I've seen the light!

As July and August got hectic, I got less diligent and paid for it. I had a very busy 3 week period of very little exercising. I fell drastically behind on my hours, and I gained back a couple pounds. However, the worst was that I felt AWFUL! Or maybe that was the best part, because it taught me something. The worse I felt, the less I wanted to exercise. The longer I went without exercising, the worse I felt. Go figure. Well, that's what I did and deduced that I needed to get back on the horse. Or rather, I needed to get back on one of the horses. That's what I call my stationary bike and my eliptical machine. (I'll post photos of the livestock later.) Well, I did just that and guess what...........I felt better from the very first day. I've been going strong for 4 weeks now and in that time I've just missed 5 days of exercise(most of them Sundays....gotta get better at Sundays), taken off the weight that I had regained and realized just how much good a daily hour of exercise is for me. I've also figured out that when I exercise, I retain less water.....a definite plus in this ridiculously hot weather we've been enduring. Although I've believed all along that I need to make this a lifestyle change, I hadn't known just how much a few missed days could effect my well-being. I've seen the light! Exercise has moved way up on my list of priorities. Now when life gets hectic, I plan to fit an hour in just so I can cope better with all the other pressures. Maybe I can keep it from getting quite so hectic. Yeah, right! Oh well, at least I should feel better through it all.

More catching up.

I also said I'd report back after I spent my gift certificate from my sisters. I decided I'd spend it on a heart rate monitor and went to work to find the one I thought I'd like best. After looking them all over at Sports Authority, I settled on a nifty little number with alot of bells and whistles....the Sportline Solo 960. I like that it is worn around the wrist and is easy to read. Not only does it monitor heart rate, but it also functions as a pedometer, stopwatch, clock and countdown timer. The pedometer function monitors steps, distance, speed and average speed. The heart rate monitor can be set to sound an alarm when your heart rate registers above or below your target zone. It's a motivating little gadget. It helps me to monitor my activity level all day long and encourages me to work a little harder. I ran into a friend a couple days ago who has lost 85 pounds. Her secret......she clipped on a pedometer 1 1/2 years ago and as she puts it, "I just keep going until I've walked 10,000 steps every day." She's had a weight problem for as long as I've know her and that's been for 25+ years. She even underwent gastric bypass surgery many years ago that was only mildly successful but the new exercise gig is working for her. The other good news is the store was having a special and if I spent my $100 on Mother's Day weekend, I would get an extra $25 toward a future purchase. I put that money toward the Biggest Loser Wii Fit game. I'll be honest, I haven't used it much yet, but I have big plans to. It's just a little involved and will take some time to figure it all out. By now you're probably wondering if I've made any progress. I'm pleased to announce that I have. I've lost 10 pounds since my birthday. Woot! Woot! That's only 5 lbs. per month, but I'll take it. It beats the heck out of gaining 1/2 a pound or so. Right? And the other bonus is that others in the family are jumping on board. We're making some good changes around here.

As I promised.....

A while back I promised to post a pic of Sarah's tiger fingernails. They were pretty GRRRRREAT! It was especially cool that they matched her cane. The last week of school she had finals, of course. That meant no books to carry so she used her cane instead of her walker. Hence the tiger striped nails. She asked me on the way into the school if it was all a bit too flashy. Silly goose. They were a hit!

Progress So Far

Thought you'd like to hear that I am making progress. By my calculations, I've only lost about 3 pounds, but I've lost 2 1/2 inches around my waist. It's not alot, but I'll take it. The best part is I am feeling better and stronger.

More later.
I still need to tell you all about all the helpful gifts I was given.
Maybe tomorrow.....................

How cool is this?

Goldfinch and Lazuli BuntingUnfortunately, all my "bird" pictures are taken through the dining room window so the quality is not the best.

Magic Goodness!!!!

As part of my birthday gift getting and the plan to "Help Get Bonnie Fit", my sister, Barb, gave me a Magic Bullet and some whey protein powder.... ...and her rhubarb smoothie recipe.
Magic Bullet promoters claim that you can whip up a tasty smoothie in 5 seconds.
Well, I don't know about that 5 second claim, but they got the tasty part right. I have to admit, I was sceptical about the rhubarb at first, but it was a delicious surprise. About a cup of frozen chopped rhubarb, 1/3 cup of O.J., 1/2 cup of plain yogurt, 2/3 scoop of protein powder and several seconds in the Magic Bullet makes a mighty tasty treat. And it's healthy! Rhubarb is a great source of dietary fiber. It's loaded with vitamins and minerals. It has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxident and anti-allergy properties. It can alleviate indigestion and lower blood pressure. And it's FREE thanks to the abundant supply in my own backyard. Mine came from Barb who got her plants from our brother, Ted. You might call it a family heirloom.

Feel free to share your favorite smootie recipes with me, I'll try them out in my new Magic Bullet. "So, is the Bullet really magic?" you ask. You bet it is!

Iris - because they deserve to be seen

I'm posting this photo again because the link for it to Picasa doesn't work on my previous post and it's worth veiwing the large format of it.

For those of you new to blogging - You can click on any of the images for a closer look. Most of them can be clicked on again after the large format opens for an even closer look. That is all of them except the previous post of these irises.

:)