Shannon, I hope your shoulder is better today.

Lydia, I bought the book by Gary Taubes. I'll let you know what I think, but it looks good. Thanks for the recommendation.

Rhonda: Oh No! I feel responsible for a purchase now. Actually, I'm really enjoying it. What he ends with is information I was pretty much following most of the time or at least leaned toward when deciding what to eat. The difference now is I have a better understanding as to why its effective.

It also gave me a different perspective as to how our bodies select to use food from our diet. And I don't know if you recall how phobic I am about adding fat back into my diet...this book helped me become a little more comfortable with adding things like olive oil and nuts back into my diet. A little...

Lydia, I've read about half of it this evening. I'm particularly enjoying the perspective that makes you re-think the common wisdom of calories in-calories out. I'm NOT enjoying thinking about so much carb restriction. But, I understand the point.

I'm not ready to eat only 20 grams of carbs a day, but I do see ways that I can get rid of a lot of them. I've already moved from body weight in grams of carbs to 100 grams of carbs, so I know I can eat fewer.

Good morning, good morning. I've had trouble the last couple of days with my AC, had to wait for service guys, didn't sleep well the last two days, blew off my workout yesterday because I was exhausted. Shoulder feels better, though.

Shannon, our compressor blew- it took 2 days to get it fixed, then it broke again within an hour of the repairman leaving. Then we were told that it would take 10 days to get a new one. I emailed the real estate agent who sold the house to us because she had recommended these people. I had a new compressor the next day.

It made me so mad. My father was an electrical contractor who also did AC work. I told the agent that I remember that he would go wherever he had to go, do whatever it took, to get people's problems fixed so they wouldn't suffer and it just seemed to me that someone else could do that too. Imagine that!

Glad to hear that the shoulder is better. My knee is not hurting so much, but it is swollen still. The medial area of the knee, both below and above the patella, has been as sore as a boil. The physio said that is the hamstring tendon.

My goodness Rhonda you truly suffering over there. I'm so sorry this is still swollen. That really seems troublesome. Any idea how long this could take...tendons take a while too.

Getting ready today for guests. Lots to do but it's all happy stuff. Got in three really great workouts this week. I really like that each day's workout is completely different. Kind of like opening up a present each day. Monday's was tabata...box jumps, squats, and handstand pushups (still doing mine off a box) I was so sore on Tuesday I had to take a rest day. Really ripped up my quads. Wednesday was a sweatfest: doubleunders pullups and push presses. Funny thing about double unders. I've been working on these myself for over a year...and Maggie had me doing my first one in less than two minutes. Those people are amazing. It's their technique in cueing.Totally spot on. Today was just fun for me. Front squat and muscle ups. I seriously should have gone heavier on the front squat but I really wanted to focus my efforts on learning the muscle ups. Ahem...it wasn't as fluid as I would like...but it's coming.

Now, I'm just hungry.

Have a great morning everyone.

Lydia, however long it takes, it's too long!!! I want my deadlifts! But, the good part is that I can now feel a stronger rush with chest presses Just gotta get the rush!

Crossfit sounds like fun. I'm going to check out some of the routines and see what I can do.

Nice job on the chest press rush, Rhonda!

Lydia - I can't do double unders to save my life. I've almost fallen flat on my face more times than I can count. Congrats on hitting them!

I've been such a slug the last two days. Have to get moving today. Have to have to have to.

Thanks, Shannon....and then there's those OH presses. Oh my, they are great. I can now do 3 sets of 10 at 55 pounds.

My trainer told me that I have "ripped" posterior deltoids. Oh, I'm in love!!

Here's a cute story for everyone:

Yesterday I took my great niece and her almost half-sister (it's complicated) out for the afternoon. They are 7 and 5 years old. The 5- year- old was born in France and she has just returned from a visit there. I asked her if her Dad's parents were still alive and did she see them. She said yes, she saw them but "they are old." I said that they would have to be because they were her Dad's parents. The she says---get ready--"Some old people are still alive." Isn't that just great?? Here's to being old and alive at the same time!

Lydia, I finished the book. Am trying to keep carbs at 100 grams a day. Will see what happens.

Did you enjoy the book? I'm still reading it, I've had friends staying with me from out of town for a few days so my reading has been shelved till later this week. You know, I haven't focused upon grams of carbs taken in daily but just the macro percentage but looking at one of my days online from fitday I saw it was just around 85. Hmmm. This could be interesting.

Okay. I'll finish the book later this week and check back in to see how your week is going with the 100. By the way, what were your thoughts on the book if you don't mind sharing.

Oh. And loved your nieces insight...too funny. Saw it the other day but really only had time to peek into the forum at that time.

Here's to delts.

Anybody seen Mel? My friend Lisa Long will be at the games in Masters, too. I told her. My friend from online was going, too, and she said to say hi if you get a chance. I told her I wasn't sure what your real name might be, so you would just have to introduce yourself if you want to. Lisa is on the gym cleaning crew with me, and is awesome, super nice. If you introduce yourself, you'd have a cheering section if you need one!

A bunch of us did the Warrior Dash here in WA. It was very well run, and a lot of fun. Great mud and obstacles! We didn't try to race, just stayed together, which was fun.

Did I say already, that I finally got a 1-arm overhead squat? Only with the 15 pound bar, but with my tight shoulders, it was a big moment for me, lol!

I'm scaling wods right now, and am starting to see improvements in my sprints and ability to keep the intensity higher. It's still a butt-kicking, just in a different way.

Strongman isn't scheduled till November now. I still need some goals or a plan for what to do till it's time to focus on strongman training. Asked my trainer tonight if he would help me come up with something. I have to have goals or I just feel a bit..meh. Not sure if I should drop weight now, or not. Want to stay unlimited for strongman, and want that 300 deadlift if I can get it this year. Another question for the trainer.

PS to Mel, re training. Not sure if it helps, but Lisa's been doing the regular wod in the morning before work, the coming back what evenings she can for some skill work or an extra wod here and there. You can only do what you can, then go out and have fun. It should be fun, just IMO.

shannon, glad the shoulder is okay. We did squat cleans last night, thought I might have tweaked something on one when my elbows were moving in slow-mo. Feels okay today, but it reminded me to be more careful!

Rhonda, hope you can deadlift soon. How about single leg deads with a kettlebell? Those are pretty good. Not quite the same fun as a barbell, but you can work the good leg, and get some crosstraining effect for the other one.

Lydia: I just looked up double unders. I won't be doing those! Those look like a lot of fun to do. Enjoy.

Now, about the book. As I said above, I really enjoy the perspective of trying to find the story behind the story. This is called "critical public health" in my former academic circles. I like that he talks about the European researchers' approach, but he doesn't say why they lost influence which really interests me. I wonder if they were lost in the Holocaust and related horrors. Or, it could be that the ones who came to the US just got swallowed up in our different approach. Both of those happened to European social scientists, that I know.

I like that he also asks (not pointedly enough for me) who benefits from the approach we are taking in the US. I'd be willing to bet that there are some Masters and PhD theses on this topic. A question would be about the timing/connection between the US emphasizing grains in nutrition and the political decisions to subsidize grains/agriculture. He does mention it, but I'd bet there is a lot to it. I'm not suggesting that the government decides to subsidize grain growers and then instructs public health on its approach. But, things happen

I've also been reading the Daily Apple site. I read yesterday that there are people who claim to eat meat only. I can't imagine that as a way of life, but they are claiming to feel great and have a lot of energy. I won't be trying that- not even all organic

I believe that there needs to be more exploration of pollutants, especially in the water, and the obesity epidemic, and have read that those are underway. Hormones in the water have affected young girls' breast development for sure.

More individually, I'm not finding it too difficult to stick to 100 carbs. I've lost 2 pounds in less than a week and if that sticks, I'll change the ticker. I've changed only the carb level.

Cheryl: I am doing single leg deadlifts with a KB, body weight squats, leg presses and various things. The orthopedist said NO bending the knees more than 45* I'm trying to maintain the strength, but know that I'll lose some. I'm seelng the massage therapist today to see if she can do anything about the swelling.

I just drool at being able to get back to deadlifts. 300 pounds?! I'm living that, vicariously And, congratulations on the one-arm squat! I just looked at those on-line. I don't see too many people doing those at the gym.

Rhonda - funny comments from your niece. Kids entertain me. How goes the carb adventure?

Cheryl - wow, 1 arm OH? I can barely do an OH press with both arms. Ick.

I started a FB workout again yesterday, hope to do it three days per week. Though, I like the calorie burn of the CF-ish db circuits, so might not stick to the slower paced workout for long... Running today, but the rain has moved me in to the treadmill.

I thought about a Warrior Dash, they had one on my birthday down here, but just couldn't do it. Obviously, I run inside from some rain, the warrior dash would kill me. I such a baby.