LWL #253 May 1-7
 

Morning LWL!

Happy May Day! Where is everyone?

I had a pretty good weekend. Went on a 70 min hike in Runyon Canyon on Saturday with the dog. We got him some “saddlebags” so he could carry water and stuff, he looked so cute in his little red backpack and got lots of compliments. I went down and up both big hill trials, first time I’ve ever done that in the same day, and my glutes could tell I did some work!

On Sunday I went to relaxation yoga and took my rollerblades out for about an hour. I’m pretty good at going forward and can make wide turns, using the back brake is going to take some more work.

Food was pretty good this weekend, no major indiscretions.

My office is closing at 1pm today due to the immigration reform marches. I’m so glad, I was worried I was going to be stuck in traffic for hours trying to get home today. This way I’ll have plenty of time to go home and relax a bit even before going to yoga.

Thanks for starting the thread, Shan! My day started way too early at the gym to get to the computer first.

Weekend workouts were on, but food was off on Saturday night. Ugh- spent Sunday with an upset tummy. So not worth it!

Rabbit- Congratulations on opening the pool yourself :bravo: When we had a pool, several houses ago, DH acted the same way. I discovered that opening it really wasn't all that difficult, but closing it for the season really is a lot harder!

Back on track today, lots of water, and it was leg day :strong:

Today's trivia: according to a blurb in some magazine, it takes 5970 lunges to work off the calories in a small Dairy Queen Chocolate Cookie Dough Blizzard. I'm assuming those are unweighted, walking lunges.

Have a good one,
Mel

:dizzy: That's a lotta lungeing!

I'm BACK! Back to 110% :hyper: Frus-ness! :dancer: :woo: YAHOOOOOOOO!

I'm feeling SO much better after a lazy weekend :D

I'm off to the gym at lunch, just because I can! Mum and Dad are coming down tonight till Friday morning, so it will be complete madness! Mum and I are dress shopping and dad is gate-crashing so he is being packed off to the science museum and the electronics shops! I've got a 5K race tomorrow, then double kickboxing on Thursday, so I'm not forfeiting any exercise while they're here, which is good because I think the food side of things may be less than perfect - starting tonight, I'm taking them out for famous carrot cake :drool:

Oh yeah, this month I've decided to treat as a "maintenance month" and see what happens. I think I just need to chill the heck out! ;) I want to exercise because I WANT to, not because I'm trying to get my back and shoulders ripped for my pretty dress! :lol:

Hi LWL,

Mel - thanks for the compliment!!! Much needed, i can tell you, because when i started the pump yesterday DD came to tell me we had a waterfall on the roof of the shed!!! I was mortified, thought I had bust soemthing. but it turns out that a cover was unscrewed in the solar tubes on top of the roof of the shed. I just had not thought that there would be action requiren on the ROOF!. Anyway, things have sorted themselves out for now, but i was pretty depressed & stressed out yesterday!

today is better, although i got an email from XH that he is lowering payments, and do I not think it necessary that he has a normal relationship with the kids. My short answer is no, he forfeited that when he walked out on them with another. And my long answer is that this is for the kids to decide for themselves. Oh well, I had anticipated that he would stop paying, so I'm not surprissed. I forwarded the whole thing to my lawyer, for her to decide how to handle this. I'll t5ry to relax for the rest of the day.

have a great day all,
rabbit

Total chaos in my life lately and I am using that excuse to skip the gym, like snoozing away the morning is making things better. blah. Anyway working until about midnight tonight so I am scheduling my next day at the gym for Tthursday, UBWO with some cardio.

Weather is grey here, my mom came back from Florida to this and she is not amused.

RABBIT - Amused at how the pool opening went, do you remember the old saying from the 70's? In order to be thought half as good as men, women have to do twice as much, luckily this isn't difficult. Obviously you don't have the drama level of the Ex.

2FRU - did I miss the dress selection, last I remembered you were trying them on.

Food has been pretty sensible between choice and portion control. I have been really loving the whole wheat couscous with green beans for some reason. Could be worse.

:hug: to you Rabbit! I worked for a divorce lawyer for years, and am constantly amazed at how some people (usually men!) feel that child support and visitation are tied together. They are not! These men are the fathers of their children and have a responsibility to pay for their care, whether or not they agree with how often and when they visit with them. In our state, the older the children are, the more say they have (vs their parents) in how much and when they see the non-custodial parent. End of rant. :)

Well, I can tell I gave my arms a workout last night! And just as I went to sleep I realized I never did my tris! :eek: The gym owner came by and I started talking to her, and when I was done, I went and did my cardio, completely spacing out that I had finished my workout. Duh!

I have a great home-packed clean day of food here at work, and I'm doing a spinning class tonight. Life is good. Have a great day everyone. :wave:

Rabbit – Sorry the XH continues to be such a #%$&@:censored:!

2Fru - Enjoy the visit with the parents. Glad you’re not letting that get in the way of your exercise, I hate it when guests disrupt my routine. :p

Yoga was hard yesterday, I can really feel it in my shoulders and quads.
I can do this! Who knew?
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../shoulder9.gif
I did it from standing position though. I worked my hands towards each other along a strap and the instructor had to come by and help me find my fingers behind my back and arrange my shoulders a bit (always too tense in the shoulders!) but I did it. I did not do so well with the downward dog push-up thingies (that’s a technical yoga term), I must have collapsed on my mat about three times. I’ve really got to work on push-ups in general, my upper body strength has improved a lot but I still can’t seem to lift my own body weight. In my wildest dreams I will be able to do a pull-up one day.

I think my body needs a little adjustment time today. I’ll just go for a walk or maybe a little rollerblading tonight and some gentle stretching. The boyfriend is taking me out for Italian for lunch today, it’ll be nice to get away from the office for a bit. I’ll just have to make sure I don’t overdo it on the garlic knots. :drool:

Hi all....have been going through a rough period. My sister was diagnosed with cancer in October....it's been a horrible time, and she suffered from constant pain. She passed away a week ago Thursday. Guess I'm bringing it up because I want to tell you all that no matter how much you...or your doctor discount your aches and pains, follow up on them, don't wait. My sister was suffering from severe back aches, and put off going to the doctor, thinking that they would get better...turned out she had three tumors on her spine, and the cancer had already spread throughout her body. Get your checkups, your mammograms, be alert and aware and don't procrastinate!

Anyhow, if her cancer, and my breast cancer 7 years ago haven't made me evaluate and reevaluate my life, nothing will. I am determined to no longer put off anything that is positive and life affirming. I have started doing my art again. I have been super careful about my diet, am working out on a regular basis...and if I can only catch up on my sleep, think I may really be heading in the right direction.

Went away for the past weekend with three friends, and while we ate out every meal, tried to eat healthy (lots of fish), and managed to either swim or workout or hike to balance the caloric excess. And we all shared one dessert each dinner, which I found satisfying....a little taste, and not enough to feel guilty.

The weather has been great, the sun is rising earlier each morning, and I have cut back on the personal training so that I only have clients in the evening, and so I can enjoy the morning hours.

My emotional state may be a little wobbly, but I am determined to move forward....

Susan

Susan I am so sorry to hear of your loss... :hug: ...

SUSAN - I am so sorry to hear about your sister and the pain.

Susan- I'm so sorry to hear about your sister.
And thanks for the reminds- I have a mammogram and colonoscopy reminder that's been sitting on my kitchen counter for the past 2 months. I'll make those appointments.
:hug:
Mel

:hug: to you Susan. Nothing is worse than losing a loved one, especially to this awful disease.

I know first hand how much people discount aches, pains, etc. Took DH over 4 months to get correctly diagnosed with cancer when his initial complaint was back pain. Fortunately he is in remission after a year of treatment including two bone marrow transplants.

Susan...I'm so sorry to hear about your sister...It must have been a very intense time for you. Good of you to show up on the forum again. And especially good of you to remind us all about the importance of really living each day to the fullest, and making positive chooices for yourself.

Hugs,
rabbit

Susan, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. :hug:

Susan, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. It is important to remember to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. Be gentle with yourself during this difficult time.

I haven't been exercising, things have been too hectic. I did go for a hike on Sunday though. Tomorrow, I leave on my trip for China and I'll be back in a few weeks.

I've been poked and prodded by the doctors to find out what is wrong with me. I do have gall stones but it doesn't look like they are impacting any bodily functions so I got the doctor's approval to go on my trip. I may eventually need to have surgery. The doctor's orders are to avoid greasy foods and fried foods. Good general advice :)

I hope everyone is doing well.

Susan, I’m so terribly sorry to hear about your loss. :hug: I hope you find the comfort and strength you need with friends and family to get through this very difficult time.

Nelie- I hope they can figure out what’s going on soon! In the mean time enjoy your trip to China and take good care of yourself. Look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

Hi all. Thanks for the kind thoughts.

Nelie - have a fabulous trip!!!

Did something stupid last night, and feeling achey today as a result. Was doing upper body work along with a client, with her using 3 pound weights in three types of boxing motions. Macho (or is it macha?) me used the 5 pound weights. Dumb! My back is aching like crazy. Found the exercises in David Kirsh's New York Exercise Plan book (not sure of exact title) and clients seem to find it a fun set of exercises; I like it because it is compound and good for toning as an alternative to the heavier, slower exercises I have them do.
Wish I like taking baths, really could use a nice hot one right now. Oh well, lots of stretching tonight should help.

Hope all of you are having a good day.

Susan

Hi LWL,

Nelie - have a good trip!!!

No exercise safar this week, kids have holiday so my routine is busted. Also, with all the things going on simultaneously I thought it good to take it very easy. I postponed a visit to my sister so I had 2 days extra rest without committments.

Today i had a phone call from my lawyer regarding XH and his email about lowering payments. Her plan of action is quite swift: Go to court for preliminary asettlements right away. I have just come back from a round of gathering papers in the different county offices where we currenly live, where the kids were born & where I got married, and she has arrranged for a court hearing in 2 weeks time. Surprising really, and I was sad when I gathered the papers because this really is another phase I'm entering now.

I'm still mentally adjusting to the idea that my divorce is now entering court.

have a great day all,
rabbit

Rabbit, you're very wise. Rest when you can. And eat nutritious and delicious food. Sad things take it out of you. And so do anger-inducing ones. :hug:

Off for dinner now. I think a load of salad, some home-made wholewheat bread and ... some lovely mackerel or sardines. Heaven.

Susan, I've seen that NY Body Makeover book you're talking about. Didn't do anything with it, though! :( But now I'll have to give it another onceover when it comes available in the library again since you're recommending! (I'll stay away from the boxing though!)

RABBIT - Sorry to hear about your continuing situation. Don't overextend yourself. I won't help the situation. Kids on holiday always seem funny to me, I love to spend time with DD when she is off from school but I am exhausted keeping up with a 7 YO.

On the subject of DD, we found a nearby pool with great family swim times, I am thinking how to add that into our schedule but am also holding firm I need to off load some other things first. Just realized I have been on a couple of committees or in groups for 15 years, I need to refresh and reorganize to reflect what I am doing now. So I am thinking there is some serious pool time in our future.

Food is a mess though today, and I am going for Thai food so I will have lots of veggies there. Trying to get to the bottom of everything on my desk. I am winning though I can tell, the pile is going down faster than people can add to it. Goal today is to get out a little early, it is bright and sunny here so maybe DD and I can hit the playground before dinner. :jig:

UBWO at home tonight, need to kick on the cardio tomorrow, and glad to see the family calendar is blissfully clear. :yes:

Friend from England coming in over the weekend but won't meet up with her until Monday. Maybe we can get together another time while she is here, she actually lives in Ibiza now, and we will be staying with her this summer, so I don't feel too pressured to get all my Sue time now. LOL.:love:

hrbabe, let me know what you think of the NY Body Makeover. I have been doing it at home on my own for the past two weeks, in addition to some heavier upper body work, and am finding it very effective--am now in a smaller size pants. I'm bottom heavy, so can't go heavy on weights for lower body, and the different types of squats and lunges and cardio component have really worked for me. I can't do a number of the plyo exercises he suggests as I have a bad knee, but substitute my minitrampoline and treadmill for those.

Rabbit do you have to go to court in person, or can your lawyer represent you? I stayed away from court during my divorce, so I don't have those bad memories to deal with.

Liza, hope you decide on the pool thing with DD...it is such a nice way to spend summer time...

Silverbirch, do you just eat the mackeral and sardines right from the cans? How do you prepare them? I know they are supposed to be really good for you.

Got a good nights sleep and did about 45 minutes of the NY workout this morning, as well as extra treadmill. Haven't been getting any new clients at the gym...things are getting slower, and am going to focus on ME for a while.

Susan

Hi LWL,

Thanks for all the encouragement I get from you all!

Susan - I have to go to court in person, but presently I just see it as one other thing to deal with.

Thanks also for the support in the idea to take it really easy these days... I was not emotionally stable in the beginning of this week, so I really have to take care not to overdo things. Right now I'm trying to put in some houors of work at home, but I"ll take 1 - 1.5 day off to compensate for not making it for the beginning of this week.

Great news on the DD front..she got contactlenses yesterday and she loves it!! I'm very very happy for her as she has quite strong glasses at the moment. I know it is not a really big issue to have strong glasses, but as a girl, and entering secondary school next year, and already being quite small, I feel it is good for her to find out that she can enter into the world of the big children, and not having glasses certainly boosts her self esteem. Apart from that, I got a lot of headaches from having similar strong cilinders in my glasses, and with lenses at least she will not have that problem.

Glorious weather here, I'm off to do some work & then get into the swing of the holidays again.

Liza - definitely see if you can shed some of the 15 yr old comittee memberships & spend some time with DD in the pool!
have a great day all,
rabbit.

:wave:

Hello all! :hug: for all you guys going through tough times.

Eating has been appalling, but nice :lol: I'm full to bursting and I don't think I'll have to eat for at least 3 days! :lol: I had fun with my Mum and Dad, I've chosen THE DRESS - it's a sparkly one, with a lace overlay halter/choker neck. It's BEEEEEYUTIFUL! It's one I tried on before, then I went looking at others, just to make sure!

I'm back at the gym tonight! I have about 2 hours before :yoga: so I'll do a full body weights workout and some cardio. Just need to catch up on my kickboxing classes that I missed, then I'll be A-OK :D

Tinned/canned fish
 

:wave: Good morning, everyone!

Well, Susan, I arrange them nicely on a plate first! :rofl: I buy ones which are canned in extra virgin olive oil and then drain all that off. (Any drips which remain I count as being good for me. :D ) Then, I usually have them with a couple of slices of wholewheat bread or oatcakes, and salad*. I might have the sardines on toast. Toast one side of the wholewheat or other whole grain bread, arrange the sardines on top and flash under the grill again.

(*N.B. For me, salad usually means a pile of raw vegetables without dressing. I've never been a salad dressing person and the lovely taste is enough. I occasionally add a splash of balsamic vinegar to cut the oil.)

I also sometimes have tinned rollmop herrings if I can't find any which aren't tinned. (These are herrings cured with onions, juniper berries and vinegar.) I just love fish. We eat a lot of different fresh fish as well. Last night we had halibut poached gently in milk with a couple of bay leaves, new potatoes (var. Charlotte) with ... a pile of raw veg.

Rabbit, you eat fish pretty regularly too, don't you? Did you mention eels or did I imagine that?

Pool and playgrounds sound nice. The weather was scorching here yesterday (25C) so I could see these in my future.

2F - phew about the dress! Happy you're happy about it. :)

Have a good day, everyone. We can do this, one step at a time. That's all it takes.

SUSAN - I am thinking that realistically I will schedule the pool activities for this fall, right now I am into simplifying and my brother is more than willing to take DD with him and his son who is 5 months apart in age from DD. During the summer she goes to Splash Camp, and as you can tell pool time everyday, unless it is Friday and then it is Beach day. I really don't like the pool but may get into it for the workout and the stamina building.

Did some intervals this morning on the treadmill, I do feel better with that type of workout and the elliptical program reverses direction every once in a while, that is a workout.

NELIE must be flying to China at this point right?? What a great adventure.

RABBIT - Great on the lenses for DD, in fact, I think in a lot of cases, kids do better with the contacts as they fit the eye better, staying focused so the eyesight is better overall.

Beautiful weather today, allergies are kicking but whatever. I am making fajaitas for Cinco de Mayo tonight, brown rice and black beans too. I have found some WW tortillas that are very good as well though DH and DD are not yet going there with me.

2FRU - Congratulations on the dress selection, everything else is easy right?

SILVER - Love fish, love sardines, love it all, sardines with tomato, not packed in tomato as much as slices of tomato. Great stuff. Love eels too, glad to have a large Japanese community near by as they have lots of smoked eel in the stores.

Off to get some more water, have my yogurt, raspberries and whey, the vanilla whey adds some flavor to the plain yogurt so it works well together.

Achoo, the allergies are really knocking me. Terrible sleep last night. Got up late, ate breakfast because I was hungry so I won't do my upper body workout until noon. Going to keep on track as much as possible though being outside is not on my agenda.

Laziest weekend ever. I think I got a little too much Cinco de Mayo in me on Friday, that lunch we were served at the all staff meeting made me feel all bloaty. I did nothing yesterday, I just wasn’t into moving so much. I took the dog out for about 30 min so I guess that’s better than nothing but not what I would call a work out.

I think I’ll do a home strength workout and maybe take the rollerblades out for a run. I’ll be spending the evening at Israel Fest in the Valley to see a band, only $5 entrance fee! Cheap entertainment in LA, wow. And there will probably be falafel (don’t worry I’ll skip the chips ;)).

Back on track tomorrow, Mondays have a way of getting me back on routine, even thought they are pretty much evil.

Hope everyone else is having a good weekend.