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It looks like you took your own advice in your more fit and friendly thread!! Congratulations on the nice photo!! It is good to put a face to the name. You look terrific!
I do have an old photo on my profile, but not as my avatar… I was thinking I shuld change it so people can see who they are really talking to.
It looks like you took your own advice in your more fit and friendly thread!! Congratulations on the nice photo!! It is good to put a face to the name. You look terrific!
Oh (sheepish grin)… that isn’t me, Catherine. I didn’t mean to deceive anyone, so I mentioned in my profile it wasn’t, but I’m sure it did give that impression. I believe that’s a picture of Natalie Merchant, from the web. I used to get told (in my twenties and early thirties) that I look a lot like her. But I’m not that photogenic… I’m not even sure she’s that photogenic! I just love how healthy and happy that avatar looks, and so I used it on another web site.
I’m not crazy about this picture (taken last August, after I’d been drenched in Manhattan and showed up at a party with wild hair, no makeup, and a roomful of total strangers), but it’s one of the few I have:
Maybe I should change my avatar to a pic that’s obviously-not-me till I get one, so as not to confuse anyone! I wouldn’t mind being made to look something like that though—happy and full of color, but somewhat natural!
Thursday March 20 (day 93): regular 7p Jazzercise class. Got there close to 6:30 so I only caught one or two routines of the previous class. I hadn’t taken workout clothes to work so I swung home to change. On a whim I pulled out a cute little sleeveless polkadot top, which had been the closest thing to wearing a swimsuit I did last summer, with black shorts, walking around the beach. With a sports bra underneath, black exercise pants, the black Ryka mary jane sneakers with white ankle socks, and my hair pulled back in two pigtails, I looked like I was trying to be 11, but it was fun. Much better workout than Tuesday, I had a little more steam.
Saturday, March 22 (Day 95): wow, what a morning. I had planned to “do the double” again, showed up just on time for the 8am class. Jeannine was teaching and she is a toughie, in a good way. She had a LOT of arm/upper body stuff in her set. Wasn’t I just saying the 8# weights were getting too easy? Well, not when you have several routines using them in different ways. My arms were a bit tired from just one of the aerobic numbers with lots of repetitive arm/shoulder motion, much less the weights but I made it through. Then I stayed for the 915a class, making sure I drank extra water to show I learned from the discussion with Deb on hydration and stamina. THEN the franchise owner was offering an after-class workshop on technique, partly for anyone interested in becoming an instructor in the future, but she invited me to participate and there were only three of us. At one point, she gently instructed me, “Ann, keep your arms straight there,” and I had to admit I was so fatigued I was struggling. But I learned how to get more out of some of the moves, and correct my posture/positioning mistakes.
Was planning on doing some outside walking today but it was overcast and seemed to threaten rain at any moment, so I passed on it. Yet it never really rained. Argh! I have a feeling my arms will be feelin’ it tomorrow. But I like it when the “same old workout” has lots of new challenges.
Great job Ann! As Bree said in my thread, you will know you had a good arm workout if you can’t wash your hair the next day.
And I disagree with you when you say you are not photogenic, I think you look great in the picture in your profile. You should use that one for your avatar.
Aren’t you sweet, Eileen. It’s not the worst picture I had taken. Not even that weekend.
A smile of recognition on the “can’t wash your hair.” Been there. Lately it hasn’t been so bad. But, just in case, my hair was freshly washed and I straightened it today. I’m sleeping with it in pigtails so it should be comb-and-wear in the morning, in case I’m too sore to flat-iron it.
Lol… thanks for being honest!! I thought maybe you had gone to one of those Glamor Shots places!! Now that I know it is a shot of Natalie Mercant I know it must be a professional shot… and digitally touched up. If only we all had access to those kind of services whenever our photo was taken to make us look that good.
Good job on perfecting the moves and getting more from them. My trainer made dumbell flys about 5 times harder by making me do them on an exercise ball instead of a bench today!! Thankfully for only one set.
I’ve actually considered going to Glamor Shots, only because they help with hair and makeup in addition to the photograph. However, every picture I’ve seen from there looks like the women should be singing atop a grand piano, to put it mildly. That isn’t exactly me.
Ok.... maybe not the first choice of photragrapher… lol
Well, I shouldn’t disparage, I’m sure they’d work with me to tone it down, no feather boas, etc. And that was some time ago, when they were kind of new on the scene.
Maybe some shopping around is in order - a lot has to do with how comfortable you are with the particular photographer I’m sure. Not that your are doing anything riskay (sp?) but you’ll be more relaxed if you like the person and they care about the product they are turning out.
I agree. Actually, I told a coworker about the idea and she suggested I contact a former colleague of ours who quit to become a wedding photographer. He has a booming business. She said he would probably work with me. And he’s a nice guy… it’s just that I feel he knows me in a certain context, and I want someone to see me as I am now, outside of work, etc. I don’t have any idea how much this would cost.
Monday, March 24 (Day 97): arrived early enough to do the resistance part of the 5:30 class, then in between did a few crunches and stretches (and meager attempt at a series of pushups, didn’t raise or lower the upper body very much though), then tried those leg lifts. Grabbed some weights, did a few pec crosses. I still felt pooped till the 7pm class started. Then I was into it. It so helped that the woman with the sunniest disposition was in class tonight (the breast cancer survivor.) Helped that there were some fun new songs that are energizing to do. After a frustrating day at work (doing the one part of my job I hate doing and struggle with) it felt really good to work up a sweat. I can feel myself paying more attention to technique after Saturday’s refresher, too.
Hey there… sorry you had to work today - expecially on something you dislike… it is Easter Monday .. I thought everyone was off still. Maybe it’s just Canada
How’d you like the leg lifts… are they what you were looking for??
Hey there… sorry you had to work today - expecially on something you dislike… it is Easter Monday .. I thought everyone was off still. Maybe it’s just Canada
How’d you like the leg lifts… are they what you were looking for??
Well, I work for local TV stations, and I find that the offices are usually open when our vendors and other offices are closed (MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, etc.) I don’t have an actual holiday between New Year’s Day and Memorial Day (May 26.) It seems to me that a lot of US businesses no longer close for Good Friday or Easter Monday, though maybe they did years ago? I’m not sure. I really came in and did a little work on Sunday, too, but that’s because the release of the February sweeps data was on Friday (Nielsen likes to ruin holidays, got it 2 days before Christmas too!)
I am not 100% I did the leg lifts to maximum effectiveness so I will have to try them again and pay attention to the specific muscle. I can never ‘get it’ if I’m hurrying. I had just grabbed a mat to do some stretching and warmup before the 7p regulars started arriving so I kept everything pretty short. I had felt really tense due to sitting all day at work, so the extra stretching really helped.
Tuesday, March 25 (Day 98): It’s been a couple of stressful days at work. And I’ve been struggling to get the eating under control. It’s not just comfort-eating, I’m really just ravenous all the time. Part of it is I haven’t been able to time my mini-meals like I used to; too busy. Starting tomorrow I’m going to pay more attention to that. There’s a potluck goodbye for a coworker, and I picked up some pasta salads from the Fresh Market, but I’m going to eat something solid and healthy at 11am so I’m not too hungry and can pass up the high-calorie foods on display.
I left work about 15 minutes early and buzzed out to the Jazzercise center, so I got to do most of the 5:30 class as well as the 7pm class, plus some lunges, stretches, and wall-pushups in between. Wore a red-and-white polka-dot top that made me look like Minnie Mouse. Maybe I need a big bow for my hair. It was a good double workout, though I hit a bit of fatigue in the second one, thinking I didn’t have it in me. And I had drunk quite a bit of water in between, think it was just partly tight leg muscles, despite the stretching. Will tell the chiro tomorrow.
Forgot to weigh this morning, but I got on the scale after my shower a bit ago, and I’m already within a pound of my previous low, so hopefully by the morning I’ll be back on track in terms of pounds, despite the heavy weekend meals. Will also step up the hydration today and tomorrow, just in case that really is it.
Just realized, Thursday is my day 100, and though I plan to keep going to 365, it’s kind of a bummer that I’ve decided I want to see a production of HMS Pinafore Thursday night and will be skipping my usual class. I suppose I could do something radical, like get up early and hit the treadmill for an hour before work. We’ll see. I might also go to to work early and leave early again and do the 5:30 class. Would hate to make my 100th day a rest day!
Thursday, March 27: Day 100. As it turned out, I am quite okay with today being a rest day. Yesterday my leg muscles were quite sore and tight, and I had the chiro stretch me out a bit (in addition to the ones I do on my own), but it really didn’t seem to help that much. I got a good solid nine hours sleep last night though, and I feel the better for it, after a stressful week at work. So I enjoyed going to the play, and I realized, the only reason to feel guilty about not exercising on my hundredth day is if I expected there to be a big finish-line today. Heck, I’ve been doing essentially the same workout schedule since October, except for the doubling up of classes, so day one was no more the beginning than this is the end. So I’m resting, rested. And continuing. Still struggling with more hunger (and also a desire to nibble, which I differentiate, more “because it’s there” eating habits) but really today I was in pretty good shape. Had such a pretty lunch tray to take outside and sit with in the sun… salad, steamed veggies, a little chicken, and a banana. Drank more water than usual. Snacked on some ‘good’ nuts. My weight’s back down again. I’m pretty happy. I’ll feel better once I’m caught up on my pile of projects at work, but I’m still taking Monday off to spend some time with friends. So there. Not an explosive day 100, but a resolved one.
Meanwhile, yesterday I knew I wanted to do something that night, but I completely forgot what it was. It was pop in and visit the Y location near me. When I realized, it was about 8:30, too late. Then, today, I got an Email at work with the annual offer to join a local gym chain for just a one-time fee for the year (no monthly costs.) It’s a trade deal we do. Totally can’t beat that, it’s less than a month at the Y. It’ll give me access to the machines I have been wishing I had, with the possibility of some classes and other stuff. Cool timing.
Congratulations on the completion of your first 100 days!! That’s awesome! You deserve to reward yourself with something special so no worries about going to the play. And I love your determination to keep going.
It’s GREAT that you joined a gym!! I’m glad you will be able to do some different things. It is good to mix things up and try some alternate forms of exercise. I actually just joined a gym this week too. They had a two months for $4 offer and then I will switch to the corporate plan I qualify for. Only 250 for the remainder of the year, (full year ~$350). Much cheaper than regular memberships. Up till now I have been using the weight room at the school where I work. I have had gym memberships before and was what Scott considered a “profit” to the club, because I didn’t use it nearly enough. But I will keep working with my trainer and that will keep me accountable. I will have to try some of the classes there too - count them as my cardio sessions.
I will checking in to see what new things you do!! Things can only get better from here!!
