That dreaded plateau. The dieter's nemesis. We've all been there ... some of us have frequent flyer miles to that gawd-awful place.
That's where I am right now. Or, more accurately, where I was a few weeks ago. For the past two years, I've been working my poor old body into a lather with almost religious devotion, attending Taekwondo classes 3 nights a week, taking time off only when the dojang was closed for holidays. I've lost some weight, have built up lots of great muscle tone, increased my endurance beyond my wildest expectations, and have conquered my personal issues with self-confidence and public display by entering (and winning, I might add) several regional tournaments.
However, I was paying ZERO attention to my diet. I mean ZERO. As in indulging in giant bags of M&M peanuts on a weekly basis. And it caught up with me. I had started gaining back some of the weight I had lost.
So, I spoke to my Master and was told that my problem was simple...if I want to lose weight, I need to be in a caloric deficit every day. Simple problem...not so simple solution. I know my limitations. I've done the Weight Watchers thing before. I apparently have D.A.D.D. - Dieter's Attention Deficit Disorder. After a few days of weighing and measuring and tallying and agonizing, I get bored and chuck the whole process out the window.
What I need, I've decided, is a process that's simple, easy to follow, and requires minimal effort on my part.
For those of you who don't know, I love my gadgets. Love 'em to bits. From my pretty purple cell phone with its crystal-covered Bluetooth ear piece, to my iPod Touch, to hubby's latest object of our affection, the iPad I'm using to create this post - you'll never find me without my toys for any reasonable length of time.
So it isn't much of a surprise that my iPod Touch gave me the answer I was looking for. While surfing for apps a few weeks ago, I came across a little FREE gem called LoseIt!
LoseIt! is a calorie counting app for those of us with very short attention spans. When you sign up, the app asks you for your age, height, current weight and (I think) gender. Then it asks you what your goal weight is, and how many pounds you want to lose per week. Being a reasonable app, you're limited to a max of 2 pounds. It then calculates how long it'll take you to lose that weight, giving you the date you'll reach your goal. It also tells you how many calories you can take in every day in order to lose the weight you want every week.
Then the fun starts.
Every day, you enter in the food you eat. The app comes pre-loaded with all sorts of foods from almost every major brand name and restaurant out there, along with generic foods like peanut butter or bananas. Bear in mind that this is an American-based app, though, so Canadian content is scarce. The good news is that you can add custom foods with all of the nutritional information you want to capture. You can also enter recipes and the system will calculate the caloric content for you! As you enter food and drinks you've had throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, the system counts the calories down for you, letting you know how many calories you have left for the day and whether you're over or under your daily goal. As you weigh yourself weekly or monthly or whenever, you record your new weight in the app so it can keep track of your progress.
Since misery loves company, the app lets you find friends who are also using the app, so you can keep tabs on each other, encourage each other, call each other out...whatever floats your boat. You can set alerts to send you e-mail reports on a weekly basis, or to remind you if you've forgotten to enter a meal at any point. You can also set it up to send updates to your Facebook or Twitter accounts so you can share your progress with your friends...which might help to keep you honest.
Did I mention that the app is FREE? Not too shabby, huh? After 3 weeks and 9 pounds, I'm still trucking along, annoying the heck out of my husband by whipping out my iPod Touch before every meal, and Googling nutritional information before going out to any restaurants. I figure this app is going to be as important to me for the rest of my natural life as a blood sugar monitor is to a diabetic. After all, if I don't stay on top of things, I just might be needing a blood sugar monitor one day, so I might as well stick with this particular gadget that lets me play games or listen to music at the same time. Like I need another excuse to grow more attached to my gadgets.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Listen To The Cookie!
Do you believe in fate? Kismet? That some things are just "meant to be"?
Hubby and I have been in the market for a 2nd vehicle - used, of course, but not so used that it would become a paperweight in our driveway within the next five or six years. The problem is, we had no idea what we were looking for.
I thought a people-mover (but not a mini-van, by God!) would be a better idea. Let's face it, our children weren't getting any smaller, and neither was the amount of gear they needed hauled around. Personally, I had fallen in love with the Honda Pilot.
Our financial situation was screaming for a very cheap gas mizer, just big enough to fit the four of us and the dog without causing permanent injury. Something that wouldn't require a bank loan. Something that could be paid for by visiting the ATM a couple of times in a day.
While at dinner for our niece's birthday the other night, we were once again agonizing over the decision. I half-jokingly suggested we flip a coin. Sure, let a coin toss decide our financial down-fall. Why not? Hubby, looking to make this situation a tad more realistic, said two out of three. I called heads for the people-mover, tails for el-cheapo.
Toss number one landed heads. Okay, so far, so good. Toss number two also landed heads. Hubby and I looked at each other. Are we really going to let this coin toss make this huge decision for us? We let it lie and went on with dinner.
Now, this particular dinner was happening at a Chinese buffet. So, the end of dinner also brought the requisite fortune cookies. We all cracked open our cookies and laughed at each other's fortunes. Except for hubby. He did laugh at his own, but it was not a laugh at the ridiculous...it was a laugh of incredulity. Here's what his fortune cookie read:
"You received some good advice tonight. Listen to it!"
Seriously? Heed the coin-toss's advice? Was someone "up there" trying to tell us that we should buy this people-mover after all? Kind of spookey, don't you think?
Alright, we can certainly take a hint when one hits us over the head. So we were on the hunt for a used Honda Pilot. Easier said than done. Apparently, anyone who turned one of these trucks in after their lease was up did so because they never learned how to park it properly. Every one we looked at had some major dents and gouges on each of the four fenders. One even looked like part of the interior had been chewed by a beaver. Many disappointing leads later, we found one in our price range with all our required options about an hour's drive away. So we pile into the CR-V and head on down to have a look.
On the way down, we start chatting about some of the accessories we'd like to get for the new vehicle, if and when we ever find the right one. One of the items we would be getting is a rubber mat for the cargo area so that the dog fur would be less likely to weave itself in to the carpet.
Once we arrived at the dealership and were greeted by the salesman who immediately became our long-lost best friend, we were steered through the showroom. And there she was. Oh...my...GOD she was beautiful! Of all the trucks we had looked at, this one was by far in the best condition cosmetically. Yes, there were a few dings and scratches, as expected in a used vehicle, but way fewer than any other truck we had seen so far. The paint was almost new, with the exception of a couple of rock chips here and there. The interior was pristine. The leather gleamed. The motor positively purred. She was perfect.
And then we opened the back hatch. What did we see sitting in the cargo area? The exact rubber mat that hubby and I had just been discussing on the way down.
Yet another sign that this match was meant to be?
I certainly think so!
We signed the papers as soon as we could without seeming too desperate. We pick her up tomorrow night. Yes, I'm so excited about getting this truck that I'm even willing to take the chance of missing one night of Taekwondo (just in case we don't make it back in time)! Of course, I'll make up for it later in the week if I do miss it, but you get the picture. ;)
Hubby and I have been in the market for a 2nd vehicle - used, of course, but not so used that it would become a paperweight in our driveway within the next five or six years. The problem is, we had no idea what we were looking for.
I thought a people-mover (but not a mini-van, by God!) would be a better idea. Let's face it, our children weren't getting any smaller, and neither was the amount of gear they needed hauled around. Personally, I had fallen in love with the Honda Pilot.
Our financial situation was screaming for a very cheap gas mizer, just big enough to fit the four of us and the dog without causing permanent injury. Something that wouldn't require a bank loan. Something that could be paid for by visiting the ATM a couple of times in a day.
While at dinner for our niece's birthday the other night, we were once again agonizing over the decision. I half-jokingly suggested we flip a coin. Sure, let a coin toss decide our financial down-fall. Why not? Hubby, looking to make this situation a tad more realistic, said two out of three. I called heads for the people-mover, tails for el-cheapo.
Toss number one landed heads. Okay, so far, so good. Toss number two also landed heads. Hubby and I looked at each other. Are we really going to let this coin toss make this huge decision for us? We let it lie and went on with dinner.
Now, this particular dinner was happening at a Chinese buffet. So, the end of dinner also brought the requisite fortune cookies. We all cracked open our cookies and laughed at each other's fortunes. Except for hubby. He did laugh at his own, but it was not a laugh at the ridiculous...it was a laugh of incredulity. Here's what his fortune cookie read:
"You received some good advice tonight. Listen to it!"
Seriously? Heed the coin-toss's advice? Was someone "up there" trying to tell us that we should buy this people-mover after all? Kind of spookey, don't you think?
Alright, we can certainly take a hint when one hits us over the head. So we were on the hunt for a used Honda Pilot. Easier said than done. Apparently, anyone who turned one of these trucks in after their lease was up did so because they never learned how to park it properly. Every one we looked at had some major dents and gouges on each of the four fenders. One even looked like part of the interior had been chewed by a beaver. Many disappointing leads later, we found one in our price range with all our required options about an hour's drive away. So we pile into the CR-V and head on down to have a look.
On the way down, we start chatting about some of the accessories we'd like to get for the new vehicle, if and when we ever find the right one. One of the items we would be getting is a rubber mat for the cargo area so that the dog fur would be less likely to weave itself in to the carpet.
Once we arrived at the dealership and were greeted by the salesman who immediately became our long-lost best friend, we were steered through the showroom. And there she was. Oh...my...GOD she was beautiful! Of all the trucks we had looked at, this one was by far in the best condition cosmetically. Yes, there were a few dings and scratches, as expected in a used vehicle, but way fewer than any other truck we had seen so far. The paint was almost new, with the exception of a couple of rock chips here and there. The interior was pristine. The leather gleamed. The motor positively purred. She was perfect.
And then we opened the back hatch. What did we see sitting in the cargo area? The exact rubber mat that hubby and I had just been discussing on the way down.
Yet another sign that this match was meant to be?
I certainly think so!
We signed the papers as soon as we could without seeming too desperate. We pick her up tomorrow night. Yes, I'm so excited about getting this truck that I'm even willing to take the chance of missing one night of Taekwondo (just in case we don't make it back in time)! Of course, I'll make up for it later in the week if I do miss it, but you get the picture. ;)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Looking For Shoes
Hey all.
For those of you who don't know, I lost my one and only sparring match at this past week-end's tournament. It was a close match, and I came home with bronze because of the way the tree fell.
I won't get into the gory details. Suffice it to say I'm not impressed with my performance, and I'll be working diligently to improve the situation before the next tourney.
On to other matters at hand...
I'd like to get a pair of Taekwondo shoes. I'd like something I can wear around the dojang (since I spend a few hours there several times a week, between my own classes and my son's), as well as at tournaments while warming up. I learned at this last tourney that warming up in bare feet on the cold, concrete floors of the high-school hallway is not a pleasant experience - even for those of us with the most weathered "Taekwon-toes" in the dojang.
I probably won't train in them, since we're not allowed shoes at tournaments, and we're taught to train the way we compete.
Here's where it gets interesting...
I'm looking for a style to match my latest girl-power-themed mid-life crisis.
Hitting the Big 4-0 was something that took me completely by surprise. Not the number itself, although I shied away from even thinking the number until the very last possible minute. No, it was the manner in which my mid-life manifested itself.
I've never been a girly-girl. I never understood the concept of "make-up" or "wardrobes" or "shoe fetishes" the way my friends all did. Shopping gave me a headache. Every stitch of clothing I owned was either black or red...not a drop of pink or purple to be found. I've spent several decades sporting the same bland, utilitarian Timex watch, small gold hoop earrings and no other jewelry to speak of.
I still don't think I'm "girly" per se.
But my 40th birthday brought with it a sudden, inexplicable, and somewhat scary appreciation for the more feminine things in life.
Like my new purple, flowery cell phone with the Bluetooth earpiece that is bedecked with Swarovski crystals so it looks like I have a cross between the Star Trek triangle emblem and a disco ball stuck in my ear.
And my pink iPod with the matching pink aluminum case that I had laser-etched with my name and a flaming horse.
And my new short, spiky, sassy haircut that is modeled after the one Halle Berry sported in her Catwoman movie - after she develops the feline 'tude, of course.
Right...back to the shoes. What I'm looking for is something functional, yet feminine. Pink would be preferable. Something shiny would not be frowned upon, either. But it has to be something that won't dent or mark the mats in the dojang, and something I can do light work-out/warm-up work in.
What do you all think? Any suggestions? Reviews? Favourite on-line shopping sites for all things "martial arts"? Lay it on me, folks! :)
For those of you who don't know, I lost my one and only sparring match at this past week-end's tournament. It was a close match, and I came home with bronze because of the way the tree fell.
I won't get into the gory details. Suffice it to say I'm not impressed with my performance, and I'll be working diligently to improve the situation before the next tourney.
On to other matters at hand...
I'd like to get a pair of Taekwondo shoes. I'd like something I can wear around the dojang (since I spend a few hours there several times a week, between my own classes and my son's), as well as at tournaments while warming up. I learned at this last tourney that warming up in bare feet on the cold, concrete floors of the high-school hallway is not a pleasant experience - even for those of us with the most weathered "Taekwon-toes" in the dojang.
I probably won't train in them, since we're not allowed shoes at tournaments, and we're taught to train the way we compete.
Here's where it gets interesting...
I'm looking for a style to match my latest girl-power-themed mid-life crisis.
Hitting the Big 4-0 was something that took me completely by surprise. Not the number itself, although I shied away from even thinking the number until the very last possible minute. No, it was the manner in which my mid-life manifested itself.
I've never been a girly-girl. I never understood the concept of "make-up" or "wardrobes" or "shoe fetishes" the way my friends all did. Shopping gave me a headache. Every stitch of clothing I owned was either black or red...not a drop of pink or purple to be found. I've spent several decades sporting the same bland, utilitarian Timex watch, small gold hoop earrings and no other jewelry to speak of.
I still don't think I'm "girly" per se.
But my 40th birthday brought with it a sudden, inexplicable, and somewhat scary appreciation for the more feminine things in life.
Like my new purple, flowery cell phone with the Bluetooth earpiece that is bedecked with Swarovski crystals so it looks like I have a cross between the Star Trek triangle emblem and a disco ball stuck in my ear.
And my pink iPod with the matching pink aluminum case that I had laser-etched with my name and a flaming horse.
And my new short, spiky, sassy haircut that is modeled after the one Halle Berry sported in her Catwoman movie - after she develops the feline 'tude, of course.
Right...back to the shoes. What I'm looking for is something functional, yet feminine. Pink would be preferable. Something shiny would not be frowned upon, either. But it has to be something that won't dent or mark the mats in the dojang, and something I can do light work-out/warm-up work in.
What do you all think? Any suggestions? Reviews? Favourite on-line shopping sites for all things "martial arts"? Lay it on me, folks! :)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wish Me Luck!
This is it, folks. The night before my very first Taekwondo tournament.
Silly me, I actually went to the dojang to train tonight. So, everything from the neck down is tired and achy. Actually, it was all still sore from Wednesday's beating...I mean...training session. On top of that, we did a little sparring tonight, so I have several new bruises coming with me tomorrow as well. I'm just hoping I'll be able to lift my arms to protect my face. If I come home with all my teeth, it will have been a good day.
Am I nervous? Yup. Can I sleep? Nope. That might present a bit of a problem when my alarm goes off at 6:00 in the blessed AM.
So, here I am, on the eve of my very first foray into competitive Taekwondo, sore and battered...and doing laundry. Yup, I'm staying up, trying to get my whites their whitest. Because, Heaven forbid I should face my almost phobic fear of public display and humiliation in a dingy dobuk.
Wish me luck!
Silly me, I actually went to the dojang to train tonight. So, everything from the neck down is tired and achy. Actually, it was all still sore from Wednesday's beating...I mean...training session. On top of that, we did a little sparring tonight, so I have several new bruises coming with me tomorrow as well. I'm just hoping I'll be able to lift my arms to protect my face. If I come home with all my teeth, it will have been a good day.
Am I nervous? Yup. Can I sleep? Nope. That might present a bit of a problem when my alarm goes off at 6:00 in the blessed AM.
So, here I am, on the eve of my very first foray into competitive Taekwondo, sore and battered...and doing laundry. Yup, I'm staying up, trying to get my whites their whitest. Because, Heaven forbid I should face my almost phobic fear of public display and humiliation in a dingy dobuk.
Wish me luck!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Just Another Drop
Hey blog fans!
Remember my recent posting about Just A Drop? The miracle product that probably saved my marriage?
I received my care package from the makers of the Just A Drop. Inside was a smorgasbord of Just A Drop goodies for me to try out. There were new bottles of the original product, which I neglected to mention last time has a wonderfully refreshing eucalyptus scent ... makes your washroom smell like a craft store.
There was also a box of their single-use packs. Now, if you've ever had to deal with a bowel disorder, you will understand what I mean when I say that these single-use packs are an absolute Godsend. I've already used them a few times at the dojang where I train ... one washroom inside the women's change room, and one inside the dojang itself. Neither is the kind of place you want to walk out of after you've caused it to smell like an outhouse, 'cause everyone will know it was YOU. These single-use packs are brilliant. Sheer genius. They work 100% as advertised. I can't tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to have some in my purse right now. If I had a limited amount of space in my purse and I had to choose between carrying some of these single-use packs and - oh, I don't know, say - pictures of my family, I'd choose the Just A Drop and wouldn't even bat an eyelash.
And then there are the bottles of the two new Just A Drop scents - Floral Oasis and Refreshing Spring. I never thought I'd be this excited to go to the bathroom! :)
Remember my recent posting about Just A Drop? The miracle product that probably saved my marriage?
I received my care package from the makers of the Just A Drop. Inside was a smorgasbord of Just A Drop goodies for me to try out. There were new bottles of the original product, which I neglected to mention last time has a wonderfully refreshing eucalyptus scent ... makes your washroom smell like a craft store.
There was also a box of their single-use packs. Now, if you've ever had to deal with a bowel disorder, you will understand what I mean when I say that these single-use packs are an absolute Godsend. I've already used them a few times at the dojang where I train ... one washroom inside the women's change room, and one inside the dojang itself. Neither is the kind of place you want to walk out of after you've caused it to smell like an outhouse, 'cause everyone will know it was YOU. These single-use packs are brilliant. Sheer genius. They work 100% as advertised. I can't tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to have some in my purse right now. If I had a limited amount of space in my purse and I had to choose between carrying some of these single-use packs and - oh, I don't know, say - pictures of my family, I'd choose the Just A Drop and wouldn't even bat an eyelash.
And then there are the bottles of the two new Just A Drop scents - Floral Oasis and Refreshing Spring. I never thought I'd be this excited to go to the bathroom! :)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My TKD Is Like A Bad Pun Or Dysfunctional Goat
A guy walks into his psychiatrist's office.
"Doc," he says. "I've been having this strange recurring dream. First, I'm a teepee. Then, I'm a wigwam. Then a teepee. Then a wigwam. What does this mean??"
"That's easy," says the psychiatrist. "You're too tense." Get it? Two tents? What...no rimshot?
Anyhow, this is apparently one of my issues when sparring in taekwondo. I'm too tense. It's my bad fortune to have the natural reaction of bracing myself for impact when I see someone's foot headed in my general direction. The result is that I'm not loose enough to react in time to counter the attack and gain a point or two in the process. My Master likens this to the fainting goat syndrome:
As unflattering as that comparison is, I need to accept his evaluation and conquer this particular weakness...preferably before my very first tournament in a week-and-a-half's time.
So, I'll hit the dojang tonight with that video playing in my mind, to remind me to keep things loose, fluid, constantly moving. And there we have the next marker on my martial arts journey ... the demise of the goat-lady.
"Doc," he says. "I've been having this strange recurring dream. First, I'm a teepee. Then, I'm a wigwam. Then a teepee. Then a wigwam. What does this mean??"
"That's easy," says the psychiatrist. "You're too tense." Get it? Two tents? What...no rimshot?
Anyhow, this is apparently one of my issues when sparring in taekwondo. I'm too tense. It's my bad fortune to have the natural reaction of bracing myself for impact when I see someone's foot headed in my general direction. The result is that I'm not loose enough to react in time to counter the attack and gain a point or two in the process. My Master likens this to the fainting goat syndrome:
As unflattering as that comparison is, I need to accept his evaluation and conquer this particular weakness...preferably before my very first tournament in a week-and-a-half's time.
So, I'll hit the dojang tonight with that video playing in my mind, to remind me to keep things loose, fluid, constantly moving. And there we have the next marker on my martial arts journey ... the demise of the goat-lady.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Coupons & Samples - Oil of Olay
Wow, 2 posts in 1 day! Go, me! :D
I just wanted to post a quick link for you ladies out there who, like me, are are tired of having stupid skin issues at every stage of your life (do we ever get a break??). The Oil of Olay Canadian website has a bunch of free sample and coupon offers posted for your perusal. I don't know about you, but "fee" and "save money" are always welcome words in my world.
Enjoy!
I just wanted to post a quick link for you ladies out there who, like me, are are tired of having stupid skin issues at every stage of your life (do we ever get a break??). The Oil of Olay Canadian website has a bunch of free sample and coupon offers posted for your perusal. I don't know about you, but "fee" and "save money" are always welcome words in my world.
Enjoy!
My New Not-So-Secret Weapon
Listen up, people. I've found a product that just might save your marriage.
I first heard of Just A Drop on one of our local morning shows. It's a magical blue liquid that comes in a teeny tiny bottle. You apparently squirt one single drop into the toilet bowl BEFORE you...ummm...do your duty, and it supposedly eliminates ALL subsequent odour. The hostess of the morning show was gushing about how wonderful this product is and how unbelievably well it works.
I was just as skeptical as you are.
And then my husband started working out at the gym. And he started consuming large amounts of whey protein and various protein bars on a more-than-regular basis.
I don't know if it's because of the whey protein, or because he's missing half of a colon no thanks to a nasty brush with colon cancer, or a combination of both, but HOLY CRAP (pardon the pun) that man can clear a room! I'm talking eye-watering, blame the dog and evacuate the house kind of stink. To make matters worse, most of this extra heavy duty concentrated super-stink occurs in our en-suite bathroom. Yup, I get to wake up to this lovely aroma. Kind of like getting drunk and waking up to find yourself in a poorly maintained barn and not knowing how you got there.
Anyhow, hubby and I were wandering through the aisles of The Big Bad W store yesterday, and out of the corner of my eye I spot a tiny blue glint of colour. After several months of whey-induced stink, I've decided I'll try just about anything to protect my nose and the noses of my children. So I grabbed a bottle (which was quite reasonably priced, all things considered) and we headed for home.
Reading the ingredients list, I was quite impressed. It's made from all-natural plant extracts, so it's safe for your plumbing or sceptic systems or whatever you've got going on, although I wouldn't recommend tasting it yourself. It comes with a little holder that sticks to the wall, so you can put it right next to the toilet rather than hiding it in the medicine cabinet, and that way everyone will be more likely to remember to use it (let's face it ladies, this problem isn't restricted to the Y chromosome, although they do seem to take more pride in it than we do).
Hubby was the first to try it when we got home. He came out of the washroom and announced that he thought it worked pretty well, but would leave the final verdict up to me. Thanks, honey. I screwed up my courage and went to face the music. I was stunned. I had to ask hubby to confirm that he actually did something in there. There was no trace of any smell at all! It was magical, and it almost brought tears of joy to my eyes.
They also make these cute little travel packs so you can take it with you to work or parties or wherever you might want to avoid having to hide in your bathroom stall until everyone else leaves in disgust before showing your face.
I highly and enthusiastically recommend this product to anyone and everyone who uses a toilet. :)
I first heard of Just A Drop on one of our local morning shows. It's a magical blue liquid that comes in a teeny tiny bottle. You apparently squirt one single drop into the toilet bowl BEFORE you...ummm...do your duty, and it supposedly eliminates ALL subsequent odour. The hostess of the morning show was gushing about how wonderful this product is and how unbelievably well it works.
I was just as skeptical as you are.
And then my husband started working out at the gym. And he started consuming large amounts of whey protein and various protein bars on a more-than-regular basis.
I don't know if it's because of the whey protein, or because he's missing half of a colon no thanks to a nasty brush with colon cancer, or a combination of both, but HOLY CRAP (pardon the pun) that man can clear a room! I'm talking eye-watering, blame the dog and evacuate the house kind of stink. To make matters worse, most of this extra heavy duty concentrated super-stink occurs in our en-suite bathroom. Yup, I get to wake up to this lovely aroma. Kind of like getting drunk and waking up to find yourself in a poorly maintained barn and not knowing how you got there.
Anyhow, hubby and I were wandering through the aisles of The Big Bad W store yesterday, and out of the corner of my eye I spot a tiny blue glint of colour. After several months of whey-induced stink, I've decided I'll try just about anything to protect my nose and the noses of my children. So I grabbed a bottle (which was quite reasonably priced, all things considered) and we headed for home.
Reading the ingredients list, I was quite impressed. It's made from all-natural plant extracts, so it's safe for your plumbing or sceptic systems or whatever you've got going on, although I wouldn't recommend tasting it yourself. It comes with a little holder that sticks to the wall, so you can put it right next to the toilet rather than hiding it in the medicine cabinet, and that way everyone will be more likely to remember to use it (let's face it ladies, this problem isn't restricted to the Y chromosome, although they do seem to take more pride in it than we do).
Hubby was the first to try it when we got home. He came out of the washroom and announced that he thought it worked pretty well, but would leave the final verdict up to me. Thanks, honey. I screwed up my courage and went to face the music. I was stunned. I had to ask hubby to confirm that he actually did something in there. There was no trace of any smell at all! It was magical, and it almost brought tears of joy to my eyes.
They also make these cute little travel packs so you can take it with you to work or parties or wherever you might want to avoid having to hide in your bathroom stall until everyone else leaves in disgust before showing your face.
I highly and enthusiastically recommend this product to anyone and everyone who uses a toilet. :)
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
The Bare Facts
Perusing the news headlines today, I came across a story about the US's First Lady, Michelle Obama, and the scandal that is her bare arms.
Apparently, there's a small uproar south of the border over the fact that Mrs. President enjoys wearing sleeveless outfits to public events.
Holy jeez, people. Get a life! It's the year 2009, not 1909, for Pete's sake. Bare arms mean nothing more in this day and age than that the woman exposing them is proud of her physique - and well she should be. Nice definition in a woman's arms is not easy to come by for a woman over the age of 40. She has to be working very hard to maintain that level of fitness, so why shouldn't she be proud of what she has and flaunt it?
The woman is beautiful in whatever she wears. She has never displayed anything other than class, poise and confidence in any pubic venue. It isn't like she's showing up at these events wearing a Hooters uniform.
I am quite glad, however, to notice that the nay-sayers are the considerably minority. I'm fairly certain that these critics are somewhat older than Mrs. Obama, and probably lean so far to the right that they've fallen over and can't get up. I'm also glad that there are a large number of very vocal supporters out there to drown out the poo-pooers.
Then again, I'm Canadian, and we tend to swing from an entirely different set of branches than our esteemed neighbours to the south. Something like this wouldn't even raise an eyebrow up here, as long as it didn't interrupt a hockey game. After all, we are the country that begot Jean Chretien ... the Prime Minister who bludgeoned a would-be burglar with a soapstone carving. Strength and Confidence are our middle names! :)
Apparently, there's a small uproar south of the border over the fact that Mrs. President enjoys wearing sleeveless outfits to public events.
Holy jeez, people. Get a life! It's the year 2009, not 1909, for Pete's sake. Bare arms mean nothing more in this day and age than that the woman exposing them is proud of her physique - and well she should be. Nice definition in a woman's arms is not easy to come by for a woman over the age of 40. She has to be working very hard to maintain that level of fitness, so why shouldn't she be proud of what she has and flaunt it?
The woman is beautiful in whatever she wears. She has never displayed anything other than class, poise and confidence in any pubic venue. It isn't like she's showing up at these events wearing a Hooters uniform.
I am quite glad, however, to notice that the nay-sayers are the considerably minority. I'm fairly certain that these critics are somewhat older than Mrs. Obama, and probably lean so far to the right that they've fallen over and can't get up. I'm also glad that there are a large number of very vocal supporters out there to drown out the poo-pooers.
Then again, I'm Canadian, and we tend to swing from an entirely different set of branches than our esteemed neighbours to the south. Something like this wouldn't even raise an eyebrow up here, as long as it didn't interrupt a hockey game. After all, we are the country that begot Jean Chretien ... the Prime Minister who bludgeoned a would-be burglar with a soapstone carving. Strength and Confidence are our middle names! :)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Status Update
Hey blog lovers.
I was just cleaning up my blog, deleting old, irrelevant entries, etc... So I thought I'd drop you a quick note to let you know how my fitness journey and martial arts training are progressing.
I'm excited to report that I've reached the first weight-loss milestone I had set for myself, which was to be able to buy a pair of jeans in the "regular" size clothing section of WalMart instead of the "plus" size section. OK, so I'm at the extreme high end of the "regular" sizes, and that would likely change if I was to shop in another store, but you get the picture.
Taekwondo training is progressing nicely. I'm still a green belt (had I already told you about that particular accomplishment?). I was going to test for my blue stripe at the end of this month, but I have other financial obligations at the moment that are slightly more pressing.
Next on the agenda is a tournament in March that Mini-Me and I will both be competing in. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. I mean, we already knew that, right? Why else would I take up a martial art when I was pushing 40 and morbidly obese?
I am absolutely terrified, naturally. Aside from the very real threat of having my butt handed to me on a platter, there's also the very PUBLIC aspect of this endeavour. It's no secret that I hate all forms of spotlight. I can't stand having my picture taken, I don't like having people look at me for any reason, I don't like having attention drawn to me (which is why I love blogging ... totally anonymous). So, yeah, naturally I'd pay a large sum of money to appear in a ring where some strange woman is trying to knock me on my ass while several people are judging my every move, keeping score, and several other people are video taping and taking pictures of the whole spectacle for posterity.
Should be a hoot.
So, wish me luck, folks. If I somehow manage to come out of this with some minute bit of dignity left, I'll come back to tell you about it.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Progress Update
Hey blog fans!
I realized this morning that it's been some time since I measured my weight-loss (or, more accurately, inch-loss) progress. Two months, actually. So I dusted off the ol' measuring tape and got to it.
Here are my results since beginning this wellness journey back in November:
Chest (or, "the girls", as some folks would call them): 1 inch lost
Rib cage: 2 inches lost
Waist: 4 1/2 inches lost
Tummy (what I affectionately refer to as my "overhang"): 4 inches lost
Hips: 3 inches lost
Thighs (each thigh): 2 inches lost
For a grand total of ... drum roll, please ... 16 1/2 inches lost since November! Yay, me! :)
This started, as you may recall, by walking on the treadmill. I believe I started slowly, at maybe 15 or 20 minutes, and worked my way up to 30 minute walks, 5 days per week. In June, I enrolled at my son's Taekwondo school, and the treadmill, I'm ashamed to say, has sat idle ever since. This is because a) beginning Taekwondo took a lot out of me physically, so I decided to take it easy on the days between training sessions, and b) the kiddies were home for the summer holidays, which makes "me time" hard to come by (unless I wanted to wake up at 5:00AM ... ummm ... no).
Well, the rugrats are back in school now (Trouble only goes on alternate days, being in Kindergarten this year). So my mornings, once the bus turns that corner and before I have to work at my paying job, are once again my own. I intend to reacquiaint myself with the treadmill once the kids and I are in some semblance of a routine - i.e. putting Trouble on the bus is no longer an aerobic routine on its own. Boy, who'd a thought one 40lb kid could put up such a struggle? I mean, I know that some kids don't handle the transition from home to school very well, but I've had to wrestle Trouble into the school yard, onto the bus, into his clothes in the morning... The way this kid bolts when that bus comes to pick him up, I think we'll be signing him up for track really soon.
Anyhow, so the treadmill is going to be revisited at some point in the next few weeks. As for my diet, I'm still trying to drink more water than soft drinks, eat more fruit and veggies on a daily basis (lemon pie counts as a fruit, right?), and limit my chip intake to the single-serving bags. Yeah, I've broken that rule a couple of times. Kind of hard to have movie night with one tiny bag of chips to call your own while the rest of the family is chowing down on M&Ms and Fritos by the bucket.
Taekwondo is going very well. My short-term goal was to make it through class without uttering the words "Please, God, make it stop!". I'm pretty much there most nights. Except for when the instructors come back from some sort of seminar or are preparing for a tournament. Then they seem to become even more excited about training than they usually are, and they get creative with the styles of push-ups and crunches and kicking combos they make you perform by the hundreds. It's all good, though. No pain, no gain, right? Although, sometimes I prefer the saying, "No pain ... woo hoo!"
My biggest hurdle right now (other than not being able to perform the more acrobatic kicks because I'm being weighed down by my age and my back-side)is that I seem to have a mental block when it comes to sparring. We're wearing full padding, so I techincally shouldn't have an issue kicking the bejesus out of my opponent, but I do. I can't kick a person with the same force as I kick a target or a heavy bag. Kind of makes for a one-sided fight, with me standing there getting my butt handed to me on a platter. But, like with any martial art, it's more about the journey than anything else, and this is just part of my personal journey. Here's hoping I turn a corner soon, though. My kids are beginning to think my skin tone is naturally purple and green.
I realized this morning that it's been some time since I measured my weight-loss (or, more accurately, inch-loss) progress. Two months, actually. So I dusted off the ol' measuring tape and got to it.
Here are my results since beginning this wellness journey back in November:
Chest (or, "the girls", as some folks would call them): 1 inch lost
Rib cage: 2 inches lost
Waist: 4 1/2 inches lost
Tummy (what I affectionately refer to as my "overhang"): 4 inches lost
Hips: 3 inches lost
Thighs (each thigh): 2 inches lost
For a grand total of ... drum roll, please ... 16 1/2 inches lost since November! Yay, me! :)
This started, as you may recall, by walking on the treadmill. I believe I started slowly, at maybe 15 or 20 minutes, and worked my way up to 30 minute walks, 5 days per week. In June, I enrolled at my son's Taekwondo school, and the treadmill, I'm ashamed to say, has sat idle ever since. This is because a) beginning Taekwondo took a lot out of me physically, so I decided to take it easy on the days between training sessions, and b) the kiddies were home for the summer holidays, which makes "me time" hard to come by (unless I wanted to wake up at 5:00AM ... ummm ... no).
Well, the rugrats are back in school now (Trouble only goes on alternate days, being in Kindergarten this year). So my mornings, once the bus turns that corner and before I have to work at my paying job, are once again my own. I intend to reacquiaint myself with the treadmill once the kids and I are in some semblance of a routine - i.e. putting Trouble on the bus is no longer an aerobic routine on its own. Boy, who'd a thought one 40lb kid could put up such a struggle? I mean, I know that some kids don't handle the transition from home to school very well, but I've had to wrestle Trouble into the school yard, onto the bus, into his clothes in the morning... The way this kid bolts when that bus comes to pick him up, I think we'll be signing him up for track really soon.
Anyhow, so the treadmill is going to be revisited at some point in the next few weeks. As for my diet, I'm still trying to drink more water than soft drinks, eat more fruit and veggies on a daily basis (lemon pie counts as a fruit, right?), and limit my chip intake to the single-serving bags. Yeah, I've broken that rule a couple of times. Kind of hard to have movie night with one tiny bag of chips to call your own while the rest of the family is chowing down on M&Ms and Fritos by the bucket.
Taekwondo is going very well. My short-term goal was to make it through class without uttering the words "Please, God, make it stop!". I'm pretty much there most nights. Except for when the instructors come back from some sort of seminar or are preparing for a tournament. Then they seem to become even more excited about training than they usually are, and they get creative with the styles of push-ups and crunches and kicking combos they make you perform by the hundreds. It's all good, though. No pain, no gain, right? Although, sometimes I prefer the saying, "No pain ... woo hoo!"
My biggest hurdle right now (other than not being able to perform the more acrobatic kicks because I'm being weighed down by my age and my back-side)is that I seem to have a mental block when it comes to sparring. We're wearing full padding, so I techincally shouldn't have an issue kicking the bejesus out of my opponent, but I do. I can't kick a person with the same force as I kick a target or a heavy bag. Kind of makes for a one-sided fight, with me standing there getting my butt handed to me on a platter. But, like with any martial art, it's more about the journey than anything else, and this is just part of my personal journey. Here's hoping I turn a corner soon, though. My kids are beginning to think my skin tone is naturally purple and green.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Time Flies
Holy Moley! Has it really been 2 months since the last time I posted?! Geez, time sure does fly when you're ... ummm ... what's the phrase I'm looking for here? Having fun? Nope, that's not it. Broke? Exhausted? That's getting a little warmer.
Anyhoo, here I am, three months into the whole Taekwondo journey. Yes, I passed my first belt test. I actually double-tested, which means I skipped over the yellow-stripe and went straight to a yellow belt. I've since tested for my green stripe, and I find out tonight whether or not I passed. I honestly have no idea whether or not I did, because the whole testing experience is a blur to me. I was so nervous through the whole thing that I've managed to block out the memory completely. Not a very effective training technique, to go through the whole experience in a terrified trance. At this rate, I'll never make Ninja Queen.
You can't blame me, though. I had a large audience and fan club in attendance the night of testing. My brother and his family had come to town for a visit. Since he and his children are Karatekas, they thought it would be interesting to witness a TKD testing event. My sister and husband also came. My husband, the man who is supposed to love me unconditionally, brought our video camera. It was supposedly to take video of our son, who was also undergoing testing that night. He completely ignored the daggers shooting out of my eyes and took video of my testing, as well.
So how can I have video of the event and still not be able to remember how I did, you ask?
Because about three seconds into the video, my husband has to wrestle the camera out of my hands as I am overcome by the urge to hurl said video camera through the nearest fifteen story window.
Why, oh why, do martial artists wear WHITE uniforms?? I look like freaking Cartman from South Park wearing his mom's bath robe! I look like the Queen of Marsmallow Land! I look like the Creature Bride of the Michelin Man! It's downright GROSS!! Especially since the manufacturers of these uniforms seem to think that anyone with hips the breadth of mine must also be seven feet tall. The result, even with some creative hemming, is that I have the pants pulled up to my pits a la Erkel while my feet are hidden beneath four folds of the material. The top would hang down to my knees if it wasn't being held up by my belt, which then creates enough of a fold around my upper body to clothe a small African village. And all this is done in WHITE ... the one colour/shade that makes Naomi Campbell look pudgy.
But, white is the colour of the school uniform, so I will have to grin and bear it. At least until I lose enough weight to buy a new uniform that isn't cut for a sumo wrestler.
Anyhoo, here I am, three months into the whole Taekwondo journey. Yes, I passed my first belt test. I actually double-tested, which means I skipped over the yellow-stripe and went straight to a yellow belt. I've since tested for my green stripe, and I find out tonight whether or not I passed. I honestly have no idea whether or not I did, because the whole testing experience is a blur to me. I was so nervous through the whole thing that I've managed to block out the memory completely. Not a very effective training technique, to go through the whole experience in a terrified trance. At this rate, I'll never make Ninja Queen.
You can't blame me, though. I had a large audience and fan club in attendance the night of testing. My brother and his family had come to town for a visit. Since he and his children are Karatekas, they thought it would be interesting to witness a TKD testing event. My sister and husband also came. My husband, the man who is supposed to love me unconditionally, brought our video camera. It was supposedly to take video of our son, who was also undergoing testing that night. He completely ignored the daggers shooting out of my eyes and took video of my testing, as well.
So how can I have video of the event and still not be able to remember how I did, you ask?
Because about three seconds into the video, my husband has to wrestle the camera out of my hands as I am overcome by the urge to hurl said video camera through the nearest fifteen story window.
Why, oh why, do martial artists wear WHITE uniforms?? I look like freaking Cartman from South Park wearing his mom's bath robe! I look like the Queen of Marsmallow Land! I look like the Creature Bride of the Michelin Man! It's downright GROSS!! Especially since the manufacturers of these uniforms seem to think that anyone with hips the breadth of mine must also be seven feet tall. The result, even with some creative hemming, is that I have the pants pulled up to my pits a la Erkel while my feet are hidden beneath four folds of the material. The top would hang down to my knees if it wasn't being held up by my belt, which then creates enough of a fold around my upper body to clothe a small African village. And all this is done in WHITE ... the one colour/shade that makes Naomi Campbell look pudgy.
But, white is the colour of the school uniform, so I will have to grin and bear it. At least until I lose enough weight to buy a new uniform that isn't cut for a sumo wrestler.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Moving Off The Plateau!
Yup, you read it right, folks! I've moved off of the dreaded plateau. You know ... that really awful wasteland of despair where you land when you've stopped making any weight-loss progress for a period of time. Well, after almost a month of TKD classes, I mustered the courage to take my measurements again, and sure enough, I've dropped another couple of inches! Yay me!
It isn't much ... basically an inch or two around my waist and tummy area. Probably from the hundred or so crunches our Master has us do in every class. But, hey, I'll take it! :)
Add to that the increased stamina I've picked up over the past few weeks, and it adds up to some real progress! Sure, I'm still sweating like Homer Simpson at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but at least I'm no longer collapsing in a heap when I get home.
Last Friday's class was a bit of an eye-opener, though. I've been suffering from shin splints since I started this martial journey. Nothing new there. My shins are notorious complainers whenever a new exercise regime comes into play. Just grit your teeth and work through the pain, ice them when you get home. It'll get better once I've built up a little muscle in the area. But, last Friday I made the mother of all rookie mistakes. During a so-called no-contact sparring match with (of all people) a black stripe (meaning he'll be getting his black belt soon), I smashed my shin into his knee. Apparently, we tried to kick at the same time, and neither of us thought to pull back in time to avoid the collision. Being some 20-odd years younger than I am, the black-stripe limped around a bit and went on with his life. He tells me that he recovered that same night. Me? I'm sporting a bruise about the size of a small dog. A very tenacious small dog at that. It refuses to fade, or diminish in the amount of pain it delivers every time I make the mistake of hitting it against something...like the car door, or someone's fist during other no-contact sparring sessions (can you hear the wry laughter whenever I say "no-contact"?). I've learned yet another important lesson about aging. It takes the body a while longer to recover from simple, minor injuries. Fantastic.
Oh, well. Live and learn, right? If I was concerned about a little bruising from time to time, I should have taken up knitting. Who am I kidding? I probably would have impaled myself with the needles. At least with TKD, I can wear padding from time to time.
Now, on to the next challenge. Belt testing this Friday. Am I nervous? You betcha! But, if I wasn't nervous, then I'd really have something to worry about, right? At least, that's what people keep telling me ... I'm not sure what it means. Wish me luck!
It isn't much ... basically an inch or two around my waist and tummy area. Probably from the hundred or so crunches our Master has us do in every class. But, hey, I'll take it! :)
Add to that the increased stamina I've picked up over the past few weeks, and it adds up to some real progress! Sure, I'm still sweating like Homer Simpson at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but at least I'm no longer collapsing in a heap when I get home.
Last Friday's class was a bit of an eye-opener, though. I've been suffering from shin splints since I started this martial journey. Nothing new there. My shins are notorious complainers whenever a new exercise regime comes into play. Just grit your teeth and work through the pain, ice them when you get home. It'll get better once I've built up a little muscle in the area. But, last Friday I made the mother of all rookie mistakes. During a so-called no-contact sparring match with (of all people) a black stripe (meaning he'll be getting his black belt soon), I smashed my shin into his knee. Apparently, we tried to kick at the same time, and neither of us thought to pull back in time to avoid the collision. Being some 20-odd years younger than I am, the black-stripe limped around a bit and went on with his life. He tells me that he recovered that same night. Me? I'm sporting a bruise about the size of a small dog. A very tenacious small dog at that. It refuses to fade, or diminish in the amount of pain it delivers every time I make the mistake of hitting it against something...like the car door, or someone's fist during other no-contact sparring sessions (can you hear the wry laughter whenever I say "no-contact"?). I've learned yet another important lesson about aging. It takes the body a while longer to recover from simple, minor injuries. Fantastic.
Oh, well. Live and learn, right? If I was concerned about a little bruising from time to time, I should have taken up knitting. Who am I kidding? I probably would have impaled myself with the needles. At least with TKD, I can wear padding from time to time.
Now, on to the next challenge. Belt testing this Friday. Am I nervous? You betcha! But, if I wasn't nervous, then I'd really have something to worry about, right? At least, that's what people keep telling me ... I'm not sure what it means. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Another Step on the Wellness Journey
Hey blog fans. Once again, I have to apologize for not posting in such a long time. The truth of the matter is that there hasn't been much to post about. I can only give you so many "No change, still hanging out on the dreaded plateau" posts before I completely lose motivation and toss the blasted treadmill out the living room window.
Hey, at least that would give my biceps a decent workout.
Anyhow, I'm still doing the hamster routine every morning for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, I bring up the incline a bit. This is an older, lower-model treadmill, though, so I have no idea what the angle is or anything. I basically hold down the little + button for about 2 seconds. Then, when there's about 5 minutes left, I bring it back down to the flat position for a little cool-down.
I've decided that it's time to step things up a little. Break out of my comfort zone ... namely, the living room. I need to regain some of the muscle tone that I've lost after 15 years of inactivity behind a computer and 2 c-sections. I need to get my clothing size into something more manageable, if only so I can shop in the less expensive parts of the store and save us a few bucks every now and then.
So, I did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for Taekwondo at the dojang where my son has been taking lessons since January.
Am I scared? Hell, yeah. This is extra money every month that we don't have. But I figured that it's about time I convinced myself that I'm worth the money, that I need to do this for my health before I end up diabetic or needing bypass surgery before my 45th birthday.
Won't it hurt? Probably. Like I said ... 15 years of inactivity has left me looking like the "before" people in the LA Weightloss commercials. Who am I kidding? I'd love to be the before people! I tried a demo class at the dojang a couple of months ago. Couldn't walk for 5 days. My calf muscles felt like they were trying to snap my shins in half. But it felt so good to push my body that way again! I had completely forgotten how wonderful a good workout could feel! Clearly, I'll need to learn to pace myself a little, remember that I'm not 25 anymore, don't try to keep up with the black belts, etc...
Am I nuts? Most likely. I believe my husband thinks so, although he isn't saying it out loud for fear of retribution once I learn how to land a solid roundhouse kick. My parents probably think the same thing. The only person who has told me this might be a good idea is my oldest brother, but that's only because he's doing Karate with his kids, and so he probably wants someone else to do something just as crazy to take some of the heat off of himself at the family Christmas dinners. Just kidding. Most everyone has been really supportive of the idea ... if somewhat perplexed. I mean, this isn't exactly the typical housewifey thing to do. I guess everyone is wondering why I don't just join a gym, do a little aerobics, maybe some aquafit. Well, that just wouldn't be "me", now, would it? ;)
So, stay tuned boys and girls, as I chronicle my progression through the belt levels. See you next time!
Hey, at least that would give my biceps a decent workout.
Anyhow, I'm still doing the hamster routine every morning for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, I bring up the incline a bit. This is an older, lower-model treadmill, though, so I have no idea what the angle is or anything. I basically hold down the little + button for about 2 seconds. Then, when there's about 5 minutes left, I bring it back down to the flat position for a little cool-down.
I've decided that it's time to step things up a little. Break out of my comfort zone ... namely, the living room. I need to regain some of the muscle tone that I've lost after 15 years of inactivity behind a computer and 2 c-sections. I need to get my clothing size into something more manageable, if only so I can shop in the less expensive parts of the store and save us a few bucks every now and then.
So, I did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for Taekwondo at the dojang where my son has been taking lessons since January.
Am I scared? Hell, yeah. This is extra money every month that we don't have. But I figured that it's about time I convinced myself that I'm worth the money, that I need to do this for my health before I end up diabetic or needing bypass surgery before my 45th birthday.
Won't it hurt? Probably. Like I said ... 15 years of inactivity has left me looking like the "before" people in the LA Weightloss commercials. Who am I kidding? I'd love to be the before people! I tried a demo class at the dojang a couple of months ago. Couldn't walk for 5 days. My calf muscles felt like they were trying to snap my shins in half. But it felt so good to push my body that way again! I had completely forgotten how wonderful a good workout could feel! Clearly, I'll need to learn to pace myself a little, remember that I'm not 25 anymore, don't try to keep up with the black belts, etc...
Am I nuts? Most likely. I believe my husband thinks so, although he isn't saying it out loud for fear of retribution once I learn how to land a solid roundhouse kick. My parents probably think the same thing. The only person who has told me this might be a good idea is my oldest brother, but that's only because he's doing Karate with his kids, and so he probably wants someone else to do something just as crazy to take some of the heat off of himself at the family Christmas dinners. Just kidding. Most everyone has been really supportive of the idea ... if somewhat perplexed. I mean, this isn't exactly the typical housewifey thing to do. I guess everyone is wondering why I don't just join a gym, do a little aerobics, maybe some aquafit. Well, that just wouldn't be "me", now, would it? ;)
So, stay tuned boys and girls, as I chronicle my progression through the belt levels. See you next time!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
All Wired Up With Nowhere To Go
This sucks.
I had decided that I wanted to "officially" start practicing Taekwondo as part of my new fitness regimen. I say "officially" because, to this point, I've been practicing at night with my son. Nothing strenuous. Just making sure he's hitting targets properly, going through the poomsae with him, stuff like that. But not "really" practicing the art and sport of Taekwondo.
So I went to see my family doctor, just as a precaution you understand. After all, I'm no spring chicken any more. Pushing 40 and considerably overweight (I hate to use the term "morbidly obese", because it just sounds gross), I felt it was prudent for me to make sure I won't be going into cardiac arrest during class.
It's been a while since I've seen my family doctor. So long, in fact, that I've only now realized that he has shut down his family practice in favor of a walk-in clinic. The doctor I saw this week is not the man I've been seeing for years, not the man who saved my husband's life when he was diagnosed with colon cancer, not the man who saw me through 2 pregnancies and their subsequent c-sections. No, this was some other schmoe who happened to be manning the shop that particular day. Gotta love the personal touch of a walk-in clinic.
So, I told Schmoe of my plans, and how I wanted to make sure it was OK before I signed up. I also mentioned these funny little flippy feelings in my chest that happen once in a while for a second or so. I presumed these were a direct result of my excess weight, and they'd stop once I got back into some semblance of shape, right?
The mystery doctor listens to my heart, writes a few squiggles in my file, and tells me that there's nothing to worry about (easy for HIM to say), but we're going to get me to wear this thing called a "cardiac loop recorder" for a week. This will record my heart beat for the week, and then it'll be sent out to a cardiologist for review. If I have any more of these "flippy" feeling things, I'm to press the little button on the recorder and write it down in the diary (which is actually a sheet of paper - talk about high-tech).
I'm on day two of wearing this thing, which looks a bit like an iPod, except that it's wired to my ribs and collar bone instead of my ears, and isn't nearly as entertaining. I hate the feeling of being "tethered". I hated it when I was in the hospital for my c-sections, to the point where the nurses had to remove my IV or I'd do it for them. I hate it now, but I'll put up with it because I have to if I intend to get into kick-ass shape (get it? It's a pun on the whole Taekwondo thing). It's just one more step in my wellness journey, right? At least, that's what I keep telling myself every time the stupid connector things get glued to my T-shirt. You'd think they'd at least make the stupid wires long enough to let you pull your pants down when you go to the bathroom.
I've got one week with the iPain, and then another week or so before I get the results. So I won't be joining TKD until some time in May, if at all. Not impressed, people! In the mean time, I've been googling "flippy chest feeling". Turns out they're called "palpitations" and can be caused by any number of things. My fave, though, has got to be "menopause". Because that would just figure. It would add to the whole "old and fat" theme I've got going on these days. Ugh.
I had decided that I wanted to "officially" start practicing Taekwondo as part of my new fitness regimen. I say "officially" because, to this point, I've been practicing at night with my son. Nothing strenuous. Just making sure he's hitting targets properly, going through the poomsae with him, stuff like that. But not "really" practicing the art and sport of Taekwondo.
So I went to see my family doctor, just as a precaution you understand. After all, I'm no spring chicken any more. Pushing 40 and considerably overweight (I hate to use the term "morbidly obese", because it just sounds gross), I felt it was prudent for me to make sure I won't be going into cardiac arrest during class.
It's been a while since I've seen my family doctor. So long, in fact, that I've only now realized that he has shut down his family practice in favor of a walk-in clinic. The doctor I saw this week is not the man I've been seeing for years, not the man who saved my husband's life when he was diagnosed with colon cancer, not the man who saw me through 2 pregnancies and their subsequent c-sections. No, this was some other schmoe who happened to be manning the shop that particular day. Gotta love the personal touch of a walk-in clinic.
So, I told Schmoe of my plans, and how I wanted to make sure it was OK before I signed up. I also mentioned these funny little flippy feelings in my chest that happen once in a while for a second or so. I presumed these were a direct result of my excess weight, and they'd stop once I got back into some semblance of shape, right?
The mystery doctor listens to my heart, writes a few squiggles in my file, and tells me that there's nothing to worry about (easy for HIM to say), but we're going to get me to wear this thing called a "cardiac loop recorder" for a week. This will record my heart beat for the week, and then it'll be sent out to a cardiologist for review. If I have any more of these "flippy" feeling things, I'm to press the little button on the recorder and write it down in the diary (which is actually a sheet of paper - talk about high-tech).
I'm on day two of wearing this thing, which looks a bit like an iPod, except that it's wired to my ribs and collar bone instead of my ears, and isn't nearly as entertaining. I hate the feeling of being "tethered". I hated it when I was in the hospital for my c-sections, to the point where the nurses had to remove my IV or I'd do it for them. I hate it now, but I'll put up with it because I have to if I intend to get into kick-ass shape (get it? It's a pun on the whole Taekwondo thing). It's just one more step in my wellness journey, right? At least, that's what I keep telling myself every time the stupid connector things get glued to my T-shirt. You'd think they'd at least make the stupid wires long enough to let you pull your pants down when you go to the bathroom.
I've got one week with the iPain, and then another week or so before I get the results. So I won't be joining TKD until some time in May, if at all. Not impressed, people! In the mean time, I've been googling "flippy chest feeling". Turns out they're called "palpitations" and can be caused by any number of things. My fave, though, has got to be "menopause". Because that would just figure. It would add to the whole "old and fat" theme I've got going on these days. Ugh.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Derailed
Hi there, folks. It's been a while, so I thought I'd check in.
I'm sorry to say that a rather severe cold has forced me to fall off the "fitness" bandwagon. Well, in all honesty, it wasn't so much a "fall" as it was a running leap with a flawlessly executed swan dive.
It started on Superbowl week-end, when we gathered at my sister's house to watch the spectacle that was the defeat of the undefeatable Patriots. This gathering began with a bowl of pasta with meatballs, and ended with large bowls of chips, peanuts and cashews. I figured, after being so good since November, one night of extreme over-indulgence wouldn't really hurt, would it?
By the time we finished stuffing our faces, I felt a little tickle threatening the back of my throat. Oh, I knew full well what that meant. Sure enough, Monday morning dawned, and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. So, no treadmill for me on Monday. This feeling progressed so that by Wednesday, it felt like my lungs were filled with wet cement. Oh, it was a lovely sight. Kleenex everywhere, a nose to rival Rudolf's during the deepest Christmas Eve storm, and watery eyes reduced to slits the size of a paper cut. Very attractive.
So, I've had one week of inactivity, except for the tremendous effort required to cough or sneeze ... or breathe, for that matter.
I'm feeling much better today, though I'm still coughing a little. I therefore promise to claw my way back onto the fitness bandwagon to reclaim my tenuous perch on Monday. I'm really not looking forward to finding out how much damage my little junk food binge and the following week of phlegm production have caused, but I'll just have to deal with it like a big girl ... otherwise I'll never stop being a "big girl", right?
I'm sorry to say that a rather severe cold has forced me to fall off the "fitness" bandwagon. Well, in all honesty, it wasn't so much a "fall" as it was a running leap with a flawlessly executed swan dive.
It started on Superbowl week-end, when we gathered at my sister's house to watch the spectacle that was the defeat of the undefeatable Patriots. This gathering began with a bowl of pasta with meatballs, and ended with large bowls of chips, peanuts and cashews. I figured, after being so good since November, one night of extreme over-indulgence wouldn't really hurt, would it?
By the time we finished stuffing our faces, I felt a little tickle threatening the back of my throat. Oh, I knew full well what that meant. Sure enough, Monday morning dawned, and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. So, no treadmill for me on Monday. This feeling progressed so that by Wednesday, it felt like my lungs were filled with wet cement. Oh, it was a lovely sight. Kleenex everywhere, a nose to rival Rudolf's during the deepest Christmas Eve storm, and watery eyes reduced to slits the size of a paper cut. Very attractive.
So, I've had one week of inactivity, except for the tremendous effort required to cough or sneeze ... or breathe, for that matter.
I'm feeling much better today, though I'm still coughing a little. I therefore promise to claw my way back onto the fitness bandwagon to reclaim my tenuous perch on Monday. I'm really not looking forward to finding out how much damage my little junk food binge and the following week of phlegm production have caused, but I'll just have to deal with it like a big girl ... otherwise I'll never stop being a "big girl", right?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Status Update
Bonjour, Blog Fans! It's been a couple of weeks since the Holidays and all the joy and calories that they bring. Let's see how far we've come since starting this healthy journey way back on November 21, shall we?
To recap: I started out slowly - just 15 minutes on the treadmill, 5 days/week. A short time later, I bumped it up to 20 minutes/day.
I've left it at 20 minutes for now, but I've just this week started doing some strength training - crunches, rear leg lifts, modified push-ups, side push-ups to start. Again, I've started off slowly - just one set of ten reps to begin. I've been kicking around the idea of getting a home gym, but I have very limited space in my home, so I was thinking about one of the Nautilus BowFlex machines - maybe the Blaze. I like this machine because the bench folds up, so when not in use, it has a relatively small footprint. If anyone has any opinions on this (or the other folding BowFlex home gyms), I'd love to hear them.
On to the progress report: Since starting this workout routine 7 weeks ago, I have lost...
* 1" off my bust
* 1 1/2" off my ribcage
* 2" off my waist
* 2" off my tummy (I can't wait until my waist and my tummy are within a couple inches of one-another!!)
* 1" off my hips
* 1/2" off each thigh
...for a total of 6 inches overall.
Not too shabby, considering I'm not exactly taxing myself here, and my diet has remained relatively unchanged. With the exception of the 2 weeks during the Christmas/New Year Holidays, I've kept to the small (individual serving size) bags of chips, I'm taking in more water than soft drinks, and I've tried (with some small success) to include more fruit and veggies in my daily food intake.
As time goes on, I'll be adding some reps to the floor routine, and maybe eventually upping the time on the treadmill ... although I don't want to make this an all-day event, either. I gotta go to work at some point!
We enrolled my oldest (you'll know him from my earlier posts as MiniMe) in junior Taekwondo classes, and he has been having an absolute blast! So have I. I've been helping him practice his patterns and moves every night ... and I do mean EVERY night. We've been having a lot of fun with it, and even though it's only been a couple of weeks, he seems to really be enjoying it and I've noticed a difference in his attitude and self-confidence level. I know that there will come a time when he will lose interest. I'll deal with that obstacle when we get to it, which hopefully won't happen for a few years.
In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy his enthusiasm. Who knows? If the financial horizon gets a little brighter than it is right now (which is a dull shade of midnight blue at the moment), you just might be reading a post in the future about my quest for a black belt. ;)
To recap: I started out slowly - just 15 minutes on the treadmill, 5 days/week. A short time later, I bumped it up to 20 minutes/day.
I've left it at 20 minutes for now, but I've just this week started doing some strength training - crunches, rear leg lifts, modified push-ups, side push-ups to start. Again, I've started off slowly - just one set of ten reps to begin. I've been kicking around the idea of getting a home gym, but I have very limited space in my home, so I was thinking about one of the Nautilus BowFlex machines - maybe the Blaze. I like this machine because the bench folds up, so when not in use, it has a relatively small footprint. If anyone has any opinions on this (or the other folding BowFlex home gyms), I'd love to hear them.
On to the progress report: Since starting this workout routine 7 weeks ago, I have lost...
* 1" off my bust
* 1 1/2" off my ribcage
* 2" off my waist
* 2" off my tummy (I can't wait until my waist and my tummy are within a couple inches of one-another!!)
* 1" off my hips
* 1/2" off each thigh
...for a total of 6 inches overall.
Not too shabby, considering I'm not exactly taxing myself here, and my diet has remained relatively unchanged. With the exception of the 2 weeks during the Christmas/New Year Holidays, I've kept to the small (individual serving size) bags of chips, I'm taking in more water than soft drinks, and I've tried (with some small success) to include more fruit and veggies in my daily food intake.
As time goes on, I'll be adding some reps to the floor routine, and maybe eventually upping the time on the treadmill ... although I don't want to make this an all-day event, either. I gotta go to work at some point!
We enrolled my oldest (you'll know him from my earlier posts as MiniMe) in junior Taekwondo classes, and he has been having an absolute blast! So have I. I've been helping him practice his patterns and moves every night ... and I do mean EVERY night. We've been having a lot of fun with it, and even though it's only been a couple of weeks, he seems to really be enjoying it and I've noticed a difference in his attitude and self-confidence level. I know that there will come a time when he will lose interest. I'll deal with that obstacle when we get to it, which hopefully won't happen for a few years.
In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy his enthusiasm. Who knows? If the financial horizon gets a little brighter than it is right now (which is a dull shade of midnight blue at the moment), you just might be reading a post in the future about my quest for a black belt. ;)
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Back To The Ol' Grind
Happy New Year, folks! I hope everyone had a great holiday, filled with fun, food, family & friends.
Now that THAT's over with...
It's back to the ol' grind. Not only are we all (well, most of us) back to work, it's also time to assess the damage that the Holiday eating binge did to the relatively new fitness regime.
Surprisingly, I didn't fare as badly as I thought I would after what felt like a solid week of non-stop eating, and my trusty treadmill sitting idly by, approximately 600km away. Only a half-inch gained here and there. It could have been a lot worse.
Seriously.
Have you ever celebrated Christmas with an Italian family? We go "back home" each year for the Holidays, where my mother feels it's her maternal duty to make sure we all eat as much as (or slightly more than) is humanly possible. After all, she's not here with us for most of the year, so we must be starving, right? The fact that I could pass for Rita McNeil's stunt double has apparently escaped her notice.
If the lasagna, manicotti and canelloni aren't enough for you, you could also have some soup, meatballs, sausages and other various animal body parts that are thrown into the pot to make the sauce for the pasta. We managed to convince her for the first time this year that we absolutely DO NOT need a roast of some sort to go with our salad at the end of the meal.
But no amount of arguing could get Mom to limit herself to two cakes for the night. Cheesecake is a must, after all. It's tradition. And so is the sponge cake she makes every time we visit, insisting that it's my husband's favourite (to his immense surprise). But the one that really took the cake, so to speak, was the double-decker chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for the kids, even though the smell of chocolate makes her gag. They NEED chocolate cake, she will vehemently argue every time. Not want ... NEED. Mom refused to listen to our arguments that children do not NEED chocolate cake at 11:00 at night, which is when dinner is over, because it takes that long to eat Christmas dinner at Mom's house, after all.
So, yes, I'm quite surprised and pleased to find that I've only regained half an inch in a couple of spots over the past couple of weeks, all things considered. But, now the holidays are over, the leftovers have been dealt with, the New Year has begun, and my battle of the bulge has resumed. Hello treadmill, old friend. I've picked up a couple of Friends episodes on DVD to make our time together pass a little more quickly. Next week, we introduce my butt to the floor for some leg lifts, crunches and push-ups.
Happy New Year, back-side. I hope I'll be seeing a lot less of you from here on in. ;)
Now that THAT's over with...
It's back to the ol' grind. Not only are we all (well, most of us) back to work, it's also time to assess the damage that the Holiday eating binge did to the relatively new fitness regime.
Surprisingly, I didn't fare as badly as I thought I would after what felt like a solid week of non-stop eating, and my trusty treadmill sitting idly by, approximately 600km away. Only a half-inch gained here and there. It could have been a lot worse.
Seriously.
Have you ever celebrated Christmas with an Italian family? We go "back home" each year for the Holidays, where my mother feels it's her maternal duty to make sure we all eat as much as (or slightly more than) is humanly possible. After all, she's not here with us for most of the year, so we must be starving, right? The fact that I could pass for Rita McNeil's stunt double has apparently escaped her notice.
If the lasagna, manicotti and canelloni aren't enough for you, you could also have some soup, meatballs, sausages and other various animal body parts that are thrown into the pot to make the sauce for the pasta. We managed to convince her for the first time this year that we absolutely DO NOT need a roast of some sort to go with our salad at the end of the meal.
But no amount of arguing could get Mom to limit herself to two cakes for the night. Cheesecake is a must, after all. It's tradition. And so is the sponge cake she makes every time we visit, insisting that it's my husband's favourite (to his immense surprise). But the one that really took the cake, so to speak, was the double-decker chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for the kids, even though the smell of chocolate makes her gag. They NEED chocolate cake, she will vehemently argue every time. Not want ... NEED. Mom refused to listen to our arguments that children do not NEED chocolate cake at 11:00 at night, which is when dinner is over, because it takes that long to eat Christmas dinner at Mom's house, after all.
So, yes, I'm quite surprised and pleased to find that I've only regained half an inch in a couple of spots over the past couple of weeks, all things considered. But, now the holidays are over, the leftovers have been dealt with, the New Year has begun, and my battle of the bulge has resumed. Hello treadmill, old friend. I've picked up a couple of Friends episodes on DVD to make our time together pass a little more quickly. Next week, we introduce my butt to the floor for some leg lifts, crunches and push-ups.
Happy New Year, back-side. I hope I'll be seeing a lot less of you from here on in. ;)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Progress Report #2
Well, blog fans, it's been 2 weeks since my last progress report, so I thought I'd check in with you again.
Since I started my new "get off my behind once in a while" program back on November 21, 2007, my measurements have decreased by the following:
* Bust: 1" (hubby's not going to be too thrilled about that one)
* Rib cage: 1"
* Waist: 1 1/2"
* Tummy: 1 1/2"
* Hips: 1/2"
* Thigh: 1/2"
Not too shabby, eh? Although you'd think the hips and thighs would show a little more progress, since they're the parts that move the most (if you don't take into account all the jiggling that's going on everywhere).
I had a little scare yesterday, though. Just as I got off my ol' faithfull treadmill (you remember, the one that's been sitting in various corners of my house collecting dust for the past several years), it gave me an error message on the display. "E2" ... whatever the heck that means. Possibly, "Lady, lay off the cookies, would ya? You're killing me here!" I tried clearing the screen, I tried pulling off the little safety key - nothing happened. Fabulous. Just as I decide to get back into shape, my equipment dies and now I'll have to convince hubby that I need to spend another $1000 on a new treadmill - smack in the middle of the Christmas season.
I decided to unplug the machine, as I do every day to avoid power spikes and the like. Just like with a computer - if all else fails, reboot. I came back to it a while later, plugged it back in, and all was fine. I didn't get any ominous error messages this morning before, after or during my daily walk. Whew!!
Since I started my new "get off my behind once in a while" program back on November 21, 2007, my measurements have decreased by the following:
* Bust: 1" (hubby's not going to be too thrilled about that one)
* Rib cage: 1"
* Waist: 1 1/2"
* Tummy: 1 1/2"
* Hips: 1/2"
* Thigh: 1/2"
Not too shabby, eh? Although you'd think the hips and thighs would show a little more progress, since they're the parts that move the most (if you don't take into account all the jiggling that's going on everywhere).
I had a little scare yesterday, though. Just as I got off my ol' faithfull treadmill (you remember, the one that's been sitting in various corners of my house collecting dust for the past several years), it gave me an error message on the display. "E2" ... whatever the heck that means. Possibly, "Lady, lay off the cookies, would ya? You're killing me here!" I tried clearing the screen, I tried pulling off the little safety key - nothing happened. Fabulous. Just as I decide to get back into shape, my equipment dies and now I'll have to convince hubby that I need to spend another $1000 on a new treadmill - smack in the middle of the Christmas season.
I decided to unplug the machine, as I do every day to avoid power spikes and the like. Just like with a computer - if all else fails, reboot. I came back to it a while later, plugged it back in, and all was fine. I didn't get any ominous error messages this morning before, after or during my daily walk. Whew!!
Friday, December 14, 2007
I Is So Smart!
Hooo, boy, am I in trouble!
You all remember Trouble, right? My 4-going-on-20-year-old? Well, we've finally gotten him toilet trained, after what felt like years of cajoling, bribing, threats and deal-making. As I had been explaining to everyone all along, it was completely his idea. He just decided one day that it was time to give it a try. Great news, right? I never thought I'd be pining for the Pull-Up days.
Trouble has decided that he is dead-set against wearing underwear. That's right, he goes commando on a daily basis. I don't know why. It's not like he ever had a bad experience with underwear, other than everyone asking him why he won't wear them. He has all sorts of wonderful undies - Spider Man, Bob the Builder, SpongeBob SquarePants, Diego, as well as a wide assortment of dinosaurs, trucks and wildlife. None of these characters have enticed him in the least little bit to wear undies.
Well, I thought I'd pull one over on him this morning. While getting him dressed, I slipped a pair of underwear into his pants and pulled the whole kit and kaboodle on and immediately got him involved in some activities before he could notice that something was different. Oh, I was so proud of myself! I sent a text message to hubby, who was extremely impressed. I sent an e-mail to my sister, who immediately called to congratulate me on my cleverness. Yes, I was feeling like quite the Cheshire Cat this morning.
Trouble came over a few minutes ago for a little hug. I took advantage of his proximity to check on the underwear situation - make sure things aren't bunching up on him and the like. But ... wait a second ... I don't feel any undies at all. Where the heck did they go?
"I took them off," was his quick but firm reply. "I don't want any underwear."
And here I was, labouring under the delusion all day long that I had finally outsmarted my 4-year-old. Shoulda known better!!
You all remember Trouble, right? My 4-going-on-20-year-old? Well, we've finally gotten him toilet trained, after what felt like years of cajoling, bribing, threats and deal-making. As I had been explaining to everyone all along, it was completely his idea. He just decided one day that it was time to give it a try. Great news, right? I never thought I'd be pining for the Pull-Up days.
Trouble has decided that he is dead-set against wearing underwear. That's right, he goes commando on a daily basis. I don't know why. It's not like he ever had a bad experience with underwear, other than everyone asking him why he won't wear them. He has all sorts of wonderful undies - Spider Man, Bob the Builder, SpongeBob SquarePants, Diego, as well as a wide assortment of dinosaurs, trucks and wildlife. None of these characters have enticed him in the least little bit to wear undies.
Well, I thought I'd pull one over on him this morning. While getting him dressed, I slipped a pair of underwear into his pants and pulled the whole kit and kaboodle on and immediately got him involved in some activities before he could notice that something was different. Oh, I was so proud of myself! I sent a text message to hubby, who was extremely impressed. I sent an e-mail to my sister, who immediately called to congratulate me on my cleverness. Yes, I was feeling like quite the Cheshire Cat this morning.
Trouble came over a few minutes ago for a little hug. I took advantage of his proximity to check on the underwear situation - make sure things aren't bunching up on him and the like. But ... wait a second ... I don't feel any undies at all. Where the heck did they go?
"I took them off," was his quick but firm reply. "I don't want any underwear."
And here I was, labouring under the delusion all day long that I had finally outsmarted my 4-year-old. Shoulda known better!!
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