piece of a chocolate bar
---------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 947
Activity:
100 jumping jacks
Walking: 1/2 mile
Cleaning/Laundry and fixing the dryer
Monday, October 17, 2011
Walking the Loop
Note: I wrote a post on Saturday that was all about my carpet cleaning fun with Snackers on Friday and, for whatever reason, it never published. I noticed it tonight while getting ready to publish this post on my iPad but when I tried to add a note to the top of it explaining that I wrote it on Saturday is messed up the formatting so I hit backspace and it erased the entire post. I tried to go back and re-open the post but stupid blogger auto saves every three seconds and iPad, to my knowledge, doesn't allow the Ctrl Z function to undo a mistake so 'tis lost and gone forever.
Now for today's post: Hi everyone. I wanted to do a quick recap of yesterday's activities. I bought a new pedometer a week or so ago so I put it on yesterday when Snackers and I left the house to go shopping. We did breakfast first and, lucky for me, we decided to eat in one of the casino restaurants that we like to frequent so that meant a nice long walk in and out before hitting the grocery store.
Later, after Snackers left for his concert, I decided to take Vladdy for a nice long walk. I loaded up my water belt and we did "the loop" together. The community that I live in is a very large neighborhood shaped, more or less, in a circle. It encompasses several blocks with streets and houses in the middle but around the outside we have the Aspen Peak Loop which is the main road that runs the outer perimeter of the community. I've been wanting to walk the loop for awhile but I wasn't sure how far it would be so I've been putting it off because of the heat. Yesterday seemed like the perfect weather for it though.
There are yard sells in the community every weekend so I decided that, while walking the loop, I would keep a look out for yard sale signs and poke in to see if any of them had anything that I liked. We did find signs for a yard sale but after walking several blocks out of our way I hit a dead end without finding the actual yard sale so we backtracked and resumed course. Vladdy drank two of my water bottles, he's gotten very good at opening his mouth and letting me squirt water in it without putting his mouth on the actual bottle. It's very cute.
He didn't fare well in the heat though and by the time we got home he was dragging and I think he thought he was going to die. I went out in the yard and filled up his pool with fresh water, which he enjoyed laying in and getting dirty. Then I took the poop-scooper around and picked up all of the piles of waste that him and Piper leave everywhere. That took awhile because I put off doing it last weekend and the weekend before that because of the rain. It's easier to pick up when it's all dry and solid than it is when it's been rained on. All in all it was a very productive day.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
3 chicken tacos
1 - 100 calorie snack pack
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 994
Activity:
Nothing. I didn't get to bed until 2 a.m. this morning and then woke up at 6:20 a.m. because I set my alarm really early on Saturday morning in order to get up for Snackers' football game and then forgot to adjust it before bed. Today it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. We did end up walking through a casino to say hi to a friend that we don't get to see very often so I got a small amount of walking in but not much.
Now for today's post: Hi everyone. I wanted to do a quick recap of yesterday's activities. I bought a new pedometer a week or so ago so I put it on yesterday when Snackers and I left the house to go shopping. We did breakfast first and, lucky for me, we decided to eat in one of the casino restaurants that we like to frequent so that meant a nice long walk in and out before hitting the grocery store.
Later, after Snackers left for his concert, I decided to take Vladdy for a nice long walk. I loaded up my water belt and we did "the loop" together. The community that I live in is a very large neighborhood shaped, more or less, in a circle. It encompasses several blocks with streets and houses in the middle but around the outside we have the Aspen Peak Loop which is the main road that runs the outer perimeter of the community. I've been wanting to walk the loop for awhile but I wasn't sure how far it would be so I've been putting it off because of the heat. Yesterday seemed like the perfect weather for it though.
There are yard sells in the community every weekend so I decided that, while walking the loop, I would keep a look out for yard sale signs and poke in to see if any of them had anything that I liked. We did find signs for a yard sale but after walking several blocks out of our way I hit a dead end without finding the actual yard sale so we backtracked and resumed course. Vladdy drank two of my water bottles, he's gotten very good at opening his mouth and letting me squirt water in it without putting his mouth on the actual bottle. It's very cute.
He didn't fare well in the heat though and by the time we got home he was dragging and I think he thought he was going to die. I went out in the yard and filled up his pool with fresh water, which he enjoyed laying in and getting dirty. Then I took the poop-scooper around and picked up all of the piles of waste that him and Piper leave everywhere. That took awhile because I put off doing it last weekend and the weekend before that because of the rain. It's easier to pick up when it's all dry and solid than it is when it's been rained on. All in all it was a very productive day.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
3 chicken tacos
1 - 100 calorie snack pack
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 994
Activity:
Nothing. I didn't get to bed until 2 a.m. this morning and then woke up at 6:20 a.m. because I set my alarm really early on Saturday morning in order to get up for Snackers' football game and then forgot to adjust it before bed. Today it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. We did end up walking through a casino to say hi to a friend that we don't get to see very often so I got a small amount of walking in but not much.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Perfect Chairs
I've been wanting to get one or two lounge chairs for the back yard so that I can lay out and get a tan. The yard is still a giant dirt pit and I will not make any effort to landscape it until I can get Vladdy to stop digging holes in it so the only option for laying out is a lounge chair. I've looked at WalMart and a couple of other places but I can't find chairs that I like for a reasonable price.
Today as Snackers and I were heading home from the grocery store we saw a guy selling random objects on the side of the road - that's quite common in Vegas. He had two absolutely perfect lounge chairs in hot orange and pink and he only wanted $10 for both!! They were in perfect condition, they looked brand new, but I only had $100 bill which, of course, he wouldn't break. So I told him I was going to drop off the groceries, stop at the gas station to break my hundred and come back for them. He was less than a block from my house so it took me all of 8 to 10 minutes to get back and they were gone. I'm so bummed.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/Bailey's
2 poached eggs on toast
3 oz prime rib
1 healthy choice dinner
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,025
Activity:
Walking/Shopping: 1.5 miles
Walking w/Vladdy: 3 miles
Walking w/Piper: 0.5 miles (because she's small and gets tired quickly)
Total: 5 miles
Today as Snackers and I were heading home from the grocery store we saw a guy selling random objects on the side of the road - that's quite common in Vegas. He had two absolutely perfect lounge chairs in hot orange and pink and he only wanted $10 for both!! They were in perfect condition, they looked brand new, but I only had $100 bill which, of course, he wouldn't break. So I told him I was going to drop off the groceries, stop at the gas station to break my hundred and come back for them. He was less than a block from my house so it took me all of 8 to 10 minutes to get back and they were gone. I'm so bummed.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/Bailey's
2 poached eggs on toast
3 oz prime rib
1 healthy choice dinner
1/2 serving sunflower seeds
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,025
Activity:
Walking/Shopping: 1.5 miles
Walking w/Vladdy: 3 miles
Walking w/Piper: 0.5 miles (because she's small and gets tired quickly)
Total: 5 miles
Friday, October 14, 2011
Finals Week
With the way that the University of Phoenix organizes their classes I find myself having finals week a lot more than most students. Instead of semesters we have "blocks" of classes, two classes at a time, each class is 9 weeks long. But they stagger the classes in a block so class A starts one week and class B starts the following week. Next week is finals week for one of my current classes and the following week after that is finals week for my other class and then I start the next block the week after that. I, personally, really like this format because it keeps the classes short and sweet so that I can engage in a varying curriculum without being bogged down by taking 4 or 5 classes at a time but I have to admit that it can be kind of stressful to have two finals weeks in a row every 9 weeks.
My two classes are IT 210: Programming with algorithms and logic and IT 236: Beginning web design. I am enjoying both classes and, so far, pulling an A in each as well. After these finals I have only two more blocks to go before graduation. Weeeeeeee.
Food:
160 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 healthy choice lunch
1 - 100 calorie snack pack
1 Fish burrito
1 veggie wrap
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,231
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 100
Stairs: 5.5 flights
Hard Labor: 3.5 hours helping Snackers clean carpets, tile, and rugs at a big commercial job he had tonight. FUN STUFF, details tomorrow!
My two classes are IT 210: Programming with algorithms and logic and IT 236: Beginning web design. I am enjoying both classes and, so far, pulling an A in each as well. After these finals I have only two more blocks to go before graduation. Weeeeeeee.
Food:
160 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 healthy choice lunch
1 - 100 calorie snack pack
1 Fish burrito
1 veggie wrap
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,231
Activity:
Jumping Jacks: 100
Stairs: 5.5 flights
Hard Labor: 3.5 hours helping Snackers clean carpets, tile, and rugs at a big commercial job he had tonight. FUN STUFF, details tomorrow!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Half Asleep
I slept ok last night but for some reason I'm still really tired this morning. I went to bed around 10 p.m. and, for the most part, slept through the night until this alarm went off this morning but my brain just isn't working yet. I've got my coffee though so maybe it will help me wake up. Right now, however, I can't think of anything to write about.
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 Healthy Choice dinner
1 - 100 calorie snack pack
2 tsps peanut butter
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 922
Activity:
Walking: 1,400 steps at football
Jumping Jacks: 150
Running: Sprinted to the mailbox and back to check the mail
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 Healthy Choice dinner
1 - 100 calorie snack pack
2 tsps peanut butter
---------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 922
Activity:
Walking: 1,400 steps at football
Jumping Jacks: 150
Running: Sprinted to the mailbox and back to check the mail
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
A Better Day
Yesterday was much better than Monday. It seems that my day of weakness led to a renewal of will power because yesterday I had to force myself to eat on a schedule again. I had zero desire to eat pretty much all day - funny how that works isn't it? I'm hoping today will be like yesterday again and that I can go back to eating to sustain rather than eating because of some stupid little nagging voice inside my head wanting to pig out.
I'm kind of bummed though - there for a few weeks the grocery store had the most beautiful produce. Artichokes, corn on the cob, asparagus, fruit. I was really enjoying it but last week and this week was the exact opposite. It was obvious that they're still selling the same stock of produce that they were selling weeks ago because everything looked limp, dry, and withered. If I can ever successfully teach Vladdy not to dig I'd like to plant a little garden of my own in the back yard - maybe some cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions among other things. On the other hand, I've never been very good at keeping plants alive. Animals tell you when they're hungry, at least mine do - and they're always right on schedule like kids so they never starve. I'm using food as a reward to teach Vladdy that being in his kennel is a good thing so remembering to feed him twice a day is easy.
The cats will chase me (or anyone really) around the house mewing as soon as they can see the bottom of their food bowls, even if there's still food in them. They free feed so that works out well for them and for us. Piper also free feeds, she's done it her whole life and always maintains her girlish little figure so she doesn't necessarily let me know when her bowl is empty but she will let me know when she's ready for a refill. Plants, on the other hand, they can't do that ... and I tend to starve them to death on accident. I've killed more plants than any one person should have a right to murder. It's a shame really because I love plants but, apparently, I'm not responsible enough to own them. lol
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 slice of garlic bread
1 slice of pizza (we had company for supper)
--------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 857
Activity:
Jumping up and down: 100 times
Jumping jacks: 100
Running: ran to the mailbox and back
Cleaning: cleaned the guest bathroom and vacuumed.
I'm kind of bummed though - there for a few weeks the grocery store had the most beautiful produce. Artichokes, corn on the cob, asparagus, fruit. I was really enjoying it but last week and this week was the exact opposite. It was obvious that they're still selling the same stock of produce that they were selling weeks ago because everything looked limp, dry, and withered. If I can ever successfully teach Vladdy not to dig I'd like to plant a little garden of my own in the back yard - maybe some cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions among other things. On the other hand, I've never been very good at keeping plants alive. Animals tell you when they're hungry, at least mine do - and they're always right on schedule like kids so they never starve. I'm using food as a reward to teach Vladdy that being in his kennel is a good thing so remembering to feed him twice a day is easy.
The cats will chase me (or anyone really) around the house mewing as soon as they can see the bottom of their food bowls, even if there's still food in them. They free feed so that works out well for them and for us. Piper also free feeds, she's done it her whole life and always maintains her girlish little figure so she doesn't necessarily let me know when her bowl is empty but she will let me know when she's ready for a refill. Plants, on the other hand, they can't do that ... and I tend to starve them to death on accident. I've killed more plants than any one person should have a right to murder. It's a shame really because I love plants but, apparently, I'm not responsible enough to own them. lol
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 slice of garlic bread
1 slice of pizza (we had company for supper)
--------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 857
Activity:
Jumping up and down: 100 times
Jumping jacks: 100
Running: ran to the mailbox and back
Cleaning: cleaned the guest bathroom and vacuumed.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
All Out War
Yesterday I found myself engaged in a full on battle of will from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to bed. I'm sure it was 30% hormonal and 70% psychological but all I could think about all day long yesterday was food and eating it. I woke up and stood in front of the pantry for several minutes wanting something to eat, no idea what, that wasn't in there. Several times throughout the day I could be found standing in front of an open fridge looking for something, no idea what.
If you've seen my food list from yesterday then you already know that I lost the war. I was craving something specific but I still don't know what it was. Whatever it was we didn't have it and I ended up eating just about anything else that presented itself instead. Snackers was supposed to make chicken crepes from Cook This Not That for supper but I wouldn't let him because, by the time it was supper time, I'd already eaten a full day's worth of calories and then some.
Even worse, all I wanted to do was lay around and do nothing. I felt like I was depressed but I didn't feel depressed - it's hard to explain. I felt blah. The day sucked, nothing sounded good, nothing sounded like fun, I didn't want to do anything but I didn't want to do nothing either. It was horrible. THANK GOD FOR BOWLING! We were both going to skip out on it last night and, at the last second, I realized that we both probably needed to go even if we didn't want to so I got up, got dressed, and bullied Snackers into joining me. When we couldn't find a parking spot closer than 70 yards from the door I wanted to turn around and go home but I kept my mouth shut and let Snackers park. When he complained about the distance I gagged on the words "race yah" as they came out but, thankfully, he accepted the challenge.
I thought racing him across an entire parking lot like that would have done more for my psyche but it didn't. When we got to the bowling alley it was all I could do not to hit the snack bar and buy one of everything but I did end up giving in and getting a glass of wine, which was a mistake. I lost the battle where I knew I should have bowled at least two games on my own lane while he was playing with his league but I couldn't drag myself to the counter to get the shoes. I managed to race him back to the car, I won, and that was about all I could muster. I came home and went straight to bed feeling absolutely shitty about the entire day.
Food:
150 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
6 baby carrots
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 antipasto salad w/salsa instead of dressing
1 chicken quesadilla
-----------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 843
Activity:
Jumping: 300 times
Walking: 697 steps
If you've seen my food list from yesterday then you already know that I lost the war. I was craving something specific but I still don't know what it was. Whatever it was we didn't have it and I ended up eating just about anything else that presented itself instead. Snackers was supposed to make chicken crepes from Cook This Not That for supper but I wouldn't let him because, by the time it was supper time, I'd already eaten a full day's worth of calories and then some.
Even worse, all I wanted to do was lay around and do nothing. I felt like I was depressed but I didn't feel depressed - it's hard to explain. I felt blah. The day sucked, nothing sounded good, nothing sounded like fun, I didn't want to do anything but I didn't want to do nothing either. It was horrible. THANK GOD FOR BOWLING! We were both going to skip out on it last night and, at the last second, I realized that we both probably needed to go even if we didn't want to so I got up, got dressed, and bullied Snackers into joining me. When we couldn't find a parking spot closer than 70 yards from the door I wanted to turn around and go home but I kept my mouth shut and let Snackers park. When he complained about the distance I gagged on the words "race yah" as they came out but, thankfully, he accepted the challenge.
I thought racing him across an entire parking lot like that would have done more for my psyche but it didn't. When we got to the bowling alley it was all I could do not to hit the snack bar and buy one of everything but I did end up giving in and getting a glass of wine, which was a mistake. I lost the battle where I knew I should have bowled at least two games on my own lane while he was playing with his league but I couldn't drag myself to the counter to get the shoes. I managed to race him back to the car, I won, and that was about all I could muster. I came home and went straight to bed feeling absolutely shitty about the entire day.
Food:
150 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
6 baby carrots
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 antipasto salad w/salsa instead of dressing
1 chicken quesadilla
-----------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 843
Activity:
Jumping: 300 times
Walking: 697 steps
Monday, October 10, 2011
Weigh-In Break
I've decided that my scale is sabotaging me. 10 days ago I weighed 223 lbs, a new all-time low. 7 days ago I weighed 226 lbs. This last week I went bowling, running, walking, used ankle weights, bunny hopped everywhere, and jumped up and down at both football and home as opposed to being idle and today I weigh 229.5. I can't take this anymore. The psychological effects of the ups and downs are messing with me and I need a break.
Snackers thinks the battery is dying on the scale because he thinks he should weigh more than it's telling him he does. So maybe we do need a new battery, maybe we don't but I definitely need to just stop torturing myself for awhile. I've decided that I am going to take 30 days off from weighing and see what happens; I'm also going to skip picture day on Friday. I am still going to post my intake/activity every day, but for the next month I am going to focus on intake and activity rather than progress because my lack of such is wearing me down and making me want to quit. Failure is temporary, giving up is permanent. I am not going to give up - just shift my focus for a little while and see what happens. Wish me luck.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 dollar menu burger
4 carrots and 2 tsps of peanut butter
1 chocolate donut
1 glass of wine
-------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,360
(horrible, I know. I don't know what was wrong with me today!)
Activity:
Jumped up and down 200 times while waiting for my lunch to cook.
Sprinting: raced Snackers across the parking lot both ways - total approx. 140 yards
Snackers thinks the battery is dying on the scale because he thinks he should weigh more than it's telling him he does. So maybe we do need a new battery, maybe we don't but I definitely need to just stop torturing myself for awhile. I've decided that I am going to take 30 days off from weighing and see what happens; I'm also going to skip picture day on Friday. I am still going to post my intake/activity every day, but for the next month I am going to focus on intake and activity rather than progress because my lack of such is wearing me down and making me want to quit. Failure is temporary, giving up is permanent. I am not going to give up - just shift my focus for a little while and see what happens. Wish me luck.
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 dollar menu burger
4 carrots and 2 tsps of peanut butter
1 chocolate donut
1 glass of wine
-------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,360
(horrible, I know. I don't know what was wrong with me today!)
Activity:
Jumped up and down 200 times while waiting for my lunch to cook.
Sprinting: raced Snackers across the parking lot both ways - total approx. 140 yards
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Ren Fair 2011
It's finally here! The Las Vegas Renaissance Fair 2011! Actually, it was kind of disappointing. I wasn't very impressed with the one last year compared to the one that they have in Cedar City, Utah every year but this year the Vegas one was even more lack luster than last year's. The one in Cedar is a lot smaller but there is a lot more to do, and to see, and more interaction. Here in Vegas I'd say 65% of the fair is taken up by guild tents where, if you're not a member of the guild there's nothing to see or do there. They don't sell anything, do shows, or recruit - most of the time they're just occupied by one or two people sitting around fanning themselves. There are the usual booths with renaissance clothing, jewelry, swords, etc. There's the turkey legs and a few stages with belly dancers but, overall, it was just a HUGE park that was less than half full of tents and less than half of those offered something to see or do.
However, we still had fun. Here are the highlights of our 3 hours there today:
I got fitted with a real corset and they cinched it up, and cinched it up, and cinched it up some more, and he just kept cinching, and cinching, and cinching ... wow. It was the least expensive corset in the entire fair, also the least expensive one I've found so far, but well made and reversible so I bought it. I've always wanted one.
Snackers rode a camel. He's probably one of the few people in the western world that can now say he's ridden a camel. I've never ridden a camel but opted not to go for a ride because it was $6 for a single lap around a baseball diamond at a walk while being led by someone. So not my idea of a bargain ... if I'm gonna ride a camel I want an experience to remember.
I found out I have a slave. I had no idea ... I wonder where he/she has been all this time? This sign clearly says I have one. Yep, I'm wearing a corset, a coin belt, and a cloak. I couldn't decide what I wanted to be this year and I had everything but the corset already in my closet. I love costumes.
And last, but not least, Snackers found heaven. A marinated roasted turkey leg and a guiness. What more could any man ask for? Oh yeah, the scone with strawberries and cream that he ate as soon as he'd finished the turkey leg.
Food:
100 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1/2 veggie omlette
1 shepherd's pie
(little meat and veggie filled tarts they were selling at the fair)
1 vegetarian sub
1 large pickle
------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,085
Activity:
Walking: 3 hours at the Ren. Fair.
Shopping: Grocery - 1 hr.
Walking/Playing @ the dog park: 1.5 hours
However, we still had fun. Here are the highlights of our 3 hours there today:
Food:
100 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1/2 veggie omlette
1 shepherd's pie
(little meat and veggie filled tarts they were selling at the fair)
1 vegetarian sub
1 large pickle
------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,085
Activity:
Walking: 3 hours at the Ren. Fair.
Shopping: Grocery - 1 hr.
Walking/Playing @ the dog park: 1.5 hours
Saturday, October 8, 2011
One to Avoid
But here's one to avoid, in my personal opinion. First of all ... it's vegetarian, which doesn't bother me except that it has one of the highest caloric contents of ANY of their meals. No joke ... so with no meat where in the hell are all of those calories coming from? They have other pasta/rice dishes, WITH meat, that are 250 - 280 calories yet this one is a whopping 360!!! Now again, 360 usually is considered quite good for a meal if it's satisfying so why am I bashing this box?
Well because I've gotten it twice now and both times, it totally sucked! I bought it the second time because I couldn't remember if I'd like it the first time but as soon as I took a bite of it the memories came rushing back to me. The self-venting system on the steamer trays (something I normally love) just doesn't work well with a pot sticker. The edges of them get all dried out and crusty because you're not supposed to stir them half-way through the cooking time ... that's how Cafe Steamer's work. Open 'em up, pop 'em in, pull 'em out and eat. Also, for 360 calories this is NOT a satisfying meal to say the least. Three pot stickers, a few tsps of rice, and a smattering of veggies does not a filling meal make. So I ask again, where in the hell are all those calories coming from? It's the sauce. This super rich, super sticky, super thick sauce that is overpowering and totally could have been watered down a little or something to reduce both caloric content and nausea.
So I will repeat - I LOVE HEALTHY CHOICE CAFE STEAMERS AND OTHER MEALS ... BUT this is one that I will not recommend and will not be buying again. Just in case any of you were wondering. :)
Food:
130 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Fiber One bar
2 large turns at the salad bar
>>lettuce, edamame, peas, onions, cucumbers
>>broccoli, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar
1/2 chicken quesadilla
1 cup hot apple cider (sugar free)
1 chocolate bar for charity
--------------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 931
Activity:
Jogging: 1/4 mile (ran a lap around the park and ran to the mailbox and back. I had to do it in pieces with breathers in between but I did it, and that's what matters!)
Walking: 1.25 miles at the bank, dinner, and football
Stadium steps: Five flights
Friday, October 7, 2011
Cat Antics
In previous posts I've mentioned my cats Casper and Kody along with a few of their personal little quirks. I have to be honest and say that before moving in with Snackers I'd never had any desire to own a cat. I'd had friends that had cats and it seemed to me that most cats lacked any sort of identifiable personality; the ones I'd known simply laid around watching people and sleeping from what I'd seen. I'm realizing that when cats do have a personality, and they do, they have some of the strangest personalities in the entire animal kingdom! In fact, I think that all cats are OCD because it seems like they all have something that you can expect them to do.
For examples: I had a friend who's cat liked to rub her face on the faces of humans (Misty, I can't remember your cats name but you know I'm talking about her here). It was cute at first but she was a big time shedder so it got irritating after a little while but she was this huge, adorable, super soft calico and it was really hard to say no to her. Once she started face rubbing, it seemed like she could go for hours if you didn't put a stop to it.
I have another friend who's cat (Frank: the cat's name) likes to drink from the faucet on her kitchen sink. Just about every time she turns it on, he materializes out of nowhere to get his laps on. That same cat also LOVES fish food, it's his favorite treat in the whole wide world.
Casper and Kody are both obsessed with the bath tub. Any time Snackers or I take a bath, our cats will be there the minute we turn the water on, sitting on the edge of the tub. Casper dips his feet in the tub and then licks the water off of them - and he's a lefty I might add. Kody will hunch down and drink right from the bath water. OBSESSED I tell you. Kody also likes to lay on top of the fridge, hang his head over the front and look at you upside down as you walk by. Casper likes to be held by people that are sitting in the bathroom going potty. He'll come in and rub on your ankles and mew until you pick him up. He also likes to be petted just as you're laying down to go to sleep and if you ignore him he'll nibble your armpits and, if you're a guy, pull your chest hairs out with his teeth until he gets what he wants. Kody gives foot massages when you go to bed. He'll rub his face on your feet for five or ten minutes at a time, alternating between feet and it actually feels quite nice.
What are some of your cat's antics?
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
7 baby carrots
2 tsps peanut butter
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 small dinner salad
2 servings garlic shrimp
-------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 827
p.s. The last two days my water intake was much higher than what I posted but I forgot to update it before posting. I drank over 140 oz of water yesterday. WOW!
Activity:
Jumping up and down: while cooking lunch and smoking
Running: ran to the mailbox and back
Walking: 1.65 miles, Snackers and I haunted the kayak section at the sporting goods store, again, then walked around looking at everything else, then buzzed through the mall looking for breast cancer awareness pins for him and the other coaches to wear in tomorrow's game.
For examples: I had a friend who's cat liked to rub her face on the faces of humans (Misty, I can't remember your cats name but you know I'm talking about her here). It was cute at first but she was a big time shedder so it got irritating after a little while but she was this huge, adorable, super soft calico and it was really hard to say no to her. Once she started face rubbing, it seemed like she could go for hours if you didn't put a stop to it.
I have another friend who's cat (Frank: the cat's name) likes to drink from the faucet on her kitchen sink. Just about every time she turns it on, he materializes out of nowhere to get his laps on. That same cat also LOVES fish food, it's his favorite treat in the whole wide world.
Casper and Kody are both obsessed with the bath tub. Any time Snackers or I take a bath, our cats will be there the minute we turn the water on, sitting on the edge of the tub. Casper dips his feet in the tub and then licks the water off of them - and he's a lefty I might add. Kody will hunch down and drink right from the bath water. OBSESSED I tell you. Kody also likes to lay on top of the fridge, hang his head over the front and look at you upside down as you walk by. Casper likes to be held by people that are sitting in the bathroom going potty. He'll come in and rub on your ankles and mew until you pick him up. He also likes to be petted just as you're laying down to go to sleep and if you ignore him he'll nibble your armpits and, if you're a guy, pull your chest hairs out with his teeth until he gets what he wants. Kody gives foot massages when you go to bed. He'll rub his face on your feet for five or ten minutes at a time, alternating between feet and it actually feels quite nice.
What are some of your cat's antics?
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
7 baby carrots
2 tsps peanut butter
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 small dinner salad
2 servings garlic shrimp
-------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 827
p.s. The last two days my water intake was much higher than what I posted but I forgot to update it before posting. I drank over 140 oz of water yesterday. WOW!
Activity:
Jumping up and down: while cooking lunch and smoking
Running: ran to the mailbox and back
Walking: 1.65 miles, Snackers and I haunted the kayak section at the sporting goods store, again, then walked around looking at everything else, then buzzed through the mall looking for breast cancer awareness pins for him and the other coaches to wear in tomorrow's game.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
A Case of the Aches
I've always had a hard time with aches and pains in wet weather. My mom says that every time you break a bone you contract a little bit of arthritis in it and that's what causes the aches when the weather changes. I'm not sure if that's a medical fact or a wives tail but it seems to be true. Everything I've ever broken, and I've broken a lot of bones for someone my age, hurts right now. It's not muscle pain or strain it's deep down in the bones. I wish I could call in sick to work, climb in a hot bath, and then go back to bed under a pile of blankets today.
My hands hurt more than anything which sucks because I use a computer all day long at work so my hands are the part of me that I need the most right now. Even worse, tonight is football practice and Tuesday night I was miserable! I haven't found my winter clothes yet in the unpacking process so, despite being able to borrow a blanket for a friend on Tuesday night, I froze my ass off at practice and came home feeling cold all the way to the marrow.
Ok, I know what most of you are thinking right now. Yes, I live in Vegas and yes, most of you would probably give me a whole lot of your minds for calling 64 degrees cold but I'm a desert rat! I love the desert, I love the heat, and for me 64 is butt numbing cold! Piper totally agrees with me too, even all bundled up under her blanket I can see her shivering ... poor little doggy.
P.S. Book update! The book that I wrote is now, finally, available as a paperback. I'm so excited! I can't even begin to describe what it feels like to see something that I wrote sitting on my own bookshelf! If you're interested in reading it and don't have an eBook reader you can get the paperback HERE!
Food:
100 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 antipasto salad w/pico
2 - 100 calorie snack packs
---------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1077
Activity:
Jumping in place: while microwaving lunch and at football
Walking: at football, small distances
Playing w/Vladdy
My hands hurt more than anything which sucks because I use a computer all day long at work so my hands are the part of me that I need the most right now. Even worse, tonight is football practice and Tuesday night I was miserable! I haven't found my winter clothes yet in the unpacking process so, despite being able to borrow a blanket for a friend on Tuesday night, I froze my ass off at practice and came home feeling cold all the way to the marrow.
Ok, I know what most of you are thinking right now. Yes, I live in Vegas and yes, most of you would probably give me a whole lot of your minds for calling 64 degrees cold but I'm a desert rat! I love the desert, I love the heat, and for me 64 is butt numbing cold! Piper totally agrees with me too, even all bundled up under her blanket I can see her shivering ... poor little doggy.
P.S. Book update! The book that I wrote is now, finally, available as a paperback. I'm so excited! I can't even begin to describe what it feels like to see something that I wrote sitting on my own bookshelf! If you're interested in reading it and don't have an eBook reader you can get the paperback HERE!
Food:
100 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 antipasto salad w/pico
2 - 100 calorie snack packs
---------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1077
Activity:
Jumping in place: while microwaving lunch and at football
Walking: at football, small distances
Playing w/Vladdy
Kickin' It Up
Some of you might have noticed that some of my usual weekly habits have changed a little. I've been running around playing with Vladdy more often; I went bowling on Monday (something I haven't done in ages!); and I ran instead of walking to the mailbox and back yesterday. Well I'm feelin' it! lol
My arm and lower back hurt from bowling, my butt muscles are sore from I don't know what, my calves are sore from bunny hopping and running and ... I'll be honest with you, I'm finally starting to see myself as a skinnier person than I used to. This is hard to explain but when you spend so much time being over weight you start to get used to things that won't fit or places that you can't go or things that you can't do. It's almost like the fat version of Stockholm syndrome.
When you lose weight you don't always see it in those areas. I mean, I look at my pictures and I see it, I watch my clothes getting smaller and I see it, every so often I look in the mirror and see it, but most of the time I go through my day subconsciously still pretending I'm 287 lbs. I look at a chair that I am about to sit in and I have a moment of panic as I realize I'm probably not going to fit on/in it comfortably. I see a narrow space to walk through and turn sideways and suck it in good, assuming I won't fit if I don't.
But that is gradually starting to change in many places. Laying in the bathtub, sitting in my recliner, putting on my seat belt in the car, opening the glass slider just wide enough to slip through, etc. I don't want to get comfortable just yet but I am starting to finally reap the psychological benefits of what I've accomplished and it's quite fun!
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 small dinner salad
>>w/fat free vinaigrette
1 bow of chili
----------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 933
Activity:
Jumping up and down: several times, whenever I was standing still
Walking/Shopping: w/Snackers. Didn't buy anything, just browsed for a couple hours walking the mall
My arm and lower back hurt from bowling, my butt muscles are sore from I don't know what, my calves are sore from bunny hopping and running and ... I'll be honest with you, I'm finally starting to see myself as a skinnier person than I used to. This is hard to explain but when you spend so much time being over weight you start to get used to things that won't fit or places that you can't go or things that you can't do. It's almost like the fat version of Stockholm syndrome.
When you lose weight you don't always see it in those areas. I mean, I look at my pictures and I see it, I watch my clothes getting smaller and I see it, every so often I look in the mirror and see it, but most of the time I go through my day subconsciously still pretending I'm 287 lbs. I look at a chair that I am about to sit in and I have a moment of panic as I realize I'm probably not going to fit on/in it comfortably. I see a narrow space to walk through and turn sideways and suck it in good, assuming I won't fit if I don't.
But that is gradually starting to change in many places. Laying in the bathtub, sitting in my recliner, putting on my seat belt in the car, opening the glass slider just wide enough to slip through, etc. I don't want to get comfortable just yet but I am starting to finally reap the psychological benefits of what I've accomplished and it's quite fun!
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 small dinner salad
>>w/fat free vinaigrette
1 bow of chili
----------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 933
Activity:
Jumping up and down: several times, whenever I was standing still
Walking/Shopping: w/Snackers. Didn't buy anything, just browsed for a couple hours walking the mall
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Playlist for Bro
My brother, who reads this blog pretty much every day, and I got into a discussion on music and bands that we like. Oddly enough, despite the fact that we're 9 years apart in age and over 700 miles apart geographically, he and I have always had very similar tastes in music throughout our lives. Be both loved Depeche Mode, Erasure, and similar bands in the 80's (and to be honest, we still love them). We both bought the same exact Enigma, Enya, and Type O Negative CD's around the same time. And, as you can see, we both have very eclectic tastes for music that range all over the board.
So I told him that I would send him a list of songs that I like that he should look into and I keep forgetting to do that - so I'm posting them here today instead. Enjoy! P.s. you can click the links to hear samples of each song or you can YouTube every one of these to hear the full version.
Sick Puppies - You're Going Down This song is uplifting for me.
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks This song makes me happy.
Linkin Park - Iridescent I know you don't like Linkin Park but this song is ... wow!
Adele - Rolling In The Deep My new favorite thing to sing at karaoke.
Angels and Airwaves - Breathe Mine and Snackers' song
Flyleaf - Again Another karaoke favorite!!!
Flyleaf - I'm So Sick I WISH I could do this at karaoke.
Flyleaf - Memento Mori Actually, because I love just about everything I've ever heard her sing, here's a link to her best full album too lol.
Let me know what you think of them!
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1/2 slice leftover pizza
1 healthy choice lunch
1 Healthy choice dinner
1 ice cream
-----------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 952
Activity:
Running: Ran to the mailbox and back to check the mail
Running: Raced Snackers from football practice to the car (just over 1/8 of a mile)
Jumping: I was FREEZING at football practice so I started jumping up and down in place to warm up.
So I told him that I would send him a list of songs that I like that he should look into and I keep forgetting to do that - so I'm posting them here today instead. Enjoy! P.s. you can click the links to hear samples of each song or you can YouTube every one of these to hear the full version.
Sick Puppies - You're Going Down This song is uplifting for me.
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks This song makes me happy.
Linkin Park - Iridescent I know you don't like Linkin Park but this song is ... wow!
Adele - Rolling In The Deep My new favorite thing to sing at karaoke.
Angels and Airwaves - Breathe Mine and Snackers' song
Flyleaf - Again Another karaoke favorite!!!
Flyleaf - I'm So Sick I WISH I could do this at karaoke.
Flyleaf - Memento Mori Actually, because I love just about everything I've ever heard her sing, here's a link to her best full album too lol.
Let me know what you think of them!
Food:
120 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1/2 slice leftover pizza
1 healthy choice lunch
1 Healthy choice dinner
1 ice cream
-----------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 952
Activity:
Running: Ran to the mailbox and back to check the mail
Running: Raced Snackers from football practice to the car (just over 1/8 of a mile)
Jumping: I was FREEZING at football practice so I started jumping up and down in place to warm up.
Weigh-In #48
226. That's ok, I know I was down to 223.5 the other day and that I spent a lot of time in the sun and drank some alcoholic beverages followed by lots of water so I know I'm carrying some water weight this morning and I'm good with it. At least I'm finally starting to see some new all-time lows during the week before my weekends lead me to water retention. ;)
I had a blast yesterday hanging out with the girls and last night was fun spending time with Snackers too. It was like I got the best of both worlds in a single day! Snackers played a few games of Battleship with me on the computer last night, I dominated, and then Vladdy decided that my exercises last night were an invite to play so that was even fun too.
Snackers made duck for dinner last night; I think it's the first time I've ever had it and I was really surprised, for how tender and flavorful it was, that the calories on it were relatively reasonable! It's not exactly a bargain meat but whoa boy is it tasty. Chef Snackers! He wants to have pizza tonight ... SABOTAGE I TELL YOU!!!!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 serving asian wings
2.5 slices fit and delicious pizza
-------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 922
Activity:
Playing: Ran around the yard playing with Vladdy at lunch and after supper.
Bowling: 2 games
I had a blast yesterday hanging out with the girls and last night was fun spending time with Snackers too. It was like I got the best of both worlds in a single day! Snackers played a few games of Battleship with me on the computer last night, I dominated, and then Vladdy decided that my exercises last night were an invite to play so that was even fun too.
Snackers made duck for dinner last night; I think it's the first time I've ever had it and I was really surprised, for how tender and flavorful it was, that the calories on it were relatively reasonable! It's not exactly a bargain meat but whoa boy is it tasty. Chef Snackers! He wants to have pizza tonight ... SABOTAGE I TELL YOU!!!!
Food:
140 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 Healthy Choice lunch
1 serving asian wings
2.5 slices fit and delicious pizza
-------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 922
Activity:
Playing: Ran around the yard playing with Vladdy at lunch and after supper.
Bowling: 2 games
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Bra talk
WARNING: If you are a guy, or girl, that gets uncomfortable when women talk about their bras, skip this post. :)
When I first started to lose weight I warned Snackers that I would probably lose it in my bra before losing it anywhere else, because that's how weight loss has always happened for me in the past. I started this blog wearing a 42C and thought, for sure, that I would see my cup size reduce before I saw any change around my rib cage.
Now, for those of you men still reading, here's how bra sizes work. The number in a bra size is the diameter around the rib cage and the letter is the cup size. So I expected to drop from a C to a B when I started losing weight.
Yesterday I decided I couldn't get away with wearing my old bras any longer. They just wouldn't stay comfortably around my rib cage when I moved around and exercised. So I went shopping. I was pretty certain I'd lost at least one size in my rib cage, maybe two, but I wasn't sure about the cup size so I grabbed a 38C and crossed my fingers as I headed for the dressing room. Another side note: bras, like pants, are sized in twos: 36, 38, 40 etc. And most bras have three or four sets of hooks in the back so you can get some size variance from them. Well, as it turns out, the 38 fit perfectly on the tightest hook which means, as I lose weight, there's no room left for it to go smaller. The cups, on the other hand, were perfect!
So I bought a 36C and I'm stoked! It fits perfect on the loosest hook so as I lose weight I have two more hooks that I can use to keep it fitting for awhile BUT I haven't lose ANY cup size! How awesome is that?!
Food:
130 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 glass of champagne
3 margaritas
1/4 serving of nachos
5 oz roasted duck breast (homemade by Snackers)
1 cup roasted red potatoes (also homemade)
--------------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,136
Activity:
Walking/Shopping: Snackers and I swung through two health food stores to browse and kill time.
Walking: (3-ish hours) Art in the park was today! It was hot and we were sweaty but it was SO MUCH FUN!!! What a blast!
Weighted walking: Put my 10 lb ankle weights on again tonight and wore them around the house after Art in the Park.
Weight Exercise: Tippy-toe lifts, jumping up and down, lunges, and knee kicks with my ankle weights on.
When I first started to lose weight I warned Snackers that I would probably lose it in my bra before losing it anywhere else, because that's how weight loss has always happened for me in the past. I started this blog wearing a 42C and thought, for sure, that I would see my cup size reduce before I saw any change around my rib cage.
Now, for those of you men still reading, here's how bra sizes work. The number in a bra size is the diameter around the rib cage and the letter is the cup size. So I expected to drop from a C to a B when I started losing weight.
Yesterday I decided I couldn't get away with wearing my old bras any longer. They just wouldn't stay comfortably around my rib cage when I moved around and exercised. So I went shopping. I was pretty certain I'd lost at least one size in my rib cage, maybe two, but I wasn't sure about the cup size so I grabbed a 38C and crossed my fingers as I headed for the dressing room. Another side note: bras, like pants, are sized in twos: 36, 38, 40 etc. And most bras have three or four sets of hooks in the back so you can get some size variance from them. Well, as it turns out, the 38 fit perfectly on the tightest hook which means, as I lose weight, there's no room left for it to go smaller. The cups, on the other hand, were perfect!
So I bought a 36C and I'm stoked! It fits perfect on the loosest hook so as I lose weight I have two more hooks that I can use to keep it fitting for awhile BUT I haven't lose ANY cup size! How awesome is that?!
Food:
130 oz of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 glass of champagne
3 margaritas
1/4 serving of nachos
5 oz roasted duck breast (homemade by Snackers)
1 cup roasted red potatoes (also homemade)
--------------------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,136
Activity:
Walking/Shopping: Snackers and I swung through two health food stores to browse and kill time.
Walking: (3-ish hours) Art in the park was today! It was hot and we were sweaty but it was SO MUCH FUN!!! What a blast!
Weighted walking: Put my 10 lb ankle weights on again tonight and wore them around the house after Art in the Park.
Weight Exercise: Tippy-toe lifts, jumping up and down, lunges, and knee kicks with my ankle weights on.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Impromptu Weigh-In
I hopped on the scale this morning just for fun and curiosity sake and guess what it told me ... 223.5. Yet another new All-time low! Now, can I keep it that way until Monday morning - that is the question!!!
At this rate, if I really keep working at it I can be out of the 220's by the end of October. I've never been big on Halloween candy so I shouldn't have to worry too much about the month sabotaging me but I will be vigilant none the less. This bunny hopping strategy is really working! I have to confess that I'm a little bit surprised by that! I probably shouldn't be, bunny hopping is not an easy thing to do, but I've only been mildly active outside of the hopping so it's still surprising that it makes that much of a difference.
Snackers caught me hopping the other day. I was right, he thinks I'm strange. Oh well, I'm losing poundage so I don't care! :) *Insert fat girl happy dance*
Food:
80 oz of water
1 cup of coffee, black
1 Machaca burrito
1 raw chocolate square
3 homemade tacos
1 square natural chocolate
------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 936
Activity:
Walking/shopping: went to look at kayaks, again, and went grocery shopping.
Weighted walking: got ankle weights, wore them around the house and to make dinner.
Cleaning: scrubbed Vladdys pool with a brush and some bleach, then filled it and sat in it for awhile.
Running: sprinted to the mailbox to check the mail and raced Snackers to the car. . . Even though he didn't play along. Also came out of the store to a downpour so we both ran to the car and loaded the groceries double time.
At this rate, if I really keep working at it I can be out of the 220's by the end of October. I've never been big on Halloween candy so I shouldn't have to worry too much about the month sabotaging me but I will be vigilant none the less. This bunny hopping strategy is really working! I have to confess that I'm a little bit surprised by that! I probably shouldn't be, bunny hopping is not an easy thing to do, but I've only been mildly active outside of the hopping so it's still surprising that it makes that much of a difference.
Snackers caught me hopping the other day. I was right, he thinks I'm strange. Oh well, I'm losing poundage so I don't care! :) *Insert fat girl happy dance*
Food:
80 oz of water
1 cup of coffee, black
1 Machaca burrito
1 raw chocolate square
3 homemade tacos
1 square natural chocolate
------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 936
Activity:
Walking/shopping: went to look at kayaks, again, and went grocery shopping.
Weighted walking: got ankle weights, wore them around the house and to make dinner.
Cleaning: scrubbed Vladdys pool with a brush and some bleach, then filled it and sat in it for awhile.
Running: sprinted to the mailbox to check the mail and raced Snackers to the car. . . Even though he didn't play along. Also came out of the store to a downpour so we both ran to the car and loaded the groceries double time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)