Where, Oh Where Can She Be?

I'm still kickin', as we say Down South.  I have been going to the fitness center five days a week.  Doing Zumba Gold three times weekly and then using the recumbent bicycle and cross trainer machine on the other two days.  I think I mentioned that a weight loss challenge similar to Biggest Loser is offered at the center.  The hubs and I are going to sign up for the next one that starts January 24th.  I am basically trying to get myself in better shape for the challenge. 

So, I'll bet you are thinking, "that Susan, I'm so jealous of her...she must be losing weight like crazy".  Ahhhh, right...no, I still haven't lost a single pound.  I haven't lost any inches yet.  I find this so bizarre.  I am really being diligent about my workouts, but while I'm not going crazy on holiday foods, I'm not "dieting" as we know it.  I'd like to say that I'm saving that for the challenge, but I doubt you would actually believe that.  My point being, even though neither the scales nor the measuring tape has changed, I feel different.  I think I might even look smaller in the mirror.  I really think that something is happening under these massive layers of skin and tissue that cover my muscles.  Yep, I really think that those muscles are changing, so I am beginning to realize that I may need to reevaluate my goals.  While I really do want to lose weight and I really want to be smaller, I have to say that my main goal is to get stronger.  My sister and I were discussing last night, the fact that something as simple as opening a jar is much harder now than when we were whipper snappers.  So, I'm thinking that my long term goal will be strength.  I want to be strong enough to open jars, and fling up windows.  Strong enough to go up the steps without relying on the handrail.  It's good to be careful and use that handrail when I need it, but I don't want to depend on it any more. Strong enough to lift my large boxes of art supplies or containers of beads without saying a silent prayer that I won't drop something and knock myself in the noggin.

So here goes, my long term goal is to be as strong as I can be by 2012.  That's the year I go into my next chronological decade. That's all I'm saying about that, but you get my drift.  Anyway, I want to be strong.  I want to be able.  I want to be capable.  And if it means making changes in my lifestyle, well that's what I'm going to do.  I don't like to exercise, but I don't like being a roly-poly Weeble, either.  Now don't get me wrong, I love Weebles. We all love Weebles. After all, Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down.  They are cute and fun to have around, and while their body shape is good for them, it's just not for me.

So that's it from snow covered Virginia.  We're healthy, happy and awaiting a new year.  I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  And speaking of Merry Christmas, here is a little one that will be experiencing his first Christmas this year and he is a doll baby to be sure.

So as a fun gift to them, how about you stop by and see Aaron and his Mommy at her blog, and tell them Auntie Susan sent you!  So if I don't post before Christmas, Merry Christmas to All and to All A Good Night!

Happy Thanksgiving

It's almost Thanksgiving here in the States and while I am prayerfully thankful all year long, this holiday does make us stop and think of how blessed we are with the family, friends and talents that we have.

For years, I went all out with the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Then several years ago, my hubby asked if my feelings would be hurt if we didn't go with the huge bird.  He sheepishly admitted that he really didn't care for all the left overs but knew how much I liked to cook and didn't want to hurt my feelings.  Since then we have had various things for Thanksgiving, but finally settled on, of all things...Hungry Man Dinners.  He loves them.  They are made by Swanson, the original frozen food folks.  I add some extra instant mashed potatoes and gravy from a jar and a can of jellied cranberry sauce.  Hmmm, are you seeing a pattern here?  Nothing made from scratch.  My hubby is a simple guy and gourmet food is just not his thing.  I love to cook and usually feed him plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, fish and chicken.  But when Thanksgiving comes around, he's anxious to have his TV dinner, knowing that he wont have to eat any left overs except pumpkin pie, which is going to be a pop-in-the oven and bake treat.

So Thursday's dinner is all planned.  This is just Tuesday, what to do until then?  How about hitting the gym?  I have been going to three Zumba classes a week and getting a real workout.  On the other days I'm pedaling away on a recumbant bicycle and sometimes the recumbant stepper.  I round it out with 30 minutes on the indoor track.  In January, I am going to embark on our health club's version of The Biggest Loser.  We will meet with a trainer twice a week for fifteen weeks.  Fitness, nutrition, trips to the store, weigh ins and the like are included.  Under normal circumstances 30 individual sessions with the trainer would be around $1200.00.  This program is only $200.00 so I am psyched to be getting such a deal, and the trainer is my Zumba coach instructor and I really like her.

I mentioned previously that I was going to a hoopercise class.  I only lasted 15 minutes, the warm up was too much for me.  I'm just not ready for an intense core workout.  If you are in better shape than me,  and you want to work your core, then the hooping just might be for you.  It never hurts to try.

Well, that's it for me for a while.  Hope everyone is staying healthy and happy.  Please be careful during the holidays, especially if you are travelling.

Enjoy life and remember to be Thankful.

It's going quite well....

Wow, I mentioned last time that I had signed up for the gym membership.  Already I have had a blast.  I did Zumba Gold three times this week, swam once and used the bike and treadmill already.  I am not even the slowest person there, as I thought I would be, so it's not intimidating.  It was mentioned to me that this is a family gym and for the most part, the....let us say "overachievers" usually go to Gold's gym and places where weight training is the main focus.  While I look forward to getting to the point of weight training, right now I am enjoying the group classes. 

Zumba Gold  is designed for participants with very little experience exercise (real exercise beginners, so to speak), individuals that have physical limitations or inactive older adults. The system was created to be easier than the basic Zumba (which is very high energy) but just as much fun. The moves have been carefully designed to be easy to follow by individuals of any size or age. In some instances, there are even routines that can be done in a chair or a wheelchair.  Well, don't get me wrong, this is a workout to be sure.  The first time I did it, was also the first time actually teaching it for our instructor, so it took a bit longer than usual, and since I was the only one that showed up for the class, she was quite mindful of my current physical condition. It was like a private session and even though I was quite hot and red faced when we were done, I knew I could do it.  Each class since then has gotten easier to do.  I'm a bit sore, but it feels good to know that exercise is the reason.

Next week they start hoopercize, which I'm pretty sure involves a hula hoop.  I used to be able to hula hoop a little bit, so we'll see how that goes.

So that's it for now.  I hope everyone is feeling good and trying to take care of themselves.  If not, step back, or sit down...and ask yourself why?

I am sombody!

Do you remember Steve Martin in The Jerk?  When he saw his name in the phone book, he got all excited because he "was somebody".  Today I feel like that!  I finally signed up at the gym.  I am somebody! I'm a member.  They even took my picture to have on file.

I have been talking about signing up for the gym for well over a year.  My recent swimming lessons at this same center got me going in that direction.  My swimming instructor teaches water aerobics, and you have to be a member to participate.  There are, other water classes that are separate, but the one she teaches is a member's only class.  There are several classes like that. Ones that really are an incentive to become a member.  So I signed up today and even used the recumbent bicycle.  I cycled for fifteen minutes and went two miles.  I thought since I was new, that I had better take it slow.  I tried the elliptical machine for only two or three strides before I realized that it hurt my knees so bad I couldn't continue.  I then walked the indoor track four laps, which is only 1/4 mile, but since I have swim class tonight, I didn't want to overdo it.

Recently I started taking Green Tea Extract, the one I am using is Mega T and it is supposed to help rev up your metabolism.  I thought it would make me jittery like those old No Doze pills did, but this is very different.  I have been feeling energetic, but not manic.  I do have a bit of a caffeine sensitivity, so I make sure I take them pretty early during the day.

So I'm off to my 12th swimming lesson tonight and probably will do water aerobics tomorrow.  The reason for these changes...I am not happy at all with the numbers on my scale and I am going to try harder to get more movement in.  I'm taking it easy, but not too easy.

Nobody can do my exercises for me, so give me an "Atta Girl" and join me if you want. 

We'll talk soon.

Hey, Hey, Hey it's italics day...

Hey ya'll, it's me again.  Have you ever wondered what makes us what (notice I didn't say who) we are?  Have you ever wondered what has happened in our lives that makes us either think of food as a treat, or something we deserve because we have been through so much.

As you know by now, many of us share the same traits.  We are intelligent (we know we are overweight) and we are apparently motivated (weight loss and fitness are never far from our minds).  We educate ourselves on solutions to the problems we face, using tools such as the internet and books and magazines.  But some of us, (if this doesn't apply to you, don't get all braggy and know-it-all on me) still don't do the things that we need to do to lose weight.   I still weigh over 190 pounds and am not quite 5'4".  I like the way I feel for the remainder of my day after recovering from a workout. I like not having acid reflux from eating the wrong foods.  Shoot, I'm even learning to swim at the ripe old age of 57.  All this being said, I still find myself wanting to put 2 teaspoons of sugar and a generous splash (almost 1/4 of a cup if I'm using a big mug) of milk in my coffee and settling down with my latest book and chowing down on 2 English muffins with butter and jam.   I do this, knowing that black coffee and one muffin with a piece of fruit would probably be better for me.

At Thursday's swimming class, we practiced motivating through the water using our legs only.  We quickly found that I don't move through the water without using my arms.  My instructor is stumped by this.  At first she thought I needed to kick more from my hips and very patiently helped me improve that technique.  Then we thought it was perhaps the kick board that was keeping me stationary, so I kept my arms at my sides and tried to kick my way down the lap lane.  She is stumped and at the risk of working me too hard in the pool, she said I was probably one of those swimmers that would have to power myself through the water with my arms.  She is being so sweet about this.  But I know what is wrong.  I have little strength in my legs.  My legs are going through the motions, but I'm not achieving my goal of propelling myself forward.

So that is where I am right now, I'm going through the motions but I'm not getting anywhere.  Am I ready to actually start doing the work that I need to do to get healthy?  I have to be honest with myself, I really don't know if I am.

That's if from me today.  Let's go and have some coffee and at least think about it.  Love ya!

Back to the old grind...

...or there's no place like home.  I'm back from vacation and while I loved seeing my sister and had a bunch of fun with her, I was ready to come back home.  Home to my darling hubby, home to my usual routine and home to step on the scales and see how much I gained.  Well, I was up a few pounds, but nothing I can't bounce back from.

I finished my first round of swimming lessons and have signed up for eight more.  We will have the same instructor, so she already knows our confidence levels.  I can still get a little wonky and flail about and can't remember how to "right" myself, but for the most part I am quite proud of my progress.  After "playing" in their pool with me and accessing my newly acquired skills, my sisters stationed themselves on opposite sides of the pool and had me swim from one of them to the other, until I was in the deep end.  So, for the most part of our pool day, I swam in eight feet of water.  I was completely unafraid and had a blast.

Now, since their pool is surrounded by beautiful, lush tropical plants...

I wasn't surprised to find the next day my allergies were acting up.  I didn't let a few sniffles and snorts slow me down any.  We had lots of fun going out to eat, doing art, shopping and visiting a wonderful art museum. Shucks, we even went to the shore and watched the surfers.

But, as they say all good things do come to an end, so I'm back here in the South, in my home city, sometimes called Big Lick.  I'm getting back in the groove, ready to start back on my treadmill and continue my swimming. 

That's all for me, hope everone else is having a blast.  So let's get ready for the new week, planning  our meals, our snacks and even our treats.  That way we are in control.  Now I'm sure I'm the only one out there with control issues, but that's another post for another day.

Take care and we'll talk soon.

Goin back to Cali

Almost ready to head west to visit my sister. This was somewhat of an impulse trip and the hubs will be staying home while I'm gone.  I come back on Wednesday and he has a weekend trip on Friday and Saturday.  Even though I miss my three kitties, it is easier to just take off on the spur of the moment without having to make vet or sitter arrangements.

I will miss two of my swimming lessons, but our instructor has given me some "homework" to  practice on while I'm on vacation.  In case I haven't mentioned, during lesson four, I learned to breathe and swim at the same time.  I swam almost the entire length of the lap lane, twice. Samantha is so proud of us.  She never thought she would even be able to pry us away from the edge of the pool. She passes out hugs like we were her favorite aunts. We are all at least twice her age.

Sister and I are both artists and are going to use this time to do some painting on location, maybe at seal beach
and will probably go to the local pastel guild meeting, as well as a few art museums.  Yesterday when we were talking, we discussed healthy eating and the possibility of also using our time together as what we jokingly call "fat camp".

So I will be packing art, swimming and healthy eating into the times when I'm not sitting on my tuckus in the plane, eating airline food.  The food these days is not that bad, so I'm pretty sure I won't go overboard and gain while I'm gone.

I'm even getting my hair cut for the trip.  As close as I can tell, it's been almost two years since I went to the salon and I'm ready for a nice trendy new cut.  Probably will go back to the soccer mom style that was popular several years back, that looks pretty good and is low maintenance.

So hopefully when I return, I will be relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated. If I can just get plenty of easy-to-fix meals ready for hubby we'll all be doing just fine. I don't want him eating junk while I'm gone.  Six days is a long time to fend for yourself, poor baby...I miss him already.

Take it easy and maybe, just maybe I'll check in from the West Coast next week.