Cycling in France

Well I had a great ride today in France. Well not actually. Our trainer Casey gave us a pretend story for our ride today. We were in a cycling race viewing the beautiful countryside of France. We saw some very pretty scenery, and we had to race hard to pass all the riders on the race. I wore my HRM today so I did know that I was probably in my 90% of my maximum heart rate. I could come up off my saddle (seat), but not for too many times. It was a great ride- I was sweating and my quadriceps were burning, but when I finished I was not exhausted. Yesterday I did make it on my 4 mile walk. I love to walk when the outside temperature is in the 50's. Would you believe for about 5 minutes we even experienced sleet? Still no weight loss for about 2 weeks now. I do know I am shifting things around though because my clothes are fitting different. In another month I will retake my measurements. Yes, it is difficult to keep motivated when the scales don't show it. But I do know that I feel good, neither my back nor my knees are bothering me. So.... I will continue on, and I hope you will continue with me. Don't get discouraged! Keep on keeping on!

Women

Okay, I gave my comments about why I love men, so I want to give the women that I love equal time. I do love women. Again, I am not gay and this does not mean anything sexual when I say I love women. But I think about all the women I have had in my life since I was a child until now. My mother, my grandmother, my aunts and my great aunts, my mother's friends, my teachers, my friends' mothers, my sister, my cousins, my daughter, my friends. Lots and lots of women have been there for me in all the ups and downs in my life. Good times, bad times, sad times..... you can count on women! They listen to you, and they don't have to fix it for you! They just listen.... they don't offer answers......they listen. You want to cry... they provide a shoulder, or they cry with you. They get your humor. They just look at you and you at them... and you have to control your laughter. They say what you are about to say before you say it. They get excited about those little things in life- like when you lose 2 lbs. They encourage you. They defend you. They compliment you. They share with you. Even though they don't agree with you sometimes or they don't like what you said, or they are even mad at you... let an emergency come up, and they are there for you. So you know who you are- all you women in my life- you have added so much to my life and I have been blessed by knowing you.

Feeling good

Yeah, I am feeling good! Just having that feeling of accomplishment. You all know what I am talking about. When you are working your muscles and you have sweated and had a good workout, it definitely gives you that feeling of accomplishment. The best way to feel good about yourself with your exercise is to compare you to you. Are you getting better than you were last week? Are you able to work harder (increase intensity), last longer ( increase endurance) or do more ( increase repetitions)? We try not to compare ourselves to other people. If we do, let's only do that in a positive tone. We can use others as a goal we want to accomplish. But don't let what others are doing discourage you. You keep working hard, and you will get better and better. Today I did make it to my swim. Hey.... I had to because I had made myself accountable by telling you yesterday that I would. I swam 24 laps. I am not going to exhaust myself so I am still not swimming all of this with the crawl. Here was what I did. I did sets of four. The first set was crawl down there, breast stroke back. The second set was crawl down there each time and back one of four ways- side stroke on left side, side stroke on right side, breast stroke, and back stroke. Then repeat until I had done 24 laps. Then I made it to fitness fusion. We used the medicine ball today with lots of twists. We worked our abs, we did some lunges, and we did alot of planking along with some pushups. I plan to walk this afternoon. Yes, I know that this does take time. And right now I am probably spending more time than most people. But I say, spend an hour a day. I mean you have 24 hours. Somewhere work it in even if you have to divide it into segments. Okay.... don't know what tomorrow will bring. I love getting your comments and emails. Let me know what you are doing.

Non eventful

Today was pretty non eventful. I went to my spinning class. I am still not there where I can do exactly everything that the instructor tells us to do. However, I do continue to get my heart rate up. sweat, and become breathless. It was a great workout, and then this afternoon, the weather was great for our walk. We went 4 miles again this afternoon. I love walking down this country road on this cool winter day. I hope to MAKE myself get up early and go swimming in the morning. I had my alarm set to do that this morning, but I just could not make myself do it. Okay, I just have to say I can do this! I can do this! I can do this!

27 Years Ago Today

Whoa! Talk about feeling old. Twenty-seven years ago today I had my firstborn. Time passes so quickly. I just happened to think about her age and my age, and I realize that she is closer to forty than me! Now that will really make you feel old. But how blessed I am that God gave me a daughter who is also my best friend. Happy birthday!!! Today I made it to my fitness fusion class. I am doing better and better on making it through this class. The lunges are actually not bothering me as much, and I have no soreness the following day. This afternoon I walked with two of my walking partners. We made it four miles. I have not jogged in several days. I have some friends that think I sometimes overdo it and I am too obsessive. Hey.... I don't have any grandchildren yet. I don't know how old I will be when I have them. I want to be able to get down on the floor and play with them. I don't want them to know me as an old lady. So, this exercise that I do is not all about me. It is about my future offspring. So all you grandparents out there- get moving!

Cold and Rainy

It is cold and rainy in the deep east Texas pineywoods. Yesterday I completed my second full week at Synergy. This time in my fitness fusion class we used the resistance bands. We did some of the exercises alone, and then we grouped with a partner. There was a lot of ughs and grunting going on as we used the resistance bands and our partners were pulling us toward them and we were pulling away from them. It was a great workout. Many of the exercises we are doing involve very little equipment- dumbbells, bar, elastic bands, styrofoam rollers and a mat. This means that we can do great benefit to ourselves by using this inexpensive equipment at home instead of "renting" the gym equipment. However, this takes lots of discipline to do this at home! And I can tell you that I do struggle in that area. But I just say, do what works for you. We are all different and we all like different types of exercise, doing it at different settings, and at different times of the day. I love to begin my day with exercise and then I know I have done it and I am good to go. Then later in the day if I feel good, I can do more. But if I wait and skip in the morning, many times I am just too lazy to do it later in the day. Yes, getting up early in the morning to go swim or sweat or exert myself is still very difficult. I just keep saying to myself that "I am resolved to do this." Do what works for you, but do something.

New Additions

Well thanks to my daughter I have new additions to my blog. My photo is now on my blog and I now have the correct time zone.

Posting Time

My posting time is two hours ahead of what it says. This must be programmed to Pacific Standard Time. Right now it is 9:41, but my blog will show it at 7:41. This should clear up any questions on my posting time. Maybe, I will get someone to help me figure out how to adjust this.

Yesterday and Today

I did double duty yesterday. I went and swam at 6:30 am. I got in 20 laps before my fitness fusion class. The water was actually too warm, but do you think I would tell the lifeguards that? No way!!! Usually the water is too cold and when it is, it makes my ears hurt. So, I was not about to complain. I arrived at my class right before it began at 7:15. The class was full which meant I had to find a place to squeeze in. Also, all the 9 lb bars were taken, so I had to get a 12 lb bar. Surprizingly, I was able to do the exercises with the heavier weight. There were a few that I could not do the entire amount correctly, but nevertheless, I kept up pretty good. Also, at the pool, I had jumped in and taken a shower and washed my hair. My wet hair at the class proved to be very beneficial keeping me pretty cool the entire session. I can see that I will do that again. Now, I don't think I will be able to do the spinning class following swimming.
Today at spinning class we did more of a route where we sprinted more with less tension. We did two standing climbs, but I only did one. I forgot my HRM so I just listened to what my body was telling me. I do like having the HRM to do exactly that-monitor my heart. But, you can still know where you are by following the way your body feels. I might try and walk this afternoon. Almost another week completed. If you are not doing anything, jump in, you are not behind- start where you are.

Staying in your target heart range

Today in my spinning class, I wore my heart rate monitor. I was able to see what my heart rate was while I was riding. Ryan would tell us to turn up the tension on the bike, but if I had continued to do that, I would have gone way over my maximum heart rate. I figured that they did not want to call 911 so I just kept my heart rate in my zone. Also, when you go over your 90%, you are no longer in the fat burning zone, but you are burning muscle. And this is what will make you feel bombed out when you finish. Ryan has given me a formula to determine what my 65-90% maximum heart rate is, so I know where I should be. When I finished today, I was red-faced, my hair was wet, and I was breathing hard- but, I was not exhausted- I felt good! Determine your heart rate range and stay in it when you do your cardio workout and see if you feel the same.

Monday

Monday mornings are hard to get going. I had a difficult time crawling out of bed this morning. I wanted to go to the pool before fitness fusion, but I could not motivate myself enough. Looking in a mirror with my swimsuit on should have been plenty of motivation. But I did make it to my class. Our trainer Xand worked us hard! Lunges, lunges, and more lunges. I thought my legs could not get sorer, but I forgot that inner thighs can get sore too. We did front and side lunges. We worked out with dumbbells today as we walked around the room doing lunges and lifting our knee with the other leg coming up on tiptoe. This was not considered a cardio workout, but with all the moving and sweating and breathlessness, it had to be. This afternoon the rain prevented me from walking. It is late and I need my rest to be ready for my spinning class tomorrow. I am staying with it, what about you?

The Bucket List

While I was in Galveston, I was able to attend the movie "The Bucket List". I do like the acting ability of both Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. I knew this movie was a comedy, but I had no idea that they would invoke such emotion and deep thinking from me. There were some profound statements made by both characters. I am not going to tell you too much so that you all will be sure and see this movie. I am not going to tell you that I agree with all the ideology of the movie or was I in favor of some of the language. But I must say that I am totally glad that I saw this movie. This movie involves two men with terminal illnesses, and they make a list of things to do before they kick the bucket- hence, the name the bucket list. But this movie is so much more about living than dying. One of the statements made is have you found joy in your life? The other is have you brought joy to others by your life? What questions to ask ourselves each and every day. Only the Lord knows the exact time we will be leaving this world. So.. we must live each day to have joy and give joy. But let me warn you- even you men, have your hankie ready because it will certainly have you choking back the tears. My prayer is one of thanks for all the people God has brought into my life who have brought me joy, and that He will continue to change me that I may bring joy to others' lives. Have a joyful blessed day!

Refreshed and Back Home

I feel totally refreshed after laying off exercise on Saturday and sleeping late. Getting up every day at 5:00 a.m. to go and get in a swimming pool or do some sweating can be challenging. I needed a day off for my sore triceps and quadriceps. I was able to get into the hottub at the condo and relax my sore muscles. The temperature was in the 40's and the steam was coming off the tub and the pool. I felt like I was in Colorado. How enjoyable that was! So today I plan to walk later this afternoon. And then tomorrow it is back to working out hard. I plan to begin this week to restrict myself and stay closer to a healthier diet. I did have some great seafood this weekend- grilled shrimp and boiled shrimp. I did sneak in some fries, but did not eat the bread. The weather was cold and windy, but also sunny with blue skies. So.....tomorrow is Monday, the beginning of a great workout week. If you are behind, get busy and catch up with me! You will be happy with completing your workout and know that you have done something good for your body.

I made it!

Well, I made it my first week at the gym, and I went every day. It has been awhile since I exercised for 5 days in a row. Today was fitness fusion, and we did forward lunges, side lunges, worked on our biceps, triceps, and shoulders. My face was red, I was out of breath, and I was sweating. It was a great workout. Yesterday I walked about 3 miles, but I did not arrive early enough to do my jogging. Today I am headed to the beach. I hope to do some walking while I am there. Now, you all do notice that I am not mentioning my eating habits or my loss of weight. I am not losing like I want, but I will concentrate harder on my dietary habits. I will write on that at another time. Get out this weekend and have some fun. If the weather is bad, get on the treadmill or go walk at the mall. Be creative and do something. Hey, how about someone joining me sometime to go roller skating or roller blading? We did motions today in class that were the same motions you would use in skating. It will work your legs! And actual skating would be much more fun! Have a great weekend!

Swimming and Yoga

Today was certainly different from my normal routine. I had a difficult time getting myself going because I stayed up too late. My alarm sounded at 5:00 am, but I did not arise until 6:00. I got all my stuff together and made it to swim and was able to swim for about 20 minutes. This was a good cardio workout. The pool is indoors, and it was the perfect temperature. Yes, it is hard to make yourself put on a swimsuit and jump into the pool when the temperature outside is 40 degrees. But the water is around 82 degrees. I had enough time to do 16 laps. That was enough to raise my heart rate enough, and it felt great! When I first started swimming in June, I could only make it 1 length ( 1/2 lap) without stopping and I was gasping for air. So, I do know that I have improved. I have made it all the way to 36 laps. I did not want to overdo it today so I optioned to attend a Yoga class instead of the Spinning class. I was the only one in the class so I had my own private trainer teaching me Yoga. It was very refreshing and I did lots of stretching. I learned a completely new stretch for my shoulders, which is where I seem to really have the tension and the tightness. I left feeling totally relaxed and refreshed, and ready for the day. The weather here is cold and dreary looking, but my body has a bounce in my step, and I feel great!

Keeping Up

Today was my second time in the fitness fusion class. Yes, I am keeping up! Today we worked again with the bar. Also we used a small weighted ball. We also used the stryrofoam half roller. Many of our exercises were standing on one foot either on the floor holding the weighted ball or on the roller. We definitely were having to work those core muscles to keep our balance. We did lots of twisting and bending with the bar. I am still using the lightest bar, but I can see as time goes on I will graduate to a heavier bar. Right now it is more important that I do all the exercises perfect with the less weight than go up on weight and do the exercises sloppy and incorrectly. We also did floor exercises, again working our core, by planking ourselves. I think these moves would be in the yoga category, but they might be Pilates. Anyway, I recognize lots of these exercises because they are what the chiropractor would recommend. They will definitely help strengthen those abdominable and lower back muscles. I am just glad that right now I am keeping up, and getting better all the time!!

Exercise For How Long?

You know some people view exercise as something temporary, kinda like being on a diet. But exercise should be done how long? I say that exercise should be done for life. Don't ever quit. Oh, your mode of exercise may change, but you keep doing some sort of exercise. And if you get where you are up in age, and you haven't been exercising, then start slow, and do something. And if you are young, and don't have any kind of weight problem and feel you have no time for exercise, start now, because you will one day have a problem. Maybe it won't be a weight problem, but you will have problems. I work in a dental office, and a couple of days ago, my first three patients were in their late 60's. I frequently ask patients not only about their teeth, but about their health and what they are doing for it. All three ( 2 males, and one female) were exercisng. The two men had been working out for years. One walked on the treadmill and worked out with weights at a local gym. The other rode a stationary bike and worked out with weights at a local gym. The lady had just begun to exercise after spending time with a sick husband who since has passed away. She walks on the treadmill. I have no idea what I will be doing when I approach 70, which will be here sooner than I would like, but I do hope that I can take these fine people's example and continue to exercise my entire life. How about you? Exercise for how long?

Spinning

Yesterday afternoon I did make it to walk, and also I jogged for an extra minute, so I am up to 6 minutes of jogging. The cold air was hard on my lungs, but I am determined to continue. Last week I tried out the spinning class to see if I could keep up. My youngest son told me that it would be the best cardio workout and that I needed to do this. So today was my first official class. For those of you who no little about spinning, I will enlighten you. The room is darkened with a black light. There are several ( probably 12) stationary bikes in the room. An instructor is on his bike at the front of the room. There is a big screen and it is playing a video of traveling down a road- could be in town, in the country, on a mountain. You are viewing this as if you are traveling on the bike and that is what you are seeing. Music is playing and I think each song lasts about 4-5 minutes. When you begin, you have very little tension on your bike. You are warming up. Your instructor will then give instructions to tighten your tension. You may be traveling at an easy pace, and then you pick up the speed and you are not using extra tension, but you are going more revolutions per minute. Or you may increase the tension and have to stand up out of your seat because you are going up a steep hill. Regardless- you are getting your heart rate up, and you are sweating. I could peddle the entire 45 minutes, but I did not do all of the drills. I know my body, and I know when my heart rate is up too high. Our trainer Ryan emphasized what I feel is the most important aspect of exercise. And that is CONSISTENCY!!!! So, I plan to continue to be consistent in my program. I hope you do too!!

Denial

Denial- is that a bad word? What does it mean to deny ourselves? I mean afterall, we are inudated from an early age in this culture to indulge, not deny. We have been told to "reach for all the gusto you can", "you deserve a break today", "you're worth it". You know all those sayings and that we are entitled. But exactly what has this mode of thinking done to us. I think that it encourages us to be more self-centered. So..... how about this week we just deny ourselves something. Now it does not count if you deny yourself something that you do not like anyway. It has to be something that you love. I can think of some that my friends (or me) really like. How about chocolate? Dr. Pepper? a Diet Vanilla coke from Sonic, a glass of wine, chips and hot sauce from your favorite restaurant, a cookie, or donut? You get what I mean. Now, I have not even mentioned activities like the computer, a television show, ESPN, etc. So, how about it? I have denied myself Dr. Peppers for about 2 weeks now. Well, maybe you think this is dumb and why should I deny myself, I am worth it! I just thought it would be a good exercise for self control. And yes, I agree with you, you are worth it!

Fitness Fusion

Well today was my first day back at Fitness Fusion. I have done this class previously before last summer. Today we really worked our legs-squats, lunges. We also used the bar and did shoulders, some biceps and triceps and a little bit of chest. All I know is I was out of breath and sweaty and redfaced. Ooooooooh, it felt good! I made it through the entire class, but I think the bar I used was 9 lbs. I will try to increase my weight before too long. This afternoon I will probably go for my walk with my walking buddies, and maybe arrive early and jog some like I did yesterday. Okay, all of you out there, what are you doing to stay healthy? Get out there and get moving. You gotta start somewhere. Don't compare yourself to other people. You work out your own goals at your own pace, and just watch yourself increase your time and intensity as you watch yourself decrease in weight and inches.

Walking

Today I went for my walk on a Sunday afternoon. I decided since I am wanting to build up to jogging to start earlier than my walking partner for this afternoon. I arrived at 4:30 and began walking at 4:35. Yes, I am one of those precise people that have to have the exact time. I walked for 5 minutes to warm my muscles up. Then I wanted to jog for 10 minutes, but only made it for 5. Oh well, we all have to start somewhere. I will increase my time as time goes along. By the time I had turned around and made it back to my beginning point, my walking partner for today, Mrs. D was there. We walked approximately 45 minutes. Mrs. D is just getting started back to walking after a long absence. Yes, I walked slower than I normally do, but it was great to have the company. We did a little bit of interval walking where we took it up a notch and walked faster for a minute, slowed it down, and repeated that a few times. The temperature was nice. It was cool so that we had to have a sweatshirt. If you have not exercised in awhile, get to walking. Walking is convenient, relaxing, relieves stress, and you can go fast or slow- you set the pace. Tomorrow morning begins my first day of fitness fusion. I may be able to walk with my neighborhood buddies tomorrow afternoon. It feels good just to be able to get going. I thank God that I am able to do whatever I can still do. I hope to accomplish more as time goes on.

Men

Yes, the title of this entry is men. I was laying in bed this morning and I was thinking about men. Now, I told you all that I am a Christian, so don't read more into this than what I am writing. Sorry if I disappoint some of you, but this is not meant to be lustful or sexual or sexist. It is only my feelings and what I think. I love men!!! Yes, I do love men and the way that God created them. Now, I might not feel this way at the time if I have to take my car to the mechanic and try to tell him what is wrong with it by the sounds that my car makes. Yeah, you know that look that men give you when you try to explain and they are thinking, " this is one stupid woman!" But I love the way that men look. And I mean that I can look at them like a nice looking car, or a pretty painting, or a beautiful quilt. They can be quite a workmanship. Men can look so good being muscular and then throw some sweat in there. They are doing what they were created to do- be strong and work hard. I love that men don't cry at the drop of a hat. They can be a rock and take charge and make us feel safe and secure. They don't quibble over petty stuff like us females do. They want the bottom line and they begin to work on how to fix it. Now, I must say that I do love Texas men. I don't mean redneck, ignorant, and crude. I mean rugged, tough, and polite. Yes, I love for men to open doors for me, to call me mam, and to offer me the last available chair. I don't want to be "just like them." I have a husband, two sons, one son-in-law, and I love all these men. I have men in my life that are my frends, my neighbors, people I work out with, my boss, my friends' husbands, my father in law, my brothers in law, my pastors, uncles, cousins, etc. Yes, I do love men. I love that they are different from us. So, when I get irritated that they don't think like me and they don't react the way I want, I remind myself that that is what I love about them- they are men! And then I thank God for the women in my life. I will write later why I love women. But today, here is to all the men in my life- I love you guys!

Sunday doings

Well, the reason I created this blog was to chart my exercise progress and how I feel regarding my workout and my weight loss, but I can't let this be all my blog is about. Even though this will continue to be my focus. So if those that know me feel I am not writing about this or that, remember this is about my exercise and diet. I will write other things about how I feel and what I think and my faith and walk with God will come through. But that is not what this blog is about. I want to hear what others are doing that is helpful and beneficial. And I want to make this an encouragement to them. Today I got up and went to church and then to a funeral. So... I just got home and it is almost 3:00pm. I have a walk scheduled at 5:00 with my neighborhood walking group. It is about 60 degrees here in the east Texas piney woods, and when you are going down this tree-lined country road it is quite shady and becomes dark early in the day. The good part about this road nestled in among the trees is that there will be very little wind that can come through. I hope to finish shortly with my writing and reading my emails and try and do some jogging before I meet up with them. Oh, did I mention yet that I am not really a jogger? Just a wannabe. I have jogged before, even though I can walk almost as fast. But in recent months my knees have bothered me. My big goal is to do a triathlon. I started swimming in June. I can swim pretty good and for quite a decent time. However, I have yet to swim in open water. I hope to soon meet up with others at a lake to do an open water swim. I know I can last the distance in the water. I know I can bike ride the distance required. The 3.2 miles to jog is not something I have accomplished yet. But hey...give me time. I am writing this and hoping that whoever reads this will hold me accountable. Now, I have another story to write, but I gotta quit so I can put a title to it.

My first day

Well, today I learned how to make a blog. I thought I would keep this like a journal. I so desire to be healthy and continue with my weight loss. I am about to start my new exercise program on Monday. I have exercised for years, but next week I will be more dedicated and I am doing classes to help me in this endeavor. Two days will be spent in a spinning class, and the other days will include "Fitness Fusion". This is a 45 minute class where we could possibly use dumbbells, a bar, a ball, or a styrofoam roller. I have done this class before. It is mainly for core strength training. I am using this blog to record the exercises that I do. Well, so much for my first day. You all check in with me. I hope to give others encouragement as well as receive encouragement from each of you.