Bucket List

This weekend I was very bad. I wasn't careful and I ate whatever and drank whatever...and I gained 2 pounds. But, thankfully now, for me, it's easy to get back on track again and it was a great evening. I don't want to be so strict with myself that I never enjoy myself. It's a challenge because food and I are not normally related. Sometimes when I work at a crazy pace and I have the chance to relax I just have to. And sometimes that means indulging...I don't yet know how to entirely not do that. It's a learning process...

My friend Lisa, upon turning 40, has made a list of the things she wants to do before she dies. A bit morbid I'll admit, but to me, a great idea. She has so many things she wants to see and do and realised "what am I waiting for?" So she's checking things off the list bit by bit. It's given me a little bit to think about - what do I still want to do? How can I achieve it? At first I thought it was a bit silly and over planning, but with time to think about it I agree with Lisa -I've got my whole life to do things...why not make a list? I have my whole life to get through it, but if I don't focus...don't try...I definitely won't get there.
Saturday was one of Lisa's "list" items achieved and afterwards she, my friend Heather and I had a celebratory night of beer, girl talk and munchies. None of us are girly girls - and we're all scientists, so I feel so incredibly comfortable with them. It was a blast...too many chips and beers but I haven't laughed like that with the girls in ages. So much fun. Just what I needed. Sunday after work I got to relax with J and an old friend who popped by out of the blue who I haven't seen in ages. We had scones for breakfast (oh. yeah.) a nice BBQ and watched a movie, again, with munchies. I kept myself a bit more in check, but not that much. Still. Yum. I'm not perfect. I try.

And so today it's back on the wagon. How do I know this? Well, because I'm at the healthy place I am now. I saw what I wanted to change and I changed it. In conversation that night we talked about high school and we all lamented about how the styles were back from then...but how we wouldn't fit into our clothes from then anymore. And I cracked up laughing because for me they'd be too big :) Yes I was pelted with snacks because of it, but it felt good. It reminded me of how far I'd come and that I've stayed here for a number of years...and that I am determined to remain here. It was a Bucket List thing for me...for the rest of my life.

Now the scale tells me when I need to keep an eye on things, so I'm back to my solid regime. A good cardio workout this morning with weights, HIIT on the exercise bike, knee exercises and ab work - robot says I burned 425 calories. My knee feels fine. After a healthy breakfast I'm off to a good start I think. I plan on getting rid of those pesky pounds straight away. It's Thanksgiving this weekend -I need a little breathing room for an inevitable snack or two -I'm not made of stone. I'm partly in charge of food so there will be healthy snacks, but family holidays are tricky for me food wise, and I know it will be especially strange for this one. I'm an emotional eater and I'm not sure how I'll do. It's going to be a strange weekend...very emotional for me...the first family holiday without Mum. She and I always spent holidays together in the kitchen. It was our time to visit. I will really miss that time with her- I'll try and do her proud and live up to her stuffing making standards :)

Have a fantastic day everyone. I'm off into the fray...

Full on Cardio :)

The weekend was busy but still relaxing. I got some work done on my MSc and still got to go out to a show with J. Sunday was extra nice - slept in and then J walked with me the 3K to work and hung out in the sunshine while I did my cell culture stuff and then we walked home again together. The weather was gorgeous all weekend - a pleasant change from all the rain all summer. I got done all the little things I felt I needed to do to keep up on life at home and even got to crawl around on the roof trying to fix a small leaks around the flashing by our roof vents. We can't fix them until spring, so I'm hoping massive amounts of caulking in obvious gaps will help :) It was so nice and toasty up there I wanted to just lie back and relax in the sun a bit, but I figured me + roof = dangerwillrobinsondanger, so I did what I had to up there and came back down.

This morning I got up and headed into the gym...now that it's routine it's not even an issue. Funny how easy 5:30 can be once you put your mind to it. Seeing as the bikes were filled up by the university football team I tried a new machine this morning...sort of like a hybrid stairclimber elliptical thing. It was really cool...more cardio (which I LOVE). At the recommendation of the doc I kept the resistance low and picked a hilly program, put on some fast trance music that I love and let her rip for 30 minutes. Whew! Felt good, and my knee didn't complain. It was fun and different. Then some arm weights and the leg work for knee strengthening and some situps and stretching. Watch robot says I burned 350 calories total. Nice way to start the day.

There was a girl there who I was in awe of this morning. She must have had about 15 different situp variations and her watch was set to 1 minute...she would do the one thing until her watch beeped and on to the next. I was in awe of what her core body could so. Amazing. Someday I'll get up to that. I think I'll try 1 or 2 of her crazy new situps and see what happens.
Have a great morning all! I'm off into the crazy vortex of life!

Serious full on cardio music : Lone Deranger: Hallucinogen

Step one: Obtain underpants

This morning I got up and tried on some of my new workout gear. There was a lululemon sale so I have a new top, bra, headband and shorts (on sale they are the same price as normal stuff!). Man their stuff fits so well and breathes so well. Pity it's so pricey. The shorts are nice with a built in shortyshort bit so I don't flash my butt when I stretch. I get the impression they're made for yoga though because they're super comfy for stretching and weights, but by the end of my 30 minutes speed walking on an incline in on the treadmill they were riding up all over like granny undies...annoying. If I could return them I would but they've been sweated in, so I suppose I'll just live with a slight undie line when they do that and make it an inspiration to firm up things in my netherregion more so they don't!

It's hard to just speedwalk, but I did it. I didn't feel right hopping on a bike...I'm just freaked I'll get "the pain" back again. I did a bunch of upper body weight stuff and then did the 2 weight machines for my butt and upper legs that I've been told will help. My knee got a bit twingy at the end, and I can tell it was being pushed a bit but I know I have to find the balance between building up the strength I need and hurting it so that it will be stronger. I've been promised that after a month I should see improvement if I'm nice, but consistent...higher reps at low weight to build up some strength so my legs are more balanced. I sure hope so...

I must be off. Lots to do. :)