Gonna Stick With It...

Time for an update to the ol' blog.

Well--I'm never gonna see 55 again. Had a great birthday week with friends and family, exercising when I could. I pretty much stuck to my usual regimen, except for all the cake and wonderful meals out. I'm grateful for the love of family and friends.

I've decided that I'm going to stick with the Kundalini Yoga--that I'm not going to give up so easily. I've gone three times now and am really liking it. I just have to remember that I can't do "pretzel" cuz of my left hip. The stretching is coming along, though, and the relaxation is terrific. I think it's good to change things up with exercise, because it helps to work different muscles and to break through plateaus on the scale. This should help. Michelle, our volunteer instructor, is doing a terrific job.

Last weigh in was 142. Still down 8 pounds since the holidays. Yea!!! But for all the eating out this past week, I pledge to not weigh in for a couple of weeks. I don't want to get depressed. I'm going to enjoy life like that from time to time and not feel guilty (I tell myself). It's all good.

So all the exercise that I'm doing on a regular basis is as follows: gymming, walking, swimming, yoga-ing and biking (when I can). That about sums things up.

Kundalini Yoga Class This Week

In addition to my regular exercise regimen, I decided to try Yoga this week. My place of employment is offering the class three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) at noon time. A yoga-experienced employee has graciously volunteered her time to teach the class. This particular Yoga is called Kundalini. The description is below:

What to Expect in a Kundalini Class
The Kundalini classes will usually consist of a warm-up to stretch the spine and improve flexibility, a sequence of poses (a kriya) that focus on a specific area of the body, and end with a guided meditation.

Is Kundalini for You?
Kundalini is one of the more mental/spiritual types of yoga. It goes beyond the physical performance of poses with its emphasis on breathing and meditation. However, the Kundalini sequences are physically intense and focus on strengthening the core muscle groups. This type of yoga appeals to those who are up for both mental and physical challenges.

So what's the verdict for me? I felt major pain in some of the poses--due to my hip issues and my limited range of motion. The relaxation portion of the class, however, was very restful. I'm not sure that it is for me at this time. There is little that can improve 'bone on bone' and that's where I am with regard to my left hip. I still continue to do my regular routine of walking, gymming and swimming and occasional biking. These activities are manageable for me right now, and I'm achieving good results. I may try to go back occasionally. We'll see.

Happy Valentines Day and Birthday to George & Abe!!!

Yea--it's the weekend and a 3-day-er, at that!!! Although, it's supposed to be rainy, I plan on doing a little shopping for some 'sized-down' clothes--specifically pants. I've been wearing size 14s and they are waaaaayyy too big for me now. I have a few 12s that are big as well, so I'll be looking for 10s!!! Very exciting for me. It looks like all my hard work is definitely paying off.

Es and I went swimming last night at the outdoor pool in Rancho San Diego. Once in the water, it wasn't too bad. We both did our usual mile swim, and it felt great. Had a little lower left back pain, that was kind of annoying, and it's still there today. I just work through it. Hopefully, it'll go away. I'm sure it's connected with my hip issues. Went to the gym bright and early this am and walked today at noon. I'll probably get my walking in while I'm out shopping :), but that's all I have planned. Hopefully, I'll get one more swim in this weekend and will go to the gym Monday morning. I'm hoping that my regular pool will be 'open for business' as promised, by then. Es and I plan on biking by the bay Monday morning as well. We are hopeful for good weather.

Cold, Rainy, But Can't Complain

This week has been extremely cold for San Diego--brrrrrr. For the last two days, I've had to scrape ice off my windshield--reminiscent of my Kansas City days. I've definitely become a "San Diego Weather Wimp", for sure. Just can't handle the cold anymore. I've been continuing with my workouts at the gym and at the pool. Last night, I went to a 24-hour Fitness that has an outdoor pool. The air was cold, but once in the heated water, my laps just took over. I'll be going again on Thursday night with Esther. My regular pool location is closed for maintenance this week. Today (Wednesday) is the first day of walking for me this week. Monday it rained and Tuesday, I was a part of a video shoot most of the day, which kept me from my bay walk. I seem to have a lot of demands on me lately, so I really have to stay disciplined with my workout routine.

Rainy San Diego Monday!!!

Greetings and a very happy, but rainy, San Diego Monday!!! OK--so not a lot of sleep last night, but I did get up to do my gym workout. It's hard getting up, but I'm always glad afterward that I went. Also, I went swimming yesterday and had a great workout. I learned that they will be closing the pool for maintenance for one week, so I'm really bummed about that. I could go to another 24 hour fitness center, but I'm kinda picky about the locations. Also, the next closest one has water aerobics classes right at the time that I like to swim in the evening. I may have to be "un swum" for this week--not happy, but oh well. My guess is that I'll not walk today, either, due to the rain. San Diego really does need the rain, however, but we walkers would much rather walk in the sunshine, for sure. Have a wonderful day!!!

Success on the Scale--Nice Way to End the Week!!!

Yea! I weighed myself last night at the gym before my swim (hey--that rhymes). I'm down to 142 1/2 lbs now. I can't remember the last time I weighed in below 150 lbs--probably about 18 or 19 years ago, I think. I'll, hopefully, get into the 130s by my birthday. Yes, a goal, but I'm also being realistic.

So I'm now "swum" and "gymmed". I swam my 35 laps (70 lengths = one mile) last night and it felt great! This morning, after about 4.5 hours of sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, I got up at 4:00 and went to the gym to do my regular workout. One of these blogs, I'll go through my workout in detail (just in case my readers want to know).

I'll not be walking today, as it is raining outside. Plus, I've been invited to view a friend's Thailand trip presentation at noon today, so I'll sip on my soup and munch on my apples while watching.

My good friend, Mary De Felice, was kind enough to take a picture of me today, so my blog profile pic has now been updated.

A Little "Hiccup" in the Routine

Well, as they say, "The best-laid plans of mice and men, often go awry." I was all set to swim Tuesday night, when I went to my car, only to discover the sudden death of my battery. That killed my swimming plans. I ended up being without my car that evening and the rest of Wednesday, so I was unable to go to the gym yesterday morning. Sooooo, I am currently "un swum" and "un gymmed". All good, though--I've done my walking every day this week and I'll be heading for the pool this evening with Esther, and will do the gym in the morning. Yea!!! Sometimes these things happen. The important thing, I have found, is to get right back in sync as soon as possible.

Beautiful Monday!!!

Wow--how often do you hear that Monday is beautiful??? Not often, I would wager. It is a very clear and sunny 78 degree San Diego day here today--absolutely textbook! I enjoyed my "Bay Walk" immensely.

The day started off, however, with my early rise to get to the gym. I think I'm starting to become more disciplined in getting to bed earlier. If my head hits the pillow by 10:00 pm, and I'm up at 4:00 am, that gives me at least 6 hours of sleep. I'm OK with that. Plus, I snooze a little on the Trolley on the way in to work after that, and on the way home, as well. Every little bit helps.

I didn't reach my goal to get to 135 by February 1st, but that's OK. Again, I think I have muscle weight taking over. I'm probably about 143 or 144. I'll weigh myself tomorrow night when I swim. The good thing is that I'm definitely down from the holidays. I weighed 150 right after Christmas--so that's about a 6-7 lb. loss--not too bad. Losing slowly also means that it (the weight) will have a better chance of staying off--at least that's what "they say". Who are "they" anyway??? All good :)