Good morning! I had another great week. I exercised 355 minutes, met my calorie targets (came in at over 300 calories below a couple days, but went about 500 over last night), and I feel really good.

My weight stayed the same this week, but I lost 1/2 inch in my chest, and 3/4 inch in my hips. And in the last month, I’ve lost an inch in my chest, an inch and a half in my waist, and an inch and a half in my hips.

So, I’m happy.

My friend Ros has invited me over to work out with her a couple times per week. She has THE elliptical that I’ve wanted since I researched them a few years ago. It’s an Octane.

Love it. According to Calorie King, my time on the elliptical burns twice as many calories as walking 3 mph, which is as fast as I can manage with my gimpy ankle.

So, I did that three times this week plus lots of walks, plus some of my physical therapy/core strengthening (not as much as I’d hoped, though).

I’m going to walk now, and push my exercise minutes up to 400. That’s 6.6 hours of exercise in a week!

I can breathe when putting on my shoes again.

I don’t know how exactly, but my tracking of Health Group weeks was off by about a month, so I’m just calling today Year 5, week 4 to get back on schedule.

Year 5. Wow. I clicked on my original Health Group post to see what the date was. I didn’t read the whole post, but I saw my weigh in numbers at the bottom, and here I am, 5 years later, within a couple pounds of the same. What a roller coaster it’s been. Dealing with car accident injuries. Great weeks. Poor weeks. Bad years (Pregnancy. Baby.), but still trying.

This is when I tell myself that if I hadn’t been trying at all, I’d be 600 pounds, so I’ve accomplished something. I’m healthier than I would be.

Anyway, to those of you who have been around here for years and years, I thank you. It’s been enjoyable. I’ve learned from all of you.

I’m starting out our Year 5 (week 4) with a great week! I’m so excited. I’m happy with how I did at the barbeque last night. I’m sure I went over, but not much. I went a little over today, but I burned it off in exercise.

I’ve upped my exercise target from 150 minutes per week to 300. (I’ve exercised 395 minutes so far this week). Calorie King has downed my daily calorie target from 1670 (plus whatever I lose exercising) to 1552 (plus whatever I lose exercising). They haven’t told me why. I’ll go along with it and see what happens.

Pop in and say “hi!”

I am grateful to those who sacrifice to protect and uphold this country, and to those in the beginning, who had tremendous vision and were willing to sacrifice everything to build it.

This year, Independence Day has me thinking about my own little life, and about how much I enjoy the freedom I experience day to day. To choose what I do. To do what I love (which is why my house is usually a mess. That and the fact that I live with an artist husband and 4 young kids who have me for a mom to learn habits from).

It seems like our own, personal freedom is highly controlled by the choices we make. The risks we’re willing to take. The things we’re willing to try, even if they’re scary. Or the sometimes unpleasant or monotonous work we put in to eventually achieving something that’s important to us.

Reflecting like this actually makes me want to be more responsible. More productive. To step back and think about what I really want and what I need to do to get there. At this exact moment, I’m wanting to finish organizing my house. Finding places for all the things that pile up and cloud my brain. A place for everything means that the house will be capable of being tidy, and the time I spend fretting over clutter, and moving things from here to there will be free.

Freedom.

This may sound silly. Petty even. But I’m responsible for my own little family, my own little home, my own little piece of this great country, my friends and associates and the people I interact with and with whom I have influence. I’m free to make as much or as little of it as I will. Right now, that sentiment is filling me with joy and gratitude. And I’m happy.

I’m kicking butt this week. I’ll save it for tomorrow, but I’ve had a fantastic week that I’m quite pleased with, health-wise, and I’m really hoping I can make it through the holiday without blowing it.

I weighed myself this morning, just in case, and I’ve dropped 6 pounds since Saturday. I’m sure much of it is water, and that’s fine. I feel good. I’m flushing stuff out. I have more energy. I have a killer headache today. I don’t know what that’s about.

Anyway, I’m going to take my spinning wheel to the festivities tonight. If my hands are busy, hopefully, I’ll stay away from the food. I went spinning last night with a sweet group of people, and nearly finished my bobbin of wolf spun mohair. I topped it off this morning and plied it.

I know it looks like a big mess in the pictures, but really, for the most part it’s very subdued blues and purples, with a splash of something brilliant here and there. It’s magnificent. I’m so excited.

Excited enough that I’m not going to be snacking all night long. I have 1000 calories left for the day, that can surely accommodate a small dessert or two.

Yesterday I called and left a message for my doctor asking her to refer me to the physical therapist that helped me after my car accident, for my elbows. Did that come out right? I went to them 4 years ago for my back after the accident, but now I want to go for my elbows.

Aren’t you proud of me?

I’m proud of me.

I also exercised for an hour and 50 minutes, spread out over three sessions. And I counted my calories and ate well. And I drank a lot of water. And I went to the store and bought fruit and vegetables to snack on, and to juice.

And I organized my hall closet. (Well, except for the sheets and towels).

And cleared out the cupboard under one of the islands. And did laundry. And put it away. And took out the trashes…

and still managed a social visit in the evening with the kids and my internet shy friend.

I also played my guitar way too long and aggravated my elbow. That’s not so responsible, but I couldn’t help it. I hadn’t played in awhile, to let my arms heal. I thought I’d just play a simple song or two, and I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up with it ’til 1:00 in the morning.

Then I was too tired to get up at 7 and go for a walk, which is something I want to do everyday this summer. So I have to fit it in during the day somehow.

I’m trying to barrel through the house to get it mostly cleaned and organized at the start of the summer, so we can play for the rest of it.

I’m hopeful.

Good morning.

I’m in the process of working out a plan. I need to plan dinners better and keep healthy food around to snack on.

I’m gaining weight and it’s bugging me. I’m spending too much time playing, and not enough time on my health. So I’m also thinking that I need to exercise in the morning so I can get it out of the way and done.

And I’m dehydrated again.

How are you doing?

This week has been hampered by the rotten weather and a zillion things to do. But, I did get some yard work in, and I hope to do more this week. However, Monday and Tuesday I’m going to be in a comprehensive spinning class with Judith Mackenzie! I’m so excited. I haven’t managed to get into one of her classes yet, this is my first time.

I totally need to clear my bobbins.

How was your week?

Good morning!

Well I haven’t really recorded my food this week, but I didn’t have a “bad” week. Particularly the past few days, I haven’t been very hungry.

I’ve been working in the yard, a LOT. Wednesday, as I mentioned yesterday, I went on a long walk with Clark and then decided to start on my front yard. I haven’t been counting hours, but I probably put in 5 hours yesterday, and more than that on Wednesday. According to Calorie King, 5 hours of gardening burns 1808 calories. So I’m pretty sure I’m good for the week.

I have no idea, outside of the grace and kindness of God, how my body is holding up so well, but I feel great. And I’ve been working hard. And I’m loving it. I’ve pulled out 9 plants, (the rhode almost killed me, and I have another one to go), an unbelievable amount of weeds and weed grass, dug up, moved and stacked brick pavers (Veronica is counting. I think we’re around 60 so far)…

I was worried about my arms, but they’re pretty good. I have to be careful with the pulling. If it’s too hard to pull out, I have to stop and use the hand trowel to loosen the dirt because when it finally gives and my arm snaps back, I feel pain. The bricks have been a little touchy, but being careful with those two things, my elbow pain hasn’t worsened.

SO, as long as my body holds up, I’ve found my summer exercise! I can’t believe how much progress I’ve made. In two days, I’ve completed what I thought would take over a week. Now, I have to figure out how to remove sod. This stuff isn’t cutting and rolling up like the grass at my last house, where all I had to use was a flat edged shovel. It’s tough. We’re going to Lowe’s today for some yard waste bags and I’m going to ask about it. I don’t think I can use a roto-tiller because the ornamental cherry or whatever it is in my front yard has very shallow roots. And there’s a very shallow-buried phone cable that pops up in a spot along the side, and I don’t know where the rest of it is, but my neighbor said it’s been cut during yardwork by the previous owners.

Lame.

Clark is thrilled as can be to be spending so much time outside. Our front yard is small, so I hope his interest holds. Yesterday, when he got a little whiney and wanted me to hold him, I put him in the jogging stroller with lunch, pointed in my direction so he could watch, and he liked that.

How was your week?

Hi all. I took a couple walks this week. Counted some calories. Ate too much.

How was your week?

Good morning!

I did ok this week. I ate within my calorie target, went on one 35 minute walk with a stroller and massive hills…

But I totally messed up last night with pizza, licorice, cheese bread, and Coke.

It was still a good week.

Next week, I’m going on a three day camping trip with Abby’s class to Eastern Washington. Food is going to be difficult to manage, and I think I’m just going to enjoy myself and start tracking when I get back.

How was your week?