I seem to have managed to get through a whole month eating pretty healthy and exercising pretty regularly. Well, at least more regularly than I used to. And what do I have to show for it? This is the story by the numbers:
Weight: 204.3 (-8.3 pounds, or 3.9% loss)
BMI: 32.0 (-1.3)
Waist: 38.5" ( -1")
Hips: 44" (-1")
Bust: 44" (-1")
Thighs: 24.25" (-1")
Upper Arms: 15" (-1")
I guess that is a decent start. I bet if I put a little more effort in on the exercise front, those numbers could be better next month, but isn't it funny how life gets in the way?
So at yoga tonight she had us do a lot of twisting moves with our midsection. I remember one day in class, Jody was discussing the benefit of these twisting moves. She said that it's good release for the liver, because the liver holds what? Of course, being the smart ass I am, I said, "Alcohol?" Apparently, that was the wrong answer, but it was a few minutes before she and the class recovered enough to continue. The right answer, according to Jody, is anger. I didn't know the liver held the anger. That seems a little strange to me. I mean, why doesn't the gall bladder hold the anger? It doesn't have a whole lot of other function and you can survive just fine without it. Imagine how happy people who have had their gall bladders removed would become. It's like a two for one surgery, removing your gall bladder and your anger in fell swoop. I should think people would be clamoring to have their gall bladder taken out if that were the case.
But, no, it's the liver that holds the anger. And it does make a certain amount of sense, especially when you consider that the liver produces bile and there's that old phrase about when some gets angry and they "feel the bile rise".
Anyway, I think there might be something to it. Often, if I'm pretty focused when doing the twisting moves, at least more focused on me then everything else, I come out of class feeling like I want to cry. Tonight was a good example. I thought I was fine when I went in there. I chatted happily with my brother and some yoga buddies before hand. But after class, it had completely changed. I got ticked off at my brother for moving so slowly and laughing at my impatience when I needed to get out of there and suddenly I was just sick and tired of having to live by everyone else's schedule. And I started to wonder why I always felt everyone else's needs and feelings always were more important than mine. I carried this mood all the way home with me. I was thisclose to stopping at the grocery store for ice cream or cupcakes. I drove home instead and went inside. I still wanted to eat something horribly bad for me. But the best I could come up with was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with sugar free preserves. I guess that's better than a whole box of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.
I think I've managed to tamp those feelings back down into my liver where they belong, to seep out occasionally during bouts of PMS. Perhaps a long weekend of drinking and carousing will send enough alcohol through my liver to kill the anger there. At the very least it should get the anger good and drunk and make it not really care for a while.
On the way home from work tomorrow night, I need to get a pedicure. It's been a few weeks. It's also part of my pre-trip ritual. That ought to make me feel better too. I love pedicures. I've been hooked since I got my first professional one about 4 years ago. Why did I ever think that I could cut my own toenails?
In two days, I'll be on a ship. Hooray!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Day 29: Abe Vigoda Lives! And the New Magic Number
We went out for diner breakfast this morning with my brother Chris and his girlfriend Karen. We always sit in the same section so we can have the same waitress, Nancy. She's our favorite waitress. We're regulars there every weekend so the staff knows us and a lot of the time they just hand us menus and we seat ourselves. Actually some of the time they just wave us through. Nancy brings our drinks over before we've barely sat down. Scott always orders the same thing, bacon and cheddar cheese omelet, french fries, rye toast with a side of bacon. Nancy doesn't even ask anymore. But she does give us the side of bacon for free. I usually change it up. This morning I had a bacon, cheddar and broccoli omelet. which I ate about half of. I got the home fries, but just picked the crunchy brown bits off and ate those. And I had one piece of wheat toast with a scraping of grape jelly. It's a comfortable routine that we've followed virtually every weekend for the past 4 years that we've been living together and and even before on several weekends when Scott would stay over.Well today our routine paid off in spades! We spotted a real live celebrity. I was happily munching away on my breakfast and I saw an elderly gentleman in an orange shirt shuffling down the aisle towards the restrooms. I nudged Scott and said, "Hey, isn't that Abe Vigoda?" And Scott said, "Yes that is Abe Vigoda!" And I said, "I guess that means he's still alive! Wonder what he's doing at a diner in Little Falls?" Funny part was, my brother and Karen, had their backs to him to they thought we were kidding around. Then we confirmed with Nancy that it was indeed Abe Vigoda, of "Barney Miller", "Fish" and "The Godfather" fame. He's apparently looking at houses in the area. And judging by the way he examined the pastry display and the other stuff in the the counter area, he's quite the diner aficionado.
So that was my celebrity moment for the day. I've seen bigger celebrities. Heck, I've met bigger celebrities. But somehow this celebrity spotting was more sweet and satisfying. It's nice to know that he's still alive and kicking. Although, there is a website devoted to Mr. Vigoda's status: www.abevigoda.com. There is apparently a running joke in the entertainment industry about whether Abe is alive or dead since it has been erroneously reported twice(!) that he had passed on.
Of course, Hoboken can be great for spotting any actor that has ever played any type of mobster (go figure). Danny Aiello ("Broadway Danny Rose", "Moonstruck") runs a comedy night here every Thursday and he is often seen eating at Tutta Pasta, a restaurant I believe he co-owns. He can also be seen sitting in his illegally parked Jag singing opera at the top of his lungs. Joe "Joey Pants" Pantoliano (Guido the Killer Pimp from "Risky Business", Ralph Cifaretto from "The Sopranos) picked up something I dropped for me one day on the street and struck up a short conversation. And Max Cassella ("Doogie Howser" and "The Sopranos") we spotted getting off the bus on Washington Street. Ahhhhhh, the glamorous life!
So this week's magic number is..... 2
I lost two pounds this week. I managed to take off the .7 I gained and a little over a pound more. In a week where my exercise was spotty at best. Hey, I'll take it.
These next two weeks are going to be tough especially on the exercise. Thursday we leave on the Victory for the 4 day to Canada. Now, this shouldn't be so bad. Despite my reputation for boozing it up, I've never gained weight on a cruise. In fact I usually drop a couple on a 7-day. I take the stairs a lot. And my excursions are usually pretty active. But most importantly, I keep myself busy enough that I don't eat much outside for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know that is like a sin on a cruise, but it's true. And I seem to forget that they have soft ice cream machines around the Lido deck. It also doesn't hurt that I've never been impressed with Carnival's desserts. Even the famous Chocolate Melting Cake doesn't do much for me, it's too inconsistent.
The weekend after we get back My Brian arrives. And while we will probably be running around a lot, we will also probably be drinking a lot. My Brian is the person that got me drinking tequila shots. Egads. We've had some fuzzy but memorable evenings fueled by tequila.
We'll have to see how it goes. But I can't wait to see him!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Day 28: Evading the Wolverines
After being so bad with the exercise this week, despite my promises to myself, I knew I had to do a good hike this week. However, mindful of my knees which were still a bit stiff, I wasn't sure I wanted all the ups that I had last week so I decided to do one in Palisades Interstate Park. This Park runs along the Hudson River, from just south of the George Washington Bridge all the way up through the New York State Line. In the New Jersey Section, there are two main trails. The Long Path which runs along the top of the Palisades and the Shore Path which runs along the Hudson River. Both paths are relatively level with some minor ups and downs and a few tricky stream negotiations and rock scrambles. Then there are about 4 or 5 trails that connect the two trails and these can be moderate with lots of switchbacks or more steep and strenuous. But even the moderate trails are a bitch because you are making an elevation gain of 400-500 feet in a half mile or less.
There's lots of great views over the Hudson River and several interesting ruins of old mansions which used to occupy the area, until the early 20th century.
The 6 mile loop I chose, utilized one strenuous and steep down and then a moderate up at the end. The description of the hike can be found here.
I usually start every hiking season with the loop that runs south of the Park headquarters. It is slightly easier than the one I did today, about a mile shorter too. It's a good gauge of what my body is prepared for. And I usually do it at the end of the hiking season as well to see how far I've come physically.
But today I went north. As I said, the Long Path is a relatively level path, with few challenges so I was able to keep up a pretty good pace. Nonetheless I was passed several times by DHP's. I had a pretty high DHP count for the day: 12. And that's counting the three that passed me twice only one time each. I also had a relatively high count for other hikers: 15. And only one couple that was woefully under-prepared. She was wearing flip flops. D'Oh!
Shortly after I started the hike, I was met with a side path that leads to an old bridge to a rock outcropping on the cliff. The bridge was built by John Ringling (of the Ringling Bros Circus fame), who used to own a mansion up on these cliffs. The bridge is narrow and crosses and deep ravine and has no side rails so I stared straight ahead and walked quickly across.
The views from the rocks on the other side were lovely. It was a bit hazy out though and I knew I was in for better views further up the trail, so I crossed quickly and carefully back over the old bridge and headed off up the trail.
I finally found the perfect picture to demonstrate a f*ck-it path. There was this huge tree down over the trail and a small rockfall in front of it. The original trail actual heads off to the right in the picture, and (at this point) several enterprising souls have blazed a new path around the obstacle as you can see to the left in the picture. This was actually taken from the back side.
A little further on down the trail, I hit Ruckman's Point. This is a gorgeous lookout over the Hudson and lots of very old graffiti. The oldest one I could make out was 117 years old!
Before you get to the really evil climb down the cliffs portion of this hike, the trail runs by this Rapunzel looking tower thing. This is actually a monument to the the Women's Federation. The Federation was comprised of several women's groups who fought to keep the Palisades safe from quarrying eventually convincing New York Governor Teddy Roosevelt and New Jersey Governor Foster Vorhees to establish the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and designate this area protected land. I find it kind funny that a monument to women looks a bit like a prison.
There were several hikers and DHPs taking a break in the little garden that surrounded the is monument so I took a break as well to replenish my small bottle of water and munch on a granola bar.
Then I headed off to face the pain. The strenuous down portion of the hike. The trail descends first on a series of steep stone steps built in the early twentieth
century, so they are not in the best repair and then it continues down on short. steep, rocky switchbacks, more fit for a billy goat than and middle aged woman with bad knees. . The steps were so steep I was starting to get a little vertigo, I stayed well back from the edge and sidled down the steps more than I walked down them. It's only three tenths of a mile, but it feels a lot longer when your taking your time to make sure you have your footing.
It's a relief when you finally hit the Shore Path down below. This part of the hike offers a nice respite. And even better, when there is a big boulder fall off to the right of the path, the breeze that comes off the river gets cooled and bounced back at you. It's like a natural air conditioning. And believe me I needed it. I was sweating like Dick Cheney at confessional. I was pretty much soaked through at this point, the only dry area of my tank top was the bottom hem. While I enjoyed the less strenuous stroll, not having to concentrate on where I was putting my feet, made me pay attention to the fact that my feet were getting really tired and soar. But knowing I was more than half way done, kept me moving forward. I took an alternative path a little way along, that gave me a little up and went through more of a wooded area. But I knew that the pain was coming.
Soon I reached the Closter Dock Trail. This is was my up point, back to the top of the cliffs. This trail is an old cobblestone road, once used by the British Troops during the revolution, when they tried to intercept Washington on his way to Trenton. Do you know what happens to cobblestone roads after a couple hundred years? The cobblestones shift and move and upend. It's kind of a pain to walk over them. And dangerous to your ankles. This trail ascends on a a series of long switchbacks. It really takes it out of you. I find it works best to keep my head down, walk slowly and count my steps. If see how much farther it is too the top, it can get discouraging. And at this point it's only six tenths of a mile back to the parking lot. I was ready to finish.
I finally trudged my way back to the car in a little under 3 hours. My trusty pedometer read:
5.96 miles
13988 steps
626 calories burned (at least!)
Oh, and I have to mention, that while I was sore, my right knee was much happier after this hike since I gave it the same kind of support I give to my left knee. Hooray!
The next two weekends I won't be able to hike. Next weekend, I'll be walking around St. John, New Brunswick, Canada while on my Victory Cruise. And the weekend after that, my best friend, My Brian, is coming into to town from Indiana to visit. I can't wait to see him!
Cheerios!
There's lots of great views over the Hudson River and several interesting ruins of old mansions which used to occupy the area, until the early 20th century.
The 6 mile loop I chose, utilized one strenuous and steep down and then a moderate up at the end. The description of the hike can be found here.
I usually start every hiking season with the loop that runs south of the Park headquarters. It is slightly easier than the one I did today, about a mile shorter too. It's a good gauge of what my body is prepared for. And I usually do it at the end of the hiking season as well to see how far I've come physically.But today I went north. As I said, the Long Path is a relatively level path, with few challenges so I was able to keep up a pretty good pace. Nonetheless I was passed several times by DHP's. I had a pretty high DHP count for the day: 12. And that's counting the three that passed me twice only one time each. I also had a relatively high count for other hikers: 15. And only one couple that was woefully under-prepared. She was wearing flip flops. D'Oh!
Shortly after I started the hike, I was met with a side path that leads to an old bridge to a rock outcropping on the cliff. The bridge was built by John Ringling (of the Ringling Bros Circus fame), who used to own a mansion up on these cliffs. The bridge is narrow and crosses and deep ravine and has no side rails so I stared straight ahead and walked quickly across.The views from the rocks on the other side were lovely. It was a bit hazy out though and I knew I was in for better views further up the trail, so I crossed quickly and carefully back over the old bridge and headed off up the trail.
I finally found the perfect picture to demonstrate a f*ck-it path. There was this huge tree down over the trail and a small rockfall in front of it. The original trail actual heads off to the right in the picture, and (at this point) several enterprising souls have blazed a new path around the obstacle as you can see to the left in the picture. This was actually taken from the back side.
A little further on down the trail, I hit Ruckman's Point. This is a gorgeous lookout over the Hudson and lots of very old graffiti. The oldest one I could make out was 117 years old!
Before you get to the really evil climb down the cliffs portion of this hike, the trail runs by this Rapunzel looking tower thing. This is actually a monument to the the Women's Federation. The Federation was comprised of several women's groups who fought to keep the Palisades safe from quarrying eventually convincing New York Governor Teddy Roosevelt and New Jersey Governor Foster Vorhees to establish the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and designate this area protected land. I find it kind funny that a monument to women looks a bit like a prison.
There were several hikers and DHPs taking a break in the little garden that surrounded the is monument so I took a break as well to replenish my small bottle of water and munch on a granola bar.
Then I headed off to face the pain. The strenuous down portion of the hike. The trail descends first on a series of steep stone steps built in the early twentieth
century, so they are not in the best repair and then it continues down on short. steep, rocky switchbacks, more fit for a billy goat than and middle aged woman with bad knees. . The steps were so steep I was starting to get a little vertigo, I stayed well back from the edge and sidled down the steps more than I walked down them. It's only three tenths of a mile, but it feels a lot longer when your taking your time to make sure you have your footing.
It's a relief when you finally hit the Shore Path down below. This part of the hike offers a nice respite. And even better, when there is a big boulder fall off to the right of the path, the breeze that comes off the river gets cooled and bounced back at you. It's like a natural air conditioning. And believe me I needed it. I was sweating like Dick Cheney at confessional. I was pretty much soaked through at this point, the only dry area of my tank top was the bottom hem. While I enjoyed the less strenuous stroll, not having to concentrate on where I was putting my feet, made me pay attention to the fact that my feet were getting really tired and soar. But knowing I was more than half way done, kept me moving forward. I took an alternative path a little way along, that gave me a little up and went through more of a wooded area. But I knew that the pain was coming.Soon I reached the Closter Dock Trail. This is was my up point, back to the top of the cliffs. This trail is an old cobblestone road, once used by the British Troops during the revolution, when they tried to intercept Washington on his way to Trenton. Do you know what happens to cobblestone roads after a couple hundred years? The cobblestones shift and move and upend. It's kind of a pain to walk over them. And dangerous to your ankles. This trail ascends on a a series of long switchbacks. It really takes it out of you. I find it works best to keep my head down, walk slowly and count my steps. If see how much farther it is too the top, it can get discouraging. And at this point it's only six tenths of a mile back to the parking lot. I was ready to finish.
I finally trudged my way back to the car in a little under 3 hours. My trusty pedometer read:
5.96 miles
13988 steps
626 calories burned (at least!)
Oh, and I have to mention, that while I was sore, my right knee was much happier after this hike since I gave it the same kind of support I give to my left knee. Hooray!
The next two weekends I won't be able to hike. Next weekend, I'll be walking around St. John, New Brunswick, Canada while on my Victory Cruise. And the weekend after that, my best friend, My Brian, is coming into to town from Indiana to visit. I can't wait to see him!
Cheerios!
Day 26&27: Blame it on the Blond
Oy! It's been a couple of days, I know. Sometimes time just seems to get away from me. So let me backtrack a bit...On Thursday I went to get my hair colored. The gray was starting to overwhelm even me. And Scott, my ever supportive and loving 6'6" boyfriend, kept looking down at the top of my head and saying "Yeah, you need to get your color done." So Thursday after work I went to see Beatrix. I've been going to her for years. I first let her color my hair about 5 years ago. She hated my gray and hated my out of the box color choices as well, so a few weeks before my first cruise I said, "Okay, have your way with me." And she did. And I ended up blond. Well not really blond but there were enough blond highlights to make it seem that way, my natural hair color is a very dark brown, so it was a bit disorienting to see myself with this new color. We eventually worked out a compromise. Making the color a little darker in general and more dark in the fall and winter. But in the summer, we take it lighter. And yes, I know it's not really blond, but it feels that way to me. And it gives me a good excuse when I do something brainless. I have my "blond moments".
Afterwards I totally intended to exercise, but after I got my dinner. My friend, Princess Elaine, let me know her first grandchild, Gavin, was on the way and to spread the word to the rest of the crew. Then just as I was changing, I got the call from the very emotional bubbe that Gavin had arrived and she gave me the details to pass on. As I was sending out that email, a friend IM'd me needing to chat about some serious stuff going on with him. We ended up chatting for an hour and a half and suddenly it was 11 o'clock at night. There went the day.
Friday. Another day of intention. Scott got out of work early enough to meet me at the Port Authority so we could commute home together. We decided to stop for dinner at a restaurant in uptown Hoboken on our way home. I think the sangria was probably a bad idea, at least it had fruit in it! As we walked home I could feel the wine seeping into my muscles. I always feel alcohol in my shoulders and thighs first. By the time we got home, I told Scott I was going to lay down for a minute and sober up before I went walking. I laid down on the bed and promptly fell asleep! I woke up a few hours later, long enough to get undressed and peel the contact lenses off my eyes. Then it was back to bed and straight through until 7:30 Saturday morning. I guess I was tired.
Oops. Well, like the title of this blog suggests: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. At the rate I'm going, the devil should have a luxury suite prepared for me.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Day 25: Oooooo. Aahhhhhh. Ooohhhhh. Ouch!
I think I mentioned last week that my left shoulder was hurting. It hurt to move my arm. It hurt to put any sort of pressure on the left arm. It hurt when I moved from lying down to a sitting position. It just hurt. It was definitely a muscle pain. I tried everything to loosen it up. And finally thought maybe I should get a massage. Scott mentioned this bass player that he knew who lived here in Hoboken and was a massage therapist, Mario. So I asked Scott to get in touch with him and get his info. Two days later, I asked if he had gotten in touch with Mario. And Scott said, "I didn't know your shoulder still hurt. You haven't complained about it." Exasperated, I looked at him and replied, "That's because I'm a woman! Sheesh! We don't complain about pain!" (There's the old joke, that if men had to have the babies, humans would have died out long ago.)
He had Mario's info for me that night. In the meantime I had a woman do some Reiki energy work on the shoulder and it started to loosen up and the pain lessened. But it didn't solve the underlying problem that I carry all my stress in the my shoulders, neck and upper back. I feel like my shoulders are so tight they are up around my ears. So I gave a Mario a call.
My appointment was this evening. When I got to his apartment we chatted for a little bit about common acquaintances and then he asked me what was going on with my body and I explained to him about my shoulders, back and neck. He left the room, I got undressed and on the table and then he went to work. For a solid hour, he concentrated on those three areas, rubbing, kneading, practically beating those muscles into submission. Every time he hit a seized up spot on my back I flinched. We chatted a little during and he explained what he was seeing and how the muscles get knotted up and lose circulation so they can't loosen up. He said he's seen worse backs but I think he was just being kind. Towards the end he had me turn over onto my back and he went to work on the pectoral muscles which were also tight and therefore waging war with the back muscles over who controlled the shoulders. He ended up with some work on my neck and a scalp massage.
When I got up from the table, the tension was lessened, but still present. My shoulders at least felt like they had dropped a couple of inches and my neck felt longer. I think the tension is so firmly entrenched in my muscles that it is going to take some work to get them unknotted. I made another appointment for the 23rd and I think I'm going to hit the spa on my cruise next weekend for a massage.
I've always looked at massages as a luxury. I think I'm going to have to change that attitude for a while and view them as a necessity. I'm trying to imagine a day when I don't feel that familiar, painful tightness in my shoulders, neck and back. Right now, it's hard to see, but I know I can get there.
When I was getting dressed, I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was really wacky from the scalp massage and the oil on his hands so I smoothed it down the best I could. When I left his building and headed home, I passed a guy sitting on a stoop and thought I saw him kind of smirk at me. And then I passed another guy who did the same thing. I thought, "What's their problem?" When I got home and really looked at myself in the mirror, I saw the flush on my body, the messy hair, and smudged mascara and suddenly realized what they were smirking at... I looked like I had just gotten laid! I started laughing. Oh well.
I didn't feel like harshing my mellow when I got home this evening, so I took the night off from exercise. I will return to exercise this evening. If my knees aren't up to walking, I think I'm going to pull out "Sweating to the Oldies". Richard Simmons is always good for a laugh.
He had Mario's info for me that night. In the meantime I had a woman do some Reiki energy work on the shoulder and it started to loosen up and the pain lessened. But it didn't solve the underlying problem that I carry all my stress in the my shoulders, neck and upper back. I feel like my shoulders are so tight they are up around my ears. So I gave a Mario a call.
My appointment was this evening. When I got to his apartment we chatted for a little bit about common acquaintances and then he asked me what was going on with my body and I explained to him about my shoulders, back and neck. He left the room, I got undressed and on the table and then he went to work. For a solid hour, he concentrated on those three areas, rubbing, kneading, practically beating those muscles into submission. Every time he hit a seized up spot on my back I flinched. We chatted a little during and he explained what he was seeing and how the muscles get knotted up and lose circulation so they can't loosen up. He said he's seen worse backs but I think he was just being kind. Towards the end he had me turn over onto my back and he went to work on the pectoral muscles which were also tight and therefore waging war with the back muscles over who controlled the shoulders. He ended up with some work on my neck and a scalp massage.
When I got up from the table, the tension was lessened, but still present. My shoulders at least felt like they had dropped a couple of inches and my neck felt longer. I think the tension is so firmly entrenched in my muscles that it is going to take some work to get them unknotted. I made another appointment for the 23rd and I think I'm going to hit the spa on my cruise next weekend for a massage.
I've always looked at massages as a luxury. I think I'm going to have to change that attitude for a while and view them as a necessity. I'm trying to imagine a day when I don't feel that familiar, painful tightness in my shoulders, neck and back. Right now, it's hard to see, but I know I can get there.
When I was getting dressed, I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was really wacky from the scalp massage and the oil on his hands so I smoothed it down the best I could. When I left his building and headed home, I passed a guy sitting on a stoop and thought I saw him kind of smirk at me. And then I passed another guy who did the same thing. I thought, "What's their problem?" When I got home and really looked at myself in the mirror, I saw the flush on my body, the messy hair, and smudged mascara and suddenly realized what they were smirking at... I looked like I had just gotten laid! I started laughing. Oh well.
I didn't feel like harshing my mellow when I got home this evening, so I took the night off from exercise. I will return to exercise this evening. If my knees aren't up to walking, I think I'm going to pull out "Sweating to the Oldies". Richard Simmons is always good for a laugh.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Day 24: Well, At Least the Toilet Stopped Leaking
For the past few days every time I went in the bathroom I had to mop up a large puddle that had formed on the floor. The first time I noticed it, I was all ready to yell at Scott about not closing the shower curtain all the way when he showered or even for having terrible aim (ewwwww!). But then when I went back into the bathroom, I noticed it again and I realized that the toilet was leaking. And it was getting progressively worse. I called maintenance on Monday, but of course, they didn't come until Tuesday so I had to continue to mop up. We call things like that the price we pay for the price we pay for this apartment. I've been in this same apartment for 16 years. My former roommate was here for 10 years before that. Hoboken has rent control, which makes living here a lot more affordable than most places in Hoboken.
And that is good. Because our apartment is so full of crap we had to rent a storage unit to hold the overflow of crap. It is positively crap-tacular. I keep telling myself that I'm going to go through all this crap and start to chuck things out. Since I'm trying break old habits and start new ones, perhaps I can break my pack rat habit. I'm searching for the life metaphor here. Maybe it's not only this extra weight that is weighing me down in my life, perhaps it's all the extra crap I keep around me. Tons of old boxes. Piles of old clothes I never wear and shall we discuss the shoe issue? I have lots of old shoes filling the bottom of my closet that haven't been on my feet in years. Perhaps if I start clearing the clutter, I'll have room for new things in my life.
And more practically, maybe I'll have more room in the house to exercise. I find myself clearing little spots to make room for what I should be doing, but by the time I get it all cleared, I'm totally out of the exercise mindset. Which is probably why I prefer to exercise outdoors instead. However, my knees are still a bit stiff and sore from Saturday's hike so I decided to give them a break last night. I pulled out the exercise bike and moved it into the bedroom so I could watch TV while I rode. The exercise bike was a $50 purchase on Ebay. It's got those handles that move too so when you ride you are moving your arms as well as your legs. It also has the world's most uncomfortable seat. When Scott used to ride it, he used to put a pillow on the seat. I stuck in a DVD of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (I'm in the middle of rewatching the entire run of the series. Bruce Boxleitner is soooo dreamy.) And I hopped on the bike. Wow, there was just no focusing. I'd watch the TV a bit, then I'd hop of the bike for a sec to move something or get some water. It's even worse than the treadmill. At least on the treadmill, I can keep moving for at least 30 minutes at a decent pace before I get bored. On the bike, I really struggled to get through a half hearted 30 minutes, which took more like 45 with all the distractions. I'm not sure I'll be hitting the bike again. I guess it's time to sell it on Ebay.
I have a real bike. It's in my storage unit. I plan on pulling it out of storage. I think, much like I find it easier to walk several miles outside, I will find it easier to ride outside as well. At least I'll feel like I'm getting somewhere. Also, I can start riding it to the grocery store or Target or on other errands I need to run. Maybe explore all the roads in Hoboken and some in Jersey City and Weehawken (although Weehawken may have to come later because it involves a couple of hills...) It will save on gas too.
See what I mean about good intentions?
Well tomorrow is my massage. I can't wait. I haven't had a massage since I was on the Blogger's Cruise back in January. Then it was heavenly. My massage therapist on the ship took my shoulders and neck as her own personal challenge. And she did a pretty good job.
I should be pretty relaxed and mellow tomorrow night.
Cheerios.
And that is good. Because our apartment is so full of crap we had to rent a storage unit to hold the overflow of crap. It is positively crap-tacular. I keep telling myself that I'm going to go through all this crap and start to chuck things out. Since I'm trying break old habits and start new ones, perhaps I can break my pack rat habit. I'm searching for the life metaphor here. Maybe it's not only this extra weight that is weighing me down in my life, perhaps it's all the extra crap I keep around me. Tons of old boxes. Piles of old clothes I never wear and shall we discuss the shoe issue? I have lots of old shoes filling the bottom of my closet that haven't been on my feet in years. Perhaps if I start clearing the clutter, I'll have room for new things in my life.
And more practically, maybe I'll have more room in the house to exercise. I find myself clearing little spots to make room for what I should be doing, but by the time I get it all cleared, I'm totally out of the exercise mindset. Which is probably why I prefer to exercise outdoors instead. However, my knees are still a bit stiff and sore from Saturday's hike so I decided to give them a break last night. I pulled out the exercise bike and moved it into the bedroom so I could watch TV while I rode. The exercise bike was a $50 purchase on Ebay. It's got those handles that move too so when you ride you are moving your arms as well as your legs. It also has the world's most uncomfortable seat. When Scott used to ride it, he used to put a pillow on the seat. I stuck in a DVD of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (I'm in the middle of rewatching the entire run of the series. Bruce Boxleitner is soooo dreamy.) And I hopped on the bike. Wow, there was just no focusing. I'd watch the TV a bit, then I'd hop of the bike for a sec to move something or get some water. It's even worse than the treadmill. At least on the treadmill, I can keep moving for at least 30 minutes at a decent pace before I get bored. On the bike, I really struggled to get through a half hearted 30 minutes, which took more like 45 with all the distractions. I'm not sure I'll be hitting the bike again. I guess it's time to sell it on Ebay.
I have a real bike. It's in my storage unit. I plan on pulling it out of storage. I think, much like I find it easier to walk several miles outside, I will find it easier to ride outside as well. At least I'll feel like I'm getting somewhere. Also, I can start riding it to the grocery store or Target or on other errands I need to run. Maybe explore all the roads in Hoboken and some in Jersey City and Weehawken (although Weehawken may have to come later because it involves a couple of hills...) It will save on gas too.
See what I mean about good intentions?
Well tomorrow is my massage. I can't wait. I haven't had a massage since I was on the Blogger's Cruise back in January. Then it was heavenly. My massage therapist on the ship took my shoulders and neck as her own personal challenge. And she did a pretty good job.
I should be pretty relaxed and mellow tomorrow night.
Cheerios.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Day 23: "Bend and Stretch
Reach for the stars. Here comes Jupiter. There goes Mars. Bend and Stretch. Reach for the sky. Stand on tip-toes, oh so high." How many people remember that? It's from the old kiddie show "Romper Room". For some reason after all these years that little ditty still resides in the depths of my brain, along with a healthy chunk of lyrics from "Kids Are People Too" from Wonderama, any number of songs from Sesame Street, the Preamble to the Constitution and the address for writing to the show Zoom. "Write Zoom! Z, double O, M! Box 350, Boston, Mass, 0-2-1-3-4. Send it to Zoom!" There is all this useless trivia cluttering up my mind. And of course, if I learn something new, it's not a piece of useless trivia that gets pushed out, it usually some other more useful piece of information. I always said if I could learn to use my powers for good instead of evil, I could cure cancer.
The Romper Room song bubbled up into my consciousness as I was in yoga tonight. I was really enjoying the stretching aspect of class tonight, last week I felt completely bunched up and hunched over. Everything was tight like it was ready to burst apart at any moment. And my mood was kind of the same way. I'm not sure if the mood was the result of the physical or the physical was the result of the mood. But I'm just happy that the mood is passing.
So I really concentrated on the stretch tonight and it felt good.
There was one other thing I realized during yoga tonight. Jody had us do a few balance poses tonight. Poses where we had to balance on one foot. These have never been my forte. I always blame my weak ankles. As I rushed to get into each pose, I would lose my balance and fall over as soon as I lifted my other foot off the floor. Finally, I just stopped for a moment. I slowed down and concentrated on my one foot on the floor. I imagined it rooted to the floor. I concentrated on making that as strong and stable as possible. Then I lifted the other foot almost unconsciously, as if I was trying to ignore the fact that I was only on one foot. And you know what? It worked. I was able to get into the pose and hold it. There was a little wiggling and balance adjustments, but there I was on one foot.
All I really had to do was slow down. I need to take the time to establish that one foot as my base and really focus on making it as strong as possible before I moved forward. And once I did that, the other foot was able to go where it was supposed to. Gee, you think that maybe there is a life lesson in there?
Living and working in the New York City area, everything is rush, rush, rush. I walk fast to get where I need to be. I even catch my reflection in windows from time to time and see myself leaning forward as I walk as if that will get me there quicker. At work I program as fast as my little fingers can type so I can get more programs finished. Then after work, I rush to the Port Authority to get on a bus and get home as quickly as possible so I can attend to the personal things I need to do. And I rush through those. I rush through my meals. I rush through my exercise. I rush through this blog. And as a result? My shoulders and neck are so tight they feel like they are going to snap sometimes. And I gained .7 pounds.
So I think I need to slow down. I need to take a minute and really concentrate on making that one foot a solid base and maybe along with the other foot, my life will be able to go where it needs to be. And maybe the weight will come off, but not while I'm in such a rush. As y'all keep reminding me, slow and steady wins the race and baby steps are needed.
Of course putting this little life lesson into practice will be the challenge.
On Wednesday, I'm missing my yoga class so I can get a massage. Like I said, my shoulders and neck are so tight I feel like my shoulders are hunched all the time. I carry my stress there and in the tops of my thighs. I'm going to have him concentrate on those areas while I focus on my breathing and just slow down. Hopefully it will help.
But I think the first step is to just remember to breathe. So tomorrow, I will get up and I will breathe. If I feel myself bunching up again, I will find a quiet place and just breathe.
Let's see if I can stick to that. Namaste.
The Romper Room song bubbled up into my consciousness as I was in yoga tonight. I was really enjoying the stretching aspect of class tonight, last week I felt completely bunched up and hunched over. Everything was tight like it was ready to burst apart at any moment. And my mood was kind of the same way. I'm not sure if the mood was the result of the physical or the physical was the result of the mood. But I'm just happy that the mood is passing.
So I really concentrated on the stretch tonight and it felt good.
There was one other thing I realized during yoga tonight. Jody had us do a few balance poses tonight. Poses where we had to balance on one foot. These have never been my forte. I always blame my weak ankles. As I rushed to get into each pose, I would lose my balance and fall over as soon as I lifted my other foot off the floor. Finally, I just stopped for a moment. I slowed down and concentrated on my one foot on the floor. I imagined it rooted to the floor. I concentrated on making that as strong and stable as possible. Then I lifted the other foot almost unconsciously, as if I was trying to ignore the fact that I was only on one foot. And you know what? It worked. I was able to get into the pose and hold it. There was a little wiggling and balance adjustments, but there I was on one foot.
All I really had to do was slow down. I need to take the time to establish that one foot as my base and really focus on making it as strong as possible before I moved forward. And once I did that, the other foot was able to go where it was supposed to. Gee, you think that maybe there is a life lesson in there?
Living and working in the New York City area, everything is rush, rush, rush. I walk fast to get where I need to be. I even catch my reflection in windows from time to time and see myself leaning forward as I walk as if that will get me there quicker. At work I program as fast as my little fingers can type so I can get more programs finished. Then after work, I rush to the Port Authority to get on a bus and get home as quickly as possible so I can attend to the personal things I need to do. And I rush through those. I rush through my meals. I rush through my exercise. I rush through this blog. And as a result? My shoulders and neck are so tight they feel like they are going to snap sometimes. And I gained .7 pounds.
So I think I need to slow down. I need to take a minute and really concentrate on making that one foot a solid base and maybe along with the other foot, my life will be able to go where it needs to be. And maybe the weight will come off, but not while I'm in such a rush. As y'all keep reminding me, slow and steady wins the race and baby steps are needed.
Of course putting this little life lesson into practice will be the challenge.
On Wednesday, I'm missing my yoga class so I can get a massage. Like I said, my shoulders and neck are so tight I feel like my shoulders are hunched all the time. I carry my stress there and in the tops of my thighs. I'm going to have him concentrate on those areas while I focus on my breathing and just slow down. Hopefully it will help.
But I think the first step is to just remember to breathe. So tomorrow, I will get up and I will breathe. If I feel myself bunching up again, I will find a quiet place and just breathe.
Let's see if I can stick to that. Namaste.
Day 22b: The New Not-So Magic Number
I realized I forgot to post yesterday's new magic number... Well it was .7 pounds...PLUS .7 pounds. Yes, I gained almost a pound. Two steps forward, one step back. I guess I'll just have to redouble my efforts this week. And pray what I'm hoping is PMS will pass this week.
Booger
Booger
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Day 22: Catching Up...
First, I apologize for not blogging on either Friday or Saturday. This had been a off week. Off in many ways. A high, high with the birth of my nephew, a lovely evening with Kevin, but a lot more lows with a bad mood, work stress, and some poor eating choices, and an inability to muster any enthusiasm for exercise this week. I mean I didn't sit down and eat a whole box of Entenmann's Rich Frosted Donuts or a pint of Ben & Jerry's or even a package of Funny Bones (all though I had a close call with that last one). And I did actually exercise most days this week. But I didn't try very hard. And today I broke down and had a small chocolate soft ice cream cone from Mr. Softee.
Interestingly enough the hike that I took yesterday basically reflected the way my week has gone. Some really great and beautiful highs (literally) and some really low lows (mentally).
This week's hike was in Ringwood State Park. The write up says that it is a 5.5 mile hike. They lied. And I must take this moment to apologize to my brother Chris. I dragged him on this hike the year before last telling him that it was only a 5.5 mile moderate hike. He could do it. Well, he decided to wear his brand new pedometer and by the time we dragged our carcasses back to the car his pedometer read 6.2 miles. I told him that he must have configured his pedometer wrong or that it wasn't working properly, because the write up clearly says that it is a 5.5 mile hike. Well, when I got back to my car today, my pedometer read... 6.2 miles. Sorry I doubted you Chris!
Anyway, this hike has three significant ups in it and they all happen in the first half of the hike. As a matter of fact, the first one, the trek up Cupsaw Mountain, happens in the first half mile. This one starts you off with a very picturesque walk over a couple of wooden bridges, but once you cross the road, the pain starts. It's an immediate uphill trudge, no getting the muscles warm, just straight into it. Fortunately, it's not a very long up, it's a little steep in places, but not too bad. I even saw a deer leaping across the trail above me on the the mountain. Once up to the ridge, you have to go back down.
Oddly enough, I dread steep downs more than I do steep ups. Downs are a lot harder on my knees. I have to take them really slowly and make sure that I place my feet carefully with each step. Remember when you were a kid, how you could just run full speed down a hill and if you fell down it was fun and you just rolled the rest of the way down the hill? Yeah, me too. But these days, not so much.
The trail lead down into a wet area. There were quite a few spots of "seasonal wetness", some real shoe sucking mud. But soon I came out into the Shepherd Lake Recreation Area. There were lots of people already there (around 10:30 in the morning), swimming in the lake, fishing, renting kayaks and boats. I was already sweating like George W. Bush at a spelling bee, so it was very tempting to kick off my boots and just walk into the lake. But the prospect of walking another 4 miles or so in wet underwear and shorts kept me on the shore. I had a nice stroll along side the lake, and then turned off the road and began the trek up the second serious up.
I know I started this hike pretty early, but I didn't see a single other soul on the trails. Not a one. Not a single DHP, not a single unprepared day hiker. Maybe they knew something that I didn't know.
The third significant up is the hike up Mount Defiance. This is where you get the really money shots. It's also where the ups get steeper and the downs get scarier and it requires a bit of rock scrambling. Oddly enough, you don't get the views from the peak of the mountain. It's more like a rocky meadow up there, but then you head down a bit and the trail parallels some "impressive cliffs". The only problem is that you actually have to climb down to parallel those impressive cliffs. It was a bit of a scramble and I think I hyperextended my right knee during it. That knee started giving me problems over the rest of the hike.
I think my knees have a bit of a sibling rivalry going on. I've mentioned before that I had surgery on my left knee, so I tend to favor the left. The right knee has become aware of this and is rebelling. The left knee gets to wear the knee brace with the metal hinges, while the right gets the basic neoprene support. Apparently the right knee has become jealous of the support I give the left and let me know it by aching badly for the rest of the hike and being stiff all day Sunday. So I went out and bought the right its own "bionic" knee brace today.
Back to the hike. As I came down the trail there were a couple of side trails that I followed to rock out croppings with a fabulous view over the surrounding area. It was absolutely gorgeous, so lush and green. I would have loved to stay longer, but was starting to get really tired and my knees and feet were starting to ache so I made my way down the mountain on a switch back trail. I eventually came out on the grounds of Skylands Manor. It's a lovely area with a Botanical Garden, but I was too tired to explore it.
Now, occasionally on a hike you hit a point where you are just done with the hike. You may not actually be at the end of the hike, but your body and your mind are done with it. Your feet hurt, your knees aches, the charm of nature has worn off and all you really want to do is get back to your car and turn on the air conditioning. I was done with this hike almost two miles from the end. I was tired of the bugs buzzing in my ear, I was tired of the face fulls of webs I kept getting. I was tired of picking my way through muddy areas, I was tired of bushwhacking my way through lesser used areas of the trail. I was tired. And I was done. But, I had to slog through that last two miles to get to my car and its air conditioner. I was never so happy to see a hike end. But then of course I had to walk to the bathroom across a field and back and that added another 1/10th of a mile to the hike.
When I got back to my car my trusty pedometer read:
Miles: 6.35
Steps: 14905
Calories burned: 705
In a little over 3 hours.
Today I woke up grumpy and sore. We did diner breakfast and then I went for a little retail therapy. But walking around the mall made my feet sore and my knee hurt. So fat lot of good that did me.
I think I'll go to bed now. Tomorrow will hopefully be better.
Interestingly enough the hike that I took yesterday basically reflected the way my week has gone. Some really great and beautiful highs (literally) and some really low lows (mentally).
This week's hike was in Ringwood State Park. The write up says that it is a 5.5 mile hike. They lied. And I must take this moment to apologize to my brother Chris. I dragged him on this hike the year before last telling him that it was only a 5.5 mile moderate hike. He could do it. Well, he decided to wear his brand new pedometer and by the time we dragged our carcasses back to the car his pedometer read 6.2 miles. I told him that he must have configured his pedometer wrong or that it wasn't working properly, because the write up clearly says that it is a 5.5 mile hike. Well, when I got back to my car today, my pedometer read... 6.2 miles. Sorry I doubted you Chris!
Anyway, this hike has three significant ups in it and they all happen in the first half of the hike. As a matter of fact, the first one, the trek up Cupsaw Mountain, happens in the first half mile. This one starts you off with a very picturesque walk over a couple of wooden bridges, but once you cross the road, the pain starts. It's an immediate uphill trudge, no getting the muscles warm, just straight into it. Fortunately, it's not a very long up, it's a little steep in places, but not too bad. I even saw a deer leaping across the trail above me on the the mountain. Once up to the ridge, you have to go back down.
Oddly enough, I dread steep downs more than I do steep ups. Downs are a lot harder on my knees. I have to take them really slowly and make sure that I place my feet carefully with each step. Remember when you were a kid, how you could just run full speed down a hill and if you fell down it was fun and you just rolled the rest of the way down the hill? Yeah, me too. But these days, not so much.
The trail lead down into a wet area. There were quite a few spots of "seasonal wetness", some real shoe sucking mud. But soon I came out into the Shepherd Lake Recreation Area. There were lots of people already there (around 10:30 in the morning), swimming in the lake, fishing, renting kayaks and boats. I was already sweating like George W. Bush at a spelling bee, so it was very tempting to kick off my boots and just walk into the lake. But the prospect of walking another 4 miles or so in wet underwear and shorts kept me on the shore. I had a nice stroll along side the lake, and then turned off the road and began the trek up the second serious up.I know I started this hike pretty early, but I didn't see a single other soul on the trails. Not a one. Not a single DHP, not a single unprepared day hiker. Maybe they knew something that I didn't know.
The third significant up is the hike up Mount Defiance. This is where you get the really money shots. It's also where the ups get steeper and the downs get scarier and it requires a bit of rock scrambling. Oddly enough, you don't get the views from the peak of the mountain. It's more like a rocky meadow up there, but then you head down a bit and the trail parallels some "impressive cliffs". The only problem is that you actually have to climb down to parallel those impressive cliffs. It was a bit of a scramble and I think I hyperextended my right knee during it. That knee started giving me problems over the rest of the hike.
I think my knees have a bit of a sibling rivalry going on. I've mentioned before that I had surgery on my left knee, so I tend to favor the left. The right knee has become aware of this and is rebelling. The left knee gets to wear the knee brace with the metal hinges, while the right gets the basic neoprene support. Apparently the right knee has become jealous of the support I give the left and let me know it by aching badly for the rest of the hike and being stiff all day Sunday. So I went out and bought the right its own "bionic" knee brace today.
Back to the hike. As I came down the trail there were a couple of side trails that I followed to rock out croppings with a fabulous view over the surrounding area. It was absolutely gorgeous, so lush and green. I would have loved to stay longer, but was starting to get really tired and my knees and feet were starting to ache so I made my way down the mountain on a switch back trail. I eventually came out on the grounds of Skylands Manor. It's a lovely area with a Botanical Garden, but I was too tired to explore it.Now, occasionally on a hike you hit a point where you are just done with the hike. You may not actually be at the end of the hike, but your body and your mind are done with it. Your feet hurt, your knees aches, the charm of nature has worn off and all you really want to do is get back to your car and turn on the air conditioning. I was done with this hike almost two miles from the end. I was tired of the bugs buzzing in my ear, I was tired of the face fulls of webs I kept getting. I was tired of picking my way through muddy areas, I was tired of bushwhacking my way through lesser used areas of the trail. I was tired. And I was done. But, I had to slog through that last two miles to get to my car and its air conditioner. I was never so happy to see a hike end. But then of course I had to walk to the bathroom across a field and back and that added another 1/10th of a mile to the hike.
When I got back to my car my trusty pedometer read:
Miles: 6.35
Steps: 14905
Calories burned: 705
In a little over 3 hours.
Today I woke up grumpy and sore. We did diner breakfast and then I went for a little retail therapy. But walking around the mall made my feet sore and my knee hurt. So fat lot of good that did me.
I think I'll go to bed now. Tomorrow will hopefully be better.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Day 19: Oops I Did It Again...
I'm a bad girl... But it's all Kevin's fault! I swear!
I started off today really well. I had my bran flakes and blueberries, my mid-morning apple and then a bunch of vegetables from the deli salad/hot bar with a small baked chicken breast.
But then around 1:30, I got a text message out of the blue... "Dinner tonight?" It was my friend and fellow Evil Crew member, Kevin. We've been trying to get together for dinner for a while and apparently he was coming into Manhattan today for a meeting. I considered playing hard to get, don't want him to think that I'll drop everything just because he calls. So, of course, I immediately texted back "Sure. Why not?"
We set the time for 6:15 at Choice Kitchen and Cocktails. A friend had told me about the place and Thursday night is martini night, so the time seemed right to try it. Of course now that I had plans for the evening, I immediately spilled some of my lunch on the shirt I was wearing. So I ran out of the office and grabbed a new shirt from the store around the corner. (Ah the perks of working in midtown.) I headed over to the restaurant after work and got there about 10 minutes early so I hung outside and waited. Kevin was a little late, which seems to be the norm for him when meeting me! And when he arrived he walked right past me and the restaurant. I called out to him but he kept walking lost in his cigarette and his thoughts I guess. I watched him walk to the end of the block, look around, cross the street and start down the other side. Laughing, I waited until he got to the other corner and then pulled out my phone to call him, just as he called me wondering where the restaurant was. I got a good giggle from that.
When he finally arrived 20 seconds later, we grabbed an outside table. I tried to be good. Okay, I didn't try that hard. The remedy martini sounded entirely too tasty, coconut rum, pineapple juice and... something else with alcohol in it, oh, wait, vodka and banana liquor, that was it. I had three. They were sooooooo good. So I tried to be smarter about my food. I had the goat cheese tapas appetizer, basically dollops of goat cheese on toast with artichoke hearts and tomatoes. It was tasty and I only ate half, then for dinner I got the striped bass in a citrus glaze. Kevin was a big ol' copy cat and got the bass too. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. Did I mention that the drinks were really tasty?
We talked a lot while we were eating, so that kind of forced me to slow down my eating, which is a good thing. I used to race through my meals. When I was a kid, I was a very slow eater and I always ended up getting yelled at for holding up the whole clean up process. So I learned to eat fast. The problem with eating fast is that you never feel full so you eat more. That's something that most people don't think about as they inhale their meals and run to the next thing, I know I never did. Thinking about it, maybe I should never eat alone, so I talk more and eat slower. Scott and I have hit that comfortable silence stage so we're going to have to invite a third party I can chatter to.
We gossiped about the crew and chatted about work and travel. It was funny, this is only the second time we've ever met face to face, but it feels like I've known Kevin forever. It must be all those emails.
We walked from the restaurant back to the PATH train and Penn Station, and then I walked home from the PATH train. I'm going to count that as exercise, especially since I think I covered a little extra ground since I wasn't exactly walking a straight line. Boy, three drinks go a lot farther when you've been living on greens!
I've really got get back to the exercise tomorrow. I'm feeling a little guilty, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'll just do a nice challenging hike this weekend and not be surprised if I don't lose anything this week. (Just as long as I don't gain!)
Did I mention that the drinks were really tasty? Next time I want to try the blood orange cooler.
Well, at least I had the fish.
'Night all!
I started off today really well. I had my bran flakes and blueberries, my mid-morning apple and then a bunch of vegetables from the deli salad/hot bar with a small baked chicken breast.
But then around 1:30, I got a text message out of the blue... "Dinner tonight?" It was my friend and fellow Evil Crew member, Kevin. We've been trying to get together for dinner for a while and apparently he was coming into Manhattan today for a meeting. I considered playing hard to get, don't want him to think that I'll drop everything just because he calls. So, of course, I immediately texted back "Sure. Why not?"
We set the time for 6:15 at Choice Kitchen and Cocktails. A friend had told me about the place and Thursday night is martini night, so the time seemed right to try it. Of course now that I had plans for the evening, I immediately spilled some of my lunch on the shirt I was wearing. So I ran out of the office and grabbed a new shirt from the store around the corner. (Ah the perks of working in midtown.) I headed over to the restaurant after work and got there about 10 minutes early so I hung outside and waited. Kevin was a little late, which seems to be the norm for him when meeting me! And when he arrived he walked right past me and the restaurant. I called out to him but he kept walking lost in his cigarette and his thoughts I guess. I watched him walk to the end of the block, look around, cross the street and start down the other side. Laughing, I waited until he got to the other corner and then pulled out my phone to call him, just as he called me wondering where the restaurant was. I got a good giggle from that.
When he finally arrived 20 seconds later, we grabbed an outside table. I tried to be good. Okay, I didn't try that hard. The remedy martini sounded entirely too tasty, coconut rum, pineapple juice and... something else with alcohol in it, oh, wait, vodka and banana liquor, that was it. I had three. They were sooooooo good. So I tried to be smarter about my food. I had the goat cheese tapas appetizer, basically dollops of goat cheese on toast with artichoke hearts and tomatoes. It was tasty and I only ate half, then for dinner I got the striped bass in a citrus glaze. Kevin was a big ol' copy cat and got the bass too. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. Did I mention that the drinks were really tasty?
We talked a lot while we were eating, so that kind of forced me to slow down my eating, which is a good thing. I used to race through my meals. When I was a kid, I was a very slow eater and I always ended up getting yelled at for holding up the whole clean up process. So I learned to eat fast. The problem with eating fast is that you never feel full so you eat more. That's something that most people don't think about as they inhale their meals and run to the next thing, I know I never did. Thinking about it, maybe I should never eat alone, so I talk more and eat slower. Scott and I have hit that comfortable silence stage so we're going to have to invite a third party I can chatter to.
We gossiped about the crew and chatted about work and travel. It was funny, this is only the second time we've ever met face to face, but it feels like I've known Kevin forever. It must be all those emails.
We walked from the restaurant back to the PATH train and Penn Station, and then I walked home from the PATH train. I'm going to count that as exercise, especially since I think I covered a little extra ground since I wasn't exactly walking a straight line. Boy, three drinks go a lot farther when you've been living on greens!
I've really got get back to the exercise tomorrow. I'm feeling a little guilty, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'll just do a nice challenging hike this weekend and not be surprised if I don't lose anything this week. (Just as long as I don't gain!)
Did I mention that the drinks were really tasty? Next time I want to try the blood orange cooler.
Well, at least I had the fish.
'Night all!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 18b: Introducing...
The reason I missed my yoga class tonight... And pretty darned cute reason at that!
James Allen Duvall. 5 pounds 3.6 ounces. 18 inches long. Arrived June 18, 2008 at 6:37pm via C-section (hence his perfect and very cute head). I'm totally smitten.
And my sister is doing well too.
James Allen Duvall. 5 pounds 3.6 ounces. 18 inches long. Arrived June 18, 2008 at 6:37pm via C-section (hence his perfect and very cute head). I'm totally smitten.
And my sister is doing well too.
Day 18: A Child is Born in Bethlehem...
Pennsylvania. My youngest sister is being induced today. She has a number of factors making it a high risk pregnancy, so they are taking the baby about 4 weeks early. So I'm off to Bethlehem this afternoon to meet the 3rd Nephew (#6 overall) James Duvall.
So tonight's regularly scheduled blog entry, not to mention yoga class, will not happen!
See y'all tomorrow!
So tonight's regularly scheduled blog entry, not to mention yoga class, will not happen!
See y'all tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Day 17: So You Had a Bad Day...
Yeah, I had a bad day. In fact, I would go so far as to describe it as "crappy ass". Work was overwhelming and my spirits seem to be in the dumps. About halfway through the day, I just hit a low. It happens. I just start to question everything in my life, particularly right now my job. I'm feeling sort of stuck and more than a little overwhelmed. I told Scott the other night that he really needs to get his butt in gear because it would be nice if he could support me in the manner to which I'd like to become accustomed. And I was only half kidding.
My usual MO when this mood hits me is to comfort myself with food. I thought about it. Oh, how I thought about it. Towards the end of my work day, I took a break and strolled outside for a few minutes. The Mister Softee truck on the corner was playing his sweet siren song, calling to me with the promise of comfort in the form of a chocolate shake. Like and alcoholic confronted with bottle of vodka, I pulled out my phone and called my sponsor, the ever supportive Princess Elaine, and said, "You've got to talk me down. I want a chocolate shake." And bless her heart she did. She made me laugh and forget about the fact that I wanted a chocolate shake. And then warned me if I went ahead and got it anyway, she'd know, because she was a Jewish mother and she has all seeing eyes in the back of her head. And you know what? I believed her. She worked that guilt like a freakin' maestro, and in the end I stopped at the fruit stand and got a banana instead. Everyone should have a well practiced Jewish mother in their lives. Thank you my sistah princess!
When I got home from work, I was suffering from a complete lack of gumption. I had planned on cooking dinner, but instead I just ended up throwing together a whole wheat wrap with chicken breast, avocado, and pineapple salsa. Then I mindlessly played games on the computer for a while trying to work up the will and desire to exercise. Finally around 9, I decided that if I didn't get off my butt and out of the house I would ended up standing in front of the fridge and no good can come of that.
Maybe a walk would improve my mood. So I put on my sneakers and mp3 player and headed out the door. I didn't walk particularly fast, although, anyone who has ever walked the streets of New York with me, knows that my regular gait is quite lively. I ended up walking up to the north end of Hoboken and then following the river all the way to the south end, before coming halfway back and doing those godforsaken stairs and the hill at Stevens Institute of Technology. All told it was 4.7 miles, 11052 steps, 10953 aerobic steps and 464 calories burned.
As I wandered along, I kept skipping to the "wallowing" songs on my mp3 player, Joni Mitchell, Billy Bragg, Tom Waits, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, singing out loud when I was out of earshot (because why should others have to suffer with me?) When I got home, my mood hadn't really improved, but at least I didn't console myself with food.
Yes, I'm in full on poor, poor pitiful me stage right now.
But this too shall pass...
My usual MO when this mood hits me is to comfort myself with food. I thought about it. Oh, how I thought about it. Towards the end of my work day, I took a break and strolled outside for a few minutes. The Mister Softee truck on the corner was playing his sweet siren song, calling to me with the promise of comfort in the form of a chocolate shake. Like and alcoholic confronted with bottle of vodka, I pulled out my phone and called my sponsor, the ever supportive Princess Elaine, and said, "You've got to talk me down. I want a chocolate shake." And bless her heart she did. She made me laugh and forget about the fact that I wanted a chocolate shake. And then warned me if I went ahead and got it anyway, she'd know, because she was a Jewish mother and she has all seeing eyes in the back of her head. And you know what? I believed her. She worked that guilt like a freakin' maestro, and in the end I stopped at the fruit stand and got a banana instead. Everyone should have a well practiced Jewish mother in their lives. Thank you my sistah princess!
When I got home from work, I was suffering from a complete lack of gumption. I had planned on cooking dinner, but instead I just ended up throwing together a whole wheat wrap with chicken breast, avocado, and pineapple salsa. Then I mindlessly played games on the computer for a while trying to work up the will and desire to exercise. Finally around 9, I decided that if I didn't get off my butt and out of the house I would ended up standing in front of the fridge and no good can come of that.
Maybe a walk would improve my mood. So I put on my sneakers and mp3 player and headed out the door. I didn't walk particularly fast, although, anyone who has ever walked the streets of New York with me, knows that my regular gait is quite lively. I ended up walking up to the north end of Hoboken and then following the river all the way to the south end, before coming halfway back and doing those godforsaken stairs and the hill at Stevens Institute of Technology. All told it was 4.7 miles, 11052 steps, 10953 aerobic steps and 464 calories burned.
As I wandered along, I kept skipping to the "wallowing" songs on my mp3 player, Joni Mitchell, Billy Bragg, Tom Waits, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, singing out loud when I was out of earshot (because why should others have to suffer with me?) When I got home, my mood hadn't really improved, but at least I didn't console myself with food.
Yes, I'm in full on poor, poor pitiful me stage right now.
But this too shall pass...
Monday, June 16, 2008
Day 16: Ancient History
Yoga class was a little more normal tonight. Turns out Jody was sick last week and trying to push through with a 103 fever. Silly wabbit. I knew the energy was off. But today was better, and I followed it up with a trial Reiki session. Reiki is a Japanese technique for relaxation and stress reduction that promotes healing. Basically it's energy work.
I was going to write a whole blog about energy and being sensitive to it, but then I got sidetracked. My niece posted a bunch of pictures from her senior prom on her myspace page, so I had to check them out. And of course it brought back memories of my own proms.
I was never the thin one in high school. I was the chubby "best friend" type, the mousy brown haired side kick. I was the buddy to all the guys. They didn't date me, but they hung out with me. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I could drink most of them under the table. I was aware of my weight issues and I occasionally wished that I could be one of the thin cheerleader types, but that was never going to happen. My weight was and continues to be one of my biggest insecurities. So when a guy was actually interested in me, it always surprised me. I had a couple boyfriends during high school, but never anyone who actually went to my high school and never for very long. So I went to my proms with friends. Sort of a "Hey, I want to go to prom and you want to go to prom, so why don't we go together. Okay cool." kind of thing.
Now, I'm going to show y'all something. Please don't judge. And please keep in mind that this was the mid 80's. Here, making their internet debut, are my prom pictures.
This is my Junior Prom. My date is Steven Bitkower. He was a year older than me and a friend. He was also a last minute fill in for me. I was originally supposed to go with a guy that I had a thing for. But his very traditional Thai parents did not approve and he ended up having to break our date. Steven, bless his soul, was kind enough to step in and join me. We had a nice time. Two other girls were wearing the same dress as me. And yes, my natural hair color is actually that dark. (I didn't start to color it until about 5 years ago.)
Compared to what I gained later in life, I actually look pretty thin here, but compared to other girls I was big.
I kept that dress until just a few years ago, yeah, like I was ever going to wear that again right?
This is the Senior prom. Y'all can stop laughing now. It's New Jersey in 1987, my hair is supposed to be that big. I swear that I think I was possessed by the ghost of Scarlett O'Hara. I remember when I found the dress that I absolutely loved it, but they did not have it in my size. I had to get a size 12 I believe and they had to put some extra panels in the bodice to make it fit. It was sort of mortifying. And yes, I'm wearing a hoop skirt underneath. My date's name is Larry Bogad. We knew each other since elementary school. And come prom time we were both dateless, so it literally was "You wanna." "Yeah okay, if you wanna." My senior prom was actually kind of interesting. First of all, my older brother Chris and our friend Dave crashed it. They showed up in jeans and denim jackets and talked their way in. And second, we had a bitchin' after-prom. A bunch of us went up to a friend's vacation condo in Connecticut for the weekend. There was lots of alcohol involved. I remember falling down the steps at one point and getting a nice little cut in my shin. I laid there for a moment and then said, "Ow. I really must have done something because I can feel it." Ah sweet memories of youth!
Oh, but what I wouldn't give to weigh now what I weighed then! Even if I was still overweight, I hadn't yet been introduced to the Freshman Fifteen (or more like 30 in my case) and the simple pleasures of raw cookie dough eaten straight from the tube when you are really stoned. I had all that to look forward to! There's a time and place for everything, it's called college. But those are stories for another time.
Well with any luck, come January I'll be lighter than I was those twenty-mmmph...umm years ago.
G'night all!
I was going to write a whole blog about energy and being sensitive to it, but then I got sidetracked. My niece posted a bunch of pictures from her senior prom on her myspace page, so I had to check them out. And of course it brought back memories of my own proms.
I was never the thin one in high school. I was the chubby "best friend" type, the mousy brown haired side kick. I was the buddy to all the guys. They didn't date me, but they hung out with me. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I could drink most of them under the table. I was aware of my weight issues and I occasionally wished that I could be one of the thin cheerleader types, but that was never going to happen. My weight was and continues to be one of my biggest insecurities. So when a guy was actually interested in me, it always surprised me. I had a couple boyfriends during high school, but never anyone who actually went to my high school and never for very long. So I went to my proms with friends. Sort of a "Hey, I want to go to prom and you want to go to prom, so why don't we go together. Okay cool." kind of thing.
Now, I'm going to show y'all something. Please don't judge. And please keep in mind that this was the mid 80's. Here, making their internet debut, are my prom pictures.
This is my Junior Prom. My date is Steven Bitkower. He was a year older than me and a friend. He was also a last minute fill in for me. I was originally supposed to go with a guy that I had a thing for. But his very traditional Thai parents did not approve and he ended up having to break our date. Steven, bless his soul, was kind enough to step in and join me. We had a nice time. Two other girls were wearing the same dress as me. And yes, my natural hair color is actually that dark. (I didn't start to color it until about 5 years ago.)Compared to what I gained later in life, I actually look pretty thin here, but compared to other girls I was big.
I kept that dress until just a few years ago, yeah, like I was ever going to wear that again right?
This is the Senior prom. Y'all can stop laughing now. It's New Jersey in 1987, my hair is supposed to be that big. I swear that I think I was possessed by the ghost of Scarlett O'Hara. I remember when I found the dress that I absolutely loved it, but they did not have it in my size. I had to get a size 12 I believe and they had to put some extra panels in the bodice to make it fit. It was sort of mortifying. And yes, I'm wearing a hoop skirt underneath. My date's name is Larry Bogad. We knew each other since elementary school. And come prom time we were both dateless, so it literally was "You wanna." "Yeah okay, if you wanna." My senior prom was actually kind of interesting. First of all, my older brother Chris and our friend Dave crashed it. They showed up in jeans and denim jackets and talked their way in. And second, we had a bitchin' after-prom. A bunch of us went up to a friend's vacation condo in Connecticut for the weekend. There was lots of alcohol involved. I remember falling down the steps at one point and getting a nice little cut in my shin. I laid there for a moment and then said, "Ow. I really must have done something because I can feel it." Ah sweet memories of youth!Oh, but what I wouldn't give to weigh now what I weighed then! Even if I was still overweight, I hadn't yet been introduced to the Freshman Fifteen (or more like 30 in my case) and the simple pleasures of raw cookie dough eaten straight from the tube when you are really stoned. I had all that to look forward to! There's a time and place for everything, it's called college. But those are stories for another time.
Well with any luck, come January I'll be lighter than I was those twenty-mmmph...umm years ago.
G'night all!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Day 15: Baiting the Wolverines and A New Magic Number
Today's magic number is...
2.8
I lost 2.8 pounds this week. That brings the total to 7.1 pounds so far. Now just for kicks when I got back from my hike today I weighed myself again, and I was almost a pound lighter. But that had to be water weight since I sweated like George W. Bush strapped to a lie detector. So we will stick with the morning's number.
That puts me at 205.6. I tell ya, when I get under 200 I'm gonna party like it's 1999! Oh wait, I was over 200 in 1999. So I guess I'm gonna party like it's 1994!
So today's hike was Pyramid Mountain in Montville, New Jersey. The write up says it was a 4.5 mile moderate loop hike, however, since they have re-routed a number of trails it's actually about 5 miles now (4.97 miles to be exact). It's shorter than my last 2 but it has more ups and the ups are more intense and rocky as are the downs (there was butt sliding involved).
I've done this hike several times in the past. And, by the way, this is one of two hikes that I've actually spotted a bear on. It starts out with a lovely little walk in the woods. But once you get on the yellow blazed trail the pain starts. Half the time you are looking for the next blaze and you lookup and see it over a big pile of rocks and boulders. But for the blazes, the trail isn't always clear.
My pedometer refused to count aerobic steps for me today. It is resolutely saying 0 aerobic steps taken, but with the way my heart was pounding and the fact that I was breathing as heavy as an obscene phone caller, at several points along the trail, says that I did indeed take many aerobic steps in the course of my journey.
The many ups on the trail provided a little rock scrambling for me which I enjoy. However, we had some big storms come through here last night and every thing was damp which makes the moss and lichen covered rocks a bit slippery. There were many moments on the trail today that I was thankful for my hiking stick and good hiking boots with ankle support.
The other things that the many ups give you is some really nice vistas. They are the reward for getting your ass up the mountain.
I saw lots of people on the main trails that I used today. A lot families out together. And not a single DHP! Probably because many of the trails are too darn rocky for safe running.
The main features of this trail are what is called "glacial erratics". Glacial erratics are boulders left behind in curious positions by the movement of the glaciers through this area many millions of years ago. The most curious of these erratics is Tripod Rock. This is an enormous boulder balanced on three smaller boulders. There are also two other smaller rocks sort of similarly situated nearby. The interesting thing about the two small boulders is that they form a perfect "gunsight" for a summer solstice sunset.
When I arrived here today there was a group of kids and adults climbing around, over and under the rocks taking pictures. The kids looked like they were really enjoying their time outdoors which was really nice to see in this age of couch potato kids. Having been through here any number of times, I suggested a couple of other picture options, that are kind of fun photo tricks. These pictures are from a couple years ago...
After this the trail descends into a swampy area. The 3 signs you are in a swamp in New Jersey, skunk cabbage, fiddle ferns and dead bodies. Wait, I'm just kidding about that last one. The third sign is the mosquitos. I don't have pictures from this area, because if you stop for a moment you get swarmed. So I kept moving to head for the higher elevations. The other big glacial erractic I encountered just before I left the swamp was Bear Rock. The hike description says Native Americans used to shelter by this ginormous rock. It's pretty impressive looking.
As I approached the end of my hike, I met a lot more people coming up the trail. It seems there was a party in a park nearby and some of the party goers decided to take a stroll in the woods. I met one such couple and their young daughter at the top of the highest point in the park. They had decided to follow the blue trail and had no idea where it would take them. The father had a beer in his hand and the wife had a small bottle of water. At least they had sense enough to ask me where the blue trail led (out of the park and into another county!) and how to get back to the parking area, without having to go back the way they came. I pulled out the map I had picked up and showed them where they were and that they should make a right onto the yellow trail when they came to the junction. and that would lead them back to the parking area. Then, I gave them my map and they set off down the trail. I just shook my head as I started back down the trail. Maybe I'm just anal, but I can't fathom wandering off in the woods without at least a trail description or better yet a map and a sufficient amount of water.
I passed several more groups heading up the mountain without maps or water. Pyramid Mountain is a pretty well traveled trail area, so I'm sure they made it out fine. But to me they just looked like wolverine bait.
By the time I made it back to my car, my trusty but temperamental pedometer read:
Miles: 4.97
Steps: 11670
Aerobic Steps: 0 (bull dookie!)
Calories burned: 531 (at least!)
Time: about 2 hours 45 minutes
I was soaking wet and looking forward to nice long shower when I got home.
Why is it that even when it's hot and humid out and you are disgustingly hot and sweaty, a hot shower still feels so good?
Oh, a quick note about Saturday. My cheat day so we did diner breakfast. I ran a bunch of errands and then that evening it poured. So exercise for the day was the treadmill. I'm attempting the Couch-to-5K Running Plan that one of John Heald's Bloggers mentioned. I think I did pretty well for the first time. But it was tough and I was dripping with sweat when I finished. I decided to follow it up with some light weight work, since one of my doctors once told me "I don't care what you weigh, as long as you build muscle." Because muscle metabolizes sugar better and faster.
I'm off to watch the Tonys. 'Night all!
2.8
I lost 2.8 pounds this week. That brings the total to 7.1 pounds so far. Now just for kicks when I got back from my hike today I weighed myself again, and I was almost a pound lighter. But that had to be water weight since I sweated like George W. Bush strapped to a lie detector. So we will stick with the morning's number.
That puts me at 205.6. I tell ya, when I get under 200 I'm gonna party like it's 1999! Oh wait, I was over 200 in 1999. So I guess I'm gonna party like it's 1994!
So today's hike was Pyramid Mountain in Montville, New Jersey. The write up says it was a 4.5 mile moderate loop hike, however, since they have re-routed a number of trails it's actually about 5 miles now (4.97 miles to be exact). It's shorter than my last 2 but it has more ups and the ups are more intense and rocky as are the downs (there was butt sliding involved).
I've done this hike several times in the past. And, by the way, this is one of two hikes that I've actually spotted a bear on. It starts out with a lovely little walk in the woods. But once you get on the yellow blazed trail the pain starts. Half the time you are looking for the next blaze and you lookup and see it over a big pile of rocks and boulders. But for the blazes, the trail isn't always clear.
My pedometer refused to count aerobic steps for me today. It is resolutely saying 0 aerobic steps taken, but with the way my heart was pounding and the fact that I was breathing as heavy as an obscene phone caller, at several points along the trail, says that I did indeed take many aerobic steps in the course of my journey.
The many ups on the trail provided a little rock scrambling for me which I enjoy. However, we had some big storms come through here last night and every thing was damp which makes the moss and lichen covered rocks a bit slippery. There were many moments on the trail today that I was thankful for my hiking stick and good hiking boots with ankle support.
The other things that the many ups give you is some really nice vistas. They are the reward for getting your ass up the mountain.
I saw lots of people on the main trails that I used today. A lot families out together. And not a single DHP! Probably because many of the trails are too darn rocky for safe running.
The main features of this trail are what is called "glacial erratics". Glacial erratics are boulders left behind in curious positions by the movement of the glaciers through this area many millions of years ago. The most curious of these erratics is Tripod Rock. This is an enormous boulder balanced on three smaller boulders. There are also two other smaller rocks sort of similarly situated nearby. The interesting thing about the two small boulders is that they form a perfect "gunsight" for a summer solstice sunset.
When I arrived here today there was a group of kids and adults climbing around, over and under the rocks taking pictures. The kids looked like they were really enjoying their time outdoors which was really nice to see in this age of couch potato kids. Having been through here any number of times, I suggested a couple of other picture options, that are kind of fun photo tricks. These pictures are from a couple years ago...
After this the trail descends into a swampy area. The 3 signs you are in a swamp in New Jersey, skunk cabbage, fiddle ferns and dead bodies. Wait, I'm just kidding about that last one. The third sign is the mosquitos. I don't have pictures from this area, because if you stop for a moment you get swarmed. So I kept moving to head for the higher elevations. The other big glacial erractic I encountered just before I left the swamp was Bear Rock. The hike description says Native Americans used to shelter by this ginormous rock. It's pretty impressive looking.
As I approached the end of my hike, I met a lot more people coming up the trail. It seems there was a party in a park nearby and some of the party goers decided to take a stroll in the woods. I met one such couple and their young daughter at the top of the highest point in the park. They had decided to follow the blue trail and had no idea where it would take them. The father had a beer in his hand and the wife had a small bottle of water. At least they had sense enough to ask me where the blue trail led (out of the park and into another county!) and how to get back to the parking area, without having to go back the way they came. I pulled out the map I had picked up and showed them where they were and that they should make a right onto the yellow trail when they came to the junction. and that would lead them back to the parking area. Then, I gave them my map and they set off down the trail. I just shook my head as I started back down the trail. Maybe I'm just anal, but I can't fathom wandering off in the woods without at least a trail description or better yet a map and a sufficient amount of water.
I passed several more groups heading up the mountain without maps or water. Pyramid Mountain is a pretty well traveled trail area, so I'm sure they made it out fine. But to me they just looked like wolverine bait.
By the time I made it back to my car, my trusty but temperamental pedometer read:
Miles: 4.97
Steps: 11670
Aerobic Steps: 0 (bull dookie!)
Calories burned: 531 (at least!)
Time: about 2 hours 45 minutes
I was soaking wet and looking forward to nice long shower when I got home.
Why is it that even when it's hot and humid out and you are disgustingly hot and sweaty, a hot shower still feels so good?
Oh, a quick note about Saturday. My cheat day so we did diner breakfast. I ran a bunch of errands and then that evening it poured. So exercise for the day was the treadmill. I'm attempting the Couch-to-5K Running Plan that one of John Heald's Bloggers mentioned. I think I did pretty well for the first time. But it was tough and I was dripping with sweat when I finished. I decided to follow it up with some light weight work, since one of my doctors once told me "I don't care what you weigh, as long as you build muscle." Because muscle metabolizes sugar better and faster.
I'm off to watch the Tonys. 'Night all!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Day 13: Friday the 13th and Weirdness Abounds
Everything has been just a little off kilter since my weird yoga class on Wednesday. And Friday was no exception. Thursday I had been so busy at work that I didn't have time to finish everything that I needed to do, so when I got home Thursday night, after eating and walking and blogging, I had to do some work from home and that kept me up until about 2:30 in the morning. Every so often, while I was running a program, I would get up and walk into the kitchen. This is an old habit. I wandered in opened the refrigerator to see what was in there, then the freezer. The difference is that the one time I did give in this time, I ate a 40 calorie no sugar added fudgesicle, which are really darn tasty. Scott's been really good about keeping the crap out of the house because he knows I have no will power, but I don't forbid the foods in the house, because this is my issue, not his. Currently there is a bag of cheese curls which I have successfully managed to resist.
Friday I got up a little later than intended so it was raisin bran for breakfast. I was at a client site until around 2pm, and on the way back I stopped at a deli to pick up lunch from their salad and hot food bars. I loaded up on steamed broccoli and carats, spinach salad, a couple of shrimp with a little fresh mozzarella and half a roasted chicken breast, just to get a little more protein. I finished out my day at work and headed home around 5:45 fully intending to cook dinner and do "Sweatin' to the Oldies".
But what actually happened was this. My neck and shoulder have really been bothering me lately and Friday it became a full blown muscle ache. ( I carry all my stress in my shoulders and the tops of my thighs). So when I got home, I found the heating pad and laid down for a few minutes just to give it some heat. And I promptly fell asleep. I woke up 2 hours later around 8:30, took out my contact lenses, got undressed and went back to bed. I slept straight through until about 6:45 am. I'm guessing my body needed some sleep!
Scott finds it very amusing that when my body says it's done for the day. It's done. There is no winding down period. It goes from 60 to 0 like I've suddenly run into a brick wall. When I hit the bed I'm usually out within 5 minutes. If we are out at a party or with friends, I can feel when it's starting and all I say to Scott is "I'm done" and he knows we need to get moving towards home.
I guess my body was giving me a great big "I'M DONE" yesterday.
I have a friend that I've developed a really fun email relationship with. We write at least twice a week and he asked me yesterday why I was so weird lately. So I explained about the yoga class and then I realized I hadn't told him about my "lifestyle change". I told him what I was doing and how it was a big change and is really contributing to the fact that I've been off kilter until I get used to it. But the timing seemed to be right for this change. After all, this seems to be a year of big change for many people. There are all my fellow Bloggers out there making this commitment to diet and fitness. My brother and two of my friends (including my email buddy) have quit smoking. And I have another friend who took some very brave steps to remedy a lifetime of insecurities. If they can do it, I can too!
We're closing in on the end of week two. I'm hoping tomorrow's number is a good one. We shall see. But if it's not, then I guess I'll just have keep my head down, keep eating right and up the activity level.
And hopefully soon, I get a little less strange.
Friday I got up a little later than intended so it was raisin bran for breakfast. I was at a client site until around 2pm, and on the way back I stopped at a deli to pick up lunch from their salad and hot food bars. I loaded up on steamed broccoli and carats, spinach salad, a couple of shrimp with a little fresh mozzarella and half a roasted chicken breast, just to get a little more protein. I finished out my day at work and headed home around 5:45 fully intending to cook dinner and do "Sweatin' to the Oldies".
But what actually happened was this. My neck and shoulder have really been bothering me lately and Friday it became a full blown muscle ache. ( I carry all my stress in my shoulders and the tops of my thighs). So when I got home, I found the heating pad and laid down for a few minutes just to give it some heat. And I promptly fell asleep. I woke up 2 hours later around 8:30, took out my contact lenses, got undressed and went back to bed. I slept straight through until about 6:45 am. I'm guessing my body needed some sleep!
Scott finds it very amusing that when my body says it's done for the day. It's done. There is no winding down period. It goes from 60 to 0 like I've suddenly run into a brick wall. When I hit the bed I'm usually out within 5 minutes. If we are out at a party or with friends, I can feel when it's starting and all I say to Scott is "I'm done" and he knows we need to get moving towards home.
I guess my body was giving me a great big "I'M DONE" yesterday.
I have a friend that I've developed a really fun email relationship with. We write at least twice a week and he asked me yesterday why I was so weird lately. So I explained about the yoga class and then I realized I hadn't told him about my "lifestyle change". I told him what I was doing and how it was a big change and is really contributing to the fact that I've been off kilter until I get used to it. But the timing seemed to be right for this change. After all, this seems to be a year of big change for many people. There are all my fellow Bloggers out there making this commitment to diet and fitness. My brother and two of my friends (including my email buddy) have quit smoking. And I have another friend who took some very brave steps to remedy a lifetime of insecurities. If they can do it, I can too!
We're closing in on the end of week two. I'm hoping tomorrow's number is a good one. We shall see. But if it's not, then I guess I'll just have keep my head down, keep eating right and up the activity level.
And hopefully soon, I get a little less strange.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Day 12: Farmisht , Farmutshet, and Farshvitst
Wow. It's amazing how one off night at yoga just puts you all out of whack. My mind has been unfocused and distracted all day. So of course it got really busy at work today.
For those who don't know, I work in the diamond industry. I'm a programmer for a small software company that makes inventory and A/R control software for diamond dealers. The diamond industry is very heavily Jewish and though I am not of that faith, I've picked up enough over the years that I might as well be. Yiddish is one of those things that I've picked up. One thing I love about Yiddish words is that they often mean exactly what the sound like, especially the less than polite words. Like putz, you may not know exactly what it means, but just by the sound of it you don't want to be called it. My two favorite words are meshugass, which means madness or insanity, and (I hope I don't offend) farkakte, which means kind of like sh*tty or f*cked up.
The other thing I picked up was about another 70 pounds (I was already about 30 pounds overweight when I started this job). For 17 years I have spent 8 hours a day 5 days a week sitting at a desk exercising my brain more than my butt. It made it very easy to pack on those pounds. After a long day, you get home and all you really want to do is veg out in front of the TV and turn your brain off for a while. Believe it or not having to think and solve problems all day is physically exhausting. Exercise? Maybe later. Cook a healthy balanced meal? A can of Chef Boyardee in the microwave is a lot quicker and easier. Have a bad day at work? Stressed out? Ben & Jerry are always there to comfort and reward you. Obviously I didn't have to fall into the sedentary lifestyle trap, but I was a prime candidate. Even now, there are some nights when I get home and all I really want to do is sit on my butt. The difference is now I'm more motivated. When I started this blog, I joked that public failure is a strong motivator. What I've discovered is that it REALLY is. I'd feel like I let someone down if I didn't do the things I was supposed to and then come here and write about it (apparently I've also picked up some good old fashioned Jewish guilt too!).
Why is it so much easier to accept disappointing yourself than it is risking the disappointment of others?
I mean ultimately I'm not trying to lose this weight for you guys, I'm trying to lose it for me. I guess that's one of my other little personality quirks, I'm a people pleaser, so pleasing makes me feel more worthwhile. I used to be worse and it caused me no end of stress. Then finally just before my senior year of high school it all caught up with me and I had a bit of a mental meltdown. The thing that pulled me through and still does to when things get rough is something my brother Chris said to me on that day: "There are only two people in this world that you have to impress. That's me and that's you. And I'm already damn impressed."
So I try and keep those words with me when I get tired and frustrated with this whole lifestyle change. But now I have something more to go with those words, all the very kind and supportive comments and emails I've been getting from you all. They've been a great help getting through these first two weeks. Apparently positive reinforcement can keep cravings at bay! Behold the power of words.
So thank you for your support. I may be trying to lose this weight for me, but I'm not sure I could do it without you.
For those who don't know, I work in the diamond industry. I'm a programmer for a small software company that makes inventory and A/R control software for diamond dealers. The diamond industry is very heavily Jewish and though I am not of that faith, I've picked up enough over the years that I might as well be. Yiddish is one of those things that I've picked up. One thing I love about Yiddish words is that they often mean exactly what the sound like, especially the less than polite words. Like putz, you may not know exactly what it means, but just by the sound of it you don't want to be called it. My two favorite words are meshugass, which means madness or insanity, and (I hope I don't offend) farkakte, which means kind of like sh*tty or f*cked up.
The other thing I picked up was about another 70 pounds (I was already about 30 pounds overweight when I started this job). For 17 years I have spent 8 hours a day 5 days a week sitting at a desk exercising my brain more than my butt. It made it very easy to pack on those pounds. After a long day, you get home and all you really want to do is veg out in front of the TV and turn your brain off for a while. Believe it or not having to think and solve problems all day is physically exhausting. Exercise? Maybe later. Cook a healthy balanced meal? A can of Chef Boyardee in the microwave is a lot quicker and easier. Have a bad day at work? Stressed out? Ben & Jerry are always there to comfort and reward you. Obviously I didn't have to fall into the sedentary lifestyle trap, but I was a prime candidate. Even now, there are some nights when I get home and all I really want to do is sit on my butt. The difference is now I'm more motivated. When I started this blog, I joked that public failure is a strong motivator. What I've discovered is that it REALLY is. I'd feel like I let someone down if I didn't do the things I was supposed to and then come here and write about it (apparently I've also picked up some good old fashioned Jewish guilt too!).
Why is it so much easier to accept disappointing yourself than it is risking the disappointment of others?
I mean ultimately I'm not trying to lose this weight for you guys, I'm trying to lose it for me. I guess that's one of my other little personality quirks, I'm a people pleaser, so pleasing makes me feel more worthwhile. I used to be worse and it caused me no end of stress. Then finally just before my senior year of high school it all caught up with me and I had a bit of a mental meltdown. The thing that pulled me through and still does to when things get rough is something my brother Chris said to me on that day: "There are only two people in this world that you have to impress. That's me and that's you. And I'm already damn impressed."
So I try and keep those words with me when I get tired and frustrated with this whole lifestyle change. But now I have something more to go with those words, all the very kind and supportive comments and emails I've been getting from you all. They've been a great help getting through these first two weeks. Apparently positive reinforcement can keep cravings at bay! Behold the power of words.
So thank you for your support. I may be trying to lose this weight for me, but I'm not sure I could do it without you.
Day 11: Ch-ch-ch-changes
I feel kind of cheap. Yoga tonight seemed like a "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am" affair. Usually, Jody comes in and sits down and talks for a few minutes about something going on in her life and how yoga can help her deal with it and how we can use those lessons in our own lives. We joke around a bit and tease, then we start moving. Tonight, she walked in the room and immediately told us to "take dog" (downward facing dog pose). No friendly little get comfortable chat, no foreplay, just right into it. I mean we did our poses, and the movement was all there, but it just seemed... off. We had barely said "Namaste" before she was out the door this evening. At least she could have cuddled for a little bit...
Granted this is unusual for Jody and obviously there was something else going on so I really can't begrudge her. But this little change to routine now has me all out of whack. Apparently I have issues with change.
That is probably the single least surprising observation I could have made about myself. Of course I have issues with change! I've been in the same job for the last 17 years. I've lived in the same apartment for the last 16 years. I've had the same car for the past 8.
I suppose I could look to my childhood and analyze this, and again, it's pretty easy to spot. I had a series of changes that happened in my life very quickly (but not necessarily for the better) when I was very young that I had no control over. My mother passed away, my father remarried to a widow with two children and we moved to a new house with this new family all in the span of less than two years. And growing up, I'm not sure I ever got my footing in that new situation.
It's a little disconcerting being that obvious and predictable! (We can discuss how the abandonment issues and daddy issues arising from that situation affected my dating life at another time... It sucks being so textbook!) LOL!
This "uncomfortableness" with change is most likely a big part of the reason I've had so much trouble sticking with the diet and fitness thing in the past. It's a change. A big change.
But here I am trying hard to make this lifestyle change once again. And here we are in the middle of week two and I think I've been doing okay. They say it takes about three weeks to establish a habit, for me I fear it is a bit longer. But here's hoping that this diet and fitness thing and particularly the not eating the crap thing because more ingrained and mindless in the next two weeks.
And maybe, just maybe, if I successfully navigate this change, I'll have the courage to make other changes in my life that I've been contemplating but too afraid to attempt. That would be a nice little bonus.
Granted this is unusual for Jody and obviously there was something else going on so I really can't begrudge her. But this little change to routine now has me all out of whack. Apparently I have issues with change.
That is probably the single least surprising observation I could have made about myself. Of course I have issues with change! I've been in the same job for the last 17 years. I've lived in the same apartment for the last 16 years. I've had the same car for the past 8.
I suppose I could look to my childhood and analyze this, and again, it's pretty easy to spot. I had a series of changes that happened in my life very quickly (but not necessarily for the better) when I was very young that I had no control over. My mother passed away, my father remarried to a widow with two children and we moved to a new house with this new family all in the span of less than two years. And growing up, I'm not sure I ever got my footing in that new situation.
It's a little disconcerting being that obvious and predictable! (We can discuss how the abandonment issues and daddy issues arising from that situation affected my dating life at another time... It sucks being so textbook!) LOL!
This "uncomfortableness" with change is most likely a big part of the reason I've had so much trouble sticking with the diet and fitness thing in the past. It's a change. A big change.
But here I am trying hard to make this lifestyle change once again. And here we are in the middle of week two and I think I've been doing okay. They say it takes about three weeks to establish a habit, for me I fear it is a bit longer. But here's hoping that this diet and fitness thing and particularly the not eating the crap thing because more ingrained and mindless in the next two weeks.
And maybe, just maybe, if I successfully navigate this change, I'll have the courage to make other changes in my life that I've been contemplating but too afraid to attempt. That would be a nice little bonus.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 10: One of THOSE Days
It just had to be one of those days. A day where nothing seems to go right and you realize that you would have been better off, just staying home and hiding under the covers.
It started off okay. I had my oatmeal and fresh strawberries for breakfast. Then I made my first mistake. I left my house. To get to work, I take the bus. The bus stop in Hoboken is about two blocks from my house so it's very convenient. Now considering that my office is literally only 5 miles away from my house you would think that this would be a quick and easy commute. You would be wrong, especially this morning. The first thing I noticed was that the buses arriving at our stop were a lot more packed than usual. As it turns out, there was a fire on the 33rd Street PATH line (the PATH trains are subways that run between New Jersey and New York), and therefore all midtown PATH service was shut down, forcing many people to take the bus across the river instead. I was able to get on the second bus that came and I actually got a seat. The traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel was somewhat backed up so that took a little while to get through. Then as we started to turn onto the ramp up to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (our final destination), there was a loud bang, followed by an evil scraping noise that startled all the headphone wearing, Ipod listening, cell phone chatting commuters on the bus. The Greyhound bus turning into the lane next to us was now connected to us as our bus tried to shave off the front corner of their vehicle.
It was just a minor fender bender and nobody was hurt, but it took a while for the drivers to come up with a plan of action and move the buses to place where others could get by. Then we ended up being let off the bus at the bottom of this busy ramp area, adding an extra three long crosstown blocks to my walk in the already ridiculous heat. By the time, I got to my office I was dripping with sweat and my 5 mile commute had taken an hour and a half.
I had a hard time focusing yesterday. Everything just felt a little off. I ate my apple mid morning and then the Lean Cuisine entree around 1:30. Then my boyfriend called. His sister was in town. We were supposed to get together with her on Sunday, but she never got in touch and now she wanted to have dinner with us before she flew back to San Francisco the next day. So, I met Scott after work and we headed down to the West Village to meet Jill at Trattoria Spaghetto on Bleecker Street. The pasta was tempting, calling my name like a siren's song, but I resisted. I ordered a chicken and mesculun salad with fresh mozzarella and broccoli sauteed with garlic on the side. It was pretty tasty and I ate more than I probably should of as we sat and chatted with Jill.
After dinner, the 33rd Street PATH line was still out of service, so we caught a cab further downtown to the World Trade Center PATH train. Now you would think that almost 7 years later there might be some buildings actually rising in the area where the towers used to be. But since everything having to do with this project seems to have to go through endless committees, Ground Zero is pretty much still a big hole in the ground. But lately they have moved the "temporary" PATH entrance from the east side to the north side of the area and it's all a bit confusing. We waited for a train in the stifling heat of the underground station and were thankful when we didn't have to wait long.
By the time we got back to Hoboken and emerged from the station, there were flickers of lightning in the distance. Thunder and lightning storms scare me. I startle easily so a loud clap of thunder really sets my heart racing and lightning displays often make me cower. Yes, I'm a big old baby. So we set off for home walking at a pretty good clip. The heat was still pretty oppressive and Scott wanted to stop for an Italian Ice. We stopped at the Ice Hut and they had cherry. I love cherry italian ice. I figured it was fat free so damn the sugar, I'd been without for a while, and got a small one. When we left the Ice Hut, the lightning flashes started coming faster. Then the wind kicked up. Within a matter of minutes, the strong breeze turned into extreme gusts and the dark sky went a weird gray/green/orange as the lightning continued to flash. The wind literally started to pick up the garbage cans and garbage bags left out for collection and hurl them around. The street lights flickered and then went out. Scott and I held onto each other and tried to shield our eyes as dust and dirt swirled around.
We made it to a little convenience store at the corner of Washington and Sixth and ducked inside for a few minutes hoping to let it pass. We waited for the lottery terminal to reboot itself and purchased a lottery ticket (Hey, you never know). By the time we went back outside, the wind was still gusting but not as strangely as it was before. We made it the last 3 blocks and held our breath as we turned onto the street because we could see the flashing lights of a fire truck. Not our house, thankfully. When we got inside, we were happy to find the power still on. But it was 9:30 pm and I was exhausted. I checked some email and chatted with my sistah Princess Elaine for a few and then went to bed and fell fast asleep.
So, basically, the whole previous story is my excuse for why I didn't exercise on Day 10. Oops. Mea Culpa. I promise to do better on Day 11.
Here's to a better day.
It started off okay. I had my oatmeal and fresh strawberries for breakfast. Then I made my first mistake. I left my house. To get to work, I take the bus. The bus stop in Hoboken is about two blocks from my house so it's very convenient. Now considering that my office is literally only 5 miles away from my house you would think that this would be a quick and easy commute. You would be wrong, especially this morning. The first thing I noticed was that the buses arriving at our stop were a lot more packed than usual. As it turns out, there was a fire on the 33rd Street PATH line (the PATH trains are subways that run between New Jersey and New York), and therefore all midtown PATH service was shut down, forcing many people to take the bus across the river instead. I was able to get on the second bus that came and I actually got a seat. The traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel was somewhat backed up so that took a little while to get through. Then as we started to turn onto the ramp up to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (our final destination), there was a loud bang, followed by an evil scraping noise that startled all the headphone wearing, Ipod listening, cell phone chatting commuters on the bus. The Greyhound bus turning into the lane next to us was now connected to us as our bus tried to shave off the front corner of their vehicle.
It was just a minor fender bender and nobody was hurt, but it took a while for the drivers to come up with a plan of action and move the buses to place where others could get by. Then we ended up being let off the bus at the bottom of this busy ramp area, adding an extra three long crosstown blocks to my walk in the already ridiculous heat. By the time, I got to my office I was dripping with sweat and my 5 mile commute had taken an hour and a half.
I had a hard time focusing yesterday. Everything just felt a little off. I ate my apple mid morning and then the Lean Cuisine entree around 1:30. Then my boyfriend called. His sister was in town. We were supposed to get together with her on Sunday, but she never got in touch and now she wanted to have dinner with us before she flew back to San Francisco the next day. So, I met Scott after work and we headed down to the West Village to meet Jill at Trattoria Spaghetto on Bleecker Street. The pasta was tempting, calling my name like a siren's song, but I resisted. I ordered a chicken and mesculun salad with fresh mozzarella and broccoli sauteed with garlic on the side. It was pretty tasty and I ate more than I probably should of as we sat and chatted with Jill.
After dinner, the 33rd Street PATH line was still out of service, so we caught a cab further downtown to the World Trade Center PATH train. Now you would think that almost 7 years later there might be some buildings actually rising in the area where the towers used to be. But since everything having to do with this project seems to have to go through endless committees, Ground Zero is pretty much still a big hole in the ground. But lately they have moved the "temporary" PATH entrance from the east side to the north side of the area and it's all a bit confusing. We waited for a train in the stifling heat of the underground station and were thankful when we didn't have to wait long.
By the time we got back to Hoboken and emerged from the station, there were flickers of lightning in the distance. Thunder and lightning storms scare me. I startle easily so a loud clap of thunder really sets my heart racing and lightning displays often make me cower. Yes, I'm a big old baby. So we set off for home walking at a pretty good clip. The heat was still pretty oppressive and Scott wanted to stop for an Italian Ice. We stopped at the Ice Hut and they had cherry. I love cherry italian ice. I figured it was fat free so damn the sugar, I'd been without for a while, and got a small one. When we left the Ice Hut, the lightning flashes started coming faster. Then the wind kicked up. Within a matter of minutes, the strong breeze turned into extreme gusts and the dark sky went a weird gray/green/orange as the lightning continued to flash. The wind literally started to pick up the garbage cans and garbage bags left out for collection and hurl them around. The street lights flickered and then went out. Scott and I held onto each other and tried to shield our eyes as dust and dirt swirled around.
We made it to a little convenience store at the corner of Washington and Sixth and ducked inside for a few minutes hoping to let it pass. We waited for the lottery terminal to reboot itself and purchased a lottery ticket (Hey, you never know). By the time we went back outside, the wind was still gusting but not as strangely as it was before. We made it the last 3 blocks and held our breath as we turned onto the street because we could see the flashing lights of a fire truck. Not our house, thankfully. When we got inside, we were happy to find the power still on. But it was 9:30 pm and I was exhausted. I checked some email and chatted with my sistah Princess Elaine for a few and then went to bed and fell fast asleep.
So, basically, the whole previous story is my excuse for why I didn't exercise on Day 10. Oops. Mea Culpa. I promise to do better on Day 11.
Here's to a better day.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 9: Good Intentions
Some of you might be wondering why this blog is subtitled "(Or... The Road to Hell)" No, it's not because dieting and exercise (oh, excuse me... "lifestyle changes") are a hellish torture. But you know the old saying, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Where weight loss and fitness are concerned I have a lot of good intentions. In a fact, here is a picture of my good intentions:
And we can't forget the exercise bike and treadmill (both bought on Ebay), which I will not post pictures of, because I can't take pictures of them without you seeing what a terrible mess my house is (Scott holds the rank of Major Chaos, but I outrank him as General Disarray).
See I've thought about trying to get in better shape many times in the past. I'd buy the video, watch it through once, maybe attempt it once and then it just gathers dust. Apparently fitness can not be gained through osmosis. I'd join a gym go for few weeks, then once life starting interfering with the schedule I set, I wouldn't go back again. The longest I lasted at any gym was 7 months at Curves. I kind of liked that workout ("Change station now."), but once you don't go a couple times, it gets harder and harder to go back. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else?
Then yoga came along. I've managed to stick with that for over a year. But even with yoga my good intentions often get foiled by this thing called life. Take tonight for instance. I really did intend to go to my yoga class, even in this heat. But then a server crashed in Chicago so I got stuck on the phone helping the client until well after 5. By the time I got to the Port Authority the lines for the buses were outrageously long because of some traffic snafu involving the Lincoln Tunnel. I didn't get home until almost 7:30. At that point there was no way to make it to my yoga class in time.
It was too hot to cook so I heated some leftovers (1/2 portion of chicken marsala, couscous, and steamed broccoli) in the microwave, then considered my exercise options. I could walk, but it's damn hot out and my legs need a break after yesterday's 6.6 mile hike. And that also takes the treadmill out of the equation. Then I remembered all these lovely videos that I owned so I thought I'd give one a try. So...
Today's exercise: The Biggest Loser Workout Cardio Max (level 1)
This was my most recent purchase, an impulse buy at the register in the grocery store. I watch "The Biggest Loser" all the time, usually while sitting on the couch eating ice cream or something else bad for me. I figured with the amount of weight these people drop, they have to know what they are doing. Of course, watching a show like "The Biggest Loser" causes the obsession with the number on the scale. You watch the number of pounds these people drop each week and they get disappointed with anything less than five. Five pounds! And some of these people drop double digits week after week! It makes my 4.3 pounds look kind of paltry. But then you have to remind yourself that they have the luxury of 1) exercising upwards of 6 hours a day, 2) constant access to trainers, and 3) people telling them how and what to eat. I know in my head that it is not possible to live a real life and drop like that. But it doesn't help the obsession.
I have to tell you, "The Biggest Loser Workout: Cardio Max" level one, kicked my ass. I was dripping with sweat when it was over and I kept having to stop and catch my breath. Egads. But afterwards as always I feel better for having done it.
I think that I'm going to do each and every one of the tapes I have. Add them in once a week. It will help with my need for variety.
Now I'm sweaty and really tired. Time to hit the showers and catch some zzzzzzz's.
Good Night Moon!
And we can't forget the exercise bike and treadmill (both bought on Ebay), which I will not post pictures of, because I can't take pictures of them without you seeing what a terrible mess my house is (Scott holds the rank of Major Chaos, but I outrank him as General Disarray).
See I've thought about trying to get in better shape many times in the past. I'd buy the video, watch it through once, maybe attempt it once and then it just gathers dust. Apparently fitness can not be gained through osmosis. I'd join a gym go for few weeks, then once life starting interfering with the schedule I set, I wouldn't go back again. The longest I lasted at any gym was 7 months at Curves. I kind of liked that workout ("Change station now."), but once you don't go a couple times, it gets harder and harder to go back. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else?
Then yoga came along. I've managed to stick with that for over a year. But even with yoga my good intentions often get foiled by this thing called life. Take tonight for instance. I really did intend to go to my yoga class, even in this heat. But then a server crashed in Chicago so I got stuck on the phone helping the client until well after 5. By the time I got to the Port Authority the lines for the buses were outrageously long because of some traffic snafu involving the Lincoln Tunnel. I didn't get home until almost 7:30. At that point there was no way to make it to my yoga class in time.
It was too hot to cook so I heated some leftovers (1/2 portion of chicken marsala, couscous, and steamed broccoli) in the microwave, then considered my exercise options. I could walk, but it's damn hot out and my legs need a break after yesterday's 6.6 mile hike. And that also takes the treadmill out of the equation. Then I remembered all these lovely videos that I owned so I thought I'd give one a try. So...
Today's exercise: The Biggest Loser Workout Cardio Max (level 1)
This was my most recent purchase, an impulse buy at the register in the grocery store. I watch "The Biggest Loser" all the time, usually while sitting on the couch eating ice cream or something else bad for me. I figured with the amount of weight these people drop, they have to know what they are doing. Of course, watching a show like "The Biggest Loser" causes the obsession with the number on the scale. You watch the number of pounds these people drop each week and they get disappointed with anything less than five. Five pounds! And some of these people drop double digits week after week! It makes my 4.3 pounds look kind of paltry. But then you have to remind yourself that they have the luxury of 1) exercising upwards of 6 hours a day, 2) constant access to trainers, and 3) people telling them how and what to eat. I know in my head that it is not possible to live a real life and drop like that. But it doesn't help the obsession.
I have to tell you, "The Biggest Loser Workout: Cardio Max" level one, kicked my ass. I was dripping with sweat when it was over and I kept having to stop and catch my breath. Egads. But afterwards as always I feel better for having done it.
I think that I'm going to do each and every one of the tapes I have. Add them in once a week. It will help with my need for variety.
Now I'm sweaty and really tired. Time to hit the showers and catch some zzzzzzz's.
Good Night Moon!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Day 8: And the Magic Number is...
4.3
4.3 is the number of pounds I've lost over the last week. It's a respectable number to be sure, after all, slow and steady wins the race. Anyone who has ever spent any time dieting knows how easy it is to obsess about that number on the scale. Of course you hear people all the time say, "Don't worry about the number on the scale, concentrate on how your clothes fit." So I will say that I was pleased today, when I finally moved down to that last notch on my belt.
So the first week is down, now I just have to keep my head down, keep eating healthy, exercise and try not to obsess about that damn number.
I have to apologize about no blog yesterday. The day completely got away from me. I didn't even get any specific exercise any, unless you count dragging the laundry to the laundromat. I'll tell you more about the day and dealing with my family at another point, because I want to tell you about my hike today. It's one of my absolute favorites.
Today's exercise: hiking
A 6.6 mile "lollipop" hike in the Black River County Park out in Chester, NJ. (click for the description I followed).
A lollipop hike is a hike where the beginning and end of the hike follow the same trail, but somewhere down the line you make a turn that takes you in a big loop before bringing you back to the spot where you turned off.
There are several reasons why I like this hike. It starts and ends with a relatively level and easy 1.2 mile stroll through the woods. It has a decent amount of ups and downs to really get your heart going. It has a great variety in the places it takes you, creeks, rolling meadows, a pine forest and a rocky river gorge. And most importantly it's quite beautiful.
It was really hot today, in the upper 90's so I wanted to get a nice early start. But I ended up sleeping until 8, so I was already and hour behind. Then of course I started off on the wrong foot by driving off in the wrong direction, whoops! And it takes a little over an hour to get out to the park. Another one of the pluses of this hike is that there are bathrooms by the parking lot. Never underestimate the value of an actual bathroom at the beginning and end of your hike. Because of the heat, I put three 1.5 liter bottles of water (one frozen to keep the others cool) in my pack and left a 4th in the car. I hit the bathroom and then headed out. The trail starts out behind an old historic mill and then follows a along a creek, crossing several foot bridges.
This was nice way to start. The path was wide open and I started to relax as I walked along at a pretty good clip. I was starting to glisten a bit as I moved, but nothing too bad yet. We've gotten a lot of rain lately and there was a big storm last night so there lots of "seasonal wetness" to be found. The foliage was very green and lush. I was the only person on the trail. Of course one of the bigger problems with hiking solo is that you get the face fulls of cobwebs and such that the insects like to string across your path.
I don't mind hiking by myself, but there are very set rules I use when I do. I print out at least 2 copies of the hike I'm doing and leave the hike on my screen at home. One copy I carry with me of course and the other goes into a ziploc bag with my last name, date and start time and gets left under my windshield wiper (this was a tip I picked up from a boy scout troop I ran into on a hike while I was looking for a place to pee. Guess that boulder wasn't as screened as I thought!) I always carry at least two 1.5 liter bottles of water, more if it's hot. I never wear headphones on the trail because I need to hear what's going on around me, (you've got to be able to hear a bear crashing through the woods, or the rattle of the rattlesnake you almost stepped on!) And I always make sure my cell phone is fully charged.
The hike passes a lovely little pond, but on a hot day like today you don't stop near standing water. Because if you do, you get surrounded by lots of little flying things. And the bugs were out in force today, I had to reapply the bug spray 3 times to keep them away from me. By the time I hit my first real up, I was pretty warm already and by the time I got to the top I was drenched. The first half of this hike is not all that different from any other hike. But once I hit the red trail, I got to one of my favorite parts.
The pine forest. This part of the trail is wonderful. The trail is covered in a thick layer of pine needles so it feels like you are walking on a very soft carpet. And the smell... it's just amazing. It's what every car freshner aspires to and never can achieve.
Today the pine forest had a few surprises for me however. This trail is a less used trail and obviously not many people had been down it recently so many parts of the the path were overgrown and I had to do a bit of bushwhacking. Then I came to a real obstacle. Two trees about 6 inches in diameter each had fallen across the path about waist high, too low to go under. It was so over grown on either side that there was no way to blaze a f*ck-it path, so I had to go over. When I put my left leg up and over the trees to straddle them, I ended up almost getting intimate with the remains of a broken branch. (If the tree had any sense of decency it would have bought me dinner first!). I felt a stabbing pain on my inner thigh and heard my shorts rip as the branch went right through. This is the second hike in a row that I've ripped my shorts. Thank goodness both pairs were already too big. After adjusting my position, I got my other leg over, thanked the trees for a good time and headed off down the trail.
After some more climbs and descents I ended up at my other favorite part of this trail. The Black River Gorge. The trail runs along the side of the river often becoming very narrow and fit for not much more than a billy goat, but the water rushing by on your left is so lovely and soothing, it's worth it. By this time I was soaking wet. I mean completely soaked through. My tank top was totally wet, there was a small area around the bottom hem that was still dry. My shorts were soaked. My hat was soaked. I wasn't glistening, I wasn't perspiring, I was full on sweating, it was literally pouring off of me. But I knew at this point I only had about two miles left so I pushed on. There was a lot more up as I climbed out of the gorge. Then headed back to the path I came in on.
When I got back to the mill, there were two older couples who had just finished a tour of the mill. One of the men, just stared at me as I came walking by, you would think the man had never seen a sweat drenched woman wearing a sopping wet tank top, ripped shorts and knee braces, arrive out of the woods before! Sheesh!
By the time I reached my car, I had drank over 3 liters of water and my trusty pedometer read:
Miles: 6.60
Steps: 15506
Aerobic steps: 13139 for 142 minutes
Calories burned: 699
But what floored me was the time, just a tad over 3 hours! I don't know how I maintained that pace! I felt like I was moving a lot slower. But hey I'll take it. I was tired, my right knee was a bit achy, but I felt really good. My lungs felt really open.
I stopped at a favorite farm market on my way home and picked up some freshly picked strawberries and asparagus. And this is just the beginning of the summer produce season, I can't wait for the rest to come in.
All in all it was a good day and a nice hike. Not a single DHP sighting (the wusses!) I only ran into three other people on the trails all day. This won't be the last 90+ degree day I hike this summer, so I guess I better get used to it.
Happy trails!
4.3 is the number of pounds I've lost over the last week. It's a respectable number to be sure, after all, slow and steady wins the race. Anyone who has ever spent any time dieting knows how easy it is to obsess about that number on the scale. Of course you hear people all the time say, "Don't worry about the number on the scale, concentrate on how your clothes fit." So I will say that I was pleased today, when I finally moved down to that last notch on my belt.
So the first week is down, now I just have to keep my head down, keep eating healthy, exercise and try not to obsess about that damn number.
I have to apologize about no blog yesterday. The day completely got away from me. I didn't even get any specific exercise any, unless you count dragging the laundry to the laundromat. I'll tell you more about the day and dealing with my family at another point, because I want to tell you about my hike today. It's one of my absolute favorites.
Today's exercise: hiking
A 6.6 mile "lollipop" hike in the Black River County Park out in Chester, NJ. (click for the description I followed).
A lollipop hike is a hike where the beginning and end of the hike follow the same trail, but somewhere down the line you make a turn that takes you in a big loop before bringing you back to the spot where you turned off.
There are several reasons why I like this hike. It starts and ends with a relatively level and easy 1.2 mile stroll through the woods. It has a decent amount of ups and downs to really get your heart going. It has a great variety in the places it takes you, creeks, rolling meadows, a pine forest and a rocky river gorge. And most importantly it's quite beautiful.
It was really hot today, in the upper 90's so I wanted to get a nice early start. But I ended up sleeping until 8, so I was already and hour behind. Then of course I started off on the wrong foot by driving off in the wrong direction, whoops! And it takes a little over an hour to get out to the park. Another one of the pluses of this hike is that there are bathrooms by the parking lot. Never underestimate the value of an actual bathroom at the beginning and end of your hike. Because of the heat, I put three 1.5 liter bottles of water (one frozen to keep the others cool) in my pack and left a 4th in the car. I hit the bathroom and then headed out. The trail starts out behind an old historic mill and then follows a along a creek, crossing several foot bridges.
This was nice way to start. The path was wide open and I started to relax as I walked along at a pretty good clip. I was starting to glisten a bit as I moved, but nothing too bad yet. We've gotten a lot of rain lately and there was a big storm last night so there lots of "seasonal wetness" to be found. The foliage was very green and lush. I was the only person on the trail. Of course one of the bigger problems with hiking solo is that you get the face fulls of cobwebs and such that the insects like to string across your path.
I don't mind hiking by myself, but there are very set rules I use when I do. I print out at least 2 copies of the hike I'm doing and leave the hike on my screen at home. One copy I carry with me of course and the other goes into a ziploc bag with my last name, date and start time and gets left under my windshield wiper (this was a tip I picked up from a boy scout troop I ran into on a hike while I was looking for a place to pee. Guess that boulder wasn't as screened as I thought!) I always carry at least two 1.5 liter bottles of water, more if it's hot. I never wear headphones on the trail because I need to hear what's going on around me, (you've got to be able to hear a bear crashing through the woods, or the rattle of the rattlesnake you almost stepped on!) And I always make sure my cell phone is fully charged.
The hike passes a lovely little pond, but on a hot day like today you don't stop near standing water. Because if you do, you get surrounded by lots of little flying things. And the bugs were out in force today, I had to reapply the bug spray 3 times to keep them away from me. By the time I hit my first real up, I was pretty warm already and by the time I got to the top I was drenched. The first half of this hike is not all that different from any other hike. But once I hit the red trail, I got to one of my favorite parts.
The pine forest. This part of the trail is wonderful. The trail is covered in a thick layer of pine needles so it feels like you are walking on a very soft carpet. And the smell... it's just amazing. It's what every car freshner aspires to and never can achieve.
Today the pine forest had a few surprises for me however. This trail is a less used trail and obviously not many people had been down it recently so many parts of the the path were overgrown and I had to do a bit of bushwhacking. Then I came to a real obstacle. Two trees about 6 inches in diameter each had fallen across the path about waist high, too low to go under. It was so over grown on either side that there was no way to blaze a f*ck-it path, so I had to go over. When I put my left leg up and over the trees to straddle them, I ended up almost getting intimate with the remains of a broken branch. (If the tree had any sense of decency it would have bought me dinner first!). I felt a stabbing pain on my inner thigh and heard my shorts rip as the branch went right through. This is the second hike in a row that I've ripped my shorts. Thank goodness both pairs were already too big. After adjusting my position, I got my other leg over, thanked the trees for a good time and headed off down the trail.
After some more climbs and descents I ended up at my other favorite part of this trail. The Black River Gorge. The trail runs along the side of the river often becoming very narrow and fit for not much more than a billy goat, but the water rushing by on your left is so lovely and soothing, it's worth it. By this time I was soaking wet. I mean completely soaked through. My tank top was totally wet, there was a small area around the bottom hem that was still dry. My shorts were soaked. My hat was soaked. I wasn't glistening, I wasn't perspiring, I was full on sweating, it was literally pouring off of me. But I knew at this point I only had about two miles left so I pushed on. There was a lot more up as I climbed out of the gorge. Then headed back to the path I came in on.
When I got back to the mill, there were two older couples who had just finished a tour of the mill. One of the men, just stared at me as I came walking by, you would think the man had never seen a sweat drenched woman wearing a sopping wet tank top, ripped shorts and knee braces, arrive out of the woods before! Sheesh!
By the time I reached my car, I had drank over 3 liters of water and my trusty pedometer read:
Miles: 6.60
Steps: 15506
Aerobic steps: 13139 for 142 minutes
Calories burned: 699
But what floored me was the time, just a tad over 3 hours! I don't know how I maintained that pace! I felt like I was moving a lot slower. But hey I'll take it. I was tired, my right knee was a bit achy, but I felt really good. My lungs felt really open.
I stopped at a favorite farm market on my way home and picked up some freshly picked strawberries and asparagus. And this is just the beginning of the summer produce season, I can't wait for the rest to come in.
All in all it was a good day and a nice hike. Not a single DHP sighting (the wusses!) I only ran into three other people on the trails all day. This won't be the last 90+ degree day I hike this summer, so I guess I better get used to it.
Happy trails!
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