Day 8: Early morning

I think that this going out the door by 7:30 a.m. is working for me.  No one else is in the gym, I watch the news while I cycle, the staff starts to arrive at some point, so they know I'm there. 

I did my 30 minutes heart health, and then did a no-resistance extra mile for a cool down.

5.53 miles , 169 calories, 30 min. time, 60 rpm, 126  heart rate, plus the extra mile, and I'm not counting the rest. 

No weights this time.  I did go to Fred Meyers and got the groceries for the day.

Day 7: Endorphins? Hello?

Got there at 7:30 and got going.  I wish I could say that the endorphins kicked in--will they ever?-- but all I got was winded and a slightly achy left knee while I was cycling.  I watched the news and added another ten minutes on to program as I did before, so I got 40 minutes in cycling, followed with a round of free weights.

Partly cloudy sky, with still no sunlight, but it's dry and a bit warm, so no danger of frost.  Got to see a black lab puppy peeing while I headed home.  Oh, the little joys of life!

First       5.56 miles            167 cal.        30 minutes             65 rpm          128 ave. heart rate
Second   1.68    "                 38                10.09                     62                  119

So totals of    7.24 miles,  205 calories

Update:  Picked up the results of mammogram and bone density checks at the mailbox:  All nice and normal!

Day 6: Friday's workout

Another woman, one I'd seen earlier, was using the treadmill while wearing headphones. 

I got on the cycle, set it for heart health, and started cycling.  She ended her workout and left, and when she did, I hopped off, got my music CD going and got back on, so I got extra time:

First       10.42 minutes    2.07 miles, 65 calories, 63 rpm, 119 heart
Second   30      "               5.72          174               62          117

So today's totals are 7.79 miles, 239 calories

I also did another five minutes more of cycling, just to push myself a bit more.  I noticed that I didn't start to feel winded until 20 minutes into the second bout.

Got to the end of my free-weights when another user showed up, which was a bit after 11:30.

I asked the in-office manager if I'd had my music up too loud.  "Not at all! But thanks for asking."  (It was Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 2 soundtrack.)

Afterwards I walked to Freddy's and got groceries, which I carried back in two bags.  Yeah me!

Day 5: Wet Wednesday

It rained last night such that it entered my dreams, of which I need to write down for some possible story ideas.  The temperature is in the high 30's, so there was no danger of slipping on my way to the gym as I walked through a light mist.  Waylon was there on a treadmill, and "Scrubs" was on television.  I tried reading a Women's Day magazine that featured women on the cover who had lost weight, but not having my hands on the sensors kept my heart rate from being read, so that ended that.  The screen does have a book rack, so I'll add a binder clip to my gym back so that the pages stay put.

I did the healthy heart program, adding another five minutes from another program for a cool down.  Then a cheery "bye" and back home.

Distance, 5.63; calories, 171; rpm, 63, heart 126  (did not record anything from my extra time)

 

Not a day

Routine mammography, first time bone scan.

Yeah!  Healthy adulting!

Day 4: Make Mine Music

I brought along "Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 1" soundtrack.  Playing rock music really does make the time fly by, and after I was done with the half hour heart cycling program, I went ahead and did ten minutes of the aerobic program, then did three pound free weights, finishing it off with stretching.

Distance for heart health (30 minutes):  distance 5.45; calories, 161; rpm, 62; heart 126
    "                    aerobics (10 minutes):     "      1.88;    "           57;      "   57;    "    133

Day 3: Spy in a tuxedo

I saw him yesterday as I was leaving the building, I saw him this morning sneaking a peek as I went into the building,and today we were face to face, his fuming amber eyes glaring into mine through the glass of his back door.

Now what did I do to deserve the ire of a cat?

(Him, because he's been featured on the EA Facebook page.)



Distance, 5.46 miles; cal. 164; RPM 57, heart 128

Not a day

I bought two scales yesterday, both digital, with one giving estimates on water, fat, muscle, etc.

I plan to use the simpler one for my daily weigh-in (the spring scale is indeed off by a ways) and the more complicated one on a weekly basis.

I'm ashamed of how much I weigh, I don't want Doug or anyone else to see it.  I can see how I look in the mirror, and I know I have a long way to go.

I am also writing down what I eat.  A week ago I had a sugar binge at a luncheon, and it took a toll on me, so not going to do that again.  I've also stopped ice cream and milk shakes, cut down on drinking milk, having candy bars, and I check ingredients for hidden sugar.  I eat nuts probably too much to make up for the habit, and am watching my portions at dinner.

Day 2: Gym dudes

Cycling at the gym.  Distance:  5:46, calories, 160; RPM, 60; heart 124

When I go to the gym building, I noticed that the men's restroom was slightly ajar and there was the sound of running water, so I went on my orange alert mode until I got to the gym and saw a older teen-ager/young adult guy trying to turn the channel with the DVD remote.  He was Asian, and English was not his first language.  I showed him which did what and set the television to local news.  He gestured to the machines, as to which was I going to use.

I called "dibs" on the cycle machine, so he took a treadmill and started walking.

His friend/roommate came in after a while.  He wore a pair of black pants with what looked like a wide elastic belt, like a back brace, but it didn't look bulky or much like the back braces people wore at the grocery story, with his tee-shirt tucked in.   It sort of reminded me of the pants Kylo Ren was wearing in "The Last Jedi" movie. The the two chatted for a while as they did the treadmills.

I finished, wrote down my screen info, wiped down my machine, and went and did stretches and free weights.  The two were involved in what they were doing, with one moving over to the universal gym.

After I was done, I headed out.  The first one asked what days I'd be there, Monday, Wednesday, Friday?  Yes, I replied.  "My name is Barb."  "Mine is Waylon," he replied, making the name two distinct syllables.   "Like Waylon Jennings?"  He laughed and said yes.

I walked over to Freddy's for a longer cool down (I didn't take a cookie sample, which is a rather big deal as I always have in the past), got a few items of groceries, and came home.

I called the office to let them know of the restroom, and Kerry (manager) thanked me and complimented me on being in the gym, as she saw me there.

(I wish I'd written down the other gym guy's name who was there in earlier times--it's embarrassing that he and his mom know my name and I don't know theirs when we meet elsewhere.)

Day 1, again

Cycling, 156 calories burned, 5.34 miles, 3 pound free weights work-out for arms, squats.  I decided it has been so long since I got a half an hour of dedicated exercise in, I may as well start over on the count.

Not a day

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/regular-exercise-takes-years-laziness-study-finds-n835831:

After two years, the results were clear. Those who had worked out at least four days a week had healthier hearts and arteries, and were fitter as measured by oxygen uptake, the team reported in the journal Circulation.
Those who did the yoga and weight sessions did not become fitter.
“This study demonstrates that prolonged (two years) exercise training, initiated in middle age, can forestall the deleterious effects of sedentary aging by reducing cardiac stiffness and increasing fitness,” the researchers wrote.
The volunteers all did exercises they chose and that they could stick with, Levine said.

Day 1: A winter's walk

Today has been a damp grey day, low clouds, some ice on the wet ground in the morning until about nine.  I didn't look forward to walking, but it was a promise I made to myself.  So I did Logger's Loop, from Miller's Landing to the flagged Old Mill Bridge, over to McKay Park and then wandered around Miller's, watching the river from the boat launch.

And there was the payoff for my time outside:  At McKay Park, someone had knit little caps with pompoms and striped scarfs for the "River Geese" statutes. The colors were red, white, and green.  Each statue was wearing a scarf and a cap, with the little gosling in a red scarf with green trim on the sides.

Not a day

https://www.boredpanda.com/chinese-family-before-and-after-6-month-weight-loss-results/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Newsletter

The was in my inbox this morning.  It was very nice to see what a difference six months could make, as so often in the "lost 100 lbs" stories, many don't say how long (years?) that it took to achieve the goal, and fewer still show the progress of what three or six months of food modification and exercise produces.

Starting the count over again

In December, I did some walking at Miller's Landing and slacked off on my yoga.  The year ended, and now it's time for the new year.  It's a good time to start over.

Today in my fitness reading (reading health articles about diet, exercise, attitude), I found these gems, in a Quora article by Norma R. Williams, who is now 70 years old and in excellent health:

Nonetheless, I understand all too well that luck plays a part too. And, some of us, however hard we have tried to be fit and healthy have been very unlucky, whether it be due to a disease or an accident. But, that life can be unpredictable is not sufficient reason to just let life take its course. Be proactive! Chances are your endeavour will reap rewards.
....

Always remember the 5 cliches :

1. patience is a virtue (don’t give up because you are disheartened)
2. time is of the essence (everything takes time - learn to accept this fact)
3. be kind to yourself (if you fail to achieve a goal because you find it too difficult - change the goal. Otherwise, forgive yourself and try again)
4. life is made up of YOUR decisions and choices
5. you can decide to be positive or negative

And here's some recipes that look good, chicken pesto, cauliflower soup, with 5 or 6 ingredients.

Happy New Year, dear readers!