Saturday, September 22, 2007

Shopping!

I went to Joann's Fabrics today after Weight Watchers as is my usual routine. Since Simplicity patterns were $1.99 each, I got 4084. I'm planning to use it for the Pattern Review trench coat sew-along. I'll be using this fabric. I love the colour. It coordinates with several fabrics I got last year when my SWAP was going to include shades of purple.





So much for predictions. LOL I had lost one pound at weigh-in today. Not disappointed though. I always consider the alternative.

Today’s menu: my usual breakfast, a mocha frapaccino during the meeting, a “cinnamon bun” protein drink, a Lean Cuisine Spinach and Mushroom pizza, and some sushi.
I decided to take a break from exercise today, too. I’ll make it up tomorrow by doing the aerobics and an upper body workout. I won’t be able to workout on Monday due to an appointment with my chiropractor.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Friday, Day 12

I will be attending my Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow at 10 o’clock. I’m predicting I will loose at least 2.5 pounds. I won’t be disappointed if I don’t though.

Today’s menu: my usual breakfast, an “apple pie” protein drink, protein bar, and a green salad with steak strips and avocado with fat-free ranch dressing, and a 0 point bowl of veggie soup.

Here is my upper body workout for today.

Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best of it as it is, is the only way of being happy.
Jennie Jerome Churchill
(1854-1921, Mother of British Prime Minster Winston Churchill)





Thursday, September 20, 2007

Thursday

It has been cloudy and overcast most of the day. We did get some rain, but not enough. The grass green plants weeds in the front and back yards are green and finally covering pretty much all the barren areas that were there earlier this year. After the lawn maintenance men killed all the grass with the weed whacker last year. Watering and the rain have helped immensely. Next year I'll start xeriscaping. I have a clear vision of how I want it to look.

This is my favorite time of year. I love the changing of the seasons. Unfortunately we don't get the full effect here in Florida, but I love the weather. I loved the start of the new school year, when I was yonger, going shopping for clothes and school supplies. I still love shopping! what woman doesn't? especially shopping for shoes.

My diet is beginning to sound like a broken record, but here we go. Today’s menu: my usual breakfast, a “banana split” protein drink, protein bar, and a chicken with curried fat free mayo and raisins sandwich, with a 0 point bowl of veggie soup.

Here is my aerobics workout for today. I also rode my stationary bike for 10 minutes at low intensity for an active cool-down.

Just for today I will be happy. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime. Just for today…
Sybyl F. Partridge






Wednesday

Today’s menu: my usual breakfast, a “banana split” protein drink (I like this flavor too and I always use Designer Whey Protein), and a chicken with curried fat free mayo and raisins sandwich. I had sushi for dinner.

Here is my upper body workout for today.

Just for today I will be happy. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime. Just for today…
Sybyl F. Partridge





Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Tuesday

I go to my friend Kathi’s house to study for the CLA exam on Tuesday evenings. We review the chapters we've read over the previous week. We also go over vocabulary words and discuss grammar, punctuation and spelling. We are re-learning the amendments to the U.S. Constitution. We spend two hours reviewing. The review class will start sometime in October. Then we will take the exams on Friday, November 30 and Saturday December 1, 2007.

Today’s menu: my usual breakfast, an “apple pie” flavored protein drink (I like this flavor too!), my protein bar, and a chicken with curried fat free mayo and raisins sandwich. I know I’ve got to start eating more or I will stall early on in the game. It’s just that I can’t find anything right now that has a lot of protein and that is quick and easy to fix I want to eat. I’ve been looking at recipes, but nothing calls out to me.

Here is my aerobics workout for today. I also rode my stationary bike for 10 minutes at low intensity for an active cool-down.

Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is.
Blaise Pascal
(1623-1662, French Scientist, Religious Philosopher)






Monday, September 17, 2007

Diet and exercise

Today’s menu: my usual breakfast, a “Cinnamon bun” protein drink (I really like this particular flavor), my protein bar, and a chicken with curried fat free mayo and raisins sandwich. I know I’ve got to start eating more or I will stall early on in the game. It’s just that I can’t find anything right now that has a lot of protein and that is quick and easy to fix I want to eat. I’ve been looking at recipes, but nothing calls out to me.

Here is my lower body workout for today.

You Are a Pegasus
You are a perfectionist, with an eye for beauty.
You know how to live a good life - and you rarely deviate from your good taste.
While you aren't outgoing, you have excellent social skills.
People both admire you - and feel very comfortable around you.




Do or do not. There is no try.
YODA




Sunday, September 16, 2007

Sunday

I had been looking forward to today because the Emmys were on and the Saints and Bucs played each other today.

I’m a bit down because my Saints didn’t win. nuff said.

I enjoy watching awards shows, Emmys, Tonys, and Oscars. I love seeing all the performers and how they are dressed. Some are dressed to show off their attributes and others…well….not so much…..makes you wonder who dressed them or what they were thinking when they dressed themselves.

I didn’t really watch much of the show tonight because I was on the phone. Chris and I talk on the phone every night for 2-3 hours. We talk about anything and everything. His job (he recently moved away from Augusta and started a new job) and my job (when I was working), TV, movies, music, science, books, etc.....until I met him I had never found anyone who would or could just sit and talk for hours. I don't think we will ever run out of things to talk about. Chris is funny, intelligent, and hot! But......he does have a tiny flaw.......he is a BUCS fan!!! argh!!!! LOL

I did see enough to learn that one of my favorite actors, James Spader won an Emmy for best actor in a drama series for Boston Legal, (one of my favorite shows).

My “free day” diet today: usual breakfast, “Cinnamon bun” protein drink (this my favorite protein drink flavor so far), a protein bar, and I made a taco salad with fat free cheese and sour cream. I didn’t use a shell, and added extra lettuce. I’m still not eating 5-6 times a day. I’m trying, but I’m just not hungry enough to eat that often.

Today is my rest day: no aerobics, no weightlifting and no vacuums.

Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure.
Edward Eggleston(American writer, historian)






Saturday, September 15, 2007

woo hoo!!

This morning I had my usual breakfast and a mocha frappucino (during my Weight Watcher’s meeting). After I returned home I did my “vacuums” along with 200 crunches and a 20 minute aerobic session.

oh yeah. I lost 3.2 pounds this week!!! It’s the most I’ve ever lost in a single week. It’s usually 2.something or less, or even a gain. What a welcome change! The tide has changed and I’m on my way again. Got to stay focused, got to stay motivated. I was so tired after only sleeping 4 hours and doing the aerobics, I took a short nap and then had my protein drink, a “Peppermint Patty” drink today.

On BFL, I get one “free” day a week, where I can eat anything I want. I know that this would set me up for eating more than I should over the next few days, so I’ll just have a little sushi tonight while I’m watching Forensic Files. I’ll also have another plain vanilla protein drink to give me the protein I need. That will keep me on track and I'll stay within my daily WW points allowance.

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him, for an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
Joseph E. O'Donnell





Friday, September 14, 2007

Ready for the weekend

After my workout I went to see Rush Hour 3. I am a BIG Jackie Chan fan. He’s attractive, intelligent, and very talented. I like his moves too.

Today I did a full body workout, since I missed the lower body workout on Wednesday.
My diet today, same as yesterday, except I didn’t have the protein bar.

I did go shopping and picked up a few things for protein drinks. I got French Vanilla Flavor Designer Protein to alternate with chocolate and strawberry. GNC didn’t have plain flavor today. I got peppermint extract to make a “Peppermint Patty” protein drink, some fat-free/sugar-free cheesecake mix to use with strawberries in the vanilla flavor. Yum Yum!! I had one of the cheesecake ones today!






Thursday, September 13, 2007

SWAP

I worked on my SWAP storyboard this evening and finally got it finished. It's pretty ambitious, but I'm not in a hurry to complete it. I’ve chosen the patterns and the fabrics I want to use for each one. I do have a few of the fabrics on hand. I won’t call it a stash. My colors are going to be grey, black, white with burgundy, pink and red accents. These are the patterns I’ve chosen:
pants-black-Simplicity 4273 view E
pants-grey-Simplicity 4135 view A
pants-burgundy- BWOF 1/2006 102B
pants-herringbone-Simplicity 3690 view A
gauchos-grey-Butterick 4861 view E
skirt-black-possibly McCall's 5330 view A
skirt-burgundy-Simplicity 4787 view C
skirt-grey/red/black print BWOF 8/2007 113 B
jacket-grey- McCall’s 5193 view A
jacket-black-Simplicity 4273 view A
jacket-burgundy-McCall’s 5529 view B
vest-grey-Butterick 4815 view C
vest- herringbone-Simplicity 3690 view D
top-black/red/pink print- Simplicity 4112 view B
top-white-shirt-McCall’s 4922 view c
top-black-Vogue 8152 view B
top-garnet red-BWOF 9/2007 101 B
top-gray/red/black print- Butterick 4789 view A
top-grey-Vogue 8151 view A
dress-grey-jumper-Simplicity 3673 view A
dress-red-Vogue 8280 view C
dress-black-New Look 6429 view combination of C & E
dress-black/red/grey plaid McCall's 5466 view B
trench-periwinkle-possibly Simplicity 4084 view C
jacket outer-black with animal print lining-Vogue 8307 view A
Like I said, it's very ambitious. As soon as I get closer to my goal weight I can start fitting and sewing. The Simplicity trench and Vogue jacket I can go ahead and make, since they won’t require precise fittings. Living in Florida, I have plenty of time before it starts to cool off.

My diet today consisted of basically the same thing I’ve had since Monday. My fav breakfast, a protein bar, today, and a strawberry pineapple protein drink. Last night and tonight I had baked skinless, boneless chicken cut in cubes and mixed with raisins and curried mayo. I LOVE curried mayo!!

I did the 20 minute aerobic session today. I have also been doing "vacuums". I believe this is a yoga position, many of you may already know about it. I
"relearned" about it when I got the Body Flex tapes several years ago. I didn’t think just breathing would help me loose weight or tone up, but I did think it would help me to "breathe better". It did and this position also helped make my abs smaller.




Wednesday, September 12, 2007

musings

I love James Lee Burke. I especially love his Dave Robicheaux series. These are the kind of books I like to have on hand for a few months before I start to read them. Then, I read them very, very slowly, because I don’t want them to end. I always have a “NOLA” themed weekend where I have a dressed fried oyster po’boy or crawfish etoufee and listen to zydeco music.

There is a trench sew along on Pattern Review. I have some periwinkle supplex that might make a nice trench. I might get a pattern this weekend and try to sew-a-long. I like McCall's 5525 and Simplicity 4084. It seems as though several other sew-ists like the Simplicity pattern also. It's from the Threads magazine collection.

My diet has consisted of the same thing for the past three days. I’ve been looking for some easy recipes that are high in protein. I’ll need some variety for dinners. I don’t mind having the same things for breakfast and “snacks”. Oatmeal, cottage cheese, ham, and pineapple is my favorite breakfast. The protein bar isn’t the greatest, but it’s tolerable. It certainly isn’t as bad as some I’ve eaten. I’ll also get a few ingredients to use in my protein drinks also. Different flavorings and fruits, etc I did my upper body work out today. Tomorrow I’ll do aerobics again and on Friday I’ll do a full body work out. I read a few pages daily in my old Muscle Media or Energy for Women magazines to help with motivation.

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the one who will win.

Roger Bannister
(1929-, British athlete, first person in the world to run a mile under 4 minutes)



Tuesday, September 11, 2007

9-11

Whenever anyone says 9-11, in our minds we all go back to September 11, 2001. It's a day in history we all know exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the tower had been hit. We knew as an American family that our lives had been changed forever. In the hours and days after 9-11 the horrors were on the tv and radio over and over again. I didn't watch tv OR listen to the raido for weeks afterward. I knew what had happened, I didn't need to see it time and time again. So, now, when I see a clip on the news or hear something about it on the radio, I am still deeply affected. More so, I think, because I didn't saturate myself when it first happened. (At the time, I was doing technical support for CGS, an outside vender for Allstate Insurance Company. The calls from the agents were almost non-existant that day. Our building was at the north end of the runways for Tampa International Airport. We used to watch the planes take off and land. It was an eerie sight when all the planes were grounded, just clear blue skies.)

Many life decisions were affected by that day also. Numerous young men and women decided to join the military, others decided they should have a child, and just as many decided to never have children, that this wasn't a world they wanted to bring children into.

Are we any better off today than we were then? No, I think not. Oh yeah, we were going to show them. Make them pay for what they had done. Really. I believe this country is weaker than it has ever been in the past 100 years. It is certainly less respected. We, as a whole are so afraid we might offend someone, that, in itself is offensive. We are a laughing stock. We are fighting a war that no one will win. Ever. Religious wars are like that.

Sorry, I didn't mean for this to turn into a rant on a soapbox. I just wanted to remember those men, women and children that were lost.

I will remember them and their loved ones in prayer, as I hope you will. I will also remember the troups that are fighting for our freedoms (my right to express my opinion on this blog being one and your right to disagree with me being another) and their families as well.




Bodybuilding

I come from the "old school" of bodybuilding. Meaning "no pain, no gain". Now...listen to me for just a minute. I don't mean serious pain, injury type pain, but a little bit of soreness after a work out to me is a wonderful thing. To look at me you'd never know at one point I was seriously into bodybuilding. I was strong and as one male friend said "a brick house". (I LOVED him!! LOL) But life intervened and here I am today. A back injury with pain that has never totally gone away, a knee injury. Not making the time to exercise the way I should. And I do love to workout. I love the feeling I get, I love feeling strong, and I love "making a muscle" and having my biceps pop. Sooooooo.......I refuse to get another year older without getting back another part of me that I lost.

My aerobic workout for today was 20 minutes on the treadmill as follows:
minute....speed (MPH)
0-1.......1.5
1-2.......1.5
2-3.......2.0
3-4.......2.5
4-5.......3.0
5-6.......3.5
6-7.......2.0
7-8.......2.5
8-9.......3.0
9-10.....3.5
10-11....2.0
11-12....2.5
12-13....3.0
13-14....3.5
14-15....2.0
15-16....2.5
16-17....3.0
17-18....3.5
18-19....4.0
19-20....1.5

I was quite winded after doing it, but it felt good.



Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands.

Cathy Better





Monday, September 10, 2007

I am very upset

I had a 9:40 a.m. appointment with my chiropractor this morning. She asked what I was going to do today, so I told her I was going to workout later in the morning. She said no, I should wait 24 hours before I worked out. It's rather ironic. When I was working as a nurse my lower back would hurt when I had to stand or walk for any length of time. Now that I have a job where I will be sitting at least part of the time, my upper back hurts. I had a strange mass near my spine a month or so ago. She said it was a rib that had "popped". She "hammered" and massaged my back and it went back into place. Now I get a burning stabbing pain in the same area. So, anyway, I have to wait until tomorrow to start the exercise portion of Body for Life.

My food choices today were:1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal (I don't like instant), 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of pineapple chunks and 2 ounces of ham for breakfast. I had a Maxplex™ Nutrition Bar - Peanut Caramel Crispfor one snack and a chocolate Desginer Whey protein drink for another snack. For dinner I had a large salad with a no fat ranch dressing and 3 ounces of baked skinless, boneless chicken. I will have a small box of raisins and a wedge of light Swiss original Laughing Cow cheese. I LOVE this cheese! I love any cheese, but I really, really LOVE THIS cheese! It's sooooo good!!

This will keep me within my Weight Watchers points. I will go 1.5 into my 35 weekly points, but that's ok, usually by Monday I've already used all of them I still have about 15 left. I tend to eat the same thing over and over until I get tired of it. So, I'm going to try to find new Body for Life recipes and some lowfat, high protein recipes. The breakfast I described is my favorite breakfast, that I got from BFL (Body for Life). I've also got to get my protein drink recipes out and go through them. I especially like my "Reese's Peanut Butter" protein drink and "Peppermint Patty" protein drink.

What color is your soul painted?

Red

Your soul is painted the color red, which embodies the characteristics of love, strength, physical energy, sex, passion, courage, protection, excitement, speed, leadership, power, danger, and respect. Red is the color of the element Fire, and is associated with blood, life and death, birth, volcanoes, and intense emotions.

Personality Test Results

Click Here to Take This Quiz

quiz
Quizzes and Personality Tests


If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.

Rosalynn Carter
(1927-, American First Lady, Wife of President Jimmy Carter)



Sunday, September 09, 2007

arrrrrgggggg!!!!!

In the past three weeks I have regained nine pounds. It's stress eating because I'm having a difficult time finding a job in my newly chosen career. When I first started the paralegal course attorneys were practically begging for paralegals. The school wanted to send us out to work then. The attorneys didn't care that we had just started, they needed help and were willing to work with us and teach us how they wanted things done. Now, some of the attorneys want as much as ten years experience in litigation.

I have decided that I must do something more to lose this extra fat. Weight Watchers is helping, but I have to do more. Sooooooo........I'm starting Body for Life tomorrow. I have done the program in the past and it worked for me. I am posting my "before" measurements and a "before" pic. (oh NO!!!!!) I will also be posting my workout routine and my diet on a daily basis. On the 9th of each month Every four weeks I will post my results (measurements and a new pic) for the previous month. I will re-evaluate my routines at this time.
So here is the starting point....
Date 9-Sep-2007
neck 14.75..........hips 43.5
U chest 41.5.......R thigh 23
bust 47..............R knee 15
L chest 38.75......R calf 14.75
R bicep 14.25......R ankle
R wrist 6.75........L thigh 22.75
L bicep 14.25......L knee
L wrist 6.75........L calf
waist 37.5..........L ankle
abs 45.5............Weight 189.4

I know, I know, TMI, but bear with me. It WILL get better!
I just took the pics for my journal. I just want to cry. I must have been in severe denial as to how I really looked. Know how you look at your body, but don't really see it? It's really difficult to overlook flaws when you're looking at a pic.




Saturday, September 01, 2007

Lists

I have lists of things to do that are "miles" long. Books I want to read, patterns I want to sew, art I want to create, places I want to visit, career goals, etc. I have my 101 Things list I blog about, my list on 43 Things, and I have several lists that are personal, that I keep on my pc. I make sure every day I do something towards several of these goals. I always write down what I do towards the particular goal I'm working on. When I get discouraged I am able to look back at how far I've come and how much I've accomplished. Some of these goals will take a year or more to complete. These are goals I'm committed to, not just something I'd like to do.