131 - More Adventures

I went to the zoo!!!

And really, who doesn't look fabulous in a wooden giraffe mask!

I love the zoo!!  Yet we had never been to our local zoo since we moved here.  I was so excited - probably more than the kids!!

This was the bamboo trail - it was pretty cool strolling through tall thick bamboo and checking out the birds!

These little meerkats are so darn cool!  I want one!  Maybe I'll adopt one!

I'm not usually much of an amphebian lover, but this frog just seemed so cool - hanging out like, "what do you want from me?"

If you don't already know, I am deathly afraid of OWLS!  They scare the crap out of me.  The kids know this well.  We were in the petting zoo checking out some kangaroo like hoppy animals and the turkey exhibit was next.  My son says Mom - come see this turkey.  So I come around the corner, they're pointing, I look up and BAM!!  This owl is staring me down!  I took off running!  I did get myself together and faced my fears to get this photo from very far away - I zoomed in!  What I don't do for my blog!!! Even this picture creeps me out! YUCK!

 

When it was time to eat, I was glad to see amongst the nachos, hotdogs, pizza, burgers and candy, that there was a black bean burger!!  No fries for me!!!

On the property, is this original 1810 farm home.  I fell in love with it immediately!!
From the gorgeous balcony to the Cracker Barrel rockers on the front porch...

 ...to the rustic gardens...

...to the walk back to the house.  I just loved it and it felt so peaceful here.

The other animal I really appreciated was the giraffe!  This tall glass of water was so charming and cool it was actually comical.  He posed, he strutted, he slowly moved around and would look right at you.  Such a graceful beautiful animal!

By the time we left, we were all happily exhausted!  I checked my pedometer that I cleared when we got there, and it read 12943 steps!  As I look down now, 6 hours later, it reads 20369.  We put a lot of miles on today but it was awesome and a day I won't forget!!!

Geology Walk

Our mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean, has promted the Walk 100 Miles Nashville.  He hosts several walks and runs (5k, half marathon) in and around Nashville.  Today, my daughter and I went on the Geology Walk! 

Mayor Karl Dean was present.  Normally I wouldn't be overly impressed by this as it is his walk, but he and his family suffered a loss this week.  His 2 year old niece died when her father accidentally ran over her in the drive way.  How horrific! 

This was one of the geologists.  She showed that Nashville is actually in a bowl - yikes, like New Orleans?  Hope not.

My daughter loves rocks so this was a special treat!  She collected rocks all along this walk and filled her back pack.

Here we go, up that big slope!

See all the people in front of us?

And here are all the people behind us. 

It was a varied group of ages, babies in carriers, toddlers, young kids, teens, adults, and even elders!  It was impressive!

Nashville is mostly limestone!  Thus why everything is above ground!

In the middle of winter, when everything is brown and grey, this bright green moss stood out!

Still going up - work those legs!!!

That is the slippery ridge some crossed.  We didn't after a young woman slipped and broke her arm.

Still going up to the peak!!

But what goes up....

Must go down, down, down!!!

Me on the mossy rock!

After a long walk, this nature bench was a welcome sight!  So exhausted!  ha ha ha

It was a little over 2 miles they said, but we went slow with all the up and downs and slippery areas.  I've walked 2 miles before and I've walked 5 miles before.  It felt the same today on this walk!

136 - CardioMAXX

I got on the scale today and It dropped 1.6 pounds!!!  Still I'm just trying to get back to where I was a week ago! 
I saw a dear friend of mine's post today that she's lost 20 pounds in 40 days!  I'm on day 46 and have lost 6 pounds, 8 really but gained 2 back!!  I am happy as all get out for her, and she knows that!  But it really bummed me out and made me pout at my own progress. 

Why does it seem I'm working out almost every day without big results?  Why am I drinking gallons of water without a 20 pound flush?

Once I got over my little pity party, I decided to use my negative energy for something smart and positive!  I needed to Shake it off and Shake it up!  I've been doing the same routine for 46 days now.  Sure, last night I did run 10 minutes longer than usual, but that was because I had 4 pieces of strawberry fudge looking stuff.  Still, I needed something different.  Then I remembered....

Look how sweet that Bob Harper looks! I remember him from BL, this won't be that bad, certainly I was just more out of shape the last time I did this dvd. I'm stronger now!

Sionne has that teddy bear personality and he talks gentle.  Bob comes on and acts tough but really, with that accent and warm smile, I know I'll get through this.  Look I'm even smiling while crunch kicking! 

OMG how many more of these squats do we have?  This whole video is one long torturous squat! 10, 9, 8, 7...then Bob wanders off talking and loses count - we did 12 not 10 and my quad are screaming!  Dam it Max, quit chewing that bone so loudly!

Unbelievabley these round house kicks feel good and relieve my pain!  I'd like to maybe round house Bob Harper once or twice by this point.  Good gravy Max, ya about done with that bone!?  I'm trying to hold it together here!

Punch it out!  I'm imaging Bob Harper's face at this point - punch, punch, punch.  MAX! Quit laying there licking that bone!   Get up and chase the cat or something!


Ha ha ha  Okay it wasn't bad enough to make me that mean, but I wasn't exactly whistling Dixie - which meant it was probably exactly what I needed. 

So thank you Jenni, for pushing me to try something different and for challenging me, unbeknownst to you, to keep it going!!!  And you keep on going too!  You're an inspiration!

Day 138 ~Running in Sleet

I will confess I have been pathetically eating out of control!  We have my father-in-law in town, and it's certainly not his fault, but I've left my self control back in last week! 
What haven't I eaten?  Actually, that's not true.  There are 2 specific things that have come into play since Wed....chips (potato, tortilla, pita) and wine.

Okay, maybe it's not nearly that dramatic, my pants still fit just fine.

I actually felt good to go back to work today - fruit smoothie for breakfast, lots of water (dam water/ice machine broke at work, slows my intake down), veggies for lunch.  It felt so good.  I get home, what do I do???? 

Eat chips and salsa

What in the world is wrong with me?  Surely I was hungry, and even now sitting here, my mind is blank on what I could have eaten instead.  Cottage cheese?  Maybe the whole container. 

And then we went to Sweet Ce Ce's frozen yogurt where you purchase yogurt by how much your gargantoas container weighs.  Now it IS yogurt so it's healthy for you, right?- - -insert Seinfeld non-fat yogurt episode...

We know how that ended, don't we!

Look at all the toppings offered in the background of our photo:

chocolate chips, gummy bears, chocolate covered raisins and/or espresso beans, crumbled candy bars and cookies, sprinkles, gumballs, jelly beans.....

My husband and I opted for cheesecake flavored yogurt with some nuts, a FEW chocolate covered raisins and then a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans.  To be totally honest, the bottom of the container was barely covered, and yet, we didn't eat it all.

By the time we got home, I had to exercise!  I popped in Just Dance 3 and danced for awhile and then did my 100 Workout.  As I headed out the door in 30 degree temps at night, it started sleeting.  I had snowflakes on my eyelashes when I got home.

The snowflakes are hard to see, but they are definitely there!

But honestly, it really felt so good to run, even if it was a slow pace with my bum knee and in the sleet.  I like cold weather anyway.  Again, why do I doubt what I already know - exercise is good for the body and my body enjoys it!

I love this quote - and I think it fits well tonight.....

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. ”
― Mary Anne Radmacher

What Have I Learned in the past 24-36 Hours...

That the Applebee's Chicken Tender Basket and Fries is 1070 Calories and 61 Grams of Fat.

  

That my Kroger carries 12 kinds of Sabra hummus but not the jalapeno kind that is highly recommended by Hungry Meets Health's Christina

And that my Kroger does carry Sabra's Spinach and Artichoke Hummus, but it has 70 calories, not 50 per 2 TBSP.  That adds up a lot when you have 1/3 of the container rather than 2 TBSP.

(it's soooooooo good though!)

That even though I really don't like chocolate, 9 Valentine's Hershey's Raspberry Kisses not only go down quick and smoothly, but have 219 calories and 12 g of fat.

That when you have a large bottle of glucosamine chondroitin in your bathroom closet from your move across the country 4 years ago, it might be expired and time to get a new bottle.

And last, but not least, when you finally decide to start thinking about taking glucosamine chondroitin, see it on sale 2 for 1 @$13.99 at Kroger, but then decide the ones home surely must still be good, but then they're not, your knee will most certainly make an abnormal disjointed movement with a horrific "crunch"ing noise when you're doing jumping jacks!

Super Bowl, Stilettos and Revamping my Goals

As you can see I was rooting for the Giants.

Now I really know nothing about the Giants other than they are from New York and one of the Manning brother's plays for them - Eli. 

What I do know is that I am NOT a fan of Tom Brady or his "great hands"

I had great plans for a big spread of food, but fell shy when I got lazy. 

You can see an array of veggies, pita chips, and my homemade roasted red pepper humus, though.

Let me introduce you to my mother, Karen. 

She came over for the Superbowl festivities.  Normally she is a wild maniac Tennessee Titans fan, and NOT a Peyton Manning fan AT ALL, so rooting for a Manning seemed strange, but she did it!

Did I mention she is also a Tebow fan?

Okay, onto my health and Revamping of my Goals.  Running my measly 10 minutes the other day sent my pathetic feet cracking.  Then I realized I hadn't gotten new shoes since I got lost walking in my own neighborhood this summer.  Remember that post - http://sherispath.blogspot.com/2011/06/rain-and-my-alzheimers-walk.html ?  That was back in JUNE!!!  I need new shoes!!!  So I went and got some this weekend. 

All you younger women, take note as your walking around in your narrow, pointed, stilletos - your day will come!!!  Sure those shoes are hot and sexy, but your toes will eventually buck the sexy system and bunions and sore feet will prevail!

Sexy Stiletto 

What your poor foot looks like in that Stiletto

What your foot looks like after wearing a lot of Stilettos

(NO!!!  THIS IS NOT MY OWN FOOT!)

And the horrific painful surgery you'll need to correct it

So just know - be kind to your feet!

I hate shopping for shoes because A~ it's a pain (ha ha literally, I didn't plan that) trying to find the right shoes that doesn't hurt and B~ I don't want to take the time I need to, to try to find the right shoe.  I couldn't remember what my podiatrist told me were running shoes and Aisics okay?  I know he said stay away from narrow pointy shoes and go for the flat boxy toe (so sexy...not!).  So I ended up with Nike's.  They do feel good, but they do put pressure along the outter edge of my big toe.  We shall see. 

Talking with my boss today, I've told you she's a great source of health/diet/exercise info, I confessed my weight to her.  And my desire to break out of the 10 lb range Ive been stuck in since summer.  Then I thought to myself the weight I have set as my goal and it hit me.  That is not going to happen.  It's too much.  I cannot lose 40 pounds by July 1st.  And that in all actuality, that might be too much.   So I am revamping my goal to.....Weigh 140 by 40.  I hope this doesn't come across as a cop out, I just think it is more realistic.  If I surpass that, great.  But it's my goal and I hope to have the same support in the change of this goal.

Today's been a day, and although I should be exercising, I am having a glass of wine.  It might be just what I needed.