Wednedsay =D

It was a good day.

Woke to lots of snow, watched the snow plow deliver a huge deposit of heavy, wet snow to the end of our driveway and sighed. Hubby had to park on the street at lunch.

Got a good workout in, The FIRM Volume 4. I will finish this rotation! I had planned on doing Jenny Ford's Hi-Lo workout in lieu of walking, but that didn't pan out. Instead, right about the time hubby was due home from work, I put on my heart rate monitor, grabbed the shovel and went to work. I figured he must really dread coming home knowing he has to clear the end of the driveway, so I cleared it for him. My son came out and helped. He was very surprised and happy to drive right in and park! It was well worth it. Sometimes the greatest gifts we can give are little and unexpected, but mean so much. Great calorie burn, too. ;-) However, that wore me out. That's tough stuff, shoveling spring snow. Any snow.

So I putzed around after dinner and didn't do another workout. That's okay, even though I won't hit 20,000 steps today. I know when my body has had enough, and I'm smart enough to listen!

Tomorrow we hit the big city for an appointment for DS. While there, we'll do bit of shopping that our small town doesn't offer. I would love to get a new swimsuit, but I won't torture my poor teen-aged son with waiting around for that. No matter what weight I've been, I have always owned a suit and used it. I love the water, love to swim, and while I might have been a bit uncomfortable, I never let it stop me. I still won't. My suit now is too large and I don't want any bits falling out!

We're going to lunch. Our monthly trip to The Olive Garden, my favorite restaurant. When we go, I always get a salad with the dressing on the side. I hardly use any dressing! It is so flavorful that a little goes a long way. I'll have two bread sticks which is about 300 calories and my meal. It will be a higher calorie day, so I'll have a very light dinner to make up for it. I should come pretty close to my calorie target as I'm very careful.

Oh, and you can bet I'll be stopping at Starbucks on our way out of town for a large decaf! Yum.

Will be home later in the day and have a late workout. Tomorrow is The FIRM's Tough Tape, my favorite strength tape from The FIRM. I could do this without the DVD because I've done it so many times. I will also try to do Jenny's Hi-Lo tomorrow to get my steps up and get some cardio.

I ran into a friend yesterday and we chatted a bit. She said to me, "You feel better." I said I've felt fine physically for awhile now. She said that wasn't what she meant. I last saw her a week ago and she said I have changed and I'm back to my old self. She's right. I was getting better, had a rough weekend, but this week has been back to normal. It was so quiet it snuck up on me and I didn't even realize it. Good. No, GREAT!

I looked at our weather forecast for the next 10 days and there are five days where we're expecting 40-degree weather! Heaven!!! That will be such a relief to get rid of the nasty cold. Spring is on the way.

That's about it--nothing earth shattering, but life is full of sunshine again--even though it's overcast here. lol

Awesome Deal I Need to Share

For anyone who loves step aerobics or hi-lo aerobics, you have got to check out Jenny Ford's website!

She has made two new step workouts and one new hi-lo and has them on her site via You Tube free to view in their entirety! How cool is that.

She got great feedback and now is offering them for sale. The price cannot be beat! All three workouts for $9.95 plus free shipping! At that price, you can't afford not to get these.

I have watched the two step workouts, but haven't had time to watch the hi-lo. I loved the step workouts. One she has labeled as intermediate, it's called Spicy Step. Great music, many fun steps that I've never seen before, and I am so excited to try it. The other is a more basic step, but it is not boring and I think it will be a great calorie burner.

I know I chatter on about how much I love working out, and I usually talk about The FIRM or Cathe. Well, there's room for more--check my sidebar for my favorites! Jenny Ford has been added. Step is my favorite form of cardio and I'm always looking for new/fun workouts. I haven't been so excited in a long time because these look so great.

I am very impressed with Jenny Ford. To offer the workouts free for viewing on the internet, then sell them at such an amazing pre-order price with free shipping, plus the fact she's an excellent cuer and they're quality workouts--WOW.

If you love step or hi-lo, please visit her site. She's a great instructor and I hope she gets a huge response so she'll make more!

******************Jenny Ford's Website******************
*******************************************************

A Fresh New Day

Here it is, Sunday afternoon, and what a difference a day makes.

Woke up feeling chipper. Drank my first glass of water then rewarded myself with a cup of Starbucks decaf. When I had to give up some of my beloved foods for this kidney stone diet, I told my husband I wanted something really special in return. I love Starbucks coffee. Our Starbucks was here for a year and then closed several years ago now. I miss it. However, every once in awhile I buy a bag of Starbucks at the store.

Well, my something special turned into a tiny Mr. Coffee coffee pot and a constant supply of Starbucks decaf coffee. Hubby still uses our Bunn (best coffee maker ever!) with his Folgers, but I get a tasty delight every morning with my itty, bitty coffee pot and my beloved Starbucks.

This has not changed our budget at all, because I used to eat almonds daily and the coffee and almond price zero out. Win, win.

So my morning ritual is wake up, run down the hall, ;-), weigh myself, drink my first eight ounces of water while I'm making my yummy coffee. After a cup or two, then I'm awake and ready to start the day.

The scale was good to me again today, so Monday morning my official weigh-in day will make me very happy. I've been working so hard to get this weight off that I gained right before and right after surgery. I'm done being mad about it, now I just want to get back to where I was...and beyond.

Tomorrow I start my 90-day rotation with my beloved FIRMS. While I'm good at exercising (although not so good at logging it here!) I am not good at rotations. So this is very important to me that I follow through and make this goal. Determination and self-discipline will get me through.

Today I've been getting tons of steps! Cleaning house, doing laundry, etc. Busy, busy, busy. I'm also bagging up donations for the Epilepsy Foundation pick up tomorrow. It's our charity of choice, as my son has epilepsy. If you're a thrifter, please shop at Savers Thrift Stores--they're Epilepsy Foundation stores.

I am going to take a nap this afternoon! Imagine that--I'm not ashamed to admit it, either. After that, I'm going to get in a good workout. Then we'll make up teeny, tiny hamburger patties and grill. I used to eat 4 or 5-ounce 93% hamburgers. Now I can only have 3 ounces of meat at a time. It's funny, but one or two ounces makes a huge difference! It is what it is and I'm getting used to it.

Onward, I have laundry to fold, swap, put away, and a nap to take.

2 Forward 1 Back

That old saying, two steps forward, one step back hit me today. The depression has been better. I've been much more active and feeling better emotionally until today.

Today I got punched below the belt (not literally!) My feelings were hurt. Not pretty. My mind just went into the "I must really suck" mode. The funny thing about that, when that thought crossed my mind? My immediate response to myself was b*lls*hit, I do NOT suck. A week ago I wouldn't have thought that way.

So...I came home, crawled into bed, turned on NCIS--it's my drug of choice. Watched an episode, cried a little, then fell asleep.

Tonight I'm better. I did not get a workout in today. I just didn't have it in me. If it weren't so late, I'd do one now because I'm feeling better. NCIS always makes things better for me. lol Such a graphic show, murder and mayhem, yet I am addicted and love it.

This is real life. Sh*t happens. Feelings get hurt. It can't be avoided, it's human nature. The key is to not let our own mind go south. I did that today, but before I got too bad off, I was able to tap into my stubborn self and pull myself out. Every day can't be sunshine and roses--life would be rather dull, wouldn't it? Doesn't make it enjoyable to have one's feelings hurt, though.

Counting my blessings, of which I have many. Maybe it's two steps forward, a half step back, because I think I've bounced back pretty well. Just a little sulking goes a long way.

Tomorrow is a brand new day with much promise. I hope to get in a good workout, get some things done around the house, and be thankful it should be above 30 degrees! It's been bitter cold again which does not help my mood one bit.

Calories today? Great, on target. Actually a few hundred lower than my normal target because of no workout. Unless something strange happens tomorrow, the scale will be kind to me Monday morning.

I think my body is finally getting acclimated to all this water. Sheesh, do I drink a lot. Makes leaving the house a royal pain because I'm always looking for a bathroom. But, that's the price to pay to avoid another kidney stone. Well, there is another kidney stone in there, which is one reason I'm blue, but hopefully it won't grow and will pass without surgical intervention when it decides to move.

Oh, life--isn't it grand. It throws many things at us, good, bad, ugly, mean--and beautiful, sunshine, happy, kind.

Tomorrow only steps forward. No back movement!

Commitment

Before I start this entry, I'd like to ask a favor. Please go visit Anaelle's blog. She's a new blogger and reached out to me asking how to get a support community going. Remember when you were new to the blogging community, it was daunting finding readers! So please go welcome her to the blogging community and follow her! Her blog. Thank you.

Commitment...

I never do challenges, ever. Well, I did one challenge once that a friend sponsored, but that's it. So I don't know what I was thinking, but a group of friends started a private challenge and, well, I joined it. It lasts three months! Yikes. I figured it would give me something positive to focus on, get my mind off all things kidney, and might be fun.

In the process, I was trying to figure out what fitness regimen I wanted to follow. I'm terrible at rotations--just awful. They're fun to plan, but I'm so moody when it's time to do the prescribed workout, I balk and put in something entirely different.

Well, I committed to something I have always wanted to do. I tried it once and lasted three weeks. This time I hope to make it. It's a three-month rotation. It's The FIRM's 90 Day Rotation. Oh yeah, all Anna Benson Firms, for 90 days.

I have allowed myself some changes:

1) I reserve the right to change out a workout. Some of her FIRMS were not made when the rotation was printed, so I want to be able to use them.

2) The workout The Hare is nice, but I cannot do it a gazillion times and it's in the rotation that many times. I allow myself to sub.

3) I know darned well after a short time I'll start craving Cathe workouts or Gin Miller or rebounder workouts or somebody else--and if that happens, I allow myself to have a doubles day and do what I'm craving in addition to the Firm of the day.

4) I will continue to walk on a daily basis to keep my step count high.

Now, here's to hoping that I follow through on this. I have always wanted to do this rotation, I love Anna's Firms, and this is the perfect time to give it a go!

Gym Membership--Not

Awhile back, hubby share an email with me from our insurance. We have a program we can join that reduces the cost of gym memberships. At the time I couldn't have cared less as I was in the throes of kidney stone pain. Today I checked it out--online.

There are three gyms in my small town. A Curves, a private gym, and a national chain. I was a member of Curves when they opened eons ago. Hated it. Felt like a mouse in a wheel, only it was a human in a circle. I never saw any improvement in my body, any muscle growth at all. The worst part were the members were *obnoxious*. There were a few bouncy gals who were pushing you to move and move now when it was time to switch stations. These were the same gals going crazy on the aerobics pads, going all over the place and getting into my and everyone else's space.

The day I quit, though, was after I had asked the manager to please not spray cleaning solution on the machines while I was working out. It burned my nose and I didn't want to be breathing that. She agreed, and the next day she started spraying that stuff to clean the machines off and I walked out the door never to return. (It really did burn my nose.)

Curves is out.

So I was thinking about a gym membership for two reasons only. 1) Treadmill 2) Socialization Then I started thinking back to my socialization at Curves. There wasn't any because people were busy working out or if they came with friends, they only chatted with their friends. And face it, if I'm walking, and heaven forbid, trying to run!, on a treadmill, I'm not going to be chatting--I'm going to be in my zone with my iPod jamming away. It's not really a social thing.

As for the treadmill: That is the one piece of equipment I would love to own. I do my own weights and tough cardio, but I do enjoy walking. It's cold here, north country cold, and it would be nice in the winter to have a treadmill. Mall walking stinks, walking DVDs stink. We don't have room in our house for a treadmill. We don't really have the money, either, because hubby would insist on the top of the line which would be more expensive because he's tall and would need the longer stride model.

$32 a month plus a $45 activation fee. In the end, I decided against it. There just aren't enough positives. It's almost warm out there, I can get out and walk as soon as the ice is melted from the streets and sidewalks. I can do a lot with $32 a month--like buy more exercise DVDs. lol Seriously, I can find better ways to spend my money. Walking is free. If I'm that desperate to walk, I can drive to the mall and walk there.

Penny saved, penny earned. I'm just not a gym rat.

March Goals

Welcome to the month of March, the promise of upcoming warmth and growth, and usually a big blizzard which melts quickly. All the ice houses are off our lakes, and it's just so promising to see. Come on, temperatures, rise!

I have two goals for the month of March.

1) Get over this depression.

2) Lose 5 pounds.

Not asking a lot. I've had deficits, enough to show real fat loss, but it's not showing on the scale. Story of my life lately. All I want is five pounds.

And the depression is getting really old. I believe it to be situational (the damned kidney stone diet) and also typical for me in the month of February. It's a bad case of spring fever. The kidney stone diet is really upsetting my world, though, no matter how hard I try to be positive about it. I just do not think it's healthy for my lipids/heart because I have to eliminate too many healthy foods. Plus it's damned depressing reading blogs, seeing photos and recipes of...you guessed it, foods I can't have.

While I'm whining, I am pretty darned sick and tired of drinking a glass of water every stinking hour. Well, the drinking isn't the bad part, I'm tired of visiting the bathroom so often. I average every 20 minutes. If I have to leave the house, I let up on the drinking because you have not lived until you've peed your pants a little while running to the bathroom in the local grocery store. That's no life. Life must go on and I have to shop, so I don't drink a couple hours before I have to go out. I can make up for it when I'm home.

Grumble.