Hey Guys

I have been quite busy lately. A lot of deadlines at work and trying not to use the computer at home. Today I went to the Optometrician (is that the word?) “eye docotor” and I need to use glasses while I’m at the computer because I’ve been spending too much time with them… so I am really trying to stay away from them once I get home… which is quite hard… but I digress.

I’ve seen there was a lot of activity this weekend. I’ve been trying to catch up and read everything… but I haven’ t finished yet… I want to comment on a few threads as well… but time and stuff. etc.

I decided to start a thread here to write like my own journal of how things are going with the being/getting healthy aspect of my life. Keep track of things and all that.

So this weekend:

Friday work then I worked out at night for about an hour 20 minutes. 45 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of toning and 15 minutes of stretching and relaxing with a few traditional stretches and some yoga poses.

Saturday. work and then I went shoping with my sweetie and walked for hours! not fast enough to make it a good workout, but when I got home my legs. feet and everything! hurt so much I just relaxed and did some of my gardening and watched rented movies with my sweetie. One of the things I bought this day was a weight with body fat and body water % meassures. Really cool. So weighted myself (haven’t done it for months now) and I am 155 pounds with 32.5 body fat and 47% of water… need to check the net for more info on the body fat and water % things cause I am not too sure what they mean, but they don’t sound too bad.

Sunday nothing! not proud of it but I needed a rest!

Monday holiday! yey! slept late, garndened for a bit, watched a movie and then did a short 30 minute cardio with 15 minute toning and 10 minute stretching and relaxing. Slept terrible that night though. Heard a noise at about 4 in the morning and couldn’t get back sleep (watched way too many horror films during the weekend!).

Tuesday very busy day at work. Got home absolutely shattered and went bed early.

Today, wednesday… we’ll see. but hopefully do a good workout when I get home.

and that’s it for now… hopefully will have a break later to post on a few threads.

So wednesday I did do my workout… not cause I wanted to though, but because I didn’t want to come back here and have to say that I didn’t do anything. So wednesday I did one hour cardio (walk away the pounds 3 mile walk DVD) and 10 minute stretching.

Thursday I did 20 minute toning (using my new giant plastic ball) and 10 minute stretching, no cardio… too tired. I’m always dead tired by the end of the week.

Friday… today… we’ll see.

Also must be noted, all week I’ve been doing as I said and have walked at lunch hour to the cafeteria and back everyday.

So that’s that for now.

Hope you all have a nice weekend!!!

Gaby!

You have a nice system that sounds like it would work wonders! Have you been hanging in there? Everything ok?

Don’t stop writing - we’re here reading

Hey Carrie

thanks for writing… havent been arround for a while because… I got bored with my excercise DVD’s so i stopped doing them (after much struggle trying to do them), my moms birthday was celebrated in a delicious Argentinian restaurant where i ate too much and then we had cake in the house for about a week… SO, i stopped excercising, and ate too much which led to me feeling guilty, which led to me being angry, which led to me being in a horrible antisocial mood, which led to self pity, which led to eating for comfort and which ultimately led to me gaining 5 pounds in 2 weeks. So my incredibly supportive boyfriend (God bless his patience!) convinced me to get a cross trainer (500 dollars. It hurt, but i have to say it was a good investment). And with the cross trainer i can watch tv while i’m on it and i’ve lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks so i am feeling a lot better now. i’m doing the cross trainer every day. 5 minutes for warm up, followed by 5 minutes of stretching, followed by a 20 minute workout and i end with 5 minutes of stretching for cool down. All this while watching whatever i want on tv. and as a reward i get a foot massage before bed wheneever I do my workout! as I said a great investment afterall!

i have also been busy at work so my internet time is a bit limited but i am gonna try to post a bit more.

And to talk a bit about the new cross trainer (I had never owned anything like it before) it’s fantastic on my joints! while some of my DVD workouts left my knees and ankles feeling sore the next day, on the cross trainer no matter how hard i work out the next day my joints feel fantastic. so anyone that has joint problems i greatly recommend it (if you can afford it, which is one of the reasons i had never had one before but the price is doable if you save a bit from each paycheck). Also I tend to sweat more doing those 20 minutes than doing my half hour DVD workouts so I feel like those 20 minutes are well worth it (and you dont need any coordination or dance moves to do it!). And also, for those that want to consider the idea, when I started I ran out of air very quickly and had to slow down a lot during the workout, but just after a few days my body addapted to it. I still run out of air but only if I am going very fast and now I dont have to slow down that much… just saying so if anyone tries it, know you just stick to it for a few days and your body addapts so quickly to it, it’s quite cool. Plus while you watch TV the time goes extra fast, except for when the commercials are on… but you can always slow down and have a drink of water while the commercials are on.

As for the feelings of guilt and frustration, I am well familiar with them and I know a lot of people go through the same feelings as well. I even stopped listening to the podcast cause everytime I did I just got angrier with myself, sorry Scott!!!, I am listening to it again now, though I did hate you slightly for a little while, but I think that’s part of the whole process, you hate anyone that tells you its easy and tries to motivate you because ultimately it’s your own fault and you know it. I have never learned to deal with these feelings very well, so all the advice I can give for that is find something that is not too painful and stick to it even if just for a few minutes a day and after those first 2 pounds go off you start feeling a little bit better (not a lot, but a little bit) and with each extra pound you feel better and better… I am not gonna say I feel like I’m in heaven, and have found the cure for all emotional distress (PMS is always arround the corner, isn’t it? lol) but I am deffinetly better than I was a couple of weeks ago when all I wanted to do was stay in bed and hide from the world (not that I managed to do that cause I did have to go work, but that feeling you get in the morning thinking “I really just dont want to go out of the house” and you emotionally struggle doing anything at all… it’s a really horrible way to feel).

Oh! before I sign off, you can also reward yourself. After doing my workout for three days I reward myself with a cup of Baskin Robins ice cream, just as a reminder that if I stick to it I can eat things like that (in moderation, i know, i know) and not feel guilty about it.  It’s not like I had an epiphany or anything (a lot of things Ive read sound like that and I have been waiting for that my whole life wihtout ever happening so don’t expect for things to just click). I think we (non-sporty people) create a lot of false expectations about excercising and we have to just realize it’s not about waking up changed but gradually changing… Jesus, I’m talkative tonight… think I’m trying to steal Scott’s Job here! 

Anyway, hope some people find this helpful (and dont hate me for it). I will keep writing letting you know my progress… hopefully this new cross trainer combined with the tv will keep me going.

have a good night all, I’m off to get my foot massage now ;
Gaby

Your persistence is commendable! To gain 5 lbs in 2 weeks and then to fight back by losing 6 lbs in another two weeks is amazing!

You got the right attitude! You know what you need to do and it sounds like you have such a supportive boyfriend to see you through! We don’t care if it’s through workout dvd’s, an outdoor sport, at a gym or in front of the tv. You’re doing more than most people that are sitting on their couches at night watching tv and eating ice cream!

As for the cross trainer - aren’t they great?!?!? You can leisurely ‘walk’ or vigorously ‘run’ on those things. With the smooth movement you’re almost guaranteed a safe workout. Great investment indeed!

Congratulations to you! Thanks for keeping us updated!