B4 Team-The List

[Bixby17]

Week 253

What are you doing for your health and fitness stuff this week?

Pick one thing, and do it.












I am working on mental health this week. I am really focusing on decluttering my home. It is overwhelming. I'm currently cleaning out my desk and can't believe that much stuff fit in there. Now I have to figure out where to put it.

I am also working on getting a better system for recycling and actually doing it. The whole family went to a recycling plant this weekend for a Boy Scout tour. It was very enlightening.

We learned about landfills and how hard it is to landfill. We learned that communities tend not to have glass for curbside pickup. Not because glass his hard to recycle, but rather because garbage companies can make more money landfilling glass because they get paid by weight, and glass weighs a lot.

I had no idea about the numbers on the bottom of products saying whether something is likely recyclable. Typically, American numbers go up to 7, but most communities are interested in recycling #1 and 2.

Anyway, I'm on a big kick to give away stuff to people that need that stuff and to limit the stuff we buy.

First thing is my desk. Then my closet. Then my bathroom. Then the kids rooms. Then the kitchen. Then the awful drawers that has stuff that needs to be saved but organized.

Decluttering is hard. Maybe it is easy for some people, but I'm not very good at it.

[minimetoo26]

I need to work on momentum. I get tired easily still, so I get going in bursts and just crash. Yesterday had three stops, and the mall stop had four stores, and I was just wiped out. At least Stephen called to tell me the power went out because of all the wind, so I grabbed some rotisserie chicken and cole slaw so I didn't have to cook when I got home.

I'm trying to declutter as well, and it's just not my thing. I'm huge on recycling, so I donate rather than toss most stuff, so I have to have a gathering spot for all the donated items, and it has to be more like a hiding place so the kids don't "undonate" everything, so I'm having trouble getting into my closet. Maybe I won't wait for the pickup and just load it all into my dad's truck and bring it to the thrift store myself. All I know is that after Rain Man's birthday at the end of the month, we will have accumulated 6 people's worth of birthday and Christmas stuff in 5 months. So something's gotta go....

[Bixby17]

I need to work on momentum. I get tired easily still, so I get going in bursts and just crash. Yesterday had three stops, and the mall stop had four stores, and I was just wiped out. At least Stephen called to tell me the power went out because of all the wind, so I grabbed some rotisserie chicken and cole slaw so I didn't have to cook when I got home.

I'm trying to declutter as well, and it's just not my thing. I'm huge on recycling, so I donate rather than toss most stuff, so I have to have a gathering spot for all the donated items, and it has to be more like a hiding place so the kids don't "undonate" everything, so I'm having trouble getting into my closet. Maybe I won't wait for the pickup and just load it all into my dad's truck and bring it to the thrift store myself. All I know is that after Rain Man's birthday at the end of the month, we will have accumulated 6 people's worth of birthday and Christmas stuff in 5 months. So something's gotta go....

I know all about the donating and undonating thing.

We do the Toy Fixit shop.

We pull out all the toys and put batteries in the ones that need batteries, and find all the pieces and parts that went missing. And then we pull out the toys we can give to kids that don't have toys.

Sometimes there are regrets about the donations.

[kusch]

I will continue getting to the gym. I will also get in some walking while visting the daughters later this week and into the early part of next week.

[ladysoleil]

I'm going to play a heck of a lot of Guitar Hero III.

(Don't laugh yet, there's method to my madness...)

It may be goofy, but beating the heck out of a plastic guitar destresses me and gives me something to do with my hands, and I've found that both the boy and I had a bad habit of lighting up during commercial breaks. Doing something with the TV set other than watching it is good. It can't be physically possible to play "One" by Metallica on any difficulty setting and still be coordinated enough to manage to keep something burning anywhere near your hands.

I'm not sold on the hype that the Wii is a good fitness tool, but I'm convinced that getting up and moving around with the thing is still a better idea than sitting on the couch snacking and clutching the remote.

Keeping up the keeping up with the healthy eating, although that doesn't take a lot of effort, since the boy has to and it's easier to eat what he eats than to cook separately for myself.

This will be a better week.

[Ritterskoop]

I finally made it into the pool yesterday. It can only charitably be called swimming, but I went from one end to the other for 15 minutes. The course I'll do in October is in a pool, only 250 yards. As long as they put me in the back where I'm not in anyone's way, it'll be fine.

I will walk with Mom twice this week and swim once more.

I did my first bench press in months and it went well, though I am sore today.

[Bixby17]

I'm going to play a heck of a lot of Guitar Hero III.

(Don't laugh yet, there's method to my madness...)

It may be goofy, but beating the heck out of a plastic guitar destresses me and gives me something to do with my hands, and I've found that both the boy and I had a bad habit of lighting up during commercial breaks. Doing something with the TV set other than watching it is good. It can't be physically possible to play "One" by Metallica on any difficulty setting and still be coordinated enough to manage to keep something burning anywhere near your hands.

I'm not sold on the hype that the Wii is a good fitness tool, but I'm convinced that getting up and moving around with the thing is still a better idea than sitting on the couch snacking and clutching the remote.

Keeping up the keeping up with the healthy eating, although that doesn't take a lot of effort, since the boy has to and it's easier to eat what he eats than to cook separately for myself.

This will be a better week.

Wii boxing can make your arms and back sore as heck. My kids like to watch me play until the computer beats me. That takes some time.

Wii Fit has come out in Japan, and it is due for the second quarter in the US. It's supposed to have various balance games along with it. Basically, you put it on the floor and stand on it and it can tell if you are following along.

[Snaxx]

Flu started to recede, then the fever came back tonight, coughing with a first sighting of dark phlegm so I'm off to the doctor tomorrow. It will be a while before I get back to exercise kind of stuff.

[AnnieCamaro]

This week, I will keep growing skin. This is how good I've done so far.

When I first came home from the hospital, the hole on my back had an 8" x 10" bandage pad that didn't quite cover all the open place. Now the hole on my back is about 2" x 3-1/2", and the opening is still red, but it's not so sticky. I'm hoping to have a nice smooth back with pink skin all grown together by the time my friends come to visit in 10 days. At any rate, I don't want them to think I'm scary looking. I think the pink is pretty. That's a good thing, I guess, because I don't know yet if the fur will grow back.

/:P\

[kayrharris]

Annie, Sweetie, do not worry about looking scary. I'm the one that might scare you....another year older and all that you know.

You've made remarkable progress. Keep up the good work! See you in 10 days.

[KillerTomato]

I've held off talking about this until now, because I've always been a bit self-conscious about my weight. But today, I'm actually proud of myself, and my progress, and I want to share.

Back about 4 months ago, I decided that I was going to give myself a nice present for my 45th birthday, coming up this May. In fact, it would also be my Christmas gift for last year, this year, and even down to an Arbor Day gift to myself. I wanted to go somewhere I'd never been, and given that it'll still be early spring, somewhere warm would be nice...get rid of the cold from my bones after the winter.

I've also much taken to cruising (no, not the bars, on the sea!). But I've been to the Caribbean, and Mexico just didn't seem that special. Alaska was a thought, but in early May, it's too cold and not that many cruise lines go there that early. Hey, I thought to myself, what about Hawaii? I've never been, and always wanted to go. And I know there are cruises that tour the islands, which seems a perfect way to see them. No packing and unpacking, time wasted at the airport, yada yada.

So after much searching, researching and checking on the various options, I chose a line (Carnival), itinerary (Honolulu, Kauai, the Big Island and Maui, ending in Vancouver), and dates (leaving just before my birthday, getting home a few days after). And I started looking for what to do when on the islands. Several day trips, including snorkeling, Pearl Harbor, and a visit to Volcanoes National Park and Kilauea all appealed to me...but one other thing did too: a helicopter tour of Kauai.

There was one hitch: while the price was steep to begin with, the company charges a 50% premium for passengers who weigh over 250 pounds. In essence, you have to buy a second seat, since there are weight limits and distribution problems. And at that time, I was 20 pounds over that weight, and the heaviest I've ever been.

So I started doing Nutrisystem, and lost about 15 pounds relatively easily. Too easily, in fact...since when the holidays rolled around, I was so sure I could make the weight limit for the flight that I went off the diet...and gained almost 10 of it right back. After the new year, I started back on, and got back on the treadmill 3-5 times a week (I targeted 3 miles per day). But I still cheated...a lot, and while I lost a few pounds, I still had a long row to hoe. I wanted to get down to no more than 240, preferably much less than that...and I had a ways to go. So Ash Wednesday came last week...I was hovering at 258. And I made myself give up cheating on my diet and exercise for Lent.

This morning, I stepped on the scale for my weekly weigh in...And found myself staring at the numbers "2-5-1 - point - 0". I was so amazed, I jumped off, and weighed myself again. And again. And still that 251.0 stared back. About 7 pounds in a week. I'm still flabbergasted. So... a minimum of 11 more pounds in the next 5 weeks (a very achievable goal), and another month to make sure I don't scare any small children on the boat when I go swimming...

As an interim reward, once I hit 240 (and get my income tax refund), I'm giving myself a new camera. And I'm also giving myself another incentive: I read recently that one good way to motivate yourself is to make a contract. If you don't reach your (achievable) goal within a given time frame, you have to make a donation to a cause that truly disgusts you, like the American Nazi Party or whatever. So if when I leave for Honolulu on May 2nd, I'm not under 240, I will have to write a check in the amount of $1000 to the cause that disgusts me the most:

The George W. Bush Presidential Library.

(And to offset it, I'll also send a check to both Make a Wish and the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation....but I'll do that whether I make it or not!)

(Is it wrong of me to wonder whether "The Pet Goat" will be available at the W Library?)

[kayrharris]

I'm very proud of you KT. Drink your water and keep up that exercise.
As you know, it is very easy to get exercise in on a cruise, so there is no excuse to put the weight back on while you're gone.

Good luck! I know you can do it! We're all pulling for you. Heck, I'll make a donation in your honor to Make a Wish and the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I mean it!

[MarleysGh0st]

Congratulations on your progress, KT, and keep up the good work! You wouldn't want to write that check, now that you're committed.

The cruise sounds great! Are you going solo? If so, what's the single cabin surcharge?

[KillerTomato]

Congratulations on your progress, KT, and keep up the good work! You wouldn't want to write that check, now that you're committed.

The cruise sounds great! Are you going solo? If so, what's the single cabin surcharge?

Yes, I'm going solo (which I prefer, since I never have to worry about what anyone else wants to do). Basically, they're charging me double for the cabin. But I knew this wasn't going to be a cheap vacation, and I AM using my frequent flyer miles to upgrade both sets of flights to first class. I was only really worried about the flight to Honolulu (about 10 hours in the air, with a 1 1/2 hour layover in Phoenix), but I also had enough to upgrade the Seattle to Pittsburgh half, too.

[MarleysGh0st]

Basically, they're charging me double for the cabin.

Sheesh!

That's one more reason I prefer small ships; I can find cabins with a more reasonable single supplement (even if the basic fare is much higher than on the megaliners).

So, you're flying back from Hawaii, instead of taking a roundtrip cruise?

[KillerTomato]

Basically, they're charging me double for the cabin.

Sheesh!

That's one more reason I prefer small ships; I can find cabins with a more reasonable single supplement (even if the basic fare is much higher than on the megaliners).

So, you're flying back from Hawaii, instead of taking a roundtrip cruise?

Given the limited number of lines that work Hawaii (most do so only as a stopover from the South Pacific to their summer ports of Vancouver or Mexico), I didn't have much choice. I could have taken a Norwegian ship that goes round-trip from Honolulu, but a) the flights were more expensive and b) the reviews of the ships they have in Hawaii basically sucked. The problem is that, unless you sail to a foreign port at some point, the ship has to fly under a US flag, with a US crew...and they can't get good staff from the domestic end. The ships in question have been called gross by more than one reviewer...so I shied away. That left me with a Carnival cruise (Honolulu to Kauai to Kona to Hilo to Maui to Vancouver) or Royal Caribbean (basically the same itinerary, but minus Kauai and ending in Ensenada, Mexico). The RC cruise was 2 days shorter(and didn't include Kauai), but several hundred dollars more....so I went the Carnival route.

As for my flights, I fly Pittsburgh to Phoenix/Phoenix to Honolulu on May 2. Then after we get to Vancouver, I transfer by bus to Seattle (again, a couple of hundred cheaper) and fly Seattle - Las Vegas (1 hour layover), Vegas - Pittsburgh.

[christie1111]

Oh, and as promised, I will supply the name and number of one prominent police official.

Officially MORE prominent tomorrow!

[silvercamaro]

Oh, and as promised, I will supply the name and number of one prominent police official.

Officially MORE prominent tomorrow!

Oh, good! I'm sure KT will have far more contact with the police than I did.

[Ritterskoop]

Today I joined a 10,000 Steps program at school. The HR people or someone had gotten a grant to pay for the pedometers for 100 staff and faculty, which I qualified even though part-time. Students pay $15, which is not so bad.

The program starts Thursday, which is Heart Day, and runs 8 weeks. They said to do nothing different the first four days, so they can get a baseline. Then we can start working toward 10,000 steps a day, or more.

They have a website to enter the steps each day, plus it has a forum and chat. It'll probably be way cool for the full-timers who are there dayside.

[Bixby17]

I've held off talking about this until now, because I've always been a bit self-conscious about my weight. But today, I'm actually proud of myself, and my progress, and I want to share.

Back about 4 months ago, I decided that I was going to give myself a nice present for my 45th birthday, coming up this May. In fact, it would also be my Christmas gift for last year, this year, and even down to an Arbor Day gift to myself. I wanted to go somewhere I'd never been, and given that it'll still be early spring, somewhere warm would be nice...get rid of the cold from my bones after the winter.

I've also much taken to cruising (no, not the bars, on the sea!). But I've been to the Caribbean, and Mexico just didn't seem that special. Alaska was a thought, but in early May, it's too cold and not that many cruise lines go there that early. Hey, I thought to myself, what about Hawaii? I've never been, and always wanted to go. And I know there are cruises that tour the islands, which seems a perfect way to see them. No packing and unpacking, time wasted at the airport, yada yada.

So after much searching, researching and checking on the various options, I chose a line (Carnival), itinerary (Honolulu, Kauai, the Big Island and Maui, ending in Vancouver), and dates (leaving just before my birthday, getting home a few days after). And I started looking for what to do when on the islands. Several day trips, including snorkeling, Pearl Harbor, and a visit to Volcanoes National Park and Kilauea all appealed to me...but one other thing did too: a helicopter tour of Kauai.

There was one hitch: while the price was steep to begin with, the company charges a 50% premium for passengers who weigh over 250 pounds. In essence, you have to buy a second seat, since there are weight limits and distribution problems. And at that time, I was 20 pounds over that weight, and the heaviest I've ever been.

So I started doing Nutrisystem, and lost about 15 pounds relatively easily. Too easily, in fact...since when the holidays rolled around, I was so sure I could make the weight limit for the flight that I went off the diet...and gained almost 10 of it right back. After the new year, I started back on, and got back on the treadmill 3-5 times a week (I targeted 3 miles per day). But I still cheated...a lot, and while I lost a few pounds, I still had a long row to hoe. I wanted to get down to no more than 240, preferably much less than that...and I had a ways to go. So Ash Wednesday came last week...I was hovering at 258. And I made myself give up cheating on my diet and exercise for Lent.

This morning, I stepped on the scale for my weekly weigh in...And found myself staring at the numbers "2-5-1 - point - 0". I was so amazed, I jumped off, and weighed myself again. And again. And still that 251.0 stared back. About 7 pounds in a week. I'm still flabbergasted. So... a minimum of 11 more pounds in the next 5 weeks (a very achievable goal), and another month to make sure I don't scare any small children on the boat when I go swimming...

As an interim reward, once I hit 240 (and get my income tax refund), I'm giving myself a new camera. And I'm also giving myself another incentive: I read recently that one good way to motivate yourself is to make a contract. If you don't reach your (achievable) goal within a given time frame, you have to make a donation to a cause that truly disgusts you, like the American Nazi Party or whatever. So if when I leave for Honolulu on May 2nd, I'm not under 240, I will have to write a check in the amount of $1000 to the cause that disgusts me the most:

The George W. Bush Presidential Library.

(And to offset it, I'll also send a check to both Make a Wish and the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation....but I'll do that whether I make it or not!)

(Is it wrong of me to wonder whether "The Pet Goat" will be available at the W Library?)

The helicopter tour of Kauai is awesome. It is one of my favorite trip memories.

Good luck and keep on keeping on.

[kayrharris]

I have a pedometer I got from work. I was amazed that I could walk 10,000 steps in a day just around my house, but some days I do. I had to look up how many steps are in a mile using a pedometer, which can vary depending on your height and stride. I'm using 2200 for myself, but it can be anywhere from 2000 - 2500.

Someone here had a more accurate formula to use(maybe AJ) when I first got it. It does make you aware of how much walking you actually do in a day.

[peacock2121]

You go, KT!

Excellent work.

I could picture you getting on and off the scale in my head.

Made me grin and grin!

[peacock2121]

Being back in NY, my goal this week is to get back into a routine - both exercise wise and eating wise.

Very pleased that I gained no poundage while away - and may have lost one.

[mrkelley23]

Didn't do so hot at the hotel -- good intentions did not happen.

Will get back on the horse today, since we're off school (snow day!).

I'll take all three kids with me, too.