Monday, January 27, 2014

So I'm fat again

Well half as fat.

Back in June of 2011, before all the issues with my neck, I had lost 65 pounds.

Read about it here.

Well I gained  back about 30 thanks to my back and laziness.

I'd like to stop that train in it's tracks.  I've been working out for the last few weeks.  Nothing crazy.  Just riding my bike and some yoga. But I feel good and I want to keep this up.

So tomorrow I start  back to eating right as well.

Wish me luck!  I swear giving up sugar is harder than quitting smoking!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

It doesn't have to be hard

I totally made something so much harder than it needed to be.  Do you ever do that?

I have wanted a bike stand for my bike for a long time.  Because of my spine issues I am limited to how I can work out.  And honestly I think walking on a treadmill is the MOST boring exercise.  Even if I'm watching TV I still find it boring.

But riding my bike. Oh I love riding my bike and as long as I don't fall off, it's a perfectly fine exercise.  But it's winter so that is just not going to happen.  So I hit the "complete order" button and bought myself a bike stand.

This  is what it looks like.


Not my bike.  My bike is a girls bike & it's purple of course.

Ok I get it and days later, I start putting it together.  The manual says to take off the bikes rear axle and replace it with the one they give you so that it's easier to take on and off.

Yeah, it wasn't that easy & finally realized I don't have the right bike tool to do it.

Crap.

Ok back to the internet for more reading.

Long story short, I didn't need to take off the axle, it works just fine with the one that comes with the bike.

Grumble grumble stupid instructions grumble grumble.

So I put my tire back together and put everything back the way it was, including the brakes which you have to basically almost remove to get the tire off... and I put it on the stand.

Well would you look at that... it fits.

Few adjustments later, a good show on the iPad and I'm riding my bike!   Yeah me!

I wish I had just tried that in the first place.  But I was trying to be good and RTFM!  So much for that! LOL

Ok putting it on the stand makes it slightly too tall for me so I'm going to need step stool LOL but otherwise it's AWESOME!!

Makes about as much noise as an exercise bike but once the warm weather is here I can take it apart & store it until the weather gets cold again.  In the meantime I don't have this huge ass clothes hanger sitting in my living room!

Now let's just hope I don't fall of it.

LOL




Monday, January 13, 2014

Yoga & Girls

I've done 4 days of a 30 day yoga challenge and my abs HURT!

Do You Yoga

I'm in decent enough shape, I walked 3 miles and wasn't even tired! I could have done more but I had to go to work.

This yoga is kicking my butt!

And I like it!

I'm also liking the TV show Girls.  I kept seeing interviews with the woman that created & stars in it. Thanks to the interwebs, I'm able to find the first 2 seasons.  :)

Are you watching anything new to you?



Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Mall Walking Only for the Old?

I think not!

If you've read any of my old posts you may have learned that I have spine issues.  Herniated discs in my neck & lower back.

I've been treating them with physical therapy & muscle relaxers. I go see a Neurosurgeon in a few weeks.  I don't know if he's going to think I need surgery, but I want to at least see what else can be done.

Ok so when this all started 2.5 years ago I was in great shape.  I was working out several times a week and I was at my lowest adult weight.  The same week the odd symptoms started, I also quit smoking.  Long story short, I've gained back about 28 of the 66 I lost.

I'm not happy about this. BUT I am limited to what I can do.  No high impact... I can't even swim in the ocean if it's rough!  Ok fine.

One of the worst symptoms is the chest pain, and it's random (have had my heart completely checked out, twice, it is fine).  I could be just sitting here working on the computer and bam!

Or recently I was blow drying my hair - totally killed my plans for the day.

Well I can walk - but it's winter.  Ok most days it's fine but some days it's just toooo cold to walk outside so I've picked up mall walking.

I don't go before the mall opens, I go maybe around 10.  What's neat is my mall is a 1 mile lap.  Perfect!  And I'm not the youngest one there!  I went today and there was a guy who was maybe late 20's early 30's - definitely younger than me!  LOL

Mall walking is so easy.  Nice level floor, you don't have to worry about being hit by a car or chased by a random stray dog.... you also don't have to get all decked out in workout clothes.  Since it's a bit slower paced, you just wear whatever you want.  And if you need something, like today I needed headphones for my phone, you can stop & buy it!  OH and it's temperature controlled too!  No sweaty smelly gym smell!

I could join a gym - but that is what everyone does in January, and this is not a new years resolution... it just happens to be January for me.  I don't really like gyms. I like ones that have good classes and a pool.  Well those tend to run like $40+ a month. Not happening. I'm not allowed to do the classes (unless it's yoga) and usually the pools are overheated & over chlorinated....

I'll stick with my mall walking and on the days I can't go to the mall, I bought a bike exerciser stand.  It's one of those things that you take your regular bike & turn it into an stationary bike!  I've been wanting one for a long time now. I'm excited, it should be here tomorrow :)

Of course it helps that NJ is the mall capital of the world!

Do you mall walk or do some other "different" kind of exercise?


Monday, January 6, 2014

Wacky weather at the Jersey Shore!

It's been rainy, snowy, icy, melty & foggy all within the last 5 days!

We just need sunny and humidy to round out the 7 weather dwarfs!

I did manage a trip to the beach on Saturday. I had 2 names to write for necklaces.  It was cold, maybe 30 degrees, but it wasn't windy so it was ok. Since it was a quick trip I left my gloves in the car, but I regretted that. I may have walked to look for sea glass if I had them. 

Anyway, some pictures from Brick Beach on Saturday. Enjoy!