3-14-12

Today was a really good day.  I started off by sleeping in.  Well sleeping in for me.  For some reason my internal clock went off at 6am today.  I tried to make myself get up and going, since I was awake, but it didn't happen at that time.  I was at the gym about 8:30, after my stop at Subway for a healthy start.

I have been trying to switch up some of my routine to get off this spot I am stuck on.  I seen Bob Harper on something talking about pushing past a plateau.  To shock the body into a restart, trying doing things backwards.  If you do cardio first do it last.  If you do the elliptical forward trying going backwards.  He listed off several things but you get the idea.  This week I added a few things and also changed up how I am doing them.

Yesterday I added what I call my thigh machine :D  and added stationary bike to my cardio.  I start out with a set in the weight room and then to stationary bike.  After an hour on the bike I head back to the weight room, then to the pool.  Now if you didn't read my blog yesterday, I will add that going to the pool means going to a different gym.  I don't mind cuz it's on my way back home.  The swim relaxes me while I get in exercise.  Don't get me wrong I am tired after a swim and days like today my arms start to hurt.  But the water is relaxing to me

Today I only did two sets in the weight room (one set before and one after bike) and 45 min on the bike.  I didn't get to watch TV today. :(  There is only one bike that has the TV, and it was taken when I went it, the rest you have to entertain yourself.  lol.  I wouldn't have minded it so much if I could have figured out how to set it.  I thought I had it set for an hour but it turned off at 15 min.  Of course this got me out of my rhythm that I had found for myself.  I started again, thinking this time I had it figured out this time.  Nope again it stopped at fifteen minutes.  Finally after starting and stopping three times I toss in the towel and went back for my second set of weights.  

So now I have made my way to the pool.  I found I was sharing half the pool with the life saving class, but since they didn't mind I didn't either. (anything is better than dolphin boy)  Surprisingly enough the first hour went by pretty quick.   I had planned on doing two hours, at least one and a half.  My mistake was looking at the clock.  You know what they say about a watched pot never boils?  I find that it true with clocks stopping too.  I thought it was just my clock at worked that stopped the last 15-20 minutes of the day :D

Once I realized what time it was I also started realizing I was getting tired.  I kept pushing myself, I really wanted to make it two hours again.  Nope it didn't happen.  I stopped at 1.5 hours.  All in all it was a good day of exercise and I am by no means upset that I didn't make it two hours.  I know that I set my daily goal a bit higher than I probably should have too.  

When I stopped and counted my calorie burn it had hit just under 4,ooo.  This count did not include the times I wasn't sure of my count when I was lifting and I started over.  Also the parking away from the door at the back of the lot.  

BTW ... did you know that if I park at the back of the lot, instead of the first row, at the gym I will have an extra 50 steps to my walk each day?  I have been doing this at work for most of the past year also but never thought about counting the extra steps.  Maybe I will do that when I go back next week.  AND...  Did you know if you just park at the back of the lot, instead of circling around and around looking for a close spot, you will save gas too.  At the prices I need all the help I can get.  It's a win win situation.


On my way home I stopped at the grocery store.  I would like to say it was to buy only healthy foods, but the reason I stopped initially was to get a diet soda.  Yup I don't drink sodas of any kind very often, but here lately Coke Zero has been tasting pretty good.  Pepsi Max will do in a pinch.  I don't recommend making it a habit, diet or not.  Sodas are really not good for you.  Anything that can eat the acid off a battery on my car really isn't the best thing to drink.   I did get in all my water for the day ... YEAH ME!!


While I was at the store I did good.  The fresh produce isle was calling my name.  I stopped there first.  Well after I got my fountain soda, after I just worked out three hours and I was thirsty for more than water.  Now off to the produce isle. 
I love a sweet juicy apple and with the smaller ones at 3/$1 that's cheaper than chips.  An the lil baby oranges are so easy to "peel and pop" as my daughter says so I had to get them too.  I didn't buy a bunch of junk food like I have been known to in the past.  I did get the kids ramen noodles.  I would like to work on that  stuff with them, they don't like when I get on my "healthy kick".  I guess they haven't realized that this time around has lasted over a year now.  Possible cuz I don't limit myself to "diet" foods.  I eat what I want and keep in my calorie count for the day.  They know that I am doing this and see how I have changed.  My son, the one I am most concerned about, will just go buy what he wants anyway. 


Ok so this brings up my question of the night.  How do you get your family on board with you?  (Keeping in mind I am a single mom.)


 I would love to have my kids "eat healthy" but how do I get this across to them.  They are now 17 and 20.  I have tried fixing some "good stuff" as well as the stuff I know they will eat, what I call unhealthy.  If I buy only things that I think are healthy my son will go to the fast food spot of his choice.  My daughter is not as picky about some of the stuff I buy, but she does love her sweets and carbs.  (at the same time she doesn't have a real weight problem like her brother and I do)

How do you handle cooking for a family that really isn't where you are in the journey?  I could do like my dad use to do.  He would tell us this is what is here if you don't like it go hungry.  But then if they don't eat it I end up tossing it in the trash an wasting my money.  When the kids were younger I did this to some degree, but they still chose other foods now.


Another draw back with our family like it is we rarely seem to eat a meal together.  I work late and don't like to eat after 6ish in the evenings.  My daughter eats when she gets home from school.  My son goes from work to classes in the evening and eats on the run most of the time.  I remember when I was growing up we all sat down to eat a meal together as a family.  I miss that.


What do I do? What are you suggestions?


And as I finish up this my daughter walks in wanting pickles.  I really believe some day she will turn into one.  Yes I will post pix when that happens.