Ever have nights you can't sleep? Tonight I went to bed at 10, with my alarm set for 3:30. At midnight, I woke up and was wide awake. I stayed in bed trying to lull myself back to sleep, but I couldn't. It was if I had a refreshing 2-hour nap.
So I got up.
I have cleaned the bathroom, gathered all the laundry, sorted all the laundry, folded what was left in the dryer, started the laundry...
I have emptied the dishwasher, did the remaining dishes from tonight, have super-duper cleaned my mixer as it was getting icky, and scrubbed my stove.
I have caught up on a few blogs.
I have balanced my checkbook.
I have made my Christmas list.
I have made a pot of coffee and decided to stay up, hit the shower around 3-ish, and stay up until we hit the store. I can sleep tomorrow. Yuck, but what's a girl to do? I got more done with my two boys asleep than I could have in a whole day with them under foot.
We went to Black Friday sales once several years ago. We had three things to buy: a TV, a quilt, and a something I forget. It was a nightmare. Our son was with us and he was young, and I had to hang on tight to him. People were crazy. My husband went for the TV, and would you belive they were stacked high with no clerk in sight? What happened was he ended up getting a TV down and some poor woman begged him to get her one, and he ended up standing there for a bit grabbing TVs for people. He finally got frustrated, said screw it, and grabbed his TV and headed for checkout. I remember it took me and my son 15 minutes to get to the quilts, and I about had my hands cut from long fingernails as I grabbed what I wanted.
We decided then and there: NEVER AGAIN.
Well, this morning it is NEVER AGAIN.
Luckily, we have one thing to purchase. It's too good of a deal to pass up. We will be hitting Wally-World. I dread it.
The good thing is hubby is going with. He's 6'5" tall. He has a presence. People tend to get out of his way. He walks much faster than I do, so I'll have to put on my running shoes to catch up. We will make a bee-line for what we need, which is in the far back corner of the store, grab and go.
Hopefully it will be smooth sailing.
Then we'll come home, he'll stay up because he's a morning lark, I'll go to bed because I'm a night owl, and we'll see each other again around noon--I hope. lol
Do you all hit the Black Friday sales? There are sure some great bargains, but is it worth it? ??
11.27.2009
11.26.2009
Gobble, Gobble
I gobbled today. I took 1/2 cup of everything. My Thanksgiving meal came in at a whopping 909 calories, including pie and parfait. It was delish. I'm right on track, surprised that I planned my calories well!
The biggest hits? My pumpkin pies and the pudding parfaits I made. Hubby said it was the best pie he'd ever had. That's saying a lot, because it had no crust! The funny thing is I have always made one of "those" pies every year just for me, and regular pies for everyone else. Go figure.
The pudding parfaits--how silly, pudding and Cool Whip Lite, but it was a big hit. They were 175 calories and each piece of pumpkin pie was 116 calories, not counting Cool Whip. It's amazing how many calories are in Cool Whip. I would hate to think how many calories were consumed in years gone by with my little bit of pie to go with my Cool Whip!
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.
I am very thankful for all who follow my blog, for those who leave comments, and for those whose blogs I follow. I feel very rich with support and friendship. Thank you.
The biggest hits? My pumpkin pies and the pudding parfaits I made. Hubby said it was the best pie he'd ever had. That's saying a lot, because it had no crust! The funny thing is I have always made one of "those" pies every year just for me, and regular pies for everyone else. Go figure.
The pudding parfaits--how silly, pudding and Cool Whip Lite, but it was a big hit. They were 175 calories and each piece of pumpkin pie was 116 calories, not counting Cool Whip. It's amazing how many calories are in Cool Whip. I would hate to think how many calories were consumed in years gone by with my little bit of pie to go with my Cool Whip!
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.
I am very thankful for all who follow my blog, for those who leave comments, and for those whose blogs I follow. I feel very rich with support and friendship. Thank you.
11.24.2009
Cleaning Up My Mess...
I don't want anyone to think that I do these Firm workouts perfectly, just like the instructors and class participants! They are tough workouts.
Just tonight I did my very first ever (probably in 20 years) push up. I usually do them on my knees--girly push ups. Tonight, I did a real one and thought I'd die! But I did it! I couldn't have done another, but I was thrilled with one!
My philosophy is to do my best and push myself. The first time I did a Firm I thought I'd die. Weights, step, arm work? Forget it! I just did the foot moves. I just kept plugging away, building strength and endurance. I am up to 5- and 8-pound weights, although today I was so tired I used 3. Everyone has an off day now and then.
Over the course of almost three months, I have made amazing progress. I can do so much -- but I still have a lot of room to grow. That's why I love the Firm so much, because I don't think I'll ever outgrow these tapes. The cardio kicks my butt still, and the weight work--I can always go up with weights.
I'm not perfect or anywhere close. I just do my best and usually love every second of it.
When I did Jari Love for the first time the other day, I worked my arms to the point of exhaustion. I have never done that before. I didn't think I'd be able to finish, to lift one more time as I was shaking--but Jari encouraged and I did it. I had doms in my arms for two days following.
I look forward to mixing up my routine with an infusion of Jari Love and the Firm. Her workouts are so different--it's almost like starting over, even though I know most of the moves she's doing, she does them straight and the Firm mixes things up.
I don't expect perfection from myself at all, I just expect my best. I usually give my all, love it, and am very satisfied. It's absolutely amazing how quickly you can progress by just pushing yourself a little with each workout.
I don't know how I would do if there were suddenly a Firm class to go to--I'd be in the back row hiding. I'm sure I'd keep up and finish, but with modifications. That's how I've done them all along, and the modifications are getting fewer and fewer, my steps are getting higher as are my weights.
~~~~~~
And we will have Thanksgiving after all. I got my shopping done, although I was disappointed. Only tiny turkey breasts were to be found, expensive at that, so I bought a real bird. More work, but it will be good. I had to get a fresh bird so it would be thawed in time. Not smart waiting until the last minute!
Just tonight I did my very first ever (probably in 20 years) push up. I usually do them on my knees--girly push ups. Tonight, I did a real one and thought I'd die! But I did it! I couldn't have done another, but I was thrilled with one!
My philosophy is to do my best and push myself. The first time I did a Firm I thought I'd die. Weights, step, arm work? Forget it! I just did the foot moves. I just kept plugging away, building strength and endurance. I am up to 5- and 8-pound weights, although today I was so tired I used 3. Everyone has an off day now and then.
Over the course of almost three months, I have made amazing progress. I can do so much -- but I still have a lot of room to grow. That's why I love the Firm so much, because I don't think I'll ever outgrow these tapes. The cardio kicks my butt still, and the weight work--I can always go up with weights.
I'm not perfect or anywhere close. I just do my best and usually love every second of it.
When I did Jari Love for the first time the other day, I worked my arms to the point of exhaustion. I have never done that before. I didn't think I'd be able to finish, to lift one more time as I was shaking--but Jari encouraged and I did it. I had doms in my arms for two days following.
I look forward to mixing up my routine with an infusion of Jari Love and the Firm. Her workouts are so different--it's almost like starting over, even though I know most of the moves she's doing, she does them straight and the Firm mixes things up.
I don't expect perfection from myself at all, I just expect my best. I usually give my all, love it, and am very satisfied. It's absolutely amazing how quickly you can progress by just pushing yourself a little with each workout.
I don't know how I would do if there were suddenly a Firm class to go to--I'd be in the back row hiding. I'm sure I'd keep up and finish, but with modifications. That's how I've done them all along, and the modifications are getting fewer and fewer, my steps are getting higher as are my weights.
~~~~~~
And we will have Thanksgiving after all. I got my shopping done, although I was disappointed. Only tiny turkey breasts were to be found, expensive at that, so I bought a real bird. More work, but it will be good. I had to get a fresh bird so it would be thawed in time. Not smart waiting until the last minute!
Tuesday
We've all had a blah day. Rainy, overcast and ugly...ugh.
Anna Benson did indeed pass away, in Panama where she was living. She was 55. I keep thinking about it--there are no guarantees in life. Here she is, the woman who put home fitness on the map--she didn't start it, but she raised the bar, she preached good nutrition--boom, cancer.
Life is short, live it to the fullest each and every day.
We're not going to have Thanksgiving unless I get my lazy butt to the store. We're just going to have a turkey breast this year instead of a big bird. Yay. I'll whip up some fixings, and a few (yes, few) crustless pumpkin pies. I always make chocolate pie, but this year I'll do some pudding and cool whip in pretty glasses--whatever that is called. Sugar free for me, thank you.
~~~
Yesterday we bought a dirt-cheap, I mean practically giving it away--Schwinn Air-dyne. (Exercise bike.) It's older, but barely used. Hubby has cleaned it up--meaning oiling everything, doing guy stuff, and all three of us are in love.
I think it's a really good thing to not limit ourselves with our cardio. Me? I'd prefer to do a video every day. Yet I'm turning to that rebounder more often, and now we'll have the bike to use. That will be really nice when I don't want to pound my feet on the rebounder or with a video. I'm learning it's also very important to switch up our exercises. We can plateau with exercising just as we can with weight loss. I don't want my body to get used to only one thing, so this is a fantastic addition. That's why I've asked for Jari Love videos for Christmas as well--to switch things around.
My son didn't want anything to do with the bike, and last night we couldn't get him off the thing. It has been used so little that I'm sure it will last a couple years. I'm glad we stumbled upon it. This weekend hubby and I had mentioned that it would be nice to have one and then we just walked right into it! I'd say that's fate--especially because it was cheap!
I need to shower since I just worked out and then hit the grocery store!
Anna Benson did indeed pass away, in Panama where she was living. She was 55. I keep thinking about it--there are no guarantees in life. Here she is, the woman who put home fitness on the map--she didn't start it, but she raised the bar, she preached good nutrition--boom, cancer.
Life is short, live it to the fullest each and every day.
We're not going to have Thanksgiving unless I get my lazy butt to the store. We're just going to have a turkey breast this year instead of a big bird. Yay. I'll whip up some fixings, and a few (yes, few) crustless pumpkin pies. I always make chocolate pie, but this year I'll do some pudding and cool whip in pretty glasses--whatever that is called. Sugar free for me, thank you.
~~~
Yesterday we bought a dirt-cheap, I mean practically giving it away--Schwinn Air-dyne. (Exercise bike.) It's older, but barely used. Hubby has cleaned it up--meaning oiling everything, doing guy stuff, and all three of us are in love.
I think it's a really good thing to not limit ourselves with our cardio. Me? I'd prefer to do a video every day. Yet I'm turning to that rebounder more often, and now we'll have the bike to use. That will be really nice when I don't want to pound my feet on the rebounder or with a video. I'm learning it's also very important to switch up our exercises. We can plateau with exercising just as we can with weight loss. I don't want my body to get used to only one thing, so this is a fantastic addition. That's why I've asked for Jari Love videos for Christmas as well--to switch things around.
My son didn't want anything to do with the bike, and last night we couldn't get him off the thing. It has been used so little that I'm sure it will last a couple years. I'm glad we stumbled upon it. This weekend hubby and I had mentioned that it would be nice to have one and then we just walked right into it! I'd say that's fate--especially because it was cheap!
I need to shower since I just worked out and then hit the grocery store!
11.23.2009
Anna Benson
There is sad news on the fitness forums tonight. Confirmation is from friends of former FIRM instructors. So, it's still speculative and internet rumor, but the people reporting are people that I trust as well as you can trust anyone on the internet...
Anna Benson, the creator of The FIRM, my beloved exercise videos, has passed away due to stomach cancer.
When I did my give-away, I placed the order for the winner. Anna's assistant called me the day after I placed the order to confirm the address this was to be sent to, as it was different than mine. I must admit, I was giddy when I saw "Anna Benson" on my caller ID, even if it wasn't Anna herself. We chatted a bit (lovely conversation) and I asked what Anna was working on next. She paused, then said, "Well, Anna is -- Anna is working on it." I noted at the time there was a very strange sound in her voice when she mentioned this. I just assumed she didn't want to tell me as Firmies "gossip" a lot. Looking back, I know that pause and change of voice was because she knew Anna had cancer.
I would suspect that this is not a rumor and is true. I can only hope that it is a rumor. Nonetheless, I want to thank Anna Benson. While I was years late in finding her exercise videos, they have changed my life. I had an intense fear of weights, lifting, weight work. It was manly! The beauty of her productions, the femininity, the southern belle-feel, the grace--it all changed me forever. I now love weight work more than cardio.
In the few short months I have been working out to The FIRM tapes, I have become stronger, developed definition and physically and mentally felt better.
So Anna Benson will always live on in my heart, and I'll think of her every time I pop a tape or DVD in.
Rest in peace, Anna.
Anna Benson, the creator of The FIRM, my beloved exercise videos, has passed away due to stomach cancer.
When I did my give-away, I placed the order for the winner. Anna's assistant called me the day after I placed the order to confirm the address this was to be sent to, as it was different than mine. I must admit, I was giddy when I saw "Anna Benson" on my caller ID, even if it wasn't Anna herself. We chatted a bit (lovely conversation) and I asked what Anna was working on next. She paused, then said, "Well, Anna is -- Anna is working on it." I noted at the time there was a very strange sound in her voice when she mentioned this. I just assumed she didn't want to tell me as Firmies "gossip" a lot. Looking back, I know that pause and change of voice was because she knew Anna had cancer.
I would suspect that this is not a rumor and is true. I can only hope that it is a rumor. Nonetheless, I want to thank Anna Benson. While I was years late in finding her exercise videos, they have changed my life. I had an intense fear of weights, lifting, weight work. It was manly! The beauty of her productions, the femininity, the southern belle-feel, the grace--it all changed me forever. I now love weight work more than cardio.
In the few short months I have been working out to The FIRM tapes, I have become stronger, developed definition and physically and mentally felt better.
So Anna Benson will always live on in my heart, and I'll think of her every time I pop a tape or DVD in.
Rest in peace, Anna.
Monday Morning Weigh In
Weight: 225.5
Loss: -1.5
Body Fat: 43%
Loss: 1%
Wow, this weekend I was ready to declare the "P" word. Yup, I was going to call a plateau. I had been 227 since October 30. Sunday I slithered down to 226 and today was a nice surprise at 225.5.
Whew. Yay. I was tired of those zeros!
BONUS: Just checked my goal chart, and I have officially lost 20% of my body weight! I hit a major goal! Yay!
~~~
Hubby just shared his results with me:
Last week's weight: 230.5
This week's: 227.5
Loss: 3 pounds
Hubby is 6'5" tall and built well. He has no goal weight, but he wants to lose a little (he looks great around 220) and then he wants to start building muscle. So I'm sure he'll lose the little fat he has to lose, then start building muscle and going back up. =)
Yay for him! And what sucks for me is that he will pass me soon, and I will not be able to delight in the fact I weigh less than him. I will again, but we'll cross paths in there.
Loss: -1.5
Body Fat: 43%
Loss: 1%
Wow, this weekend I was ready to declare the "P" word. Yup, I was going to call a plateau. I had been 227 since October 30. Sunday I slithered down to 226 and today was a nice surprise at 225.5.
Whew. Yay. I was tired of those zeros!
BONUS: Just checked my goal chart, and I have officially lost 20% of my body weight! I hit a major goal! Yay!
~~~
Hubby just shared his results with me:
Last week's weight: 230.5
This week's: 227.5
Loss: 3 pounds
Hubby is 6'5" tall and built well. He has no goal weight, but he wants to lose a little (he looks great around 220) and then he wants to start building muscle. So I'm sure he'll lose the little fat he has to lose, then start building muscle and going back up. =)
Yay for him! And what sucks for me is that he will pass me soon, and I will not be able to delight in the fact I weigh less than him. I will again, but we'll cross paths in there.
11.22.2009
Healthy Family
When I started my personal fitness quest this past February, it was met with a tad bit of resistance. My husband confessed he didn't want to eat a bunch of diet food.
I was okay with that.
I see a lot of people in the weight loss community upset with spouses and children because they bring tempting foods into the home, and they consider it unsupportive. I get that, but that was never my mindset.
I'm a stubborn girl. I remembered when my husband wanted to do Atkins, and my thought was: There is no way in hell I'm going to eat like that. And I didn't. And it didn't bother him.
So as I started, I searched my recipe bank and scoured the internet for recipes we would all enjoy. It was rather limited, making sure we'd all eat something. We also had "free" nights where everyone would cook for themselves.
I never, ever looked at this as a lack of support. My family was very supportive and encouraging. They were proud of me. They would eat their indulgent food out of my eyesight. Again, I was fine with that.
I had the attitude that I'm doing this for me, and by choosing healthful meals we could all enjoy, everyone's health would improve.
I also knew what I was doing would be contagious. And I was right.
Somewhere along the line, everyone started watching calories and food groups. Everyone became aware. Unhealthy dishes were reduced greatly. There have still been indulgences, but they're farther and fewer between. And I'm okay with that.
Then I found The Firm and fell in love. I started workout out faithfully. My husband helped me pick out weights. He'd help me with form if I had a question. I mentioned I wanted a rebounder. And together, we researched rebounders and bought one.
When the rebounder arrived, everyone used it. It is still used on a daily basis. My husband gets all his cardio on the rebounder. He uses weights on it now while he's running on it. My son uses it for breaks during the day, and for his main cardio. I use it on occasion. It's funny, they use it more than I do, and we got it because I wanted it. I love it, and will bounce on it frequently through the day, but not as much as the boys. I prefer my exercise tapes.
There's some good cardio being done in this home.
Then my husband's 50th birthday approached. Even though we had a BowFlex (which I still hate), my husband wanted some free weights. Not just any free weights, but these Ironmaster things. Plus he wanted a quality bench. High-quality adjustable dumbbells, with a stand, and weight bench were ordered. You only turn 50 once.
I was okay with that.
I see a lot of people in the weight loss community upset with spouses and children because they bring tempting foods into the home, and they consider it unsupportive. I get that, but that was never my mindset.
I'm a stubborn girl. I remembered when my husband wanted to do Atkins, and my thought was: There is no way in hell I'm going to eat like that. And I didn't. And it didn't bother him.
So as I started, I searched my recipe bank and scoured the internet for recipes we would all enjoy. It was rather limited, making sure we'd all eat something. We also had "free" nights where everyone would cook for themselves.
I never, ever looked at this as a lack of support. My family was very supportive and encouraging. They were proud of me. They would eat their indulgent food out of my eyesight. Again, I was fine with that.
I had the attitude that I'm doing this for me, and by choosing healthful meals we could all enjoy, everyone's health would improve.
I also knew what I was doing would be contagious. And I was right.
Somewhere along the line, everyone started watching calories and food groups. Everyone became aware. Unhealthy dishes were reduced greatly. There have still been indulgences, but they're farther and fewer between. And I'm okay with that.
Then I found The Firm and fell in love. I started workout out faithfully. My husband helped me pick out weights. He'd help me with form if I had a question. I mentioned I wanted a rebounder. And together, we researched rebounders and bought one.
When the rebounder arrived, everyone used it. It is still used on a daily basis. My husband gets all his cardio on the rebounder. He uses weights on it now while he's running on it. My son uses it for breaks during the day, and for his main cardio. I use it on occasion. It's funny, they use it more than I do, and we got it because I wanted it. I love it, and will bounce on it frequently through the day, but not as much as the boys. I prefer my exercise tapes.
There's some good cardio being done in this home.
Then my husband's 50th birthday approached. Even though we had a BowFlex (which I still hate), my husband wanted some free weights. Not just any free weights, but these Ironmaster things. Plus he wanted a quality bench. High-quality adjustable dumbbells, with a stand, and weight bench were ordered. You only turn 50 once.
Hubby has been working out every single day.
My son asked about weights, and would occasionally do his reading assignments in the living room while I was working out. I showed him some basic exercises. He now does light weight work.
We all work out now. We all work out with consistency, striving to improve our health. We are a fitness family.
Conversations in our home now are health related. We discuss weights, moves, books, equipment, websites--anything fitness related. It's amazing. It's fun. We discuss diet, quality foods, protein choices, how to improve. It's wonderful.
We have changed so much.
My husband and I have exercise-oriented Christmas lists. He wants a set of Rogue Rings. Santa whispered to me that his wish will come true. I want some Jari Love videos, so I can swap up my exercise routine so I don't plateau with exercise. It's good to change things up, but I still absolutely love my Firms. I also want a High Step. My son? He's 14, he still wants video games.
We have changed for the better. I'm taking full credit for it, too. I made the choice to get healthier. I made the choice to change my food, and eventually, to add exercise. I made the choice to not inflict it upon my family, because I knew they would revolt. It's one thing for me to make the decision to do things with my life, but I cannot make that decision for another adult. He had to be ready to improve on his own. And with my son, I made the choices to include recipes everyone would eat, so his food became healthier by default.
What happened was that as I was succeeding, it was inspiring to them. As I started working out, they both got the desire. I set the tone. I showed that getting healthier wasn't about deprivation, it was about freedom, it was fun, it was challenging, and was doable.
My attitude enabled them in a good way. Had I been complaining about them being unsupportive, unfair, not caring because they chose to have Lay's potato chips, ice cream, and other such indulgences in the home, it would have ticked them off. They would have been in a constant state of anger or frustration geared at me. Instead I chose to ignore it, to provide healthier meals, and be gentle with my approach. And it worked.
I can only control myself, what I put into my mouth, and if I exercise or not. To a certain degree I can control what my child does. Did it bother me having all those foods in the house? No. Well, only that they were making unhealthy choices. I was determined. Everywhere I turn, there are things I want: fast food restaurants, things in the grocery stores. I wanted health more than I wanted garbage food.
So I am thankful for many things. I am one to beat myself up a lot, but I will openly say here that I am thankful for my attitude. My gentle approach helped turn our family into a fitness family, a healthier choice family. I led be example. They didn't change overnight, but they did change. I will take credit for showing the way. They deserve credit for making good choices. They saw my success and applied it to themselves. It is a winning situation.
I am very proud of my husband and all his hard work. He doesn't have much to lose. He's always been fit. He's thinking about his food choices now, making changes for the better, and he works out. He has a series of mini-goals. He's on a mission. It just fills my heart with joy.
My son has a much better grasp on health, food, and working out. He's been doing his Wii Fit on a very frequent basis, using weights, and getting lots of cardio in. He's reading nutrition labels. He's learning to fuel is body properly.
Even though I still have a lot of weight left to lose, I can say with certainty: We are now a health-oriented family. For good. For ever and ever.
It's a wonderful thing.
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