My Latest Experiment

Okay... lots of workouts to log in and my records got a bit spotty at the end of the month! But first, details on my experiment:

Every so often, I get it in my head that I’m going to try some new experiment with my body or my mindset or whatever to improve my life exponentially and achieve some sort of ridiculous and lofty ambition. This is one of those times.

Now, usually these peter out in about a week and a half but, every so often, one happens to succeed and I do something rather stupid and run a marathon or something (2001). This time around, I’ve somehow agreed to compete in the 2009 CrossFit Games Qualifiers in Calgary. Yep. I am about to get my ass handed to me in spectacular fashion. Of course, the fine folks organizing the thing are being super awesome about it and have noted that they allow for modification and the qualifiers are open to any and all people, regardless of ability to do a handstand push up (yes, someone thought it was a good idea to combine those two exercises together). Um, I am NOT one of those people.

To get myself ready for this latest challenge, I’m going to see exactly what happens when a 34 year old reformed smoker and excouch potato follows the “CrossFit in 100 Words or Less” prescription. Just how quickly can I progress? Here it goes:

"Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports."

I’m also going to be proper and stick to the three on, one off schedule that I don’t usually follow (I usually string six or seven days in a row on followed by a couple off to heal up whatever body part is nearing horrific injury). Aaron and Robin have put together a pretty cool program for us to follow that includes one strength day, one sprint day and one heavy metabolic conditioning day followed by a day of rest.

So, yeah, because nothing really happens unless you post it on the internets, I’m going to blog this little experiment to see how I do with my workouts and if following the core basics of the program really improves my fitness levels quickly.

Today’s my first strength day and we’re doing the back squat, deadlift and shoulderpress followed by a short met con.

Ps. I want some fucking sugar. Arg! Sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar!

P.p.s. I'm super excited for my first actual workout in Lucy, the new gym. Yay!

P.p.p.s. SUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update! My lifts were as follows:
Back squat:
45lbs x 5 x 2
95lbs x 5
115lbs x 5
135lbs x 5 x 3

Shoulder Press
45lbs x 5 x 2
55lbs x 5 x 3

Dead Lift
95lbs x 5
135 x 5
160lbs x 5 x 3

The mini workout after was 4 rounds of 10 45lb bell swings and 5 20" box jumps. Kelly and I finished together at 3:07, with Chrystal and Robin finishing just ahead of us.

My nutrition was also spot on today. I've let way too many treats sneak in lately and, wow, I had some fun with sugar withdrawl. I was CRAVING. Oh well. It only lasts a couple of days and then it goes away and I was already rewarded. I gotta say, the better your nutrition, the more awesome your workout.

Anyhoodle, I have assloads of workouts over the past few weeks to put in here...

09-02-17
2km row
2 minute rest

3 rounds of:
30 sit ups
30 35lb good mornings

I opted to uber rx this one and used 45lbs on the good mornings and then I finished with another 2km row. My times were as follows:
8:24 (row 1)
7:45 (sit ups and good mornings)
8:52 (row 2)

09-02-18
Push Press
3-3-3-3-3

65lbs. 75lbs, 85lbs, 95lbs, 105 x 1, 100lbs

I also practiced my L-sit (crazy core exercise) as well as double unders (skipping).

09-02-19
10 rounds of:
10 135lb deadlifts
10 Knees to Elbows (okay I am linking to these because they're crazy)

But wait! After the 100 deadlifts and 100 knees to elbows, there's more!

Rest 2 minutes then 2km row.

My times were 28:52 and 9:01 on the row. I am not good at knees to elbows and need to work on them. This is one of those workouts that made me love CrossFit even more. Completely evil workout and I was trashed after but, wow, it sure makes you feel like a rock star!

09-02-20

Cindy on Steroids
I LOVE the workout Cindy. This had a few more reps!

As many rounds as possible of:
15 pull ups
30 push ups
45 squats

I managed 3 rounds + 15+14. I had to switch to the 50lb resistance band half way on the pull ups since I'm switching my grip from an incorrect full-palm grip on the bar to the proper finger grip and I was losing a lot of skin on my fingers as I don't have a good callous built up on them yet. A bit less of a load helped my get through it. I'm happy to report that I'm off the band again and back doing proper pull ups. It just took a couple of weeks to get the grip issues resolved to some degree. Its still something I need to focus on, though.

09-02-22
Jeff's Modified Jim Jones Unworthy Workout

Jim Jone's trained the guys from the movie 300. If you are unfamiliar with his work, may I present to you King Leonitus of Sparta. Feel free to drool a bit on your keyboard:

Here is a mash up of two different workouts that they did to look like that in the movie. I'm linking to these, too. Manmakers are KRAZEE. Go do some!

Squats 80-40-20-40-80
35lb Kettlebell Swings 40-20-10-20-40
2 x 15lb Renegade Man-Makers 20-10-5-10-20

You do it as a circuit so 80 squats, 40 kbell swings, 20 manmakers, 40 squats, 20 bell swings, 10 manmakers, 20 squats.... etc until you're done.

My time was 41 minutes and change. I didn't write it down (boo!) but I was faster than Shannon but slower than Brad and both of them handily (unlike me) posted their results on the message board.

09-02-24
Christine - another benchmark workout (they're named after girls). Christine is a great workout that really tries your lower body strength and endurance by just shredding you up. She's one of my faves! The last time I did Christine was on December 26th and I got 17:02. This time, the goal was to break 15mintes and I did with a time of 14:45. Woo hoo!

The workout is as follows:
3 rounds of:
500 meter row
12 body weight deadlifts (145lbs for me)
21 20" box jumps

I was especially happy with my time as I also managed to fall off of the box into our trainer, Chris, and the GHD machine. Gouged my leg up but kept on going.

09-02-25
Burpees on the minute and practice with power cleans and shoulder presses!

On the minute workouts go as follows, minute one, one burpee, minute two, two burpees, minute three, three burpees... continue until you can't do the required number of burpees in the minute alloted. I managed 11 minutes plus 10 (so close!). I then practiced my power cleans and shoulder press and learned some great techniques from Robin, the gym owner, who'd just got back from a training course with Mark Rippetoe.

09-02-26
As many rounds as possible of:
10 pull ups
15 burpees
20 15lbx2 dumbbell push press

I managed 4 rounds + 10+11. I stayed off the band the entire time for the pull ups and stuck exclusively with the finger grip but, wow, I managed to mangle my poor fingers. Blister city! Good workout, though!

09-02-28
Last workout at our old CrossFit Regina facility that was lovingly referred to as Betty. I met up with a couple of the trainers who're also going to qualifiers for some strength work. I tackled 3 x 5 back squats and picked up a few great pointers from both Ang and Robin. It was great. Then came the workout. For time, as a team, carry all of the gym equipment from Betty to Lucy, the new gym a block away.

Here are some highlights!

It was fun! We got everything moved over in under an hour! Also, can I just say this is one of the things I love about CrossFit - the community aspect. Seriously, how much fun is it that we physically moved the gym together as a big team.

09-03-01
Outdoor Carry, Run and Press

Um, you know how I said I am refusing to run outside until it warms up? Yeah, well, scratch that because Lucy has no plumbing so they ran the workout outside.

It goes as follows: With a -30C windchill:

3 rounds for time:
400 m run with 45lb salt bag or 20lb medicine ball
400 m run without bag or ball
10 Clean & Press with bag or ball

I started with the bag but it broke open half way through so I had to switch to the ball. I preferred the bag, honestly, as it was a bit easier to run with. I didn't have my book with me so I didn't write down my time but it was 21:something, if I remember correctly.

And, I already noted today's workout! I guess I'm done and all caught up.

CrossFit Convert

As a quick update, in August Jim posted some YouTube videos of CrossFit workouts that looked like hella fun. About the same time, Carol did up a Team Asylum (my online fitness team peeps at Tracker) team thread about trying new things and not being a chicken shit. So, I decided to give CrossFit a try and, luckily, a box had just opened up in Regina in May. Signed up for Foundations and gave my first workout a try (it was 1000 Islands) and have been hooked ever since.

I've been blogging my workouts over on Fitcysters and I'm going to drag them all over here so I have my info all in one place... It'll take me a while as I've blogged every workout from late September 08 to Feb 09 and I go five days a week.

September 25, 2008 - Hey Runners - Try this one!
Wow, just, wow. My hamstrings are toasted. My hip flexors are done. The runs reminded me of nightmares I used to have as a kid where someone is chasing you and you're running as hard as you can but you're moving sooooo very, very slowly. I'm a runner and I'm pretty fast but this workout so completely exhausted the muscles I use to run so I ended up barely able to do the measly 800 meters at a pace where old people and possibly turtles and even sloths could have passed me easily. It was ridiculous. I am hoping I will be able to walk tomorrow. I LOVE CROSSFIT!

3 rounds for time:
800 meter Run
50 Good Mornings - 45/35lb
50 Situps (sit ups, not crunches)

I am very happy to say that I completed this monster is 28:20 and as Rx'd. Yes!

As for if I could do a chin up - sorta. I could do it from a 20" box but not from a dead hang. So, they're coming along. I was also able to do a static ring hold for almost 20 seconds, which is the first step to being able to do a ring dip!

As for the burpee challenge, I am short 20 today. I got half done before my workout and was able to do about seven after before I fell on the floor and couldn't get back up.

September 24, 2008 - Cleans on the Minute
Today's WOD was fabulous! I LOVE power lifts. We did power cleans on the minute. You do one power clean on the first minute, two cleans on the second minute, three cleans on the third minute, etc until you can no longer complete the required number of reps within 60 seconds. I made 11 rounds with an additional six cleans before I konked out. I used a 65 pound barbell - next time I'll go for the prescribed weight of 75 pounds for women. Finished it all up with a timed 2k run - did the first lap with the hubby and then took off on my own for the second so I was a bit slower than I'd like at 10:30. I also did my 55 burpees (from the knee) for the burpee challenge this morning before work and then threw an additional 50 (rx'd from plank) into my warm up before the workout. My knees are getting cranky so I think I'm done for the day.

For a demo of the power clean, here you go!
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_RipBBPowerCleanJump.wmv

Tomorrow, I am going to make an attempt at an unassisted chin up before my workout when I do my negatives. I think I'm pretty close. Pull ups, on the other hand, not so much. :)

September 23, 2008 - Running Burpees - First workout as Rx'd!
Today's workout was a gooder and CrossFit Regina's puke bucket was finally christened by some poor guy at the 6:00 a.m. session. Here's the workout of the day, for time:

400m run
15 burpees
200m run
12 burpees
200m run
9 burpees
200m run
12 burpees
200m run
15 burpees
400m run

I did the push up portion of the burpees from a plank position instead of from the modded knee position so I finally accomplished a workout as Rx'd. Yay! My time was 17:54. I'm feeling pretty good tonight so, once my supper settles I might try and knock a hundred or so burpees off what's left of my buy in amount (400 left of 820) for the burpee challenge.

08-09-22 - A bell, a box and a skipping rope (and 53 non modded burpees)

Oh, and a pistol squat. Woot!

Here was today's CrossFit workout.

AMRAP in 20 minutes:
(AMRAP = As Many Rounds As Possible)
10 Bell Swings -55lbs/35lbs
20 Box Jumps - 24"
30 Double-Unders

I used 30lbs for the first round and it was easy so I switched to the 35lb bell for the rest of the workout. Box jumps I modded down to a 20" box because there were only two 24" available and the class was full up so I left them for the folks who were going for the workout as Rx'd. I did 30 skips and 30 tuck ups for the double unders until I can get that skill down. Managed to make 4 rounds plus all swings, box jumps, skips and 19 tuck unders - so I was close to getting in five. Also got in 53 burpees for the challenge and I didn't have to modify the push up portion - woot! I'm getting stronger!

As for the pistol squats, which are part of the gym challenge, I was able to do them with my left leg but not my right. I thought that was pretty cool!

Day One

Yesterday I woke up with a food hangover with a giant new zit on my chin and cranky as hell. Anyhoodle, a workout and some yummy, healthy food and the last four episodes of Dexter Season 1 did the trick and, as of this morning, I’m feeling human again (but sleepy – meh, I was up late all worried about Kurt, who stayed with his mom last night at the hospice).

Nutrition
Breakfast:
Omega Egg Whites with 0.5 ounce gouda and Salsa
1 cup blueberries, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp crushed walnuts

Brunch
Homemade chicken, vegetable and black bean soup

Lunch
Omega Egg Whites with 0.5 ounce gouda and Salsa
1 orange

Supper
4 ounces chicken breast with habanero pepper sauce, lime and 1 tsp canola oil
½ can black beans cooked with more habanero sauce and seasoning
Roasted red pepper spears tossed in 1 tsp canola oil

Post Workout Meal:
Omega Egg Whites with 1 ounce gouda and Salsa
1 cup blueberries, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp crushed walnuts
1 orange
2 ounces roasted chicken

The last meal, I was still hungry so I had two servings of eggs (that’s why there’s an ounce of gouda) and the extra piece of fruit and a wee snorgle of chicken.

My workout was kinda lame. I decided to try out the 1st stage of workouts in the New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women and, today, I’m not feeling like I did something different. That’s generally NOT how I feel after I’ve tried a new Alwyn Cosgrove workout. I took a peak at Stage 2 and, yep, it looks like a body masher so I think I’m going to skip ahead a bit.

Late Night Ponderings and a Light Bulb Moment

I’ve been doing some poking around lately and I stumbled across a couple of articles/suggestions and had a little eureka moment last night while I was all bemoany about the change in rules where Canucks will no longer be eligible for consideration in the big EAS BFL challenge.

The first was a suggestion from Kat Carney on Soulcysters to take 90 days and write down exactly what you’re doing and then take that info to your doctor if you aren’t losing weight. Now, for me, I know I’ll lose, etc. but if I’m still not be regulated, zit free, etc. I’d like to use this to show my doctor I might need additional intervention. Basically, the idea is to be your own science project.

The second was a phenomenal article about the Tao Athlete that I’m going to have to read a couple of times to fully digest. On first reading, there were a couple of things that really stood out to me.

“The Tao and the Tao nature is about the path, the fulfillment or filling you up from being on the path. It’s about YOUR path. It is unique. The Tao is about balance. It is beautiful in its context that it can be about pure devotion and commitment but at the same time not be about obsessive compulsive preoccupation with outcomes, or results or externals that take us off its path and away from balance.“

In the past, I’ve worked out because I want to achieve a certain result. I want to lose and inch off my waist; I want to fit into a certain sized pants by a certain date. And then I get obsessive and weird and start losing momentum. Workouts become a chore and I get cranky about eating clean. I forget that I also enjoy my time when I work out, the rhythm of my breathing, the quiet reflection when I’m lifting, the zing of energy mid workout that gets me up and dancing like a fool between sets (yay for working out at home without an audience). I like how the act of working out makes me feel both in the moment and in my life in general. It’s a part of who I am and how I live and why can’t the results be of no consequence?

The second part that really had me nodding and agreeing with my computer screen was:

“Like any house, the more I like the surroundings and lack of clutter and the more clean and organized that environment, than the more likely I am to think more clearly and “be” a better me.”

The whole idea of having measurable goals and never being happy with your results and eating only for fuel is great and all for other people but it ain’t for me. It doesn’t light a fire. Not all of us are cookie cutter molds of one another. I don’t need to fit it – it is extraneous to how I live my life. I don’t have to have another person’s feelings in order to feel like I’m doing right.

The last bit was my initial, aformentioned bemoaniness at the BFL challenge changes. I was pissed! And then, after a while it dawned on me - this could be good. No more official starts. No more official ends! No more freaking if I'm PMSing in my last week and my photos won't show enough definition. No more four week freak out. No more start weights and no more cholking down EAS protein powder at least once so I can officially enter. No more feeling bad about hating a.m. cardio! Woohoo! The best is NO MORE COMPETITION. I don't have to try and fit my square, type B peg into a round type A hole (hee) and set SMART goals and measure against and pretend like I get off on all that shit. I never again will do another “challenge” or step on a scale or measure myself to see if I'm "succeeding" or not or take photos at set times and submit a package.

Anyhoo, I took all of this, swirled it around in my noggin for a few days and, last night, it all mashed itself up and turned into this…

I’m going to enjoy myself and the process. Now, because I need some baseline data to take to my doctor to see if I need some extra oomph in managing my PCOS, I’m going to track what I do but, for myself, I'm going to track how I feel. For me, this is about feeling great, and allowing that to help me be a better me. Am I feeling excited? Energized? Fulfilled? Am I having fun? How does my body feel? Is my physical self happy? If not, do I need to do something different?

Doing things last minute...

I am – as per my usual fashion of doing everything at the very last second - starting my umpteenth BFL challenge just days before the cut off for 2007. This will be my first actual official challenge so far this year (and, apparently, my last given the time frames). I had too many cheesy poofs by the pool this summer. We shall see how this goes as my dystonia has been significantly worse since I quit smoking (I’m batting 50/50 these days) and the fall is generally a rough time with it no matter.

I made it the full 72 hours - Squee!

It takes 72 hours to get nicotine out of your system. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't that good, either. But it wasn't complete and utter hell.

So, now it's supposed to slowly get better and better. I can't wait 'cause I'm tired of feeling like crap.

Anyhoo, working out like a lunatic seems to help with the mood swings, cravings, and brain fog. Today, day three and supposedly the hardest of all days, I logged in an hour and 45 minutes of moderate cardio (my HR was around 155-165 so around 70 per cent max) and also did my lower body weight training.

I don't have a solution for the whole "I gained 10 pounds in three days and I look like I'm five months pregnant because my belly is distended" thing that I have going on, though. Oh, well, that should subside soon, too (I hope - damn, I don't have any pants that fit! Hell, I don't think they even MAKE pants to fit, aside from those maternity things with the stretchy waist).

So, in short, cold turkey isn't THAT bad.

Quitting Smoking

Tomorrow, I am quitting smoking. I've been thinking a lot about this, talking to folks who have quit, thinking back on the first time I quit for a year (and went back) and perusing the nine million stop smoking sites on the internet.

We've really created this mythos around quitting smoking and talk about how hard and shitty it is and how terrible you will feel. I've seen a lot of comparisons to quitting heroin. Sorry folks, but quitting smoking will not result in some Trainspottingesque withdrawl moment where you're going to hallucinate about a dead baby crawling across the ceiling. It's not gonna be that bad. Millions of people have done it and made it out alive. They go to work, drive their kids to hockey, go grocery shopping, and do laundry all while managing withdrawl just fine.

So, I'm going for mind over matter here. Smoking is gross. I don't like it. I don't like the taste. It smells bad. I don't want to smoke so I'm not going to smoke anymore. And I'm only going to feel wonky and messed up for three days and IT ISN'T GOING TO BE THAT BAD. I'm going to deal with it just fine. After three days I'll be feeling fine and after that, it's all just the emotional addiction and waiting out cravings.

I think once you get into that mindset that it is impossible to quit or that it is so hard it requires a feat of superhuman strength to accomplish, you're setting yourself up for failure. It becomes easier to give up than it does to quit. So, why build it into some kind of freaky monster?

Quitting smoking is going to be relatively painless. My body will adapt quickly and I will begin feeling better very quickly.

So there!

That’s the Kind of Day it’s Been

You know you need to get more sleep when, mid afternoon, you realize that you’ve only put antiperspirant on one armpit.

Go me!

I’m having fun with working out in our home gym (read: corner of our bedroom where we’ve jumbled all our plates, bars, bench, dumbbells, elliptical and one of those lame ass Tony Little Gazelles – sole useful purpose: a prop for weighted calf raises). Last night, when I’m hitting my 10 on HIIT, hubby decides it’s a good idea to microwave some popcorn. The good? Not craving popcorn, anymore. The bad? A mess on the carpet beside the elliptical. Not something that people who work out in a gym have to contend with.

Another thing – watching out for cats. I don’t know how many times I’ve nearly smooshed Smudge with a bar and I fear for his tail around the elliptical, which he likes to rub against when I’m working out on it. The fun part, though, is when I’m doing crunches, he’ll come lay on his back beside me and look at me like, “this is fun, let’s all lie down on the floor togethers and shit. I dig working out!”

I’m too lazy to write out my dystonia update from last week and I have to get hopping on this bloody power point presentation that I’m going to be going through with a bunch of people in, oh, 45 minutes. I’m mostly just too darn excited over 23.6 per cent body fat that I hit this weekend – squee! Seriously, all I want to do is phone up everyone I know and obsess over it. Not particularly healthy, but whatever! Needless to say, I’m stoked for progress pics next week.

A Week with Dystonia

For shits and giggles, I thought I would provide a summary of my last week as it pertains to my generalized dystonia with a side of chorea (Oooh! Exciting!):

Monday, March 5, 2007
– Feeling great! Have a great workout! Work was great! Life’s great! Am a bit sniffly and I’m worried that I’m getting Kurt’s cold.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007
- Wake up with the start of a cold.
- Triggered by a touch from behind (my penultimate boss’ assistant grabbed my arm – sorry, no dirty story), which curled my right foot and both hands and caused my abs to contract, pulling me forward but I am able to walk
- Triggered by noise, as I have to knock on the door to the office because I forgot my key. Go into full body posture (legs up, shoulders pulled, arms sticking out, hands splayed, feet curled, neck pulled to the side) on the floor save the abs, which spasm hard. Mail Room Pat lets me into the office and we kind of drag/pull me in from the hall so no one steps on me – thanks Mail Room Pat! Because I’m lying down, my head is knocked on the floor every time my abs let go – ouch! A coworker brings me a sweater to put under my head. I kind of also want an advil or something. In five minutes, my body relaxes enough so I can get up. My feet are curled, my shoulder is pulled down, my neck is tilted and my abs are contracted, but I can walk to my desk. Throughout the morning, symptoms improve. At noon, I can walk a couple of blocks aided by my husband. By 2:30, after a branch meeting with our new ad agency, I am back to normal.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007
- Yup, it’s a cold.
- Fine throughout the day and am not symptomatic save for a slight “itching” feel in my abdominals and leg muscles (it isn’t really an itch, but it the best I can come up with to describe it).
- That evening, I get into a fight with my hubby over driving me somewhere as I’m not comfortable behind the wheel of a 1000 pound death machine when a horn honk might set me off. My foot ends up curling up and my hands splay out. It lasts about 5 minutes. Stress can set me off when I’m symptomatic and I find fighting with people (interpersonal stress) to be difficult to manage.

Thursday to Sunday , March 8 to 11, 2007
- I’m fine except for a wicked cold.
- Am able to do weight training but hold on the HIIT on the weekend.

Monday, March 12, 2007
- Wake up tired with that itchy feeling in my muscles again. My cold is almost gone, though.
- Have the occasional (like a couple or so an hour) muscle spasm in my abdominals throughout the day but that is it and I wonder why it wants to act up.
- Hubby slaps me on the ass (he does this, whatever) and my abdominals clench and my right shoulder pulls down. It lasts about a minute. Again I wonder why it is acting up.
- Oh, never mind, I get my period. It always acts up when I get my period.
- By 9:00, I’m fine again so I do HIIT.

The Squidge!

Hey! It’s the last day of my 3rd Body for Life challenge and I’m feeling really good. I did lower body yesterday and was able to increase my weight for both my squats and my straight legged deadlifts. Woot! I’m also starting to get… the squidge. Basically, the squidge is what happens when you start shrinking. It ain't pretty but whatever. It gets a bit worse before it gets a lot better.

You know those people with rock hard, beach ball sized bellies? Yeah, THOSE people. They need to get down with the squidge. The squidge is all good. My dad is one of those people and he’s proud that his belly fat is hard – um, no dad, that is not good. It means you’re at risk for a variety of serious health concerns…

My weight is also decreasing a bit – looks like I’m down around 148 or 147. I’ll have a better idea tomorrow morning since on week days I usually quickly suck back a litre of water and three cups of coffee before hitting the shower to go to work – doesn’t exactly bode well for happy discussions with the scale.

Webby has extended the deadline for entry into the tracker challenge. So, tonight a cheque is being couriered out and my next challenge starts tomorrow. I’m not giving myself a break – I think it would be weird having time when I’m not actively involved in a specific challenge (though not necessarily an official one – this current one isn’t going to be). I am totally bringing on the competitive freak for the next three months. God, I love competition.

Next week is going to be a big one for me. We’re going into the examination for discovery process. It’s all slated for Tuesday and Wednesday. I’m a bit freaked but I meet with my lawyer early Tuesday to get briefed on what it will entail.

Puffed Wheat Lust

Arg!!! I am totally craving a giant, frozen piece of puffed wheat cake and I want to caaaaavvvve [read as a tortured scream]. I caved yesterday and called it a free day. No idea why the jonesing for crap is off the charts in the afternoon. I still have an hour and 15 minutes until I can eat my muffin and yogurt. I need to get some cottage cheese or something else more protein filled than the yog… Maybe that’s my problem. Maybe the old metabolism is starting up again and I’m not quite giving my body the fuel it needs (though why it would revert to crack foods instead of craving a massive steak, I dunno).

In other news, we are too broke for me to join the Tracker challenge. Or, at least, Kurt feels we are too broke - he’s in another panic OHMYGODWE’REINOVERDRAFT!!!! moment that is so very, very annoying. Everyone is in overdraft. It’s the 30something state of financial being. So, I’m kinda pissed at him but yet pretending not to be as I'm trying to be all supportive of his need for security or some such shit. What about my need to be a competitive freak? Huh!?! What about that?!? Bastard...

Oh, I’m also completely swamped at work. Soooo much stuff to do, and no time to get it all done. It is still fabulously exciting and hard and I am having a blast (but, if I could have like an extra day in the week to get caught up, I'd be happy).

Bloaty McBloatersons

First the positive – I am feeling fracking fantastic and I’m utterly driven. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so focused in a challenge. Seriously, I totally had a complete and utter shift in my thinking and it is amazing how quickly I’ve been able to turn around my behaviours. Tom Venuto is a rock star.

I succeeded in hitting 150 on the scale this Thursday and that was after drinking a liter of water and two cups of coffee right before weigh in. So, I was super excited to finally see a number in the 140s on the weekend and, what happened? Bloat. I packed on five pounds (or more) of water weight over night and now I have to wait for who knows how long before I debloat and am no longer look a squidgy mess. So, far, the measurements have not gone up, which means I’m still shrinking – it’s just not showing. It also means that my end of challenge results and end photos are going to not represent how well I’ve actually done. Yay for being a chick.

As for the challenge itself, I’m totally rocking it. I’m working out HARD and keeping it clean. I’m feeling really good and I’m not having any problems with my movements. A day without any spasms or postures is a good, good day. Just goes to show you how stress has a negative impact on generalized dystonia.

What would Brian Boitano do?

I had a fabulous lower body work out today. My legs are shaking. My abs are so trashed, it’s hard to suck in the gut. And yesterday I did one hell of an HIIT session. I’m feeling fucking fantastic.

I received this fantastic article in my in-box the other day and it totally flipped a switch in my head. I don’t see myself as fit and, therefore, whenever I get close to looking fit, I sabotage myself. In fact, if I want to be completely honest with myself I sabotage myself in almost every way possible – career, finances, health, friendships. Seriously, aside from how I participate in my relationship with my husband (star crossed lovers, fabulous relationship, a love so strong and sweet diabetics often go into comas near us, blah, blah, blah), I am my own worst enemy.

Anyhoo, here is the article: http://www.ironmagazine.com/article151.html

I lurve Tom Venuto. If I wasn’t married and infertile, I’d totally have his babies.

Drivelly Goodness with a Side of Whine

I’ve managed to keep up with challenge though it has been living up to its name. After enjoying over two weeks of my dystonia raging out of control, am now starting to regain modicum of ability to control movements again. It is touch and go at present but I’m confident this weekend I should be able to get back to lifting and HIIT as well as get some meals cooked and in the freezer. I have shrunk a wee bit since I first started so, even though it hasn’t been a challenge for the records, it is still something to be proud of.

I had an opportunity to review Afterburn – it looks like an amazingly difficult program but I’m very much looking forward to tackling it for my next challenge. Tracker is holding a spring competition and will be starting next challenge in time to compete – will be very exciting to throw myself wholeheartedly into this and am expecting to kick some serious butt.

The lawsuit against my GP is moving forward. We went through mandatory mediation in early January and examination for discovery is going forward in March. It is turning into a very interesting case – I am one of the first in Canada to go forward with this type of lawsuit for this kind of reaction (tardive generalized dystonia was as a result of an undiagnosed adverse reaction to an antidepressant and would have been preventable if diagnosed earlier). A part of my feels for the doctor in question as this must be a very stressful situation but, at the same time, this is something that I strongly feel I have to do.

I think I’ve come a pretty long way since first being diagnosed but I also think I’ve got a long way to go yet in accepting this. Your life certainly changes. All of a sudden, this future idea that you have created for yourself of your life is completely up in the air. What is possible, now? What isn’t? By accepting new limitations, am I giving up? Or, do I now need to look at more of a balance so I can not just succeed in life but enjoy it? Or are the two now an irresolvable dichotomy? If I give up my plans for myself in terms of career success, can I really be happy? But can I also be happy if my ambition and my work destroy the time I now enjoy to move freely? Stress really does kick up my symptoms. So does burning the candle at both ends. I’m just very torn.

Another day, another start of a challenge

So, I'm starting another challenge for the umpteenth time. I'm currently sitting where I was at at week four of my first challenge in terms of size and squishyness. No visable abs by the time I get to Cuba. C'est la vie. This time, it just feels different, though. I don't think I was ready before and just wasn't in the headspace to keep at it. Now, I am and have done all the "Crossing the Abyss" stuff and have it firmly in mind why I'm doing this.

Today is day four and I'm taking my freeday as we're hosting a dinner party and my legs are so trashed I'm walking around like an old man who has shit himself. The legs definitely could use a break before I hit them again with a killer LBWO. So, today is about recovery and tomorrow I'll take a hard wack at it again. Oh, I'm also really pushing the workouts. For the last few attempts I was pussing out on the weight training and being afraid of hitting those 10's. Gotta do it with intensity. So, I'm taking Kerry's adage and putting it into action: Work harder, eat cleaner.

Tracker seems to have mellowed, which is good. I love that site and it always drives me nuts when the board drama keeps me from posting. It's way helpful to be able to talk to other people who're in the midst of a challenge in terms of keeping on track.

New BFL Challenge

Today, I started a new Body for Life challenge to get ready for Cuba and help me managed work stress. Took my before photos - waistline has expanded a wee bit and there is a bit more chub to contend with than what I ended my first challenge with.

Oh, visited the BFL Tracker forums this afternoon. Same old shit, it appears. People screaming at each other in all caps because they disagree with someone elses opinion. All caps folks drive me nuts. Don't think I'll be able to go back to posting over there as I will tell one of them to stop being overactionary assholes. And then I'll be banned.

Workout this afternoon was great. I did upper body. Haven't lost that much strength even if I have lost some muscle, as evidenced by the mushier exterior look I've been sporting as of late even though the scale still all friendly to me. Just goes to show you you can't trust the scale. It's like that good friend that doesn't have the heart to tell you your new Miss Sixties make you look like a lumpy, shapeless sack.

Why I don't love AIs...

I thought I'd go find this and post it here as my ratio of posts about weight loss, fitness and assorted drivel about my body far exceeds most everything else on here and, frankly, that isn't really the order of importance of things in my life.

My trip report from our best vacation to date and our first trip off of an AI (and, if my bro wasn't getting married in Cuba at a megaresort the end of December, we'd never, ever go back to one)

Please note that all comments regarding Ivan the Bug are gross hyperbole. We loved our Bug and will rent from Easyway again. He was a great little car.

Day One - Skyservice, Easy Way, Cabanas La Conchita, Zamas
Direct charter flight (Skyservice) Regina to Cancun. On time, all good. Pilot lands "creatively" and we fishtail down the runway. Freaky. Plane comes to complete stop. Stopped is good. Breath sigh of relief.

Get through customs (green light), grab luggage, Kurt is snared by timeshare dude (they are like the proverbial fat kid on a smartie). Extricate husband and see Easyway dude with our name on a sign! Yay! Quick smoke, get into the car and we are off.

Pick up car at Easyway (purple Bug), are told not to smoke in car but are highly encouraged to have sex in it. Look at backseat and determine neither of us are acrobats and decide not to follow their directions. Leave rental place and turn the wrong direction and head into the hotel zone. Determine all other drivers have just been released from mental institution. Get directions, turn around and we are off!

307 is crazy. Lots of traffic. Kurt doesn't believe me when I tell him to get into the paved shoulder to let other cars pass. Escape head on collision with a cab and he learns pretty quick how to drive in Mexico. Arrive in Tulum, shaken, stirred. Get lost trying to find hotel zone. Eventually arrive at destination - Cabanas La Conchita.

La Conchita is bloody gorgeous. Room is very romantic, sand is like talcum powder and the landscaping is pretty. Ocean is that amazing colour of turqoise. We're here! We're in QRoo! Life is good! Check in, get changed and head to Zamas for supper.

Zamas is pretty and right on the beach. Kurt has chicken in a chili mole sauce. I have chicken tortillas in green tomato sauce. Both are yummy. We head back to La Conchita to fall asleep to the sound of the surf.

Day Two - La Conchita, Tulum Pueblo, Charlies, Don Cafetos
La Conchita has great breakfasts and strong coffee - heaven. Lovely! Morning is spent on the beach at La Conchita. It is situated in a cove with rocky outcroppings on either side. Azulik is to the left and other small cabana style resort to the right. The surf is pretty strong so Kurt decides to boogey board. I swim for a bit and accidentally moon a guy from Brooklyn as a wave attempts to take off my bottoms. Afternoon is spent in Tulum peublo to get money and have lunch at Charlies (excellent food and very pretty - highly recommend). While we're relaxing in the restaurant, out front we hear pops and crackles and see sparks flying everywhere. A cute little Brit girl at the table next to us freaks, thinking someone is shooting at us. Nope - the power lines are just freaking out a little. We sit for about an hour until the cops let us out of the restaurant. We aren't electrocuted. So far, it's been a good day.

Back at La Conchita, I test out the hammock and Kurt has a nap. Dinner is at Don Cafetos. The food is good but the ambiance is even better. As we're eating, a band from Cuba takes the stage and everyone gets up to dance. Lots of fun!

Day Three - Snorkelling Akumal Main Bay, Nacho's
Mmmm. Breakfast at La Conchita. Again, so very yummy. We head to the Akumal main bay to snorkel all day. We see lots of pretty fish, including two the size of platters and two really big turtles. The beach is gorgeous. Great day! Heading back to Tulum, we're nearly T-boned at the 307 intersection as the throttle sticks and we shoot into on-coming traffic. Good times! We make it back to La Conchita and hang out on the beach until supper. Throttle, again, sticks as we make a u-turn on the highway to park beside Nacho's. First, we hurtle into the jungle. Then we hurtle towards the iron shore cliff. Finally we stop. Stopped is good. Dinner is worth it. For 160 pesos a piece, we have grilled lobster. I cry as it is so yummy. Then we have bananas flambe. It is so good. This was probably the best restaurant we ate at and it was usually empty. This is a must do when you are at Tulum.

Day Four - Grand Cenote, Nachos Redux
The morning is spent relaxing on the beach at La Conchita and then we again head to Akumal main bay to snorkel some more. Again, the fish are pretty. After, we head to Grand Cenote to snorkel some more. The water is so clear. The stalagmites and stalagtites are spectacular and it is, in places, very deep. It attaches to hundreds of kilometres of underground rivers and they have diving excursions to explore them. We head back to La Conchita for some quality hammock time and then to Nachos again for throttle-sticking U-turn action and lobster.

Day Five - Mayan Beach Garden, El Placer
After our last amaxing La Conchita breakfast and a relaxing moment on the beach, we pack our gear, get into our Bug and take off south down the 307 around the Sian Kaan Biosphere. The road is one-lane with no paved shoulder but it is pretty much deserted - not a lot of traffic. Driving is nice and relaxed. Emailed directions from LG end shortly afer Limones, but we follow the signs to El Placer and, after a few military checkpoints, a jungle road and a very bumpy beach road we see Marcia (MBG owner along with her hubby Kim - so nice!) at the store. next to Mayan Beach Garden. We're here. Our car didn't die. It is beautiful! We check in and are shown to our cabana.

Mayan Beach Garden has six cabanas of cement construction, in two vertical rows facing the beach. They are staggered so, from each one, you have a gorgeous view from your patio of the turquoise water and white sand. The cabanas, themselves, are spacious and pretty with solar lights, bathroom with hand painted sink and shower with good water pressure and hand made furniture. The main building where the library, dining room and screened porch are is away from the water behind the cabanas. The beach is white sand and the bay, which is very comparable to the Akumal main bay 30 years ago, is protected by an interior reef. Dinner is eaten at a long table with all of the other guests so you really get to know the other guests. MBG provides breakfast, lunch and supper - all of which was delicious with never a bad meal. They also offer a lot of diversity so you don't get bored of the food.

After getting checked in, we take a walk down the beach. The ocean current brings with it a lot of plastic garbage dumped inot the ocean in Belize and also from the cruise ships. The bay is beautiful and empty but the beaches that front empty lots hadn't been raked in a few months so had human detrious strewn about. It was heartbreaking to see such a beautiful and natural area punished by human consuption. It made me want to grab a rake, clean the beach and then wack everyone who had ever thrown crap into the ocean over the head.

Kurt then threw on his snorkel gear and went out to check the reef. While the beaches beside MBG showed evidence of humanity, the reef and coral were pristine and vibrant and alive with life. After meeting the other guests and having a delicous dinner, we all went to bed only to be woken up at 2:00 a.m. by a magnificent thunderstorm. Lightening must have struck the ocean right out front because one clap of thunder had everyone leaping out of bed (or into bed, depending on where they were standing) in a mass freakout.

Day Six
While the thunder and lightening ended, the rain stuck around so, after breakfast, we drove to the Kohunlich ruins (500 A.D. to 1100 A.D.). In the way, one of our windshield wipers fell off but no other car trouble was experienced. The site is big and it took us almost three hours to go through it. Much of it is well preserved and impressive. The main temple features beautiful mask carvings with much of the red-coloured stucco intact. Spectacular. We were the only ones at the site, so it was pretty amazing to go through the place alone. While we were at the ballcourt, I heard rustling in the trees. Then I heard a low, gutteral growl. And then more growls. And then lots of growls. Freaked, we finished up our tour and went back to the car. Turns out it was howler monkeys! Happily, no monkey poo was thrown at us.

Most of our drive back was in the dark, which was kind of cool. While on the jungle road, we saw an ocelot (wild cat) crossing the highway. Happily, we had no car trouble 'cause I wasn't getting out to walk for help!

Day Seven
Day seven dawned hot and humid. Morning is spent on the beach and, in the afternoon Marcia walks everyone to point to go snorkelling. I found it a bit difficult, being a novice, negotiating the coral channels (I am the chicken of the sea), so I head back to do some beachcombing. Everyone returned in about an hour, save Kurt and Marcia who headed past the interior reef. My husband is crazy. One time he had to be air rescued off the side of a mountain in Banff after he decided to go climbing alone, without gear, and no training. Looking around our spot, I noticed that Marcia didn't have any stuff on the beach. She didn't need to come back here. Kurt could be out there alone! Immediately, I assume he was dead. About an hour and two panic attacks later, he wanders up the beach. I break down. Marcia had, at my request, stuck to him like glue and kept him safe. Yay! I wasn't a widow. Again, the snorkelling was amazing with bright, living coral and amazing wildlife.

Day Eight - Sian Kaan Shipwreck
We're still at Mayan Beach Garden, located outside the hamlet of El Placer, about 30 kms north of Mahahual. Marcia kindly draws us a map to locations filled with fun and adventure in the Sian Kaan. Off we go in our trusty bug (these vehicles should include WD40 and duct tape along with the spare tire in the trunk), with plans to snorkel a shipwreck. Past another army check point (big guns and they don't speak English and the only Spanish I know is from the road signs on the highway but they're friendly if not confused as to our plans) and into the Biosphere. The road turns pretty bumpy but it isn't washed out so we're feeling pretty good. Landscape turns from marshy stuff to dense tropical foliage with tall palms and the occaisional glimpse of white sand and turqoise water. The road is deserted and so is the park entrance. After about half an hour of bumping and thumping of the non-backseat variety, we see a park dude on a moped. He takes our name and whatnot and waives the park fee. We take off again and see a small fishing shack with a blue tarp roof with a shipwreck partially submerged in the ocean off to the left.

Parking in the dude's front sand dune that passes for a yard (no need for landscaping - it's pretty on it's own), we head out to find a good approach. Less garbage on the beach is noticed and we learn later that the Friends of the Carribean raked the shores clean before we came. Thanks Friends!

We find a pretty, sandy spot and Kurt gears up for a snorkel, while I start beachcombing the area and just enjoying being the only darn person on a perfect beach that stretches for miles and miles and miles and miles. Every so often, when he found a sandy spot, Kurt would stand up and let me know he was alive and keep me from repeating yesterday's abbreviated widowhood.

About an hour later, as I was floating in a tide pool, he came in raving about clown fish, angel fish, damsel fish, parrot fish, urchins, aenomes and bright, vibrant coral. Apparently, he'd stumbled into the filming of Finding Nemo II: The Akward Adolecent Years. It was the best snorkel he'd ever had. We lazed in the sun for a bit longer to dry off and I showed him my impressive abandoned conch shell collection (forced relocation program for sealife - fishermen just toss 'em on the beach after extricating the inhabitants).

With my contraband shells in tow, we take off. Now, I'm a bit uncomfortable taking them past the guys with the big, shiny guns no matter how friendly they are. So, we decide to take the beach road back, through Uevero to El Placer. This is the part of the story that we didn't tell Easyway.

To call the beach road a road at all is an insult to all other roads. Its more of a rutted path that is intermittently mixed with large deposits of coral, piles of coconuts, piles of limestone and deep, cenote-like puddles. Sometimes, there wasn't a road or path or anything at all as it had all tumbled into the sea. But our trusty bug rose to occaision, gloriously bouncing away through the jungle, the throtle, for once, behaving itself. The wildlife also joined in to make the beach "road" a special experience. Occaisionally we had to stop to move aside small turtles and hermit crabs trying out new occupations as road topes. Howler monkeys growled at us. Dogs chased us.

Finally, after about an hour of driving, we made our way to Uevero, where we promptly bombed up to the jungle road and back to Mayan Beach Garden. The rest of the afternoon was spent in a hammock reading a book (each cabana comes equipped with a lovely selection of beach reads - no need to waste your allowable weight for your luggage on books as they are provided).

Day Nine - Mahahual
Up at the crack of dawn to watch the sunrise over the ocean. Take prerequisite sunrise photo. I go get coffee and let sleeping beauty catch a few more Z's. The coffee here is really good - hot, strong and made in a French Press. It is also ready by 6:30 a.m. every day. I love Mayan Beach Garden.

After a spectacular sun rise, the sky clouded over and it got windy and a bit cool so we decided to spend the day bumming around. The morning was spent reading and visiting with some of the other guests and, in the afternoon, we decided to go to the monkey preserve just before the turn off to Mahahual. Unfortunately, the gates were closed so, stuck with nothing to do and no desire to drive very far, we headed into town. Driving in, we passed the docks to see two behemouth ships. Today was a cruise ship day. Usually, Mahahual is a sleepy little town with very few permanent buildings. Since the dock was put in, many people have come to the area to sell touristy type stuff to the shipper crowd. Since the ships were getting ready to depart, most of the cruisers were trying to find cabs back and most of the shops were being taken down. Literally. Most of them are tents and other temporary structures so, at the end of the day, all evidence of them are removed and taken back to the merchant shanty area and then set up anew the next day. We chatted with some of the folks who mentioned that business has been crazy since the hurricane. Before, they would get maybe three ships a week. Lately, they've been getting two or three a day.

We made our way back to the Bug and headed back to Mayan Beach Garden. We were chatting with another couple when someone pointed out the two huge ships sailing past our reef. It was quite a sight. Supper followed and an early evening reading in the cabana.

Day Ten - BEST DAY EVER
Morning promised to offer a perfect day and it did. This day was, literally, the best day of my life. The sky was blue, the ocean was turqoise and calm, there was a bit of a breeze and the sun was hot. The entire day was spent laying on the beach, reading books until it was time for a swim and a float in the ocean and then a quick return to the lounger for more reading and laying in the sun. Looking around the bay, aside from the few other couples staying at Mayan Beach Garden, the whole bay was deserted save a few dudes at the north end working of salvaging a small boat. 10 people on a 1.5 km stretch of sand. Amazing!

At lunch, Marcia told us to make the most of the beach as the weather was set to turn tomorrow and become cool, windy and rainy again. She also printed off information about the blizzard hitting the eastern seaboard.

Kurt took off for a snorkel in the afternoon and visibility was very good. He saw quite a few fish and rays, including a very rare fish that is hard to spot (it's fins look like wings and it can change colour to hide itself - when Kurt saw it, it was turqoise blue like the ocean). At about 3:00, we headed back to our cabana to read and lay in the hammock with a drink. We had a nice hot shower and then a delicious supper. All of the guests had been there for a while and we had gotten to know each other really well. We all laughed and visited with each other and Kim and had a great time, sharing stories about past trips and our lives at home and making fun of each other. Marcia wasn't able to eat with us as her regular cook was ill so she had to supervise the kitchen staff. She did make sure to come and visit with folks both at breakfast and lunch, though, so we had a chance to get to know her as well. They really are a very nice couple.

Day Eleven - Hunting for the Zocolo, Becan
The weather forecasters were right. The sky was clouded over and the temperature, at dawn, was a balmy 10 degees C. After a hot breakfast, hot coffee and a hot shower, we decided to take off to the Becan ruin site. Along the way, we planned to stop at a bank machine as we were running low on pesos and needed to get gas. You'd think you'd be able to find an ATM in Mahahual but the cruise ship industry has bribed the banks to keep the machines out of the town, with the only one being at the pier and not accessable to non-passengers. Marcia kindly drew up a map of Bacalar, noting that the bank machine was at the Zocolo.

Taking off in our car, now called Ivan the Bug after my 94 year old uncle Ivan who has, periodically, been on death's door since the 70's and, every time you count him out, he gets better and lives life to the fullest for another couple of years (he still golfs and went to the Roo last year for a week - amazing!). Ivan's throttle was again a bit sticky but, after the beach "road" we knew that nothing could stop him.

Arriving an hour later in Bacalar, we used the map to locate the mythic Zocolo. Now, please remember, I speak no spanish aside from saying hello, ordering food and telling you not to put rocks on the highway (there is a sign for that, seriously, I have a photo of it!). We searched that entire town and, while we saw many things including the town square that was hosting a kid's fair, we didn't see a Zocolo. Finally, we stopped across from the square and asked for directions to "the Zocolo". The lady laughed and pointed across the street. We were very embarassed. The word "zocolo" is spanish for "town square". Kurt went to use the bank machine and, all excited about actually finding the darn thing, forgot his bank card in the machine.

Off we went to Becan, which was another two hours away. Arriving at the ruins at about 1:30, we had some time to explore. There were very few people around, which was nice. The site, again, is quite old, dating from 400 A.D. to 1200 A.D. The style of the architecture was quite different from Kohunlich as it was influenced by the Rio Bec style and Kohunlich looks more like the sites in Guatemala. Everything was quite ornate, which much carving.

After a few hours of poking around, we decided to head back so we wouldn't be driving in the dark. Arriving just in time for supper, we sat down, met a few new people who had arrived in our absence and, now feeling like family, spent the supper debating politics with Kim, to the consternation of the other guests.

Day Twelve - Akumal
I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay. It felt like our trip was over and we were only going as far as Akumal. As we were packing up, I couldn't find the key. Kurt said he had left it on the breakfast table. As we were packing up the car, I told him to go get it and give it to Kim but he was all lazy and didn't want to check so he told me he had already turned it in.

Before leaving the area, we stopped one last time at the wildlife preserve. They were open so we got to see a variety of different creatures (spidermonkeys, a badgerish dude called the Fonz, wild boars, a hawk and an alligator) that were all once pets but are now being integreated back to the wild (who on this Earth would EVER think a badger would make a good pet? - yeah, he's sweet and cute and friendly but it's still a badger). It all runs on donations, so make sure you have something to give.

Sad, we got into the Bug and drove back to Akumal. The trip was quiet and uneventful. Pulling up to the arches was good, though, as I really love the area. Seeing lots of people and cars and everything was a bit shocking as we'd just spent the last seven days on what felt like a deserted island paradise. We checked into Vista Del Mar and Kurt turned on the TV.

*sigh*

I swear, TV is like crack. You know it isn't good for you. But you still crave it even though it doesn't really make you feel good and it would be much preferable to live your life not as a crack head. So I turned the darn thing off and we headed down to the beach.

Kurt decided to head out for a quick snorkel as the bay was pretty calm. He said that it was very pretty and there were many fish but it was sad to see the coral so damaged and the sea fans broken. It was pretty cool so we decided to head back to our room to change and go for something to eat. We made our way to La Buena Vida for a plate of very yummy tortillas and fixings. After eating, we headed back to our room to watch TV (arg!) and fall asleep.

As we were getting ready for bed, I opened up the suitcase and found... they key.

A key isn't a big deal right? Actually the darn thing is attached to a custom hand carved block of wood. For the next three days, I run around all over trying to find a way to get it back to Mayan Beach Garden. It makes up for my decision to take the beach road back from Sian Kaan.

Day Thirteen - Yal Ku Lagoon, Pink Party
Finally, the weather decided to return to normal and, while it was a bit cooler than average, it was a great day. While the rooms at Vista Del Mar are rather economical in scope and price, you really can't beat the view from the 3rd floor. The sunrise was gorgeous and our self-brewed coffee was quite tasty (I actually brought my coffee grinder and gourmet beans from home - crazy, I know). We quickly got showered and dressed in bathing suits and went to Turtle Bay Cafe for breakfast.

So. Darn. Good.

After our food (Kurt had the french toast with pecan maple syrup and I had the Ranchero Omelette - yum), we went to YAL Ku lagoon to snorkel. It was really pretty and there is an amazing variety of fish but, on the day we went, the clarity wasn't great. Still, I saw all manner of fish (so pretty), including parrot fish, a huge school of little white fish and two baracuda.

After, we headed to the main bay in Akumal to spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and laying in the warm sun.

At about 3:30, we headed back to the room to shower and make our way to the Pink Party. I was wearing this ridiculous skirt that kept blowing open so we weren't there long before I went back to change out of the only pink item I owned. The party was quite fun and it was great meeting so many posters as well as Kay and Gary!

We then took off to Cuevo Pescadore (I just butchered the spelling) for our only not good meal of our trip. It was kind of dissapointing. C'est la vie!

Day Fourteen - Shopping in Akumal, Charlies in Tulum
Our last day in paradise dawns hot and humid and otherwise perfect. After coffee and a shower, we go to Turtle Bay Cafe again for breakfast and spend the morning running around after that darn key (as well as buying gifts for folks). There is no courier in Akumal. Also, the mail office at the CEA closes at 9:30. Also, very few people mail stuff there as few people knew where to find the post office.

Oh, when in Akumal, check out Oshun. The jewelry is all handmade by the owner and her husband and they are artists (when there, look up and see her conch shell chandelier - gorgeous!). The pieces are beautiful and one of a kind. She will also make custom pieces if you ask (I requested a turqoise pendant to match a bracelet that I bought from her). I also thought that the prices were very reasonable and she has pieces in every price range.

The afternoon was spent on the beach, relaxing and enjoying our last warm weather and sunshine until May or June (whenever summer decides to appear). Kurt decided to go for a snorkel without me and promised to go with me later. He took off into the water and I watched him for a bit until I lost sight of him as a large group of people walked in front of my line of sight. After they moved on, he was gone. What I didn't realize until later was that he was fighting to keep being sucked out to sea by a rip current (he scoffed at the flag until a wave smashed him down to the sea floor, which was about 15 feet deep...). Luckily, he had read up on them and kept his head and swam at an angle and, with each succesive wave gained a few feet more than he was sucked out). It took him half an hour to make it back and ended up pulling a leg muscle. Its a good thing that the rip current wasn't a bit stronger or the floor a bit shallower or he would have been killed. He decided not to tell me about this until we had eaten supper...

After he got back, we layed on the beach a bit longer and then showered and changed and headed south on the 307 one last time to go to Charlie's in Tulum pueblo for supper. The food was great and was all washed down with a side of rightous anger on my part that he had almost killed himself.

Day Fifteen
The day we flew out was rainy and humid but warm. We packed up, feeling melacholy that we had to go home. We had one last breakfast at Turtle Bay Cafe and then headed North on the 307 towards Cancun. Traffic was backed up as there was a big accident outside of Xpu-Ha involving a Copacabana bus. Hopefully no one was hurt but I'm doubtful as it looked awful. It started raining hard just outside of Cancun but we managed to get Ivan filled with gas and back to Easyway, minus a windshield wiper, still featuring a sticky throttle but otherwise unscathed. The odometer noted that we'd put on 2300 kms... Happily, the rain washed off all the dirt, mud and gunk and Ivan actually looked almost spiffy as we turned him in.

Easyway dropped us at the airport where we were delayed for about an hour by the rain and the President of Mexico departing the airport.

The flight was uneventful and we landed in Regina, which was enjoying -46 C weather, including the windchill. We weren't flagged at customs (they need to do the red light, green light game - so much more fun than being assigned a code).

It really was a fantastic trip and I can't wait to go back! With all that we saw and did, there is so much more to explore in the area.

An overdue update

Well, in March, I decided I needed to get up off my ass and start weight training. The diet-only thing had come to an end and the scale wasn't moving. Also, I couldn't use dystonia as an excuse, since I wasn't having too many problems with it. In April, I started Body for Life - this program rocks! Its basically body building for noobs.

So far, I've lost almost 30 inches and have gone from a size 14 down to a six. A six! Yeah, yeah, vanity sizing, blah, blah, blah. I know. Even if I'm really an eight, its still way smaller than a 14. And it's nowhere near the size 16 I was back in October. Woo!

I'm nearing the end of my first challenge and I'm pretty happy with how I've done and I'm planning on starting another one as soon as this one is done.

So, my exciting meal plan for today...

Whey shake with strawberries

Banana Walnut muffin (recipe below)
1/2 cup cottage cheese

Chicken, vegetable and wild rice soup (I think I've posted this recipe before)
Non fat yogurt

Banana Walnut muffin
1/2 cup cottage cheese

BBQ Ginger Garlic Beef kebabs with 2 cups peppers, tomatos and mushrooms
Brown and wild rice

Whey shake with strawberries

I have to admit that I'm getting sick of cottage cheese. I need to look for some other, convenient sources of protein that are portable.

Banana Walnut Muffins (HAF: SE)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup crushed walnuts
8 tbsp cocoa powder

Combine, make a well and set aside.

2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp non hyudrogenated vegetable oil
1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
4 overripe bananas
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tsp real vanilla
3 tbsp melted honey

Combine, pour into dry ingredients, mix, pour into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees until tops are firm. Makes 24.

I figured out the macros but I can't find where I put it. Calories came in at around 140/muffin.

Post-Christmas Wagon Chasing - Does this count as cardio?

Well, after a crazy holiday season, I am hoping back on the wagon and working hard so I don’t look like a beached whale in Mexico. I have yet to step on a scale to discover the damage, but I am sure it is significant. My mom and I added up the food bill from December 21st through to January 1st. We had an average of 12 people per meal from the 23rd to the 27th, with 30 people the evening of the 27th. We then dropped down to six people per meal, culminating in a fondue for nine on the 31st (and, unlike what my cousin Chris snarked mid-munching on a piece of t-bone steak, it was not cheap – asshole!).

Here is the list, in all of its glory:
1 – 22 pound turkey
3 hams
2 pork roasts
5 pork chops
5 pounds bacon
4 t-bone steaks
6 breasts of chicken
1 bag of jumbo shrimp
2 pounds breakfast sausage
2 shrimp rings
1 large lasagna
4 large home-made pizzas
40 cabbage rolls
50 perogies
2 containers of peanut oil
6 liters of milk
2 liters of cream
3 liters of eggnog
1 pound of butter
2 pounds of cream cheese
2 liters of sour cream
4 pounds hard cheese
3 dozen eggs
2 pounds brie
1 pound brown sugar
1.5 bags white flour
5 loaves home-made bread
2 loaves French bread
3 baguettes
3 loaves stollen (icing coated sweet bread)
4 boxes of crackers
1 Christmas pudding
1 Christmas cake
1 chocolate cake
4 boxes of chocolate truffles
1.5 pounds chocolate chips
2 pie crusts
50 mincemeat tarts
1 pan Nanaimo bars
30 Mexican wedding cake balls
50 shortbread cookies
1 box red river porridge
1.5 jars of peanut butter
2 boxes of tea
3 bags of coffee
2 bottles of sun dried tomatoes in oil
2 large containers spring mix
2 packages of mushrooms
10 red bell peppers
3 bags of carrots
60 potatoes
3 bunches of green onions
3 boxes of oranges
1 box strawberries
8 kiwis
2 pineapples
1 mango

Reading over that list kinda makes me feel dirty. I am a dirty eater along with my entire extended family. Oh well, it was good but I am very glad to be done with rich food for a while. Now that the New Year is here with its usual resolutions for better behavior, there are a few good deals for your average dieter.

Sparkpeople.com is offering free memberships to the first million people that sign up. It’s a pretty good little site and offers some great resources for calorie counting, meal planning, shopping guides, recipes and fitness/activity support. Also, Gold’s Gym, which is opening in March, is offering some pretty decent deals for membership that I would like to check out. I think that a spinning class, which is something they will be offering, might be kind of fun and an activity that I could do even with dystonia. So, I am going to check it out.

So, for today, my calorie consumption goal is 1300. As we’ve yet to go grocery shopping for the next few weeks and I have no healthy food (or, really, any food at all left in my house), my day’s meal plan isn’t overly balanced and a bit high on the carbs (at least it’s all whole grain). Hopefully, tonight I’ll be able to hit Superstore to stock up on healthy vittles.

Anyways, tomorrow morning I will face the scale for the first time in weeks and report on the damage. The last scale visit I made, I was at 178 pounds. I am guessing I will be at least 185. At least it will be temporary.

The Pre-Christmas Push

Well, after a bit of a break from calorie counting and dieting for the last couple of weeks I am getting back on track. This morning, I weighed in at 180, for a total loss of 11 pounds. I also am proud to say that I got my period for the first time in five years without taking birth control pills to force it (which also explains the break from the diet – insane cravings for the last two weeks). It seems like calorie reduction and replacing refined carbohydrates with whole grains is working fairly well.

My plan now is to calorie count and work hard at loosing weight from now until December 24th. For the first week, I’ll aim for 1500 calories per day. The second, I’ll drop to 1400 calories and the third to 1350. Then, from the 24th to the 2nd, I’ll take a break and aim for 2000 calories per day and then start up again in the New Year until I head to Mexico on February 2nd. My goal is to get on the plane weighing 160 pounds.

It seems like my body can only handle a calorie deficit for three to four weeks before needing to return to a break-even point with calories for a while. It’s slower but it seems to be what my body wants to do. And, let’s face it, I didn’t get to weigh 191 pounds over night. It’s okay if it takes me a while to loose and if this is what I need to do to stay the course, so be it. Perhaps later my body will decide something else is better and I’ll modify at that time.

So, the plan for today is as follows:
9:00: 1 percent milk, multivitamin and folic acid
11:00: Source yogurt and a whole wheat muffin
1:00: Chicken and wild rice soup
3:30: Whole wheat muffin
4:30: Source yogurt
6:00: Roasted potatoes, mixed greens with pecans in an apricot vinaigrette and chicken with an apricot and white wine reduction
8:00: TREAT: Cookie and tea while out for coffee

Calories for the day come in around 1500.