Skin Burn!

Well, I've been logging tons of steps lately. Today I walked 23 miles, over 50,000 steps.

Word to the wise: Wear pants that fit. I woke up with my thighs throbbing. They were beet red. I have a skin burn!

I took a bath then but some burn lotion on. Feeling a bit better.

Today I wore a pair of really nice sweat pants (my hubby hates them and doesn't think they're nice lol) and they were a size too large. All that walking, rubbing, caused the skin burn.

Oh joy.

Time to go shopping for some relaxed at-home wear that FITS.

Live and learn!

Monday Morning Weigh In

Forgot last week's post: Last week down 3 pounds.

This week down 2.5 pounds.

Thank you, thank you, thank you SKOGG System. It works!

Monday Morning Weigh In

Haven't done one of these in a long time. Drum roll....

3 pounds gone! WOO HOO

This gives me an 11-pound loss for the month of August.

I'm back, baby, I'm back.

There's nothing I can't do.

The Skogg System

This is a promo for the kettlebell system we chose. We are loving it! The Skogg System rocks!

Magic

There's magic in the air. After so long counting calories, micromanaging protein, carbs, fat, oxalate, calcium and sodium, then changing my exercise routine...

I've lost some weight. WOO HOO I'm actually down two pounds from the last reported weigh-in on my side bar. Double woo-hoo.

Trying to figure out the magic bullet, and the food is pretty much the same, but the exercise is not.

A few weeks ago, I asked hubby for help. I could not get it together on the exercise front. I asked for help. He stepped up to the plate. We did a few workouts together, and God bless him, he even did The FIRM's Tough Tape with me. Then we ordered The Skogg System.

Whoa. Learning kettlebells is tough, but his instructional DVD is fantastic. We've finished the second week of the rotation and I'm losing weight. Could it be from The Skogg System??? I think so!

I'm still doing other workouts, but I've drastically lowered the intensity. If I do step, I do it on a 4" platform instead of 6". If my heart rate gets in the 140s, I drop my arms and drop my movement until it's in the high 120s or low 130s. So I'm getting a much lower intensity workout. However, I save all my intesnity for The Skogg System. I give that my all, let my heart rate soar, and give it 110%.

It's working.

I'm THRILLED.

May it keep on working, because I'm actually having fun here!

The other workouts I'm doing are The Firm's Not So Tough Aerobic Mix and Tough Cardio Mix and Christi Taylor's Fit to Dance. I've done some Leslie Sansone's walking DVDs as well. I've traded for a few other intermediate level cardios similar in nature to those I've mentioned. (At least I hope they are, anyone familiar with Anni Mairs?) Also, some other intermediate Christi Taylor DVDs.

And so it goes. The cloud is blowing away. It's about time for some sunshine! =)

Rejuvination

My son and I took off Sunday morning for him to meet up with a friend and then for us to have some fun. And fun we had. We went to a city 100 miles from us and had a blast. While he was visiting his friend, I hit the thrift stores. Loved it. Only got three books, but I love looking at "stuff."

When I picked him up, we went out to dinner and then hit the hotel's swimming pool. I wish we had a pool in our town. I love swimming and doing stretches in the water. Really, really enjoyed this.

Today we got up early and hit it hard. We went to the mall, to a Target--what a luxury that is!, to a TJ Maxx and to a sporting goods store. Now that I'm into fitness, I actually love sporting goods stores.

When we finished, we decided to hit the city's parks. We walked along a river, saw a beautiful waterfall, and put in many steps. We went to a tourist tower and climbed to the top. It was 8 flights. When we got to the top, I got in MOM mode with a young teenage girl who had climbed over the railing and was sitting on the very edge. Accident waiting to happen. I told her to get back immediately. I was thinking about calling the cops on her and had my cell phone in hand, but thankfully she climbed back to safety. Her friend said, "Why did you listen to her and not me?" I said, "Because I'm a scary, mean mom and she knew I meant business." lol The girl responded because she's an adult. They left, and when they got to the bottom and were walking away, the girl turned back and waved at me. No ill will on her part--testing her boundaries, and she was fortunate enough this tough momma cared enough to speak up.

Anyway, we then decided to visit other parks in the area. We took another pathway and enjoyed that. The weather was cool, I think it only got to 80. It was just the perfect day. Good company, beautiful, new fresh scenery--couldn't ask for a better day.

And then we came home. It was *wonderful* to have two days away from all my troubles, all my concerns and just be free. It was extremely rejuvenating and I came home with a fresh, much improved attitude. Not long after we got home, two of our dogs started growling at each other, hubby came home and was grumbling about something, the sink was full of dirty dishes, the cat box needed attending--it was nice while it lasted! lol

I feel better, though, and I'm so appreciative that we were able to get away for a short little jaunt.

I was too tired to do a workout today--I figure with all that walking in sunshine today, that would have to be good enough. I got in almost 24,000 steps on my fitbit and my activity was steady the entire day.

It was a good day.

I deserved it! =)

Tomorrow, it's back to The Skogg System kettlebells with hubby and a light cardio workout. I have a fresh new attitude, so my spirits are much better.

Bring it.

jinx

I don't normally believe in jinxes, but every time I post that I'm starting to feel better, wham, I get a big dose of depression slapped in my face. So I won't mention that I am feeling better and that I think I'm taking a turn for the better. Ahem.

No official workout today, but broke 20,000 steps. Kept busy. Tonight we ran to Wally World to buy milk and I picked up a baby 5# kettlebell. I got this to practice. Form is everything with kettlebell training and I want to practice a lot--I'm a perfectionist. So, I spent the $13 for the junk Danskin kettlebell so I could practice. We *love* The Skogg System and he has a fantastic instructional DVD, so I'll be doing it often until my form is perfect. The cleans and snatches are the two I'm having problems with at the moment. I can do them beautifully with a dumbbell, but the kettlebell is trickier. So if I can perfect form with a baby bell, I'll be using my big guns in no time.

Went through my exercise DVDs looking for cardio workouts besides step. I was looking for some lower intensity workouts. I found a Christi Taylor DVD called Fit to Dance that I have never done! I can't believe it. I previewed it tonight and I cannot wait to do it tomorrow. Christi Taylor is one of my all-time favorite instructors and she's coming out of her retirement to make a new step DVD. I'm feeling in the Christi mood--she's so positive, cheerful and, well to be corny, delightful. She's definitely a spirit lifter.

Pip has not had another seizure, knock on wood.

My eating has been spot on this week. Absolutely perfect. The scale went up a pound. GRRR. All these years I knew something was wrong--I just knew it--and I was right, I had that kidney stone that had been there forever. I still have a gut feeling that something is really screwed up with my metabolism. I feel it just like I knew about the kidney stone. There's something amiss. However, I will march on.

All through my journey, it has never bothered me when hubby and son ate things that I chose not to eat in front of me. Until now, that is. With the sodium restriction, it really cuts out a lot of foods I can eat. I'm not a big hot dog eater. I'll have a couple a few times a year and enjoy them, but I never crave them. Well, hubby bought hot dogs this week and the smell is killing me. I also told him to hide his peanuts and to please not eat them in front of me. I can't eat nuts and it's starting to bother me because he eats them every day. And last week, my son made some muffins. When he was finished and out of the kitchen, I took the air deodorizer spray and sprayed so much in the kitchen you would have thought it was a garden. I'm not liking this at all, because people need to eat. It's not fair to them. It's not really fair to me that I have these darned restrictions, but it is what it is. I'll get better as time goes on because I'm pretty stubborn. Right now I'd prefer to walk around with a clothes pin on my nose. lol

That's it from the peanut-less gallery tonight.