My new endeavor

Okay, it's not completely new, but this is the first time I'm doing it with a plan. I've decided I need to get in shape. It's only peripherally about losing weight. It's more about improving my health.

I knew that if, after three months of YMCA membership, I had not used the workout facilities, I probably wouldn't on my own. So I decided to take advantage of a special package that the Y offers members and get two sessions with a personal trainer and a fitness evaluation for less than the two sessions with the trainer normally cost.

I've had one session with the trainer and my evaluation. The biggest surprise of the evaluation is that I scored at the top of the scale for women my age on crunches and was very good as far as flexibility. Not at all surprising is that my upper body strength stinks. I need to improve my cardio, but when I consider that I've never specifically done cardio workouts, it's not too bad.

I am really glad I had the session with the trainer because she showed me the proper way to use the machines and how to set them for my height. There are a couple that I am not using because of my joint issues. She also introduced me to the rowing machine, which I am going to love!

Weight-loss challenge

You would never guess it from the dinner we had tonight, but I am in competition with my step-sister Brenda, my step-brother's wife Rose, and my nephew Michael to see who can lose the most weight before we head to Florida in December. A pedicure is on the line!

Anyway, I was just feeling amused thinking about how much joy they would get out of what I had for dinner tonight, because I think I gained five pounds.

My workout plan

I started a new workout plan a couple of weeks ago and it seems to be working.

I call it the "Foremother's Workout."

It involves cleaning, gardening, cooking, doing laundry, hanging wash on the line. Endless variety! And at the end of the day, not only have I burned calories, but I've also accomplished a lot. Today I weeded, tended flowers, gardened, pruned trees, and trimmed bushes. I feel tired, but in a really good way.

This doesn't mean I'm abandoning the Y, but I have so much to accomplish right now, that if I can work and exercise at the same time it is an excellent thing! And I am feeling muscles that I haven't felt for a long time!

Goals for the summer

I have some things that I'd like to accomplish this summer.

These may be popping up off and on over the next few months as I either accomplish them or become thoroughly disgusted with my lack of discipline.

Sew something.
Sell ten things on ebay.
Lose some back fat.
Bake bread. Make jam.
Swim 20 laps without stopping.
Ride my bike to the Y.
Paint my kitchen cupboards.
Have a garage sale.

I have some other projects that I would also like to complete. I have some furniture to refinish. I have rooms that need painting.

But before I do any of this I need to get my class reunion planned and invitations out. Ugh.

Good medicine

I think part of the reason this weekend was so wonderful is that I really needed to see some friends. Life has been so busy. Weeks can go by without seeing anyone except in passing at church. With the welcome end of the school year routine back at the end of April, came the less welcome end of Wednesday coffee drinking and sitting around after homeschool geography with friends.

I admit, I've been in a funk. My housekeeping is mediocre under the best circumstances, but lately it is out of control. I have so many big projects to work on, but I can't figure out how to get them done when I can't even keep the bathrooms clean.

I've not gained weight, but things have shifted so clothes don't fit like they used to. This has been glaringly apparent as I've tried to find a dress and swimsuit the past couple of weeks. I'm hoping that between working in my garden and working out at the Y, I can at least shift some things back where they belong. I want to sew, but that's just one more thing I don't have time for.

Patrick has his SAT this Saturday and I haven't spent as much time working with him on it as I would have liked. He's been doing some prep, but this is going to be a new experience. He's never taken a standardized test of any kind. He has some small motor problems and other issues that make a test like this challenging for him, but I'm confident that he will do well. (with or without my help!)

None of it is horrible. My life is good. But when I'm a bit stressed anyway my extrovert need for friends is always more pressing. So it was good.

Y-M-C-A

We finally decided to go ahead and get the family YMCA membership that we've been contemplating for ages. I am looking forward to swimming and eventually joining in some of the classes. There is a fantastic fitness center and the kids and I are going to go for an orientation.

So I'll let you know if we actually manage to use our membership.

Pushing through

I have spent the past three days making myself move forward, push through, go and do, whatever you want to call it. Saturday was a clean up day at church and we went out for our anniversary. Sunday was church, a council meeting, seeing Bethany off at the airport, and bunko.
Today I ran lots of errands, made some phone calls, worked on my calendar, and took Jonathan to his voice lesson. I feel like I'm starting to get back in the groove.

I'm still feeling a little less enthusiastic about social events than usual, but I'm sure that will pass as my energy continues to come back.

I think that some changes that I've made in my diet are helping, too. I'm trying very hard to only eat real food. After reading French Women Don't Get Fat, I have been really making an effort not to eat unless I'm paying attention and to only eat things that taste good. Really good. Right now I'm reading In Defense of Food and it is just strengthening my resolve to stay away from things that come in a package or have ingredients that are unpronounceable or aren't "food" in their own right. I know that eating right will only make me feel better.

Time to retrench

Okay, I had two phone calls and an email asking why I am supposed to keep my leg up. For those who know me well, it will come as no surprise to know that I sprained an ankle. This time I sprained my good one. (At least it's not my driving ankle!)

Unfortunately, I have needed my driving ankle during the past 24 hours to get to the emergency room and the regional burn center.

Patrick had a run in with some hot olive oil yesterday. He has about eight burns on his face and neck and one on his arm. A couple of the worst on his face are two-three inches long and an inch across. They are mostly second-degree burns and should heal well with good wound care.

Both of these things happened because we are doing too much and running around like crazy people. There's going to be some serious schedule slashing around here.

I keep hurting myself because I have a badly healed ankle after surgery nine years ago and because I just keep getting more and more out of shape as each succeeding injury slows me down more. I never take he time to heal properly or exercise to get back lost function. If I don't put some serious effort into taking care of myself I'm going to end up really hurting myself sometime.

So, to compliment our budgetary cutbacks, we are also going to take a chunk out of our time commitments.

RETRENCH!

I forgot about some of those...

Yeah, I've got some muscles that I haven't thought about for a long time.

Hello quads. I do need you to ride a bike, don't I?

I never realized how many of the muscles in my lower body were going largely unused. Wow.