OK! I know I have been avoiding blogging this week. I am so sad! The Y pool is closed for a week of maintenance. Closed! I cannot go and ride my oars. I am beside myself with frustration. I have never in my life been sad because I could not exercise. I have a pool here at home but it is still in the preparation stage. It is an above ground and at the present there is no way for me to get into it (or out) A ramp system is being built but it is slow going. Anyway it has been over a week since I have been able to use my Lobos and it has been difficult at best. I am stiffening up. I have to stretch so much more every day just to maintain my new found mobility. On land I run the risk of falling...you cannot fall down in the pool. So when I sit in any chair and stretch, I am mindful that I might fall. Itwas a fall that sent me on this downward path to disability. So,I am in a maintainance program for a week...be patient there will be more to come.

The Good Stuff!

I am giving thought to all the things that have changed since I started using my Lobos.
1. Energy! I have talked about the new found energy...it's huge. This presents a new "problem". I am mobility challenged, I am still in a wheel chair. But maybe the smallest dog will get washed tomarrow.
2. Stand and WALK unassisted steps. I am strong enough now to actually stand up out of my chair and do dishes, empty the dishwasher,do laundry.( see #1) 
3. Get out of the pool...there are 5 steps out of the Y pool. On my first day, I was so weak I actually contimplated the Hoya Lift. Now less than 2 months later I climb the stairs just holding the rails. I have actually taken the last step.
4. I have left any depression behind. I am angry with myself for allowing myself to get so out of shape. BUT that said I am fixing it. I have addressed lost inches and I will measure myself again later this week. I will forgive myself.
5. I can sit up straighter. I have to remind myself...old HABITS die hard.But I have muscles to call on. I can suck my stomach in...lol. I cannot do it long, but hey there is a muscle I had completly forgotten about.
6.Sleep...I have not slept thru the night since baby number 1 (hes 41)...No I still do not sleep all night, but I sleep so soundly. I do wake up just one time to make the bathroom trip, but I return to sleep and the next thing I see is daylight...and my cat's nose. She is used to eating much earlier
The list goes on...I will add to it. I have nothing negative to add. 

On My Way!

There is a new monster awakening! I used to sleep in all morning and stay up all night. I came home last night from a workout with my Lobos and  fell asleep before midnight. This is way different from 3AM. I was talking to a friend online and just could not stay awake. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7AM. Who is this person?
And let me tell you about my work out routine... I am free! Once I strap on my Lobos I launch into the pool like a fish just thrown in the pond...a mermaid dancing thru the waves. I have discovered holding on to the wall makes me work harder. My core muscles actually are being fired as never before. Its all too easy!  I stride, I kick, I spin all for abot 20 minutes...then I am finished.I unstrap the Lobos and go for a nice walk in the shallow water.Thats it!
So here I am at home with all this energy...and nothing to do. This is a new perdicament. Most of everything I do still requires some help. I cannot wash the dog alone. But there are things I can do alone. ..and I will prioritize them
For now let me just say, I am so on my way!

Easy...

When I want to lose weight, its all about easy. I want everything TO BE EASY.  I make food ahead so all I need to do is grab it. Salads are a mainstay...I LOVE VEGETABLES...I dump salad into a paper bowl and scoot out into the sunshine. I will cook some chicken meat (or salmon when I am feelin rich), ahead and keep it in individual baggies. There's dinner! So I thought I would blog one of my favorite recipes
This salad keeps well for 2-3 days and is really tastey. I do not always use the sesame oil, and olive oil works well. This is wonderful with grilled chicken pieces tossed in. I grow my own cucumbers in the summertime and they really make the dish special.

Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe
Make sure your sesame oil is fresh and not rancid. These oils can go rancid after a few months. Do a taste test before adding to the cucumbers; if it tastes off, don't use. If you want you can sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on the cucumbers.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized cucumbers (about 1 lb total)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

Method

1 Peel the cucumbers. Cut them into quarters, lengthwise. (If the seeds are bitter, scrape out the seeds and discard.) Cut the cucumbers again, crosswise, into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
2 Place cucumbers into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Toss with sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, and chili flakes.

And speaking of easy... results keep me going. I have gone from sitting in a wheelchair and miserable to walking some with my brace and walker, and excited.  I KNEW I need exercise, but everything was just too hard and painful. I was just about ready to give up when the BodyOars came into my life.  Now I have a new lease on my life. I have lost a total, over all, 16" and it was easy....thats the key word for me EASY! When people lose weight they talk about new found energy...yup got that. I am looking for stuff to do Just sitting is driving me crazy now.

Easy results...thats all it is\.OMG...I am taking my life back and its EASY!

What to Eat?

I am a cook! I am a really GOOD cook! I love to eat...that's a challenge now. In this decision to change I have to consider what I eat. I was just reading a popular brand name food site and it was all about "healty" change in our summer diets. They expounded about limiting or eliminating sugar from our menus. I AGREE!!! sugar is my enemy. No, not the teaspoon of sugar in my coffee, that is just a teaspoon...but it makes me crave carbs all day. This popular brand name food site's writer would have me substitute a sucralose product for my teaspoon of sugar. Where is the change here? It is being suggested that I should ingest a product that is less healthy than sugar just so I do not have to change. I am stumbling all over myself trying to change and I am given bandaids. They had all sorts of desserts full of pink, blue or yellow packets to make them sweet. No! I will not poison myself while I am making healthy choices. My change is to learn to like the true flavors and drink the coffee unsweetened. And instead of the second social cup, I will drink iced water. And...
Take the Plung with my Body Oars...lovin these oars...

In Real Life!

I am asked to add pictures! I really don't want to, but I have to. I was looking at shots on the popular TV show "Biggest Loser" and the before pictures speak volumes. My problem is that I do not have any "after" pics yet.  I have results to report, but my body does not show the change. Internally I FEEL the change, maybe it shows in my smile. :) So here is the link to what I am doing, just remember the party will be Labor Day. If I lost inches so quickly in one month ( and that month is only 2X a week) imagine what daily use over the next three months will produce!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WO8PgIIC7Q

Oh Yeah!!!!!

Measurement Day! I started the LOBOS on April 18th...today is May 20th...to date I have lost 5 inches in my bust...1 inch in my chest under the bust...3 inches in my waist....3 inches in my hips...and 3 inches in my calf! Need I say more???