What's it all about??

[Luvdogs]

Hi Emma,

I'm a little out of the loop without my computer right now, but just catching up a bit.

I love to bake and always dreamed of doing desserts for a restaurant or opening a dessert "bar". Desserts are so much fun, makes people happy!

[2lean2Bmean]

wow....your bakery sounds dreamy:).....a guy at my work is going to be chefing at the new restaurant that nancy silverton is co-owner with mario batali...can't wait till it opens....funny he just brought up her name today.....

hope your cold doesn't get as bad as mine was....ya better bundle up when you're out there with your leaves:)

what kind of rows are you doing?.....can you find a pic or video clip ?

did ya try llbean for the silkies?or i wonder if jcrew would have them?....

stay warm......and have a nice weekend:)

[emmie]

what kind of rows are you doing?.....can you find a pic or video clip ?


http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/BBBentOverRow.html

Basically it's this move - tho the guy in the video seems to almost put the bar to the ground, and I don't go that low. I was reading that by flaring your elbows as you lift you engage the lats more. With all of the rowing motions I do, I focus on "lifting with my elbows" so as to not use the arms. I also try to picture my hands as simply hooks for the bar, so I am not using a death grip. Seems to work - I was pooping out at rep 8 or 9 even though reps 1-7 felt pretty easy. If I use a higher weight I feel as though my traps are getting involved to stabilize me, and I don't really want them to grow...I also do alternating piston rows with dumbbells. Have been experimenting with Pendlay rows, too. Still feels like the rhomboids are bearing the brunt of the effort, but I will persevere in my rowing :)

[moisy]

I am hoping that you did not have to use the moves that your husband taught you before he left about climbing out of the window!! lol :D My problem is that I am the opposite - I am too used to living on my own!! So if someone is going to break in, I am going to have to kick some butt on my own!! :eek:

I hope that you did have an okay weekend despite not being able to go away too - that was too bad. Especially when it is something that the two of you have been doing for years now. How long have you been married? Have a great day and be well :)

[emmie]

O.K. girls, I just made a *new* dish, and I've got to share it. It's Cauliflower-Mushroom Stroganoff, and it's delicious - great for winter. I have to tell you, I am basically a "steam it and eat it plain" kind of girl with my veggies, so this is a big departure for me. It's a nice treat, so here it is:

1 T olive oil
4 oz. chopped onion
4 oz. chopped red or green pepper

Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add:

2 T. sweet (Hungarian) paprika
1/3 c. dry vermouth or dry sherry
2/3 c. water
* If you don't want to use alcohol, use 2 T lemon juice, and 3 T water to make up for the booze.*

Cook uncovered on high for 2 minutes.
Add:
10 oz. sliced mushrooms (1 package)

Cook covered for 5 minutes.
Add:

1 large head of cauliflower cut into small florettes (I came out with 32 oz florettes)

Stir and cover. Cook 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in:

3/4 c. fat-free sour cream

I measured this out to be 6 cups. Per 1 cup serving the macros are:
114 calories
3.3 g. fat
17 g. carb
7 g. protein
5 g. fiber

[emmie]

I am hoping that you did not have to use the moves that your husband taught you before he left about climbing out of the window!!
Haven't had to use it yet :p! I am generally self-reliant and not a priss, but when it hit me that he'd be gone for a week, I started to feel kind of vulnerable. It will be 6 years in December that we've been married. We've been together for 8 1/2 years. Before that I lived on my own for 11 years without having to plot out an escape from the upstairs window, so I guess I have gotten "soft" having him around!

Succeeded in finding a sweater at Marshalls today! And 2 Lean, I think I saw the Pumas you bought there - they had them in various shades of purple. If I had known your size....:D. And another minor triumph - I got a 90 on the test which I have been moaning about! So of course I am celebrating with a big bowl of Cauliflower-Mushroom Stroganoff, and then some eggwhites. It's a wild and crazy scene here when the husband is away...

[twinnett]

Yum! Nice recipe!

[emmie]

Ugh, did NOT want to get up this morning. I kept turning over and dozing off.
But I finally dragged myself up and down to the basement for a workout. After the squats and walking lunges I was thinking "Can I stop now? Please??", but I kept on, just because I knew that I would regret it later in the day if I had quit early. No new PBs today, but I didn't regress, either, so I'm pleased with that. Now I need to dig up some motivation and energy to go to they gym for cardio. Blech! Maybe I could just stay home and do some vigorous vacuuming for my cardio?? Oh hey...gets me thinking about all of those leaves out there. Hmmmm.....

[moisy]

Your new recipe sounded amazing - that is a great combination!! :D Did you find it to be "gassy" though?? lol For me cauliflower always does me in unfortunately, but I do love it!! :D I had a morning like you too. I was so tired when my alarm went off and was very thankful that it was my scheduled day off from working out. I am liking having my off day as Monday. It is a nice way to ease into the work week ;)

[Luvdogs]

Ugh, did NOT want to get up this morning. I kept turning over and dozing off.
But I finally dragged myself up and down to the basement for a workout. After the squats and walking lunges I was thinking "Can I stop now? Please??", but I kept on, just because I knew that I would regret it later in the day if I had quit early. No new PBs today, but I didn't regress, either, so I'm pleased with that. Now I need to dig up some motivation and energy to go to they gym for cardio. Blech! Maybe I could just stay home and do some vigorous vacuuming for my cardio?? Oh hey...gets me thinking about all of those leaves out there. Hmmmm.....

The time change has me getting up before the alarm, it feels later! I'm sure by the end of the week, it will feel normal again. I always feel that way about cardio, but so far, not about weights. I'm already thinking of not enjoying my 40 min of cardio tomorrow!

[2lean2Bmean]

yo emm

quik hello..."HI"

wow that sounds deelish:D....i could add some meat to that and be all set....

i'll check in with ya later...have a great day....and great job on that test!!!!:)

[emmie]

Your new recipe sounded amazing - that is a great combination!! :D Did you find it to be "gassy" though?? lol For me cauliflower always does me in unfortunately, but I do love it!! :D I
Kind of hard for me to tell, since I also steamed-up some Brussles sprouts and have been eating those, too, and I know that those can definitely make me gassy. Cauliflower is usually o.k. for me...it's those cabbage-y veggies that can cause the problems. I tend to eat really fast, so if I don't chew well, I think it makes things works. But overall, it's a good thing that I am alone in the house :p!
And I am pleased to report that the re-heated stroganoff is even better than yesterday :). It's nice to have a dish in the 'fridge that looks and tastes like "real food" as opposed to dieter's food...

Thanks for stopping by, 2 Lean...you're sugh a busy gal these days! Don't your employers KNOW that you have social obligations on bb.com???!?

[moisy]

Happy Halloween!! :D Are you all geared up to give out the treats tonight? I bought quite a bit because I am in a new neighbourhood so I don't know what to expect. I have a feeling that I will be bringing in quite a bit tomorrow for my grade 8s to enjoy - they will love that for sure :D

Have a great day and I hope the workout went great this morning too :)

[emunah]

LOVE roasted brussel sprouts. :)

[daYDreAmErX]

LOVE roasted brussel sprouts. :)

I never tasted a single brussel sprouts in my life !!!
:eek:

[Luvdogs]

We had salmon and brussell sprouts last night. They make me a little gassy, but I like them. I hated them when I was a kid, things change!

[emmie]

Are you all geared up to give out the treats tonight? Is that a joke??! You may recall that I hate kids....:p No, I have taped over the doorbell, parked the car in front of the side door, and turned off all the lights. I go to bed between 6:30-7 (I work on Wed), and there is no way that I'm going to be disturbed by children begging for candy. Now, if they were begging for a bowl of cottage cheese, or an eggwhite omelette, I might consider it....

Hospital day today - spent the day with a psych. nurse which was great. For a long time I thought that psychiatric nursing was what I wanted to do, and I still am attracted to it. But I feel the need to get some solid medical/surgical nursing under my belt before I commit to a specialty. And besides, there is psychiatric nursing in ALL areas of nursing. If you're dealing with people, you're dealing with their psych. issues, too.

Hit the gym for a 20 minute blitz cardio session and assisted pull-ups and lat pull-downs. My butt hurts from yesterday's exertions. My traps do, too. I guess from holding the DBs for squats. I'm not into having big traps, so I hope the soreness is from stretching...

I'm feeling the Brussles sprouts love in this journal! dayDreAmErX: Give them a try. But do not, under any circumstances, eat the frozen variety. Ick! Roasted, as emunah said, are by far the yummiest way to eat 'em.

[Luvdogs]

I am with you Emma (on Holloween kids)! I turn out the lights, cars are in the garage and our door bell doens't even work!

We decided to go out to dinner tonight. This will be my first cheat in 10 days. But I will ask for naked Halibut and keep it under control, no dessert. This restaurant is our favorite and they will make/do anything you request.

[twinnett]

Awww...no candy? Hope you don't get egged! lol Ours was Sunday afternoon, which is a lot nicer. Get some sleep! :D

[moisy]

Well I did do the goodie thing lastnight and there were so pretty cute costumes on the wee ones!! :D Some of the big kids I can do without but honestly everyone who came to my door was in a costume and had made a really good effort. Then again, I do have a soft spot for the older kids since I do teach grade 8s and really do like them! ;)

Have a good day! :)

[2lean2Bmean]

Thanks for stopping by, 2 Lean...you're sugh a busy gal these days! Don't your employers KNOW that you have social obligations on bb.com???!?

yeah...really.....i don't think they got the note from my DR.

oh..my buzzer just went off.....i'm trying to make a breakfast casserole....i'll be right back

it's puffing now, but the middle is not cooked yet

anyway...i can't hide from the kids....my big front window tells all.....they only rang once or twice though and i dug up some blow-pops from the cupboard....grabby little buggers....AND sent ruby into a tail spin for a few mins...errrrgggggg

hope you're doing well without hubby.....hey i got som AB work over in my journal thats not too boring...using the big bouncy ball...:)

[emmie]

Awww...no candy? Hope you don't get egged! lol Ours was Sunday afternoon, which is a lot nicer. Get some sleep! :D
I will admit...I was a little worried about the retribution for not having the light on, but everything was fine - no eggs, no TP, no slashed tires or bullet holes....:D

Well, I am SICK. Body aches, stuffy nose and runny nose at the same time, sore throat, my face feels huge and puffy. I came home from work at 11 and slept for 2 hours. Had to meet someone at school in the afternoon, but after that I cam right home. Won't go to clinical tomorrow. And oh yes, obviously skipped the workout. I could care less about that - really! And that's a great feeling. I just want to feel better, and I know that bench pressing is not on the top of the list of home-remedies. Will knock myself out with Nyquil tonight. I have to confess that I always get a little anxious about the Nyquil because a serving has 60 calories! All sugar. And alcohol. But man, it does the trick. And today I have zero appetite, so I am not worried about breaking the caloric budget.

O.K. 2 Lean, what is this breakfast casserole?? I haven't been over to your journal yet, so maybe you've posted the yummy details there, but if not, I Want To Know!

Moisy - Glad that you got some cutie-pies at your door. O.K., the little ones in their costumes ARE cute...especially when they are being coached by their parents in the background to say "trick or treat" and "thank you". Any leftover candy?

I am doing o.k. here without the Mister around. I talk to him on every night, so it's not like we're completely apart. One thing I have definitely noticed: It is a lot messier when he is not around. I am a slob, but I curtail my messy impulses when he's around because it bugs him. I hate putting things away. Laundry will sit folded in the basket until it's dirty again. The kitchen table looks like a tornado hit...For some reason, however, I cannot stand to have dishes in the drying rack, so I always put those away.

Hope everyone is having a good day!
E.

[Luvdogs]

I hope you feel better soon! My husband travels on occaision for work and I like to have the house to myself. 2 weeks after we got married, he got a position in WA state for 3 months. He left on Mon morning and came home Thurs night. It got old after about 6 weeks but the money was good!

Take care of you!

[moisy]

Sorry to hear that you are feeling terrible - there is definitely something going around right now. But staying in bed and doing the Nyquil things is a good idea so that you can feel better sooner.

How long are you going to be on your own? I am so used to being on my own unfortunately. I am a total neat freak so I would probably drive some poor person insane if they lived with me :eek:

Take care of yourself and wrap up in a nice thick warm blanket and chill out for the day ;)

[emmie]

Thanks for the well-wishes, girls! I went to bed at 5 p.m. last night and didn't have as restful a time of it as I had hoped. Fever dreams, I think; Just a lot of weird stuff going through my head. I got up at 12:30 and ate some toast with butter since I was so hungry I thought I was going to be sick...figured I'd want to have something in there to throw up, if need be. But the toast settled nicely, and I felt much better. Went back to bed and finally got up again at 6:30. The cold symptoms have abated, but I feel kind of weak and stuffy-headed. I am going to use the time home to do some "desk stuff" (bill-paying, filing, notes) and some tidying up. I had jokingly told my husband that I was going to go to the gym and then rake the yard as I convalesce...And in past years, I actually would have! But there's not going to be any sort work-out action for me today, that's certain. I am way under-fueled from yesterday, for one thing. Plus, I am just SMARTER these days...

Today I am mailing off my resume and application for a nursing position for January at one of the two hospitals I am considering. Wish me luck!

[Luvdogs]

Good Luck Emma! Very exciting and nerve racking at the same time, I'm sure.

We're having some light rain today, it's kind of nice. My lemons are getting nice and ripe too. Lemons anyone? We had to juice and freeze last year we got so many!

[emmie]

My lemons are getting nice and ripe too. Lemons anyone? We had to juice and freeze last year we got so many!

You have a lemon tree?? Now THAT is cool! I wish we had some sort of fruit-bearing tree in my yard besides the loathsome mulberry tree which leaves puddles of squished purple berries all over the yard. The birds love it, and we like to watch the birds, but it is a messy tree and harvesting the berries is too much of a pain to get any fruit out of it. We had a plum tree in the yard of the house I grew up in. I miss that!

[Luvdogs]

We have a Fruitless Mulberry in the front yard. It's gotten so huge so fast! The lemon tree is 2 years old and about 10 feet tall. All the lemons seem to be on the bottom half??? Don't know what that's about.

[moisy]

I hope your days off the gym are helping you get rid of that miserable cold. Nothing worse than feeling sick on the weekend when you are looking forward to doing things. I am starting to be like you too - hopefully getting wiser with age when it comes to being good to myself when I am not feeling a 100% rather than pushing myself to go to the gym ;) I used to do that too and now realize it just is not worth it. The body and mind need the time to get better. Your toast and butter sounded really good too for a middle of the night snack! :D Mine was two cookies and a buttertart lastnight ... it is that time of the month ;)

Have a better day and feel well :)

[emmie]

I am starting to be like you too - hopefully getting wiser with age when it comes to being good to myself when I am not feeling a 100% rather than pushing myself to go to the gym ;) I used to do that too and now realize it just is not worth it. The body and mind need the time to get better. So right, moisy! I did go to the gym this a.m., but lasted only 15 minutes on the elliptical before I came to my senses and went back home. Felt shakey, clammy, sweaty and weak. So I will take it easy again today and hope for better things tomorrow. Burning an extra 300 calories, or whatever, just isn't worth it to me at this point. I need to keep myself healthy - mentally and physically - to be able to finish the semester. So I'll sit around on my butt and eat today, just like I did yesterday :p. I did go out for an easy walk yesterday afternoon, and I may try to do that again. Mostly because I was getting sick of being on the house. I have to go to school for lecture from 11-2, and who knows, that might be enough of an outing for me today.

I am trying to reduce the amount of Splenda I am using. I do use liquid stevia pretty regularly, but I like the taste of Splenda better. It's mostly a question of just getting more accustiomed to the stevia taste (which, if you use too much of it, tastes bitter and metallic), I think. But I love my diet soda! So I am thinking that I will restrict my Splenda intake to the soda, and use the stevia in my cereals and tea. We'll see...sometimes I get weirded out by the whole artificial sweetener thing, and then other times I remind myself that I was weaned on diet gingerale (sweetened with saccharine) that my mom bought by the case. A slight exaggeration, but basically I drank a ton of the saccarine-sweetened stuff when I was a kid and have lived to tell about it...

Hubby comes home tomorrow afternoon :)

[Luvdogs]

Hi Emma,

Good thing to go home. An easy walk is a nice idea. When I'm sick if I do that I feel better mentally and that helps.

What soda do you buy that is sweetened with Splenda? Diet Pepsi is asparatame, I think. I have only 1 a day and sometimes try to only have it 3-4 times a week. Otherwise, I use Splenda sparingly. When I take my All One and BCAA's to the gym I use 1/2 packet in it. The All One (vit/min supp) tasted horrible! Sometimes I forget the Splenda and just chug it anyway.

Too much Splenda (like in Coldstone Creamery's frozen yogurt) will give me horrible gas and bloat, but a packet here and there doesn't seem to bother me.

[emmie]

What soda do you buy that is sweetened with Splenda?
Diet Coke has a Splenda version, and so do some of the cheaper brands (Waist Watcher, Diet Rite). I also frequently buy this sparkling flavored water that many stores have under their own label - it comes in a liter bottle and is usually flavored with black cherry, or rasp, or tropical fruit. The one I am sipping at this very minute is "Pure American" which is Walgreen's own brand. It's sweetened with Splenda. But your question made me realize that many of the other diet sodas I drink are still sweetened with aspartame. My beloved diet root beer, for example. Supposedly even more "evil" than Splenda is....but I think that moderation is the key no matter what it's sweetened with. Left to my own devices I could easily drink a 6 pk in a day, possibly more. The one liter bottles of the clear fruity stuff is a single serving, in my mind. So maybe moderation is the thing I should be dealing with??? Fake sweeteners may not be the real problem, but my mindless overuse of them perhaps is... My name is Emma and I am a diet soda addict :o...

[2lean2Bmean]

wow....lots goin on over here lady.....i hope you're feeling better now...it took me a few days to feel OK...then about a week and 1/2 to get rid of the sniffling and coughing:(

yippeeeeee....hubby is home?...sat?...that should make ya feel better:)

good luck and i'll be sending you great vibes to get the nursing job you want

PM on the way:)

[moisy]

Good afternoon - I hope you are having a great weekend doing lots of fun things!! :D Do you have snow in your neck of the woods yet? We got a few flakes here but just northwest of me they have a foot and a half!!! :eek:

And you also seem to be quite the expert on all of the diet sodas!! Wow!! My parents were cruel and never let me drink pop when I was a kid!! lol That is okay because I thank them now since I do not have taste for it - just a water, wine and coffee girl!! :)

[emmie]

I have started out my day incredibly pissed off....A little backgroud: since Day One, I have had a really hard time NOT exercising if my husband exercises on that day. He used to be a 7 day/week exerciser, now down to 5-6. I used to be a 6 day/week exerciser now down to 5. Over the past years we've come to see Sunday as a mutual day-off from working out, and I basically stick to it. BUT my husband, who really enjoys his chosen sport occasionally likes to get a session in on a Sunday, and when he does, I get incredibly, irrationally enraged. If he works out, I feel like I HAVE to work out even if I don't want to, because if I don't I feel guilty and spend the day checking on how much he is eating and comparing it to how much I am eating, and mentlaly tallying up calories eaten/expended (for him and for me!) and basically am in a snit and act like a bitch. But here's the thing: if I do work out even if I don't want to, I am STILL pissed off at him for "making" me work out. This has nothing to do with him, and still I end up expending so much negative emotional energy on resenting him.

So obviously, this morning at 6 he's up and getting dressed to go rowing. It is 30 degrees outside, and he's been biking 50+ miles/day plus hiking for the past 6 days, and he can't skip the opportunity to work out???? He knows I'm pissed off (probably doesn't know quite the extent to my anger, since I've tried to keep it to myself the past few years - I used to let it all out :o). So I end up going out for a 3 mile run/walk. Nothing wrong with that, in and of itself, except that I didn't want to, and I am still so obsessed/competitive/insecure - I don't know what it is at this point - that I couldn't NOT do anything and be able to not hate myself for the rest of the day.

And I'm still pissed off at him, even now that I am showered and warmed up.
I hate this feeling. Makes me hate him, too.

[twinnett]

I'm so sorry to hear you're in a bad mood. My husband doesn't work out EVER and gets upset w/ me for going, even though I'm down to 4 or 5 days a week, rather than 7. It makes me resent him that he's angry at me...weird..I hope things look up for you today and you two can find something enoyable to do together...

[emmie]

Thanks, Tara. I know how irrational it is for me to get upset. If he got mad at me for working out, or for going shopping, or doing whatever it is that makes me happy, I know that I'd feel bad. I hope to find some way of not staying mad at him, but at the moment I still am. ANd the poor guy is tiptoeing around and going out of his way to be nice. And that makes me even madder!

[emmie]

I am going to hit the "rewind" button here and try to put aside this morning's emotional landmine.

I had a good workout yesterday (weights only), and it felt great to have my usual energy level restored. I didn't really miss the two cardio sessions I skipped because of illness, but I definitely missed the Wednesday weight session. I have nice hamstring and pec doms today. Was trying to get the 40's up for DB presses, but it was a no-go. Funny, my right side might have been able to handle some reps, but my left side is weaker, and I saw/felt that it was veering out of alignment before I really started the movement. So I'll need to be patient and diligent with 35's. I have not been doing DB press regularly since I switched to full-body workouts, but I guess I'll put it into the mix. Did two ab exercises, too. And no, I didn't want to do either of them :p. I wonder if I will EVER come to not hate ab work? I suppose if I did it consistently enough to see results I might find the motivation...

[twinnett]

I find that my left side is weak on the DB presses, but I'm only on 30s! I know exactly what you mean about the husband. Little things like the way he laughs sometimes make me so mad at him and it's so stupid, but I can't help it! As for ab work, Emma has me only doing it 2Xa week, but really hitting it w/ weighted work, and it seems to be working..more definition and looking better than when I was doing them 4-5X a week w/ tons of reps..

[emmie]

Little things like the way he laughs sometimes make me so mad at him and it's so stupid, but I can't help it!
And the thing is it's not HIM, it's ME and my "stuff". He's just doing what he want to do and enjoying hhimself, and I'm pissed off because he's not doing what I want him to do. It's completely immature and selfish, but there you have it! Thanks for sharing your experiences.... (BTW, we're getting along again now :o)

And as for ab work, I'm aiming for 3 times week...but 2 times a week sounds even better :p! I will need to research what types of weighted exercises I can do at home. No stability ball - I had one and it gathered dust and got in the way, so I got rid of it...

[Luvdogs]

I have times when my hubby irritates me too. Sometimes he speaks and ends words with an "ie" sound like: "I'm going to have a snack"ie", or shoes"ies" and I repeat what he said but correctly like, "oh, your going to have a snack". It bugs me, I'm not 4, don't speak to me like I am. It's not very "manly" to me. He's always been on the corny side which is part of what endeared him to me, but after a while...ugh! I love to hear him talk on the phone to Landlords (he does cellular tower leasing), he sounds so commanding and in charge and I like that! And then I get this other talk and it's like a boy...I'm sure there's things I do that bug him too.

[twinnett]

That's just like Drew! So corny and cheesy and somewhat immature when he talks to me..uses weird voices and stuff..sometimes it's funny and sometimes I want to wring his neck!

[Luvdogs]

That's just like Drew! So corny and cheesy and somewhat immature when he talks to me..uses weird voices and stuff..sometimes it's funny and sometimes I want to wring his neck!

Ahhh, made me laugh because I know!!! Ok, one voice I do like is when hubby talks to me in his Arnold voice telling me how huge my muscles are getting! Then I think: he's a good man, earns a good enough living that I only have to work part-time (and that's because I want to), loves me to death, even when I was fat, never, ever made me feel bad and never lessened his desire for me, a great father. One thing he said way back (one of the reasons I fell in love with him) was "I want to be the kind of man I want for my daughter". I melted. I'll put up with a little corny for that!

[emmie]

Next time my hubby does something which annoys me, I'll have to say to myself, "well at least he's not corny" and see if that helps :D. God, I feel for you, ladies...that would drive me nuts.

We managed to have a very nice evening with a fire in the fireplace (first one of the season) and some wine. I just feel badly that I wasted so much energy yesterday feeling angry and negative. Onward and upward, right???

[tanya71]

have a great day. Thanks for coming to my journal and caring to give me encouraging words. Your a doll.
Glad you are not angry anymore. Sometimes men are just clueless to what drives us or irritates us.:)

[moisy]

Happy monday morning!! :) Your weekend with the fireplace and wine sounded very nice indeed. I love the smell of wood burning fireplaces at this time of the year ;)

[emmie]

Yes, the fire was the highlight of the weekend! It creates such a nice, mellow atmosphere...even the cats like it :D!

Good workouts today. Once again after finishing the squats and walking lunges, I felt worn out and ready to stop. But I pushed on and managed to hit all the body parts in some way - including 2 weighted ab exercises. Still am sore in the abs from Saturday's reverse crunches (done on the bench) - obviously they were effective.

Ate some whey and cheerios (an experiment - plus I had to buy a 4th box of cereal in order to get the sale price on my Fiber One, so I figured that was the least evil of all of the other cereals on the shelf) and then went to the gym for 30 min of cardio.

School-related activites to day. And a day off from clinical tomorrow because of election day (???) - hey, I'll take it.

Hope everyone is having a good day !

[2lean2Bmean]

Yes, the fire was the highlight of the weekend! It creates such a nice, mellow atmosphere...even the cats like it :D!

Good workouts today. Once again after finishing the squats and walking lunges, I felt worn out and ready to stop. But I pushed on and managed to hit all the body parts in some way - including 2 weighted ab exercises. Still am sore in the abs from Saturday's reverse crunches (done on the bench) - obviously they were effective.

Ate some whey and cheerios (an experiment - plus I had to buy a 4th box of cereal in order to get the sale price on my Fiber One, so I figured that was the least evil of all of the other cereals on the shelf) and then went to the gym for 30 min of cardio.

School-related activites to day. And a day off from clinical tomorrow because of election day (???) - hey, I'll take it.

Hope everyone is having a good day !

g'morning....

oh how i love the fire at night:)....it's been too hot here lately, so it doesn't feel like fire time yet, but i DO have a wood burnig fireplace here in my apt.....ruby gets alittle scared of the snap-cracle-pop sometimes....she just hasn't had enough time to get used to it, but she will when it gets colder.....

what's your cherrios and whey experiment?

hey congrats on the AB work:)...what are reverse crunches?....i might have to try that...

hey pop over to my journal for some pumpkin oat bran pancake talk...:D

have a great mon

[emmie]

hey pop over to my journal for some pumpkin oat bran pancake talk...:D

You wicked woman, I'm supposed to be studying now! Sheesh, now I've got to go find out about those pancakes. *Emma ponders the importance of graduating from nursing school vs. getting some more pancake ideas.....and...runs over to 2 Lean's journal*

[Luvdogs]

Ah, a fire sounds nice. We have big candles in our fireplace. This week we've got weather in the low 70's! Not ready for a Presto Log yet!

I'm glad you and your hubby had a nice night. Mine said "blankie" last night (instead of blanket) :rolleyes: what's a girl to do??? It's who he is.

[2lean2Bmean]

You wicked woman, I'm supposed to be studying now! Sheesh, now I've got to go find out about those pancakes. *Emma ponders the importance of graduating from nursing school vs. getting some more pancake ideas.....and...runs over to 2 Lean's journal*


LOL...i just finished the pancake post...sorry it wasn't there when you checked....Xj

[emmie]

Back from a cardio-only session at the gym: 1 hour of slow-moderate walking on the t-mill. Just wanted to do something stress-less, since my body hurts from yesterday's workout. One of my weighted ab exercises - DB Dbouble Woodchop - has left me very sore, not in the obliques, but in the lower back :confused:. Anyhow, a day off from school today, but I need to try to get some real work done on several projects that are going to be due soon.

2 Lean, my whey and cheerios experiment is simply using the cheerios as a carb source instead of banana. Seems to work. As for reverse bench crunches:

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/excercise/picREVERSE%20CRUNCHES.htm

Got to get on with things here - or at least attempt to. I'd rather not, though :p

[moisy]

Always nice sometimes to do a good moderate long cardio - stress free with some sweat! I like the whole cheerios and whey thing - I used to make whey shakes and use it to pour over cereal instead of milk and it was good :)

Hope you are able to get all of your things done today. Nice to have a break from classes. Tomorrow the grade 4 - 8s are going down to the symphony for a good part of the day so it will be a nice break for the teachers too to sit and enjoy ourselves. :)

[emmie]

Dreary, rainy, blah day here, but at least I got my workout done with - that's something positive :D.
I was reading an article about bench pressing (Men's Health, I think) and I realized that I have been cheating :eek:. To be honest, no one has ever really shown me how to do it, and I thought, how hard can it be seeing that grunting meatheads at the gym seem to have been able to figure it out. Anyhow, I have been allowing my elbows to flare out which, in my experiment today, seems to recruit more of the shoulder for the movement rather than the pecs. So today I focused on keeping my elbows close to me body, and that made the pecs work harder. It also made my reps go down. This is one of the things that I love about lifting weights - there is for me countless "aha!" moments when I figure things out. It's rewarding in a way that my 15+ years of running never were.
Sound the trumpet please....I also did 2 sets of abdominal exercises. For the second time this week. No, really, I did! I can't believe it either...

[tanya71]

hey girl. funny when you use correct form how much harder the exercise gets. At least for me.
When do you graduate?

[emmie]

Yeah...it's a lot easier to cheat :D

I graduate this December - hey, that's next month! I am excited and nervous and relieved all at once. Not worried about the NCLEX, but I am worried about the HESI which my school requires us to pass in order to graduate. Did you have to take an exit exam? I have the practice book/CD for the HESI and the questions are considerably more difficult than those in the NCLEX prep books I use...I'm a good student, so I *know* that I am able to pass, but the fact that I can't graduate if I don't pass this stupid test gets me all freaked out...That test is on Dec 4th :eek:

[moisy]

We will all send you good vibes on Dec 4th and I am sure that the exam will go great! ;) As for the end being in sight, you are going to have to go out and have one heck of a celebration that it is all over!! :D

[emunah]

When will you be taking the NCLEX? My husband is hoping to take it in February....

[emmie]

emunah - I hope to take it ASAP after I finish w/ my classes Dec. 18. Ideally I would like 2 weeks to prep for it, but I need to get the scoop on the process of applying to take the test (some foolishness about needing to receive an Authorization to Test, which I believe involves my school of nursing sending off verification that I actully graduated. I'm sure your husband knows all this.). I want to take the exam while things are fresh in my mind and I am still in school/test mode, mentally.

Just early a.m. cardio for me today, then off to the hospital. One of my patients had a venous ulcers on his leg that were so deep his tendons were exposed. Never knew how wide the Achilles tendon is - about 1" wide...Poor guy was in some serious pain :(.

Feeling a little anxious about the schoolwork and tests ahead of me. Time seems to be in short supply.

[moisy]

Boy you are a much stronger person than me ... I could not look at someone's exposed tendon without passing out!! :eek: I don't think I like even "thinking" about it!! lol

Hope you have a somewhat relaxing weekend and are able to do some fun things with your husband - induldge in some down time together!! ;)

[emunah]

Yes, my husband has to deal with the same thing. He's hoping they'll have all the paper work in by the end of January. He's taking a prep class now and wants to take the exam as soon as he can...

[emmie]

Boy you are a much stronger person than me ... I could not look at someone's exposed tendon without passing out!! :eek: I don't think I like even "thinking" about it!! lol

Luckily I am fascinated by things like that. The human body is a marvel in it's ability to withstand trauma and heal from it. I love wounds!

Another "Just Cardio" day, and that's fine by me. I have an exam this morning and am preoccupied. Also have a tedious case study paper along w/ 25 minutes powerpoint presentation looming over my head. It's not difficult, but it's boring and, to my mind, completely irrelevant to the general nursing practice. :(.

[Luvdogs]

"I love wounds"!

Oh boy, glad somebody does! I'm not super squemish, but hubby can't even get blood drawn without lying down.

We just had friends over last night from out of town (IL), one is a doctor and the wife is an anatesiologist (oh I know I butchered that spelling!). They were talking about stuff like that just like I'd talk about doing massage, no big deal!

[emmie]

I definitely am not squemish....except when I see someone in obvious pain, and then it's not so much a feeling of squemishness as it is helplessness and worry. Thank goodness for morphine! (For the patients, not me :eek:!)

Well, I think I aced my test. Could NOT believe how easy it was for me. That's a good feeling. Wish I could have gone out to do some celebratory shopping, but I really feel like I've got to get some work done on my other pending assignments. But I did call the nurse recruiter at one of the hospitals I have applied at, following up with my resume that I sent last week, and if she calls (please, yes!) to schedule an interview I may get the chance to go shopping....for a suit :(. Wish I could rent a nice suit the way men can rent a tux....

[2lean2Bmean]

hi emmie:D

congrats on your test!!!!!

and i'll send you great vibes for the job you want:)....i know you'll get the right one for you

i tell ya...if anything ever happened to me....i'd want you in my corner

are you in the kitchen today? making yummy things?..i've been on a sweet tooth run..i wish i was spending my cals on some of your good stuffs

hope you have a greatweekend.... and i hope the hubby decides to take a rest day with you tomorrow:)

Xj

[Luvdogs]

Congrats Emma! That must be a great feeling! Wooo Hoooo, yes I think a shopping trip is in order but for something fun! Like new workout apparel :)

[emmie]

Thanks for the congrat on the test - got the results and they were fine (90), but the test felt so darn easy, I feel like I should have done better. And actually, therein lies one of my "cognitive flaws": the feeling that I always "should have done better" which obviously acts as a subtle form of self-abuse as it devalues what I HAVE done. I've been doing this with my workouts, too. I do the best I can with the amount of energy I have to expend, and I need to let myself feel satisfied with it. But what I do instead is I screw myself up by loking at other peoples' journals and their workouts and comparing them to mine. I am so much happier with myself and my progress when I don't set up irrelevant comparisons. But I keep on doing it.

I don't want too, and cannot, make lifting weights an obsession in my life the way some others seem to. Why do I torture myself by feeling envious of people doing something I don't even want to do???? Duh! I may take a break from reading journals for a while - while I post in just a few, I periodically lurk in just about everyone's! Seems like it might be a healthy thing for me to do...And of course I am posting this after reading through a bunch of journals and thinking "god, she does this much, and that person does that much, and so-and-so eats this little, and that one over there can deadlift 10 million pounds - oh wait a second, that actually kilos! yikes!...I've got to get off my ass and go hit the weight room!".

Actually what I need to do is turn off this stupid computer :mad:. And go to Target and the egg farm :).

[Luvdogs]

It's all goal dependent and weather you "love" to do it or not. If your goal is keeping fit and healthy then not lifting so heavy is fine. There have been times when I've asked myself why do I want to lift so much? From me it's a personal challenge. I come from an obese family where the majority of my relatives are a minimum of 60 lbs over weight some being 100 lbs over weight. I am the only one who lost the weight and kept it off. Lifting makes me feel better and gives me self confidence that I didn't have earlier in life.

I look at others journal and go "man, they lift a lot and they're smaller than me!!" But we just can compete/compare with ourselves and our last workout!

Now go shopping and have fun! I love Target!

[emmie]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Julia!
I do love my workouts, I lift as heavy as I can, and it makes me feel better about my body and myself than any of my other physical pursuits have. I can feel proud of my accomplishments, even when I indulge in the comparisons - I mean, it's not like I'm hoisting 10 and 15# DBs here - and yet I still can manage to sabotage that feeling of accomplishment because I'm not so into the "bodybuilding lifestyle" (god, that phrase makes me want to gag) as other people are. I have been exercising and eating clean for more than 15 years, much of it spent w/an ED, and so I think that I am very sensitive to hearing about/reading about the various rigid, highly disciplined routines people follow regarding their eating and exercising.... Been there, done that, outgrew the t-shirt. :cool: I don't want to take that away from others - I just don't want that for myself. And some of my ED "buttons" get pushed when I hear about it. I am still quite rigid, but I have been working on shifting my attention away from my body and to the other aspects of my life (gee, who knew that there WAS anything besides body obsession??!). Mostly I do well, but recently it's been a challenge.
Thanks again for sharing your perspective, Julia. I understand why you are as enthusaistic and disciplined about your weight-loss, and I am sure that you are going to meet your goals. I'm trying to meet mine: to be as fit and muscular as I can be without veering into unhealthy obsession.

[twinnett]

I know what you mean Emmie. It's really tough when you have an ED past, not to switch obsessions you know? It makes me feel bad sometimes reading about the superstrict, never cheat diets that some follow, but we have to do what is best and healthiest for us. I think you're doing great and definitely have the right attitude

[emmie]

Thanks, Tara :rolleyes: I want to continue to ENJOY what I am doing, and that means not being as rigid as I used to be.

[twinnett]

Exactly...back in the grips of my ED, I would drag myself to the gym...tired, sick, hungry, sore, exhausted..it didn't matter. Now that I'm feeding myself correctly and getting rest and not doing tons of cardio, I love going to the gym and I can't wait for my next workout. When it stops being enjoyable, something needs to change.

[emmie]

Good workout this morning. Was able to use the 30# DBs for my walking lunges! My form was pretty bad for the first set, by the 4th set, I was in the swing of things. Some major leg-wobbling after that, I'll tell ya. I was feeling it in my traps and forearms, too, from gripping the DBs. I start out the workout with squats and lunges, and man, those take so much out of me. I feel fatigued for the rest of my workout. May need to experiment with eating more than I have been eating pre-workout. This morning it was milk and a half-banana. Now I'm having whey and Cheerios, and will soon leave to get my cardio done at the gym. Then home again for some REAL food (oats and flaxmeal and cottage cheese).

Had a nice "weekend" (i.e. Sunday). Took my elderly parents to the mall, which was a nightmare. It took us 15 minutes to get INTO the parking garage...Crowded, incompetant salespeople, hot. But they wont go the mall unless I take them, so I did my daughterly duty for the week, so that feels good. Picked up a piece of goatsmilk gouda on the way home, and hubby and I ate that around the fireplace with some nice bread and cheap wine. Then I moved on to my massive bowl of steamed cauliflower w/spray butter. Seriously, I am really loving this stuff.

Hope everyone is having a nice day!
E.

[tanya71]

morning!:)

[emunah]

Steamed cauliflower is one of my fave veggies. i like it with some roasted garlic. :)

[moisy]

30lb dbs woman, that is amazing!!!! :D You must have legs of steel!! You were a very nice daughter indeed too this weekend taking your parents to the mall. How old are they? I am lucky because mine get around quite well - in fact, they have a better social life than me. One would never know that my dad was 72 and my mom 68 since they act much younger and are so energetic.

Have a great day and rest those wobbly legs of yours!! :)

[Luvdogs]

Woo Hooo awesome job with those walking lunges! They're killer! You'll have sore buns for sure.

Your cheese, bread and wine sounds devine! Hey that rhymes...

We are planning our Thanksgiving and we decided to do a "Wine Country Picnic" Thanksgiving since we will be "home alone".

Pesto Tortellini
Brie cheese
Havarti cheese
Olive tempenade
Roasted red peppers, zucchini, garlic
grapes, raspberries
dark chocolate
prawns with cocktail sauce
Rosemary or Roasted garlic french bread
and a great bottle of Zinfandel!

Now, I am skipping some of the above. But I do intend to enjoy without going overboard.

[emmie]

Pesto Tortellini
Brie cheese
Havarti cheese
Olive tempenade
Roasted red peppers, zucchini, garlic
grapes, raspberries
dark chocolate
prawns with cocktail sauce
Rosemary or Roasted garlic french bread
and a great bottle of Zinfandel!

Julia, that sounds great! What time do you want us to show up? :D

[emmie]

30lb dbs woman, that is amazing!!!! :D You must have legs of steel!! You were a very nice daughter indeed too this weekend taking your parents to the mall. How old are they? I am lucky because mine get around quite well - in fact, they have a better social life than me. One would never know that my dad was 72 and my mom 68 since they act much younger and are so energetic.

Have a great day and rest those wobbly legs of yours!! :)

I'm working on getting legs of steel! There has been MUCH improvement from my chicken-leg distance-runner days, but there is no denying genetics: I have the legs of my 82 year old father :(. I am long-limbed and on the sinewy side, but I'm working with what I have, and I'm pleased with my progress.
My mom is 75. They have always been "old", as in very sedentary, given much more to intellectual rather than physical activites. Their mobility has really declined over the past few years and they both have some health issues that they are dealing with. My father doesn't drive (he had a stroke), and my mother will not drive on the highway, nor will she drive at night. She is very fearful, and frankly, I think that she could pose a hazard to some other motorists. Or piss them off, at the very least. I struggle sometime with remaining patient with them, as they have slowed down considerably. Walking around the mall was a massive undertaking for them, and I am sure that they were exhausted when they got home. Sounds like you've got a very nice relationship with your folks - I'm a little envious!

[Luvdogs]

Hey Emma, we'll be serving at 6:00! Come on over! I started this little tradition last winter. It was so gloomy, I thought, "let's have a picnic...in the living room"! So I got similar menu items, a blanket and candle, we spread it out on the floor and a "Wine Country Picnic" was born. I have to ease up on the cheese though, too much water retention :o

My mom is like your mom, but she is only 66. She won't drive if it's dark or she has to make a left turn (drives me nuts) and will not drive on the freeway. My mom is also very sedentary, but no intellectual pursuits either!
:(

So you got your smarts from your parents!

[emmie]

I got my Omrom BF analyzer yesterday, and I have to say, I was a little nervous to use it. Nervous about seeing the number since I actually feel pretty good about my body right now and I worried "what if it says I am 33%???, then I'm going to feel awful". And also nervous because I have not had any type of measuring device (scale,BF monitor) besides my PANTS for about 18 years, and the last thing I want to do is become overly-concerned (a nice way of saying OBSESSED) about a stupid number. *Sigh*. So I measured myself last night, after eating a big meal and drinking lots of water -exactly what you're NOT supposed to do, and I got a number that I could live with. This a.m., just out of bed, I measured again - and got a number that I feel is more accurate. I used Ms. Fit's method (using the athletic setting take a male reading, take a female reading, take the average of the 2 and subtract 1) and got 14.3%. I know that photos can be misleading and other people's readings can be inaccurate, but photos of other women's bodies w/14-16% BF look very similar to mine. Who knows what is accurate. I had a BodPod analysis is July and that came out as 20%. I look at photos of people w/ 20% BF and I don't look at all like that. I believe that I have added muscle since them (judgingsolely by appearance and feel) but I doubt it's enough to reduce the BF by 6%....
I am contemplating giving the Omron to my husband to hide somewhere until I need/want to measure again - 1 month? 2 months?. My interest is in adding muscle. I'm not hell-bent on lowering my BF because as I said, I basically like the way I look now. I'd look better with more muscle, and I'm working on it!

Hospital day today. Then a quick visit to the "other" gym near the hospital.

I have an interview at one of the hospitals next Monday! I had to call the nurse recruiter because she hadn't contacted me, and I guess my resume was buried on her desk, but she said she was glad that I called...I hope she means it! Now I've really got to get busy with finding a suit...at least a blazer, I have dress pants and a top that will work.

Hope everyone has a good day!

[twinnett]

14%? That's awesome! I know...those things can be addicting!! I think I'm around 14% too...Have a great day!

[emmie]

To be honest, I looked at your picture and said to myself "that's pretty much what I look like." I'm not all excited about the number (and I don't want to be!). I want to try to remain objective about it: it's a measurement, just like my shoe size. Which is 9.5-10, FYI :p

[tanya71]

you should be excited about 14%. You are happy and doing great. I would love to not struggle so much with my weight, etc. Thanks for all your pats and pushes.

What kind of job in nursing are you looking for?

Good day!

[moisy]

Whoo hooo on the bf reading!! :D That is great and must have made you feel great! After reading your journal, now I am inspired to have one of these "wine and cheese" picnics myself!! Though I will just be doing the wine and some other things since cheese does not mix with me too well! lol :D

Have a great day!

[Luvdogs]

Yeah, you got your Omron! I love mine. When it tells me what I want :D

I think it's as accurate as a home device can be. I had the hydro weighing and it came out about the same as the Omron with the MsFit method. Oh, I would love 14%, right now I'm shooting for 16%.

I tape measure weekly and Omron weekly and weigh on the scale...daily (she hides in the corner). Some habits are hard to break. It keeps me honest! Not weighing is how I got myself to 160 lbs last August!

I love these type of gadgets, just put a Polar F3 Heart Rate Monitor and an iPod on my Christmas list.

[emmie]

Hey, I have that HR monitor on my b-day/x-mas list too! Tho I suspect I will end up buying it for myself. I also have a squat rack on my list, and I KNOW I'll be buying that myself!

Thank you (I guess) for the congrats on the BF. I don't want to focus on it, and I actually regret that I even posted it, but oh well...

Tanya - I fluctuate between feeling good about my body and feeling dissatisfied. Fortunately the periods of dissatisfaction are less frequent than they used to be and I am able to get over them pretty quickly. Weight training has been a saving grace. I can tell myself (and know that it's true) that my thighs are bigger because I have developed the muscles in them, not because I had an extra serving of nuts, or whatever. Another thing which has helped considerably is shifting my focus towards finishing this semester and getting started on this new career. My brain needs to be clear enough to memeorize the lab values, signs and symptoms, meds, etc. that I actually will NEED to graduate. To my knowledge, the NCLEX isn't asking questions about how many calories I expended during my workout and whether or not I can "afford"to eat dinner :p..I'll let you know if that's some new content area, though. Surely ace that section!....I am looking for a med/surg position, or ICU if they'll take me. My long-term goal at this moment (always subject to change!) is to do home care nursing, and I know that I need a solid med/surg background for that. I'm also interested in wound + ostomy care. What are did you work in?

moisy - When we show up at Julia's house for Thanksgiving, I'll swap you my wine for your cheese...deal?!? :D Cheese was number one on my forbidden food list until about 2 years ago. Now I eat it ( a portion of lowfat string cheese or light Cabot cheddar) on a daily basis. My husband and I both really like cheese and we try to get a "special" , full-fat (maybe even Extra-Fat!) piece for the weekend. A small portion is enough if it's really tasty. It's kind of a guilt-free treat because I consider it a good source of calcium and protein.

[moisy]

You are on ... I will definitely give you my cheese for an extra glass of red wine!! lol :D I do like cheese but would not consider it one of my favourite things. I do like a slice on a hamburger - just not the same without it - and I do like a slice of old cheddar with a slice of apple pie. It is a habit that I picked up from my grandfather - it is such a good flavour combination! :)

[emunah]

Home care nursing? Sounds very interesting. :)

At 14%, I can't imagine that you should have that much to worry about for your body, even with the room for error in the Omron. What's your current goal?

[Luvdogs]

You are on ... I will definitely give you my cheese for an extra glass of red wine!! lol :D I do like cheese but would not consider it one of my favourite things. I do like a slice on a hamburger - just not the same without it - and I do like a slice of old cheddar with a slice of apple pie. It is a habit that I picked up from my grandfather - it is such a good flavour combination! :)

We have a magnum of Zindadel! It's one we bottled ourselves at a wine event and the wine maker signed it. I've never tried the chedder on pie, but I hear it's great BTW, I make the "best damn apple pie" around! That's according to my brother-in-law whos' an expert at apple pie ;)

[emmie]

We have a magnum of Zindadel!
Listen, Julia...if moisy is coming, you're going to need more than a magnum! :D


Home care nursing? Sounds very interesting. I like the independence and autonomy that vising nurses (a.k.a. home care) have. Even better is that you have the chance to develop a relationship with your patients over time rather than just caring for them for the 3 day hospital stay. And you actually have the chance to see them become WELL. I did clinical rotation this past summer in home care and it was, by far, the area of nursing that felt the most natural and comfortable for me.

As for my non-nursing goals...to continue to steadily increase my muscle strength and mass while enjoying the process. So far, so good!

Work day today (11.5 hrs :() and then home for a less-robust-than-I-had-hoped workout. But it felt very good, even though I was pooped. Loud Metallica helped me along :) Now it's time to get those eggwhites and cheese into the saute pan....mmmm, hungry!

[emmie]

Just cardio this morning, and that's a good thing because my body was feeling worn out. I haven't slept well for the past few nights, and last night I woke up in the middle of the night hungry. Hate that. Didn't get up to eat because I didn't want to wake myself up any more than I already was, so I was good and ready for my pre-gym snack.

Was at the hospital today - it's the one that I have an interview with on Monday. I mentioned to one of the nurses that I had an app't. for an interview, and she immediately called her nurse manager (who would be the second person to interview me if I get through the first interview) and left her a message saying that I was coming in on Monday and that she needed to set up an app't. to interview me because "we've got to snag this one" (meaning me). So that was a nice confidence booster! And then my professor told me that she spoke with the recruiter who is interviewing me on Monday and said that she (recruiter) was very interested in talking with me. Who knows, ladies, I just might get myself a job soon! Scary and exciting at the same time.

[Luvdogs]

Yeah, you're a wanted woman!! That must be a great feeling. It will be very exciting to start a new career in a place that wants you and hopefully you want them, I think you do??

[moisy]

That is great news about your interview - nice to have people want to "snag" you before someone else scoops you up :) They must have a great deal of respect for the work that you do - that is a great compliment!

So what are your plans for the weekend? Any wine and cheese picnics that I should be aware of?? lol :) It is supposed to snow here a bit this weekend so that would be a perfect way to spend a saturday or sunday afternoon in my opinion. I think that I would have wine ... and pate and crackers at mine!! ;)

[emunah]

Yay! Sounds like it will be good.

[2lean2Bmean]

i just wanted to say hi.....i've been working my butt off....and looking for my scooter:D....i hope you are doing fab....i still have to get to the PM reply....miss you...Xj

[emmie]

That is great news about your interview - nice to have people want to "snag" you before someone else scoops you up :) They must have a great deal of respect for the work that you do - that is a great compliment!
Well it certainly is nice to feel "snag-able", but I'm not getting a fat head about how valuable I am, etc...There is a nursing shortage and they need BODIES, plain and simple. I will say that the fact that I can string together an intelligible sentence and don't snap chewing gum while on the floor probably does make me a bit more desirable than some of the other potential applicants...

Just cardio this a.m. Still feel really tired out. Stressed, basically. Spent the morning doing practice NCLEX questions. Then went to school for 4 hours of lecture, then battled traffic to get to the shopping center to find a black, interview-worthy blazer. Found one at Kohl's marked down from $58 to $22! No one will mistake it for an Armani, but since I'm hoping to have to wear this only a couple of times, I think it will do. At least I can cross one thing off of my to-do list!

[emmie]

Sheesh, had to go search for my journal on page 3...guess I've been away for a couple of days! Let's see...where did our story leave off...

Saturday: Got stuck at work for 12+ hours making and rolling tart dough for T-giving pies. This is more tiring than it sounds. Maybe boring is a better word. Plus the night before I slept for what felt like 10 minutes total, so that wasn't much help. When I got home I seriously contemplated skipping the workout, but I knew that doing something - no matter how wimpy - would make me feel better, so I trudged down to the basement and cranked up the Metallica. Did 4 exercises - deadlifts, split squats, bench press, and bend bb row - and gave them my all. Felt much better and tired in a way that actually feels GOOD. Took some Benadryl and went to bed at 7. and actually slept well :)

Sunday: I look a 3 mile walk in the morning simply because I had not been outside all week besides getting into and out of the car. Don't like that. It was brisk and kind of invigorating. Then hubby and I went to visit friends in their new house outside of Boston: a gorgeous town, and their home boarders a nature preserve w/ hiking trails, so we all went for a hike inbetween snacks and dinner. They're healthy eaters, plus we brought a couple of dishes up with us, so the food was yummy and anxiety-free. This is one of my hubby's high-school buddies. He met his present wife at just after my husband and I met, so his wife and I have gotten to be friends, too. It was a very nice day.

This morning: The usual squats + walking lunges routine, plus 5 other exercises trying to hit all body parts in some way. Was wearing a pair of yoga pants instead of my baggier carpris and did a double-take in the mirror as I passed by: "Whose ass is that???! It can't be mine 'cause it's not flat and bony." But was mine (same one I'm sitting on right now :p), and those leg exercises have been paying off. It's quite a transformation. I'm 75% pleased with it. The other 25% of me is a little anxious because bigger=fatter, right??? I'm going to work on shutting-up that voice be reminding myself how much better I look in jeans these days.

Job interview @10:30 this morning! Keep your fingers crossed!
- E.

[Luvdogs]

Good luck with the job interview!!

Naw, that a$$ is all muscle :D

Sounds like a nice weekend. One of these years I need to make it to your neck of the woods.

We're popping that magnum of Zinfandel, serving at 5:00 pm (Thursday), come on over!

I love my walks to the mail box, ok, not too exciting but I love being outside too. We have lots of new building going on in the 'hood so I can check on progress.

[emmie]

We're popping that magnum of Zinfandel, serving at 5:00 pm (Thursday), come on over!
Perfect timing...the dinner I'm going to at my aunt's house is at 2, and after that (18 ppl), I'll be ready for a drink!

The interview went very well - woo hoo! I have interview #2 w/ the nurse manager of the unit I'm applying on (step-down/telemetry) next Monday at 9 a.m. After that, it should be a week until I hear, although they are trying to speed up the approval process. They hope to start the new grad orientation Jan 22nd.... I didn't think I was nervous about the interview until I tried to put on my lipstick - my hand was shaking so badly it's a wonder I didn't end up looking like I was drunk! I'm very excited about it all. And impatient! I wish interview #2 was tomorrow :mad:!


P.S. My butt hurts! :p

[Luvdogs]

Patience is not one of my virtues! I like instant gratification :D

I'm glad it all went well and that your butt hurts!

[moisy]

Happy Thanksgiving! :) Congrats on the first interview going so well too - you must be thrilled!! :D Glad too to hear that you are loving your "bootie" - it is amazing what weight training can do for one's behind!!! lol :D

[emunah]

Nice job with the interview.

[emmie]

Well I took a day off yesterday. I didn't sleep well the night before and woke up feeling like I was coming down with a cold. I went to clinical simply because I had a paper to hand in and my prof asked me how I was and I told her that I didn't feel great, and she asked me of I wanted to go home. Why as a matter of fact, I DID want to go home, so that's what I did. :p Spent the day doing about 400 NCLEX practice questions, finishing up another paper, and wrestling the laundry situation under control. I was just what I needed to do. Didn't work out in any way, either, unless I can count vacuuming and washing the kitchen floor.

Today was a work day. Up to my elbows in slicing apples and making pies. I am glad that this will be the last year that I will need to go through the T-giving pie torture. I've hated it for 9 years straight!

Came home and had a good weights work-out. That turns my mood around no matter how bad it is before hitting the basement. It's my favorite drug! Actually that's a lie. My favorite drug is Nyquil because it is the only thing that guarantees that I sleep through the night. Almost worth getting a cold for...

Hope everyone is enjoying their T-giving preparations...except poor moisy, who probably has to WORK tomorrow :eek: while the rest of us make spectacles of ourselves at the hors d'oeuvres table!

[Luvdogs]

Happy Thanksgiving Emma!

How many pies do you have to make??

I'm pretty much prepared for our little "picnic", going to roast the veggies shortly. I am so glad it's just the two of us, but I will be driving to see my mom and brother tomorrow.

I need to take study lessons from you! I get distracted easily :o

[emmie]

Hi Julia - This year's total was only around 40. Since I only work part-time there, some of the prep work was done by someone else who shorted me on both fillings and tart dough. GRRRR! So on top of everything else, I was roasting and pureeing (o.k., and eating, too) sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Obviously, these pies are totally from scratch...There were years in the past when it was closer to 140..there used to be a customer who would order 100 pies which he would give to his business associates. Must be very good associates...these pies cost $25 each. I love to make pies, but after about 6 or 8 in a row, the thrill dies down!

Re: studying and distractions. Ummmm, I may not be the best person to give lessons. Some days it is next to impossible for me to concentrate for longer than 15 minutes. But then there are times when I can get a couple of uninterrupted hours done. I think it has to do with how stressed out I am. More stress=more distraction.

By the way, on your recommendation I ordered some Biochem choc. whey. I love their Natural flavor, so I feel confident that the choc will be good, too. Thanks for the tip!

Off to the gym in a few minutes. They are open from 6-9:30. Should be a madhouse...

[moisy]

Holy cow - 40 pies!!!! lol That is alot of work for you to do with work, school and running a house!! You are definitely ready for the big holiday with that many pies! And I love pie ... pecan, pumpkin and apple would be my favourites if I had to narrow it down!! :D

Have a wonderful holiday and I hope that you have a good night's sleep too! You deserve it after all of the work!!

[emmie]

Holy cow - 40 pies!!!! lol That is alot of work for you to do with work, school and running a house!!
moisy - Those were pies I made at work -- not for me! Good god, I don't love my family enough to make 40 pies for them at T-giving! :D. For the record, there has been only one year when I have baked a pie for my family. Knowing how my work is the days before T-giving, they know better than to ask!! My contribution to the T-giving table (and it's a self-serving contribution since hubby and I don't eat turkey) is a red pepper + mushroom crustless quiche. Healthy yumminess!

Glad you could narrow your pie choices to 3!! I like apple if it's not too sweet and the filling isn't canned apples (ick!).

[Luvdogs]

Off to the gym in a few minutes. They are open from 6-9:30. Should be a madhouse...

Luuuccckkkyyyyyyy! Mine is closed! I made due on our treadmill though.

The Biochem choc is great mixed into oats after cooking. I'm having some right now! :D

[emmie]

Glad that the T-giving ordeal is over with. The weather was HORRID - torrential rains and high winds (came home last night to find someone's patio umbrella impaled in the middle of our back yard :confused:!) - and the driving sucked, but we got up to my aunt's in one piece. Dinner was blah - food wasn't very good, so I am especially glad that I had brough the veggie quiche - and there was ZERO temptation to eat anything unhealthy, but the company was good. Hubby and I got home and promptly made ourselves some GOOD food :p.

Cardio only this a.m. I have been having whey and cheerios before the gym, and I ran out of the cereal, so this a.m. I had some milk and some banana...my body wasn't happy and I felt shaky and low-blood sugary-y after about 20 minutes. Stopped at the market on the way home for more cheerios! Seems to do the trick. I still marvel at how I used to run 6-8 miles in the morning without eating anything and wouldn't bonk. Obviously my body was accustomed to not being fed, and now that I'm actually feeding it, it won't let me get away with skimping. Smart thing, the body ;).

Will NOT be going shopping today! When I was at the market this a.m. @ 6:30, the parking lot of the adjacent K-mart was jammed...Absolutely ridiculous to my mind...

[moisy]

Too bad about the food being disappointing, but at least the company was good :) And in a way, it is nice to be able to go home with hubby and do it again cooking more food to celebrate again alone .... or it could have been a pain in the butt!! lol

Have a good weekend and enjoy those cheerios!! :)

[vanessa40]

Hi em :)
I have a Omron also..i love mine. Wow 14% BF..that's great :)

[emmie]

Wow 14% BF..that's great :)
Well who knows how accurate it is :cool:...I really am trying not to focus on it. I feel o.k. about my body, and for me that's a healthier measure than a number. Thanks for stopping by!

[vanessa40]

Well who knows how accurate it is :cool:...I really am trying not to focus on it. I feel o.k. about my body, and for me that's a healthier measure than a number. Thanks for stopping by!
That's a great attitude :)

[emmie]

Managed to get through work and workout today. Feel very tired, but did my best in the weight room. Increased weights on the BB row, deadlift, and plie squats. Still stuck like glue on the DB bench press....Those 40s don't want to budge. Ah well....
Got my new choc whey powder - something a little different. I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but I wanted something besides my plain, unsweetened whey. I've been sweetening that stuff with my apricot-flavored liquid stevia, and that gets a little cloying after a while. I have succeeded in cutting back on my Splenda use. :) I now use about 2 packets per day. I have gotten away from the sparkling fruit-flavored waters by buying flavored seltzer and using the liquid stevia in it. Seem to do the trick!
Going to go fire up the oven: Pumpkin muffins w/ toasted hazelnuts and candied ginger for hubby, and flaxseed bread for me. And then pumpkin pancakes for dinner....along with a bowl of steamed cauliflower.:)

[tanya71]

I love pumpkin pancakes. I could eat them all day.:)

Thanks for stopping by my journal.

Are you working with a trainer?

[emmie]

Are you working with a trainer?

Yeah. I've got two of them. One of them is a tortoise shell, and the other is a grey calico. They both sit next to my weight bench and stare at me and wonder why mom is lifting those stupid weights instead of scooping out the litter box........:p

Tanya - I'm a smart-ass who works out at home in the dingy basement. I go to the gym for cardio, but prefer to do my weigh workouts at home. I have 3 benches, bars, plates, and DBs. I need a squat rack. And a handsome, thickly-muscled spotter ;).

[emmie]

Took advantage of the gorgeous weather we've been having lately (sunny and upper 50's) and went out for a long walk this afternoon, swapping it for tomorrow's cardio session. I have interview #2 at the hospital tomorrow (w/ the nurse manager) at 9 a.m., and I knew that I wouldn't have the time to do my usual weights + cardio routine. So I'll do the weights when I get up, eat breakfast, and the go knock 'em dead at the interview :D. Plus I have had the misfortune of losing 2 fillings, so I need to beg and grovel for a dental app't sometime tomorrow...really bad timing.

Saw that hubby brought in some wood, so I'm guessing we'll be having a fire tonight - that's something to look forward to.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[vanessa40]

good luck with your interview..i hope you can get an appointment soon..

[emmie]

What's wrong with this stupid web site?? Seems like it's been having trouble during the past couple of days.

Well the interview went really well, and the nurse mgr. seems like she really wants to hire me, so I will keep my fingers crossed!

Had a good workout this a.m. Upped the squats by 1 set - everything else stayed the same and that's o.k. with me. I'm looking at this time as a maintenance period: If I can manage to increase the weights/reps/sets that's great. If I stay about the same, that's fine, too. I've got to be realistic about the amount of mental energy I can spend on lifting weights...my priority needs to be keeping focused on finishing this semester in one piece. Three weeks to go! Cannot wait!

[vanessa40]

I know i've been trying to post here all morning ..jeez..
Glad you had a good workout..it's time for me drag myself away from this computer and go workout

[Luvdogs]

Sounds like you're going to hear: "Your Hired"! Can you tell I watched The Apprentice? How long until you find out?

I noticed that too yesterday. I got several "server too busy" messages. I guess everyone surfs on Sunday night!

[emmie]

Sounds like you're going to hear: "Your Hired"!
Well I hope that's what I hear! It would be such a relief to know that I have a job lined up - one less thing to be stressed about. With any luck I should hear in about a week. I was told that it can be a slow approval process (background checks, references, etc), but that they are trying to expedite things. I hope that they HURRY UP and expedite things - I'm not into that "delayed gratification" thing: I want it NOW! :)

[moisy]

Sounds like the next few weeks will be an exciting time for you with job news and the end of classes coming so soon .... and then it will be the holidays!! :D Personally, I am so looking forward to them, but you would never know that it is almost December since the weather has been so mild here and foggy too.

Have a great day!

[emunah]

What kind of floor is it?

[emmie]

What kind of floor is it?
:rolleyes: Step-down/Telemetry

Spent 6+ hours in a conference room listening to unspeakably boring case study presentations which we all had to do: 25 minute multi-media, fill-up-the-time-with bull**** presentations. I will be very glad to leave this sort of nursing school nonsense behind!

Got out in time to stop at the "other" gym for some lat pulldowns and assisted pull-ups, plus 30 min on the elliptical.

Then to Whole Foods for cottage cheese....and the most delicous Brussles sprouts. They looked so yummy sitting there in the bin, I had to buy some. Just steamed them up and had them w/spray butter. They were divine! Got some more yams, too (sweet potaotes? yams?). For once they had some nice small, 5 oz sized ones. So often they only have the huge ones. And if I bake one, I want to eat it ALL :D

Work and dentist tomorrow. Workout, too. :)

Does anyone else find that they have difficulty sleeping the night after a hard workout? I'm finding that I wake up (extra) frequently and that my body is very tense/clenched. I simply cannnot get myself comfortable. Any input or ideas?

[emmie]

Feeling much better today. Yesterday was not good: my inability to sleep caught up with me and I was miserable, exhaused, and looked like ****. Aborted the workout after about 5 minutes (having gone to work, the dentist, the hospital to prep for today) because it felt STUPID to be pushing myself. For WHAT exactly??!? Anyhow, sat myself down at the desk and got some much-needed studying done before going to bed at 6:30. Actually managed to sleep, thank god, but something is not right if the only way I can get a decent sleep is to be deprived for 3 nights in a row... I am hoping that it is just stress and that after Dec 18th (last exam) I will be able to unwind.
My husband, at my request, massaged my shoulders the other night: my traps were so tight and hard that it just plain HURT, and the next day I felt bruised. Think I'm holding some tension there??
Hospital day today. Tomorrow I have to go to some seminar in the a.m., and then to lecture, so it means being seated for about 6 hours. I hate sitting.
That's my tale of woe :cool:. Hope everyone is doing better than that!

[tanya71]

hope you have a better day. Keep at it hun, you are almost done.

You are so determined remember don't let it all get you down. And for goshs sake take a rest if you need it.:)

[emmie]

And for goshs sake take a rest if you need it.:)
My husband left me a note this morning saying how proud he was of me for skipping the workout yesterday...he has seen me in the past when the idea of skipping a workout was impossible, and if I did have to skip one, I would be miserable, tearful and very much down on myself. So obviously I have come a long way! It's still hard to deviate from what my brain tells me to do, but it is getting easier to listen to my body. And to recognize that missing a workout, or screwing up with my eating one day has absolutely ZERO impact on me in the big picture. I can only do the best that I can, and that menas different things on different days.
Thanks for your support, Tanya. You obviously know what a grind it is to finish up w/nursing school!

[Luvdogs]

Nice that your hubby recognized and gave you props for it! It's easy to become obsessive about training, dieting and such. Sometimes you just need a break. I'll get mine in Hawaii Dec 29-Jan 4. Then fresh for the new year!

[moisy]

Sorry to hear that you have not been sleeping well - there is nothing worse than that because it really takes its toll on you physically and emotionally. It sounds like you have a very supportive husband when it comes to school, work and life in general - you are a lucky girl!! ;)

I hope that today went more smoothly ... and here's to looking forward to the 18th of Dec. ... I am sure that it can not come soon enough for you. I will be looking forward to the 22nd which is the beginning of my break. Have a good night and be good to yourself! ;)

[twinnett]

What a great, supportive gesture from your husband! Glad to see that you listened to your body! I hope you get some rest in!

[emmie]

Yeah, my husband has been very supportive of me since day 1. He knows how hard I struggle with accepting my body and treating it well, and while he may not understand what the fuss is all about, he always seems to know the right thing to say to make me feel better. Or, more often than not, to reorient me to reality!

[moisy]

Yes thankfully I did survive the night with the interviews and it all went really well. They are a great group of students and their parents are very appreciative too so it made it fly by. Thanks for asking!! :) I hope you have a great day and weekend with nice weather ;)

[emmie]

Exhausted yet again, but at least it's the end of the week and I can relax a little tomorrow. Well, sort of. I have to go to a brunch (gag) in the a.m for the nursing honor society (good networking opportunity, but that's about the only redeeming feature), and then I need to study for the exit exam I am taking on Monday. That's the test that I have to pass to graduate from the program. My 3.9 GPA doesn't count for anything if I screw this up, so it's a *little* nerve-wracking. I know that I'll pass it successfully, but I don't want to be over-confident and not take it seriously.

Good workout this afternoon. Upped the weight on the bent bb rows and RDLs and reg. deadlifts. Was utterly pooped afterwards. About 10 minutes after I finished up I was standing in the kitchen when my husband walked in. He looked at me and smiled and backed away and when I asked him what the problem was he said "You're look all pumped up. I'm going to stay waaaay out of your way" and he backed away as if he were scared. That made me very happy :)

[emmie]

Nice day today. I got 3 hours of studying done before I went to the brunch (which I left as soon as my name was called and I received me certificate :o).
Came home and took a nice long walk around the neighborhood. Seems that today is the official day for people to put up their x-mas decorations in their yard. Not us, though! We do do such things...
Hubby brought home a fabulous piece of ribiola cheese which we had w/some crusty sourdough bread and wine in front of the fireplace. Best cheese I've had outside of France. I told him he his wasn't allowed to bring any more into the house, it's too good :p. We then dashed upstairs for a quick roll in the hay before starting to cook dinner. That was great fun, as always, but even better because hubby remarked "you have such a nice body to look at". Now THAT'S good incentive to keep me hitting the weights. He also remarked that he would soon be out-muscled by me. I told him it was no one's fault but his own....:p This was a nice, relaxing day, and I needed it!

[Luvdogs]

Boy does that sound like a perfect day!! Your hubby has been most attentive and complimentarty lately, yeah for you!

My hubby jokes that soon my bi's will be bigger than his, he is right!

[tanya71]

sounds like a great day. Good for you. The downfall of having kids, no spontaneity.:(
I had two treat meals this weekend. Feeling oh so bad. But tomorrow is the start of a new program. :)

[emmie]

Snowing this morning! Big, wet flakes that aren't sticking to the road but which make the trees look pretty. I considered yeaterday's walk my cardio, so I didn't have to go to the gym after my weight workout. Which was good, because the condition of my basement has become intolerable, so I spent an hour trying to re-arrange, sweep (a fruitless effort), and purge a few unused items. We have a lot of furniture down there that we are not using but we're not ready to give away, and things are piled on top of each other and crammed into shelving....it's still pretty grim down there, but it looks a lot better now that I gave it a little lovin'.

As usual - I could just copy & paste this from every Monday workout - I was pooped after the squats and walking lunges. Did drop sets w/ the squats, and upped the reps from last week. Upped reps for the WLs - up to 4 x 16 w/30# DBs. My hamstrings feel very tight from Saturday's DLs and RDLs, even though I stretched them last night. Anyhow, managed to work other body parts, too. Tho I find my arms get fatigued from holding the DBs for squats and lunges, so that when I get to the upper body work, I'm not able to give it my all. Or, I should say, my all is not all that. But it's enough, and I feel satisfied.

Going to have my new hot cereal: Bare Naked Medley (oats, wheat, barley, flax, and sunflower seeds. My peeve: the label states that a 1/2 c. serving is 40 gm, and lists its nutritional data based on that. WRONG. A 1/2 cup is almost 60 grams. That's 160 cals vs. 240. How can they get away with such mislabeling?? I am smart enough to weigh it (plus I know that sunflower seeds weigh a heck of a lot more than an oat flake), but I bet a lot of people don't bother.

My "big" test is this afternoon. I am staying calm and positive :) But I'll be relieved as hell when it's over!

[moisy]

Your new cereal sounds really good! But more importantly, that romp in the hay on the weekend sounds more interesting!!! lol ;) It sounds like the two of you have a wonderful relationship - you are very lucky indeed!! :) Have a great monday and enjoy the freshly fallen snow - we got a little here too and it looks quite nice - puts me in the mood for the holidays!! :)

[emmie]

Yeah, the new cereal is good - lots of sunflower seeds to chew and that prevents me from doing my usual inhaling of breakfast - but it's not as good as my beloved oat bran...

So long as my husband and I don't do any home improvement projects together, we have a great relationship! :p One of the reasons we had such a good day yesterday was that we were both relatively relaxed. Each of us has a great capacity for anxiety, and if one of us is all wound-up and anxious about something, it tends to rub off on the other...

Snow is already melted!

[emmie]

So...that big test that I had to take in order to graduate from the program???
The testing center's server crashed and one by one we were each booted off of the computer and couldn't get back to access the test we had already started. We've got to go through all of this anxiety and bull**** again NEXT WEEk. I am so pissed off and frustrated that I could cry. There is nothing to be done about it, of course, but all of the preparation and worry...I wanted it to be over and done with by this time today. I feel miserable.

[twinnett]

Oh no! I hate technology sometimes! So frustrating...

[Luvdogs]

So...that big test that I had to take in order to graduate from the program???
The testing center's server crashed and one by one we were each booted off of the computer and couldn't get back to access the test we had already started. We've got to go through all of this anxiety and bull**** again NEXT WEEk. I am so pissed off and frustrated that I could cry. There is nothing to be done about it, of course, but all of the preparation and worry...I wanted it to be over and done with by this time today. I feel miserable.

Oh well that just sucks! :mad: I think that desserves a good foot stomping and a few $@&@$# words :D

[emmie]

Thanks, Tara and Julia. Technology definitely has it's down-side. I was feeling so prepared and ready to go - it's just kind of deflating. And I am so sick of studying for this! Grrrrr!

On the plus side, my butt and quads are already hurting from this a.m.'s session :).

[tanya71]

that sucks em. Doesn't seem fair.:(

Have a great day. It is freezing here. Brrrr!

[emmie]

Thanks, Tanya. I agree, it doesn't feel fair, but I am trying to look at it as a "learning experience" for my inner control-freak who gets absolutely enraged when things don't go the way I, personally, think that they should. But man, it shot my mood to hell last night...

Just cardio this morning. I have another day of sitting and listening to other students' final projects on something - don't ask me what. It is a tedious and useless way for me to spend the day, in my opinion. Just a few more weeks of this nonsense and then, I hope, I will be able to actually do nursing...still waiting to hear from the hospital about whether or not I got the job.

My quads and butt are very sore this morning. I hope that the workout helped to offset some of the stiffness that sitting all day can bring :( If I get out of school early enough I am going to "reward" my good behavior with a trip to Target :D.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[moisy]

Thank goodness for Target and shopping for much needed therapy!! :D Though we don't have them up here. But I am sure it will do you a world of good after what you have been thru regarding the test and the computer crash. I symapthize with you ... it sucks with a capital S !!!!! I am glad though that you are trying to look at it more positively. I try to do that a lot more lately and I find that a lot less actually stresses me anymore ... being a type A personality, I am finally learning to go with the flow. I realize more now that I am older that so much it out of my control, so why worry and fret about it. ;)

Sounds like you had a good leg workout too with the DOMS - I am in the same boat this morning! :) I definitely felt it when I "tried" getting out of bed this morning!!!! lol

[tanya71]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Target! Hope you had fun.

Tanya

[emmie]

Just cardio this morning. Yesterday was a weight-only workout. Both were adequate - nothing to really crow about except the fact that they got DONE.
Feel like the wind got taken out of my sails w/ the computer testing "malfunction" earlier this week. My motivation for studying and school-related activities in in the toilet. All I want to do is eat :eek:! Have not felt like that in a loooong time, thank god, and I hope that it will pass. I'm not giving in to the emotional/"soothe-me" cravings, so that's good. I tell myself that if I want to eat mindlessly, there's a big bunch of celery in the fridge and that's what I can eat. That usually puts and end to it, and I'll opt for a cup of tea or some diet soda. Celery is one of the few veggies I don't like.
Last clinical day today at the hospital where I hope to work. Still have not heard back since my 2nd interview. Hope that's not a bad omen!

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[tanya71]

have a good day. yea for last clinical day. Don't give in to the cravings. Remember diet soda is your friend in times like these.:)

[emmie]

Remember diet soda is your friend in times like these.:)Amen, sister! Actually...it's my friend at ALL times :p

[Luvdogs]

I completley agree on celery! And tea. A nice cupof hot tea is great in the evening if I'm craving something. I'm generally not truely "hungry", just want something.

[emmie]

Nice of bb.com to automatically change my age :cool:...it's my birthday today, which I hate. Always have hated my birthday. It makes me want to crawl out of my skin, the attention, the acknowledgement. So don't even THINK about it, o.k.??!?! :p

Have not been feeling great about myself lately. Have been having those "you're not doing enough", "your eating is not strict enough" sorts of thoughts. My hunch is that it's a stress-response. I get worried and tense about things and then I reflexively turn to the things which I *think* I can control. But the more I try to control them, the less happy and contented I am. And regarding my eating, the more I try to control it, the LESS I am able to control it. The picking, nibbling, constantly opening the 'fridge door to see if someone has placed that "one thing" (which doesn't exist) which will quell the cravings.... Seems like each evening for the past week after I've had my cheese omelette I start in the with "rummaging" as I call it. Flinging open all cupboards and drawers and picking and nibbling and chewing things up and spitting them. And I've very much aware of an anxious feeling while I'm doing this. Physical hunger is NOT a part of it. It usually takes a couple of tries to pull myself away from the kitchen. This used to be my life ALL DAY LONG, and I was miserable. Not sure why it has returned, but I want to get back to where I was a couple of weeks ago where I felt good about my eating and focused on fueling my body, not denying it or playing around with snacking.

Anyhow....cardio only this AM - stairmaster and treadmill. Have a test later this am and then have to go to my parents' house, which I am not looking forward to. But as I said to my husband, just like funerals are for the living, birthdays are for the (elderly) parents :(.

[tanya71]

Happy Birthday!

And hey hey lady. What have you been lecturing me about all these weeks. You are doing this the right way. Remember what the strictness brings to your life. You said it you were miserable. Do you want to go back to that? Go to my journal and read up missy. DO NOT GIVE IN to the negative feelings. But hey if you want to go back to the restriction and being miserable, its your life. LOL, don't do it.

;)

[moisy]

Happy birthday!! :) You should be celebrating it and not fighting it. With age comes wisdom and we just get better like a fine wine in my opinion. It is good that you can see that you are falling into old behaviours and now you have the opportunity to act on it and not let mistakes from the past happen again ... that is the wisdom part with getting older ;) Now we know better, so we do better. ;)

Have a wonderful day and feel good about yourself today!

[Luvdogs]

You are so awesome, dedicated and driven! You have had a ton on your plate lately I can see why you have these feelings. Take them in, sort them out and have a grand day! Treat yourself to....Target :D

I like to control my life too! It freaks me about about Hawaii a little bit, thinking how am I going to eat there without everyone making comments about how I eat, etc. But, it's my body, my life and I'll do with it want I choose. Every now and then I can feel myself wanting to eat more or nibble here and there but I know what it will lead to, an uncontrollable binge! It takes everything I've got to let it out of my mind and then I'm so thankful I did!

If there's anyone who can get through an obsticle, it's you!! Look at what you've done with your nursing school, job interviews, blows my mind!

and..happy birthday (there, I did it in small letters :) )

[emmie]

Thank you, ladies. I need the encouragment today!!

Just heard from the nurse recruiter at the hospital and she said that the nurse mgr. of the unit I interviewed for needed to talk to me about possibly working just part-time...(This is not what I want - I want full-time hours b/c of the $$) Of course the nurse mgr. is out of the office today, so I have to wait until Monday to find out what the deal is :mad:. And here's my "conspiracy therory": the 8 of us in my clinical group worked on different units in the hosp. The unit I applied for is not the one I had been working on, but one of my classmates was working there. Yesterday she tells me that she's decided that she wants to work on that unit after graduation, and that she had nice long chat w/ the nurse mgr. about it. So I am figuring that she is being given preference over me b/c she has been on the unit and I have not. Of course I have no proof of this (and what would it matter if I did??). But this is just another example of how, this week in particular, things that I have expected to go a certain way, have not. And I get so upset about it. I mean, I'm going to choke on my broccoli here if I don't stop crying. I am so BAD with limbo. I want to know how things are going to turn out, and I feel so stressed out and helpless when I don't know. And let's face it, that's life. So it sucks to be me, today :(.

Tanya - You are right - strictness and hyper-discipline are NOT my friends. I'm going to go read some of those affirmations. *hangs head and trudges off to Tanya's journal*

moisy - I wish I had even a fraction of your enthusiasm and clear-headedness! Some fine wine is sounding pretty good right now! I'm not fighting turning 37...I've never cared about the number of felt depressed by my age. By the grey in my hair, yes, but not the number of years I've been around ;)

Julia - Thanks for the pep-talk. I am under a lot of stress, and that makes my (already limited!) coping skills disappear. I know that everything will settle down and work out in some way, and I know then that I'll feel proud of having accomplished what I have done. Until then, I've got to keep away from trying to soothe myself with mindless nibbling. Bring on the celery :eek:!

Am hoping for a better frame of mind tomorrow. Thanks for your support, ladies. It helps a lot!

[moisy]

Sorry to hear about the so called "conspiracy" that might be taking place in regards to work ... but the world works in mysterious ways and maybe this was supposed to happen because something better suited to you is still out there ;) Everything happens for a reason to some degree and maybe you not having this one particular job is part of some bigger master plan .... at least let's hope so, right?!!! :D

As for my search for Mr. Weekend Hottie, there seem to be quite a few candidates to choose from and some even come during the week so they could be alternatives!! LOL :D I guess a girl has to have a little fun and lighten up the workout with some enjoyment too. Since I am single there is no harm in looking. But to be honest with you, most of the time I don't even notice who is around me because I am so focused on my own workout!! lol

[Luvdogs]

As for my search for Mr. Weekend Hottie, there seem to be quite a few candidates to choose from and some even come during the week so they could be alternatives!! LOL :D I guess a girl has to have a little fun and lighten up the workout with some enjoyment too. Since I am single there is no harm in looking. But to be honest with you, most of the time I don't even notice who is around me because I am so focused on my own workout!! lol

Heck, I'm married and look! No touchie, no foul!

[emmie]

Took a few days off from posting here (obviously, since my journal was way down on pg 3!). Let's see - got my workout in on Saturday; was soooo sure that I was going to feel sore from the deadlifts, but I wasn't :confused:. My whole body was shaking by the last rep... I did, however, feel the plie squats. I tried to go as deep as possible with them (60#), and maybe it was a little too deep. I'm not sore in a DOMS type of way, but more like something got pulled that shouldn't have gotten pulled (under the "gluteal crease"). Anyhow...

Yesterday I took a 5.5 mile walk. Third Sunday in a row that it has been in the 50's. It's freezing all week long, and then, poof!, Sundays it warms up. No complaints on my part. I had fun and it was a HUGE relaxer for me. I'm still all up-tight about the BIG TEST (this afternoon, computer-gods willing!) and the job situation. Came home and hubby and I had a fire, wine, lots of cheese (oh mercy) and my birthday celebration. He got me some some miniscule thongs (not the ones for my feet :p) and this coat:
http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=5890&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4477%2C7488%2C7493%2C7493&KickerID=8&KICKER in charcoal. That was a nice surprise and it's toasty-warm. I knew that I was getting something from Garnet Hill (my favorite), but I figured it was a sweater.

Finished my workout this morning. Didn't want to get out of bed to do it, but of course I am glad that I did. I am counting yesterday's walk as my cardio, so I'm not going to the gym today. I am going to be sitting here and watching the clock until I can call the nrs. mgr. at the hospital and beg and grovel for a full-time position :cool:

Hope everyone is having a good day today!

[moisy]

It sounds like you had a very nice birthday - love the idea of wine, cheese and the fireplace - so romantic and a great way to celebrate ;) I will be thinking of you this afternoon and sending you good luck vibes for you test. Just think, this time tomorrow it will be all over and you will be feeling great!!

[emmie]

I will be thinking of you this afternoon and sending you good luck vibes for you test. Just think, this time tomorrow it will be all over and you will be feeling great!!
Thanks you, moisy! I am thinking the exact same thing!

Just spoke w/ the nrs. mgr at the hospital and she said "I really want to offer you the job. Would you be willing to accept a 4 day/week position just to get your foot in the door?" Hell yes! She said I would hear officially within 2 weeks, but I should consider that I've gotten the job.
Can we say WHEW??!? :D

[moisy]

Congratulations on the news about the job - that is fantastic and a great way to go into your test this afternoon ... on a mental high!!! :D Now go kick some a$$ on that exam and enjoy your night later on celebrating that it is done and that job offer!!!

[Luvdogs]

Good luck today Emma and awesome about the job!! Your hubby seems very romantic. Mine has never bought "under garments" for me. The coat looks great! So 55 is a warm up for you??? Oh, boy I'd be a complaining baby in your neck of the woods.

[emmie]

Your hubby seems very romantic. Mine has never bought "under garments" for me.
Romantic?! Uh, libidinous is more like it - He likes to see me in them, so really, it's a gift to himself! Not that I mind, of course ;).

Well I passed me test with flying colors, so it looks like after the stress-filled week from hell, I will indeed graduate from nursing school AND will have a job. Yay me! So now I will need to find something else to obsess and worry about....:D Any ideas???

45 minutes of cardio this a.m. My MP3 player decided to bite the dust - especially irritating because I spent from 4-4:30 this morning adding new songs to it :mad:. I really rely on the distraction it provides, so I think I'm going to have to get a new one. It was a cheapie - Sansa - but even so, I expected it to last longer than 5 months!! Grrr.

Hope everyone enjoys thier day!

[moisy]

Hmmm .... a new obsession ... how about relaxing as your new obsession?!! lol :D You deserve lots of down time! I am so glad that the test went well ... so the good luck vibes must have made it to you! :) That sucks about your MP3 player - I am fairly lucky because my gym normally plays good music in the morning - though sometimes one of the older guys will request some old classic rock which I don't find very motivating to work out to!

[emmie]

I'd welcome the classic rock! My gym plays a Top-40 pop station which is non-stop talk/banter and commercials. They'll play one song, and it's about 14 minutes before they play another one, and they'll fill the time with talk and speculation about Nicole Ritchie or Britney Spears, etc. For anyone with a brain, it is torture!

Relax? Me? Um...now, how exactly does one do this thing, this "relaxing" of which you speak? I've *heard* that people do it...:D
I will ned to find someting to keep me occupied. I am planning n leaving my pastry job after x-mas, and my new job wont begin until the 3rd week of January. I will go bonkers if I don't come up with some purposeful activity. Besides pumping iron, of course...

[Luvdogs]

:D :D yeah!!!!! Awesome news!!!! You rock.

I can't wait for my iPod at Christmas. Hubby only gave me the Polar F4 early, wouldn't do both :mad: :p

I always find something to keep my brain occupied. I have a very short attention span. I was talking with one of the trainers at they gym about my test and he said the more certs I had, the more my pay was, so....I think I'm going to get a cert through NASM too (I can probably get that one before I get results from NSCA!) I'll look into it today. I think I can test here in Sac. It will make good reading on theplane andin Hawaii.

[moisy]

You made my day ... I was giggling after reading the entry in my journal from you! :) It will be a nice way to start the afternoon ... but prison ... let's seriously hope that it is not the case for Mr. Hottie! :eek: Or I will be forever shovelling my own driveway!! lol

[emmie]

Or I will be forever shovelling my own driveway!! lolAt least it's good exercise!

Had my yearly physical yesterday. Got the clean bill of health - and a referral to a sleep psychologist + a rx for some sleeping tabs for emergencies. My weight was up from the last time I was weighed, and I am *mostly* o.k. with it. Doing some rationalization such as "my clothes probably added a couple of pounds.", and "it was late in the day and I was full of food and fluid", and "I have my period and so I am retaining water", but the fact is that my body has changed, and there is definitely much more muscle on it than before, and so of course I weigh more. Still...I just do so much better when I don't know a specific number and I can focus on how my body feels and how strong I am and how nice and rock hard my quads are....*Sigh*

Got hung up at work today and I had an app't at school at 2, so i was rushed for the workout. And it turned out to be a good thing: Fast 'n Furious for 45 minutes. I was huffing and puffing from start to finish, and that felt good. I have been taking it a little easier with my workouts lately, mostly because I have been preoccupied and stressed out w/ school things and I just want to get them DONE. I am looking forward to being able to focus more on the workouts and make some real progress. I am still stuck on some weights that I have been using since the early Fall :(. Everything in its time, right???

[Luvdogs]

Oh the numbers game, one I play a lot! I've been plotting my weight all week. I'm becoming my own "research" group! I'm wanting to see the effects of the carb/cal cycling and training days on a daily basis, just from a curiosity stand point. I have noticed my weight goes up after leg day which is also a high cal/carb day. I'm assuming the muscles are sucking in the carbs and water to repair?

I've had sticking points with weights too and find that if I just pick up the next level and don't think about it being the next level, I can do it! Like I just jumped to 100#'s for leg extensions. Never thought I could do it so I just put the pin in and I got 7 reps! My quads still are feeling it or is me that's still feeling my quads?? Maybe that's why I'm a Nike girl, I like the motto "Just Do It"! :D

[emmie]

Julia - Unfortunately the exercises I am stuck on are ones which I think I could make progress on if I had a spotter to help...I work out alone, and risking injuring myself is not worth it. I've tried it before. So I have to be patient and hope that consistantly working on it will *eventually* move me up to a new weight. Like maybe by Labor Day :cool:.... I have, however, surprised myself: a couple of weeks ago I mis-read what I had last done for deadlift, and ended up lifting MUCH more than I had actually been doing! That's was fun to recognize that I was stronger than I thought.

Vigorous cardio only this a.m.

Am feeling not-as-good-as-I-was-about-my-body-before-I-got-weighed-at-the-doctor's. My latest rationalization: when I was weighed in July it was on a super-sensitive scale that measured down to the ounce (had to remove my wedding ring so as to not skew the result), and the doctor's scale is a klunky old thing circa 1967. So that explains the gain :). Desperately do not want to be thinking about this. Should've just backed onto the scale like I've done for decades and live in deluded bliss.

I am basically contented (not the same as satisfied!) with the various parts of my body. Do feel a little squishy in the lower back/just above the glutes, but everything else is nice and firm. (Of course my sensible husband will point out to me that body fat is needed to insulate and protect the internal organs, and he's right). So why the hell do I care about a # and a %?? This is the crux of the matter. I eat a very healthy diet, I lift as heavy as I can, I do moderate amounts of cardio....why can't this *feel* like it's enough? On it goes...

[Luvdogs]

Boy, that is the question of the decade, why is this not enough??? As I just made an excel tracker to daily track my weight, bf, lean mass, fat%...and a column to mark a High, Med, or Low carb/cal day!! :rolleyes: I'm just becoming my own case study for the effects of carb cycling :D

I know how it is with needing a spotter. I'm just switching to the Hammer Str. chest press from the DB flat ones because of that. Sometimes Mr. TDH is around to spot me, but not always (I still have a horrible crush on him, but we are becoming more friend-like). I don't think I can do 50lb er's w/o one. 45's are still tough, but I squeeked out 7 today. I have to drop them though because I can't get back up holding them.

[emmie]

Boy, that is the question of the decade, why is this not enough??? As I just made an excel tracker to daily track my weight, bf, lean mass, fat%...and a column to mark a High, Med, or Low carb/cal day!! :rolleyes: I'm just becoming my own case study for the effects of carb cycling :D
Why do you need to track your weight daily? In my world that's called unhealthy obsession. More power to you if you can look at the numbers objectively... You do know that day-today fluctuations are not indicative of much of anything except food and fluid, right???
Sorry if this sounds catty....obviously it pushes my buttons.

[emmie]

Obviously I'm in a ****ty mood today :rolleyes:. Started hating life the minute I got out of bed, and there's no clear reason why. Everything has gotten on my last nerve today and I have been surprise by how immediate and irritable my responses have been. Just got home from the typical Friday afternoon traffic in the city, and there were some definite road-rage moments on my part :o. Didn't even have a diet soda to console myself with, baby-bottle style. Will hope for better things tomorrow.

Good cardio workout this morning (a temporary mood-lifter). Eating has been on-target (always a relief to be able to say that). No bills arrived in the mail today. My husband has not filed for divorce. The house has not burned down... Things could certainly be worse. Just don't like to feel this way...

[Luvdogs]

Hi Emma,
My tracking is pure curiosity. I'm curious as to how my body reacts to the cycling program. I do know about body weight fluctuations. My Sunday weight/body fat is what I consider my "official" weigh-in for the week. Maybe it's all that time spent at Weight Watchers! I ignored the scale for about 6 months a while back and managed to get myself to 160 lbs! Two years ago when we werein Hawaii (like our trip in 2 weeks) I weighed 160 lbs, it was after we got back from there (seeing the pictures :eek: ) that I decided I needed to get back to "me".

I've had days like you discribe too! I hate it. Sometimes I'll just go in the bathroom, close the door and smile at myself til I feel better! :D After a few minutes, it hard not to feel a little better.

[moisy]

Well I was so relieved to hear that your house had not burnt down or that your husband did not leave you!!! LOL ;) Hey, we all have days like that. I was in a really pissy mood on thursday because of something that the ex bf did which was inconsiderate. In the big scheme of things it was really stupid and I feel like a twit for letting it get to me - need to not care about little things - so I brought on my own mood. Thank god for the staff that I work with because they are awesome and can always make a bad day good and when I walk into my classroom, I always feel better too.

As for the holiday vegetarian dish, I wish that I could be on more help on that one. What about an inventive salad that has high protein items like chick peas, beans, etc.? Like I said, I am not much help in that dept.!! LOL

I really hope that your day goes much better ... and if not, I am glad that I am not driving in your area - don't want to experience the road rage!! :D Have a great weekend!

[emmie]

Well, it's safe to be a motorist in my area again...:D Woke up feeling better, thank goodness, and managed to have a decent day. Capped it off with a great workout this afternoon, and NOTHING beats that. Since my basement tends to be a little chilly, for the past couple of months I have been wearing a long-sleeved top when lifting, but today I was warm so I put on a sleeveless shirt and I was very pleasantly surprised by how nice and full my upper body has gotten. Hubby came down to say good-bye before going off to work so I flexed for him a couple of times and he sort of looked very startled before saying that I looked great and that he was proud of me :) Really, I think he was resigning himself to the fact that if he doesn't start to hit the weights this winter, his sweet wife will be able to out-deadlift him....

My FINAL final exam of my undergrad. nursing career is on Monday. I will mount a mighty effort to do some studying this weekend, but I'm pretty low on motivation. I am, however, starting to feel a little excited about the holidays - mostly being able to get together with my sister and her family. Maybe I'll even start some gift shopping soon....nah, I've got plenty of time...

[twinnett]

Good luck studying!! Glad to hear things are going better!

I was wondering..I know you used to post in 2Lean's journal a lot. Do you know if everything is ok w/ her? Haven't seen her around. I hope she's still gaining and lifting..

[emmie]

Hi Tara - I think about 2 Lean a lot...I do hope she is o.k. I know that she started a new job and got swept up into it (and got promoted) pretty quickly. It's in retail, so I am suspecting that she is super-busy this time of year. Maybe after the holiday rush she'll be back. I hope!

If she's lurking around and not posting in my journal, she's in Big Trouble!! (2 Lean, are you there???) :D

[emmie]

Yesterday was what has become my usual Sunday routine - a nice long, brisk walk in the afternoon (nearly 60 degrees!) And then a fireside wine and cheese orgy in the evening :D. 'Thos this morning's soft, puffy-looking mid-section is making me rethink the cheese orgy thing....but it's the best tasting stuff I eat all week, so I really don't want to cut it out. Maybe I'll cut back on the sourdough bread that I eat (face first :o!) along with it....Ah well....

Hit the weights this a.m. My legs felt fatigued, probably from Saturday afternoon's deadlifting (I deadlifted 3600 pounds!! O.K., so not all at ONCE, but still, I thought that was kind of cool :)), and yesterday's walk, but I was able to increase on the squat reps even so. But had to cut back a little on the walking lunges, 'though. After I've done those two exercises I kind of "check-out" mentally, so the rest of the workout isn't as intense, or fun. I just want to get it done and get on to my cup of tea.

Have an exam this afternoon, and then I am free as a bird for a few weeks!

Still waiting to get the "official" call from HR at the hospital I *think* I have a job at. WIll wait until Thursday before I call to pester someone. I just want to know for certain.

[emmie]

Forgot to add: I asked my hubby what he wanted for x-mas (I know that many would consider it a *little* late to make such inquiries :o) and he said "Don't you remember? We decided not to exchange gifts this year. We didn't do it last year, either." Yay! Off the hook for shopping for him! Since our birthdays are in the fall, and since we each buy whatever we want for ourselves ANYWAY, x-mas is not a big deal in our lives.

But...this means that I am not getting the Polar HR monitor that I want. Or the squat rack. So guess who's doing a little shopping for herself over the next few days :D?

[moisy]

Your traditional sunday routine sounds great ... the idea of a walk followed by your so called "orgy" of cheese is a really good one!! :) Sourdough bread is a favourite of mine too especially when it is really warm and I love the crust with a little bit of butter - unfortunately I do not have it as often as I would like - colitis does not like it, even though I do!! lol

Have fun doing some shopping over the next few days - sounds like a good deal to me doing your own presents!! :D

[Luvdogs]

Cheese does the same thing to me. Hubby gave me my heart rate monitor early and I'm still thinking of something else to get him. He said he doesn't need anything, but I feel bad that he spent on me (iPod too). I did get him the Armani Code cologne. I am making us a nice Chirstmas dinner: Beef Wellington (for him, my filet will be plain, can't do puff pastry), mushroom marsala sauce, roasted root vegtables, ceasar salad and rosemary french bread. And a good bottle of Zin! Maybe I'll just cook in the buff and put a bow in my hair :D

[emmie]

Maybe I'll just cook in the buff and put a bow in my hair :DAre you having guests??!? :eek:
X-mas dinner sounds yummy. Hubby and I just had a minor tiff about the x-mas dinner and my purchasing several ingredients for it that are "light". He wants something rich and special (i.e., he wants me to make a potato gratin that has heavy cream amd cheese in it), and my tendency is to try to minimize the damage that a food-centered day is going to cause - even without the heavy cream! Whatever...I'll make something for every one - something rich, and something I can eat without wanting to cry.

[Luvdogs]

Luckily, it's just the two of us again. Since we're meeting up with hubby's whole family in Hawaii, we're all staying in our own homes for Christmas. We are going to FIL's on Xmas eve though.

That gratin sounds wonderful, but I'd do the same thing, try to make it a less offensive to the body. My hubby wants the puff pastry so he can have it, I'll do mine without. Sounds like you are having guests. That reminds me of my ex-MIL (making different things for everyone), she had 3 types of mayo on the table: Best Foods (for my ex-husband), non-fat mayo (for ex-BIL) and home made mayo (for ex-FIL)!! They all put mayo on their tomatoes and any jello salad she made :eek:

[twinnett]

My husband's like that too...if it's low fat or low calorie, it must taste bad!!

[emmie]

Wow...3 jars of mayo to go with the jello salad. I'm speechless :D

My husband is blessed to not have the hang-ups about food/body that I do, and since he eats a very healthy diet (by his own choice) he likes to celebrate with dishes that are richer than usual. He eats them, enjoys them, and then doesn't flog himself mercilessly about if for the next 24 hours the way "others" do. Hmmm. Maybe he's on to something.

Tara - I get plenty of ribbing for bringing in the low cal/low fat stuff, too. It's good natured, and I give it right back to him. He got a lot of milage out of the "zero calorie" butter spray! I think that many people who have healthy attitudes about eating and their bodies (and who have never struggled with an ED or weight issue) can't understand why a person would want to eat a "light" product when the real stuff tastes so good! For me light/lower-cal foods are a psychological aid: Easier to eat without anxiety. Plus then I think, "Hey, those 45 calories I saved on the cheese? Now I can spend them somewhere else :p"

[tanya71]

morning. how are you? School done, yea!!!

:)

[moisy]

As always, your journal sounds so good with all of the talk about food and recipes. My day will be pretty healthy for Xmas with a fruit tray, veggies and dip, pates and crackers and some cheese when the folks come. We are actually going out for dinner to a really nice place - it will be beautifully decorated too. It is an old Victorian home that has been renovated into a restaurant. I love the place ... easier when there is only 3 of us ... so we get to enjoy the meal with no preparation or clean up either! ;)

[emmie]

Before I got married (and my sister was living in CA) my parents and I would typically go to a restaurant for x-mas/easter/thanksgiving. It IS easier when it's just 3 people. Plus you get good service because the restaurant is usually pretty slow ;).

Tanya - Nice to see you back :)! Yes, school is officially DONE! It's a nice relief, but I am still waiting to get the final word about having a job, so I won't fully relax until then. But it sure is nice to have a WHOLE day to myself and not have to stress out with studying.

Good workout this a.m. Cardio only. A day of dentist app't./errands. I am looking forward to it, even the dentist part (what can I say, he's a great dentist!).

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[moisy]

Hi again ... glad to know that I am not the only one who thinks about going to the WR every day!!! :eek: It is sadly constantly on my mind since it is such an issue with me - I hate the bloated feeling when I don't - damn this colitis!!!! lol ;)

I have actually been slowly upping my intake of veggies like brocolli and cauliflower but it seems to be having the opposite effect so I will decrease it again. I sometimes have the bran buds with the psyillium too. But for me, the good old stand by is lots of water and that ritual morning coffee at the Tim Horton's drive thru .... and an extra large one on the weekends since I am at home in case I have to do the mad dash to the WR ... during the week it is hard in the truck to escape until I reach the gym :eek: !! lol

[emmie]

Not feeling great today. Got (literally) 3 hours of sleep last night, had a migraine all day, my period made its torrential arrival while I was at work, catching me "unprepared" (had to mooch tampons from my boss :eek:!), and by the time I got home, there was not much left in me to spend in the weight room. I did what I could (4 exercises, managing to increase the weight on the RDLs), but I was disappointed. Exhausted, too. I was on the verge of tears between sets, like a little kid who needs a nap :(. Ah well, there is nothing I can do aboit it at this point. It's frustrating because I started the day (at 2:45 a.m.) looking forward to a good workout, and by the time I pulled into my driveway (2:15 p.m.), all I wanted to do was eat and sleep. So, I will feed myself and rest myself and hope for a better day tomorrow.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with the sleep specialist, and I am very keen to hear what she has to say....

[Luvdogs]

:( I hope you feel better. 3 hours sleep? I'd be cranky and tired too. I've never had a migraine, thank God. They must be misrable! Have you been having sleeping problems for a while?

[moisy]

I hope that you are able to get some answers from the sleep specialist. It must have been an awful feeling being tired and with a migraine to top it off yesterday. I have bad night's sleep too with getting up and down with my colitis ... but I am lucky not to have problems with headaches. I really feel badly for people who get migraines ... from what I hear they are miserable :(

Let's hope for a great day :) and a good night's sleep tonight too :)

[emmie]

Thanks, girls :rolleyes:, I am feeling better today. Didn't sleep well again, but took a sleeping pill and that helped me get a couple of hours of rest.
Migraines are not fun, that's for sure. I fortunately don't get the type which accompanied by nausea and the need to lie down. Mine manifest themselves as a constant stabbing behind one eye and generally respond to several doses of ibuprofen. I used to get them very often, but since switching my birth-control pill schedule to taking 3-4 packs in a row without stopping (i.e., getting a period only 3 or 4 times per year) that has helped a lot. Obviously my migraine trigger is hormonal fluctuations, so I am lucky to have an attributable cause of them.

Honestly, I can't remember how long I've had sleep issues. I'm going to ask my husband if he can remember when I first started to complain about it. Several years, anyway. I used to be able to get by on just a couple of hours of slee but since age 33 or so, that's just not an option anymore. The person I am seeing today works with a well-known psychologist in the area who, from what I have read about him in articles, has a very effective - and rigorous - approach to improving sleep patterns through behavioral changes. I am hopeful!

Cardio this a.m., then 5 sets each of seated rows and lat pulldowns to "make up for" (psychologically) some of the sets I couldn't muster the energy for yesterday. Some errands today, then coffee with one of my dear friends whom I haven't seen in a really long time, and then to see the sleep guru.

[twinnett]

Good luck...I've been having sleep issues too. It's horrible!

[emmie]

The app't. with the sleep person (she's a post-doctoral psychologist) went well. She basically went over my (long and checkered) past psych. history and tired to get an idea of what my anxiety level is, and what my current sleep habits are. She does cognitive-behavioral therapy, and what that means for my sleeping is that I will need to "retrain" my mind to see the bed as being a place for sleeping and relaxation ONLY. How do we do this? Basically, if I wake up and find myself ruminating/planning/worrying the way I tend to do now, I have to GET UP AND GET OUT OF BED :eek:! I will get more details about this next week, so I'm not sure if I will be allowed to go back to bed, or if it's a "one strike and you're out" policy. But the idea is to get it through my head that if I want to indulge in worry, etc., that's fine. But I'm going to have to do it in the cold living room rather than my nice warm bed. This just might work... I am keeping a sleep diary this week. I awoke 5 x last night, missing out a total of 2.5 hours of sleep :(. And I look it!

Moderate steady-state cardio on the elliptical this a.m. Some nice, slight soreness from yesterday's lat pulldowns and rows. May make that a regular feature of my workout. More errands, and a haircut today.

[moisy]

It sounds like a good first initial session that you had with the sleep doctor - hopefully all of her advice will work in time. Interesting that she wants you to separate the thoughts of anxiety from the bed by getting up and moving to a different room - let's hope it works - sounds good to me!! :)

Thank goodness that it is almost the weekend too so that if you need to, you can slip in a nap;) Those are always good on a saturday or sunday afternoon ... sometimes I slip one in on saturday morning at 11am about 2 hours after my killer leg workout!

[emmie]

Work: Scones, muffins, biscuits, pies, cakes, cookies, tarts, icings, ganache.

Workout: 4 working sets of each...Deadlifts (LOVE these!), DB flies (up to 35's on this one :)), Alternating bent DB rows, Lying leg curls, DB shoulder press, Bent BB rows, Weighted bench dips, DB chest pullover.

Whew! Can I sit down now??

Feel GREAT - weary, but it feels earned, so I'm o.k. with it. I am always a bit anxious about my workouts on the days that I work because I know how pooped I can feel (mentally as much as physically) after my shift, so it is always a huge relief when I actually can get a good workout in. And it's early today, so I actually have time to do some stuff. We are having my family over for dinner tomorrow night and there is several weeks' worth of cleaning that needs to be done, plus food prep. But who knows, I might decide to just watch a video instead :D

[Luvdogs]

Nice workout there Emma! Great PB on the flyes. That is always a great feeling.

I love scones! They are my fav breakfast pastry type item. Been a while since I've had one...

How many people are coming over? We're headed to in-laws tomorrow and by ourselves on Christmas.

[emmie]

I love scones! They are my fav breakfast pastry type item. Been a while since I've had one...
I was going to say....you MUST be speaking from (distant) memory, because it doesn't seem like scones carry Ms. Fit's seal of approval! At least not the ones I make!

There will be 6.5 of us for dinner (my nephew is a toddler). We (hubby and I, my folks, my sister and her husband and kid) have done x-mas eve at our place for the past several years. It works out nicely. On x-mas day I don't think we're doing anything - at least nothing is planned. And the 26th is our 6th wedding anniversary, and my husband has to work :mad: Those jerks!

[Luvdogs]

Veeerry distant memory! I love the Maple Oat Nut ones from Starbucks and I like them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, like French bread. I'm sure yours are the best!

That is a nice size group. Too bad hubby has to work. Are you planning something for the next day maybe? Cheese, wine, fire?? We had our 3rd in October. That was the cheat over-night of all cheats!! I way over did it, almost felt toxic the next day.

[twinnett]

I admire you for making all of those goodies and not having any!! Have a great dinner w/ your family..any special plans for the anniversary?

[emmie]

Who said anything about not having any? I have precisely 2 more shifts and then I will leave my job...happily. It is inevitable that I end up picking/tasting during the day, and it wreaks some major havoc on my frame of mind. Even though I may take in only a a couple of hundred calories worth of junk (sugary, buttery, etc.), in my mind it feels like thousands and it screws me up for the rest of the day. I have been at this job for 9.5 years and I can't remember a day when I didn't feel like crap about the picking and tasting. It is definitely not helpful....The past 2 days I had been so on-target with my eating - clean, balanced, satisfying - and I was dreading today because I knew that it wouldn't be possible to keep things that way. Ah well, onward and upward, right???

We haven't talked about doing anything for our anniversary. Because he has to work it's not really feasible to do anything in the evening. Maybe x-mas night we can cozy up by the fire ;). In all honesty, this is the first year that I have actually REMEMBERED without someone reminding me. My husband and I are pretty low-key about celebrations and such. Sometimes I wonder whether I'll look back and regret that we didn't spend more time celebrating things, but really don't thing so. That's not our style. We tell each other that we love each other at least twice daily. And we mean it! That's enough for me.

Thanks for popping in, Tara. I hope you and your family have a nice, stress-less holiday!

[twinnett]

Same here...we're not big on going all out for celebrations and things like that

[emmie]

Well the family has come and gone (the benefits of having a toddler nephew - he has to be in bed early!) and the dinner wasn't too damaging, diet-wise, so I am happy. I like entertaining, but I admit I almost like it best when people leave and I can do the dishes and clean up and put things back into order. Satisfies my need to feel "in control" :o.

Had a nice day. Got up earlier than I wanted to, but couldn't sleep and thought it best to not just lie there and THINK. Watched the "Pirates of the Carribean" video that my husband had brought for me, and I actually enjoyed it. Johnny Depp is extremely easy on my eyes! Did some housecleaning, some food prep, took my 5.5 mile walk (windy!), took a shower and then lured hubby upstairs for some conjugal fun, so all-in-all, I was in a good mood when the guests arrived ;). Still unsure of tomorrow's plans. Weight workout in the morning, for sure, but after that, who knows?

Hope all of you nice people are having a good x-mas eve, and maybe if you've all been very good Santa will bring you some tubs of protein powder! :p

[Luvdogs]

Merry Christmas Emma! I feel the same way about company, love to have them, but love it when they're gone! I like my house in order too!

Santa better be bringing me supplements 'cause the darn USPS sure didn't yet! :mad: I e-mailed bb.com because my order should have been here by Friday at the lasest. They replied quickly and said they would look into it...

Sounds like a nice plan for tomorrow: no plan! I love those days!

[moisy]

Merry Christmas! It sounds like you had a nice meal with the family lastnight -I am a huge fan of scones too, especially the ones from Starbucks - wish I could have one right now! :) I am sure that your place is all cleaned up and sparkling now with the guests gone ... I am the same way too. I like having ppl over, but like cleaning up after more!! lol :D You are right ... must be a control thing!! lol

Enjoy your weights workout and a quiet day together celebrating your anniversary since hubby is working tomorrow! ;) I think another visit upstairs is in order!! :p

[twinnett]

Have a wonderful day! Working out on Christmas huh? That's dedication! :D

[emmie]

Have a wonderful day! Working out on Christmas huh? That's dedication! :DOne of the benefits of having your gym in the basement! Very pleased that this year the holidays did not interfere with my workouts - I get really cranky when I have to alter my exercise schedule. So much of it for me is mental preparation, and if I had to do a workout on what I consider a rest day, it's tough!

Did my thing with the weights. Am getting pretty tired of DB squats :mad:. I do drop sets of them and they certainly challenge me, but I feel like my traps and arms are more involved than I'd like them to be. Yeah, I know that squats are compound moves, but my uper body feels so fatigued after the squats and 4 sets of walking lunges (30s, baby!) that I am not able to go as heavy as I'd like on the rest of my workout. I suppose in the bigger picture (i.e., the course of the week) my upper body gets plenty of work, so I should just quit fretting about it. All this being said, I still want to get myself a squat rack. And a lat pulldown device. And a cable tower. :D

Hubby is still sleeping and then he'll workout (either on his bike or on the erg). His rowing season has ended, but it's so warm here that they *probably* could still row safely. (The concern is that if one of them falls in the risk of hypothermia is too high once the temp drops below a certain point.) He uses the erg (rowing machine) for the off-season and he has already started to complain about the boredom of it (it is the WORST in terms of boredom factor, in my opinion). He has made some noises about trading a cardio workout or two for a weight workout, but he is fixated on cardio. I have tried to tell him that a weight workout can get his HR up just as high as a cardio w/o can, and he has shown a little interest, so I will continue to make judicious suggestions here and there. Hey, if two of us are hitting the weights there will be even GREATER need for a lat pulldown thingy and squat rack. ;)

[moisy]

Try to keep convincing him to try the weight thing more often so you can get that squat rack!!!! :D It would be handy for legs and upper body when you want to do any pressing movements for the chest and shoulders. I don't know he could sit and row in the house ... I would be terribly bored too. At least on the bike or treadmill your hands are somewhat free to read or do something ;)

I am looking forward to hearing about your Christmas and how you celebrated - hope you had a wonderful one! :)

[emmie]

My hopes are not high for hubby getting into lifting weights - and that's fine. I can rib him about it the way he ribs me about not riding a bike (I am too scared when I am on the road to enjoy it) or getting into a scull. It's not like I need his permisison to buy a squat rack, I just haven't spent the time trying to find one which will be appropriate for me (and not too $$$). I'd be more agressive about the search if someone else were going to use it, that's true. Being in the basement, military presses and such are not really an option, unfortunately. I have done well with variations of DB ches/shoulder presses (plus bb benching) thus far.

I had a quiet day yesterday. After my workout I watched part of a documentary, ate breakfast, putzed around a bit and then got TOTALLY STIR CRAZY. Want to know something: I hate being in the house. I get very antsy and anxious and have to get out or I will start to eat mindlessly out of boredom/anxiety. I've always been this way. I have a hard time sitting still unless I am at the computer or watching a video. Anyhow, I had made plans to get stop by my parents' house (they had forgotten to bring my x-mas gift the night before), so I went over there early and took a brisk 3 mile walk. That ALWAYS calms me right down - it is the exercise equivilant of xanax :cool: Had a quick visit with M+D and then came home to eat and hang out with my husband. We had a nice fire in the fireplace and finished up the dregs of the delicious cheese (some type of sheeps'-milk brie) from the night before.

I got up with the idea that I'd go to the gym for cardio, but now that I am awake and alert, I'm not so keen on the idea. To be completely honest here, I have not had a rest day (total rest, no type of exercise at all) in about 4 weeks. I don't feel as though I am overtraining since most of my cardio sessions are mod. intensity and last about 30-40 min., and are (I think) of greater benefit to my mental health than my physical health. So now I am debating whether or not to go. The good things about going: it will kill 1 hour of the day, leaving me one less to try to fill. Plus my quads and glutes are very sore/stiff from yesterday and could benefit from some easy movement. Maybe I'll go and do 20 easy minutes and then sit in the sauna.
Anyone want to talk me out of going??? I need some rationalizations for staying home :o.

[moisy]

Good morning :) ... go with how you feel about the workout - if you are questioning going too much, that is always a sign to me, not to go. Your body will definitely not fall apart missing one day and it might actually be good for it since I find that the one day of rest a week makes me feel stronger the next workout. But again go with how you ... for me some days, it is more of a good emotional/mental thing to do too - good for stress release and just plain getting out of the house to do something ;) So I can relate to you on that front.

Though the sauna sounds nice ... knowing me, I would get bored in there! I need to be on the move - I think that is why I don't do yoga either. :) Have a great day!!!

[emmie]

Yeah, I lasted about 5 minutes in the sauna before saying, "man, it's hot in here!" :D. Did 20 minutes on the elliptical at the "arthritic grandma" level of intensity. My quads are super-sore and I honestly couldn't have gone much harder even if I had wanted to! Another reason why I want that squat rack - I want to work the glutes more than the quads when I'm squatting.

Moisy - glad I'm not the only one who simply HAS to get out of the house at times. The gym is certainly convenient for that. Although I am already seeing some of the new year's resolution people trickling in : A couple of super-skinny cardio bunnies in brand new form-fitting workout gear. Not what I want to see...

[Luvdogs]

Hi Emma, I'm not big on steam rooms either or too hot hot tubs! 5 minutes is about my max.

Have you tried Bulgarian squats? Those will work your glutes great!

[emmie]

Thanks for the tip about the Bulgarian squats. I'm going to google them now - I'm pretty sure I'm not doing them! My glutes ARE sore, I guess it was extra-delayed DOMS. Looked on-line for a squat rack. I can get a very basic model for around $140, which seems just right to me. I'll post a link to the model and I would LOVE feedback on it - lurkers are especially invited to comment if they've got an opinion :).

http://www.gymcor.com/bosoposqra.html

Went to the museum this afternoon which was fun. I usually am good for only about 1.5 hours, but since I get a student discount on admission, I didn't feel bad about not lingering longer. Then did some window shopping and browsing, but grew tired of it pretty quickly. Came home to a delicious bowl of Brussles sprouts :D. And no, I'm not kidding.

[Luvdogs]

Squat rack looks good. I'll need to browse that site some more. We need a new/upgraded bench. Hubby is giving all kinds of excuses as to why he can't do certain exercises. He is right though. Our bench is a Big 5 special,yuk!

Bulgarain's are just one legged squats. I use a bench to put one leg behind me, hold dumbbells and squat down to parrallel, push up from the heel. I like them on the Smith machine too.

[emmie]

Bulgarain's are just one legged squats. I use a bench to put one leg behind me, hold dumbbells and squat down to parrallel, push up from the heel. I like them on the Smith machine too. Thanks, Julia, that's what I thought! I just saw a feature in an old Muscle + Finess Hers w/ Monica Brant doing them but she called them "bench lunges". I've tried them in the past and felt like I was using more of the quad (right above the knee) to push myself up. Perhaps I was cheating....wouldn't be the first time :o. I'll give them a go on Saturday and will report back!

Craig's list usually has a good selection of workout equipment people are trying to unload - I wish I had looked there before I got mine - usually for not much $$. Don't know how you feel about used stuff...being misers and cheapskates, hubby and I love it :p

Today: RDLs, Incline DB press, EZ curls, Incline DB Flys, Bent BB row, French Press, Weighted bench dips, Seated calf raises ***, Reverse crunches, DB double woodchop.

***Anyone have a better alternative to sitting there with plates piled on my lap and flexing my foot?? I don't really feel it working my calf, but my feet cramp up terribly.

Second to last day at work - woo hoo! It's an easy job for me, and I am sure that there will be times that I will miss it, but I cannot tell you how happy I will be to be away from CAKE!!!

[twinnett]

you could use the leg press machine for calf raises

[emmie]

Thanks Tara, but I work out at home. No leg press machine in the basement! If I worked out at the gym I'd use their 2 calf machines...I'm looking for an at-home solution.

[twinnett]

oh...what about holding a weight and letting your heels hang off on the stairs?

[Luvdogs]

I think "Bulgarian Squat" sounds much more impressive than "Bench Lunges", don't you? :D

I think the trick ismaking sure your pushing off with the heel of your foot.

Walking Lunges are another glute getter.

[moisy]

Hi there :) I think holding dumbells in your hand and doing one legged calf raises off of a step or the stairs would be a good choice. Or sometimes just standing doing them with both legs at the same time ... 10 with toes pointed in, 10 toes straight and then 10 toes pointed out so 30 reps with light weight as one set is a good killer!!! :D Sometimes when I am teaching and the kids are working, I will do that while standing with no weights and it is good! :)

Hope you are having a great night! It actually snowed a little bit today so there is white stuff on the ground - looks a little more like winter now. ;)

[emmie]

Thanks for the reminder about using the stairs and a DB, Tara and moisy. Duh! I used to do those - how could I have forgotten? I got fixated on the seated calf raise thing. (I tend to like the exercises I can do sitting down!) I've got such chicken calves it'll be a while before I see any change, no matter what I do. *Sigh*.

Julia - Yeah, "Bulgarian squat" sound much more intimidating and serious than "bench lunges". I'll need to focus on form and start out with light weights. I suspect that balance (which I precious little of) is needed to do this one properly.

So I have managed to pull the hell out of my left trapezius muscle :(. Cannot really hold my head up properly. I think I did something on Monday, since I've been feeling a little stiffness in it since then, but now it is uncomfortable no matter what I am doing. 'Tho I just took some advil and now I can move much more easily. Will hope to get in to see my chiropracter today. I need to start to think of excuses for him as to why I am hurting myself. It's sort of embarassing to have to always fess up to huring myself while lifting weights :o.

[moisy]

I hope that you are feeling better after your appointment with the chiro today. Nothing worse than having that kind of pain in the neck!! I remember once when I was doing the flat bench press with a barbell and I moved my head slightly sideways ... and then got a wicked kink - hurt for weeks!! :eek: It made everything so difficult ... especially at the gym. So I feel your pain ;)

Other than that, I hope you are having a good day :)

[Luvdogs]

Hi Emma, ouch to trap pull. No fun. :(

Yes, Bulgies will test your balance. I did them with a 25# db in each hand. Since then I have tried them on the smith and it's great because it takes the balance out of the equation and I could use more weight.

[emmie]

My chiropractor is on vacation except for "emergencies", and I don't think that my stiff trapezius qualifies. Plus, with advil I am almost 100% o.k., so I think it's just a strain. I'll continue with the advil and try not to do anything stupid next time I hit the weights. Now THAT'S a challenge!

Cardio only this a.m. ("sprint" intervals - well I *felt* like I was sprinting) and then a long leisurely coffee-chat with my friend. Home for lunch. Need to spend some time getting back into the groove of reviewing for the state boards (when? I don't know...maybe early Feb). Appointment later with my sleep therapist who will, I suspect, be giving me some grim news about the treatment plan :(.

[moisy]

On a happier note, I love when you stop into my journal - you make me laugh so hard sometimes!! :D I am going to have to invite you up to approach Mr Hottie for me about those overdeveloped triceps for me ... I just don't have the heart to crush him :p

Good luck with the sleep therapist - I would be interested in the advice since I am not the best sleeper myself - so broken up throughout the night and now that I am on holiday, it gets even worse :mad: ... but I guess it could be worse ;)

[emmie]

Well this week's homework from the sleep therapist: I can't go to bed until 11 p.m.:eek:! The latest I have been up in recent memory is 9:30, so this will be tough. The idea is for me to sleep from 11-7, as there is no reason for me to go to bed at 6:30 or 7 each night as I have been doing :o. If things go as planned w/ the job, I will be working from 4pm-12, so a change in schedule is inevitable and it's better to do it now while I'm on break. I honestly have no idea what I am going to do with myself for the next 3 hours...I might have to go out for a walk.

[emmie]

Managed to stay up until 11, but could stay in bed only until 6:15 or so, but that's o.k. I think sleeping later will come in time. Especially as I get figure that I will be fatigued during the day and won't be allowed to nap or go to bed earlier. Need to make a list of things I can do while I am sitting and watching the clock until it's time to turn in!

Cardio only again this a.m. (30 min high/low intervals on the elliptical). Checked the BF% this a.m. It's the same.

Taking my dad to the mall this afternoon to get him out of my mom's hair for a few hours. Plus we're going out to lunch. Not sure where, but I am not really interested in eating in a restaurant. I'll select someplace where I can get a naked salad, and then eat my real lunch when I get home ;). It will be nice to spend some time with my father who is very sweet and, I suspect, pretty lonely. He had a stroke several years ago and while he can function pretty well, it's difficult for him to communicate with much depth. This gets very frustrating for my mother who ends up taking out her frustration on him. It's good that they have time apart from each other occasionally.

[Luvdogs]

Have a great naked salad with dad Emma!

Aloha!

[emmie]

Have a great naked salad with dad Emma!

Aloha!
CLARIFICATION: For those who did not read the post before PorscheGal's - the SALAD was naked, not me :eek:!!

[moisy]

Yes, I admit it ... it was definitely a fluff day in Moisy's house today - my excuse is that it is friday and nothing beats unwinding to a little mindless trash and fictional gossip in the form of the Y&R ... plus it was their New Year's Eve show so I wanted to see what all of the characters were wearing and doing ... or who they were doing!! lol :p

Nice to read that you were able to spend some quality time with your mom and dad ... and had some alone time with your dad to catch up. I find now that mine are getting older, I cherish the time that I spend with them ;) I do not want to take for granted the time that I do have left with them ... which is hopefully a very very long time.

Wow, you have to stay up until 11pm - that would be hard for me too. We are so alike in many ways - some nights if I am really tired, I crawl into bed around 7pm or so :o. I figure if I am doing nothing, don't need to do anything or go out, why not just go to bed if I am tired. But then I wake up in the middle of the night - it is fine when I am working because I am up at 4am to go to the gym, but while on holidays it sucks!!

[emmie]

Workout: Deadlifts, DB chest pullover, Seated shoulder press, Plie squats, Bent bb row, Lying incline DB row, Reverse crunches.

Last day of work today! Am glad to be done with it, 'tho I am sure that there will be times when I miss it. As a going-away gift my bosses gave me a portable Serius satellite radio! I am kind of shocked! They know that I exercise a lot and that I listen to the radio (on my working days I was listening to the BBC or NPR from the time I got there until I left), so it's a pretty appropriate gift. I'm technologically-challenged so I hope I can figure it out...Anyone have Serius satellite radio? Any tips or suggestions?

I am exhausted. Slept only 5 hrs. last night but I have to stay up until 11 p.m. I cheated last night becuse I had to get up at 2:45 to go to work and there was no way I was going to go to bed at 11, but I've got to try to stick to my new schedule. Plan on watching a movie and making some soup for tomorrow. We are having my parents over for an early NYE supper: Grapefruit and avocado salad (mom's bringing it), White Bean and Kale soup (I'm making it), Polenta with wild mushrooms (hubby's making it), and a yeasted cake w/ raspberry sauce (I'm making it). Plus bubbly! And some cheese and crackers before the meal. Simple and healthy :).

[moisy]

Your menu for tonight sounds yummy!! Especially the soup ... and of course the bubbly and cheese and crackers :)

Have a very Happy New Years with your mom, dad and hubby! :D :p ;)

[emmie]

Mom and Dad are safely back home, the leftovers are put away, and the dishes are done: We had a very nice dinner - the food was DELICIOUS and healthy enough that I am not going to spend any time fretting about the macros (it was carb heavy...well, o.k., maybe I am already fretting a little bit :o). Moreover, my parents really seemed to enjoy themselves and were tickled that we invited them. Full credit where credit is due: it was my husband's idea. Earning his place as Favorite Son-in-Law 6 years running :D

Had a pretty quiet day. Watched a video this a.m. as soon as I got up (Anchorman), hung around with the hubby, and took my usual 5.5 mile walk. Actually ended up running for the last mile because I was in desperate need of a bathroom :eek:. I kept looking at the houses as I was running past them thinking "Hmmm, I wonder if they would let a stranger use their bathroom??" it was that bad. Made it home without humiliating myself, but it was close!

Now ned to keep myself occupied until 11. Am tired now and if I could, I'd probably be getting myself ready to hit the hay. Think I'll do some laundry. What a way of ushering out 2006, huh?!?

Hope everyone is having/had a fun + safe New Year's Eve! I've really been enjoying keeping a journal here on bb.com and getting to "know" some of you fabulous women. Thanks for all of your support and encouragment, it's been so appreciated!!

[moisy]

Happy New Year ... again ... and officially this time!! :D I am glad that you had such a good time with your parents lastnight and that the meal was so delicious. Don't fret too much about the macros etc., ... I gave up after about my second handful of munchies lastnight and just enjoyed myself instead of worrying too much.

I feel for you on the bathroom front - what an awful feeling eh? I am sure one of your neighbours would have welcomed you in or you could have done what I do :o Then again if no woods were close by it could have been awkward and quite the site for them instead!!! lol :eek:

I have really enjoyed getting to know you via the bb.com site ... and I know that it is going to be a wonderful new year with your new job ... here's to 2007 and happiness!!! And killer workouts of course!! :D :D

[emmie]

I feel for you on the bathroom front - what an awful feeling eh? I am sure one of your neighbours would have welcomed you in or you could have done what I do :o Then again if no woods were close by it could have been awkward and quite the site for them instead!!! lol :eek: No woods around, alas...I'd have had to use someone's shrubs - not the best way to meet your neighbors!! :eek:

I've been doing full-body workouts 3 x week since the end of September and have been enjoying them and have noted increased strength - especially in the glutes and hamstrings. But...I am getting a little bored. I have kept the workouts very free-form: For example, I know that I'll do squats and walking lunges on Mondays, but the rest of the workout is unscripted until I get down there and start going. I try to hit each body part in some way (including abs - who'd ever think I'd say that?? :p). My reps are between 8-10, and I like to superset exercises to save time. I generally rest 50-60 seconds between sets. I don't particularly want to go back to working individual body parts, as that tends to make me start to dread a particular day if I don't like to work that part. I am lurking and reading articles and trying to find a plan that will allow me to build strength (with its accompanying Big Muscles :D) without getting bored + unenthusiastic. I like it best when I can just go down to the weights and do WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE. But that lack of structure would make it hard to see real gains - and make it easy to ignore the exercises that I don't like to do ('cause they're really hard!!). So, I am thinking and will hope to come up with something. Suggestions are most welcome!

Until then, I will head downstairs and do the squats and lunges I have been dreading. :(

Oh - I had ment to report back that I tried Bulgarian squats on Saturday. This may sound ridiculous, but I have always had a prolem with the muscles in my feet such that if I flex them (i.e. point my toes), they "seize" and my food is paralyzed in this very painful, contorted position until the muscle spasm stops (usually 45 seconds or so). Anyhow, this happens in the foot that is resting on the bench when doing the Bulgarians - making it a hard to concentrate + keep my balance. Not sure what the solution is to the foot thing, but I don't think that Bulgarians will be part of my routine. I am going to (re)try split squats today and see how those hit my glutes.

[emmie]

Well the workout was pretty lackluster. I did try some new things, though, so all is not lost: ATG Front squats First time I've ever done these. I used an embarassingly low wt which I will keep to myself :p. I did 6 sets of 10 and my legs were burning on the last couple of reps. Like the ATG thing - feels like it really gets the booty working! Very different movement from my usual DB squats where I feel my arms being pulled to the ground by the weights. My wrists felt a little odd w/ the front squats. Plus I couldn't up the weight b/c I have no rack to set the bar on and hoisting the bar up from the ground and getting it into position across my shoulders wasn't going happen...). DB split squats: These turn my legs into jello :). DB Fly: I copied a reverse pyramid scheme I've read about from some of the exceptional ladies on this board, so I did 4 sets starting w/ 35s and going down to 20, increasing the reps by 4-6 on each set. That was fun!! Bent BB row, Slight incline (15 degrees) press Hubby came down to do his workout so I asked him to stand by while I tried the 40# DBs - I got 2 reps on my own and 2 with his spot!! This makes me happy, as for the longest time I couldn't even do 1 rep on my own. So there HAS been some progress, however minimal. Dropped back down to the 35s to finish my sets unassisted. Abs: Nothing exciting to say about these!

Have dug out my stack of Oxygen mags from the past several years and will see if I can find some inspiration for a new routine. I like drop sets and that sort of thing where there is variety. I'll need to do a little research on the efficacy of drop sets. Seems like it would be beneficial for building muscle endurance. But I want muscle BIGNESS :p. In all honesty, however, I don't think that bigness will come until I can get my mind wrapped around eating mroe than I currently am. That's a toughie...

[moisy]

Wow, the new year is treating you well so far with that awesome powerhouse workout!!!! :D That is amazing with the incline press with those 40lbs dbs - go girl go!!

You are like me ... I keep all my back issues of Oxygen to go back and look at occasionally for ideas and inspiration. To be honest, there is a stack in my washroom which I regulary read OVER AND OVER again on the nights that I am stuck in there!!! :eek: I have not bought a new issue in almost a year though because I feel like they say the same thing over and over again but in a different way ... so I am bad and read it while standing in line at the grocery store or at Chapters ;) Much cheaper than doling out the $ for nothing other than the pics!! lol

Have you ever thought about doing an upper and lower body split? That is what I am currently doing and I love it. I am like you, I used to do different body parts on different days but became bored with it. So now I hit upper and lower 2x per week and try to vary the exercises on the diff. days. Though I do tend to do the same one for legs because it seems to hit everything and it works for me. Good luck finding a routine that you like ... I am sure that you will :)

[Buffycat3]

Hi Emmie:)

First of all...Happy New Years!

I wanted to come check out your journal and all it has to offer.
I'm impressed :)
I am going to enjoy watching you change physiclly and joining you in your daily life.

I see you are deciding on a new training program...here is a link to lists of different Workout Articles. Maybe this will be helpful to you.
Good Luck....and it's great to meet you:)

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=WorkoutPrograms

[emmie]

Moisy - I looked over 5 or 6 issues of Oxygen today and....they are basically the same thing, month after month. I swear, in the 5 issues there were 7 or 8 workouts for the back - all very similar. Anyhow, the physiques are good for motivation and occasionally I am reminded of an exercise that I had forgotten about. I think my subscription continues until 2008, so I'll be looking through it for a while yet. I used to scour each issue. Now I whip through the entire new issue in the time it takes me to eat my omelette! Way too many ads for scary supplements, too.

I have actually been thinking about an upper/lower split. Will now consider it more closely since moisy does it, too :p!

Buffycat (may I call you Joan? :)) - Thanks for stopping by and for the link to the workouts! Anytime you have a suggestion or comment for me, I'd LOVE to have it! And it's very nice to "officially" meet you, too :D

[moisy]

Good morning :) A couple of years ago, I almost got a suscription to Oxygen myself - I don't know it it is just me, but it seemed to be more informative back then or maybe we just know more ourselves now!! lol ;) Though occasionally there are some good recipes in there.

You will have to let me know what program you decide on. I tried the full body thing myself but did not like it and like breaking up my legs from my upper body so that I am able to hit them separately without getting pooped out ... and then realizing I still have to do some upper body work. Have a great day!! :D

[emmie]

Good morning :) I don't know if it is just me, but it seemed to be more informative back then or maybe we just know more ourselves now!! lol ;) Though occasionally there are some good recipes in there.

There definitely seems to be more "girly" stuff in the magazine in the past couple of years. Blech :p! I know that they have to assume that with each new issue complete beginners - in addition to advanced readers - will be reading, and thus have to include lots of basic stuff. But even the basic stuff is repetetive! I subscribe to Men's Health, and it is a far better source of workout-related info than Oxygen. Not to mention good-looking, half-naked men! Not too many of those in Oxygen :D. I donate my latest issues to the gym magazine rack these day.

I'll definitely let you all know what I'm figuring out for a new program. Upper and lower is sounding good. I am wondering about tweaking the rep scheme. I feel nicely sore in the pecs from yesterday's reverse pyramid scheme on the DB flys. Anyone have an suggestions? Joan??:o

Cardio today only. Am dreading the scene at the gym. With my new sleep schedule I am getting there much later than I used to (usually I'd be home and showered and fed by now!). I'll put on my gladiator suit and fight my way onto a treadmill!

[emmie]

I have been relentlessly, ravenously hungry all day today - what is up with that? I am shoveling down extra portions of veggies, and as soon as I have finished the bowl (a very large bowl, by the way) I am wanting MORE! Grrr...Doing my best to heed my body's signals and trying to sift out the "I'm bored out of my skull" (which I am) hunger from the true thing.

Having a bit of a challenge with scheduling my meals due to my new routine of staying up intil 11. When I went to bed at 6:30 pm, my last meal would be at 5:30. Now my last meal is around 10. It's gotten me all in a tizzy. I don't know when to eat! But all I want to do is eat! I swear, I just ate a massive bowl of broccoli and I am still starving. Trying to save my cheese/apple omelette for closer to 10, but I might not make it! The snack which I was supposed to have (cc and nuts) NOW I ate about 3 hours ago:eek:! Oh well...just need to stay away from hubby's chocolate cake - which I don't even like - and the leftover ritz crackers (which I could put a large dent into if left unchecked :o)...

Think I found a new workout routine which I will try for a couple of weeks - full-body again, but in trisets so there is variety. We'll see how it goes...

[emmie]

Keep re-thinking things regarding the workouts. *May* see my way to doing at least one weigth workout in the gym to make use of the lat pulldown, low cable row, triceps pushdown, etc. This would me, I guess, that I will be breaking things down into bodypart splits....or maybe not. I could still do full-body but make use of the equipment (leg press, leg, ext., etc.) and hit all the body parts. Too much time on my hands gives decisions like this exaggerated importance...

I still have not heard the official "you've gotten the job" from the hospital :mad:. In the week before x-mas I got a call from them telling me that they had basically lost half of my application [all of my letters of reference!!! :eek:] and had not been able to process anything. They had ALL of this stuff at the end of Nov., and NOW they're telling me "Uh, we lost it"???!?
Of course with the holidays, NOTHING administrative was getting done there, and I have left 2 msgs. yest. and today w/ the nurse recruiter asking her what the hell is going on, but I have not yet heard back. I am trying to be patient, but the anxiety/uncertainty is wearing on me. I just want to know SOMETHING. If I don't have the job, fine....just TELL ME and I can follow up on the other job I applied for. GRRRR....

Did some high incline (15%) slow walking (3.2 mph) on the t-mill this morning. That was fun. With all of the years I've spent on the t-mill I had never tried it. Nice stretch in the hindquarters...Will try out a new weight routine this afternoon. Or...might go back to they gym and hit their weights. God knows I've got plenty of time on my hands :(.

[M-R]

Hi Emmie -

So I see you are seeing a sleep thereapist huh ?
What are your sleep issues ?

[emmie]

Hi Emmie -

So I see you are seeing a sleep thereapist huh ?
What are your sleep issues ?
I have no trouble falling asleep. I will sleep soundly for about 4-4.5 hours and then I will wake up and lie awake for anywhere from 10 minutes to 1.5 hours without being able to fall back asleep. This will happen up to 5 x night :eek:.

But....with my new schedule of going to bed at 11, this has changed dramatically! Now I wake up about 2 x night and am awake for 10 min or so before going back to sleep.

Part of the problem for me was going to bed at an artificially early hour. Up until last week I worked as a pastry chef and needed to be at work at 3 a.m., so I'd go to bed between 6:30 + 7. When my new job starts (just graduated from nursing school) I will be working 4-midnight so obviously my sleep schedule will need to chnage. We're starting the changes now so that it wont be a huge transition when my job starts.