Better late than never......

Well, I got home later than usual last night and did not get a chance to blog. I have moved on from my beloved treadmill. I am now a full blown fan of the elliptical machine. I know, I said previously that I didn't like it. I suppose I just wasn't doing it right or something. It is a faster, more intense workout, and yet it causes way less strain on my lower body. My knees didn't receive the harsh impact that the treadmill causes. It was a great workout. I plan to do the elliptical every other day. I could do a mile on the treadmill in about 18 minutes; I did a mile on the elliptical in 12 minutes. Awesome. I am sold. No more treadmill for me. It is elliptical all the way!  :)

Happy birthday to me....

Well, today is my birthday and this is my 100th post! Cool, huh? I feel great today! (Libras love their birthdays!) I am eating healthy, exercising regularly, and even my hubby is on board with the good health thing. Life is awesometastic! I am getting in better shape day by day, and I plan to be around for many more birthdays. :)

Also, in honor of my birthday, I invite anyone reading this blog to check out something very dear to me. Follow the link and have a look. Thanks!  Kelly's Birthday Wish

Breaking tradition....

So, my birthday is tomorrow, but my family got together and celebrated it yesterday. The long standing tradition is that on your birthday, grandma makes you a home made cake. Her cakes are always delicious, but this year the hubby and I are eating healthy. When I first mentioned passing on the traditional cake, the family was like, "How can you not have cake? What will we have instead?" I suggested a veggie tray. Well....it was a hit! My entire family sat around the table, munching on veggies and dip while reminiscing about good times. It was so cool! That tray was huge, too. It had cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. It also had ranch dip for the non-vegans. I was amazed. My family has had a somewhat difficult time accepting that I eat differently than they do. Every holiday is, "Oh, just try a bite. A little meat won't kill you. What do you mean you don't eat dairy?" This birthday was great in that my whole family decided to partake in my healthy ways and enjoy veggies. I was moved. I was also stuffed by the time we left! What a great day.

Two is better than one....

I hit the gym again today, and this time my hubby went with me! It was so awesome, both of us working out together. He says he wants to try and go with me 3 or 4 days a week. I currently go 5 or 6 days a week. He did well on his first day. He is in better shape than I am. I hope we can make this a regular thing. It feels good to have a workout partner. Also, it gives us some quality time together. That is always a plus! I am happy today! :)

Natural.....

Well, I tried natural peanut butter for the first time today. I like it. True, I have never had to stir my peanut butter before, but apparently the natural kind tends to separate over time. Yes, it was totally gross. However, I pressed on. I had a bagel with the pb and a banana. The first taste of the pb seemed "off". I guess my taste buds were expecting the sugary/salty glop I was raised on. But then I took another bite, and realized it tasted pretty damned good. Not to mention it is just peanuts and minimal salt; no hydrogenated oils or other crap that shouldn't be in there. Suffice it to say, I am hooked on natural peanut butter. I hope to hit the gym today. The last few days maintenance was fixing the parking lot and I didn't want to try and traverse the area to get to the gym. I did the home workouts instead. Now they seem to be finished with repairs, so I think I can make it safely. I miss my treadmill!
  On another note, I recently came off my birth control pills. No, we don't want kids. I just read about the health problems that can be associated with the pill, especially in women over 30. Sounded too risky to me, so I quit. Now I am losing all the water weight I had retained due to the hormones, and I feel great! My mind seems more clear, my body feels better. I guess the pill was bad for me, because I felt like crap all the years I was on it. I am not saying every woman should stop the pill; I am just saying that stopping did wonders for me. I feel better. I feel more natural. I guess I feel like peanut butter. :)

Out with the old....

Pretty soon I will have to go shopping for clothes. I look forward to it and dread it at the same time. Every girl likes to buy new things, but when you're a big girl it kind of sucks. I hate trying to find my size, then trying to find something decent in my size....*sigh*......it gets disheartening at times. I know I can't wear the cute clothes in a size 8 just yet, but buying the larger sizes just reminds me how far I have to go. And I know it is probably just my mind being cruel, but I feel like nothing looks good on me. I have never been a fan of shopping simply because I am what they call "plus size". You big girls know what I'm talking about....searching for "comfort fit" or elastic, breaking a sweat in the changing room (why do they make them so damned confined?), the ever popular "sucking it in" technique, and never being truly satisfied. Shopping is no fun when you're fat. But, it must be done. And I guess the thrill of getting into a smaller size from time to time is worth it. I just hope they have the a/c going full blast in those changing rooms. Big girl doesn't want to be all sweaty. Ugh.

Tread lightly....

Well, I made it down to the gym to enjoy the treadmill today. I like it. This one tells me my heart rate, my calories burned, etc. Very high tech. I bet of I collapsed, it would even give a moment of silence. Ok, maybe not, but it is still pretty neat. I managed to walk at a highly moderate pace for about 20 minutes. I burned 150 calories and kept my heart rate at 151bpm. Not bad for a fatty. I also tried the exercise bike and the elliptical, but I just don't like them as much. Treadmill for the win.
  Anyway, on a different note....my hubby told me earlier that beginning next month he wants to try the vegan thing. I was very happy to hear that! Even if he doesn't stick with it, just making the effort without me asking is cool enough. Now I get to teach him all my lovely vegan knowledge. I can't wait. He also wants to go to the gym with me on his days off. Looks like October is going to be a great month. Well, it always is. I'm a Libra. We love October. :)