Susie-Q's blog

I was at Wal*Mart today getting a food item I have been craving insatiably for a few days now. It's not bad for me, I don't think. It's cauliflower. I've wanted veggies more than anything this past week. Raw, steamed, whatever. Forkfuls. No butter or salt added, I like 'em plain.

By this I mean I've started running again, and to make it more of a challenge we've hit a heat wave.

Since I'm 'just starting out' again I can only do a mile of intermittent walking/running. Then I walked fast for a half hour on my hill. The result? An endorphin rush I haven't felt in months, and this begs the question, Why did I give this up?

This weeks recaps:

Jeans: Still loose, as are other articles of clothing

I've encountered a slight problem.

When I am using the ball, doing that palms up stretch roll, my left shoulder starts to feel sore as I extend my arm in front of me.

But the right shoulder is making a crinkly grinding noise when I move it, especially if I rotate it in a circle. The right shoulder doesn't hurt.

So, recap, left shoulder hurts but doesn't make noise when I extend it. Right shoulder makes noise but it doesn't hurt (it just sounds creepy).

These are both new. Is there something I can do for either?

All I've managed to do all week is not sit down so much and the warmup circuit, even those funny look forearm lunge things.

Ouch.

Yes, ouch. There was one day I felt brave and did an extra set of one, and my quads hurt so bad the next day! But I did them again that day, and they feel better now. I cannot believe how many muscles I have felt come alive, by a simple warmup circuit! I feel muscles I forgot I had (and can't name).

I have not been keeping a daily food diary. I keep forgetting to write things down! But... BUT. I have made changes and I have been 'watching' what I put into my body and how it makes me feel. Here's the scoop.

Coffee? Don't need it. But since it's an addiction, I had to 'ween' off of it. Down to two cups a week. One on Tuesday and one on Friday, and even those aren't finished.

Another step in the new beginning was visiting my doctor today for a checkup and 'go ahead' on starting over in exercise and diet. The good news? I saw my weight. The bad news? I saw my weight. Hahaha. It doesn't matter. Doc asked me what my goal was. I said, "120, but I really want better muscle tone. All I want is to feel better!"

I couldn't find my old exercise ball. The warmups require it, I see. Went and bought a new one. I named it. Izzy. Am I strange? Yes. But I have a better time getting along with things if I have a name for them.

Forgive me for being away so long, again. I've been bad at that.

I've recently acquired high speed internet, so videos are no longer a problem for me. And I'm just plain tired of being, well, tired all the time. I need this. I'm staying.

No photo today. See, I was waaaay too nervous to get into my mu-mu swimming suit and have a picture shot.

It's bad enough to share my measurements with you. I know I've got a sort of 'apple' shape now.

Arms: 11in
Waist: 36 (My nemesis, and I was so tempted to suck it in too, but I didn't)
hips: 40
Calf: 13

I have no idea what I weigh, I never replaced the scale after my son broke it.

I'm 5' tall. (60in)

Breakfast 7am: 1 1/2 glasses of Water, One egg, scrambled, one piece of toast w/peanut butter.

And no, I'm not procrastinating.

Tomorrow I will make no excuses, I will not 'slack off' I will not go for that 'one more' treat. (not that I've been doing much of that lately anyway).

I have not gained, nor lost, inches or body fat in two weeks. Something has to change. Now.

I just don't know exactly what.

I suppose I should start documenting things MORE. I have an idea. I want to write down everything I do. Just so I can review and see what I can do differently.

I want to document my inches. I want to take a picture each week.

Just a quick note to say that I am still making progress, but a lot slower than I'd have like to. I had a two-week holiday in Australia where I did a ton of walking and hiking, but I also ate new foods that were delicious, like Thai and Indian cousine. I stuck by my new food tastes and did not eat a lot.

However, almost as soon as I got home I started feeling ill and have been ill off and on for three weeks now. It is nothing serious, but I admit I've slacked in the exercise, and I felt it Monday when I went roller blading and got sore from it. Wake up call.

I decided to simplify my changes. I have been on this new 'lifestyle' food thing for a month now and happy to say that all is well, I hardly think about the different food I am eating, I just grab what I have and make supper or eat. I don't make separate meals for the family, we all eat on thing, because I've modified the food to suit my new needs.

I am doing more posture and yoga exercise and swimming than running and weights, but I do some slow moving weights still. Results? My muscles are gaining more tone to them.

I'm smart enough to realize BMI isn't the end-all of indicators on health. Why? Because BMI doesn't allow for the weight to be in muscle mass, as opposed to body fat. What I want is a lower body fat, and more lean, defined muscle.

Last Saturday I stepped on a scale for the first time in weeks. I lost (I think) about 5 pounds. It was about three weeks time. Now, I'm not down a size or anything, but I definitely feel 'tighter', not as loose. I went swimming on Tuesday and didn't even realize just now much I worked my muscles for the two hours I was there, but I managed to work muscles I forgot I had. My back especially, and my side obliques hurt, my triceps, the muscles by my hips. What fun. I might start going twice a week instead of only once a week.

Coffee has become a midweek treat as opposed to a daily necessity. I've substituted my morning latte with a bottle of water. It's well water, but its water. I bought two water bottles and I keep one in the fridge while I sip the other. When the second is empty, I fill it and swap it for the one in the fridge. This change alone has done a number on my body. I feel better, less sluggish and bloated.