Well, here I am back again. No matter where you go, there you are, right? Rejoined WW's last night. Since stopping back in April, I've put on about 10 pounds but that's not as bad as it could be if I didn't rein in now. Now, I just have to get back into the habit of exercising, eating right, getting enough rest -- all those things we all KNOW we have to do but never seem to get around to doing.
I remember commenting how exercise was like medicine to me -- making me feel happier and healthier -- as much as any antidepressant. So, I'm going to start the big-girl pills again -- making those small but important choices we make every day. Like, what's for lunch???
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Got off the butt... on the bike
Since I moved at the beginning of April, I haven't had a scale at home. My last trip to WW (over a month ago) showed I was down to my lowest weight (since getting to the highest one) and I actually went out and bought 2 pairs of size 10 jeans that I really could fit into. Well, decided to step on the scale in the bathroom at work (donated by another WW lady) and I was up 10 pounds from that in a little over 6 weeks!!! And, of course, the size 10 jeans won't even zip. UGH! Why does it come on so much faster than it comes off???
With all the baseball (did I mention concession stand food) and graduation/end of year activities with my 3 kids, it's been IMPOSSIBLE to take care of myself (eating healthy and exercising regularly). So, last night I went to bed at a reasonable time and set the alarm for 5:15 this morning and went out on an early morning ride. I only rode 6 miles (which isn't a lot for me), but I did get out of bed, off the butt and onto the bike. It was a struggle -- how fast that fitness can decline, too, but I got out.
Don't be too impressed with the 5:15 part -- over the winter I faithfully got up and exercised at the gym at 5:30 or so in the morning 3-4 days a week. It's about the only time of day I'm guaranteed nobody will need my attention!
So, back on track (or the bike path) again ... getting back up one more time!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
No rides for a while....
It's been unusually windy lately and I haven't ridden this week. I can really tell, too! Moody, irritable, no sleep ... I have to remember to treat riding and exercise like medicine ... It's good for the body!
I did try to start back counting points on WW's ... I really want to get to goal and summer's a better time for me to work at it than winter since I have a lot more activitity. It's just hard to eat healthy when 1/2 of my meals are fast food or ballpark hot dogs or chicken fingers. We spend so much time at baseball, I end up eating from the concession stand too much.
Anybody have any ideas for low-cal concessions food? Maybe the lettuce for the hamburgers???
I did try to start back counting points on WW's ... I really want to get to goal and summer's a better time for me to work at it than winter since I have a lot more activitity. It's just hard to eat healthy when 1/2 of my meals are fast food or ballpark hot dogs or chicken fingers. We spend so much time at baseball, I end up eating from the concession stand too much.
Anybody have any ideas for low-cal concessions food? Maybe the lettuce for the hamburgers???
Monday, May 26, 2008
Happy Memorial Day!
What a beautiful day here in New Jersey! The sun was shining and the wind was blowing just enough to keep the air moving. I went out for my first ride with the Princeton Freewheelers' Bike Club (even though I've been a member for almost a year). We did a "D+" ride that was 23 miles at an average pace of 10 mph. I rode from my house to the start point, so door-to-door mileage for me was 30.0 miles (on the dot). It was the longest I've ridden on one ride and it was great! The pace was perfect for me for a leisurely ride. We had another guy who was riding for his 2nd time in the club and he had tried another ride with the group and they left him. On his FIRST ride!
Our ride leader, Pat, was fantastic at stopping and chatting with us, keeping us at pace and pointing out some of the more interesting sights -- like the house that was almost falling apart (from fire, age and/or wind damage) that had the sign on the door saying "Not for Rent!" Too funny!
So, this was a great kick-start to a summer full of riding fun!
Hope you all moved all you wanted today!
Ginger
Our ride leader, Pat, was fantastic at stopping and chatting with us, keeping us at pace and pointing out some of the more interesting sights -- like the house that was almost falling apart (from fire, age and/or wind damage) that had the sign on the door saying "Not for Rent!" Too funny!
So, this was a great kick-start to a summer full of riding fun!
Hope you all moved all you wanted today!
Ginger
Monday, May 19, 2008
Pictures from Bike to Work Day
OK -- so do I look like the ultimate Trek Woman Who Rides? Notice the Trek FX 2.5 bike (named "Red Scare"), the Women Who Ride jersey and hat? This was around the 17 mile mark at the Little League fields. Thankfully some of the parents are the kinds who remember their cameras and are willing to snap pictures for those of us who don't.
I'm ready to do it again!
I DID IT!
Thursday night, I did it! I rode the bike home from work. The safer route I picked out was 21.4 miles ... quite a little hike. Of course I forgot the camera but I did get a friend to take a picture, so it should be posted soon.
Highlights of the trip? The bike canal along the Pennsylvania side was very nice. I had practically no traffic to get there and of course, no traffic along the path, so it was a very leisurely ride. I was enjoying it so much I almost missed my turn off the path! Thank goodness it's a state park and there was signage talking about the Washington Crossing bridge that was my path ac
ross the Delaware River. The bridge itself it really cool -- the cars have to creep along about 5 miles per hour and sometimes fold in the side mirrors to keep them from hitting the supports. There's a separate bike/pedestrian walkway, so you can cross almost as fast walking as driving. (This isn't my picture, but it's my bridge!) On the New Jersey side, I had bike shoulders and bike lanes almost the entire way. The only 'scary' part was a traffic circle with a lot of traffic. I just had to run across the individual roads feeding into the circle.
Of course, being a mom of 3 kids, I didn't get to go straight home ... I had to go to the Little League park to watch my youngest play in a baseball game. He was very proud to tell his friends that his mom rode from Pennsylvania to see his game. And he was more than happy to go through my backpack and eat the bananas and plums I had packed for the ride. I finished the ride home after the game and got home about 9:00. That's not too unusual of a day for me with an after-work game but it was weird finishing up that late on a bike.
The biggest challenge was mental -- about 7 miles into the ride I started thinking "why am I doing this?" It's so much easier to ride with a friend or take a shorter route than to do it on your own. But the pride and sense of accomplishment is worth it all. It really is going to have to become a regular ride!
Highlights of the trip? The bike canal along the Pennsylvania side was very nice. I had practically no traffic to get there and of course, no traffic along the path, so it was a very leisurely ride. I was enjoying it so much I almost missed my turn off the path! Thank goodness it's a state park and there was signage talking about the Washington Crossing bridge that was my path ac
ross the Delaware River. The bridge itself it really cool -- the cars have to creep along about 5 miles per hour and sometimes fold in the side mirrors to keep them from hitting the supports. There's a separate bike/pedestrian walkway, so you can cross almost as fast walking as driving. (This isn't my picture, but it's my bridge!) On the New Jersey side, I had bike shoulders and bike lanes almost the entire way. The only 'scary' part was a traffic circle with a lot of traffic. I just had to run across the individual roads feeding into the circle.Of course, being a mom of 3 kids, I didn't get to go straight home ... I had to go to the Little League park to watch my youngest play in a baseball game. He was very proud to tell his friends that his mom rode from Pennsylvania to see his game. And he was more than happy to go through my backpack and eat the bananas and plums I had packed for the ride. I finished the ride home after the game and got home about 9:00. That's not too unusual of a day for me with an after-work game but it was weird finishing up that late on a bike.
The biggest challenge was mental -- about 7 miles into the ride I started thinking "why am I doing this?" It's so much easier to ride with a friend or take a shorter route than to do it on your own. But the pride and sense of accomplishment is worth it all. It really is going to have to become a regular ride!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The big day...Bike to Work Week
OK ... the bike's on the back of the van ready to be taken off and ridden (roden, rode?) home (19.9 miles by mapmyride.com)! The sun is shining, the path is all planned out -- I found that I can take one of the canal paths through the most treacherous part of the ride, so that's great! Thank goodness for the Trek FX that has the "in-between" tires -- perfect for canal riding. I'll even try to take pictures!
Have you heard about the free bikes Lipton is giving away? It's a WIN-A-BIKE competition -- you could win a Fuji bike? How cool is that? There are lots of places where you can enter, but here's one at FindingFlabuless' website.
If you read through the (sparse) blogs I've written, it's easy to see that 1) I love riding and 2) it's been very important in helping me lose weight. I'm down 30 pounds since last June with about 30 more to go. I've been stuck at the 170 mark for a while, but I feel healthier and happier and I'm not gaining any back, so that'll work. Riding has given me a great sense of empowerment -- feeling like I have gained power back in my life after giving it away for so long. Every hill I look at and climb (or walk) over, helps me know I can do hills in one way or another. Every time I make a choice to get out on that road and ride even though the traffic's a little scary and I could drive instead, I feel like I'm making another healthy choice.
Now, where to put another bike? My Trek lives in the kitchen and my mountain bike is on my ex's balcony down the street ... maybe the bedroom??? :) I'm actually thinking of mounting a multiple bike rack on the kitchen wall -- sounding a little hardcore???
Have you heard about the free bikes Lipton is giving away? It's a WIN-A-BIKE competition -- you could win a Fuji bike? How cool is that? There are lots of places where you can enter, but here's one at FindingFlabuless' website.
If you read through the (sparse) blogs I've written, it's easy to see that 1) I love riding and 2) it's been very important in helping me lose weight. I'm down 30 pounds since last June with about 30 more to go. I've been stuck at the 170 mark for a while, but I feel healthier and happier and I'm not gaining any back, so that'll work. Riding has given me a great sense of empowerment -- feeling like I have gained power back in my life after giving it away for so long. Every hill I look at and climb (or walk) over, helps me know I can do hills in one way or another. Every time I make a choice to get out on that road and ride even though the traffic's a little scary and I could drive instead, I feel like I'm making another healthy choice.
Now, where to put another bike? My Trek lives in the kitchen and my mountain bike is on my ex's balcony down the street ... maybe the bedroom??? :) I'm actually thinking of mounting a multiple bike rack on the kitchen wall -- sounding a little hardcore???
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Spring is finally here
With all the pollen and rain and wind that comes along with it!
Finally, the weather is warming up again after a cold spell and high winds. So, I did my "loop around the park" ride which is 9-10 miles based on what part of the park I cut through. It's a nice ride with only 1 spot of 'treacherous' road ... about 1/8 of a mile of road under construction and heavily travelled. Sometimes, I just give it up and walk on the grass to avoid worrying about the cars flying by.
My goal this week and maybe this summer? I'm going to try riding home from work one evening a week and then riding to work with a friend who lives nearby. This week, I'm going to try taking the bike to work on Thursday and then riding the 20 miles home that evening. Then, Friday morning, I'll ride with her to work and drive back home. She works a slightly different schedule, but I can work that same schedule that day, too.
If I can do that once a week, I'll save about $8-10 worth of gas a week and get in an easy 20 miles on the bike. Lowering carbon emissions, saving money and getting some exercise ... who could ask for more???
Finally, the weather is warming up again after a cold spell and high winds. So, I did my "loop around the park" ride which is 9-10 miles based on what part of the park I cut through. It's a nice ride with only 1 spot of 'treacherous' road ... about 1/8 of a mile of road under construction and heavily travelled. Sometimes, I just give it up and walk on the grass to avoid worrying about the cars flying by.
My goal this week and maybe this summer? I'm going to try riding home from work one evening a week and then riding to work with a friend who lives nearby. This week, I'm going to try taking the bike to work on Thursday and then riding the 20 miles home that evening. Then, Friday morning, I'll ride with her to work and drive back home. She works a slightly different schedule, but I can work that same schedule that day, too.
If I can do that once a week, I'll save about $8-10 worth of gas a week and get in an easy 20 miles on the bike. Lowering carbon emissions, saving money and getting some exercise ... who could ask for more???
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
My Review of 7.5 FX WSD
Love it!
By Ginger from New Jersey on 4/23/2008
Pros: Lightweight, Handles Well Off-road
Best Uses: Pavement, Off-Road, Commuting
Describe Yourself: Weekend Warrior
Love it, love it, love it! I got this bike last fall and it is such a great bike! I ride a lot on a bike path along a canal and this bike can handle that surface along with pavement. Sometimes, I'm not sure the pavement is smoother!
This bike is very comfortable, just lightweight enough to enjoy it on the road and really strong on the bike path. Great buy!
(legalese)
Riding and riding and riding
Who doesn't feel renewed when the daffodils start blooming and the air starts feeling a little fresher and you can get back outside on that bike!!!
This Sunday, I had the greatest time riding in the Carol for Heart fundraiser. I rode with Jen (a Trek Woman Who Rides) and pushed, grunted and sometimes walked through the 25 mile ride. Quite a start to the season after a winter of spin class and only a few outdoor rides. But, we had a ball and now I'm on Active.com trying to figure out all the events I might squeeze in this summer!
I also met Chris, the bike chick who brings the Trek bikes to events to let you test-ride demos and she set me up on a sweet little bike called a Madone ... wow is it lightweight! I think I may have to get a second job to be able to afford my third bike! And, we talked about mountain biking a little and I think I'll have to get that bike out, dust it off, lube the chain and go try out the trails in the park just one short stretch of dangerous road away from my neighborhood.
So, I'm out there, breathing the fresh air, looking at the daffodils and trying to figure out how I could fit a fourth bike into my little townhouse (3 for me and 1 for my daughter) plus any the boys might bring home in the near future.
This Sunday, I had the greatest time riding in the Carol for Heart fundraiser. I rode with Jen (a Trek Woman Who Rides) and pushed, grunted and sometimes walked through the 25 mile ride. Quite a start to the season after a winter of spin class and only a few outdoor rides. But, we had a ball and now I'm on Active.com trying to figure out all the events I might squeeze in this summer!
I also met Chris, the bike chick who brings the Trek bikes to events to let you test-ride demos and she set me up on a sweet little bike called a Madone ... wow is it lightweight! I think I may have to get a second job to be able to afford my third bike! And, we talked about mountain biking a little and I think I'll have to get that bike out, dust it off, lube the chain and go try out the trails in the park just one short stretch of dangerous road away from my neighborhood.
So, I'm out there, breathing the fresh air, looking at the daffodils and trying to figure out how I could fit a fourth bike into my little townhouse (3 for me and 1 for my daughter) plus any the boys might bring home in the near future.
Monday, January 07, 2008
New Year - Fresh Start
Like many other people, I've been thinking about what I want to different this year -- what my "fresh start" might be. This morning in spin class, the instructor made a lot of comments about starting new, forgetting what's behind and moving forward, but it struck me that I don't want a fresh start. I made many positive changes last year -- losing 30 pounds, developing a consistent exercise routine, taking better control of my home environment (losing several hundred pounds of clutter!) and other things.
So, instead of a fresh start, I'm just continuing along the journey I've already started. If health and fitness are really a journey, there is no start or finish. Even if today is the first day you've exercised, there is some level of health and fitness there (or unhealthy fatness!), but, you're never starting from zero!
I do have 3 goals already for the first next couple of months related to health --
So, instead of a fresh start, I'm just continuing along the journey I've already started. If health and fitness are really a journey, there is no start or finish. Even if today is the first day you've exercised, there is some level of health and fitness there (or unhealthy fatness!), but, you're never starting from zero!
I do have 3 goals already for the first next couple of months related to health --
- I signed up for a challenge at my gym where you get points for weight loss, fat loss and how many sessions you come in for. You go back and weigh-in and tally points between March 15 and March 31 and if you have the most points, you win $500! Now THAT'S motivation! The top 5 pound losers get a 5-session personal training session. To kick it up a notch!
- I'm signed up to walk the More Magazine half-marathon in NYC in April. A group from spin is doing it as a team and I have a 12 week training plan to follow. It'll probably be all walking for me, but it gives me something to work towards.
- And, I'm signed up for the Gears with Girls bike ride in April -- a fun, charity ride to raise money for an organization that teaches women about preventing heart disease.
So, while they're not resolutions and I'm not "starting fresh", I do feel a renewed sense of motivation and a fresh outlook on this journey.
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