1,126.73 miles and counting

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Nairobi to Khartoum!

NYC to Chicago to Minneapolis!

Seattle to San Diego!

WOW!

  

I am addicted to my pedometer

Monday, November 10, 2008

We had an emergency trip. I wore my pedometer, as usual. And on day 3 of the trip, I broke the clip on the pedometer. I couldn't attach it to my jeans. I felt lost!!!!! Uneasy!!! Going through pedometer withdrawal!!!!!!!!! How could I function if I didn't know how much I'd walk? How could I log my miles on my spreadsheet (having walked over 1000 miles since I started tracking on 1/10/08)????? How could I post on our "Around the World" team??????? OMG, I was getting the shakes!!!!!

We found a pedometer in my MIL's things. I tried it. It didn't work well, but it calmed my craving. For a while.

Day 4 - tried a pedometer in a sports store. It registered 2 or 3 steps for each step I took. It didn't have a sensitivity adjustment button. I immediately returned it.

Day 5 - I found a great pedometer at a drugstore. It's accurate. It remembers 7 days in a row. It resets itself at midnight (a feature I'm not crazy about). It has a clock (which is good because I don't wear a watch). I feel normal again!!!!!!!

We're back home, I'm back at work, I'm wearing my pedometer, life is good.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

OAKDALE3 11/11/2008 7:02PM

I just got one on Sunday. The past three days I have been checking it obsessively to see if I have made the 10,000 steps or not. I can definitely see how I could become addicted to this too. I completely understand what you went through and I am glad that you have a new one!! Report Inappropriate Comment

PHEBESS 11/10/2008 9:10PM

Yeah, I tried the pocket - but I often wear a dress or skirt to school, so I knew that wasn't a long-term solution. You'll learn to love that pedometer! Report Inappropriate Comment

ZZYYGGY 11/10/2008 1:48PM

Glad you found one you like. Isn't it funny how we get attatched to certain things. I'm just starting to wear one myself, and it helps alot. PS you can wear them in your pocket of your pants. It isn't the most accurate, but it does work. Comment edited on: 11/10/2008 1:46:29 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

I just had a "lightbulb" moment

Saturday, November 01, 2008

You know the moment. When a lightbulb goes off in your head, the way it does in a cartoon.

A moment of brilliant realization. An epiphany.

I was logging in last night's meal. We moved last week, I've been unpacking after work, my dinner was a quick scrambled egg and multigrain bagel, I was tired and didn't go online.

About 8 PM (after I had eaten), DH decided we needed to do a garbage dumpster run, and get rid of all the empty boxes. And grab a bite of dessert while we were out.

I knew I was mid-range in my calories for the day. I had skim milk with my morning coffee, had reasonable meals, and was doing okay. But in the restaurant, hearing about the chocolate cheesecake, well, my resolve crumbled.

But I knew, from the Spark Food Showdowns, that cheesecake was a better dessert option than many. For example, better than the peanut butter ice cream pie that DH had. Possibly better than the key lime pie smothered in whipped cream.

So I had a slice of chocolate cheesecake (well, DH had several bites of it). It was delicious, it sated my ever-present desire for dark chocolate, it felt like a nice Halloween celebration.

Fast forward to today - log in time - and my .75 slice of cheesecake (based on the fact that it was 1/8 of a cake, not 1/6 as measured in the SP tracker) was all of 193 cals.

I'm only 23 cals over range!!!!!!!!

So the lightbulb - THE CHEESECAKE WAS A GOOD OPTION FOR MY SPLURGE!!!!!!!!! I realized that I don't need to mentally calculate each and every calorie, I have been fairly well educated in my 660+ days on SparkPeople, I have the information to make good decisions about my cals!!!!!

THIS IS HUGE!!!!!!!! I feel like I've earned a Spark PhD!!!!!!

It just made me feel so smart and competent.

And I know I'll make the occasional not-the-best choice. And there will be days when I'll backslide.

But just for this one day, and this one decision, I was brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

GOLDENANGELFISH 11/1/2008 1:42PM

and it is very good news to hear that cheesecake was a good choice (under the circumstances)! I had no idea! Mary Report Inappropriate Comment

Virtual rewards

Friday, October 24, 2008

I won 50 SparkGoodie points on the spin wheel today.

And I promptly bought myself SparkGoodie chocolate.

Yes, I crave chocolate. Yes, my DH offers to meet me at Ben & Jerry's. Yes, I'd love to eat some real chocolate. And yes, I splurge occasionally on some chocolate (as in this morning's non-fat mocha).

But virtual chocolate, while not as tasty, still feels like a splurge. An extravagance. Something special and out of the ordinary.

And it's my reward for turning down a trip for Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream yesterday. Virtual chocolate. Almost all of the pleasure, minus the extra lbs in my midsection.

  

With my life, who needs to exercise?

Saturday, October 18, 2008

10/13 - schlep all over the San Juan airport, with luggage, waiting for our flight (delayed 2 hours) and getting tickets and finding something edible.

10/14 - prep my classroom for the coming hurricane. Remove everything from the leaking side of the classroom and office.

10/15 - prep home for the hurricane - bring in everything from the porch (tons of plants, grill, furniture, etc. Pack boxes for our upcoming move.

10/16 - pack boxes.

10/17 - wash the porch floor (peeling paint and rain make a mess); move plants and furniture back outside; vacuum house where the plants made a mess. Pack.

10/18 - 4 hours of packing boxes.

Scheduled - packing all week, cleaning, and then moving on Saturday. Cardio and strength training all in one.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SHORTY20 10/21/2008 1:10PM

You are constantly a woman on the move :) Report Inappropriate Comment

IMAOFSEVEN 10/20/2008 1:37AM

I am so glad that you can find the humor in this... I hope that things calm down soon so that you can go back to your regular schedule. Good luck with the storm and the move! Report Inappropriate Comment