What Kind Of Heart Rate Monitor?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I'm in the market for a heart rate monitor.

I read some reviews, and it seems like an inexpensive ($50) one from Timex is getting good press. I could get it for $38.00 on overstock.com. I'm leaning towards that one because of the reviews and the price fits my budget.

I don't want to spend more than about $60. I am curious about some of the more expensive ones though, like a bodybug. Are those any good? Have you heard about if they're worth it?

I'm interested in knowing just how hard I'm working in my workouts. I don't think I'm working hard enough, except with some of my workout DVDs, and then I'm probably overworking. I need to find some balance, and I think a hrm would help with that.

Preferably, I need one with a ZAP feature, one that will zap me if I'm not working hard enough.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CO-CREATOR 2/23/2011 11:21AM

I have a hrm that I purchased six years ago, currently its battery is dead. I do know that a hrm is very motivational. Mind didn't zap me, lol; but it did let me know when I was out of the target heart rate zone and how many calories I burned in a session. I thought it was a great motivator cause when the treadmill claimed I burned a 100 calories, the hrm would say more like 250. Getting a body bug or something similar is a reward I have planned for myself when I reach a future goal. At this point it is a distant one. Report Inappropriate Comment

55WALKER 2/22/2011 6:14PM

I would love something like a bodybug if it were in my budget, but my Timex (which can be set to alarm if you are out of your target zone while exercising is very good. And when I started using it I realized I had been working a lot harder than I needed to. :=D Report Inappropriate Comment

KAUAI-CAROLANN 2/22/2011 6:05PM

I have this thing called The Gruve. Amazon has them for $78. It actually does have a zap feature LOL! It buzzes (like the vibrate on a phone) to remind you to move your butt if you have been still for xx amount of time. It is not a pedometer, it does not monitor your heart rate, but at the end of the day, you charge/sync it with your computer and it tells you how many calories you have burned that day, each hour plus other charts. Initially you have to enter in your weight, height, BP, measurements even cholesterol if you know that info. I picked it because with my job, I physically move a lot and know that vs. a desk job, I certainly burn more calories. It has served as a good motivational tool to get in those short 5 minute bursts of exercise SP likes and I don't get much feedback or info until the end of the day (which makes me move more). Report Inappropriate Comment

STEPHANIEKAY2 2/22/2011 1:58PM

I wish I had an answer for you but I don't use one either (yet)! Others thoughts would be appreciated. Does a heart rate monitor help with knowing calories burned? P.S. Sacredamulet-love your background photos and I looked up your site. Fantastic photos and effects! Report Inappropriate Comment

Here and There Motivation

Monday, February 21, 2011

I wear a size 8/10 and weigh in the mid 150s, depending on what scale it is and when in the week it is, or if I had soy sauce the day before.

I'm not fat. Or at least, I don't feel fat sometimes. Then there are times when I do. I used to wear a size 2/3 before I got married. I never thought I'd be one of those people who would gain weight after those vows, however I did. It was the food I cooked, the going out to eat, the wine, the lack of exercise. Soon I was up in the 160s from around 110.

I wasn't at a healthy weight at 110. I was sickly and too thin for my height. My current goal is 130. So, that's around 25 lbs to lose.

It seems like at times it's easy to peel off the pounds. At other times, I can barely motivate myself to get off my lazy rear and go to the rec center. Then I park as close to the entrance as possible so I can avoid walking, nevermind that I go to the rec center to WALK on the treadmill. Sometimes I jog, but lately it has been walking.

Does anyone have any secrets to staying motivated and going at it strong? I have the problem with waning motivation that comes and goes. The weight comes right on back when I stop being hard core about it.

Help!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SACREDAMULET 2/22/2011 1:18PM

@ Both- Great ideas! And it is true, Rainbow Falls, that it seems like it's tougher in the winter. I think it's especially true for those of us in northern areas (I live in Cleveland, one of the cloudiest cities in the country). Motivational songs are good. I just need to download more of them. I downloaded "Pokerface" by Lady Gaga, a song I really like, but for some reason iTunes won't load it onto my iPod, even though I selected it to be loaded. I don't know what kind of tech stuff is going wrong. It's probably on iTune's end. Oh well, onwards and upwards! Another day is here. Yesterday I motivated myself to do the 30-Day Shred video. Wow, I'm sore today. It shows me just how much I was phoning it in at the rec center. I'm having a hard time climbing the stairs, and normally I fly up them. Owww!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

RAINBOWFALLS 2/21/2011 4:39PM

I wish I had the answer.I find winter so much harder to stay motivated and I hate to blame it on the weather, but I think part of it is. The lack of sunshine and getting outside. I love to garden and mow the lawn. These last couple of months my fitness minutes are less than what I was getting. I know that when springs arrives I will be right back up there again. For now I just set a small 10 to 25 minute a dat goal and I usually do more. Good Luck! Report Inappropriate Comment

CO-CREATOR 2/21/2011 2:27PM

I wish I knew the secret to consistent motivation. When I am on the treadmill it helps me to listen to fast paced songs, sometimes they even motivate me to jog. Some days I just go through the motions. Sometimes I come to spark and read blogs, and usually something I read will motivate me. Joining challenges motivates me because I don't want to let my team members down. I am also in the process of making a motivational vision board. I plan on taping it to the wall in front of my treadmill. Report Inappropriate Comment

Competition With Coworkers For Hours

Saturday, February 19, 2011

I work in a jewelry store. At this store the employees are divided into full and part time. The full timers get aroundt 40 hours a week, and part timers may get no hours in any week, up to 30 when necessary.

This week I have no hours. They just hired a new part timer and a new full timer who I think are to blame for me not getting hours. Well, "to blame" isn't the right way to put it. More like my boss is giving them hours and not me. It's not a fault or something, just the way it is.

I got so upset when my coworker told me on the phone today that I wouldn't be getting hours this week. The new part timer is good, however I am too, and I think she is more friends with our boss than I am (I'm not hated or something, but I'm just an employee and not a friend). This being buddies of course results in her getting hours and not me. That's my theory anyway. Maybe that's not it. It just looks like it from my perspective right now.

I meditated on this issue. I was so upset that I was ready to get a new job. I decided at that point to just meditate and sort it out that way. Should I get a new job? I went into that issue deeply.

I found in myself that the solution isn't to find a new job. The solution is to totally kick butt at my job and make it obvious that I'm the one who brings in the money for the store. I'm pretty good, but I'm not an awesome employee- YET. I'm diligent and always am early to work, my sales are exceeding my goals, and some other metrics are exceeding my goals too. Then I am short in some other metrics. My plan is to kick butt in all metrics, especially sales dollars.

I think that no matter what level of being buddies our boss and my part time coworker are, our boss is concerned about her store and looking good to her district manager (plus her own bonus!) before she's concerned with giving her friend hours. If I'm kicking rear end and not taking names then it makes sense that she'd give me the hours and not someone else.

I decided to fight for what I want. My younger brother (much younger, he's 18 and I'm 32) said on his MySpace page "you've got to fight for what you want". He's right. I can't just roll on my belly and give up my hours, which is essentially giving up my job. I have bills to pay! I have to keep my job also to show stability on my resume. There are a lot of reasons why I need to keep it and not hop to another job. Also I get paid a bit more at this job than I would somewhere else, because I get a decent hourly and commission on what I sell. I think I make about $10/hr with my hourly and commission. It's not big money, but it's alright for a part time retail job.

I'm determined to do so well that it's obvious that I'm the one who will get the hours and not the new part timer. The new part timer and our boss are so chummy that they hug, and the part timer gave our boss a back rub! I didn't think that it was such an appropriate idea. However, that's how it is. I'm not jealous or anything, I'm just spurred to action. I can't let anything stand between me and success at work. I'm not cut throat, however I am determined to do my best and succeed!

I'm starting GRAD SCHOOL in July. I need my job, this little part time gig, throughout grad school, which will take 2 years. I intend to keep my job. I'm not going to let anything stop me. I need to just excel more than I do and achieve more than I do in order to make my goal a reality.

I've already focused on it. I do believe I'll get called in for hours this week sometime. I need at least some hours. I can't stand the thought that I'd have to ask my husband for money to bail me out on my bills, and I can't just not pay things. This is a hard situation. Money doesn't grow on trees. I work hard at work and it looks like I need to work harder, and I will. The next time I go in I'm going to fix a couple of the things that I need to fix in terms of reaching my goals. I've got to pump it up and really do my best.

In this competition for hours, I intend to win.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SACREDAMULET 2/21/2011 11:39AM

Thanks all!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

RAINBOWFALLS 2/20/2011 7:51AM

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CO-CREATOR 2/20/2011 7:13AM

Way to set your intention(s) Report Inappropriate Comment

RUNBAREFOOTMAMA 2/19/2011 5:34PM

That is an excellent attitude! Report Inappropriate Comment

CIVIAV 2/19/2011 5:17PM

Go all out, it's worth it! Report Inappropriate Comment

Hope and Healing for Cancer

Friday, February 18, 2011

My husband's aunt has kidney cancer. Yesterday we drove 8 hours out of state, stayed 3 hours, and then 8 hours back home just for a mini visit with her. We're of course very worried that she may not make it.

She's being realistic but hopeful at times, and rather morbid at other times. I have no idea how I'd be reacting in her situation. She's trying her doctor's medications, which are of course chemo drugs, and alternative medicine too, such as herbs and supplements. There is a lot of praying going on too, which I do believe (I'm not Christian, but I do believe in prayer) has as much or more impact than all the medication in the world.

Seeing her situation makes me value life more. Sometimes things get hard, especially when you're not satisfied with yourself in life. Like for me, I always want to do more and be more. I'm ambitious. Sometimes though it's good to stop and smell the roses, and not always be in this rush against some standard that may not be healthy.

I wish we lived close by so we could visit more. I'd like to have the money to fly regularly. The drive there and back in one day was really brutal. I hated doing that, but it had to be done because for the price of one air ticket both of us could drive there in the car and back. Air tickets from here to there are roughly $200, depending of course on when you buy the ticket, if you get lucky, and what carrier you're going with. Southwest flies out of here into there, so if we do fly, it may be with them since they're cheaper. We're budget-conscious here.

While I feel bad for my husband's aunt, I'm also optimistic. I have a good, hopeful feeling. About 35% of kidney cancer patients are still around at the 5 year mark. This presents good odds for a very insidious disease. She's going to be a survivor, I know it. I'm hopeful. She has already divided her things for her children, which is morbid yet realistic. However, I don't think she'll have to worry about who gets what for a long time to come. She's talking about her husband's retirement and not her own, again, morbid but realistic. I think they'll both be on a cruise in Greece when they turn 65.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LIVINHEALTHY9 2/19/2011 9:07PM

Hoping for the best for your husband's aunt. Report Inappropriate Comment

RAINBOWFALLS 2/19/2011 10:13AM

I am hoping for the best outcome. Report Inappropriate Comment

SUNNYH99 2/19/2011 9:54AM

Best wishes for strength, recovery and resilience for your husband's aunt. I think it bodes well that she's trying everything, western and alternative medicine and prayer. It might be just the combo to do the trick! Plus her attitude sounds healthy, even if it's hard to hear the reality as she confronts all possibilities. Report Inappropriate Comment

TLGREIG 2/18/2011 11:25AM

Sorry to hear this, but if she has a positive outlook it makes all the difference in her recovery process! P.U.S.H - Pray, Until, Something, Happens! Report Inappropriate Comment

He Really Does Have 2 Jobs...

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

This is the situation. My husband is pursing his BA in Criminal Justice right now. He's almost done with his 2nd year, which means his Associate's. Anyway, he needs experience in the field before he graduates so he can get a better job when he graduates. That means he has to work in the field.

He already had a full time job. Then he added this weekend job in the security field. It was only supposed to be a weekend job with here and there calls during the week. We agreed on this. I was really hesitant. He has school, a full time job, a part time job, and somehow we need to maintain our marriage. Not only that, but to complicate things I work retail, which means my hours are screwy and may not always coincide well with his. We have a lot of schedule issues as it is.

It turns out, as I believed it would and he claimed it wouldn't, that they call him for this "part time" job pretty much every day. He works 2 days on the weekend, and at least 3 during the week. Sometimes he works every day. He has a 20 day stretch coming up with no days off; this is because he has 2 jobs and commitments on every day of the week. Today he worked from 7am and was supposed to be home at 5pm. They called him for an "emergency" at his "part time" job and so he has to go there today after his day job. He doesn't know when he'll be home. The earliest he ever comes home from there is 11:30pm. I go to bed before 10pm and so don't see him at all on some days. I get up at 7:45am or 8am, and this is well after he's gone. Literally, there are days when I wonder if I'm really married. Maybe he's just in my mind? I never see him.

I'm just ranting I guess. I'm mad about this. I think that because he does get the hours and because he makes more at the "part time" job than at his regular job that he should quit the regular job to focus on school and get to see me here and there for an hour or two. Last night we got to see each other for 4 hours and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. This was the first time in a week that I saw my husband!

He says that it's temporary. In under 2 months he will have been there past his initial probation period, and the union will be protecting him at that point. Then he'll have nothing to worry about. Right now he has nothing to worry about. They like him and already promoted him from a level 1 to a level 2. I tried to tell him that based on this that they like him and it's reasonable to at least take a sabbatical or furlough from his regular job, but he doesn't think so. He's stuck on this idea that he's not secure at the new job yet and that he needs the income from the other job, never mind that he makes $3 more an hour at the new job.

I have no idea why he's doing this to himself and to us. He claims, as I said, that this is just until he's past his probation period and then he'll only have 1 job again. I don't know if I believe him. I guess that's where most of my anger comes in. I think he'll come up with more excuses. I don't understand why he likes working so much. Maybe he's a closet workaholic? I know I'm not!!!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DCRIVERA 2/16/2011 8:27AM

*hugs* You're in a difficult spot right now but the good news is that it probably won't last forever. My thought here is that no matter what we do in life we have to 'pay our dues', first jobs and going to school are part of that. The choices we make while we are paying those dues effect how much we will enjoy the long time achievement of those goals. I've been married for 35yrs and it is a fight sometimes but remember not to fight to hard. School will end and the 'real career job' will appear. Don't struggle so much and just devour the time that you can spend together. Do what you can to make those times so special that just makes up for the times that life rears it's ugly head at you and him to keep you apart. If you can learn to enjoy each other now when things are rough, when the dues are all paid up.. you will have loads of good memories to add to the even better days ahead. I'm not saying your situation isn't difficult but basically make the very best of it until it passes, and until it does.. cherish the good things that you love about each other. He's working and going to school, in these days that's pretty darn good, he's investing in 'your' future. Let him know that you love and appreciate all the hard work that he is putting into 'your' future. There are so many guys out that there won't even try to do school and work at the same time. So yes let him know that you miss him and want to spend more time together, but count your blessings and please don't forget to let him know that you 'appreciate' what he is doing for the both of you. Report Inappropriate Comment

CHOCOLATE-JAMIE 2/10/2011 10:09PM

The other comments here are really good. The only thing I have to add is a suggestion to make him promise that when he comes to bed he'll snuggle up to you. You might or might not wake up, but if you do wake up at some point in the night cosy in a spoon snuggle or something, it will feel lovely. At least you will feel a bit more contact with him that way, despite not being awake for most of it. Good luck with it. Report Inappropriate Comment

HAPPY_AS_IS 2/10/2011 10:11AM

I know this must be really hard on you! I would not like it either. But in today's uncertain employment world, I don't blame him for wanting to wait until the probationary period is over before he quits his other job. Hang tough! And I know it won't be easy! Report Inappropriate Comment

HEALTHYASHLEY 2/10/2011 8:55AM

My fiance works 80+ hours a week and his main job happens to be an overnight shift. Literally I see him for about 5 minutes 5 days a week and until he finally quit the Saturday job we only had Friday night together. That is it. I swore I would never give him a hard time for working because men see it differently than we do. He is trying to be the provider and build a better life for the 2 of you. It can be hard for us to understand that because we want the emotional here and now connection. He is doing this out of love for you and the life you share. If you get angry and resentful of that so will he and he will have a hard time understanding how he isn't "supporting" you the way you need. It isn't forever. You guys will be fine. Hugs. Try telling him how much you appreciate how he is working so hard to achieve his goals and you admire him and watch him light up. Report Inappropriate Comment

CO-CREATOR 2/10/2011 8:49AM

My husband and I used to work opposing shifts, I know how frustrating it can be to not see your significant other as frequently as you would like. I hope that you and your husband are able to work this out in a way that is pleasing to both of you. Report Inappropriate Comment

RAINBOWFALLS 2/10/2011 7:47AM

I can understand his wanting to make things are secure before he makes that step. Believe him until he doesn't follow through. I hope it all works out for you. Report Inappropriate Comment

BUTTERFLYBLUE67 2/9/2011 4:58PM

I work from 7-6:00 or 7:00 every day plus every other Saturday. My husband works a 24 hour shift at the firestation and is off 2 days. He coaches basketball those 2 days from 5-6:30 and then the days of the games it could be 10:00 before he gets home. When I wake up he's asleep. When I get home he's at practice. Sometimes we pass each other like sails in the night. One way I have started to spend more time with him is that I try my best to go to every game. He calls it a date. Before we got married he was an EMT also and I only saw him on Friday evenings when I got out of work because he made it his business to have every Friday off so he can take me out but worked every Sunday. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU GO THROUGH. We dated that way for 3 years. When he asked me to marry him I told him that I would marry him but I would like him to consider leaving the EMT job. Which he did thank God because we would never see each other now if he still had that job. He worked that job nights. Big loss of income but I don't care. ON that note my husband and I have a really strong relationship and I married into this craziness by choice. We both have been married before so our expectations are different now. I think if it were my first marraige I would have a problem with it though. Good luck and I hope you guys work it out. Maybe you can knock some sense into him. Report Inappropriate Comment