Fire Alarm Tests, a Necessary Evil

So I'm sitting here minding my own business on a peaceful Friday afternoon, instrumental music (what else?) playing softly in the background, as I answer emails and wait for the apple oatmeal cookie dough to finish chilling in the frig before baking.

(Credits to Danielle from Live Well Bake Often Blog)

A delightful fall afternoon.

Until I hear this off-the-charts high-decibel, prolonged and very shrill shrieking sound.  Yes, all of those adjectives are necessary.

I jumped measurable inches out of my office chair.  Chessie, my peke-a-poo, practically springloaded into my lap. 

And it just kept going.

We're not talking beeps here.  Oh, no. 
Long, shrill shrieks, blasting my eardrums.  Let's be sure everyone for miles and miles hears this alarm. 

I wanted to open the apartment door and yell to maintenance or whoever else was conducting this drill, helllooooo?  Mine is working is just fine.  Thanks!  You can stop now.

So much for a peaceful Friday afternoon.

Now.  Where was I?  Oh, yeah.  The cookie dough.

Crap.  There it goes again! 

 Stop!  Enough already!

Intuition

I had a feeling I was headed for a successful week.

That whole in-the-zone feeling

that one gets when the furnace is burning hot.

Since I'm leaving town today,

I had to weigh in one day early.

Now I just gotta keep this momentum up.

I'm halfway to goal.

Better energy.

Better rest.

Better focus.

Improved confidence.

Less aches and pains.

Yes.  THIS is more like it.

Now if I just don't go and blow it this weekend at the lake,

Labor Day festivities with friends.

Included in my arsenal:

green tea cocktail

plenty of lean meat

veggies

fat-free cottage cheese

almonds

whey protein

Oh, but there WILL be wine on Friday and Saturday.

I'll just have to factor that in.

I've made slow but steady progress.

Let's keep it lit!

Head Up, Heart Strong

It's key to both good form and good ethic in the gym.  But it can be just as meaningful when applied to dieting.  Dieting, as I long ago learned, does not produce constant linear weight loss.  It is why weighing oneself every day can be counterproductive when trying to stick to a weight loss program, ESPECIALLY if one is doing it the right way -- combing diet AND exercise, specifically a rounded cardio/strength building program of exercise.

My last two weigh-ins have had somewhat of a counterproductive effect on my willpower.  Somewhat, not entirely.  And that's because I've been at this long enough to know that allowing the numbers on the scale to validate my progress or worth is a huge mistake.

Friday weigh-in day two weeks ago, I was down only .6 lbs for the week.  And so I likely ramped up the exercise last week, thinking, "Okay, I'll show you.  I'm gonna train even harder this week and I'll see a bigger loss on the scale."  Not.  This past Friday's weigh in, I weighed exactly the same.  Shocking, actually, because my clothes were fitting better (of course they were) and I looked leaner in the mirror (of course I did) and I even had someone at the gym walk up to me and TELL me that I was looking leaner.  People are noticing.  And so why let that numbers game mess with my head?

Head up.  Heart Strong.  I know in my head that I'd been diligent with my diet and with my workouts.  And I know in my heart that I want this bad enough that nothing -- not even a stubborn number on the scale -- is going to stop me from pushing forward.

I've got this.  I'm a strong woman, both in mind and body.  Which is why I'll keep going, make the sacrifices, and put in the work.

This past weekend I had a few off-plan indulgences one evening.  I ate things I shouldn't and I know that I will have to make up for that with a little extra calorie burning.  But I can't allow that to become habit, "just a small and harmless indulgence."  I know better.

The frustrations will come and go.  I can give in and give up, or I can stay the course.

This morning I made myself a green tea cocktail for an added cleansing of toxins to counter the weekend's excess.  Made with three green tea bags, it also serves to dull my appetite.  I'm back on plan.  But this is not just a diet.  I have to remind myself that I feel awesome when I eat this way.  At so many levels.

Don't just live.  Live strong.  

5.5 Lbs Down ... Full Steam Ahead

When I stepped on the scale on June 29th for the first time in months, I knew I had to get serious and find my way back to focused, clean eating.  Most of my clothes were too tight --except for my "fat clothes," which had been pushed to the farthest recesses of my closet.  When the day comes that I'm forced without recourse to dig out those clothes, then I'll cross that bridge at that time.  For now, I had options.  My options included cutting out the mindless carbs and grazing, the high calorie, high carb indulgences while dining out on weekends -- convinced that I somehow DESERVED that stuff because it was the weekend and I was stressed and I needed reprieve and needed to live a little and, and, and...fill in the endless blank of excuses.  The truth is:  I had packed on 15 lbs over my desired goal weight, and the insanity had to stop.

I wasn't sleeping well.  My face was breaking out more.  I looked and felt older and tired, worn out.  My joints hurt.  And I simply didn't like looking in the mirror anymore.

I began seriously trying to eat clean and exercise on July 1st, just a few days before our trip to the lake over the Fourth.  While there, I indulged slightly -- the pressure of friends and family and celebrations and good food surrounding me.  But I didn't totally blow it.  It could have been worse.  Still, I knew not to get back on the scale for a few days after our return.  I needed to stay in a positive frame of mind to keep on track.

It's now been 31 days, a full month since I began again in earnest, and I'm down 5.5 lbs.  Though I would have liked to have been down another pound or two, 5.5 lbs in a month is a decent loss -- AND, most importantly, I can be assured that it's FAT loss, not just WEIGHT loss.  Fat loss is harder earned and the results are longer-lived.  More gratifying.  I worked hard, and it paid off.

Averaging three days in the gym with weights and cardio, and cardio all other days, usually one rest day, plus eating a quasi prep diet daily, has gotten me these results.  I allow myself one cheat meal a week, usually on Friday nights.  Alcohol on Friday and Saturdays only, usually red wine.  As much as I love a cold beer in summer, I know that its calories affect me differently and they're harder to counter.  I'm making sure I get to bed by 10 each night, giving me 7 to 7.5  hours of sleep.  I'm up each weekday morning between 5 and 5:30, depending on whether it's a gym day or a cardio day.  I'm making sure I drink three full 20 oz water bottles throughout the day, and another 20-30 ounces in the late afternoon and evenings, in addition to the coffee and green tea that I drink.  I try to tack on an additional 15-20 mins of light cardio -- usually walking -- three to four evenings a week.  I've found that my weekly losses have been best on the weeks that I was diligent with that extra cardio.  Coincidence?  Perhaps.  But I'm gonna stick with that strategy for a while just to see.

The wedding.  My goal date.  It's the end of November, which gives me four months to get off another 10 lbs.  That is completely doable.  In fact, I need to remind myself  that having that full four months does not mean I can let things slide now and then.  Sliding is a slippery slope into failure, into a "redo."  I want no redo's.  It's damn hard at my age getting this shit off.  I KNOW that staying focused till the goal date is key.

I'm finishing up coffee and a half serving of my yummy Oatmeal No-Bakes -- 15 grams.  Tiny, yes, but just enough to hit the spot with coffee first thing in the morning.  My next meal will be my post-workout shake and blueberries.  I'm back to the routine that pays off.  I've been there.  It works.  And best of all, I'm feeling fantastic again.

My quality of life has improved substantially.  And that alone is reason enough.

Make It Red Theory - Just Ask Me

Oh.My.Goodness.

This stuff is a-MAYZ-ing.

Just ask me.

Best cab I think I've ever tasted.

I'll be going back for more.

I bought this on a recent trip to Lake Norman.

Total Wine.

I LOVE THIS PLACE.

I never walk outta there with less than 10 bottles of wine.

Red Theory.

 (That's easy to remember!)
It came recommended.

Oh, yeah.

Bingo!

What's a Rootkit?

And I learned a new term last week -- Friday, at the office, while working on a transcript, surfing the internet, checking citations and spellings.  Then poof.  One minute I'm connected (via LAN to my employer's network) and the next I'm not.  I tried rebooting, checking cables, all of it.  Fast-forwarding, the IT people from our Admin Office came down and did some checking and ultimately announced that, yep, I had developed a rootkit.

Now that is a weird word.  It sounds a little vulgar, don't ya think?  What the hell is a ROOTKIT, I ask?

We live and learn.  I spent the weekend googling, running virus scans (I have a paid anti-virus program on my laptop that FAILED to catch and/or DESTROY this thing), trying to quarantine, etc., to no avail.  My laptop is now at the local computer repair shop.  I was assured that he could likely remove it without issue to my files and/or programs.  No guarantees, but likely.

I wait.

Separation anxiety.  My laptop is like my contacts.  I can't function without it.  That's silly.  Of COURSE I can.  No, it's pathetic is what it is.  (shaking head in shame)

So what do I do?  Depend a little more on my trusty iPhone in the meantime.  Not as efficient, but it serves a purpose.  I can't work on transcripts or do office work today, and we don't have court.  So I'll go in today and ... sit?  Stare at the walls?  Read my Kindle.  Or magazines.  Dust and clean out my desk.  The silver lining!

Yesterday was a BAD day for me diet wise.  It started out great, having a great metabolic type workout at the gym.  I was working mainly inner thighs, quads and core work.  High volume, high intensity, burn it baby.  Left there feeling fabulous.  But as the day wore on, my hunger levels shot up to out-of-control levels.  It was actually cravings more than hunger.  I wanted to blame it on something.  Everything should have an explanation.  Increased metabolism?  Not enough sleep?  Too many carbs over the weekend?  Lack of willpower?  Boredom?  Hormone flucs?  I fought it all.day.long.  Into the evening, I struggled with the cravings.  It was not a good day, but it wasn't horrible.  It could have been far worse.  I'm hoping for a better day today.

I downloaded a new app on my phone a couple of days ago, a freebie.  Camera360.  I'm liking the "sketch" filter.  Gives it a washed-out, retro, aged look.  Has a blur filter too, and you can increase or decrease all the filters and settings to get the look you're after.  Very cool.  My first photo, playing around with it.  The details in my jeans.  Kinda cool.  And my Easy Spirits?  They're old and the MOST comfortable shoe I own.  I've even WASHED THEM IN THE WASHING MACHINE.  They feel like house slippers.  I don't care that they're not the hippest shoe on the fashion radar.  I'm in love with them.  They comfort me when I'm missing carbs...and Vitamin D...and my laptop.

Maybe I'll fool around with this app at work today.  Let's hope the computer guy will call with good news.  And let's hope that today is far less of a struggle with staying on plan.

Time to do cardio.  Nice and steady today ... in search of cruise control.

Week One Progress Report

It was a week ago today that I begrudgingly stepped onto the scales to assess the damage.  Friday is my "official" weigh in day, even though I will sometimes weigh mid week just to keep tabs.  Down three pounds of holiday bloat -- that first week is ALWAYS the easiest and most rewarding, seeing that jump in the numbers.  

The second week the progress begins to slow slightly, and by the third week, the water weight gone by then, every ounce of fat loss becomes a blood-sweat-and-tears medal of honor.

Monday - Cardio and Callanetics 
Tuesday - Legs/Glutes *
Wednesday - Shoulders Abs *
Thursday - Cardio and Extra Stretching
Friday -  Back and Abs *

* Training days also included 10-20 mins of cardio.

Added to cardio playlist 

love the layered dynamics at 3:30 on the counter!

As I reflect on my success the past five days, I attribute most of it to having meals prepared ahead of time -- no thinking.  Done.  This week I boiled chicken breasts with salt, pepper, rosemary and fresh garlic, letting them slow simmer for an hour after an initial hard boil.  It keeps them moist and flavorful.  After letting them cool, I shredded the chicken and stored it in the frig.  Each evening I packed 4 oz of chicken into two baggies for the next day's meals at the office.  

I prepared one-half the recipe of Oatmeal No-Bakes Protein Bars, and I weighed out 31 g into a baggie, along with 10 almonds; this would be my quick go-to energy pick-me-upper if my BS began dropping while stuck in court -- stashed discreetly in my desk drawer in the courtroom!  

Oatmeal No-Bakes...Yum

I kept a container of fresh spinach in my office frig, allowing me to have greens at each meal.  For complex carbs, I prepared a large dish of rice and had sweet potatoes on hand, weighing out 3-4 oz of SP or 4 oz of rice for each day's office meals.  Evenings were either chicken or tilapia and greens.  

Nighttime snack before bed was either a small serving of cottage cheese with 1 Tbs vanilla whey protein, 1 Tbs light Cool Whip, and 1 tsp flax mixed in; or, 1 scoop red velvet whey protein and 1 tsp nat pb.

It's Friday, and I'll loosen the reins SLIGHTLY.  

My long-awaited indulgence...

well, wine, of course!

If dinner out with friends doesn't work out, I'd like to go see American Sniper. It's a bonanza at the box office this week!  There are four movies showing that I wanna see, but AS would be my first pick.  I love me some Bradley Cooper, and that it's based on a true story of an American hero makes it irresistible.  

Hoping to carve out a bit of time in late afternoon to squeeze in a 20-30 minute nap.  Wintertime and naps go together like Oreos and milk...like cheese and wine...like kisses and hugs.

It's been a good week.  They're predicting mid 50's for tomorrow, and the plan is to build a fire on the patio and take advantage of those milder temps while they last.

Dance...Dance With It...Then You Ramp It Up

I spent the weekend with my middle son and his fiance.  She had invited me to attend the Pittsburgh Bridal Show along with her, her sisters, mom, aunt and best friend.  We had a wonderful time on that Girls Day Out -- all.day.long.  Great memories and fun.  AND I got to spend time with Gavin too while there with them.

It still catches me off guard a bit when I see him, his physique at the best its ever been.  I'm used to seeing the physique of a nose guard, tons of muscle, but lots of bulk along with it.  Year after year.  The Big Guy on the line.  Not now.  Oh, he's massive, all right, but along with that, ripped, sculpted, mean and clean.

I watch him eat.  I watch him move.  Like a lion.  I watch him prepare his food.  I listen with fascination as he shares with me over dinner Friday night the afternoon during the Christmas holiday visit that he and my youngest son went to the shot/discus field at the HS and threw together.  About how he watched his little brother in silence, studying his form, his steps, his timing...throw after throw, they each taking turns throwing shot and discus.  Gavin having thrown at the college level and a master at his sport, he began reviewing with his brother his form, his technique, dissecting every nuance of movement, half second by half second, guiding him, shedding light where there was deficiencies, as Colton eagerly listened, appreciative, soaking it in like a sponge, and willingly following his brother's coaching and input.

"...and at that point you gotta let your body fall into it... flowing... that's it... fall into the movement...dance with it...dance...just dance with it...then ramp up the power ... explode at the apex..."

I smile in admiration, entertained with his keen sense of mastery, and how it electrified him to have explained all the things he'd learned with his younger brother who was following in his footsteps.

I listen as he shares with me his own progress with bodybuilding over the past few months, and how now, just days into his prep for his next show, he's already leaner and stronger than he was towards the end of his first prep last summer.

I open their frig and see it stocked with lean meats, almond milk, fruits, bottled water, veggies.  It's admirably sterile.  I notice how she willingly, lovingly, helps him prepare his meals, her fastidious shopping for his diet's required foods.  The frig is void of junk, void of most anything off plan.  I nod inwardly, galvanized at the sight of it, knowing the impact such way of eating has on how we feel, how we look, how we move.  I remember.  Affirmations. They kept coming.

The holidays were wonderful.  They are meant to be celebrated.  The traditions, the celebrations, the gatherings accompanied by favorite foods, savory and sweet and delectable.  I don't regret any of it.  But although the holidays are over, the allowances and indulgence make for a very slippery slope.  Just this one cookie....just a few crackers, harmless...trying to convince myself that these small indulgences surely can't be hindering my willpower to get back on the healthy wagon.   In denial, I've stayed hidden behind those mental shams, stray crackers unmindfully getting crammed into my mouth...the reckless it's-only-a-bite mentality.

What?  I don't MIND feeling bloated.  It's okay if I succumb to winter laziness. So what if my clothes feel a little tight, I can hide under the roomier clothes for a while longer....so what that an ever-growing segment of my closet has shifted to the "skinny" section.  And waking up tired most mornings?   Must be age.  And it's okay that my joints feel a little stiffer than usual -- you know, it's just the age thing again, hormones.  Nothing I can do about THAT.  Yep.  Damn shame. Pass the crackers, please.

BULLSHIT.

The visit with him was a kick in the head.  A resounding wake up call to get back to what I know will bring me a better quality of life.  Fulfillment.  Contentment and self-confidence.  Well being.

Today is my third day on my quasi "prep" diet -- basically following my prep diet from 2011, but with slight exceptions, namely allowances for lean dairy, wine on Fridays, a whole egg mixed in with my egg whites in the mornings, Protein No-Bakes -- one per day -- at mid morning with coffee. Otherwise, it's basically lean meat, green veggies, rice or sweet potato or oats at three out of five meals, half a grapefruit at breakfast.  Eating every 2.5 to 3 hours.  Sufficient protein at each meal.  Healthy fats.

And in just a little over 48 hours?  I'm already feeling incredible.  My energy has gone out the roof.  Visible tightening in the mirror -- this soon!  The bloat is almost totally gone. And I'm jacked.  I've found my rhythm...falling back into it...dancing...dancing with it.  I have until April 3rd when we leave for Marco Island to drop 10 to 12 lbs.  This 54-year-old woman is gonna rock her bikini. Cover-ups be damned. No more hiding behind the excuse of age.

Energy.  Inspiration.  Motivation.  Drive.  Discipline.  It's all come back.  Will the weekends be the biggest test?  Hell yes.  How bad do I want this?  Well, that's the mantra I'll need to keep repeating in the meantime.

Mind Games

Just days before Christmas...my atypical post-workout meal.

Protein pancake and ... see it?

A smidgen of banana pudding pie

while staring down a red velvet pound cake.

Each year as Christmas and New Year's approach,

I face the realization that I'll likely throw all caution and care

to the wind, overcome by the temptations

that surround me at gatherings with family and friends.

I use it as a license to overeat.

"But it's Christmas," I whine.

I annoyingly expect the ensuing guilt from my excess.

The inevitable.

But I surprised myself a little this year.

And I can't take the credit for it.

I attribute it to menopause.

The lack of the up-and-down temptations

that accompany estrogen fluctuations.

I was actually a bit surprised.

Yes, I may have gained a pound or two over Christmas,

and yes, New Year's Eve is yet to be celebrated.

But I managed to resist an all-out binge this year.

And I'm jacked about that.

The one perk that accompanies the onset of menopause?

Possibly.

Lasting?

Doubtful.

Resuming a clean-er diet the day after Christmas,

I was able to climb with bravado aboard that wagon

and begin to again eat sensibly.

I've still had a bite of this, of that.

And wine.  Always wine.

An indulgence that I cannot (will not) make apologies for.

But it was a controlled abandonment,

making the return to status quo a bit easier.

After a sleepless night (details for another post),

incessant toggling between wakefulness and sleep.

my alarm of barking dogs was particularly painful this morning.

Making my way to the coffee pot, my body began to protest.

BODY:  Oh, really?  There's no way in hell you are going to accomplish anything at the gym this morning.  Why go?

MIND:  Shut up and drink the coffee.

BODY:  Do you really think coffee is gonna make a dent?

MIND:  Lah-lah-lah-lah-lah.... I don't heeeeeeear youuuuuuu!

BODY:  If you just go over there and lie down on the sofa, you'll fall immediately back to sleep -- sleep that you desperately need.

MIND:  But there's always the sofa in my office to accommodate me during the lunch hour.

BODY:  Fine.  Have it your way.  You'll see.

You will crash and burn...

A total waste of time.

MIND:  Nothing that a little extra steady, slow warm-up cardio can't handle.

BODY:  You'd argue with Jesus.

MIND:  Wrong.  I'm just not into waving white flags.

Go on.  Pour an extra cup.

BODY:  Right.

Well, it DOES taste pretty good...

MIND:  And don't forget the B Complex, the 7 Keto,

and go a little heavier on the BCAA's.

BODY:  I'm telling you, it won't make a dent.

Did you feel that?  That's called lethargy.

MIND:  Lah-lah-lah-lah....

And here we gooooooo....(out the door)

First stop:  The Gym.

Final Destination:  The Mind Gym. 

Fighting the doubt that continued to creep into my psyche, I made it through 20 minutes of slow steady cardio on the elliptical.  And my game plan?  

Glutes, hams, quads, abs, and three sets of lat pulldowns thrown in.  

A tall order?  Yes.

Doable?  Hell yes.

3 sets of lat pulldowns

3 sets of single-leg barbell squats

3 sets of 3-position kickbacks

3 sets of hyperextension oblique crunches

2 sets of plie squats

1 set of 20 90-lb leg presses

1 set of 15 180-lb leg presses

1 set of 12 270-lb leg presses

1 set of 10 360-lb leg presses

1 set of 8 430-lb leg presses

1 set of 180-lb leg presses -- to exhaustion

1 set of 90-lb leg presses -- to exhaustion

AND THE WINNER IS....

THE MIND.

ALWAYS!

"discipline is doing what is hard and necessary

rather than what is fun and easy

and doing it when its necessary

whether you feel like doing it or not."

Showtime at the NPC Greensburg

We'd gone to the Irish Festival on Saturday,

September 6th, 2014.

He was weak, "white," and hungry 

BUT COMMITTED

I can remember when he was playing nose

for W&J

carrying about 65 extra pounds...

Is this really my son?

Where did he go?

Bring on the color!

Sportin his spray tan

after his check-in the day before showtime

He takes eating seriously

The well-developed calf

He showed me his STASH

for post-show pigout

Cracked me up that he was craving CEREAL?

And POPTARTS?

CHEETOS?

SUNKIST?

(I remember wanting Pretzel M&M's and Stacy's Pita Chips)

Hanging out with his Alaskan Malamute Phelen on show day

Backstage with him

He was having fun with the adrenalin rush of the stage

(Proud mom lookin' on from the audience at her handsome son)

 The finalists!
His first NPC
4th Place Men's Open Bodybuilding
3rd Place Novice
3rd Place True Novice

Posing with his Finalist Sword

  The Finalists

SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS MOMENT

WITH HIM

HIS FIRST NPC

And it WON'T be his last!

It's Not Just Friday, It's a Boogie-Oogie Friday!

As I'd mentioned previously in my blog, I was recently revisited by hormonal wrath that I thought I had long-since escaped at my age.  But sure enough, I ended up caught in its clutches yet again -- no way!   There IS no escape!  Cue Jaws music.

(Scene switches.)

Recently I recommitted to a mini goal of dropping ten pounds that have crept up on me over the summer.  My motivation lately had waxed and waned, and it was beginning to eat at me --- EAT AT ME, get it?  Oh, aren't I clever.  So I decided to set a timeline.  Goals need timelines.  Get grounded people!

We will be attending a post-wedding party in Manhattan in mid October.  I figured that was a realistic window of time to drop ten pounds of fat.  (Fat.  Not water.  Not weight.  Fat.  Yes, oh, yes, there is a difference.)  Being in denial for several weeks, I hadn't weighed myself since mid June or so.  It was time to face the music and begin the dance.

I like to weigh on Fridays.  When I stepped on the scale last Friday, I was reluctant to look.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't good either.  But it was ground zero.  That's the relevant point.  Let the challenge begin.

And so just minutes after those annoying dogs began barking on my cell phone this morning, serenading me into a new day -- albeit still dark out -- I stepped on the scales once more for a progress report.  DOWN 3.5 POUNDS.  Seriously?  Suh-WEET!  How did THAT happen?  And then I remembered.  I had gotten a visit from Mother Nature about 10 days ago, so part of that was likely the dreaded water bloat.

But for the record, I think I'll claim at least 1 pound (if not more) of that from my kickin' hard work and rewards.  I've stayed rather focused -- except for one day when I ate way over my calorie limit for the day, one of those just-can't-get-full days.  (I learned a long time ago that one of those now and then, even once a week, is actually good for us when dieting.)  And I even had lunch out yesterday with a good friend/colleague that I hadn't seen in months, though I chose a grilled chicken salad and passed on their to-die-for bread, the bread that you can smell two blocks away?  Yeah, that bread.  I stared at it.  But I refused to let it pass my lips.

And as for the body-shaping approach, my workouts have been consistent and progressive.  Yep.  Life is boogie-oogie good!

"Let's see,"

as I wander into my closet this morning,

"how about this little black skirt,

this fitted feminine white blouse,

and nude pumps...for this fantastic Friday...?"

And so onward I go.  Oh, it most certainly will get more challenging in the weeks ahead.  One can't expect to keep up that pace week after week.  But it is a very motivating start toward the end.

Arsenal for today:  I'm reminded by a friend to plan my meals out ahead of time.  After all, eating out is the biggest challenge a dieter faces.  It's easy to plan our meals, weigh our meals, choose wisely when we're at home.  But when we are out, seduced by good times or laughter or friends or romance, the intoxicating aroma of yummy food dulls our senses.  We don't reason as well.  We make excuses.  Planning ahead is definitely the way to go.  Get online, pick your menu choices, and stick to your game plan.

I'll be enjoying wine today -- hell yeah, it IS Friday after all -- but I want to be prudent about my eating.  I can do this.  I'm looking ahead ... oh, there she is... yes, I see her... there she is... she's looking very fit for her age, in that classy, flattering cocktail dress...who is she?  Who is THAT woman?  That is the woman of my vision.

And I refuse to blink.

Dreadful Hot Weather

It was a long, hot day in July...

The opening line of my exciting boring book?

Nah.  Just stating facts.  It's that time of year that I want to be parked in an air-conditioned room and wait out the heat.  It drains me, this humidity of mid summer mixed with crazy hot temps.  And just to make sure I'm sufficiently miserable, Mother Nature says, "I know, let's send another relentless surge of hot flashes her way!" ... Mwuahahahaha

You evil woman, you.  And just when I thought I'd "outgrown" them.  Ha!  Yeah, right.  Something tells me I have very little control over this merciless phenomenon.  But in mid July?

Fifty-Somethings of the world, there is no mercy.

I am woman; watch me suffer.

So I drive home with the AC (and the tunes) cranked, pull into the driveway, drag my butt into my cool, dimly lit  -- shades all drawn -- home, and begin peeling off my glued-on clothes.  I quickly change into my standard uniform, a tank and shorts, and throw together some sliced chicken breast and several slices of fresh COOL cucumbers from my garden.  It's day two of back-to-back days of little to no carbs after a weekend of debauchery.  Everyone should have one cheat DAY a week.  It keeps our furnaces happy AND HOT.  But an entire weekend isn't recommended.  (The plan was to limit it to one beer on Saturday, but it resulted in two...and that scenario was repeated again on Sunday. Add to that chips and salsa.  And ice cream.  It's no wonder I'm craving carbs out the roof!)

I've been at this long enough to know how to turn it around pretty quickly.  And I also know that the longer the debauchery, the more torturous the extrication from it.  In this case, two days of low to no carbs, and I'm back to status quo, energy good, bloat gone, cravings gone.  Onward.

After a bite of dinner, I began checking emails... going over some loose ends from today's trial in court ... and then I began wandering on Pinterest...then Houzz.  Those sites are way too addictive.  Especially when it's hot outside, I'm feeling lazy and tired after a long day in court, and I want to occupy my mind with something that requires very little brain activity.

So it's cardio and Callanetics days for me, yesterday and again today, knowing I'd have to cut my workout at the gym short in order to get to work on time. Besides, it's just SO HOT.

Is it hot in here or is it just me?

What dreadful hot weather we have!

It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.

~ Jane Austen

So Weather Guy says we have another day of this suffocating humidity and heat, and then we get a break in the weather.  Thursday and Friday is shaping up very nicely.  Perfect.  I'll be at the gym those mornings, which will give me four days total at the gym this week -- Saturday is down in pen, my kickass leg/glute day.

And just when I needed a nudge of motivation to stay on get back on track, I get a call yesterday from my sweet, funny, smart and incredibly beautiful friend telling me about her new workout regimen with her new trainer to whip her ass in shape.  It's like she tossed a splash of gasoline onto my fading flickering flame. It's what I needed to kick MY ass back in gear.  Suh-weet!  Synchronicity.  Support and friendship and encouragement -- they're a powerful thing in this world where we long to be understood, a hardy high-five to keep our spirits elevated.  And that's how it's done.

Yes, you gotta want it bad enough to do the work yourself, or you'll fail miserably.  But it sure helps to know there's someone on the bleachers cheering you on.  Your biggest fan.  Go me.  Go YOU!  Kick Ass!

And SHE will.  She's got this.

Muscle Reduces Insulin Resistance

Scientists have found that people with low muscle mass

were 67 percent more likely to be insulin resistant

than their brawnier counterparts. 

without enough muscle, your body struggles to use insulin to regulate blood.

WHILE ON VACATION AT MARCO ISLAND,

I ONLY WORKED OUT IN THE GYM TWO DAYS.

I POWER WALKED MOST MORNINGS

FOR AN AVERAGE OF 40 MINS...CARDIO.

BETTER THAN NOTHING, RIGHT?

OF COURSE IT IS.

AFTER ALL, I'M ON VACATION.

AND FOR THE RECORD,

ONE DAY WE WALKED FOR

ROUGHLY 1.5 HOURS -- 

AS FAR AS WE COULD GO DOWN MARCO BEACH

BEFORE COMING UPON A BARRICADE

FOR THE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY AREA.

TOUCHE!

SO TODAY WAS MY FIRST DAY BACK AT THE GYM

SINCE THE 25TH OF JUNE.

18 DAYS, AND ONLY TWO GYM VISITS.

TOO LONG.

I CAN BOTH SEE AND FEEL THE EFFECTS

OF MY PASSIVITY.

OOH.

I'M NOT GONNA DWELL ON THIS!

SO.

MY WORKOUT TODAY WAS BRUTAL.

MY BODY HAS LOST

ENDURANCE

STRENGTH

POWER.

I FEEL LIKE A MARSHMALLOW.

TURNING THIS AROUND.

I'VE BEGUN TRACKING MY MACROS.

I'M EATING CLEAN AND CALCULATED.

METHODICALLY BALANCED.

GET IT DONE.

Good Things Come to Those Who Work

Morning coffee on the porch while reading magazines...
A protein bar with that morning coffee...
Feeling focused after another successful clean-eating week...
A blue-skies, gorgeous sunny day...
A kick-ASS glute/ab/hamstring workout...
Leaving the gym soaked to the bone (and hungry!)...
A yummy chocolate Trutein shake post-workout with an ounce of Cheerios...
My latest chalk painting project(s) waiting to be finished...

And it’s the weekend!

Can't get much better than this.

(Not much.)

Obsessions

I figure I have two more years to prepare an Easter Bunny basket -- Colton will graduate in two years from high school -- and then my empty nest will truly lie empty of "eggs" ... chocolate bunnies... and gummies ... and jelly beans.  Yes, I know.  He's too old for baskets?  Never.  Can't traditions live on?

And even though my sons like their chocolate, they far prefer the "gummy" stuff --the gummies, skittles, fruit chews, jelly beans ...

Me?  I could totally pass up the gummy stuff any day of the week.  It pretty much does nothing for me.  Way too sweet for my tastes.  Give me my chocolate!  And I especially love a mix of chocolate and coconut ...oh, sweet mercy sakes...different story.

Speaking of jelly beans, my husband asked me, "So where's MY Easter candy?" Translated:  "Where's my jelly beans?"  Again.  Traditions.  I usually buy him a bag of jelly beans -- at least one -- every Easter.  Avoiding eye contact, I told him he doesn't get any this year because he's getting too old, too fat, and and he never goes to the gym or works out.  Yep.  I was blunt.  I was.  I smiled when I said it, but he knew I was dead serious.  Tough love.

I survived the holiday food and pigouts for the most part Easter.  By middle of the afternoon Easter Sunday, the sun bright and hot, I'm out on the patio pidding, thinking -- look at me, I've eaten clean and on plan all week, all WEEKEND ...EAU YEAH, EAU YEAH... peacocking around, so proud that I'd not caved to crappy food debauchery.

So much for my gloating grandstand.  Out of nowhere, around 5:30 it hit.  I was starving!  And then the cravings hit.
I ended up eating two handfuls of Tostitos -- the Fiesta flavored ones?  OMG, they're SO CRUNCHY AMAZING.  And a cookie -- BUT a little one!  Oh, yeah, and a rather BIG serving of the banana pudding that I'd made for Colton for Easter dinner dessert.  (I wanted to just dive head first into that heavenly fluff!)  So.  Not horrible, but bad enough to send my blood sugar soaring ... taunting me for more. Enough to entreat that little meanie, hopping up on my left shoulder, whispering in my ear..."What a shame...I just chew around on all the bland and boring healthy food and everyone else gets to eat the good stuff, the chocolate, the pudding, the chips, the candy, the rolls....such a shame...poor me..."

I fought it for a while and eventually decided on doing some light cardio.  Cardio always makes it easier to calm the cravings.

I'm glad it's back to normal today, my blood sugar.  I've eaten on plan all day and have pretty much had very little carbs to speak of.  A very low day in carb rotations, which works like a charm after a cheat day (high carb day).  Granted, they weren't the best choice of high carbs, but I think they served their purpose. All is calm today.  Smooth sailing.  Appetite in check.  Energy good.

I did 30 minutes of cardio this morning and then finished with about 25 mins of a giant set for upper body -- lateral raises, shoulder presses, tricep extensions, bicep curls, and bent over rows.  I did 8-12 reps of each exercise, no resting in between exercises, then I rested for one minute after the circuit.  I repeated the circuit for three sets.  Love those fabulous BURNS.  Just wear.it.out.  Obsessed...nah.

A little bit of cardio on tap for tonight in between loads of laundry.

I stayed the same weight on the scale this week, which kind of pissed me off a little, but I knew that it wasn't the full story.  All my clothes were looser this past week than the week before -- YES, THEY WERE! -- and I was feeling tons leaner.  That awesome "zoned" feeling.  That look-at-me-I-got-this-nailed kind of leaning.  That scale number is just a stupid little number that tells me nothing.  I wasn't gonna let it discourage me.

I KNOW what I'm doin... mova outta da way, world.  I got this.