Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Oh my, oh my......

....and who would have ever thunk it? i just assumed that since i was hiking 3 to 6 days a week no less than a 5 k hike, and since i seem to do so well, and recover rather quickly and do more hills....... i just ASSUMED that i was in shape to bike. yeah i know the guy at the bike shop said it will be like starting over again, it just won't take me as long for my muscles to get used to a different movement. I know my Chiropractor friend ,the one that takes week trips to bike hundred of miles told me the same. of course i did not believe them...... when will i learn? I was able to bike 5 miles in about 1/2 an hour. today it was all level, not easy and not hard.... my legs and butt muscle gave me an incredible burn. I wore my heart monitor and it was so easy to get my heart immediately into the fat burning range......... and it stayed there for some time..... by the time i got back to the car i didn't want to walk....... and I LOVED IT! I forgot how much i love to bike.......hiking i cannot go fast no matter how i try. i can go far, i can hike 8 miles without a problem....... my feet and legs won't go fast, maybe it is my weight......... however on a bike i can fly, my very strong legs pump the peddles with great ease. as much as i am dying to get back out there again, i will not bike tomorrow, if Chris wants to i'll hike before work. the next day i will bike i will keep it at 5 miles for now, but this time i will wear my backpack so i can get used to it, my joints are fine, my muscles are burning........ and i am being smart..... i will increase my level very slowly, and i figure in a month or so i'll be able to bike from home to work..........
Today i had a WONDERFUL day, Christina road with me to take a turtle up to a turtle sanctuary towards Erie PA... (*a whole other blog entry) it is her birthday today........and so i took her out for lunch to a really cool place called Elephant and Castle Pub....... we both had Yorkshire pudding. over very garlicky mashed potato's. i ate it without a problem. however i figured out if i eat a small cup of hot soup before i eat, i am able to tolerate my meal a little better, i do this for special occasions only.... don't want to get used to that, or the lapband won't be doing its job.
PS my husband just told me that i need to blog about my great husband........... hmmm, wonder who he is talking about??? joking joking........ i adore my husband......... most of the time. he is doing great by the way.........
God's blessings to you

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Dear Patti, need you ask?


bike = helmet, helmet= bike....... couldn't buy one without the other, and i WILL wear it every time. yes i get flat hair, wild hair, the hair sticks out all over the place when i wear the helmet.... and i do not care :0). I have been so busy, and so warn out, and this last "cycle" has been such a bad heavy one.... i am just exhausted, tomorrow i do not want to leave my home except to go biking...... i'd like to get 5 miles in, but i will be happy with 4 miles . Bill will come with me, and he'll walk a ways while i bike....... hopefully the humidity will break!!!
Bill is doing well after surgery, but he is getting stir crazy, he starts rehab on weds... but doesn't even see the doctor until the end of July..... i was thinking, suicide, murder or divorce was gonna happen......... but suicide, i die, murder Bill dies....... and i just don't want to go through another divorce......so i have opted to increase my hours of work........ and i now know when Bill retires, i work full time........ gotta do what you gotta do to keep a happy marriage going...... LOL. i hope you know that i am joking, and Bill has been a trooper...... and the kids have been awesome. the kids got him a recliner for fathers day so he can sleep comfortable, Katie is his taxi, and takes him all over the place when he asks, all the kids ask if he is hungry or needs a drink, i am proud of them all. well i think i am going to go to bed early. good night

Saturday, June 26, 2010

First time in eight years.........

ff
I've been saying for a while now, that one goal is to be able to ride my bike to work. Well the photo above, is my new bike. it is what they call a Hybrid bike, a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. Bill has been "saving" up money behind my back for some time now, and yesterday he took me, or i should say i took him (he recently has shoulder surgery and does not drive) to the trails end bike shop in Indiana PA. i was so excited. funny i went in with plans to get a "mountain bike" green, and a Cannondale........ i was told by a few bike pros that you don't buy the bike the bike buys you!!! and so true. i tried several bikes, and answered a million questions. realistically i will be using mainly the "rails to trails" and some on the roads. The are making bikes better and better now, using doctors and such to build the aero dynamics to be the most comfortable for the body. me still being over weight, this is a good idea. So they make the
"comfort" bikes now. so i tried one with the wide tires..... ( which i was going to get without a doubt) first i tried several treks......... nice and then the guy said, just try one with the hybrid tires...... you won't have to work as hard to go as far........ LOVED LOVED LOVED it and boy it did make a difference. I finally tried the Cannondale both mountain and hybrid........ loved the hybrid...... so that is what i ended up with A Cannondale 5 Adventure. The guy at the shop told me that even though i am walking alot, usually a 5k a day......... minus last week. I will NOT be able to do the same thing on the bike, and i WILL feel muscles that i did not even know i had..... i was told to start slow........ maybe ten minutes, then twenty minutes and so on......... Today i went for my first bike ride......... i began going UP HILL....... a very minor grade that the naked eye can't see....... but peddling legs can feel...... not gonna lie to you........ it was miserable and i am thinking what the heck, this is so hard..........so i kept going for ten minutes........ turned around and headed back....... way too easy........ i didn't have to peddle if i didn't want to......... it took 5 minutes to get back. Bill of course did a short walk, while i biked, i was sweating, breathing so heavy and my leg muscles were burning....... even hours later at home........ still feel like i ran a marathon, but i love it :o).
my body can only do so much with walking... and i have heard from several people that said biking several days a week..... will certainly move me to the next level of fitness, and hopefully the next level of losing weight......
well i have been so busy, and i am just exhausted, i have to go to work this evening for a few hours and then i have to go back and clean tomorrow, then i get to enjoy my "bestest friend" and her family at her daughters baby shower....... and then i think other than exercise not gonna do a dang thing from Sunday afternoon until Tuesday morning........
Have a great day

Sunday, June 20, 2010

So alot has been going on.....

lets see............ Andrew ended up with his third concussion had to come home early from the Ken Lantzy football camp, Bill had pretty extensive shoulder surgery, as part of my "testing" i stopped taking Krill oil over a week ago, and i feel the effects. Andrew IS okay. and was able to head for his trip last night to New Orleans to board a cruise ship for the next week. Bill's surgery was a success and he is being a relatively good patient. but i never realized how much Bill does do around the house, cause now that he can't, i sure miss him. All the kids have been great helping him too. And well today I am back on the Krill oil. They say that Krill oil really helps with PMS symptoms, and it was Patti that brought that to my attention. and when i started thinking....... it was true the two months that i was on Krill, i did not have a migraine during PMS time, and actually didn't feel any of the noticeable moodiness, irritability, bloating, and migraines. guess what, this past week, had a migraine, and today just a day before my cycle should be here, increase body aches and major fatigue going on right now...... yuk!!!
Oh and i can't forget the stupidity of the last time i went hiking, it has been a few days now..... but it was the absolute hottest most humid morning this summer, i was hiking about 2 miles when it hit me........ my insides got so hot, my muscles felt crampy, felt dizzy, nauseated, and even went through the motions of throwing up..... nothing in my tummy to come up, and since the lapband didn't even have the stomach acid contents. I always drink 20oz of water before my hike, take water with me, and usually i eat a handful of nuts or my protein shake........ DIDN'T do any of that... this has been the first time i ever even thought about somebody going and getting me a car to pick me up.......... i slowed my pace, and i did make it back to the car....... i am pretty sure i was suffering from a little heat exhaustion. i slowly drank water until i drank about 40 oz. i ate a banana, and ate a few potato chips, i even drank some Gatorade too..... rested for a while, took a tepid bath...... it took several hours before i started to feel back to normal. So i told Chris and Katie.......... " I WILL NOT HIKE IN SEVERELY HUMID WEATHER AGAIN " and i will not be so stupid to not drink water in the process.
Well i have a busy day today........ have to go to the office to clean, going to hang with a dear friend moving to Arizona on Monday........ and then my other dear friend, may be stopping by to see me this afternoon.........
Have a great weekend

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Water aerobics vs Frozen Cherry Mocha Land

I could tell you that we went to water aerobics last night, and it was one hell of a work out, and i was sweating when i was done, even in the water. that however would be a lie. Oh we did go to water aerobics, yes we did wear our bathing suits, yes we were ready to get in the pool. Chris and i acted like we knew what we were doing........ there was one other lady there, Christina said she has been in her class before. well the therapist started to work with the one lady already in the water, I looked at Christina, things weren't right........ well it ended up they changed the water aerobics date from monday to tuesday, and actually we were right in the middle of a pt's therapy session. what are two girls to do? well i will tell you what two girls did. we went to the local Sheetz and had a frozen Cherry mocha land drink, all deliciousness. we did use skim milk, and there was the option of sugar free chocolate. I don't do sugar free though. it was so good, and well worth it. Thank goodness we did hike that morning, and the water aerobics was going to be our second exercise. We do a 5k every time we hike, and sometime we go to a 10k or further. and on this day we did just over a 5k (*3.1 miles) we did 3.3 miles. I need to figure out how to put two resistance training workouts to my schedule in a week. it is just as important as the cardio that i do. I think i am going to try the no added sugar challenge again, and hoping to get past 5 days. this time i will let my husband know in advance that i don't want sweets. so when to begin........ maybe today, maybe tomorrow...
have a great day

Sunday, June 13, 2010

~~~> ANDREW <~~~


Andrew my middle child, my oldest son graduated from high school last week..... where does time go? He plans on going to IUP the same college as his "big" sister. So he'll still be coming and going from home. This is the boy that missed a year of school after the head injury his sophomore year. this is the boy that had his upper and lower jaw broken and rearranged before his senior year. He managed to stay on Distinguished honor roll, inducted to the National honor society and take both senior and college classes. Oh he is also the boy that hates his mom hovering over him, can be so mouthy, and thinks he knows WAY more than i do. he couldn't stand that i needed to know where he was, what he was doing, and who he was with at all times. He was chosen to play in the Ken Lanzy all star football game http://www.kenlantzy.com/index.html and that is where he is right now. i know that he doesn't hang out at the house much anymore.... (two jobs and many social events) however i was happy with him coming and going.... and being here at night. it's just a week, and then he goes with his best friend and his family on a Cruise for another week........... I just have to get used to this......... this new chapter of life that i am in. i mean gee even Sammy is growing up!!! I will cherish this moment, and this stage i am in........ dwelling on the past is such a waste of time, as is worrying about how I'll handle an empty nest in the future. I remember my mom saying that it was so hard when each child finally left the nest.........BUT it was so much harder when some of her children came back to the nest......... so i think i will just enjoy this moment........
think I'll try water aerobics tomorrow as well as a hike.....I've had a few days off, and i need to get back in the groove of things....
Blessings

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

And what has been going on in my life?

lets see, Andrew Graduated on Friday. i must admit, i was just plain old sad and depressed the entire day. couldn't help but remember him as a baby....... and the phases of childhood, knowing that on friday...... one chapter was closed and a new chapter opened. I was fine right after the ceremony....... it was just leading up to it that seemed to bother me. Nothing is really going to change yet, Andrew is going to school at IUP (20 minutes away) he is staying at home. Katie is also going to IUP she too is staying at home. so proud of both these kids..... they both work two jobs. Andrew was doing high school and college at the same time, and Katie was doing college full time. i love the work ethics that they show so early in age. Sammy is 15 and just going through life with a grin on his face.......... we shall see how he does.
I've been hiking faithfully, and actually i think i am addicted to it. After speaking with my brother, he encouraged me to take a day or two off a week. stating that hiking uneven trails, and steep hills (climbing both up and down) are stressful on the joints and they need time to recover. so i've been going 5 days and once in a while 6 days. yesterday Katie and i went early in the morning, and instead of avoiding the steep hills, i plan my route to include as many as i can. and my heart rate does go up, not nearly as high as it did 2 months ago. BUT it recovers almost instantly.
lets see what else, oh i have my work scheduled worked out now that i can get the same amount of hours in 3 days and not 4. so i work 3 days and am off 4 days. which works for me as i've increased more me time for hiking and upping my level of fitness. I think Christina and i are going to start hiking at some local state parks, to change it up a little.
my no added sugar challenge lasted 5 and 1/2 days, and then Bill not knowing i was trying this challenge got me a small piece of my yummy favorite dessert.. lemon pie. He is not a saboteur, because he knows that i do not deny myself of a taste of anything now. but he did not know the NO sugar challenge i was doing. and but of course, i was "forced" to eat the pie LOL. so i am now on my second day of no added sugar........ lets see if i can beat the 5 days.
maybe you are getting tired of hearing this , but i feel so damn good....... no joint aches, i have increased energy......... but come bedtime........ i am so ready to sleep, and sleep soundly until my internal alarm clock goes off at 5:45 am.
i may start water aerobics next week two days a week, still hike 5 days a week, but i'll make sure that i take at least one day off from everything. Loving the Krill oil............ Loving my B vitamins....... loving my flax oil and seeds........... looking forward to my next doctor appointment in July I will try to blog more often, i mean gee Chris blogged twice in a week, what is up with that.
sending Love to my chums Patti, Chris and Kelly .. miss you all :0)

Thursday, June 03, 2010

I can't believe it

Day 3 no added sugar went very well,.... and there WAS temptation, and it was all my fault...... i brought extra creamy dark chocolate to put in the candy dish on my desk.......... and i truly did not have any!, at one point i was getting stressed dealing with Insurances and prescriptions for a patient and i reached over absentmindedly grabbed a chocolate, and then i put it right back down. and didn't think about the candy too much after that.
This morning i noticed i had a little headache, and was slightly dizzy. i told Christina during our hike that maybe it was with drawl from being on the third day without added sugar.... i still have my Raspberries which has 7 grams of sugar,
i know a lady that brags about eating O grams of sugar, and as she is telling this she is chomping on two banana's........... ummm, banana's ave about 35.5 grams of sugar per medium banana. Fruits have natural sugar...... hell sugar comes from a plant ........ Sugar Cane...... i am not diabetic, but as a nurse, my diabetic Pt's fruits were limited.
.......... well anyhow, so i should not say Sugar FREE days, but no added sugar days...

I continue to feel great, as i said briefly as noted above, i started out this morning feeling a little off balance, and a mild headache....... but twenty minutes into my walk, my headache sorta disappeared, and hasn't returned. I continue to add more hills to my routine, i can't seem to walk fast....... my feet and legs just won't do it... so i rely on hills to work my heart rate...... and i notice that my heart rate recovers almost immediately once i make it to the top of the hill. what i may do.. as do 10 second sprints, then take two minutes at regular pace........ and do this for 15 minutes or so. (*like Johnny showed me)

well i am tired, long day at work, came home and started doing a Chicken in Rotisserie, i should be in bed by midnight......... my first 'baby boy graduates tomorrow.......... I'll post later

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

No Added sugar DAY 2

well i must say my first day was easy, and actually the second day has been easy too. Today was a "drug representative bring lunch day" at work, They brought from Panara Bread (*which by the way, is hidden unhealthy) for instance the Veggie Sandwich, which people assume healthy is 610 calories, 13 grams of fat and 1450 grams of sodium. well regardless i brought my own lunch, grilled fish that i shared with the doctor, seasoned with herbs and spices without added salt. and Greek yogurt with fresh raspberries . There was also my absolute favorite Cookies, but i did not have one, and actually didn't even want one. (one short bread cookie 350 calories and 21 grams of fat) i could eat two or three of them before.
Christina and I also hit the trails before 7 am this morning....... home by 8:30 am, I've got 15 miles in since Saturday so if the weather works for me i can see getting 20 to 25 miles in for the week :0).
I would like to tell you what my weight is.......but i am doing so well not letting the scale control me, instead i have 3 outfits, that i am working on, I've reached out fit one, level one, outfit two is feeling like it is getting lose..... and i have my third out fit hanging where i can see it, and my goal is to get into that in September...... next month i'll start trying it on weekly to note my progress :o). As soon as i get to the size i am happy with, then i will start to weigh again daily, because i do believe that in order to keep track of my weight making sure it doesn't creep up, i need to know what it is doing, where it is going, and how it's behaving.......
well a storm is coming my way, think i'll go sit out on the porch......... and enjoy