I just came home from the pharmacy where I was filling a prescription for Amoxicillan. To make a long story short, I have been having some symptoms in my sinuses and left ear that I’ve been ignoring for a while now. Plus my neck glands have been swollen, and I got tired of it today and headed over to a doctor’s office. Diagnosis: ear, sinus and throat infection. Solution: antibiotics.

Grrrrrrreeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

So today’s exercise plans are coming to a halt. However, I will still take a walk tomorrow, but I hope the antibiotics don’t kick my butt like they sometimes do. I plan to eat plenty of soup, yogurt and sandwiches for the next 10 days - my standard “on antibiotics” diet.

So, here is the picture I promised. This is me at 5′4 1/2 feet tall and about 117 pounds.

The coloring is off in the picture because it was scanned in - it was not originally a digital photo. I was really tan that summer though and also in great shape. Anyway, I’d love to have that body back someday… perhaps with a bit more toned arms though.

Tags: photos, sick

I did my usual hour-long power walk today… it was a very brisk 49 degrees out and sunny. I love exercising in cooler temperatures because the cold makes me want to move faster.

On Monday - when it was really overcast - I took some photos of my walk. To summarize, I start on the East side of the river, cross the river, walk 1 mile on the West side of the river, cross back over, then walk the mile back home. Here is a picture of part of the first bridge I walk across, about .75 miles across:

Here is the other bridge going back to the East side:

After crossing this bridge, here is a picture of the last mile I need to walk to get home:

(I live in that circular building).

Altogether my regular walk is about 3.5 miles, give or take. (I’m thinking closer to 4 miles if anything).

Not bad!

Here’s a picture of the woodsy path I found last weekend:

So onto my new plan….. it’s nothing too new, but involves a LOT of exercise. I now exercise 60-90 minutes about 5 days a week. Right now it’s power-walking and elliptical, but I plan to add bike-riding into the mix as soon. Once I get used to my power-walk and it starts getting too easy, I’ll add 1.5 pound ankle or wrist weights for an additional muscle boost. In the past when I’ve done this, I see new results literally within a week - it’s very effective, although some say it’s bad on the back.

All of the additional exercise DOES make me hungrier, and it usually kicks in the day after.

Tags: diet plan, exercise, photos

Yesterday I ate a bit more than usual (for these days) and I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical and some arm weights and stretches. Today is back to lighter eating and I plan to take my hour-long walk around 6:30pm.

I am noticing that I am definitely getting so much more fit… just little things really. Things are easier to lift and move. I now walk with a spring in my step. I actually picked up a box that I literally could barely move along the floor 2 or 3 weeks ago. (My back is paying for it now, though).

The guy I spent hours and hours with earlier this week turned out to be a total psycho, unfortunately. It was a bit disappointing, but I’m doing OK with it. Life goes on…

I went to a furniture store today and grabbed two more (very) large bookshelves which will be delivered Tuesday. This is what my living room/hallway wall looks like right now…

Yep, it’s safe to say my book collection is seriously out of control! My goodness. At least I got all the boxes unpacked.

Once the new bookcases get delivered, though, and I get things cleaned up more and organized, I’ll take some “after” pictures. I love my apartment and am working on doing little decorating ideas to make it feel like a true home.

As for the alcoholism thing, I made the decision to stop going to AA meetings and stop declaring myself as an alcoholic. It just never really clicked. I got a lot out of the program but for some reason the idea that I AM a real alcoholic never took root. I never believed it, and I still don’t. If I ever resume my previous binge-drinking I will go back. But for now… things are good. Every few nights or so I will have myself an expensive and delicious glass of wine or two with (or after) dinner. In my book there is nothing wrong with that! Just like with cheese and chocolate, if you totally deny yourself the pleasure, you will crave it and possibly eventually binge. (I’ve been known to binge on cheese but not chocolate, for the record!) But allowing yourself to enjoy these things in moderation keeps the cravings and binging at bay…

Tags: Add new tag, exercise, photos

What an exhausting and stressful day… it all started at about 11am when I awoke a bit later than usual with aches and pains in places I didn’t know existed. After a small but healthy breakfast and several Advils I shot off to an AA meeting with a super-cute guy friend of mine. Then I came home to get some website work done but was immediately inundated with my sister’s car problems. My sister’s car had refused to start ever since sometime last week, and I’ve been giving her rides on and off. I offered to let her use my AAA card to tow her car to a local place that would find out what the problem was, and she finally took me up on the offer yesterday.

So, the place called her with an outrageous estimate today - about $650, for a new fuel pump and some other stuff. She has no money to pay for it. (I offered to help her out with a few hundred, but not the full amount!) Anyway, to make a VERY long story short, we decided to have the car towed (via my AAA membership, again) to another place, a local Midas which we have both been going to for a while and have had good results with. So they went and got her car and towed it. Then I get a phone call from the tow driver (since it’s MY membership) saying that the tow guy accidentally dented her car door. “Just a tiny dent” according to the driver.

Several phone calls later we determine that it’s not a small dent after all… they will need to replace the entire car door! And since I’m the one with the membership, it’s all on me to take care of. AND to make matters worse, my sister doesn’t have insurance on her car.

!!!

So several phone calls and lots of stress later, it’s only half-way worked out. I need to make a few phone calls tomorrow. Plus, my own car is having some issues and I plan to take it in to the same place my sister’s car is at…

Not to mention there were other things going on today that demanded my attention.

So needless to say, I did not work out today. I ate very little due to lack of time and lack of appetite.

I am noticing a definite difference in the mirror and in the way my clothing fits. I think it’s pretty astounding how fast the fitness and weight changes are occurring this time around. Many of my long-time readers will remember that it took forever to see any significant changes back in the early winter/spring of this year when I was working out frequently. Why is it taking effect so quickly THIS time, I wonder?

Anyway, tomorrow I plan to get back to my fitness routine. I have a GREAT walking path which takes about an hour or so to complete. It takes me across the Arkansas River twice (on two different bridges). The weather out here since the hurricane has been so fantastic that it’s unbelievable.

Tags: exercise, photos, Updates

When all of this is done I think I’ll need a new back.

!!!

I am part of the way done with it all. I got about 22 boxes unpacked but then ran out of bookshelf space. So it looks like I’ll be heading back down to the furniture store for a couple more. Good thing I’ve got the room!

Anyway, I am in pain right now. My lower back is hurting especially bad. I wonder how many calories I burned today…

Here are some partial progress pics…

Living Room/Entry Way Hall:

Bedroom:

20+ boxes that I took down to the 4th floor garbage room:

Had I not taken 2 Advil sometime around 3pm I wouldn’t have been able to finish. I know I am going to be hurting tomorrow morning!

I have definitely gained some serious muscle in the past few weeks. Some of the boxes that I couldn’t lift only 2 weeks ago in New Hampshire, I can now lift with no problem! I am overjoyed that despite having gained some muscle recently, the scale is actually going DOWN. What a change from the norm…

I am so sore I can barely move. And I’m out of Advil…!

Tags: exercise, photos

About 30 miles west of Syracuse, NY

Tonight is my last night on the road (until my return trip, that is). I’m in Syracuse NY tonight instead of my previously planned Buffalo. Tomorrow I literally only have a five hour drive. I want to get home to my Nashua apartment early in the afternoon because it’s going to be a mess. Some of you may remember that I posted about my last night/day there - I was severely hungover from doing shots of flavored vodka and rum with B. So I can’t recall the exact way I left the apartment, only that it’s not going to be nearly as clean and orderly as my Tulsa one. Gulp. I’ll also have to do grocery shopping and laundry.

I’m hoping my internet connection will be working this time! I’ve been paying the bill, but they’ve had tons of storms out there this summer while I was gone. Who knows if something is broken again like last time. If it is, I will hit a bookstore for an internet connection.

Onto food… I am bummed because I ate some sugary crap today on the road. Just a little bit, but as far as I’m concerned it’s too much. However, overall I ate very little on the road today yet again, so I ordered a delicious room service meal that I am waiting for at this very moment - grilled chicken, a potato, and garden salad.

The good news is that I will be able to use my gym membership the entire 2 weeks I’m in NH. I plan to go every single day! And I still have my stationary bike out there to use. I’ll have to get a few good workouts in on it since I’m leaving it behind.

OK, enough rambling…

Tags: Meals, photos