Oh, happy, I'm flying over for the flowers and smoothie in your garden!! Sounds great.
I liked your advice to Raven. And, I like your saying not to fall back on old ways. This is what I'm trying to do now. I feel a bit of strength, or resolve building inside me....something I think that is going to get me where I've been saying I want to go for so long........

Thanks for the encouragement to us all!

Raven, jolly, derry, a big hello!

Happy, you offered such wise advise on your last two posts. What you said to Raven was so good! I actually smelled some roses (oddly enough in a funeral arrangement that was at my church when I was there for a quilting group) yesterday and went over to them more than once. Odd way of thinking for me, but I kept viewing this totally awesome floral arrangement in my church and thinking it was such a waste of money... yet I loved and appreciated the flowers. Yet, when a person dies they are not seeing these flowers. The funeral was Monday, the people came and went home and the gorgeous flowers sit there all by themselves in a church and then die. This particular arrangement was probably the most eleborate and beautiful arrangement I've seen in my lifetime, yet not being SEEN by anyone. I just happened to see it and then brought a few of my fellow quilters in to see it as well. We all agreed that it was among the most beautiful of floral arrangements we'd all ever seen, the perfection of these flowers was truly stunning. The mourners went home.... so why didn't someone think to donate these to a place where they would be seen and appreciated? By the time we have church on Sunday, they will be dead, or at least in poor condition. The beauty that was there to be seen was just not being seen. Hmm.... maybe one could turn this story into something we can learn from about our weight loss efforts? I loved the daily litany thing you said, Happy. I'm right there. Yesterday, I over ate beyond what I should have had, yet again. I skipped my workout. Was I doing anything to take care of my body, which is a "temple" seeing as I am onto this religious way of thinking this morning with regard to the flowers in the church. Well, not exactly religious, I guess, but contemplating the waste of something beautiful. Are WE wasting something beautiful by not taking care of it? Something to think about. Those flowers are "invisible" and getting on appreciation. Is that what we truly want for ourselves, to be invisible and not be appreciated? Inside of each of us is a truly lovely human being and we are sabotaging.
Linda

Linda, you and I were on the same track yesterday with the idea that we are wasting something beautiful by not caring for ourselves better. I was thinking about respect. I was thinking, "Show some respect!" for my body. Is it showing respect to be putting cakes and cookies and candy and junk into it? I say, "No!" Also, I was thinking, the way we look shows how much we respect ourselves, the image we present to the world, and how much we will allow others to look at us and either think, "not very pulled together looking" or the opposite. I had been eating only really healthy things and it felt really good. My body/mind was happy. Then I had some days of sugar and no fresh veggies or fruit and I felt nowhere near as good. Yes, I think our bodies (not our minds) really, really want this good food. Let's show them some respect!

RESPECT yourselves! Great analogy Red!
I shall try harder today. I really will.
Linda

You are rockin' this morning chickies!!!! That song "Respect Yourself" is going to be in and out of mind all day long. Let's rock! And I soooooo agree with you about the beauty wasted Linda - in all aspects...

And with all of this in mind, I am off to get on that treadmill!
Go for it girls!
Linda

Heh happy, "Respect Yourself" (Staple Sisters) is great but how 'bout "Respect" by Aretha Franklin too. Jive with these words....
Download 'em off limewire.com if you don't have 'em...




Yeah baby (re, re, re ,re)
Whip it to me (respect, just a little bit)

Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)
I get tired (just a little bit)
Keep on tryin' (just a little bit)
...
I got to have (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)


R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T

And here, I must add the lyrics to "Respect Yourself" by The Staple Singers, according to Billboard Magazines, one of the top 500 all time hits!

if you disrespect anybody that you run in to
how in the world do you think anybody's s'posed to respect you
if you don't give a heck 'bout the man with the bible in his hand
just get out the way, and let the gentleman do his thing
you the kind of gentleman that want everything your way
take the sheet off your face, boy, it's a brand new day
respect yourself, respect yourself
if you don't respect yourself
ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na na
respect yourself, respect yourself
if you're walking 'round think'n that the world owes you something cause
you're here you goin' out the world backwards like you did when you
first come here keep talkin' bout the president, won't stop evolution
put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that'll help the solution
oh, you cuss around women and you don't even know their names and you
dumb enough to think that'll make you a big ol man


With that, I'm going quilting! Peace! All this 60s and 70s music makes me think of my old "hippy" days....
Linda

Good morning all. Wow. Very powerful messages this morning. I feel things stirring inside me again - inspiration trying to float to the top. I do agree that self respect and self love are an important part of this journey. And how we look does tell the world what we think of ourselves and what we will accept from others.

I did not work out this morning. It was pouring rain out, so I did not walk the dogs or do the run I had planned. I also didn't get it together enough to go to the gym. Tomorrow. Tonight I go ride.

Have a great day all.

Happy -

You're exactly right. And those are the things I've been mulling about in my own brain. Am I saying I've learned nothing from the past? I'm saying I'm afraid I might not have. I have certainly repeated behaviors often enough to be afraid I might do it again.

Like you... I just have to want it bad enough to face the fears. I do want to work with horses, that's true. And that's why this time I really have GOT to find a way to work through this. In the last three years, I've gotten to a certain point three times, and then run screaming. It gets old.

I want this to be the last time I have to start over to this degree. I understand down the road from talking to people doing maintenance I'll never be able to just stop thinking about it. But good lord, how many times do I need to go through this?

It's all very easy to say we need to respect ourselves, to stand tall, to take the compliments and smile, to deal with our fears. I've been saying it for years. I'm getting better at actually *DOING* it, but I have a long, long ways to go.

And yes. It scares me. I feel no shame, finally, in admitting that. I don't feel bad about being frightened by the unknown. I just have to remember how I dealt with fear regarding other things, and apply it to this if I can. Take a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other.

So anyway... today I didn't work out. Tomorrow will either be my arms/shoulders split or Week 4 Day 1 of Couch to 5K. Not sure yet which I'll feel more like doing.

I'm hoping to be able to start pilates again this weekend. I kind of cringe when I think of getting down there on the floor and rolling across that part of my butt - I have to try, though, to find out if it's healed enough to handle it.

Food has been good, I need to keep reminding myself to drink more water.

The scale is going up, but that's to be expected with the addition of lifting into my routine. It will drop again, I know that.

And tonight - CSI Season Finale! I'm going to stop off at the store and pick up stuff for big salads and grill some chicken. *yum*

Raven, you can do this. You truly can. I can do this too. Just like you, the scale has been moving up. I've had it and won't let this happen any longer.... I say NO!
My dad broke his hip this morning, what a day! But, I didn't run screaming to the food, I took a nap. At least I didn't eat.
I did go on my treadmill this morning and plan to portion control dinner!
Doing what I can in beautiful NH,
Linda

Aw Linda! I'm so sorry to hear that! How is he doing? How are you doing?

I know why my scale numbers are going up. When you start lifting weights, it's just about unavoidable. Between the water retention from the muscles swelling when they're injured and the mass they gain when they heal, it's inevitable. It usually takes about three weeks for the scales to tip the other direction again. That's why I hadn't planned on adding weights in for another 2-3 weeks. I wanted to drop more on the scale first. Psychologically, it helps. But I'm ok with it. Better to be building muscle than not doing anything, eh?

Tonight I did the imitation grilled chicken caribbean salad. All your fruits, veggies and protein in one meal. Didn't turn out too badly at all, if I may say so myself.

I told my son to remind my of the pain I'm going through now if I ever think of quitting the working out again. God... ow.

Hi all. Well, I didn't make it out to the barn, and I am diving into the comfort food tonight. Why? Because my car got tagged last night with a gang symbol. Wonderful. I feel soooooo safe now. I have lived here 6 years, and never any problems. I keep to myself, mind my own business, and I get this??? It sucks so bad.

Linda, sorry to hear about your dad. I hope things go well. Good job staying away from the food. Raven, I am with you on CSI.

Catch you all later.

Jolly, What does it mean to have your car tagged with a gang symbol? Gosh, sounds like pure fun.... are you in a city area or suburbs?
Raven, what do you mean by "imitation" grilled chicken carribean salad, what part of it is an imitation?
Just started my day with a strange, but tasty, breakfast, sauteed "hash browns" (used leftover potatoes in non-stick spray with onion powder salt and pepper, a slice of swiss cheese (gotta get in the protein) and sliced tomato as well as a mini corn muffin (only 1 ww point each). It was 5 ww points... more than I usually have for breakfast, but satisfying. But, I am going to do a workout and get on the treadmill in a few minutes and earn myself back 2 ww points. I get 22 a day right now, and with exercise you earn back more points. You only get the points back if you "do the work". So, by having a bigger breakfast, you commit yourself right away to working out!
Linda, trying not to think about her dad today too much

Slightly less pain... Maybe slightly less, but no way in hades I was going to get those legs to run a Week 4 today. So it was shoulders/arms split today.

Fifteen pounds plus bar on presses (behind the neck and shoulder) two sets of 12. Two sets of 12 on bent over rear delt barbell row and upright row same weight.

Seven and a half pounds plus bar, two sets of 12 on tricep extension, dumbell curl, hammer curl, wrist and reverse wrist curls.

Food is good, water STILL needs improvement, and exercise is on track, if rather uninspiring and boring.

Though I have to say that upping the weight just that 5 pounds did make a difference from last week. I was just beginning to reach the ‘uh oh I don’t know if I can get this over my head again’ on the second set of 12 on the presses. So I’m starting to approach the failure zone. This is a good thing in weights. Pretty sad that it’s happening at a measely 15 pounds. *sour face* Once I’ve gotten my body used to this whole tossing metal thing again, I’ll probably go back to pyramids for a while.

Linda - I say imitation in that I'm imitating Chili's salad. It's the first time I've tried it. Your breakfast sounds good! How is your dad doing?

Jolly - Ok, that's just too .. scary/city for me. Gangs scare the crap out of me. One of the reasons I pulled my kids out of school. The gang activity here is not cool. Regardless if it's obvious or not, it's there. Had some stuff hit too close to home before we moved out to this area, and thought we were away from it. But I guess anywhere in the Atlanta area isn't free of it. *sigh* Oh, for land of my own... Out in the middle of nowhere. What did you think of CSI?? The part with the ants had me squicking all over the place.

Right. Off to work.