TOM Troubles

When I was a teen, that "time of the month" was a misnomer. I'd go months in-between periods, and that was okay! When I got married, I went on birth control pills and then I did get the monthly visit from Flo. I wasn't sure if my irregular cycles were going to make getting pregnant difficult, but after a year or so of marriage, I stopped the pill and we let nature take her course. I went back to irregularity, which was a little more complicated now that I "could" be pregnant. I never was. We did end up needing a little help and eventually had our first baby.  After our fifth child, I had an IUD inserted. With that, my TOM time has been pretty regular these past several years. Now I know that so many women have killer cramps or major PMS, so I should count myself lucky that I have it pretty mild. Still ... I HATE that time of the month.

I. Hate. It.

Last Friday, I was a little frustrated when I got an early, surprise visit. Seriously. It's only been a little over two weeks since I dealt with this last. And it came on fast ... let's just say I'm happy I was at home jogging on my treadmill, not at the gym. It's almost a week later and it's still going. Usually it's just a 3-4 day thing. I'm done ... but it's not. And cravings? Not normally something I notice, but I'm just wanting to eat all the things today.

Just a very off day today. I didn't get in my morning elliptical. I was just about to start when the power went out. Now, the elliptical doesn't plug in, so I could have gotten it in still (without my show to entertain me) but I spent that time rounding up flashlights and prepping lunches in the dark. I still went to Zumba, but it was really off today too. I could not get my heart rate up at all ... my PolarHRM credited me 211 calories for an hour of Zumba (Fitbit said 369, 6650 steps). I know I wasn't as into it (not my favorite songs/instructors, some kids running around like crazy) but still. Gotta try and shake it off. A lot of it is TOM's fault ...

This period has totally brought me down this week. I think I mentally brace myself for it, and as it was so early, I wasn't in the mindframe to deal with it. Who knows, there was some other stuff going on too, but I like to blame TOM. I'm getting older ... sometime in the near future I may not need to worry about TOM anymore. I won't miss it at all.

TMI today? 

It is Thursday, and Thursday's are for Thinking Out Loud.

Perhaps I shouldn't think TOO loudly though. 

It's TOM's fault.

The Agony of De"FEET"

One of my "rewards" for activity, is a foot rub from hubby. He does an awesome job. We actually said that if I hit 30k in a day, that would "earn" me a foot rub. We've been a little hit and miss of late. I'll hit 30k, and he'll be too tired that day. Other days, I don't actually earn a rub, but I get a pity one anyway :)

Our feet are impacted a lot by our exercise. Any issues with the feet almost always negatively impact activity. Right now, I have a couple very minor issues. My baby toe is always really prone to problems. Any prolonged activity while wearing shoes often leads to a calloused ridge or a blister. It's not as bad as when I posted about it before (Blister On A Baby Toe), but it's been bugging me this week. Another toe has rubbed too ... I felt it after my jog Monday night. Yesterday I thought I should hit the treadmill, but I just did NOT want to put a shoe on, so I did elliptical and bike instead (I wear slippers for those). 

We seem to have quite a few foot issues at our house. I just took #1 to the podiatrist on Monday. He's had a big ol' wart on the bottom of his foot for a while, and it's really been bothering him. We've been waiting for a time when he could be out of commission to get it taken care of and decided to just bite the bullet and get him in. 

The top left is a picture #1 took of how it looked before any treatment. The second picture I took, after the doctor had scraped away the callous that had formed over the wart(s). The final picture is after the doctor scooped it out. He had given us an alternative to treat it with medicine, but that would have taken more time and multiple visits. We just wanted it DONE ... but poor #1 has been limping around since the "surgery". I hope it heals quick. He has a trip to New York coming up quick and will be doing a LOT of walking around!  #3 had an almost identical issue a few years ago, and I seem to recall it healing pretty fast.

I'd actually had #1 in to the podiatrist just a couple of years ago too, 

for ingrown toenails. 

I had a huge problem with that myself when I was a teen. I had the surgery when I was a junior in high school. It looked like it had become much less invasive over the years. I remember my poor toes after we took the bandages off ... they looked SO bad. And then I developed a staff infection (on a weekend, so I couldn't get in immediately). I've never been in so much pain! I still say that was the most physically painful thing I've ever experienced (even after childbirth and everything else!)

A few years ago I had a similar situation. My toe was so painful and swollen. I went into the doctor and they did an xray although I didn't remember any specific impact. Not broken. I had recently had a pedicure, but they didn't think that was the cause. He suspected a spider bite, but again, no definitive diagnosis. It was a miserable week until it finally went away. I actually still exercised a bit during this time. No treadmill. I could not put a shoe on ... but the elliptical in my slippers. It almost made it feel better, or at least a different type of pain while I worked out.

Ah ... de feet! Last year, poor #2 broke his foot right before basketball season started. The bone extending just under the little toe ... a "Jones Fracture". It is sssllloooww to heal. Poor kid was in a boot for months. We probably should have sought out a second opinion and considered surgery.  It did finally heal and the boy was back playing basketball ...

And he broke his foot. Jones Fracture.

It was his left foot this time (it had been the right originally). Seriously? Another four months of "das boot" and doctor's appointments every few weeks.

I'm so grateful we made it through this year with no serious injury and that his basketball skills didn't suffer too much of a setback (he just won first place in a region three-point contest this last Saturday). 

Because the boys spend so much time playing basketball, their feet often get sweaty and staying stuffed in their shoes for hours on end ... we get some fungus among us! Several years ago, #2 was struggling with athlete's foot. We tried all the over the counter remedies and nothing was working. Then suddenly it morphed into something awful ... seriously, not sure if I should show you the picture (if you are squeamish, look away).

Poor kid! It was Christmas Eve and we ended up at the Instacare. They almost hospitalized him. We ended up taking him to a pediatric specialist at Primary Children's Hospital and did manage to get it better.  A year or so ago we could see the signs of it starting again so I took him in quickly to see what we needed to do to prevent it. We got some prescriptions, and the doctor said to try and air out the foot (not stay in shoes all the time), change socks the moment there was moisture, switch up shoes and only wear shoes that were in decent condition. So far so good ... although we're always watching!

Hubs had his foot problems too. Several years ago he ruptured his Achilles Tendon. He had been very active just prior to this, and this was a big setback. He did manage to get back to activity though. Very grateful for modern medicine!

Well ... it's time for Zumba.
I need to wear shoes for that.
Hope my toes survive!

Take The Stairs

Don't stare up the steps,
step up the stairs.

~ Zig Ziglar

I've always loved that quote *Ü*

I've had my Fitbit for a few years. I started with the original Ultra, then upgraded to the ONE about a year ago. There were a few new features, but an interesting addition was the ability for the Fitbit to now track changes in elevation.

It was about eight years ago that I changed from being an overweight, stationary couch potato, to an active and fit individual. I do find ... I take the stairs a LOT more often now.

When visiting the doctor or dentist, I've found that taking the stairs will often actually get me to the top faster than waiting for the elevator (I'm usually only in a building with only a few floors. Often the kidlets will race me, I take the stairs, they take the elevator). When we went to Disneyland a few years ago and our room was on the 10th floor ... yes, I went ahead and took the elevator *Ü* (although in truth, my little boy and I DID take the stairs a few times, as elevators were one of his many phobias ... one he managed to overcome during that trip!)

I'm a homebody, so I don't come across stairs that often. We live in a rambler. So the main rooms are all on one floor. My gym IS in the basement though, and I do hit it a number of times a day. The default goal is 10 flights of stairs in a day. I have left that as my goal and I almost always hit it. Many days I get more. Here's a look at my stairs from the past thirty days. 

The one spike, was my big Monday last week. I DID do some extra stairs that day. Up and down at home, and actually running the stairs a few times at the gym during the basketball practice. But ... I don't know if I was actually that high. It was a weird weather day, lots of wind ... and unfortunately changes in air pressure can mess with the altimeter readings. Customers have also mentioned that driving (and the ups and downs there) can skew the stairs results. Fitbit does not credit extra calories for stairs; so an incorrect stair reading won't affect your daily burn ... the stair count is mainly there for motivation and fun.

My 14-year old son spent the day at the university for a basketball tournament last spring. As they waited between games, he and his buddies ran the bleachers. When he got home exhausted that night, he was at 89 flights of stairs ... similar to me and my 40K Day, he wanted to earn a new Fitbit badge. He ran up and down the stairs in our home until he hit 100. He's only been challenged by Grandpa, who wears his Fitbit on long hikes up the mountain (Grandpa has also hit 100 flights of stairs in a day).  I'm not sure if I'm quite up to that challenge. I have heard there are actually "elevation" races that take place in office buildings! My brother also runs "mountain challenges" ... but I'm probably just going to stick with the stairs in my home.

It does make a difference here at home though. In the past ... I'd gather items that needed to go downstairs and lay them at the top of the stairs. When there were enough items in the pile, I'd make the trek (or tell the kidlets to do it). Now ... if something needs to go downstairs, I take it. I don't wait, I just do it. More steps on my pedometer. Another flight of stairs for me. At one point, I'd even sort the boy's laundry upstairs, and then take multiple trips to put things away, rather than just taking the basket down the stairs in one trip.

If you make it fun ... you're more likely to do it.

That was the theory behind and experiment done a while back.

Have you seen this video?

It is worth watching!

So whether or not you have a Fitbit (or I know the new WiiU also tracks elevation ... I'm not sure on the other fitness trackers out there) and are actually tracking your stairs, try to add a few to your daily routine!  Remember ...

That's my Tip Tuesday ... with Lisa and Kristen.

Inspiration

On my MFP profile, there is a section to fill out. 

My Inspirations. 

Mine looks like this ...

I just never knew what to put there.

 

What "inspired" me to lose weight? I don't know that I was inspired, as much as I was unhappy with myself and ready for a change. I always knew I could do it if I simply put my mind to it, I just had to want it enough. Which is not to say that I'm not impressed many of you out there. I find motivation from following many of your blogs and am super impressed with your successes. So keep up the good work!

 I do keep a Pinterest board of quotes I can turn to
whenI need a little extra push.

 Do you have an Inspiration/Motivation Pinterest Board?

I remember seeing this topic (Who Inspires You) on the Motivation Monday list and knowing I really didn't have much to say on the topic. Sorry I'm not uber inspirational this Monday morning, but I thought perhaps it was better that I at least introduced the topic and provided the link up for those of you who DID have something to say (it's a bit of a pet peeve with me when I'm expecting a link up to be there, and then none of the hosts have it prepped and ready... so at least here's the link up :)

Join with the Motivation Monday team
Tiffany/Morgan/Wendy/Alisha/Betty
JenB/Brandi/Jen/Gwen /Theresa

Weekly Weigh-In #36

So close! I've been striving to get an entire week without the 150s showing up. SO close! I was thrilled when I made it through the weekend (when I usually bump up a bit). The bump up came on Tuesday morning, which I don't really understand. I had a great day Monday. I even weighed more than once I make sure. Oh well ... still striving for my solid week!

While my official weigh-in isn't down from last week (up .5), my average is down (.71), and my bump to 150.2 is my lowest "high" of late. My low was yesterday, at 148.1. Crunching my numbers, I did calculate a total weekly deficit of 3609. I wish I could see a pound loss correlate with that. I really try to be accurate in my estimates. Average in 2271 per day ... need to work on that (and improving the quality of those calories. It was an especially bad food choices week). Average out 2959.

It's been almost a year since I started ...

My "sick" loss still messes with my perspective!

As a whole, it's been a pretty good week. You can check out my Day to Day Doings for details of my workouts and journal entry. I have been feeling a bit sick. Just a stuffy nose, itchy throat. I can forget about it during the day, but it's really been impacting my nights (and my sleeping, or lack thereof). Hope to get over it soon, but grateful it hasn't been worse. 

Linking up with Fitness Friday,  Follow Through Friday & Finish Line Friday.

I♥Reading

I read for over an hour the other day. I know the exact time because I did two 30minute workouts on my stationary bike. And I was reading as I rode.  I almost always get in at least 30minutes of "ride/reading" a day.

I've been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I think it started in second grade. In high school and college, I knew I didn't have self-control once I started a book, so I pretty much only allowed myself required reading while school was in session. Then came marriage and motherhood. There wasn't always time to read, and I couldn't always make it to the library, or I was reading picture books to the kidlets instead of books to myself. My reading stalled.

In 2012 ... a friend introduced me to Good Reads (you can see my profile here ... if any of you are on Goodreads and would like to be friends there please add me *Ü*). I loved having a way to record what I have read and what I wanted to read. Being able to rate and review, and read other reviews and recommendations. I often "didn't know what to read" before ... I did now!

That was the first thing that got me back into reading. The second ... was discovering digital. Of course digital books had been around for years. I'm always a little slow joining the latest trends. I really wasn't interested. I liked my physical books. Hubby bought a Kindle Fire, and I downloaded the Kindle app on my Ipod and ... it was love.

Digital had so many advantages. I didn't have to lug a big book with me just in case I had some time to read, it was there on my ipod, which I had with me anyway. I didn't need a lamp to read in the dark. I could highlight passages and look up words with the touch of a finger. There were so many free offerings available, and my local library had even more. Instant downloads, no waiting. I got a little obsessed that year. I spent a lot of time online, inputting previous reads, creating wishlists, browsing the library, looking over reviews and recommendations ... and reading of course. It impacted my exercise somewhat.

Until I combined the two.

Reading and Riding. A great thing about digital, is that it is easy for me to read while riding my stationary bike. In truth, I never really rode the bike before. I'd opt for the elliptical or treadmill. While I can read on those machines, the bike is my choice for reading. There's no struggle to keep a book open, or turn pages with digital. 30 minutes goes by in a snap. I mentioned a recent read in a post a few days ago (Friday Five) ... that book really got me excited to exercise. Well, to get some reading in anyway. I admit, many of my recent rides have been more for the reading than the riding. That's just my excuse to spend guilt-free time in my book.

I read over 100 books last year. I LOVE Goodreads. I can easily go back and see what I read, when I read it, and what I thought about it. I really got into reviewing for a bit there. I joined NetGalley and was able to receive books for free (often pre-publication) in exchange for reviews. Mostly my reviews are for me, so I remember my own feelings about the book. I hope they help others too, I know I appreciate reviews from others.

 I have talked books on my family blog, but I've been thinking that maybe I'd include some discussions here too. Review some books or spotlight past favorites. Break up some of the fitness posts. I've seen books pop up on other health and fitness blogs I follow and I always like to hear what my blogging friends are reading and recommending. 

 Anyone else out there on Goodreads? 

Anyone else read while working out?

I know I shouldn't feel guilty about "just reading" ... reading and relaxing IS important too, I do some of that as I wind down before bed. But I love that I CAN combine my reading into my exercise routine. I'm counting that as my NSV this week.  I'm also SO grateful that I am lucky enough to have the "things" needed to accomplish this ... a stationary bike just down the stairs (even when the kids are home, my gym is more conducive to reading than a public gym), a Kindle (and an iphone and ipad mini with the Kindle app). I'm spoiled I know. I never take it for granted though! That's what "I'm Thankful" for this Thursday ...

Wii Fit Fail

I posted about the Wii once before (The Wii & Me). It's not something I get to a lot, but I've been trying to hit it once a week. Engage the core. Work on my balance and all that. So the other day I start a little Wii Workout. I do the Table Tilt. I WiiSki down the hill. I head the soccer ball while avoiding soccer shoes and flying panda heads (yes ... there are flying panda heads). 

Suddenly, an error message pops up. Wii have a problem! Wii memory fail. Unable to save. Starting Over. And when it said starting over, it meant starting O.V.E.R. 

My Mii still existed (good thing, as I'm pretty sure I had the boys help me set that up) but I was starting WiiFit from scratch. I had to register. Input my stats. Do a balance test and Wii Fit age ... I scored a 27. That's great, as I'm 43 *Ü*  But all my progress from the past year or two ... my little piggy bank. Empty. All my high scores. Gone. The record of my weigh-ins (luckily, not my only record). Erased. My personalized routine. Unrecognized.

I've had to start over before. More than once. Luckily, I'm not super invested in my records there (but do NOT mess with my excel file! Google Drive better never have such a "memory problem"). The kids will occasionally come play some WiiFit and challenge some of my high scores, but I was pretty much only competing with myself since this one was set up..

As I got  back going ... I tried the soccer heading again. Perfect score on my first try (I have hit that multiple times, but it isn't something I can do for sure each time). Any score would have been the "top" score (with the reset) but even with no challenge, I hit the high. I've got a lot of Wii work to do to get everything filled back in, but I'll get there. Hopefully there won't be anymore memory problems!

Watch out for flying panda heads!

A quick linkup with Weigh-In Wednesday too ... when I was re-registering with the Wii, I weighed in and it said I was overweight :(. Just barely, but still, I want to stay out of that category! Part of it was that it was evening (not usually when I would weigh-in, but that was the Wii Fail, not me!). I'm also not sure on my height. Am I 5'6" or 5'5"?  I put it the latter and that doesn't give me as much leeway.

This morning I was 148.5, which is good. Puts my MFP ticker at 32 pounds lost, same as my official weigh-in last Friday. I was super bummed yesterday though, when the scale slipped up to 150.2. I was SO hoping for a week without seeing anything in the 150s. I'd made it through the weekend and everything.  Check back on Friday for my official weekly weigh-in! *Ü*

My Monday

I like Mondays. I struggle so much with the weekend, that I'm always looking forward to a return to the routine on Monday morning. I was especially excited because I'd managed to maintain my weight under 150 the entire weekend (it almost always is up on Monday morning). I was ready to start my day, start my week. I was on my elliptical for my first morning workout when #4 walked in clutching his tummy and moaning.

A sick kid was not on the schedule.

He never threw up, and didn't seem that sick. He was really no trouble at all, just laying in bed all day. I'd stop in and check on him and asked if he needed anything, but it didn't end up interfering much. I was able to sneak downstairs several times for workouts. 

I still needed to run carpool, and leaving the sick kid home alone (he's 10) I wanted him to be able to call if needed (even though I'm only gone 15 minutes). Unfortunately, since our modem went out and was replaced, our phone hasn't been working. We can receive calls, but can't make calls.  I spent over an hour on the phone with customer service. It is still unresolved. That wasn't on the schedule either.

I got in my 60+ minutes on the elliptical. One mile jog on the treadmill ... usually I do this right before weights, but I got the customer service callback right as I started my weights session. I did finally make it back, but only got in 45 minutes instead of my usual hour. I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes (more to read my book than for additional exercise ... I feel guilty "just reading" but don't if I'm "exercising" too). Got in carpools, kitchen cleanup, laundry, dinner. 

I was really dragging by the end of the day. I hadn't slept well last night. I had that little "tickle" in my throat that often (but not always, fingers crossed) precedes getting sick. Then I got a text that #3 had basketball practice at 8:00 that evening. 

Before we left, I seriously had to go lay down and shut my eyes just for a few moments. I was so tired. If I didn't have to take the kid to practice, I would have been in bed by 8:30 for sure! But, mommy duty calls. The practice was at the gym with the track above the basketball court.  Now the last thing I felt like doing was MORE exercise, and I'd already hit my goals for the day... but I also didn't feel like just sitting on the cold, hard cement bench seating while waiting. It's not worth it to drop him off and come back. So I went up to the track. I had brought my shoes and my music. I told myself I'd just walk. I can always walk, right? I did end up jogging quite a bit too. It's amazing how your attitude can change once you start. It even felt good!

I ended up getting a 30K day!

How was YOUR Monday?

Strength Training - Just Start

It was about eight years ago when I went from being sedentary and overweight, to getting to goal weight and being unable to stop moving. Seriously, I have trouble sitting still. And while "steps" are an uber important part of my activity, strength training has been there from the start too. 

The theme for this Motivation Monday is Top Tips for Weightlifting.  I've talked about weights a couple times before in this blog ...

Not Just A Weight Watcher

Smart Girls Use Dumbbells 

Those posts told about what I do. Today I'll talk more about weight lifting in general and offer a few recommendations. Not that I'm an expert by ANY means ... but over eight years, I've rarely missed a week of weight workouts.

Now the image/quote here ... there's a preconceived notion that women have a preconceived notion that lifting weights will result in big muscles like a body builder. Do women really think that? Did they ever? Well, THAT is not something you need to worry about. I also think women often avoid weights is because "weightlifting" is a tad intimidating. The machines at the gym that require instruction to use. The possibility of injury from incorrect form. Making comparisons with what other people can do ... 

That's my first tip. Don't be intimidated. Just do it. You don't need fancy machines. You can start with just a few dumbbells, or just your own body weight. There are so many moves for every muscle, just start with something simple.

My second tip is get a good visual. I'm a visual person. Pictures and written explanations are hard for me to follow ... I benefit much more from a video, or an actual example right in front of me. I was lucky enough to have my husband, who's been lifting for years, walk me through the various moves we decided on. Jillian Michael's 30DS introduced several easy to follow moves for me as well.

My third tip today ... again, just DO it. Start. Often, I don't feel like doing weights. I usually have an hour workout on deck, and at times that just feels like a big commitment. I'll tell myself "Ok, you don't have to do the full hour, just 15-20 minutes" and as that isn't as intimidating or time-consuming, I get past my mental block. Nine times out of ten, once I get started, I keep going. I do my full workout even though I'd given myself "permission" to shorten it. Just getting started is the hardest hurdle ... once you're doing it, it's a lot easier to keep going.

There are a lot more tips I could give too...  Shake up your routine, as with any exercise, the body becomes accustomed to the same moves over and over. Keep records, so you can see how you improve and progress.  Be sure to rest and give your muscles time to repair (I like lifting Mon/Wed and Fri ... but always try for at least once a week).

But I don't want to intimidate you.

Just start ... once you've begun, I bet you'll want to keep going.

Join with the Motivation Monday team
Tiffany/Morgan/Wendy/Alisha/Betty
JenB/Brandi/Jen/Gwen /Theresa

Share YOUR tips/experience ... or whatever motivates you!

An InLinkz Link-up

WWI #35 & Friday 5

It's been a busy week!  You can check out all the details in my Day to Day Doings if you'd like. There's been a lot of late night basketball.  Doctor and physical therapy visits (for #2, the basketball boy). School activities too. Busy! But it's been a good exercise week as well. I hit a new high ... and my weigh-in is a new low (if you don't count December Sickness ... that is still throwing off my perspective!) Linking up with Fitness Friday and Follow Through Friday. 

Numbers: Down .6 from last week. That is enough to earn a new number on my MFP ticker though! 32 pounds lost. Yea!  The high was 152.5, low is today's (and yesterday's) weigh-in of 148.3. Still trying to get an entire week under 150!  According to my numbers, I had a weekly deficit of 4990 calories (where's my 1+pound loss?). Average calories in 2100. Average burn 3143 (yea, I topped my 3000 goal). 

Friday Five

I thought I'd participate in the Friday link-ups ... Five Things Friday (Fitting It All In), Friday Five (Eat Pray Run) and Five on Friday (Hello Happiness) with a little spotlight on the things (TV, Books) that have captured my interest and motivated me to workout this past week ... 5 tv series I'm watching and the book I'm reading (you can check out my GoodReads profile for the last 5+ books if you want a peek at what else I've read and reviewed).

I've been happy to have my favorite shows return to prime time. With my PlayLater/Roku combo, I can record the shows from their online postings, then watch them down in my gym while I workout. I've enjoyed having Grey's Anatomy, Scandal & The Good Wife back on. Which reminds me, the first two were just on last night, I best get them recorded so I can watch them! I am currently caught up on The Voice and I'm looking forward to the battle rounds. I like those performances best, the harmonies of the duets are almost always great. I wish Itunes sold the duet versions, I don't want the solo version. As for my "streaming" show, I started watching "Vikings" (History Channel, on Amazon Prime). Wow, it is bloody violent, and you just aren't sure who to cheer for or empathize with. There's not really a "good" guy ... I'm almost through the first season. I don't think I'll watch season 2 immediately (I'd have to revert to PlayLater for that) so I'm looking at my lists to see what I'll be streaming next ...

I've read a few books that were fine, but weren't really capturing my attention. I jumped online to glance through the library offerings and was happy to see "Into The Still Blue" not only at the library, but available for immediate download.  I really enjoyed the first two books of this series and have been happily hitting the bike to get in at least 30minutes of reading a day (plus a little "just" reading here and there as I have the time). 

How was YOUR week.

What are you reading/watching?