Five Things Friday

It's a free for all this Friday, so I'm going with the topic of Things I learned in February


ONE // Take care of yourself

After we lost Michael to alcohol, it's such an eye opening thing to me about how much we need to take care of ourselves any way we can.  So much we can't control about our health... but so much that we can.  I really always have been aware of things that are harmful to my body... but I'm even more on high alert.  Even more so for my friends & family.  If I slap something out of your hands that I think is harmful, just go with it.


TWO // I can do early morning runs

I hate working out in the morning.  I can't do morning work outs on work days because I would have to get up at 4:00am to do that... & that just ain't gonna happen...

But when I had to take my dad to the hospital for a surgery last week, I knew I would be too beat up to do my run when I got home, so I got up before I had to take him to the hospital &I got my run in.  It felt great to have it accomplished before I did anything else in the day.  My body sort of panicked the first 5 minutes, but it adjusted... morning sweats don't work for me.  But I did it...


THREE // I am lacking water

I used to be really good at drinking water.  I've been marking it lately & finding I'm basically the Sahara.  I'm not drinking nearly anything I used to.  That could explain why I've cut my bathroom trips down from 500 a day to a normal amount.  I need to start drinking up again.


FOUR // Stress wears on your body

With the loss of my brother in law & my dad being in the hospital, not to mention normal stress of life - snow storms, photography business issues, dirty house & laundry as tall as my head.... I can feel how stress really takes its toll.  The tension in the body, the rapid breathing, the worn out feeling of it all.  Not good.  I really need to look into that meditation thing more.


FIVE // My treadmill isn't so bad after all

I used to hate my treadmill.  I'd run in freezing weather or rain just to avoid it.  But for some reason, this time around during winter, I'm just not feeling up to getting outside.  I've really grown to love my treadmill.  Maybe because I can get on it in pajama bottoms or bright red knee high socks with running shorts... anything goes when no one can see you.  The Middle & Hot in Cleveland also has been my distraction while on the mill making it a laugh fest... laughter can distract me from a lot of things I usually don't like.

What have you learned this February?
 

Time to be aware....



I know I've been gone for awhile.

 

If you follow my Instagram or Blog #1 (link up at the top or the side) you've seen that my brother in law passed away one week ago today.

 

Add in there, my dad had a colon resection ...

 

let's just say life has kinda sucked lately.

 

You can check out Blog #1 to read about everything... I won't go into it here.

 

What I keep this blog for is to stay on top of health & fitness....

 

So that's what I'm going to focus on today.... because Michael's death made me realize something.  Things taken in excess is harmful....

 

Michael passed away due to his alcoholism.

 

I never knew alcohol could do the things it did.

 

It caused his liver to totally shut down. 

It caused his liver to grow to 5 times its normal size.

It caused his arteries in his esophagus to enlarge so much that they would rupture causing vomiting of blood.

It caused his pancreas to become inflamed causing issues.

It caused his kidneys to stop functioning, even turning against his already shot liver.

 

All because of alcohol.

 

Michael was told throughout the years of hospital visits that he HAD to stop drinking or he would die.

 

I think Michael thought he could handle it....

 

The excess of it - the lack of moderation - it caught up to him....

 

Why am I saying this? 

Because I think its so easy for us to take things in our lives that we think will never catch up to us, & we keep abusing it.

 

We can eat too much...

We can actually work out too much...

We can do things to our body that we never really think is harming it...

 

It can all effect us....

 

Alcohol just happened to be what caught up to Michael.

 

This is just heart breaking to think that Michael could have had control over his situation... but really, he couldn't.  That's what addiction is.

 

But do I have things I'm addicted to?  I may look at them as something simple but I don't see how it really truly is effecting me.

 

I think its a good time for us all to look at the things we do, we eat, we drink, we put into our bodies.... take note of it... be aware...

 

We have so much we have no control over in our lives...

let's be smart & in control of the things we can....

Ups & Downs of the week

DOWN // my brother in law is still in the hospital fighting all sorts of problems that spring up something new every day.  Dang it.  He needs prayers even more then before

UP // love seeing family gather to take care of each other

UP // I worked out every day this week... BAM! SNAP!

DOWN // my stomach has been all sorts of messed up ... actually its been that way since November... when we moved offices.  I think my nerves get the best of me.

UP // did oblique workout... with my side pain since November, I haven't worked out that area in awhile. It's improving so I went for it.  The love handles are calling for it....

DOWN // OOUUUCCCHHHH!!! Sore muscles.  Not working those muscles out for awhile, let me tell you - I FELT it... let me rephrase - FEEL it!!!

DOWN // .... & coughing from this sinus infection with sore stomach muscles?  I almost wanted to curse here.

This is me every time I feel a cough coming on

DOWN // Kinect work outs.  I stay green on the screen, I try not to move out of the area... but a dog will walk in front of it throwing it off... or it doesn't count the move when I obviously am doing it.  Like a rep of 20 - I end up doing like 35 & it only counts me as doing 7 & then tells me I need to step it up, I'm being lazy.  BITE ME KINECT!!!!

UP // I traded in my morning coffee a few days this week for Breakfast Tea ... & I did OK with it. Didn't feel a slump of sleepy.

UP // my WUN (what I call Walk/Run intervals) went fantastic on Monday.  I had no back pain, no knee pain.....

DOWN //.... but guess what has been killing since I started WUN'ing again ... my bicep tendon.  Swinging that stupid arm.  I swear, I'm buying a sling this weekend to wear when I'm hitting the pavement.  Not even joking.

UP // the word WUN

Hope you all had a great weekend...

 

& HAPPY VALENTINE'S to you all

Even if you don't have someone to share it with - LOVE YOURSELF!!

Go treat yourself to something... heck, I am married, will be celebrating & I'm STILL going to treat myself. Count on that!   A total UP!

{On the Soapbox} So glad I'm in the 30%

I am very vocal on my hate of medicine...

I HATE IT!!!

I hate that it causes more problems.... have you ever really listened to the side effects on commercials?
I hate that its so expensive...
I hate that it becomes addictive to some...
I hate the way it makes me feel...

I HATE IT!!!!!

& then I see this video this morning...

& it just endorses why I hate medicine in the US...

& it makes me so glad that I take no prescriptions... I thank God for that actually...

& it amazes me that only 30% of people don't take anything...

But sit back & listen... & laugh... & try not to be offended.  This is a Comedy Central show after all... but it has some really interesting facts...
___________

Side note... I'm not saying ALL medicine is bad... I totally know its needed by many... BUT I do believe its abused & OVER used in our country for exactly what this is talking about - profit only - not for the health of others.

What are your thoughts on this video?

 

What are your thoughts on Pharmaceuticals in the US?

Joining in with The Blonder Side of Life

I am a plan kinda girl....

This sinus infection is killing me... it honestly is lasting longer then any sinus infection I think I've ever had.  I am about ready to scream... or cry... or both...

Needless to say, this past weekend, I did zero, zippo working out.  I think I would have passed out if I tried.

I did get something in the mail that made me EXCITED about working out though...

I saw a deal on this a few weeks ago & decided to buy it.  After all, I do have my black belt - I KNOW martial arts. It's what is comfortable for me... & works me out... I love kick boxing. 

I have one of those personalities that wants to do things NOW ... so I thought I would start off Monday with this & jump into the program.

But then Monday came & I remembered something. I've registered for a 5k & a 10k in March....

So I stopped & devised a plan.

I really want to do these races. I miss races. The excitement of them.  So I'm holding off on starting the LesMills Combat until after the 10K on March 21st...

& I think it works out perfectly because I open up my Training book (Marathoning for Mortals) & look at the half marathon training plan & the exact number of weeks until the race, the training takes me up to 7 miles - perfect for a 10K

I laced up my shoes & got on the treadmill excited about this plan...

& even better - my first day on the TM was great. 

Now, be reminded, I am not going to push myself to crazy expectations. I'm in these races for fun - not to PR - not to do any more harm to my knee or low back.  I want to just do my New Years resolution - just move... enjoy life....

So while my first night was slow, I enjoyed moving... & better yet?  I had no back pain, no knee pain. 

My bicep tendon has flared up from swinging my arm again, but I'm used to that thing always aching....

& I know my back & knee will soon flare up, but fingers crossed that if I stay a slow pace, it wont be as bad... if at all (please Lord?)

... & the best part? I already know what I'm doing after the 10K... my LesMills program is waiting for me to get my kick on

I am a plan girl... I need a plan.. & its in full effect... & I'm excited about it...

Ups & Downs of the week

Friday... yes Lord!

 

Time to see how this week has gone

 

 

 

 

UP // I started off good. Walking on the treadmill... getting those miles in

 

DOWN// ... my sinus infection drop kicked me in the face... the nose to be exact

 

DOWN // My brother in law isn't doing very well right now, so lots of worrying & a trip to the hospital to check on him.  He's in liver & kidney failure right now... praying for the best.  He could use all the prayers he can get right now.

 

UP // Little coffee shops & their teas.  Yummy

 

DOWN // Starbucks & their tea?  Taste & SMELLS like cleaner fluid. Not even joking

 

UP // Scandal!!!! ... Dear Lord I love that show

 

 

DOWN // The sinus infection has had me up about every hour to cough & to basically know my throat has closed all the way up.  When I get no sleep, I'm grumpy.

Explains why I'm basically grumpy every day

 

UP // I've been taking advantage of being the only one on my side of the office for an hour ... I'll just pace & walk back & forth till my coworker gets in.  It's 50 steps to & back each wall... I like good round numbers.

 

UP // Subway Veggie Flatizza ... YUM!!!

 

DOWN // One day at lunch I just wasn't hungry (thanks sinus drainage) - I ended up going to the gas station to get an iced tea.  They had these HUGE hot pretzels.  I ended up just getting one for lunch.  I know that had to be the worst lunch  #toomanycarbs ...

 

 

 

UP //... I haven't had a hot pretzel in forever.  It was delish.

 

UP // got my library books back in time.  I feel so accomplished when I do that.

 

UP // I got a good treadmill workout last night....

 

DOWN// ... Not breathing on the treadmill is misery.

 

 

UP // I've drank more water this week then I usually have been

Thank you sore throat.

 

How was your week?

 

Happy Friday!!!

Good news for the slow people!!!

I will never win a race... unless I'm in the smallest race in the world & I'm the only
person in my age group.  #notgoingtohappen

I have really learned with age & wisdom to be OK with being slow.  It used to bother me. Now?  I honestly don't care.  If I were last to cross a finish line, I think I would still pump my fist as if I won first place.

A few years ago, I wouldn't have said that. 

Heck, a few years ago, I was 2 minutes slower then my previous time & I cried like someone stabbed me in the eye....

#withagecomeswisdom

& then I saw this article on Popsugar this morning (Read it right HERE )

It's Scientifically Proven:  Slow, Short Jogs are actually better for you!

YAAHOOO!!!

It shows that people that run long hard miles are about the same as people who NEVER work out... that's crazy to me...

"Researchers followed over 1,000 healthy joggers and almost 4,000 healthy non-joggers for 14 years and found that those who jogged too much or not at all had the highest rates of death during the study time period. In other words, whether they were sitting on their couch or logging an eight-miler, they still had similar risks of death. Plus, those who jogged at a more intense pace (seven miles per hour, or about an 8.5-minute mile) also fared worse. "

That blows my mind...

But the group that had the best health?

Those who ran only 1 - 2.4 hours a week... which is an average of 3 30-minute sessions...

& even better?  The ideal pace was a 12 minute mile...

 

FIST PUMP FIST PUMP FIST PUMP!!!!

So let me be the last one crossing the finish line... it may help me get to the finish line of life a lot longer too :)

Fat & Back....

Did anyone else catch that special on TLC a few weeks ago called Fat & Back?

It was a British documentary about a lady, Katie Hopkins, who is VERY VERY vocal of her hate of "Fat people"... she has no sense of compassion of anyone's situation or story - if you are over weight, you are disgusting & fat.

I think she's on some sort of the "most hated people in the world" list.  Seriously.  That just tells you a little bit about her personality.

& now maybe we can see WHY she's on the most hated list

I also just saw she's was on the UK version of The Apprentice & made it to the finals... oh my... I could see her on that.  She's cut throat.

Anyways - with her loathing of disgusting fat people, she wanted to prove that people are fat because they want to be - no other reason.

She set out to gain 42 lbs in 12 weeks & then she wanted to show that she could easily take it off in the same amount of time with just moving more, eating less.

How dumb is this... but I'll watch it.

Well, the first problem was, she was having a hard time gaining weight.

OK.. .let's stop... here's the point right there.  Anyone that has a HARD TIME GAINING WEIGHT can't even understand the point she's trying to make.  There are people out there who can eat just a little over 1,500 calories & gain weight (me raising my hand) & she had to boost up her calorie intake to over 4,000 calories to gain weight. 

She was making herself virtually sick from doing this.  At one point, while she was stuffing her face with junk, she said, "I hate fat people for making me do this?"

This is the moment she said it...
all the fat people's fault
geez

OH MYGOSH..... seriously...

She was eating what no normal person eats in a day. 

But she got on the weight in the 12 weeks time & then was off to get it off.



when she gained all the weight

She said she wouldn't change her eating to extreme - that she would eat what she wanted & she also wouldn't exercise to extreme, just move a little more - just to prove how EASY it is to loose weight.

I just sit & shake my head...

Katie was a runner who has run many marathons & had virtually no body fat before - so when she went to run for the first time, she talked about how hard it is to work out carrying around all that weight.  But what bothered her more then anything was how embarrassed she was about working out.

She seriously was on a running path & was avoiding seeing people because she didn't want anyone to see her lard A** running.  She had stopped just in time for a "thin" girl to run by & said, "I would have been so embarrassed if she saw me trying to run"

... geez... that's so encouraging for people to get out & run... WHAT?!!??  Isn't that the point she wanted to make?  That people SHOULD get out & work out?  ... why would anyone when she says you should basically be ashamed of working out as a 'fat person'?

In the end, she had about 2 weeks left & she still had like 18 lbs left to loose...

well guess what she does?  EXTREME dieting, virtually minimum calorie & EXTREME exercise.  She was running all the time, going up & down her stairs at home, doing extra work outs.... oh yeah, because the normal person can do all that too.

She once again defeated the point of it all...

& in the end?  She didn't get all the weight off... she had like 12 lbs still to go before she reached the original weight

But get this... she said she liked herself better with a little bit of body fat on her.

Really?

I was so frustrated at the end of this.

Granted, anyone can do & say whatever they want.  More power to you.  But when you get out there & say things that you have no idea what you're talking about, then sorry, I'll just call you an idiot.

Even more so when you're hateful & cutting people up.

& on the flip side, it caused such an issue with The Hubs & I ...

I always say we are the story of Jack Sprat... he can gain no weight, I can loose none... its true.  But Ricky totally was standing up for her at times because he said "You don't understand how hard it is for some people to gain weight..." which my response is exactly his, but opposite "you have no idea how hard it is to loose weight"

... to which all shows me... no one really understands weight issues, unless you have weight issues. 

& the funny thing is, it could be either way.  Too skinny.  Too fat.

Food issues are food issues...

I don't know... it just left me wanting to punch this lady in the face.  Especially because she couldn't admit what she set out to prove, she couldn't... & didn't....

Maybe me punching her in the face would burn some calories & make me loose a pound...

Anyone else see this documentary?

 

Anyone ever heard of this lady?

 

Anyone else instantly dislike her as much as I do?

{Dear Diary} Jeans

Dear Diary,

Today I want to talk to you about jeans. 

Who doesn't love jeans?  Everyone wears them... even little babies look adorable in jeans.

Jeans hold a memory for me though.

Back in the 80's when I was high school, they didn't make cute jeans for plus size gals.  Not unless you wanted them to look like something your grandmother or crazy aunt wore.  (I can use crazy aunt because I now am that aunt... AND that grandmother)

Nope... as a teenager, it was awful finding jeans.  That's when pegged jeans were in.  Ahh... the 80's.  Aqua net.  Blue eye shadow.  Acid wash.  Pegged jeans.

I found one pair of jeans that fit me in the waist, but the bottom looked awful. Nothing any 'cool' person would wear.  So my mom took me to a seamstress & had the bottom taken in.

I looked like a real teenager.

But I guarded those jeans with my life. It was all I had.  I had to figure out how to wear them to their best potential.  Spread them out throughout the week.  No one wants to see a girl wear the same jeans every day of the week. 

Thank goodness I liked skirts... & skirts could be a teenage thing.

But wear one pair of jeans over & over & they wear thin.

I'll never forget I was a Senior & almost at the end of the year & my jeans got a hole in the knees.  I went to a school where you could wear nothing with holes in them.  I was sent to the office to do something about it.  Luckily, the counselor told me to just tape a bandana I had in my hair around it & not to wear them again....

... not to wear them again...

no jeans...

I will say, these babies were like manna from heaven.  They lasted through the whole 4 years of high school.  School days - weekends - hanging out with friends.  They had to have magic in those seams to stay together as much as I wore them.

But I had to finish the year without cool jeans.

without any jeans at all.

To this day, I still have issues with jeans.  I only have 5 pairs to my name.  I only usually wear 2.

one that fits more tight... for when you feel good about yourself.

The other?  My fat jeans.  The ones you put on to be comfy in. The ones that are loose  & you can put on when PMS hits & you feel bloated & don't want anything tight around your stomach.

Lately, those jeans have been feeling like my tight ones.

The tight ones?  Even TIGHTER... #laydowntozip #cantbreath

I don't want to have to go get new jeans... I feel like if I do, I'll have to look back into the jeans that I dreaded wearing in high school... the ones that aren't cool... the ones that take me back to high school. 

I refuse to buy anything other then cool jeans again.

Sincerely,
The girl who just wants to wear yoga pants from now on


PS.  If you ever see me wearing pajama jeans... just shoot me.

How the month went... January 2015

So I gotta come up with some creative cute little header for this... but its Monday, the first Monday of the month, so its not happening today...

But I did want to document how my month went.  Something I'd like to do every month.  A good way to look back & see how I'm progressing, or faltering... hopefully not...

January 2015

 

21.10 Miles finished

14 days of working out total for month

My first 5k of the year

 

I'll take it!!!

 

You can tell I started off the year slow...

 

That side pain got the best of me at the start... but you can also see where I decided to kick it in gear.

 

I did finish the month slow - only because on Friday, I was dead to the world. I didn't feel the best when I got home & I just wanted to sleep.

 

& then I was really kinda shocked for Saturday's step count (the 31st) - I literally did not sit down for 4 hours at a birthday party I photographed & then ran around some stores before I headed home... I guess I just hovered in corners at the party more then walked around. Dang it.

 

But the past 3 months has been virtually nothing, so I'm thrilled that I have some activity to report at all...

 

Other highlights

 

I did start cooking a little bit more...

cooking at home = healthier food

 

My husband is obsessed with this stir-fry now

 

I got to get out at lunch time & get some walks in

 

 

I even did stupid yoga...

have I ever mentioned how much I hate yoga?

 

 

I'm hoping February is even better!