Climbing stairs, riding waves

"How long does getting thin take?" ~ Winnie the Pooh

My family and I are vacationing in the Wisconsin Dells.  Our lodging at the Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort, which just happens to have the largest water park in the world.

The 600 acre property includes four outdoor water parks and four indoor water parks.   I feel as if I have walked every acre but the boys have told me that we have only seen half of it. 

I'm seriously wiped out.  I've been climbing stairs, riding on water slides all afternoon.  It's a good thing I'm walking all the stairs carrying a two-man raft each time because I have to work off the huge hamburger I ate at the Moose Jaw Pizza and Brewery. 

Fun times!

Unexplainable illness

“If you put a crouton on your sundae instead of a cherry, it counts as a salad.” ~ Randy Glasbergen


I seriously must be under the weather. Perhaps I have come down with a case of the vapors. That’s what they call it in the South, correct?

I’ve made it to the gym three days in a row. I haven’t done that in months. The only explanation is that I have a unexplainable illness.

On Monday, I lifted weights. On Tuesday, I hopped on the tread mill for thirty minutes. And today, I lifted weights again.

I’m sure like any unforeseen illness, this too shall pass.

Cardio kickoff to the day

"Fried foods can't possibly be bad for you. Foods are fried in vegetable oil nowadays. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?" ~ Author Unknown.  

Once again I got out of bed early enough to exercise.  Today it was thirty minutes of cardio.  I did several sprints.  Awesome workout!

I also avoided the fried foods. I might have snuck a few French fries while eating dinner at McDonalds but for the most part I stuck to a low calorie and healthy diet.

Despite the procrastinating, I did it

"One setback is one setback.  It is not the end of the world, nor is it the end of your journey to a better you." ~ Jillian Michaels

The blasted alarm went off at 4:45 a.m.  and I was determined to get out of bed!  I was getting dressed and I was driving my happy ass to the gym. 

So finally at 5 something I did get up.  It was raining. It was storming. Trees were in the street.  But I wasn't letting any of that stop me. 

After I stopped for a coffee at McDonalds, I finally got on my way to the gym.  A trip to the gym that takes maybe five or ten minutes took about thirty minutes this morning. I might have done a little procrastinating to get to the gym. 

Anyhow, I finally made it to the gym and I got in a forty minute weight lifting workout and I was so glad I did!

What could be better than pumpkin pie in June? Perhaps, Lemon Meringue

"Pie...it fills the cracks of the heart. Go away, pain." ~Kevin James, Mall Cop

Today was the St. George Parish Picnic.  After working our shift in the kitchen, my family and I had dinner in the parish hall.  When you engage in a meal such as the one they serve at a parish picnic, there really is no point in sticking to your diet.   It was most definitely a "diet cheat day".   I had the German pot roast, the fried chicken, the mashed potatoes, the green beans and the pie.  

As for the pie, I was disappointed because there was no lemon meringue.   I had to settle for pumpkin.  I mean really, who has pumpkin pie in summer.  I like pumpkin pie but I prefer eating it in the fall.   Oh well I can't complain.   The meal was delicious.

Tomorrow and the next day, I'll be having to spend a little more time at the gym having to work off the pie and all that other stuff I ate.

Gratitude for the Body

There are really only two requirements when it comes to exercise. One is that you do it. The other is that you continue to do it. ~The New Glucose Revolution for Diabetes by Jennie Brand-Miller, Kaye Foster-Powell, Stephen Colagiuri, Alan W. Barclay

Today, I'm sharing with you one of my favorite prayers, as it relates to being healthy, well and physically fit.

Gratitude for the Body

As I rise up, I thank Your for the opportunity to be on this earth.
I thank Your for my mind and body, I thank You for my life.
Please bless my body and use it for Your purposes.
May I rise up strong today, and my my body and soul radiate Your love.
May all impurities be cast out of my mind, my heart, my body.
May every cell of my being be filled with Your light.
May my body and mind both be illumined for Your sake and for the sake of all the world.

Amen.

Now that I have shared... perhaps I should go for a walk.

How many calories can you burn floating in a pool?

We swim because we are too sexy for a sport that requires clothes.  ~Author Unknown

I hope an afternoon in the pool with the boys counts as exercise.  It was a fun afternoon swimming and playing around with my boys.  Not sure there were any calories burned but it was fun.

Save the strawberries for last

Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.  ~Terri Guillemets

In addition to the fish, the salad, the rice and the corn-on-the cob on the dinner table, there was also strawberries on the table tonight.

It's been customary in our house that you must eat the other food on the table before you eat the strawberries.   If you don't, it is certain you will fill up on strawberries and be too full for all the other food on your plate.  

As toddlers our boys would stand in their chair to spoon piles of strawberries on their plates.  If we didn't take the bowl from the table they would keep eating the strawberries until the bowl was empty and their tummies were ready to pop. 

Although they have grown older, we still don't eat the strawberries until our plates are empty. Tonight, after my plate was clean, Caleb asked me if I wanted any strawberries. Before I was able to say anything, Logan piped up saying, "He already had strawberries.  It was the first thing on his plate."

I looked at Logan saying, "Zip it."

"Why can't we eat strawberries with our fish," says Caleb. 

"Seriously," says Paula. "You might almost be a teenager but you still can't control yourself when it comes to strawberries."

Strawberries are most definitely a favorite at our house. And healthy too!

Situps and little TV

A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.  ~Joan Welsh

I did something tonight that I don't usually do while watching TV... I did sit-ups.... 200 of them.  I think that is how many. I lost count once my stomach started to hurt!

We need more candles

Dieting is not a piece of cake.  ~Author Unknown

It's not on the diet but tonight we all had a piece of the birthday cake the boys baked for Paula's birthday. 

Earlier today I received a phone call from the boys informing me that they had made a cake for Paula's birthday.  They had enlisted the help of the girl next door to bake the cake.  In addition to baking it, they had also loaded the cake with 42 candles. I'm not sure where they found 42 candles. They had to have went door-to-door begging for more candles.

After hanging up with the boys, I emailed Paula to tell her that she was in for a surprise when she got home. 

Upon her arrival, the boys immediately torched the cake, sang her a song and told her to blow out the candles.  Paula blew out the candles and smoke was billowing all through the kitchen. 

It was a delicious cake and a pleasant surprise for Paula. 

Running with the dog, not all it's cracked up to be

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast. ~Paul Scott Mowrer, The House of Europe


My youngest son Logan has plans to run cross country in the fall.  I've strongly encouraged him to start running every day, at the very least to start running every other day.  I've also recommended that he take our dog, Dottie, for a run through the neighborhood.
 
Over the weekend he happened to mention that he took Dottie for a run.   "You did," I said surprised.  "Yes," Logan said.  "But I wouldn't call it running..."
 
"What do you mean," I asked.   "Well, all she wants to do is run into every one's yard," he groaned.  "She is the nosiest dog I know."  
 
Unfortunately, Logan's first run through the neighborhood wasn't all he expected.  Although he gave it a try, I don't think Logan will be taking Dottie with any time in the near future. 
 
I guess I'll have to take one for the team and go running with him.  I hope his expectations for me aren't very high.  He might only be ten, but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up.

Walking, stair climbing & a Cardinals win

I think you might dispense with half your doctors if you would only consult Dr. Sun more.  ~Henry Ward Beecher

My family and I spent plenty of time in the sun today. It was a fun and enjoyable Father's Day at Busch Stadium watching the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals.

It was most definitely a cheat day when it came to dieting. I ate plenty of inappropriate items such as Pringles, Kit Kat bars and deer jerky. After the ball game we checked into the Drury Inn just in time for the 5:30 Kickback. We dined on tortilla chips and cheese, salad with ranch dressing and deep fried chicken strips. And carrot sticks, don't forget the carrot sticks.

Although a cheat day, there was some physical activity. We had seats in section 428. Paula and the boys took the elevator. With no room in the elevator for me and the cooler, I walked the four flights of stairs with a cooler strapped to my shoulder. I was out of breath and sweating by the time I got to the top. Of course there was all the standing in line I did waiting to go on the field so the boys could run the bases. And we finished off the evening with a swim in the pool.

Again, a fun Father's Day!

Teenage son creates exericse plan for middle-aged father

"It's called diet because all the other 4-letter words were taken." ~ Author Unknown

The rumors are true, that was me at the gym this morning.  I was seen walking and jogging and sprinting on a treadmill in the fitness center.  

Perhaps it was a good night of sleep, maybe it was the two cups of coffee I drank or maybe it was the rain... I'm really not sure what inspired me to workout this morning.   It was only 20 minutes but a great start to my day.

Today's workout is a warm up to the workout plan that my teenage son has created for himself and me if I want to join him.  Derek's plan includes three days of cardio - bicycling on Monday, sprinting on Wednesday and long distance running on Friday.   On Tuesday, he plans to do an upper body weight lifting routine and a lower body weight lifting routine on Thursday.   With only nine weeks of summer vacation left, Derek is eager to get himself physically prepared for this fall's soccer season.  

As of yet, I have not committed to Derek's workout plan.  We are still in negotiations.   I have recommended working out at 5 a.m., which Derek considers ludicrous.   "It's summer," he said.  "I don't get up until 10."   I recommended we workout during my lunch hour at 11 a.m., which Derek also considers absurd.  "Again, it is summer," he said.  "It's hot out there."   I'm not even sure he knows when he is going to workout. 

I'm anticipating I'll be working out alone.   I'll keep you posted.

Working out 'til dark

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” ~ Julia Child

No time for a steak tonight, nor do we have time to worry about eating diet food.  There is a landscaping project that needs some serious attention. 

Last weekend we started a landscaping project that was perhaps a little over zealous for one day. We had three flower beds we wanted to rip out and start over from scratch.  We ripped out plants and mulch and proceeded to replace the plants with shrubs and rose bushes and replace the mulch with rock. It was an exhausting, muscle aching, hot and sweaty job.  We finished the first two flower beds in the front of the house but we didn't complete the rose garden in the back of the house.  

With a busy weekend ahead of us, there will be little to no time to finish the rose garden. So tonight it is!  The digging is done, the plants are in the ground and it is time to lay down the rest of the rock. I sure hope this manual labor leads to at least a pound or two of weight loss. We might be at this until dark but it will be worth every drop of sweat and calorie burned once the project is complete.

Growing tubby

A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.  ~A.A. Milne

Tubby. That about sums it up.

To be a kid again

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!  ~Charles Schulz

Tonight I did something I rarely do ... I made a batch of brownies for dinner.   Of course that wasn't the only thing I made.  I also preheated the oven for breaded chicken patties. 

I wasn't overly excited about the chicken patties. I considered a vegetable. I thought about carrots and dip but no one was excited about gnawing on rabbit food. Nor was I. 

I decided what we needed was chocolate. We needed something sweet to go with the breaded chicken patties. We were out of cookie dough so all I could find was a box of Betty Crocker brownie mix. I thought perfect. 

While I waited for the oven to preheat, I mixed together the brownie mix. It was like being a kid all over again.  I poured the mix in the baking pan and then I licked the rest of the batter off the spoon and out of the bowl. I even got a little on my chin, possibly some on my shirt. 

Oh what fun to be a little kid again, if only for a minute or two. 

Local food critic?

"At your goal weight or not, you still have to live with yourself and deal with your problems.  Losing weight is not a cure for life." ~ Phillip C. McGraw

Since the weight loss has come to a screeching halt, I am considering life as a local food critic. Today I tried the pizza grinder at Dave's Pizza and Wings. It was delicious!  

The Rolo McFlurry is good too. And although I had one of those as well, I won't critic it tonight. I'll save that for another blog post when I am feeling the need for ice cream. It could be as soon as tomorrow. 

Sleepy

After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps.  ~Miss Piggy

It was a cold and windy night at the ball game.  A sweatshirt wasn't enough to keep me warm. I was huddled under a blanket from start to finish. 

Under the blanket I could have fell asleep.  In addition to being late, I was positive there would be no desire to exercise after the ball game. Tired, tired, tired. 

Sunrise view, flip flops and blisters

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. ~John Burroughs



Had I realized I was going to spend the whole day working in the yard today, I probably wouldn't have went for my morning walk.   However, if I hadn't went for a walk I would have missed out on a beautiful sunrise view of the Capitol in Jefferson City.  
 
For the first time today, I went for a walk across the Missouri River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge.  It was a very enjoyable walk.  I parked at the river access in North Jefferson City and walked my way up the ramp to the pedestrian bridge.  I stopped a couple of times to snap a few photos of the Missouri State Capitol as the sun was rising.  It was well worth the pain.
 
Pain? Yes, pain.  I walked up the ramp, across the bridge and down the street to Rotary Park in flip flops.  I thought my tennis shoes were in the trunk of my car when I left the house. To my surprise the shoes were not in the trunk.  I had considered aborting my stroll across the river but thought surely I can make the trip in flip flops.  I accomplished my goal for the morning and did walk the bridge in flip flops.  Although I might have walked across the bridge a little too fast in the flip flops.
 
Combined with the work we did in the yard today, my feet are throbbing and I can barely walk across the floor.  Hilarious.  When will I realize I'm 41, not 14!

A tired poet with few words to say

"If you cannot be a poet, then be the poem." David Caradine

I am completely wiped out from a day full of manual outdoor labor. Awesome!

Don't forget to eat

"Life is uncertain, eat dessert first." ~ Ernestine Ulmer 

Do you ever have those days when you forget to eat or don't take the time to eat until eventually a little voice says, "Hey, you haven't ate yet today!"

Today, it crossed my mind that I needed to eat, but I was either too busy or I just wasn't hungry.  At 2:30 this afternoon, the little voice inside spoke up ... "You haven't ate yet today?"

So, I listened to the little voice and stopped what I was doing and went in search of something to eat.  I ended up at Quiznos. I ordered a delicious Mediterranean salad. Then, I did the silliest thing. I went outside in this heat to eat my salad. I sat at a table, on the sidewalk, somewhat in the shade, eating my salad.  I thought might sweat off my pounds, but instead it was rather nice to sit there alone, just me and my salad. 

Keep moving despite the heat

Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.  ~Jimmy Carter

With the sun down and the temperature dropping to a cool 85 degrees, this is when I should go out running. 

Of course I said I should, not that I did run. 

I keep trying to convince my boys that if they want to get ready for their fall sports, such as soccer and cross country,  they should join me for a run in the mornings or in the evenings. I keep waiting for them to take me up on my offer.  They haven't yet and I am still waiting. 

I admire all the people, young and old, who are out there running and even walking in this heat. Drink plenty of fluids and keep moving everyone. 

So you think you can dance and lose weight?

"At the end of every diet, the path curves back to the trough." ~ Mason Cooley

I'm lounging on the sofa watching my    guilty pleasure of the summer. . . So You Think You Can Dance?  It's Vegas Week baby!  

By the way, these people are in exceptional athletic condition. I'm thinking I might need to take up dancing.  If Kirstie Allie can lose weight being a dancing star, surely I can do the same. 

Maybe I should look into Zumba class at the Activity Center. Sure hope it doesn't require a leotard.

Earthquake...what earthquake?!

"Sweat plus sacrifice equals success." ~ Charlie Finley

Facebook was all a buzz about the earthquake that woke everyone up at three o'clock this morning.   Earthquake, what earthquake? Nothing woke me up besides my alarm at 4:45 a.m. and even that wasn't very effective at getting me awake. It was another hour before I even thought about getting out of bed. 

After a late night of baseball, it was difficult getting out of bed. It was no surprise to me that an earthquake didn't wake me up.  Perhaps if the the quake would have thrown me out of my bed onto the floor I would have  gotten up to exercise. Then again I was really tired so I might have crawled through the falling debris to climb back into bed. 

Twenty minutes is better than nothing

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined" ~ Henry James

So, I did get out of bed this morning to walk and jog and run. It was only twenty minutes but I did it.

It is late, I'm tired, so good night.

Inspired by a few good women

Jogging is very beneficial.  It's good for your legs and your feet.  It's also very good for the ground.  It makes it feel needed.  ~Charles Schulz, Peanuts

I've been looking for some inspiration and a whole lot of motivation to get back on the road to good health and physical fitness. Over the last couple of days I have been inspired by a few good women. 

First and foremost, I am inspired by my teenage niece.  When most young ladies her age are sleeping in and lounging around the house during their summer vacations, my niece is up at 5:30 a.m. every other day to run. I am so very proud of her.  I'm also very proud of her mother. Together, they are up at the break of dawn working out. It's extremely inspirational. 

For even more inspiration, I don't have to look much further than Facebook.  I'm so impressed with a friend's 2nd place win at a recent 5k.  It amazes me how far she has come so far.  It was just a year or more that she and I were in boot camp together and she was having a tough time climbing up and down the stairs. She is an inspiration for all of us to get up and get moving. 

I'm hoping the inspiration they have brought to me translates to enough motivation to get me out of bed in the morning.

How many calories can you burn by doing a cannonball dive into the pool at age 41 1/2?

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. ~Jim Fiebig

Do you burn calories reading a good book by the pool?  I did get up occasionally to get a beverage when I was parched.  And I did jump in the pool a couple of times when I got hot.  Of course, the cannonball dive my boys asked me to do for them had to have burned at least 300, maybe even 400 calories. 

If nothing else I soaked up some vitamin D by being outdoors and hanging at the pool with family and friends.  

Chocolate cream pie, coffee and a mint for dinner

"I take a vitamin every day. It's called a steak."~ Kicking and Screaming 2005. 

I forgot to take my vitamin today. I left the house so early that having a vitamin didn't even cross my mind.  However, by the end of the day I was wishing I had a steak to eat. 

Months of planning finally came together this evening.  Four months of planning was over in four hours.  I believe it went well, at least I think it did. The feedback was good. 

I hope the food was good because I wouldn't know. Being the master of ceremonies for the evening, I didn't stop to eat. I was sure there would be something to eat once the speaker started his presentation. Unfortunately the only thing left was chocolate cream pie.  So I had a cream pie, coffee and a mint for dinner.  See why I could use a steak?!

Luckily, I didn't starve.  Later, after the dinner, we found a few pieces of chicken in refrigerator.  

Shabby temple in need of refurbishing

Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one." Astrid Alauda

A friend put it well this morning that instead of treating his body like a tent he was treating his body more like a tent. I know exactly how he feels. I have to agree with him. 

I've been packing away the food today, especially the junk food. I have had not one but two 3 Musketeers candy bars, a bag of chips and a Monster energy drink.  Although I work for a college, I can't be eating like a college student.  

Seriously, I ate breakfast at Subway, had a cheeseburger and small fries from McDonalds and then ate a late dinner at a local diner.  I'm eating like I am 18 and believe me I'm not. 

At 41 and a half, my metabolism is nothing like it use to be.  

So I need to work on treating my body less like a shabby tent and more like a temple.  

Summer without Central Dairy

"I don't jog. If I die, I want to be sick." ~ Abe Lemmons

I just finished three scoops of Central Dairy chocolate ice cream drizzled with Hershy's chocolate syrup.  I concentrated intently on every single bite.  I probably gained another pound, but what's summer without a delicious bowl of Central Dairy ice cream.

As for jogging, I didn't do much of that today.  I have to agree with Abe Lemmons... if I'm going to die, I want to be sick... sick from eating too much ice cream.