An Epiphanette and Some Randomness

This doesn't quite qualify as a full-blown epiphany, but it is a damn fine idea, if I do say so myself. You know those cable ties used for organizing computer cables? You bought them but you never managed to get around to using them so they've just been cluttering up a drawer for the past four or five years? Oh, c'mon. I know I'm not the only one.

Anyway, did you know these cable ties are the perfect instrument for scrunching up t-shirt sleeves? Official sleeve scrunchies are around $5/pair, while cable ties can be found for as little as $1/dozen on Amazon.

Decluttering and new fitness apparel, all in one swoop. Some days I amaze even myself.

Continuing randomness...

Trainer Kevin is off in some bodybuilding contest this weekend, so Trainer Wayne pinch hit. Ouch. Dumbell Walking Lunges, Bulgarian lunges, and a whole host of other forms of torture. I loved it. :D Seriously, it was a great Friday night workout. Considering that my work schedule kept me from a proper workout on Wednesday night, I'm not going to complain too loudly. Well, except to Wayne.

More randomness: Today's DLM feed contained an interesting article: The 60-Second Guide to Healthy Living. Nothing new, but a nice checklist all the same.

Final randomness: Here's a new trend I'm noticing in local food-type places: tip jars at the cash register! ::scratches head:: I stood in line for 10 minutes, then waited the 2 minutes it took them to slide my sandwich down the veggie line, wrap it in paper and hand it to me across the counter. And for that they want a tip? Lest you think I'm sounding miserly, I promise I'm a generous tipper in full-service restaurants and other service venues (manicurist, hair stylist, etc.) I even double tip between Thanksgiving and Christmas! I just don't feel it necessary to tip for a 2-minute interaction in which the transactor moved a total of 3 feet. I'll admit I've given into it, to some degree, by dropping the coinage from the return cup into the tip jar at my favorite Subway (they start making my turkey sandwich when I drive up!), but I'm not all that happy about it as a general trend. And so help me, if there are tip jars at the cash register at JCPenney tomorrow, I'm going to 100% online shopping. I'll just have to learn to cook. ::shudder::

Well, I've zigged and zagged all over the place and made myself a little dizzy. I'm sure I've forgotten something along the way. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I hope yours is superb and that you have a most enjoyable weekend!

~

I Saved a Life Today

I wish I could find my Lifeblood button that has that saying on it. I'd put it on and wear it for all the world to see. Everyone in my subdivision, anyway.

On my bike ride this morning, I passed an apartment complex with one of those man-made "lagoons" (because, you know, Memphis is noted for its lagoons), and what should I see easing down the curb lane?

A turtle!

This isn't the actual critter, but it looked something like this one. It was about a foot long with its head extended and about 8-10 inches across. And it was crawling down the street! And not facing traffic, either.

Now, I'm not a wildlife kind of girl, particularly when the life is of the reptilian persuasion. (Turtles are reptiles, aren't they?) No matter. It had a scaly look about it, and that's enough for me. Besides, I don't know nuthin' 'bout pickin' up no turtles, and I was afraid I'd hurt it.

The goofy creature kept trying to crawl into the street, so lacking a better idea, I got off my bike and rolled it along between the turtle and the street, trying to keep him close to the curb and all the while trying to flag someone down as they blew by me in their gas-guzzlers. It was scary times, lemme tell you. Memphis isn't known for it's kindness to cyclists. I suspect turtles would fare even worse!

There was about 10 feet between us and the "lagoon", which I assumed was his home. I couldn't find a break in the curb anywhere that I might corral him through (turtle wrangling not being one of my strong suits), and I could only hope that someone would come along who would help.

The turtle and I reached the entrance to the apartment complex and asked two gangsta types lounging at the gate if they could help us. (I did most of the talking.) Sunday a.m. business being slow, they crossed the street to take a look, but like me, they were skittish about picking it up. Before they left, the guys confirmed my earlier suspicions about the life expectancy of the turtle by reporting (in vivid and colorful detail, thanks so much) that an even bigger turtle had been obliterated on a nearby cross street.

Pokey and I continued our torturous journey, he having some apparent destination in mind. Or so I thought. After a while, he stopped and stuck his head up, gazing longingly (it seemed to me) at the water.

And then a miracle happened! A car stopped in the turn lane and the driver asked what was up. I explained that I was just out taking my turtle for a walk, which he totally "got" as a joke and laughed.

I'll pause here to report that this guy was very handsome. Think young Denzel with a brilliant smile. I seriously regretted not taking the time to put my contacts in or a dash of makeup. Oh well, considering the approximate 25-year gap in our ages, it probably wouldn't have made a difference.

Back to the story: Denzel got out of his car and walked over to survey the scene up close. He didn't want to pick up the turtle either. I observed that if he had a cardboard box or even a piece of cardboard, we could maybe build the turtle a ramp to get over the curb. Denzel looked at me funny and started backing his way to his car. I was considering begging him not to abandon us, when he returned with a floor mat from his car! My hero! I mean, Pokey's hero!

We managed to scoot the mat under the turtle and carry it to safety. The ungrateful lout paid us back by peeing all over Denzel's floor mat and, since that was my end, my hand. Eeewwwww! Turtle pee!

With a smile and a wave, Denzel was on his way with my profuse thanks on Pokey's behalf, but alas, without my phone number. :( When he was gone, I pushed my bike alongside Pokey, much like we'd been doing on the street, as he made his way to the water's edge and dove in.

Dumbass landed on his back and had to thrash around a bit to right himself. I was NOT going in that "lagoon" after him. I suspect he's not long for this world. Poor Pokey.

What I learned from all this (other than to wear sunscreen for even the shortest of rides) is that I need to be better prepared on these excursions. I needed my cellphone to call Animal Control and ask how to pick up a turtle, and a towel would have been useful in place of Denzel's floor mat.
I could've also used a brick or two to toss through windshields of passing motorists and some disinfecting wipes (refer to turtle pee section). To that end, I think my 90-lb. reward will be a rack pack for my bicycle. Sure, I can use it for groceries and such, but it will also contain a Turtle Rescue Kit, just in case.

The rest of the ride was boring uneventful, but I cut it short at 30 minutes. Too much excitement in one day, you know. It's not every day you can get your cardio in and save a life.

And have a turtle pee on your hand. ::shudder::


How sad is it that I'm blogging this? :)

Not as sad as Monday staring us in the face. Have a happy one, everyone! And don't forget tomorrow is Makeover Monday. Something a little more serious on tap for this week.

~

All Carbed Out (and Nip It! follow-up)

What a great day! If you'll remember, today was my annual family reunion, and I had the pleasure of surprising folks with my new, fitter me! There were indeed dropped jaws, and many, many expressions of joy and pride.

And carbs. There were lots and lots of carbs.

Not to worry, as this was my splurge meal. I had a great workout with Trainer Kevin last night and plans for cardio for later this afternoon, so I dug in with relish. Well, not relish, literally, since there wasn't any on the table. There were some yummy sweet-dill pickles, though. :)

I skipped anything "normal" on the table. Things like green beans, ham, cheeses, breads--I have those frequently. I skipped the fried chicken because it was store-bought and NOT my Memaw's fried chicken. (Principle!) Instead I opted for lean roast pork, deviled eggs...and carbs: corn, baked beans, a dab of potato salad, and spaghetti. Not horrible, but definitely a splurge meal.

And then there were the desserts. My cousin had mentioned how she admired my willpower, but when she saw my dessert plate, she said, "I take it back."

I looked down at my thin (1/2"?) slice of caramel cake, my half-a-brownie, and my sliver of strawberry cake, and told her it WAS willpower, because that was about half of what I really wanted. :)

The hardest part of the day was trying to explain to people that I wasn't dieting, that I eat a healthy-ish diet 99% of the time with the occasional splurge. My parents, especially, kept asking me if such-and-such was on my diet. They just couldn't understand that EVERYTHING there was "on my diet." I could have any of those things any time I want, just not all in one meal. Not even all in one week. :)

Given the portions I ate, I would've probably been within my calorie count for the day without one or two of the desserts. I would've been out-of-balance on my carb:protein ratio, but that's what splurge meals are about. I hope I didn't get snippy with any of my "advisors", but I suspect I did. Sorry.

While it was fun to visit with family (most of whom I see at this one event each year), I was eager to get home and DO something. With all those carbs rushing through my system, my feet were practically itching to walk. And so I did.

I walked and walked and walked. Believe it or not, I walked FIVE MILES. All at once. Fast! I clocked in at 1:22:50, which even allowing for any erroneous mapmywalk mileage, means I walked something between a 15 and 16 minutes mile for FIVE MILES. I have never done that before! Maybe there's something to this carb-loading. LOL

At one point during the walk, I noticed my fingers were tingling and looking down, I could see that they were white and sausage-y. I don't know what that was about, but when I lifted my arms and started pumping them as I walked, the swelling and discoloration (decoloration?) was almost gone. They're fine now. If I opt for walking tomorrow, I will NOT be walking five miles. Maybe a 5k.

So I think the abundant carbs are gone now, but they sure were fun while they lasted! I'm back on plan and looking forward to a dismal weigh-in on Monday. :)

In response to excellent Nip It! comments, a little follow-up:
- Sagan Morrow and Nicole suggested tea as a snack replacement. (Sagan also suggested carrots--YUM!) I wish I liked tea. I've tried several flavors and it's just not doing anything for me. BUT you reminded me that I have some sugar-free cocoa (25 calories per cup) in the pantry, so I may have that the next time I'm feeling overly snacky.

- Pattie asked about any "busy hands" hobbies. Sadly, I have none. My main hobbies are reading and writing, both of which I need to do more of. Your question reminded me, though, that I have many "busy hands" projects around the house here, and a snack attack would the perfect time to accomplish those. (It would be nice to have my filing from the past...um, year or so complete, too!)

- tas asked about my hunger scale. While I'm certain I didn't invent the idea of the hunger scale, I can no longer remember the original source of the one I adapted for myself. Unfortunately, I can't find the index card I had it written on, but it was something along these lines:
Stage 1 - starving, legs jiggly, lightheaded
Stage 2 - major stomach rumbling
Stage 3 - "I could eat, but I'm okay."
Stage 4 - "I feel good."
Stage 5 - "I couldn't eat another bite."
Stage 6 - "I think I'm gonna hurl."

I also assigned "snack appropriateness testing" levels for stages 3-5 (mostly 4 and 5, because snacks are frequently okay in stage 3). I don't remember all the levels, but I know boredom, stress response, and Pavlov were in there somewhere. I'll keep looking for the card. Maybe it's in my box of filing. :)

Although yesterday morning's thoughts were frequently taken over by Barney's "Nip it!" voice, by afternoon I was able to convert it to something useful. I now hear my own voice, and it's saying:

Not
In
Plan!!

I am too corny for words sometimes. :)

I'm off to put my feet up! I hope you all had a super Saturday and are looking forward to an even better Sunday!

~

Nip It!

I am currently under snack attack, for some reason. Nothing devastating to the flabby waistline (an extra banana here, a sugar-free pudding there), but I don't like this deviation from my routine. I feel a little less in control, if you know what I mean. As I type this I've decided my best counter measure may be the retrieval from the desk drawer of my "hunger scale", which is an index card with ratings for the level of hunger I'm feeling (or think I'm feeling.) I suspect some of the snacking may actually be Level 1 "I'm really just bored" snacking, and that Will.Not.Do. In the words of the immortal Barney Fife, I need to "Nip it! Nip it in the bud."

Oh, terrific. Now I'm going to go around all day singing "Nip it!" in my head.

Wait, that might actually work.

::sigh::

The things I do to be fitter.

Before I return you to the normal world, I'd like to thank you commenter friends for giving me an awesome idea for my (pending, I'm sure) Goal Celebration! When I reach goal, I will post a photo of my very own feet! LOL Do NOT ask me why I think this is a good idea, but it struck my fancy and it seems like fun. And if we're not going to have fun here, then let's just all pack it in. (For the squeamish among you, I will try to figure out how to post the image behind a cut. I have awfully big feet so the image will be large by necessity. *G*)

Hmm, so other than the sincere thank you, I have nothing truly worthwhile to contribute to the community today. Time to sign off. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

And remember: Nip it!

Danger in the House

I've done it now! I just came back from the grocery store where I purchased lots and lots of fruits and veggies...and a full-size package of Guiltless Gourmet All-Natural Corn Tortilla Chips! Not a snack-size suitable for one serving only, but an huuuge 7-oz. bag! I plan to combine lots of romaine lettuce with 1/3-1/2 serving of chips, a cup of Amy's Vegetarian Chili , and a sprinkling of low-fat cheese for a taco salad, of sorts. Oh, and possibly some Rotel tomatoes, if needed.

You know what this means, don't you? Well, don't you? This means that after two nights, I will have five or more servings of chips left idle in the cupboard. Open chips! Me, separated from the clutches of sublime crunchiness by a flimsy plastic chip clip. These will be treacherous days ahead.

::tremble::

Okay, not really. If the chips prove troublesome, I'll put them on the kitchen counter at work and they'll disappear in minutes. It's just much more dramatic this way. :)

In other news, I bent to the pressure of Irish Mom, DaDiva's Street, and Diet Book and joined the Woman Challenge. Since I'm already exercising six days a week, this doesn't require anything extra, other than a need to log my time. We're doing something similar to this at work for the next six weeks, so why not. I logged 45 minutes of walking today.

And finally, a reminder: tomorrow is the second installment of Makeover Monday. This week, the focus will be on a part of the body. Well, I guess it's really two parts.

How's that for tantalizing? LOL Stay tuned. :)

Have a nice week everyone!

~

In Lieu of Anything Intersting

How much did I enjoy reading your blog name origins?!! There's not a word for it. "Immensely" will have to do, I suppose. You all are a delightful mishmash of creative, thoughtful, practical, fun, and funny people!

So what did I do today? Well-l-l, after I read to Wally (I still need to explain that someday), I went to Macy's to pick up my Mother's Day gift for Mom. She's getting a lovely sterling necklace and a gift pack from Lush. (Note: I bought nothing for myself.)

Then it was off to lunch. To save your neck, I'll tell you that this is Holiday Ham & Deli, a.k.a. The Cake Place.

This, as you can see, is NOT cake. It's their tuna salad plate with tomatoes instead of cottage cheese. That's a paltry scoop of tuna, but considering they use real mayo, I didn't complain. Plus, it was, you know, enough. I won't be getting it again, though, as it's a little pricey for the serving.

And then there was cake. Strawberry Cake, to be precise.

I made a new rule during the Cake Choice Finals: Cake Day must be observed outdoors! There's no really good reason for this decision, other than it was a pretty day, although I suppose it will also help when I declare Cake Day Hiatus from mid-November through the end of the year.

But that's then and this is now. I just wanted to be outside today, so off I went to find a park with available tables, which was difficult on such a pretty day. It took me three tries, but I did and the cake was delicious!

I just don't want anything sweet for a while. :)

After lunch was a bike ride, the longest one yet: 10 miles! The first mile was the toughest, but some of the hills were a bit of a strain. It took me about an hour to ride it, with the only breaks being a brief stop to re-insert earphone and another to pick up some sunglasses that were in the middle of the road. (If you're looking for lost sunglasses in the Memphis suburbs, I put them on the curb on the west side of the road.)

And then what? Oh, a trip to the thrift store (nada!) and then to Barnes & Noble to pick up a book for my grandmother's Mother's Day gift and two books for myself. And then dinner and then home.

Now, wasn't that fascinating?! LOL I truly do hope your day was significantly more interesting, though I suspect it couldn't have been anymore enjoyable than the one I had.

Plus, I just noticed I've already accumulated 220 more points toward the next Cake Day!



~

Mommy, Where Do Blog Names Come From?

As I was touring my Google reader last night, I was struck by the...unusual nature of some blog names, especially among my fitness buddies. Some names are staightforward, some aren't. It got me to wondering how you all came up with your blog names or why you chose the ones you did.

For myself, if you've been here any length of time, you know that my approach to fitness is a gradual one. I've made small changes over time that have brought me to where I am now, and there will be more changes in the future. One day, pre-blog, when I was explaining this concept to a co-worker, and trying to emphasize the need for patience, she interrupted me to ask, "Yes, but what diet are you on?" I took a deep breath and said, "It's the Tippy Toe Diet. You sneak up on it."

She never did get it, but it was a lightbulb moment for me. :)

Later I extended the analogy to include an image of myself standing on my tippy-toes reaching for the stars. It works for me either way.

But enough about me! How did you choose your blog name?

Personal note: Thanks for all the kind comments and well wishes on my bling day!

~

Strategies for Success and Other Useful Links

Happy Friday to all...

Some Sparkpeople articles are sort of ho-hum, but I received one today that had me doing the "yesssss!" thing. Titled "5 Secrets of the 5%: What You Can Learn From Successful Dieters", the article summarizes into just a few key points the success factors of the legendary 5% of dieters [their term, not mine] who lose their weight and keep it off. What's especially neat about it is that the content reflects what many of us post about on a regular basis. Quick peek:
1) Make it public
2) Pay attention
3) Enjoy yourself
4) Make gradual changes
5) Allow yourself to fail

I'm definitely printing this one out for when I lose my way.

Another great link I found today was Prevention Magazine's My Walking Maps. I've got a couple of routes planned for bike riding this weekend, weather permitting.

Finally, just for kicks and giggles, this link from Jonathan Fields, Awake @the Wheel.

Believe it or not, that's all Chatty Cammy has for today. I hope you all have a healthy, happy weekend!

~

Healthy Planet, Healthy Me

In honor of Earth Day this week (April 22, to be precise), I'm recycling a post from my old blog! These are just a few things those of us pursuing a healthier life can do along the way to make our world a little better.

1. Opt for filtered water over bottled water. In 2001, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported that around 1.5 million tons of plastic are used each year to bottle 89 billion liters of water. Yes, we can recycle plastic containers, but do we really need to? How can we use our local water supply safely? Check out allaboutwater.org for all the info you can use about making your drinking water safe. (At minimum: why not commit to reusing half –or more—of the bottles you do consume?)


2. Eat less meat. Easy for a vegetarian, less so for those of us whose bodies like meat. But did you know that reducing our meat consumption (even by as little as 15%) would greatly reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes, or stroke? Why, yes, you say, I do know that, but what’s it got to do with the environment? Some sources report that livestock production is responsible for up to 18% of greenhouse gases created by humans. Factor in the amount of water required and the number of forests destroyed in favor of grazing land, and you have even more reasons to reduce your consumption of meat. You can find more info at eatlessmeat.org (At minimum: try going meatless one day per week by following some of these great tips.)


3. Buy fewer packaged products. We need more fresh foods anyway. By shopping the outer aisles of most grocery stores (bakery, fruits/vegetables, dairy, meat), we’ll cut down on sodium and other chemicals, for one thing, and for another, we eliminate a lot of packaging that will likely end up in a landfill.


4. Buy organic and buy local, when possible. We avoid those messy chemicals used in production and the noxious fuel consumed in transportation. Oh, and don’t forget to get yourself some re-usable canvas grocery bags. Opt out on paper AND plastic.


5. Walk your errands every chance you get. I walked to the grocery store yesterday. It's only a few blocks away, and knowing I had to carry home what I bought kept the purchases to a minimum (bananas, apples, almonds, 20-oz. Diet Coke). I'm fortuante in that a pharmacy and dry cleaner are also close by, along with Subway, Starbucks, SmoothieKing and a couple of local restaurants. I'm looking forward to "walking for my supper" in the coming months.

6. Commit to carrying a sack and a pair of gloves on your walking route just one day per week. As you’re walking, pick up any trash you see and take it to your own garbage can/recycle bin. You’ll get extra exercise, your neighborhood will look better, and fewer items will be headed down the drain and into a local river or stream. I had actually planned to do this today, but when I was coming home from the grocery yesterday I noticed more people than usual out and about. Turns out it was "Neighborhood Clean-up Day", and I missed out. Still, I'll carry a small bag today, just in case they missed some stuff. :)

Those are just a handful of ways we can improve our environment as we improve ourselves. If you have more, I’d love to hear them.

Body Fat Follow-up and Peanut Butter

Trainer Kevin has left me barely able to sit upright, but I wanted to get this posted before my complete collapse.


Thanks so much for your kind words and such on my body fat news. My personal trainers are a little dubious about the results, so we're going to do another test with them soon to see how close their numbers are to the gym manager's reading. Her margin of error, if there is one, wouldn't be significant enough to put me too much higher, so I'm still mighty happy with these results.


In her kind comments, Diana mentioned that the number seemed low in comparison to her understanding of what constitutes normal-healthy body fat percentage. Ditto for me, Diana. Like you, I thought low-to-mid 20s was a really good number. And it is. It turns out that anywhere between 16%-25% is good for a woman in my--ahem-age group. (If you scroll to the bottom of the link, there's a handy reference chart.)


What I didn't take the time to mention last night was that the gym lady suggested that I get to 9% body fat by losing--get this--38 more pounds!! Oh yeah, that's going to happen. For one thing, I doubt I can lose 20 more pounds. Forget about twice that. LOL Also, I don't care to BE 9% body fat. Am I crazy? I'm thinking I would look gaunt, plus the only curves I'd have left would be the skin flaps where my breasts and hips are now. No, if I can affirm and keep a body fat % under 20 and lose another few pounds, I'll be quite content. Very content. Elated even.


On to other news, and this is HUGE: The folks at Hungry Girl report that Peter Pan has a whipped creamy peanut butter that has 50 less calories per serving than most other PBs! I did not know this! Do you have any idea what this means? I can have a peanut butter & banana sandwich (on whole wheat, of course) for 300 calories! I'm in heaven!


Oh, btw, the HG folks have a new book of recipes coming out soon. I'm looking forward to checking it out. They use a lot of "shelf products", but they mostly choose healthier options. My kind of people.


Okay, I'm toast. I hope you all had a fantastic day and enjoy an even better tomorrow!



~

A Day in the Life

Before I forget, Felicia had asked about where we live, and I finally found a picture of my house:

My house is a traditional sort of house, dining room on the left, living room on the right, master bedroom on the far right. There are two more bedrooms, a den, and the kitchen & laundry room on the back half of the house. It's L-shaped, with a driveway long the left side leading to a garage in the very back. I've lived here about 5 years, and I like the neighborhood. It's only a few miles from work and from an interstate connector. I can be in downtown Memphis in about 15 minutes. It's a good place to live.

So, gorgeous day today in Memphis, if a bit cool. One of those Saturdays that was extraordinarily ordinary. I like those.

For the play-by-play:
4:30 a.m. - Woke up. No, no, it's SAT-urday! Arrgggh! Wide awake. Since I had Things To Do this morning, I got up and managed to get a few of them done before I left the house at...
6:00 a.m. - Read the newspaper to Wally, an elderly man (a former neighbor), who has macular degeneration and can't see well enough to read. About eight years ago we started meeting for breakfast every morning, during which time I read the sports page and other assorted articles to him from the paper. He's a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, so the summers can be quite long. :)
7:30 a.m. - Hit the gym for 30 minutes of elliptical and then went to McD's for a yummy strawberry yogurt parfait.
8:30 a.m. - Cleared living room staging area of all boxes destined for my father's Men's Club rummage sale. Did one last tour of the house for anything else to add to the pile and amazed myself by finding quite a few more things to donate. It's starting to look simpler around here.
11:00 a.m. - Target. Picked up a gift card for my sister's birthday gift. She's moving, and I thought she might prefer a gift card for any of those "new home" things she might want to buy.
11:30 a.m. - Subway. Turkey sub on whole wheat, fat free chips. Then home again.
12:50 p.m. - Nap. Ahhhh. A whole hour.
1:50 p.m. - Piddling around time. Read a few blogs, began getting ready to head out to an early dinner for my sister's birthday. My dad has major acid reflux and has to eat pretty early.
4:00 p.m. - Family dinner. A very early dinner. We went to Leonard's Barbecue Restaurant, a Memphis mainstay. I had the brilliant idea to order the Deep South Salad, a plain old salad with barbecued pork loin on it, with the meat on the side. About 200 calories of deliciousness! I can't ever imagine ordering anything else but this from now on.
5:30 p.m. - Reebok Outlet Store. I bought four new workout t-shirts. All of my shirts hang on me, and I thought the snugger fit on the new ones would provide a definite reminder to keep that "navel into spine" during my workout.
6:00 p.m. - Home. Shoes off. Bra soon to follow. Blog time. :)

So I'm nosy. How did you spend your Saturday?

~

Alphabet Meme

Shamelessly lifted from Jenera:

A is for age: 49, barely.
B is for booze of choice: Rum, but I haven't had it in ages and ages.
C is for career: financial systems manager (bo-ring!)
D is for your dog’s name: No dog of my own, but my canine nieces are Lily and Daisy. I don't know what idiot named th--oh, wait, it was me. :)
E is for essential items you use/love everyday: iPhone.
F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: "Let's Get It Started" by Black-Eyed Peas
G is for favorite games: Cribbage.
H is for hometown: Memphis, all my life.
I is for instruments you play: iPhone? :)
J is for jam or jelly you like: Grape, strawberry, muscadine
K is for kids: no, thank you.
L is for last kiss: Sadly, my mother, a smooch on the cheek last weekend.
M is for most admired trait: sense of humor?
N is for name of your crush: I don't know his name. He's a guy at work I only just noticed this week. Time will tell...
O is for overnight hospital stays: one, when I was 5 or 6 and had my tonsils out
P is for phobias: Flying (not crashing, necessarily, just the flying part. I don't like the sensation of it.)
Q is for quotes you like: "I did then what I knew then, and when I knew better, I did better." —Maya Angelou.
R is for biggest regret: A tie - 1)Not figuring things out sooner, and 2) Not going to meet my e-friend, Paula, when I had the chance
S is for sweets of your choice: Little Debbie anythings.
T is for time you wake up: between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. (Also, usually, 12:15 a.m., 2:00 a.m., and 3:30 a.m.)
U is for underwear: Hanes low-rise, all-cotton
V is for vegetables you love: Tomatoes! And any vegetable that can be eaten raw, except broccoli
W is for worst habit: Laziness
X is for x-rays you’ve had: Foot, wrist, chest, breasts, neck
Y is for yummy food you make: tuna salad and...well, that's it. :)
Z is for zodiac sign: I'm a bossy Leo!

That was a little bit fun. Like Jenera, I'll tag anyone who wants to play or doesn't have any content for today! :)

Happy Friday Eve!

On Compliments

It's amazing how many compliments a person can receive in a single day.

I don't say that to brag. I'm not sure it's something to be bragged about, because as the recipient you aren't really doing anything. It's the people who give the compliments who should be bragging.

Today, I received perhaps the best compliment so far. A whole elevator full of people, and all commented on my weight loss. Iwas starting to feel awkward about it (quit looking at me!) when one guy piped up with, "I'll keep an eye out and let you know if it looks like a strong wind is coming up. You'll probably want to tie yourself down." LOL Guys. You gotta love 'em. :)

What's the best compliment you've ever received?

Anyway, receiving so many compliments is one of the things that has helped me get this far. The sad thing is that I don't think I'm giving nearly as many as I'm receiving. That will change. I know how much they're worth to receive, and I also know how good it feels to pass them along to others.


So I commit to giving 13 compliments to people I see tomorrow. Why 13? Why, because it's Thursday tomorrow, and Thirteen on Thursday has a nice ring to it. LOL Will you join me?


And speaking of compliments: the lovely Rose has given me the Good Chat Blog Award for "People you would want to sit down over a cup of tea with and have a good Chat." How great a compliment is that! But then, I already knew she was a sweetheart, and I would love to have a good chat with her, too. (Only I'm having Diet Coke.*G*)

In the spirit of things, I'll pass the award along to a few of my favorite folks:

Selma at An Apple a Day

Irene at LoserIrene vs. the Fat Monster

Rebecca at Ready Maid on The BestLife Diet

These are all smart, funny, successful women who I would be thrilled to spend time with!


They're not the only ones, of course. If I ever can win the big lottery, I'm hosting the tea party to end all tea parties, and you're all invited! :)

~

Amazon Summer Shape-up

Just a drive-by posting for tonight. I've been fighting a massive toothache for two days, and right now it's winning. I don't know what's wrong, but there's definitely a nerve involved. Ouch.

The only thing of note that I have to share tonight is that Amazon.com* is having a book sale on fitness and health books.

And now, I'm going to try for some sleep. Wish me luck.


*I receive no compensation from the Amazon people. Unless, of course, they happen to read this and want to send some $$ this way.


~

Not a Creature Was Stirring...

Okay, so it's the wrong time of year, but that's the best way to describe the city of Memphis this mild, sunny Saturday afternoon at around 5:00 p.m. It looked like a ghost town.

Where were all the people? At home or in a bar somewhere, watching University of Memphis Tigers win their semi-final and earn their way to the NCAA basketball championships.

I watched the first half of the game from a deserted gym. Usually on a Saturday afternoon, there might be 20 or so people in the gym at that hour. Today there was one other guy, and he was watching the game, not exercising. Toward half-time, two other guys wandered in. Guess they weren't basketball fans. Or maybe they're transplants and could care less about the home team. I ignored them, to be safe.

On a personal note:
The Tigers weren't the only ones celebrating victory today. About halfway through my workout, I realized that I have defeated the elliptical machine. I think I've mentioned before that my first elliptical experience wasn't especially motivating. My legs were screaming at the two-minute mark, but I made myself go to five minutes just to save some semblance of dignity. Ten months later and I'm flying through a 45-minute workout without any trouble. Yes, I'm sweaty, jello-legged, and huffy-puffy at the end, but that's kind of the point. :)

I had a similar experience working with the trainer this week. Trainer Kevin made me do 80 push-ups in one 45-minute session. At my first PT session last June, I sort of did nine push-ups. I say "sort of" because they were really more elbow-creases than push-ups. But Wednesday night, I did 80 push-ups of various types, and I did most of them well. While I was rubbing my noodle-y arms, I took a moment to savor the victory, and perhaps gloat a little. (Apparently, the effort showed. Trainer Wayne asked after the workout, "Have you been swimming?" LOL I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was wring-it-out wet.)

And a final victory, of sorts, occurred when I did my "Sneak Peak" Friday night weigh-in. It was not pretty. (If I'm going to have a 3-pound gain, I want the freaking 10,000 calories that go with it!) Probably just a freaky bounce, but definitely not rewarding. Still, as I was staring down at the ugly number, my immediate thought (after Oh, shit!) was that there just wasn't anything to be done about it. Eating more isn't going to help; neither is eating less. I eat what I eat to fuel my body. Sometimes I go a smidgen over my calorie target, but sometimes I go a smidgen under. It all averages out to what I think is the right number for what I'm doing. Anyway, I'm claiming victory in that my first reaction was to simply keep doing what I'm doing. An earlier version of me would've probably cried and/or headed for the Little Debbie aisle.

I hope you'll find a quiet moment or two to savor some of your victories this weekend. I'd love to read about them--here, or on your blog!

Sweating it Out in the Hot Seat

First of all, thanks to Erin for suggesting this bit of fun. Thanks to all of you for your interesting questions! I only wish I had interesting answers. :)

(And I apologize in advance if these links don't work properly! I copy/pasted from the original post.)


Ready Maid:
What ways have you learned to reward yourself other than with food?


Since I live by myself, rewards like bubble baths and time to curl up with a good book are everyday life for me, so most of my non-food rewards are purchased. I treated myself to having my eyebrows "done" a few weeks ago. I bought the legendary iPhone. I have a bicycle on my "to be ordered" list. Things like that. I'm pondering a way to use iTunes purchases as a reward for mini-goals. When the weather warms up, I'll be able to have some non-food/non-financial rewards like zoo trips and long walks just for fun.

Trisha said...
What kind of hobbies do you have? (Other than getting skinny!)Do you collect anything?

I love to write! Not just blogging, but fiction as well. I'm not good enough to be published (yet), but I enjoy the experience. And I love to read--mostly mysteries. As far as collecting, I'm trying really hard not to since one of my goals is a simpler, less cluttered, life. My mother, however, likes collecting and can't stand the thought of me not having a collection of something, so she collects Boyd's Bears on my behalf. :) (They are really cute!)

Andrew is getting fit said...
How old are you?


You had to go and remind me! I am clinging to 49 by the tips of my fingernails. On August 17th, I'll be 50 healthy years old!



Pattie said...
If you could spend an hour with one person, dead or alive, who would it be -- and why?


My e-friend, Paula, who died five years ago of breast cancer. I never met Paula in person, but her generosity and kindness in reading and commenting on my first attempts at writing changed my life forever. Even when she was undergoing the ravages of chemo and radiation, she still made a point of sending me thoughtful and encouraging notes. I would love to be able to give her a hug and tell her how grateful I am. But I think she knows. :)



Erin said...
What one thing are you looking forward to doing/buying when you reach your goal weight? Do you want to go bungee jumping or buy a great pair of leather pants...lol


I want to ride a Seadoo and also to go to San Francisco and ride bikes (uphill only) with my friend Morgan.



Dottie said...
do you have a job you enjoy? I feel like I'm going through a midlife crisis or something and it seems its affecting a lot... got any tips.


Oh, Dottie, my sister in restlessness! :) I'm kind of struggling with my job right now, too. Unfortuantely without that job, I'd be struggling with my mortgage. LOL I'm a financial systems manager and I also manage internal communications for my company's corporate finance department. It's not the most exciting job in the world, but I *adore* many of the people I work with, which certainly helps! The only tip I have is to look at it as a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. Life begins after work. Good luck with your own struggles. I hope you'll find a happy place.



Rose said...
What's the craziest diet scheme that you tried?andIn the words of Oprah... What was you AHA! moment, where you realized that you needed to lose weight and that it would be different?


The craziest thing I ever did was to go to some "diet doctor" and take the multitude of various pills he prescribed, not bothering to understand what they were. I still don't know, but I think that's the one diet wagon I'm glad I fell off of! As for my AHA moment, I think it was realizing that I should be eating to be healthy and exercising to be strong, instead of trying to chase some Madison Ave./Hollywood ideal of what the female body should look like. My friend, Morgan, who lost a lot of weight years ago and has kept it off, helped me see that. She was the first woman I ever met who "dieted" to be healthy, not thin. She looks great and she's so incredibly fit and strong (inside and out); I want *that* version of the female body, not the one that walks on runways in ugly dresses.




Twix said...
What's your favorite flower?
I love roses, all colors, all varieties. My grandmother (Memaw) has always been a rose gardener, and they remind me of her! In my first house, I had a few rose bushes, but since moving to my current home five years ago, I haven't planted any. Maybe this year, I will!


Takeonestripperpole said...
If you could go to any location in the world ... with no financial limitations whatsoever ... where would you go? What would you do? And who would you bring?


Provence, or anywhere in the Mediterranean region, really. I would walk a lot and eat fruit, bread and cheese. Drink good wine. And write. I would ask George Clooney to go with me, but I suspect he would say no. So I would ask one or more of my friends to go with me.


Plumptious said...
What makes you, or when do you feel, completely happy, without a care in the world?


This is kind of embarrassing, but my answer is 'never'. I'm a worrier and a fretter by nature. I try not to let it consume me, so I'm also able to be joyful a good bit of the time. But I can't say I ever really feel carefree. There's always something niggling me just below the surface. Probably the closest I've come lately is when I'm on the elliptical machine and a really great song comes on my shuffle (last night it was "These Are Days" by 10,000 Maniacs). I can just escape into the music and the rest of the world doesn't exist anymore. And then I get a muscle cramp. :)

40 by 40 said... How are you doing on the diet soda cutbacks? What has changed since you have cut back? I know--not too juicy..but as a diet soda addict myself..I am curious. :)

I absolutely rock on weekdays. Weekends? Not so much. Last weekend I had an extra Diet Coke on both Saturday and Sunday. I have decided to continue the effort, but to not beat myself up over it. If, in the end, a couple of Diet Cokes too many are my worst vice, I'll count myself successful and lucky!

That was fun! Thanks again to all of you for the wide variety of questions! If I missed anyone, let me know--please!--and I'll fill in the gap.


For now, it's Erin's turn in the Hot Seat, so head on over to her place and make her sweat! LOL

~

A Nice Surprise...Forwarded

Today was rocking along fairly nicely, even after my workout, and I was counting it as an okay Monday. When I arrived home and began checking my email, the day moved from "okay" to "fantastic"!



It seems the lovely Ready Maid awarded me a "Nice Matters Award!" And then she wrote some beautiful and heart-warming things about me, things that made me blush. Thank you again, RM!

Hanlie, in bestowing upon Ready Maid her award, said this about her: "She’s such an interesting and courageous person and I love reading about her life and travels."

I agree, and I'll add generous and compassionate to go with it.

Now that I've basked for a moment or two, I'll follow Ready Maid's generous gesture of "paying it forward" and honor these bloggers for being "nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world":

Krissie, who has such a sweet and resilient spirit and is stronger than she knows;

Andrew, who lets me hang out at his blog even though I'm not a runner and shows up here frequently to give my spirits a boost;

Valerie, whose sense of humor rocks alongside her introspective wanderings;

and Sybil, who ponders things so I don't have to and then writes about them so eloquently.

I'd better stop there, though I could easily and happily go through my bookmarks and list so many more. But that would be greedy and unfair to the honorees, who may want to pass the award along to a few people themselves.

I appreciate ALL of you so much more than I could ever adequately express in black and white.

~

In Which Cammy Puts Herself in the Hotseat

Pandora, I mean, Erin said in reply to a post she wasn't supposed to be reading:

You should have a question and answer post for all of us! That way we can ALL ask you wonderful questions, and we won't feel so NOSY!!

Well, Erin, that's not a bad idea, and I'll do it IF...you'll agree to be next! :)

With that, I'll throw open the door for questions about me. I'll try to answer them all in my update post on Monday night, but I'll throw a 'Privacy Flag', if I feel uncomfortable discussing an issue in an open forum. But I doubt I'll have to do that. :)

So bring on the wonderful questions!

Sekrit Msg for Jaden from Kentucky

(Eveyone else on the internet should look away. Now. You are not authorized.)

Hi Jaden (only), you left a message on my 'Cake Day' post the other day and said you had questions for me. I'd love to try to answer them, but I have no way to get in touch with you since your profile doesn't have an email link. If you could leave me an email address (or post your questions here, if you'd like), I'll be happy to try to provide some answers.

Given that I don't have that many answers, the prognosis is not good, but we'll take a shot at it! :) I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you!

(If you are not Jaden and you are reading this--SHAME.)

:) :) :)

Lazy Blogger Does a Meme

Maybe I should've made that 'Busy Blogger'...Nah, 'lazy' fits, too. :)

I'm off work tomorrow, and tonight and tomorrow are dedicated to cleaning and organizing, with the goal of having a Goodwill run on Saturday. (That's a donation center, for those who may not know.)

But I hated to offer nothing for today, so it seemed a good time to do a meme. I've seen this meme on lots of other blogs, but I snagged it specifically from Felicia. :) The idea, I think, is to have all one-word answers:

1. Cellphone: safety
2. Relationship: desired
3. My hair: windblown
4. Work: mortgage
5. My sibling/siblings: broke
6. My favorite thing: iPhone
7. My dream last night: forgotten
8. Favorite drink: soda
9. Dream car: fuelless
10. The room I’m in : office
11. My shoes: Asics
12. My fears: retreating
13. What do I want to be in 10 years: here
14. Who did I hang out with this weekend: myself
15. What I am not good at: math
16. Muffin: top
17. One of my wish list items: bicycle
18. Where I grew up: Memphis
19. Last thing I did: ate
20. Wearing: sweats
21. Not wearing: glasses
22. My pets: none
23. My computer: posessed
24. My life: charmed
25. My mood: relaxed
26. Missing: order
27. What I am thinking about right now: cleaning
28. My car: Vibe
29. My kitchen: dusty
30. My weather: sunny
31. Favorite color: red
32. Last time I laughed: today
33. Last time I cried: today
34. School: basketball (Go Univ of Memphis!)
35. Love: blessing

I challenge you to be a lazy/busy blogger, too!

I'll be making the rounds of blogs as time permits. That's my non-food reward for being so industrious and getting some cleaning/organizing projects checked off the to-do list!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Happy Easter

To those of you who observe it, I wish you a
Happy Easter, and to those of you who don't,
well, I hope you have a super nice Sunday!


see more crazy cat pics

Bits and Pieces

Just some newsy link love for today.

Diet Book and c-dizzle are putting together a team for the Susan G. Komen West Virginia Race for the Cure. If you've got a few dollars to donate, that would be great. But save some for LoserIrene who is participating in the Revlon Run/Walk For Women in NYC.

Kudos to all these women for stepping out and stepping up!

In other news, Moon ran her second marathon last weekend, and...well, you've just got to see the result. Amazing! Congratulations, Ms. Moon!

And finally, a post that hit me where I live(d). Trisha captures so beautifully and poignantly the fears we face, both real and (I suspect) imagined. Those don't go away easily, on the inside or the outside, until we face them and deal with them. Hats off to Trisha for getting a start on it!

And thus ends my Lois Lane imitation. :)

~

Cake Day and Other Ramblings

Today was Cake Day, the day I celebrate passing 2500 cardio minutes since the last cake.

It saddens me to report that I was not served a slab as shown in the picture. No, I received a mere slice. Sheesh, try to splurge and look what happens. I smell a conspiracy!

I noticed while I was eating this yummy delight that the experience was a lot like a workout with the trainers, fun for a while, but a little nauseating toward the end. :)

As it turns out, I think I'll be within my calorie count for the day, or close enough. Fat and carb counts are probably another story entirely.

I prepared for the big event by starting my morning at the gym, where I did 45 minutes on the elliptical. I'm really, really enjoying this interval training. I have no idea if it will show up on the scale, but it's showing up in my body already. I started out at level 5 today for the easy part, and upped it to 10 for the first two intervals. My heart rate was getting a little too far up there, so I decided to do 8 for the remaining intervals. Perfect for now.

Shopping was also on the agenda today. I've decided I deserve an iPhone for all my hard work *g*, and I went to the phone store to get the particulars. Since it's such a large purchase, I've imposed a mandatory 7-day waiting period for myself. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get one. For one thing, I need to have a phone at hand when I go the gym early, early on weekends. The gym is unattended during those hours and I'd feel a little better with a phone close by. My regular old cell phone is enough, I suppose, but then I have to carry my cell phone AND my MP3 player. :)

Plus, I just found out about hulu.com, where I can download movies and tv shows to an iPhone. The cardio equipment at the gym has plug-ins for displaying your video on the HDTVs. Buying an iPhone for these purposes may seem a bit (hah!) excessive, but there's not a lot on television at 5:30 a.m. except informercials, fishing shows, and farm reports.

Another benefit to the iPhone is internet access. I could blogcast my workout! LOL No, it wouldn't be the same if you couldn't see the sweat and hear my wheezing.

I also shopped for (and found) something green to wear tomorrow. This having no clothes to wear is starting to get old, but I'm still leery of buying too much too soon. It really was an eye opener to have to give away all those clothes last month. Not to mention I've got an expensive movie internet phone to pay for. LOL

And that was the bulk of my Sunday. I did manage to do some de-cluttering and now I'm hoping to write for a while.

I hope you all had a marvelous day!

~

A Pearl for Andrew

The amazing Andrew asked: "What is the one pearl of wisdom you would share?"

One? Okay, I can do one. :)

I don't profess to have all the answers, or even to have any of the answers for some folks. But the one thing I've learned after, lo, these many years, is that you can't overhaul your life overnight. Successfully changing a lifetime of bad habits takes practice and time to execute, both physically and emotionally, along with the banishment of expectations of perfection.

I look at it this way: If someone gave me a list of home improvement projects that instructed me to clean all the windows (inside and out), sweep all the floors, remove all my switchplates and doorknobs, clean the patio and garage, catch up the laundry, repave the driveway, mow the lawn, and paint the mailbox, and then told me to start all of them on the following Monday morning and do them all perfectly, I'd run for the hills. Once I'd been revived and could pick myself up off the floor, that is.

But what I might do is choose to clean the patio and garage this weekend, tackle the switchplates and doorknobs next weekend, the windows the week after that (and maybe I'd call on a friend to be my window-washing buddy), and perhaps I'd paint the mailbox--the first coat, anyway--while I waited for the rinse cycle on the washing machine, and so on and so on.

It actually sounds possible that way, doesn't it? I might get it all done, and done well, if I break it up into manageable pieces.

Why in the hell, then, would I ever expect myself to begin a rigorous exercise program six days a week, eat only healthy foods in daily allotments that are a fraction of what I sometimes ate by noon before, drop all caffeine from my diet and replace it with water, give up chocolate and all other snack foods forever, learn everything there is to know about nutrition and how it affects my body, and deal with the emotional issues of all of the above? And do it all perfectly, with nary a tear or complaint.

Starting next Monday.

You can't overhaul your life overnight. Steady, consistent, positive changes, time to execute them, and room to screw up. It will work.

It only took me 30 years to figure all this out.


So enough of my rambling. Let's make a necklace of these pearls!

If you could share one pearl of wisdom with folks, what would it be?

Thanks to Andrew for the question!

Link Love

Great post on Dumb Little Man yesterday about the sometimes demoralizing and program-destroying effects of winter. I've noticed a lot of us have been having problems with winter doldrums lately and wanted to share the link with you. Nothing most of us don't already know, but it's always nice to see "our story" in print. There's safety in numbers, you know.

And that, my friends, is all I have for today. Wayne kicked my butt tonight (I was not put on this earth to do chin-ups, assisted or otherwise), and I am pooped. Make that Pooped.

Hope you all had a good day and an even better tomorrow.

New Fitness Community from John is Fit

Dang, Cammy, why don't you just put the whole of your message in your subject line!

So now it's no surprise that John is Fit has started up a new fitness community. I dunno, but it looks like it could be fun. :)

And that is all I have for now. I have a date with my hairstylist and then off to the bike shop to drool.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Oh, and GO TIGERS!

Where Kindness Matters Most

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. ~Lao Tzu

I came across this quote today and I copied it down, thinking I'd use it to remind myself to be kinder to others. While I'm generally a pretty nice person, I could certainly use a little reminder every now and then that the world is not really all about me.

So on about my day I went. Work, lunch, work, manicure, cardio--another exciting day in Cammy-land, as you can see.

Oh, but I forgot to mention the ritual! It's a new thing I've started recently, whenever I'm changing clothes, and it goes something like this: I pause to look in the mirror and obsess about my droopy breasts, my flabby belly, and my sagging thighs. I count the wrinkles, the ones that weren't there this time last year because my cheeks were so fat, and twist my neck from side to side to see the folds of excess skin ripple as I do so. And then I sum it up with one of two words: Yuk! or Gross!

On rare occasions, in the right lighting, I use both.

It was no different tonight, until a tiny inner voice piped up with, "Now exactly how is that 'kind'?"

I didn't have an answer, not a good one anyway, because it's not kind. It's downright cruel. There's no way I would ever say that to a friend, so why in hell would I ever say it to myself?

My body is not beautiful just now, at least not in the conventional sense of the word, and I'm not going to try to convince myself otherwise. For the record, I wouldn't do that to a friend either. But if asked, I'd damn sure be kind with my answer. I'd point out that this interim body is a work in progress, maybe add a reminder that the caterpillar-to-butterfly transition gets kind of icky in the middle part, but it all works out beautifully in the end. If we're talking close friend, I might even joke about the number of crunches in her future, and the newer, healthier me would offer to do them with her. Maybe I'd find more words of wisdom, but I know none of them would be "gross" or "yuk".

This is what I thought about when I was on the treadmill tonight, and I vowed to be kinder to myself, to give myself the gifts that build confidence, profoundness, and love. When I finished my cardio (and caught my breath), I dug out this poem I copied down years ago, and it's now taped to my bathroom mirror. It's the kindest thing I knew to do for myself.

SOME ME OF BEAUTY
By Carolyn Rodgers
(as read on Oprah many years ago)

I took a good long look at myself in a full length mirror
Sometimes it's good to look in a full length mirror
And what I saw was not some soul sister poetess of the moment
But I saw just a woman
Just a woman feeling
Just a woman human
And what I felt was
What I felt was a spiritual revelation
And what I felt was a root revival of some love coming on
Coming on strong
And I knew then, looking in a full length mirror,
That many things were over
And some me of beauty was about to begin

Don't mind me, I'll just be here.

Waiting.

Patiently.

This and That 02/09/08

Odds and ends from surfing adventures:


How I spent last Tuesday evening:


My office building is about a half-mile from the location of the video. Locally, three people were killed; overall, 54 people died Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning as a result of this weather system. I consider myself blessed.


On a less somber note:

Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net shares 17 Fitness Truths To Get You In Great Shape, things most of us already know but maybe need to be reminded of now and then. I plan to used it as a periodic checklist to make sure I'm staying focused on the right things.

When my life is kind of jumbled (as it seems to be quite frequently), I eat on the run. The one place I try to find when I'm looking for something quick and easy is Subway, which made me especially grateful to find 17Tips to Cut Calories at Subwayfrom financeandfat. I'm not sure wy the number 17 is suddenly so popular, but anytime I can find ways to cut calories in smart ways, I'm happy.

And here's What Do Richard Simmons and Arnold Schwarzenegger Have in Common, a really good article from Weight Loss Without Worry that talks about belief in ourselves and how we grow it.

"We develop belief just like we develop muscle — with exercise."

How much do I love this quote?

And finally, if you're having trouble sticking to your goals, you might consider putting out a contract on yourself. Check it out at stickk.com.

Meme Follow-up

That was fun; thanks so much for playing!

Here are my answers, embarrassing as some of them are:
1. I have 30 books on my to-be-read shelf. (Sad, but true. I didn't realize there were that many until I actually counted. Ironically, the book at the top of the stacks is titled, Getting Things Done.)
2. I love turnips! (I lied. I despise turnips. In fact, I loathe most cooked vegetables. I'll eat almost any raw veggies, but get them near heat and I'm out of there.)
3. Although I've lived in Memphis my entire life, I've only been to Graceland once and then only to tour the garden. (True. I grew up in the Graceland area, and when Elvis was alive, we would always look up at the house, wondering if he was there. Now, we're pretty sure of it.*g*)
4. I love to shop at thrift stores and flea markets. (True. Since I'm going on my third new wardrobe in eight months, I'm especially enjoying finding clothes in thrift shops. When I undergrow this size range, I'm out $50 for a week's worth of clothing.)
5. My favorite color is red. (Yes! For most of my life, blue was my fave, but about ten years ago I started noticing how much energy I have when I have bits of red around me. Now I have something red in every room of my house and in my office at work.)
6. I collect Sharpie markers. (True. It is a pathetic obsession, but colorful.)

And that's that! :)

In Which Cammy Does a Meme Thingie

I took this meme from Lidian because it seemed like fun. According to the rules, you have to list six non-important things about yourself, with one of them being a lie.

Here are my six:
1. I have 30 books on my to-be-read shelf.
2. I love turnips!
3. Although I've lived in Memphis my entire life, I've only been to Graceland once and then only to tour the garden.
4. I love to shop at thrift stores and flea markets.
5. My favorite color is red.
6. I collect Sharpie markers.

So there you have it. Which one is an out-and-out lie?

I'll follow Lidian's lead and just offer this up to anyone who wants to take it. It's a fun way to share a little about yourself, even if it is the trivial stuff.

Like Any Old Sunday

And it was. Today was just like any old gray January Sunday. A few nerves because of the training dilemma, but nothing overwhelming. All things considered, the entire weekend was a thumbs up.

I joined a fitness challenge group, which looks like it will be fun, and there seems to be a healthy focus on non-scale victories as well as the numbers. We know how I feel about that, so it felt like a good fit.

Thanks to scalejunkie for letting me join, and for stopping by here with a kind word.

I think simply joining the group helped me through this weekend. When I posted the button in my sidebar and previewed it, that big 60 kind of jumped out at me. Wow. I'm over the 60 pound mark. I really am. Kind of hard to go for a cheeseburger after seeing that. :)

And that was my weekend. I'll hit the 500 mark on cardio tomorrow, and I think I will declare Tuesday a cardio rest day. My toes have earned the break.

I hope anyone reading has a healthy and happy week ahead.

Love at First Sight

Yes, I'm in love. At long last, after years of apathy and sedentarianism, I have found the Meaning of Life. I know not whether this will be an unrequited love--at close to $1000, this gem might be out of my reach. But a girl can drool.

Seriously, this bike has everything: fenders, a rear rack, and front and rear lights powered by the energy of the biker. And, its RED!!!

I may have to set my sights lower for now, but someday that bike will be mine.

This and That

Interesting Fitness Articles from Here and There...

Mayor puts Oklahoma City on a diet. Yep, the whole city. I wish Memphis had a mayor like that.

Americans Opt for Healthy Eating, Not Diets. Whatever you do, don't tell the people in Oklahoma City. In all seriousness, this statement is what jumped out at me:

The most popular diet was one dieters made up for themselves -- helped by more detailed nutritional labels on packaged foods and a plethora of guides to slimming down.