I keep myself on this weightloss journey by finding different challenges to keep me motivated. So today after my gym session I went into the pool for the start of a swimming challenge I found on the swimmers board (on WLR) swimming from one end of Loch Ness to the other, 34kms, I did the first 500m today and feel great too:) Technically should be at the Inverness end by the end of June at 2kms a week but I feel very bouncy after doing the 500m today so we'll see - I might get quicker and hubby's promised me a dolphin MP3 player for Mother's day, that'll keep the boredom at bay and I've been told about a counter thingy that goes on your finger but just now I use a coin and turn it over every 2 lengths, I know there are 5 turnovers across the pool tiles so I can count complete tiles as 10's, counting lengths - sorted:)
I still take part in the 10k Friday challenge which has seen my completion improve by 5mine since I started it in November, in the exercise calories challenge I was 4th out of 38, actual amount was 23,872, so I moved up one space but this month I don't think I'll be so obsessive about that one, I found it took up a lot of time, being a sahm I have that but I need to do stuff here and I was running out of energy to do housey things:(
So for this month I'll do my treadmill on 11 incline to prepare for hill/mountain climbing in the summer, weights (free and machine - I like the mix), swimming Loch Ness, 10k Fridays, rowing - March challenge on concept2's website, re-start the 100 pushup challenge and finish each gym session on what I call the *glidey* machine, it's a stepper come cross trainer that has a gliding motion for your feet/legs to do similar to skiing, but I find it's a great polisher for my sessions!!
So I start March feeling very positive, I've lost 12lbs and have sorted various interests to suit me, my children as really enjoying to the gym, eldest is happy at college, hubby loves his job and my mother at 79 is still happily and safely driving!
All is right in my world and I am very grateful and thankful to find myself thus!
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Nearly finished February.
I now know why my mother used to say *doesn't time fly* I can't believe it's nearly March, been very busy this month with my gym challenge and have got more than 20,000exercise calories which is a new record for me. With my children going to the gym now, i've been able to go for two sessions some day and really enjoyed the opportunity - this time last year i wouldn't even walk into one, far too embarrassed to admit I needed to change things to complete strangers but eventually i got myself a bit fitter and joined in the May.
Since then I've followed my own regime but I think the time has come to get some advice from the trainers there but I'm still working on that! I managed to get things back on track and one of my *cyber friends* started a challenge that I've been following for 4 weeks, the idea is to get fitter and improve body shape rather than only to loose weight - just as well as in 4wks I've only lost 4lbs but that's in the same time i've worked off all those calories so they almost balance each other out!
I've another 4 weeks to go to the end of that challenge but I've much further to go on my weightloss journey. Something we were all trying to do was eat new foods, this is something very difficult for me to do as I have a wide variety of food intolerances but as I've been cutting out the junk, I've found it much easier to integrate some of them back in, still have problems with turnips but hey I can live without them!!
TMS has us loving our houses this week so I've been cleaning and de-cluttering - starting with my wardrobe and dumping all the clothes that are too large now, loved it:) Nearly got the kitchen finished - how do so many odd things end up there? Pliers, one glove (it's always one!), a cup from a flask that was thrown out last year, tubs with no lids, lids with not tubs, lol, had to take stuff over to the re-cycle centre - too much for the bins!
The garden's covered in snow again so it's inside tidying for now - though the windows are next:):)
Since then I've followed my own regime but I think the time has come to get some advice from the trainers there but I'm still working on that! I managed to get things back on track and one of my *cyber friends* started a challenge that I've been following for 4 weeks, the idea is to get fitter and improve body shape rather than only to loose weight - just as well as in 4wks I've only lost 4lbs but that's in the same time i've worked off all those calories so they almost balance each other out!
I've another 4 weeks to go to the end of that challenge but I've much further to go on my weightloss journey. Something we were all trying to do was eat new foods, this is something very difficult for me to do as I have a wide variety of food intolerances but as I've been cutting out the junk, I've found it much easier to integrate some of them back in, still have problems with turnips but hey I can live without them!!
TMS has us loving our houses this week so I've been cleaning and de-cluttering - starting with my wardrobe and dumping all the clothes that are too large now, loved it:) Nearly got the kitchen finished - how do so many odd things end up there? Pliers, one glove (it's always one!), a cup from a flask that was thrown out last year, tubs with no lids, lids with not tubs, lol, had to take stuff over to the re-cycle centre - too much for the bins!
The garden's covered in snow again so it's inside tidying for now - though the windows are next:):)
Saturday, 6 February 2010
My imagination will be amazing!
Quote of the Day
"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will."
– George Bernard Shaw
I have the imagination, and the will, just working on the creation of a fabulously fit and healthy me:)
End of the first week of youngest being a member of my gym and he's really enjoying all the classes I booked him into and i've enjoyed being there more often but seemed to be more relaxed, though my ex clas for this week are quite impressive - it's at 5129 for 5days - because some days are split into 2 sessions I'm able to do a bit more:D This bit is the will to improve and my end goal, to wear my wedding dress dyed a shade of tourquiose to match my favourite jewelry, made by Sheila Fleet in Orkney. She's got a wonderful collection I usually buy on my yearly sojourn to Islay but this year I bought them in john O'Groats as we did our fab *tour of Scotland* instead. I really must spend some time getting a photo album done on here - love advertising Scotland whenever I get the chance:D
"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will."
– George Bernard Shaw
I have the imagination, and the will, just working on the creation of a fabulously fit and healthy me:)
End of the first week of youngest being a member of my gym and he's really enjoying all the classes I booked him into and i've enjoyed being there more often but seemed to be more relaxed, though my ex clas for this week are quite impressive - it's at 5129 for 5days - because some days are split into 2 sessions I'm able to do a bit more:D This bit is the will to improve and my end goal, to wear my wedding dress dyed a shade of tourquiose to match my favourite jewelry, made by Sheila Fleet in Orkney. She's got a wonderful collection I usually buy on my yearly sojourn to Islay but this year I bought them in john O'Groats as we did our fab *tour of Scotland* instead. I really must spend some time getting a photo album done on here - love advertising Scotland whenever I get the chance:D
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Are we what we eat??
Quote of the Day
"The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter."
– Norman Cousins
About Norman Cousins
American writer and editor Norman Cousins is best known for his book, Anatomy of an Illness, an account of how he used nutrition and positive visualizations, including laughter, to heal from an illness diagnosed as fatal. He was born in New Jersey in 1915. He served many years as editor-in-chief of the Saturday Review, a job he loved. Under his guidance, circulation increased from 20,000 to 650,000. He received the UN Peace Medal for his world activism. He died in 1990.
I'm off to investigate this guy, but positive visualizations keep me on track, look fitter, happier, etc!
"The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter."
– Norman Cousins
About Norman Cousins
American writer and editor Norman Cousins is best known for his book, Anatomy of an Illness, an account of how he used nutrition and positive visualizations, including laughter, to heal from an illness diagnosed as fatal. He was born in New Jersey in 1915. He served many years as editor-in-chief of the Saturday Review, a job he loved. Under his guidance, circulation increased from 20,000 to 650,000. He received the UN Peace Medal for his world activism. He died in 1990.
I'm off to investigate this guy, but positive visualizations keep me on track, look fitter, happier, etc!
Sunday, 31 January 2010
How much??
I can announce that I have expended 19,014 in exercise this month!! On weightlossresources one of the members has a calorie tracker that we can all add our workout stuff to and I'm going to be 5th or 6th out of approximately 30odd people, woohoo! I'm quite chuffed about this because exactly a year ago on the 1st of Feb I signed up to change my sedentary, unhealthy life for a better one and I think it's safe to say I've achieved that goal:D
**"Far away in the sunshine are my highest inspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead."
– Louisa May Alcott**
Really liked this as it's exactly how I felt and still feel, I might not achieve all of my highest aspirations but I'm having a damn good try and am enjoying the journey towards them now!
**"Far away in the sunshine are my highest inspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead."
– Louisa May Alcott**
Really liked this as it's exactly how I felt and still feel, I might not achieve all of my highest aspirations but I'm having a damn good try and am enjoying the journey towards them now!
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Happy Progress!
I have succeeded in TMS challenge of 5 exercise sessions, 3 weeks in a row because in the last 3 weeks I have seriously cranked up the exercise, I'm doing 3 aqua aerobic classes a week, the salsacise on a Tuesday and still maintaining my competitive edge with thedlondeone's monthly calorie tracker, and of course the 10km Friday challenge, rowing, and now the 100 pushups (you can tell she's trying to kill me lol:)) In amongst this I have been following the Biggest Loser 30 day Jump Start, which has helped give specific progress to my workout along with all the other stuff!!
I'm seriously enjoying all this and can't get my head round why I didn't do it sooner, but there lies madness, you can't keep asking why didn't I? You have to move forwards and enjoy the now:)
I've also been much more careful with my food and am more likely to have a peice of fruit than a biscuit, thanks to TMS challenge at the beginning of Jan, so gradually I'll get the right results and start to look forward to getting more clothes, teehee!!
Oh and in amongst all this I've been shining my sink and getting to grips with my household chores in a more positive way - all in all a very good start to 2010!!
I'm seriously enjoying all this and can't get my head round why I didn't do it sooner, but there lies madness, you can't keep asking why didn't I? You have to move forwards and enjoy the now:)
I've also been much more careful with my food and am more likely to have a peice of fruit than a biscuit, thanks to TMS challenge at the beginning of Jan, so gradually I'll get the right results and start to look forward to getting more clothes, teehee!!
Oh and in amongst all this I've been shining my sink and getting to grips with my household chores in a more positive way - all in all a very good start to 2010!!
Monday, 11 January 2010
Challenge 2
The snow's melting finally though it's only gone from the roads it did mean I got to the gym today, and I've just been over to The Motivation Station and found out this week's challenge is to do 20mins of exercise a day. I'm looking forward to completing that as I've just started the Biggest Loser 30day Jump Start which has exercises in it too:) I know the losses on the bigest loser are extreme and am not trying to enulate them but I do enjoy watching the programme and it has made me braver in the gym than I would have been - if they can do it so can I!
Our youngest has just gone back to school after the Christmas break and daughter's college has opened again, it closed last week because not enough students could travel, she was one that waited at a bus stop for nothing to happen! Eldest's college didn't have any issues as it's on the other side of the country - yes a whole 65miles away, lol!
I found flylady.com who's helping me organise my house one day at a time, rather than leaving it to do in 2 days before visitors and then leaving it for a month, even the kids are noticing things are much calmer and still getting done, yeha!
Really feeling positive about the coming months and the changes I'm making for all of us should have long-lasting effects.
Our youngest has just gone back to school after the Christmas break and daughter's college has opened again, it closed last week because not enough students could travel, she was one that waited at a bus stop for nothing to happen! Eldest's college didn't have any issues as it's on the other side of the country - yes a whole 65miles away, lol!
I found flylady.com who's helping me organise my house one day at a time, rather than leaving it to do in 2 days before visitors and then leaving it for a month, even the kids are noticing things are much calmer and still getting done, yeha!
Really feeling positive about the coming months and the changes I'm making for all of us should have long-lasting effects.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Success with Challenge!
The Motivation Station Challenge for this week was to replace something unhealthy for healthy and I swopped biscuits for oatcakes and/or fruit and I've done it!!
I also got hubby back from the Gulf of Mexico, he had to fly from Houston to Frankfurt to Edinburgh but those airports were fine and all went well - upstairs snoozing away now as I type:D
Managed to stay on track for my housework and found some fun to enjoy with my kids, some dvds and veturing outside for a laugh and snowball fight! Youngests school due back on Monday, daughter's college cancelled classes this week and she starts again on Monday too with a bit of luck!
Have also re-started our chore charts, usually a good way to keep everyone motivated to help in the house so mum doesn't get overwhelmed and they've been great this week - sweetened with a little pocket money for the younger ones, eldest knows he's costing a fortune at college so is very willing, bless them!
The snow has just started again so hubby's really going to get a surprise tomorrow when he wakes poor soul, had him all muffled up today to make sure the temp change isn't too traumatic - it's a bit of a contrast lol!
Right off to get the diary done for next week, and the menus, and the message lists, life is never dull!
I also got hubby back from the Gulf of Mexico, he had to fly from Houston to Frankfurt to Edinburgh but those airports were fine and all went well - upstairs snoozing away now as I type:D
Managed to stay on track for my housework and found some fun to enjoy with my kids, some dvds and veturing outside for a laugh and snowball fight! Youngests school due back on Monday, daughter's college cancelled classes this week and she starts again on Monday too with a bit of luck!
Have also re-started our chore charts, usually a good way to keep everyone motivated to help in the house so mum doesn't get overwhelmed and they've been great this week - sweetened with a little pocket money for the younger ones, eldest knows he's costing a fortune at college so is very willing, bless them!
The snow has just started again so hubby's really going to get a surprise tomorrow when he wakes poor soul, had him all muffled up today to make sure the temp change isn't too traumatic - it's a bit of a contrast lol!
Right off to get the diary done for next week, and the menus, and the message lists, life is never dull!
Monday, 4 January 2010
***It's still coming down***
This is totally amazing, we've been using the sleds to bring the shopping in from the car the few times we've made it to the supermarket - the car had to be parked at the end of our street, so there was plenty of walking to be done then! We did finally get some grit last week so the car can just make it down the street but the lump in the middle of the track will take out my bumper if it doesn't start to melt soon - or maybe I'll have to get out there and skim off some height, a bit cheaper than getting a garage bill to put the bumper back on!!
Doing a healthy eating challenge with The Motivation Station, for this week's challenge I've decided to substitute biscuits for oatcakes and/or fruit to improve my 5-a-day ration that our goverment is always advising us to achieve. I actually feel a lot better when my veg ration is bigger but fruit I kinda get stuck with bananas and blueberries, with frozen raspberries at this time of year, so adding in a few grapes and an apple with oatcakes should make it more fun - I can only try:D
Now I can do this!!
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Happy New Year!!
Hope the new year has in store all the things you wish for! My new year has started the way the old one finished with us being snowed in again and our council not very interested in gritting as it's *too icy* - yeah for us too that's why big snowploughs are needed, honest! We dug out yards of 6inch ice from under the three vehicles along out bit of street and managed to get our car out for some essential shopping - sales, what sales?? Haven't been to any as I don't want to be out for long incase I can't get back in again, like last week when the car was parked out in the main road:(
Right enough moaning, I'm re-starting my fitness campaign on Monday when I return to the gym, come hell or high snow I'm going to get there because it's important and if I slither into someone else's car in the car park, I'm insured, I'll cope!!
The house had it's cleaning fest for Hogmany, we all clean for visitors to drop by but over here they don't do it like on Islay. When we were teenagers on Islay there would be complete strangers *first footing* around the village, they came with shortbread - so your house would never know hunger, booze so your house would never know thirst (though a few could have done with some juice or water!!) and fuel so your house would always give a warm welcome! My adopted brother was very dark-haired so he was sent out the back door with all this stuff and had to knock to come into the front for good luck you see, he was in demand at quite a few houses and used to visit with alsorts of folk he didn't see from one year's beginning to the next! In Argyll, we still did this with our children, visiting friends in the wee sma' hours, but in the east, here, it's not done at all - there's parties in folks houses but you need an invite and with hubby away I wasn't doing that this year but next is possible.
Anyway my new year's resolutions are to continue my weightloss journey whilst getting fit, and to complete it by next Christmas, and also to widen my circle of friends through my hobbies and through charity work of some sort - still looking into where I could be useful but something outwith children's education!
I want to make more of an effort to get to know my neighbours, who are very pleasant people but I don't *know* them, and to keep this house tidier so I can invite them in for a tea or coffee without embarrassment! This reflects on my younger son who's going to be encouraged to invite his pals over more - we got out the habit when I worked full-time and need to make an effort to start again.
And lastly, to work harder in my garden, I abdicated a lot of work last year to my daughter who's doing landscape design at college and needed basic experience but this year she can try for real work and I'll do my own garden again!!
Hope your beginning has been a good one:)
Right enough moaning, I'm re-starting my fitness campaign on Monday when I return to the gym, come hell or high snow I'm going to get there because it's important and if I slither into someone else's car in the car park, I'm insured, I'll cope!!
The house had it's cleaning fest for Hogmany, we all clean for visitors to drop by but over here they don't do it like on Islay. When we were teenagers on Islay there would be complete strangers *first footing* around the village, they came with shortbread - so your house would never know hunger, booze so your house would never know thirst (though a few could have done with some juice or water!!) and fuel so your house would always give a warm welcome! My adopted brother was very dark-haired so he was sent out the back door with all this stuff and had to knock to come into the front for good luck you see, he was in demand at quite a few houses and used to visit with alsorts of folk he didn't see from one year's beginning to the next! In Argyll, we still did this with our children, visiting friends in the wee sma' hours, but in the east, here, it's not done at all - there's parties in folks houses but you need an invite and with hubby away I wasn't doing that this year but next is possible.
Anyway my new year's resolutions are to continue my weightloss journey whilst getting fit, and to complete it by next Christmas, and also to widen my circle of friends through my hobbies and through charity work of some sort - still looking into where I could be useful but something outwith children's education!
I want to make more of an effort to get to know my neighbours, who are very pleasant people but I don't *know* them, and to keep this house tidier so I can invite them in for a tea or coffee without embarrassment! This reflects on my younger son who's going to be encouraged to invite his pals over more - we got out the habit when I worked full-time and need to make an effort to start again.
And lastly, to work harder in my garden, I abdicated a lot of work last year to my daughter who's doing landscape design at college and needed basic experience but this year she can try for real work and I'll do my own garden again!!
Hope your beginning has been a good one:)
Friday, 18 December 2009
Motivational sayings
Just a few saying picked up from others that keep me going
~Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
~People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, which is why we recommend it daily. (This one made me smile!)
~Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in day out.
~We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.
~If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it.
~If you talk about it, it's a dream, if you envision it, it's possible, but if you schedule it, it's real.
The last one's a favourite! I can talk about being fitter and slimmer, I can see myself fitter and slimmer, and now I've scheduled next year so I get real and finish the job I've started!
~Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
~People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, which is why we recommend it daily. (This one made me smile!)
~Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in day out.
~We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.
~If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it.
~If you talk about it, it's a dream, if you envision it, it's possible, but if you schedule it, it's real.
The last one's a favourite! I can talk about being fitter and slimmer, I can see myself fitter and slimmer, and now I've scheduled next year so I get real and finish the job I've started!
Only a week to go!!
Have had a really good day with a christmas lunch at the gym with friends I've made at the aqua aerobics class, and the salsa one too! I also did my aqua class first thing despite being snowed in and then the 10k friday challenge - 18m47sec, soo chuffed that's coming down nicely. I also did the rowing 1000m in 4.35min can't seem to get that down to 4.2ish but working on it:D
When I was out some clothes arrived from the catalogue and they fit beautifully, I've gone down 3/4 sizes (depending on shop) and 'normal' size 9 shoes - don't need extra wide anymore, hurray!!
AND it's only a week to go until we have our last official visit from Santa, my youngest will 'know' next year so it won't be quite the same but this time I will cherish the fun and excitement!
We're battling snow over here, a whole 4/5inches for goodness sake, tut! I'm afraid we have a very dim view of how the English cope as their roads and airports seem to struggle an awful lot. A few of our roads are closed through the Highlands mostly but the panic you see from the telly is hard to take seriously because as our weather changes we'll get far worse and just have to get on with it.
Anyway my New Year's Resolution is to carry on with the gym, keep eating healthily and learn more about blogging and use my blog more!!
Have a great time during the Christmas break and I'll drop by here much more!
When I was out some clothes arrived from the catalogue and they fit beautifully, I've gone down 3/4 sizes (depending on shop) and 'normal' size 9 shoes - don't need extra wide anymore, hurray!!
AND it's only a week to go until we have our last official visit from Santa, my youngest will 'know' next year so it won't be quite the same but this time I will cherish the fun and excitement!
We're battling snow over here, a whole 4/5inches for goodness sake, tut! I'm afraid we have a very dim view of how the English cope as their roads and airports seem to struggle an awful lot. A few of our roads are closed through the Highlands mostly but the panic you see from the telly is hard to take seriously because as our weather changes we'll get far worse and just have to get on with it.
Anyway my New Year's Resolution is to carry on with the gym, keep eating healthily and learn more about blogging and use my blog more!!
Have a great time during the Christmas break and I'll drop by here much more!
Friday, 20 November 2009
Back to life!
Finally managed to get back to the gym today after pulling a muscle in my neck 3 weeks ago:(
It took 10 days to clear up, then I was helping my husband decorate my mum's lounge and fuss over her as she was fighting a chest infection - it kept her in her bed while we were busy though, lol!
Youngest came back from camp with some extra company that kept him abed for days - a chesty cough that triggered his asthma, so he was off school for a week, poor soul!
Then hubby was fighting shivers and shakes, the insulation team arrived today to do the cavity walls, the car had to be checked over for a *knocking sound* AND the conservatory man came over with his Christmas list, oops sorry estimate!!
All-in-all a rather busy time lately but trying to get back to some sort of normality so the gym was first on the list, yay, not last for a change:)
And the next thing was to update here and try to do it more often, now I'm off to see what everyone else has been up to!!
It took 10 days to clear up, then I was helping my husband decorate my mum's lounge and fuss over her as she was fighting a chest infection - it kept her in her bed while we were busy though, lol!
Youngest came back from camp with some extra company that kept him abed for days - a chesty cough that triggered his asthma, so he was off school for a week, poor soul!
Then hubby was fighting shivers and shakes, the insulation team arrived today to do the cavity walls, the car had to be checked over for a *knocking sound* AND the conservatory man came over with his Christmas list, oops sorry estimate!!
All-in-all a rather busy time lately but trying to get back to some sort of normality so the gym was first on the list, yay, not last for a change:)
And the next thing was to update here and try to do it more often, now I'm off to see what everyone else has been up to!!
Monday, 5 October 2009
Autumn
Autumn has hit pretty hard here, the trees got a right battering at the weekend and bits of them can be found all over the roads and gardens, but that's normal stuff unlike the problems round the world.
I always find it harder to loose weight when the days get shorter because confort food is so lovely but calorific and i do less walking in this kind of weather, but this year's different. I've got loads of lower cal recipes, or cal counted ones so at least I know how much I'm eating and I'm a member of a gym that I love going to - my times of day are usually between 9 and 12 and the gym is practically empty so I can sweat and gasp without folks realising how unfit I am lol!! I have my ipod on so I don't hear myself either but I do check my heart rate monitor to make sure it's not too high! Recently the weighloss has slowed to a stop but I'm doing much more and have better sessions in the gym so I know it's muscle replacing fat and we all know that's heavier!
Life in general is rolling along, housework has to be repeated and I'm finding ways of making it more fun, but there's nothing more satifying than scrubbing a grubby bathroom when you're looking for things to do, and let me assure you with 3 gardeners in the house, the bathroom can get grubby very quickly.
Gardening leads me to last weeks fun. Over at a friend's house we lifted her monoblock round her garage and used some of it to start a wall for a border, daughter is learning Landscape Construction and Design at Oatridge College and friend said she could practice on her garden so her wall-building skills were being polished and will get more polished as there's plenty more wall to build - the border is about 30m/yards long so it will take a while waiting for a half-decent day so the mortar will set! And then we get the fun bit, planting it out and building some others for planting out too. Friend has arthritus in her back and needs raised beds to tend and far less grass to cut, hence the wall-building frenzie!
On Saturday, during the worst of the bad weather, hubby and I had a lovely indoor job, putting up new tracking for cutains at my mother's bedroom window and hung up new light curtains on the inside track with heavier ones on the outside track that she'd wanted us to swop from one room to another so that all got fixed. Then I looked out the windows we were hanging the curtains in front of and got a bucket of soapy/vinegary water, with the hose, and got them all cleaned, rinsed and squeegeed to a shine - love doing windows that are really needing a good slosh, the sun came out just after and they positively sparkled. How strange but sometimes doing good honest cleaning is good for you:)
Right, I'm away off to do my windows now, they're looking seriously mucky and I'm looking for that glow again!!
I always find it harder to loose weight when the days get shorter because confort food is so lovely but calorific and i do less walking in this kind of weather, but this year's different. I've got loads of lower cal recipes, or cal counted ones so at least I know how much I'm eating and I'm a member of a gym that I love going to - my times of day are usually between 9 and 12 and the gym is practically empty so I can sweat and gasp without folks realising how unfit I am lol!! I have my ipod on so I don't hear myself either but I do check my heart rate monitor to make sure it's not too high! Recently the weighloss has slowed to a stop but I'm doing much more and have better sessions in the gym so I know it's muscle replacing fat and we all know that's heavier!
Life in general is rolling along, housework has to be repeated and I'm finding ways of making it more fun, but there's nothing more satifying than scrubbing a grubby bathroom when you're looking for things to do, and let me assure you with 3 gardeners in the house, the bathroom can get grubby very quickly.
Gardening leads me to last weeks fun. Over at a friend's house we lifted her monoblock round her garage and used some of it to start a wall for a border, daughter is learning Landscape Construction and Design at Oatridge College and friend said she could practice on her garden so her wall-building skills were being polished and will get more polished as there's plenty more wall to build - the border is about 30m/yards long so it will take a while waiting for a half-decent day so the mortar will set! And then we get the fun bit, planting it out and building some others for planting out too. Friend has arthritus in her back and needs raised beds to tend and far less grass to cut, hence the wall-building frenzie!
On Saturday, during the worst of the bad weather, hubby and I had a lovely indoor job, putting up new tracking for cutains at my mother's bedroom window and hung up new light curtains on the inside track with heavier ones on the outside track that she'd wanted us to swop from one room to another so that all got fixed. Then I looked out the windows we were hanging the curtains in front of and got a bucket of soapy/vinegary water, with the hose, and got them all cleaned, rinsed and squeegeed to a shine - love doing windows that are really needing a good slosh, the sun came out just after and they positively sparkled. How strange but sometimes doing good honest cleaning is good for you:)
Right, I'm away off to do my windows now, they're looking seriously mucky and I'm looking for that glow again!!
Friday, 11 September 2009
Rowing for fun?
Never thought I'd be a fan but a bod on weightlossresources got me onto rowing at the gym and I do a 4min challenge each week to see if I'm improving, and guess what, I am, yay!! I added another 6m to last week's score and can now row 920m in 4minutes, can't believe 'couch potato' me can do stuff like this now but I ain't complaining, it's helping the weight come off so I'll just keep going, woohoo!!
Hubby's back from his ship and can't believe my stamina in the gym now compared to when he left 5 weeks ago, such a difference and I keep smiling about it which is the major change for the better, I like going!
My crafting hasn't started this week, but it's my birthday this weekend, so I'll get everything out after that and get started on the christmas cards, really can't get my head into that zone until I've done the birthday thing!
Really looking forward to good things this weekend:D:D
Hubby's back from his ship and can't believe my stamina in the gym now compared to when he left 5 weeks ago, such a difference and I keep smiling about it which is the major change for the better, I like going!
My crafting hasn't started this week, but it's my birthday this weekend, so I'll get everything out after that and get started on the christmas cards, really can't get my head into that zone until I've done the birthday thing!
Really looking forward to good things this weekend:D:D
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Getting on with things.
This week has been a 'get on with things week', eldest is at college, middle is there each day and youngest is at school so I've been doing houseworky things. Motivation for gym has left the building but will be back tomorrow as I desperately need the exercise cals lol!
My healthy eating style is needing a boost so I had a look at some recipes on weightlossresources, the website I've lost over 3st or over 40lbs with and found some chicken recipes that sound good so I'll give them a go. The kids will all try new stuff now - they've had so many experiments that they know mostly mum chooses things we'll all like and I weigh everything I eat to keep things accurate, they get extra potatoes or pasta, grated cheese or whatever. All of my children are tall and slender so I'm only trying to make sure they have healthy food, and lots of exercise - including in the rain Scotland's famous for and let me assure you this last wee while if we had waited for dry days to do stuff in, we'd have been waiting for weeks!
My brother is re-training to become a plumber and comes over to our house for several nights each month for training with a company near us, he's due on wednesday so eldest's room was getting sorted today. made the bed, hoovered but haven't cleaned the window yet, will get round to that tomorrow!
I've started a rowing challenge on the Concept2 website using the machine at the gym and was 6 out of 17 for my age and weight section on their ranking page, each time I go to the gym I'm trying to improve it so stroll on tomorrow's session, I am strangely really enjoying the challenge of different disciplines needed for each machine and pushing myself a little bit more each time I'm there, I was so scared when I joined that i had tears in my eyes when I filled in the forms, a level of emotional wobbliness I didn't expect but hayho, I carried on and 5months down the line I'm getting far more out of it than I ever expected!!
When OH gets back this week, he joins me so I need to show him the improvements that I've made to my routines and he spots me in the weights area - excellent :D
My crafting has taken a backseat lately so I'm hoping to get some stuff out in a wee while as I've a few specific cards to do for family occasions so I'll need to get to them, and get started with the christmas ones - really love doing them!
My healthy eating style is needing a boost so I had a look at some recipes on weightlossresources, the website I've lost over 3st or over 40lbs with and found some chicken recipes that sound good so I'll give them a go. The kids will all try new stuff now - they've had so many experiments that they know mostly mum chooses things we'll all like and I weigh everything I eat to keep things accurate, they get extra potatoes or pasta, grated cheese or whatever. All of my children are tall and slender so I'm only trying to make sure they have healthy food, and lots of exercise - including in the rain Scotland's famous for and let me assure you this last wee while if we had waited for dry days to do stuff in, we'd have been waiting for weeks!
My brother is re-training to become a plumber and comes over to our house for several nights each month for training with a company near us, he's due on wednesday so eldest's room was getting sorted today. made the bed, hoovered but haven't cleaned the window yet, will get round to that tomorrow!
I've started a rowing challenge on the Concept2 website using the machine at the gym and was 6 out of 17 for my age and weight section on their ranking page, each time I go to the gym I'm trying to improve it so stroll on tomorrow's session, I am strangely really enjoying the challenge of different disciplines needed for each machine and pushing myself a little bit more each time I'm there, I was so scared when I joined that i had tears in my eyes when I filled in the forms, a level of emotional wobbliness I didn't expect but hayho, I carried on and 5months down the line I'm getting far more out of it than I ever expected!!
When OH gets back this week, he joins me so I need to show him the improvements that I've made to my routines and he spots me in the weights area - excellent :D
My crafting has taken a backseat lately so I'm hoping to get some stuff out in a wee while as I've a few specific cards to do for family occasions so I'll need to get to them, and get started with the christmas ones - really love doing them!
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Weekend aleady, times-a-flying!!
I really can't believe I'm at another weekend but it's Saturday and for a change I went to the gym today, at 8.30am!!! had a great time as it was practically empty but my hrm's playing up sometimes the hearbeat is detected and other times it's not so I had to go with my exercise planner and it's cals calculations today, it kept going on and off, which made it worse but the chest strap may need a new battery, not sure yet. And I beat someone in the pool, me, lil' ole me actuaslly swam faster then someone lese who looked like they were going fast but obviously weren't!!
Eldest son's watching What Killed the Mega Beasts on Discovery Science with daughter and younger son glued too, so they're learning something and I'm skiving on here but I bought Daddy Day Care, Daddy Day Camp and Where's my car??? so we're having a dvd fest tonight, might get some popcorn and fizzy juice to get the total effect!!
I also bought Steel Magnolias for a good greet when daughter goes to college on Tuesday, REALLY going to enjoy the house to myself for the first time in over a year, well since elder son left school last year!!
After all the upset I decided to decorate elder son's bedroom as a surprise for his homecoming y/day, yes well he was bored with no TV and the surprised was well recieved, he loved it so i was chuffed, I know most people pinch their kids rooms when they move out but I knew he be back and forward to he=is digs and had chosen walpaper but never had it put up so with a bit of paint and some new bedding and a rug, the room looks brand new!!
Eldest son's watching What Killed the Mega Beasts on Discovery Science with daughter and younger son glued too, so they're learning something and I'm skiving on here but I bought Daddy Day Care, Daddy Day Camp and Where's my car??? so we're having a dvd fest tonight, might get some popcorn and fizzy juice to get the total effect!!
I also bought Steel Magnolias for a good greet when daughter goes to college on Tuesday, REALLY going to enjoy the house to myself for the first time in over a year, well since elder son left school last year!!
After all the upset I decided to decorate elder son's bedroom as a surprise for his homecoming y/day, yes well he was bored with no TV and the surprised was well recieved, he loved it so i was chuffed, I know most people pinch their kids rooms when they move out but I knew he be back and forward to he=is digs and had chosen walpaper but never had it put up so with a bit of paint and some new bedding and a rug, the room looks brand new!!
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
One really bad weekend!
On Saturday night I decided to take the kids to the cinema and nearly got hit by another car who didn't pay any attention to the fact that I had right of way on the roundabout! Then we nearly got rear-ended by boy racers on the way home - not something I'm going to repeat anytime soon!!
On Sunday I wished I had been nudged because things just got worse so I thought I'd let cyberworld see what can happen to a normal person who thinks everything she needs to worry about is traffic on the M8
*My son was due to move into his flat today for starting college tomorrow and it all went wrong!
My day started badly because I couldn't get my bro on his phone and he was coming in his van to take stuff to Greenock, I wanted to check when he was arriving:( He was due at 8.30am and by 8.50 the air was blue and I was packing the car with the essentials, tv, dvd player, ipod clock, some clothes, pots, towels, kitchen utensils, you get the picture! By he time we'd finished it was 9.10 and we needed to leave as we had to meet the landlord at 10.30 and the M8 is notorious for problems any day of the week:!
So we left daughter in case Uncle Ru turned up and needed a guide, and because she didn't fit in the car and set off on the 'big adventure':)
Typically the M8 was fab and we got there in 50minutes and nipped into Lidl for some essentials and to use their loo lol!
And we waited, and waited, and waited, we checked the flat door again in case the landlord has arrived through the back entrance, and waited and waited. After about 30mins we phone the Edinburgh number we had - no answer, so we waited, and waited, we went over previous conversations he had had with the big lad and came to the conclusion that the landlord thought the 23rd was Monday not Sunday, argh.
I can't get there for 10.30 on a Monday morning 'cos the wee guy only goes to school at 8.30 and the Kingston bridge in Glasgow is a nightmare in the rush hours (7.30-9.30), so we decided to see if anybody was in at Uncle Ru's, who still wasn't answering the phone but was only 30mins away:)
When we got there auntie was in, Uncle Ru was out with only boy at football - had lost phone and forgotten all about it, double arggh! We had lunch there, yes lunch and then decided that since Uncle Ru was on nightshift he could take big lad over to Greenock for 10.30 tomorrow and deal with the landlord. Big lad has cheques for rent and deposit and anything I've to sign will have to be done here when landlord is on his way home (Edin number so he has to go past), or by post!!!
Big lad transferred everything into Uncle's van, left another message with landlord and I came back with small lad, a headache and no interest in making dinner so we're having a chinese meal and I'm going to enjoy every mouthful!
The good news is daughter tidied up everywhere downstairs, it looks fab and I only ate half the Chinese, well I am on a health kick and there’s only so much egg fried rice I can eat these days!
Just after my meal I had a policewoman at the door asking if I own a Peugeot 308, yes, number******?, yes and were you in Tescos today, no say I, I was in Greenock, was anybody else driving your car? No I was driving it in Greenock. Someone driving your car was in the petrol station this morning, Oh right that was me, you said Tesco's not the petrol station, yes I was there about 8.20, says I,,,,,,,,,
It then transpires that the attendants had phoned the police about 9.10 to say someone had driven off without paying for a paper and petrol and they'd given my reg number!!
So I rummaged around in my bag trying to find the receipt that I don't always get (but will from now on, if I ever go there again) and explained whilst moving the rummage to the car in the garage that I drive a diesel car and paid for my fuel with my Tesco clubcard then a bank card at the pump, I never went into the shop at all. She wrote it all down in a statement and got me to sign it and said she was quite happy they'd made a mistake on the reg number, told me to always get a receipt and left, not a good day at all!!*
Monday wasn't a whole lot better because the landlord left the big lad in a flat with no power, so he had to organise a power company to come out and reset the metre and they can't come til Wed afternoon so he stayed at his uncles last night and tonight and finally should be able to get sorted out tomorrow and actually stay there tomorrow night, and get to know Greenock before his course starts next week!
My husband tried to cheer me with the old adage the troubles come in threes - not for three days honey, you had it bad!!!
On Sunday I wished I had been nudged because things just got worse so I thought I'd let cyberworld see what can happen to a normal person who thinks everything she needs to worry about is traffic on the M8
*My son was due to move into his flat today for starting college tomorrow and it all went wrong!
My day started badly because I couldn't get my bro on his phone and he was coming in his van to take stuff to Greenock, I wanted to check when he was arriving:( He was due at 8.30am and by 8.50 the air was blue and I was packing the car with the essentials, tv, dvd player, ipod clock, some clothes, pots, towels, kitchen utensils, you get the picture! By he time we'd finished it was 9.10 and we needed to leave as we had to meet the landlord at 10.30 and the M8 is notorious for problems any day of the week:!
So we left daughter in case Uncle Ru turned up and needed a guide, and because she didn't fit in the car and set off on the 'big adventure':)
Typically the M8 was fab and we got there in 50minutes and nipped into Lidl for some essentials and to use their loo lol!
And we waited, and waited, and waited, we checked the flat door again in case the landlord has arrived through the back entrance, and waited and waited. After about 30mins we phone the Edinburgh number we had - no answer, so we waited, and waited, we went over previous conversations he had had with the big lad and came to the conclusion that the landlord thought the 23rd was Monday not Sunday, argh.
I can't get there for 10.30 on a Monday morning 'cos the wee guy only goes to school at 8.30 and the Kingston bridge in Glasgow is a nightmare in the rush hours (7.30-9.30), so we decided to see if anybody was in at Uncle Ru's, who still wasn't answering the phone but was only 30mins away:)
When we got there auntie was in, Uncle Ru was out with only boy at football - had lost phone and forgotten all about it, double arggh! We had lunch there, yes lunch and then decided that since Uncle Ru was on nightshift he could take big lad over to Greenock for 10.30 tomorrow and deal with the landlord. Big lad has cheques for rent and deposit and anything I've to sign will have to be done here when landlord is on his way home (Edin number so he has to go past), or by post!!!
Big lad transferred everything into Uncle's van, left another message with landlord and I came back with small lad, a headache and no interest in making dinner so we're having a chinese meal and I'm going to enjoy every mouthful!
The good news is daughter tidied up everywhere downstairs, it looks fab and I only ate half the Chinese, well I am on a health kick and there’s only so much egg fried rice I can eat these days!
Just after my meal I had a policewoman at the door asking if I own a Peugeot 308, yes, number******?, yes and were you in Tescos today, no say I, I was in Greenock, was anybody else driving your car? No I was driving it in Greenock. Someone driving your car was in the petrol station this morning, Oh right that was me, you said Tesco's not the petrol station, yes I was there about 8.20, says I,,,,,,,,,
It then transpires that the attendants had phoned the police about 9.10 to say someone had driven off without paying for a paper and petrol and they'd given my reg number!!
So I rummaged around in my bag trying to find the receipt that I don't always get (but will from now on, if I ever go there again) and explained whilst moving the rummage to the car in the garage that I drive a diesel car and paid for my fuel with my Tesco clubcard then a bank card at the pump, I never went into the shop at all. She wrote it all down in a statement and got me to sign it and said she was quite happy they'd made a mistake on the reg number, told me to always get a receipt and left, not a good day at all!!*
Monday wasn't a whole lot better because the landlord left the big lad in a flat with no power, so he had to organise a power company to come out and reset the metre and they can't come til Wed afternoon so he stayed at his uncles last night and tonight and finally should be able to get sorted out tomorrow and actually stay there tomorrow night, and get to know Greenock before his course starts next week!
My husband tried to cheer me with the old adage the troubles come in threes - not for three days honey, you had it bad!!!
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