Year 3, Day 133: Someone turn on the AC

I've started to do some weight machines now when I go to the gym. Just like the diet and the exercise thing, I am taking it slow. I have looked around the machines and I am especially interested in the ones that will help me obtain my washboard abs by age 45. One of the 'trainers' at the gym, who I'll call "K," is after me to work with a trainer (there's a free session) and get a program together. For no reason whatsoever except inconvenience, I've been avoiding this. And I think he's starting to notice. I am starting to feel uncomfortable when he's around, because I think he's going to assault me with the form (again) or somehow stop me from using the machine until I do.


Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
Salad
Blue Ribbon Brisket

Snackz
6 oz stonyfield yogurt
4 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter
crusts of magnolia's cream cheese and jelly bread sandwich that she didn't eat
a few almonds and cashews

Dinner
Robert' Brisket
Carrots, Celery
Cauliflower

30 ab crunches
30 squat thrusts
7 miles in 73 minutes, not too fast, very hot in the gym. I tried to pace myself. As longtime readers know, when I run out of water, I pretty much have to stop. The 'pause' button doesn't work and if I get off to get more water I'll lose my place in the work out. So far I've been lucky, but today was like working out in a greenhouse.

Year 3, Day 102: Horsing Around

I was determined to get back on the horse today, and I hit the gym. While I only hit the six mile mark in 66 minutes, I did burn 800 calories. Then I did 100 ab crunches, and 30 squat thrusts.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
6 oz Stonyfield Yogurts
Tablespoons of Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Lunch: Fuji Steakhouse
Sashimi PLate

Dinner
Flank Steak & Asparagus
Broccoli

For some unknown reason, I felt compelled to make rice crispy treats for the kids. Naturally, I ate a little bit of them. We made them with Whole Foods rice crispies, all natural marshmallows and unsweetened butter. But something was missing. I have to try it again with all non-natural stuff and see if it makes a difference. I may be taking this organic/natural thing too far. Maybe you shouldn't try to make the bad stuff good for you.

Year 3, Day 60: Crying on the Elliptical

Magnolia had a birthday party at the JCC where parents are invited to drop off your kids and go workout. This is of course provided your kid isn't clutchy and can do without you. It was my only opportunity all weekend to workout, so I took it, even though I could tell the parents weren't so sure what they were signing up for. I got in half a workout- 4 miles in 32.50 minutes and 80 ab crunches. I didn't want to push it; I got back in time for the cake, which to my dismay, was served with both juice AND ice cream. Just 10 minutes before wiping Magnolia's butter cream frosting-covered face, I was having an emotional breakdown on the elliptical. I can't explain these things, they just happen.

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray (I would pray)

Trying hard to reach out
But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I prayed I could break away

[Chorus:]
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway

Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane, far away (I will)
And breakaway

[Chorus]

Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging around revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but
Gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway

I'll spread my wings
And I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
I gotta take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway

Breakfast
3 Eggs
3 strips Turkey Bacon
Coffee

Lunch
Big Salad
Roast Turkey

Snack
1 Apple
1/2 cup Kashi

Dinner: Paparazzi
Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar
Chicken with Lemon
Spinach & Broccoli
2 Shrimp
1 Meatball

We picked up Ruby from a play date, and on the way home she asked "Why don't we ever go out to dinner?" The truth is that Magnolia finds it hard to sit still and it's not that much fun to chase her around the restaurant. At least it's not as much fun for US as it is for her. Nevertheless, in a fit of parental generosity, we decided to drive straight to the restaurant and go out to eat. Emily marveled that Ruby could suggest something and we could follow through on it. I was glad we did it because we didn't go shopping and had no dinner groceries or plan whatsoever. Paparazzi, unlike so many other restaurants of its ilk, is a family-friendly restaurant (read: they provide crayons and dessert) but that serve excellent food with healthy options. Of all the places we've been to it's my favorite, and so naturally, I get the same exact thing every time. Though today I ate the meatball Ruby ordered with her pasta and didn't eat.

Year 2, Day 268- Hardest Workout Ever

After spending all of Saturday feeling achy, I decided not to give in to both the old-ness and the Thanksigiving-to-Christmas inertia. I soldiered on to the gym, which was pretty empty (a telling sign). I did my 60 minutes and just barely completed six miles. It was quite hard, and several times I thought I was going to quit early. It wasn't so much that it was hard as I felt like different parts of me weren't going to make it. I spent most of mile three at 5.4 mph and did a lot of clock watching. Also, I went at an odd time, around 1:30 and hadn't really had a proper lunch so there was that. If you're doing a lot of clock and MPH watching at the gym, you probably aren't getting a good workout. That's not science, it's just something I think about when I'm at the gym. If I can be bored, I'm not working hard enough. But sometimes it's all you can do.

Breakfast
3.5 slices of Turkey Bacon
Two Hard Boiled Eggs
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Coffee

Pre-Workout/Lunch-Snack
17 Crispy Wheat Thins
12 Cheese Crackers
A few bites of chicken soup
a few slices of chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken

Post-workout/Lunch-snack
6 oz plain yogurt
3 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter
1 serving Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs
1 Handful almonds/Cashews
1 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn
2 slices toscano picante

Dinner
Steak Tips
Broccoli
Peppadews

Of course the worst Sunday night is the Sunday night after a week-long vacation, but the very next worst one after that is having to go back to work after five days off for Thanksgiving. One of the great things about kids is that they don't let you stay inside that anxiety-filled adult space for two long, with their calming shrieks and their distracting and charming breaking of your cherished personal belongings. But it's very helpful because sometimes it's the only thing that can get you off of focusing on the problem: you have to go to work tomorrow. Again. And then again after that.