Morning exercise

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

I usually don't exercise first thing in the morning. Our school starts early, my first class is at 7:30 and I arrive at school about 7 AM to get ready for my students. This means I wake up at 5:30 AM to get ready and drive across the island.

But it's winter break for us. And the sun shines into our bedroom by 6:30 AM, making it impossible to sleep much later.

So I arose early, and headed down the hill to do errands. And walk.

I had breakfast (skim milk cafe au lait, and a carrot muffin) and watched the water and the yachts gathering. And I walked. To one end of the marina, then the other. To the post office to mail back jeans (hips fit, waist didn't). To the butterfly farm to consult with the experts on milkweed (what monarch butterflies and their caterpillars eat). To the end of the cruise ship dock, and back again. Then across the marina back to my car.

It was lovely. People waking up and getting off their boats and looking for breakfast. Shop workers arriving with cups of coffee in hand. My "adopted" student from years ago, who is now grown and married with 3 kids, who works at the marina and always has a ready smile and hug. Butterflies and flowers and fish and the lone barracuda, all waking up and moving around.

By 10 AM, I had logged 3.5 miles! More errands (plant store, jeans shopping, parking far from the entrances and getting in more walking).

And by 2 PM, I was up to 4.5 miles! 9000 steps! And counting!!!!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JULCAT51 12/31/2008 2:42PM

And here I sit still in my pj's and no excuse since I live in Yuma, AZ and the sun is shining bright. That sounds like a great morning. Welcome to paradise, eh? Good for you! Have a great rest of the day. Julie BTW: I'm glad that I have never shopped at Nordstrom's. "Encore" department would have really done it for me. Comment edited on: 12/31/2008 2:44:06 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

BABYMELMEL 12/31/2008 1:56PM

Good for you! You are an example for the rest of us! Report Inappropriate Comment

Five gifts. Four were chocolate.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Yes, friends and relatives sent/gave holiday gifts. Calendar, candles, candle holder - C seems to be the operative letter. Because they almost all included chocolate. Dark chocolate. Except from my father, who sent ONLY dark chocolate.

I have trouble saying NO to dark chocolate. I have trouble saying "later" to dark chocolate. I looooooove dark chocolate!!!!

I know that my friends/family are sending these things because they love me, and they know I love chocolate.

But just one chocolate gift would have been fine. FOUR?????

  

I'm getting MORE active as I age!

Friday, December 26, 2008

In a week, I'll hit my Sparkiversary #2. In those 2 years, I've lost 45-49 lbs. I've gotten healthier. And I've gotten way way way more active.

My DH has also lost 30-40 lbs, as a result of my increased fitness and better nutrition - and because he feels self-conscious NOT keeping up with me.

We now arrange adventures for gifts - yesterday, I took us on a sailing excursion/race for his Chanukah present. Last Mother's day, he booked a kayak/swim/snorkel trip for us. And this past summer, we spent a month in Costa Rica hiking, whitewater rafting, patrolling a beach for nesting turtles - an adventure vacation!

I feel younger NOW than I did two years ago - younger than I felt five years ago! Losing weight and getting in shape, strengthening my muscles and building my endurance, has done wonders for my outlook on life. I might be 54, married to someone who just turned 61, but no way are we going to act middle-aged and slow down!!!! We are going to keep moving and doing and enjoying life until we can't take another step!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CHANARO 12/28/2008 10:57AM

WOW! This is amazing. I hope that once my success starts showing (I'm beginning to feel it on the inside, but one can't really tell on the outside yet) that my husband will feel jealous and want to join me...right now I'm not saying anything to him one way or another, I know too well that the decision has got to come from deep within him, not from me or any other external source. But it's hard not to notice the difference between us lately...for example, yesterday we walked to shul together (itself a rare occurrence, because I usually sleep late!!!), and I actually had to slow down so that he could catch up. And, right now, I'm getting ready to leave to go mall-walking (for exercise, NOT shopping!) with my daughter, while he is lying on his bed groaning because his legs hurt (from lugging around excess weight, I'm thinking, but keeping to myself!). I love him and want him to be healthy and strong and happy. In his family, as people get older, they tend to just flop down on a couch and get feeble and helpless. I don't want that for him! Ironically, the most health-conscious member of that family was his father, a"h, who passed away 5 years ago. So he really hasn't had any good role models. Come to think of it, neither have I, both of my parents died in their 50's due to smoking related illnesses! But STILL, I know I'm starting to feel better than I have in a long time, and I want that for him too. So your blog is inspirational to me...thanks for showing me what might be for me, one day! Report Inappropriate Comment

MOM2POMS2 12/26/2008 10:43PM

AWESOME!!!! I wish I could get my husband to make the changes he needs to make. But I agree heartily that I am so much more active now than I was in the past!!! Isn't it a great feeling??!! Report Inappropriate Comment

The breakfast dilemma - cost vs. calories

Friday, December 05, 2008

I take myself to the coffee cart once or twice a week - it's enough of a "splurge" to make it a treat, but not enough of a caloric impact to make it an issue. It helps me stay on track to have something exciting and a bit sweet.

I usually have a slice of banana bread or cranberry bread (about 200-300 cals) rather than a muffin (400+ cals) or a scone (500 cals?). I've learned that the fruit bread is the better choice.

But coffee versus a latte or au lait made with nonfat milk. Especially since I drink my coffee with half and half. The coffee is about 3/4 the price of a latte or au lait. The nonfat latte or au lait is close to the same in calories, but WAAAAAAAY less fat.

Today, calories won - I had a nonfat half caf au lait and nonfat half caf Borgia (mocha latte with a hint of orange) in my thermos.

Breakfast is a grand total of 428 calories, with only 8 grams of fat. Had I had the coffee with half and half, it would have been 460 calories and 34 grams of fat. BIG difference there.

Even if it was $2.50 more expensive, it was worth it.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ARDENT1 12/23/2008 10:30AM

to cheat once in a while is no crime we are all human...i am doing good on my way of life, i walk 3 to 4 miles daily, jump rope, hula hoop, and watch what i eat, its simple, good luck to youhave a happy healthy prosperous new year.... Report Inappropriate Comment

"M'Schwartz, you slimming down still!"

Saturday, November 29, 2008

I ran into my "adopted student" from years ago - he's now in his early 30s, married with 3 kids. I haven't seen him in nearly a year.

That was his comment - "M'Schwartz, you slimming down still!" Not that I see it on the scale, but the inches are still slowly creeeping off, and the sizes I need are getting smaller, and apparently it's visible if you haven't seen me in a while.

I slimming down still!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

OAKDALE3 12/1/2008 8:38AM

WHOOHOO!!! I love that!! Report Inappropriate Comment