Sunday, July 22, 2007

Sunburned Nose and Toasted Toes


It's been 100 or above for weeks. Truthfully I feel cooked. Well done... ugh... on an up note I got on the scale this morning. Didn't want to. My husband talked me into it, I was feeling like jabba the hutt before the remake... on one of his bloated days. Then what do my surprised eyes see. I lost 3 pounds. YAY! So my workout plan is working. My workout plan at this point is ... WORK... pull the water hose, clean the kennel, groom the dog. Drink fluids like they are going out of style... only a slight exaggeration. I'm drinking quite a bit because it's hot, I'm working and I'm sweating like a horse on a cattle drive. geez...


I want to do oxycise in the evenings. Before I can do that I need to clear space on my office floor. I have tubs of work stacked in there.... as I get the work done I'll have more room, and I sent for a belly dancing dvd.


I've always wanted to learn how to belly dance. and dancing off some fat appeals to me. should be fun. As far as lifting weights. for now that consists of dragging the water hose (150 ft full of water) dragging/lifting stock panels (heavy welded wire 52 inches high, 16 ft long) loading cement pieces and cement blocks on my pick up truck, unloading them here, stacking the blocks, and working the pieces into walkways. unloading wooden pallets off my pickup truck and trailer. dragging my feed cart with 50 to 100 lbs of feed on it.


Repetive motion from dog grooming, raking kennels, mucking out the whelping house, etc. Once I get some projects well underway to completed, and we get more into winter I want to get back on the bow-flex. I like the way lifting weights makes my body feel. I want to go after my heavy bag a bit too. That is so nice if I've had a frustrating day. He he... I can just beat the snot out of it and not be concerned about hurting someone or lawsuits...lol...


I'm not getting much distance work in at all. Just walking up the hill and back around the kennels. I'm going to have to set aside a bit of time specifically for distance. Take one of the mastiffs with me and work them a bit while I'm at it. If I start dragging my legs then they can pull me home. plus it will give me some upper body work handling their leads. It will have to be early in the morning though. the heat is to much otherwise.


Today's Workout: drag water hose. groom dogtake photographs. I know that sounds strange. but dragging the hose is walking and resistance work. Grooming is repetive upperbody and arm workout. taking photos involves knee bends, and walking, as well as holding position in a partially bent knee position.
Ok my goal is to get fit. Healthy... be able to enjoy life in this body. Since it's the only body I have this go around. I'd like to be able to enjoy it. Frankly dragging around an extra 100 plus pounds does not give me much enjoyment.

How did I get to 100 plus pounds overfat.
In a nut shell. I saw myself as obese when I wasn't. I ate compulsively until I was. Got sick, west nile crud, had major surgery necessary but completely trashed my abs. Messy hysterectomy, lots of toxins drained into my body. Recovery has taken a couple of years. But I am recovering, and getting into condition one day one step at a time.

I see myself as I am now. I have no desire to be a bobble head doll (so skinny that I look like a bobble head). Compulsive eating is behind me. Happily no longer an issue. Yes I know sounds flip, it's not, took a good bit of work to accomplish that little feat. Now I journal instead of eating myself to death.
Happily I eat to live...rather than live to eat.
I want to be able to walk a marathon. I've picked out one the end of May 2008. I don't care where I finish in the race as long as it's not dead last. So I picked one that has an ultramarathon along with it.
Hopefully I should be able to finish before the last ultramarathoner gets in.
It would be great to have someone to train with. If not locally... then over the internet.
Completing a marathon is not a new goal. It's been on my life list for a long time. It's not about winning a race. It's about getting healthy, and actually being able to enjoy walking.
A walk around a fair, going shopping, having a spring in my step ...rather than every step being an effort filled with pain and frustration.

How am I doing? I'm overwhelmed but making it anyway. One day at a time...
Life is a journey... one step at a time... Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Get up... Move your Butt


I couldn't resist this picture... lol...

Wiggle... jiggle... jump and giggle... in truth after grooming for a few hours it was spagetti arms and a serious whine the next day. Yeouch... that's right yeouch... more like a yelp and ouch... still sore today but not as much. Muscles are getting stronger, more endurance. The first Karate kid movie kept running through my mind as I was brushing, and clipping, and brushing and clipping. The wax on wax of scenes, and the paint the fence. Hey if you haven't seen it, go rent it. Its a great movie. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it...lol...

I haven’t been messing with the scale much. Note I said much...lol... I did weigh, it said I had stayed the same. Actually I get on the scale about once a week. Looking back over the past 2 months it's looks like my weight has stabilized. I was gaining fast for a while there. Had to address some issues. Both physical, mental, and emotional. I am no longer taking some perscription drugs that were causing some major health issues. Tends to tork me off. Use a drug because your doc perscribed it and it ends up doing more damage in the long run than good. That's all I'm saying on that right now. I get so annoyed when I think about it I fume and rant.

I know I’m getting smaller because my clothes are getting looser. Weight wise, my body composition is changing. Burning off fat, and building muscle. Fat takes up 5 times the space of muscle, on the flip side muscle weighs 5 times as much as fat does. Sound like a no win situation. It may sound that way but it’s not. You need muscle to function. Fat is merely excess fuel stores. It doesn’t help you to function unless you are out of fuel. I can feel my abs getting stronger, across my back and shoulders, my arms. When I flex my arms you can see the muscles moving, even with the fat layer on the outside.

Hopefully my skin will draw up as my size continues to decrease.

I really want to be able to walk a marathon. I want the physical capability to do that, and actually enjoy the day. Not a torture test.

I want to be able to ride a century in a day as well. When I am actually able to take a vacation I want to take a bicycle tour, and be able to enjoy the ride.

I am sooooo not interested in the waif thin stick figure bobble head doll nonsense. I have no desire to be weak and lightheaded. What a boring way to live.

I want to be able to enjoy being physically active. I can already feel my strength building. I took a look at a picture my husband took of my dad and myself standing side by side. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that I could see changes in my body and face already.

I have measurements on record, and do not plan on measuring until the end of the summer.

I am pacing myself a bit. Actually that’s not quite true I’m working flat out on this kennel and ranch this summer. Periodically I have to take some time to just chill out and let my body rest. I am making an effort to not fry my mind looking at the whole of everything that needs to be done. And at the same time stay on target. Looking at the whole can really overwhelm.

Translated… if you have 100 pounds of excess lard hanging on your butt, and can barely walk across the room. Focus on one step at a time. Small changes. Not a total shock. Build to the marathon… by first getting off the couch. If you can walk across the room do that. Then take 3 more steps. And so on and so on.

Rather than “ I can’t do this it’s too much” ask yourself “how can I do this (whatever your goal may be) and enjoy the process” Live your life.

Life is a journey... one step at a time... Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs