I ❤ the Eliptical

That's a small lie. I really hated DOING it, but I have never ... I say, never felt so good as I did during the rest of the night. I don't know why it affected me like that, but I've never carried the WOW - I REALLY MOVED feeling with me throughout the night. That was really cool. It will take some getting used to, though. I was hugely sore!

Tonight, I did our weight machines and bikes. It wasn't as good, but I'm sticking to my guns.

Did you see Biggest Loser this week? That Courtney has my vote for president! What a marvelous attitude that 22 year old has! I'll be rewinding that one a few more times. She left the ranch with grace and pride. And she looks SO much better than she does in this video, but it's kind of fun.



A-ha! Here's the one I really wanted. No video, but more current:

Getting My Groove Back

We have been assured that radiation over here will be negligible, the Japanese are piecing their lives back together, and our weather has been fantastic. I can't help but move it.

Colorado Pedestrians

I started walking again in Colorado, last week. The fact that I couldn't even breathe (altitude) really bothered me. Now that I'm home again, I'm determined to get back in shape. I sure hope it sticks. By the way ... LOVE those Skechers.

Overwhelmed

I'm not going to whine. God knows too many people are far more worthy of doing that right now. I'm not going to make excuses. Nothing is really stopping me from being the best I can be. Nothing, that is, but me.

However, in all truth, I cannot focus on my body right now. My mind and heart are too preoccupied. I know that long walks would help me with my thoughts, but I'll admit that I'm a bit nervous about spending extra time outside in the rainy weather with radiation, fresh from Japan, in the atmosphere.

Now is not about me. Not today, anyway.

Peace out.

Just Do It

Wow. I was all fired up just 11 days ago and what did I do with that? I walked. Yeah, that's something, but hey ... reality check. Bless those little Sketchers, though. The walking is much less painful than it was. I guess that jerky doctor had some good in him.


I haven't been a complete sloth. I've been walking and that's a baby step. Now that I've read my fellow bloggers' updates, I'm inspired to move it up a notch, again. I just love those people. They have the same issues I do, yet they handle them so well. How can an old broad be on this planet for so long and not "get it"? Diana has started over almost as often as I have, yet she just gets back into the groove without looking back. I love her idea about doing a Fitness Ridge week at home. Brilliant. Shelli set goals that were doable, yet found herself going beyond what she really thought she could do. Wow.

Walking week is over. BodyMedia is getting strapped back on ... well, as soon as I get off FaceBook, that is.

I'm Wrong :) Yea!

Thank God for fellow bloggers. So, I thought I was the only one who could pump and sweat for a week at the ridge and lose one whole pound. Shelli showed me I was wrong. REALLY wrong. She had a similar experience and, I dare say, worked a whole lot harder than I did.  I've been sniffling for the 2 months since being home (usually in a seated position) and she has gone to the gym. She has lost a total of 21.5 pounds. And I .... well, didn't.

I'm fired up! 

I Will NOT Quit!

The disappointment I felt this week is overwhelming, but it won't get me. I was waiting so long for this appointment with the foot doc. I just knew he'd have a solid answer for the solution to the pain I feel whenever I walk.

Not only did he offer nothing more than Skechers Shape Ups, but he was incredibly ignorant and rude. When I said that it was nearly impossible to hike because of the pain, he (no lie) actually said, "Hiking? You don't look like ... "

At this, I butted in with, "Watch out!"

Dr Jerkface

"... well, it's just that you don't have the body type to be a hiker."

I assured him that I love hiking, but it hurts so much.

"Oh, you like to hike, but you don't hike."

Honest. This is a respected (by others), educated person. I've so had it with idiots. I can't tell you how much that hurt my very core. The dismissive attitude of jerks who have not had to deal with weight issues needs to be addressed in HELL. Please, God, let there be a hell. But, before I further damage my own karma, I'll go with the upside of this.

My feet are evidently getting old, along with the rest of me. I'm 60. It's time to realize that I can't do what I did at 30. However, I refuse to throw in any towels. I'm going to make this body work for me, not against me. What Dr. Jerkface (aka: Owen McIvor, Redlands, California ... just in case anyone wants to avoid him) did for me was to make me realize that nobody out there has the answers for me. I'm in this alone. I'm smart. I'll figure it out.

So, issues are: arthritis in the feet, knees without cartilage, need for more of a calorie-burn, time constraints (demanding job), and a food plan that I can live with forever and that aids in flushing fat.

FEET: Starting with Dr. Jerk's suggestion (assuming he knows something about feet), I ordered some Skechers. I had to get a larger size, because Skechers-folk don't believe that fatties with uber-wide feet would want to walk. Just as there are dress designers who think that petites can't get fat. Meanwhile, I'll just continue to load up on Advil.

KNEES: Continue to modify yoga and do more muscle-building around the crunchy things.

THE BURN: Really get the heart rate up while I'm doing stuff like bikes (not on my feet). In fact, I need to find a way to kick it up everyday. I'll investigate. I believe that I have rarely registered "vigorous" activity on my Body Media because I pretty much have to hold back in the foot work. Upper body vigorous is what I need.

FOOD: I'm sorry sweet Emily (nutritionist at Fitness Ridge), but your nutritional, 1200 cal meal plans just don't do it for me. When I weigh into the ridge on a Sunday night (with water bloat and full day's food) and out the next Sunday morning (before breakfast, even) and experience a big one-pound loss the first week and three pounds the second time, last January, I'm thinking it's maybe not so much about 1200 calories. Hell if I know what it IS about, but I'll figure this one out, as well. My net loss, by the by, was one pound this last time, also, going by my own scales before and after. I'm reading the Reader's Digest version of Why We Get Fat... , which I've heard good things about.

Before I die, I'll figure this out. Period.

It's a Conspiracy, I Tell You!

So I've been patiently waiting for my appt. next week with the foot doctor.  My exercise has been less than stellar as a result. Though I can work up a good "glow" on the bikes and machines, I'm averaging twice a week. That isn't going to cut it. In the back of my mind, I keep saying that once I get medical help, it will all be okay. That was, until the convergence of my three or four different calendars took me by surprise.

It turns out that doctor day just happens to be like the most incredibly jam-packed day I've had in years! I'm NOT giving up my appointment, though. No way! So far, I've been able to juggle and jostle, but it's going to be quite the trick.