Staying the Course -- 03/26/2018

[Superbob]

Well, oopsie, nearly forgot to start the thread this week. Does that mean I am off-course? Guess so. Jumping back on board now.
This is spring break time after all, and daughter is here for a good visit this week and so the schedule is busy. Our fitness teacher is away visiting family too, so we have a substitute this week. Will try to get there tomorrow, but depends on family schedule....
Will try to write more later...It's late and I really need some sleep.

Best to all,

Superbob

 

[Superman]

Enjoy your time with family!

I'm going to Disney World! Long road trip coming up. Didn't hit my pre-trip weight goal, but still below 200 - so that's all good. Should look good in my bikini. Aside from the scars. Had to buy a new swimsuit and new shorts this past weekend. All my old stuff was falling off. Weird that I didn't realize how much extra I was carrying. Now when I try on old clothes, they seem huge, and I look at last years vacation photo's and wonder who that tubby guy is hanging out with my family. Over 35 lbs in all. Still seems strange to think about.

I got in over 64 miles of spinning over the last three days (about three hours total). Should be at my cardiovascular peak heading down. Good times. Hope all the walking keeps me from eating too much down there.

 

[honeybunny]

You are forgiven, SB Hope you got some rest and enjoy the family visit. I'm fortunate in that my two older children and four of five grandchildren live near me so I have lots of opportunity for visits.

I will confess that I skipped line dancing this month. Just needed some rest, I guess. I'll start back up next Thursday. On one hand Thursday night classes are good for me because I am off on Fridays. OTOH, I'm pretty worn out by Thursday evening and ready to crash.

Good for you, Superman! Great job on the weight loss! Keep up the good work. I'm still shooting for that 144 weight. It will happen at some point.

Enjoy the Spring weather, everyone~

 

[epstns]

Spring weather? What's that? We won't see warm weather for another month or two. The lase two years, it hasn't warmed up until mid-to late May. Such is life in the upper rust belt.

I haven't been posting much lately - mostly because the system has been so slow I don't have time to wait around for it to update. Yesterday morning and this morning it was so slow I couldn't even browse this site. Everywhere else was fine, so I know it was local.

Of course, the power failure we had at lunchtime yesterday consumed my afternoon. Our IT fellow is on vacation, so I had to re-start a room full of servers and then help the users work through the many glitches that happen when 12 or 15 servers are shut down abruptly. I was out at lunch when the power went down, and by the time I could get back to the building, the backup power packs were about out of juice. Not pretty. Oh, well. By early morning today the only thing not back to working order is the paging system connected to the phone system. Service tech due tomorrow. Now maybe I can get back to my usual work.

Of course, usual is a figment of my imagination. This is my last week of full-time work. As of close-of-business this Thursday, I will finally go into semi-retirement. For me, this means that I will work one week each month. Just enough time to close the books, publish financial statements and prepare the analyses for the regular monthly review meeting. Then, I'm off for the rest of the month. Yay! Finally, some time to do all the things on my list, without having to count vacation days. I won't know what to do with myself. . . for a while. Then, I'll get busy and not know how I ever had time to work.

With all this going on, trying to tie up all the loose ends and so forth, I have just barely kept my minimal exercise schedule. I'm at the same weight I've been most of the winter. I'm hoping that I can ramp up my activity level once I am off work, and once the weather improves. Maybe I can localize on a "new normal."

I'll enjoy the spring. . . whenever it gets here.

 

[Paleowoman]

Spring's not got here in the UK...yet. And this weekend we have been promised another 'beast from the east' which is what the weathermen have been calling the sudden very cold spells with snow that we have had two of this past month. Hopefully they are going to be wrong this time !

Looks like we should wish you a happy retirement Steve...even if you are still working one week a month !

 

[honeybunny]

Superbob , I copied this from an article because the link had too many popups.

Planking often feels like a who-can-hold-it-longest strength contest, but maybe those sweat-inducing, core-shaking times aren’t actually necessary for achieving your strong-girl goals. At least according to one expert.

Professor and spine specialist Stuart McGill, PhD, told The Telegraph that to see results from planks, holding the position longer than 10 seconds is pointless: “There’s no utility to this kind of activity other than claiming a record,” he said. Instead, he believes plank benefits come from short, frequent holds, AKA the proven-effective method of interval training.
So, instead of going about your typical routine to see how long you can hold your plank, try Dr. McGill’s body-blasting method to feel the burn at the gym. He suggests multiple reps of 10-second planks to fire up your abs, glutes, and hamstrings.

And if you really want to see results, McGill notes the Big 3 is where it’s at, which involves curl-ups, side planks, and bird dog exercises, which increase the endurance of muscles around the spine. Potentially better results from less planking? It’s a workout warrior’s dream come true.

 

[Superbob]

Thanks, HB. Our senior-fitness expert teacher frequently has us do four sets of 20 seconds each. Only a few times have we done a one-minute plank. It's not a contest, believe me; all are encouraged to stay within their limits, modify, break off when needed. (Although I teased teacher so much about doing our last two classes without planks, she did warn me that I'd better practice planks all spring break because when she comes back, she's going to make me do so many that I will be sorry I ever heard the word "plank." She was kidding -- I think! ; )

 

[Superbob]

I think Steve has commented on this before -- how you welcome your family/company for a visit, have some good fun, but it does discombobulate your life, your routine. So no exercise class this week. But we did go to Brookgreen Gardens, a gorgeous place near Murrells Inlet, and we walked, and walked, and walked -- probably 5 exercise classes' worth at least. If you ever have a chance to visit this area, be sure to put Brookgreen on your must-do list. Google it if you want a glimpse of it....amazing blend of nature, art, and history....Just got a year's membership; hope to return often, company or no. Just taking a good book out there and sitting in a garden under a huge old oak tree would be wonderful.

Hope all are have a good week....cheers....

 

[FredW]

Hey SB, I love the word: "discombobulate". It describes the situation exactly.

 

[FredW]

Well, tis the day before Easter and all through my house,
There are no yellow Easter bunnies, chocolate rabbits, or a sugar coated mouse.
For I’m on a diet of veggies and fat free kind of stuff,
Cooked up and served by my wonderful spouse.

The plan is to lose six point four pounds is kind of tough
As I push away my plate saying, I have had enough.
But, the scales fail me, saying I’m gaining a pound or two
Which makes me feel that I am in such a slough.

Am I kidding myself, or just being a fool
Trying to keep up with Super Bob and Honneybunny too.
But the dish of ice cream last night, I must confess
Is on the list of things that ought to be taboo.

For I have pounds to loose before I can rest
I will stay the course to be my healthy best

 

[Superbob]

By the authority vested in me by, well, nobody, I am naming you the Poet Laureate of Staying the Course, Fred. Good stuff. I don't know about Honeybunny, but keeping up with me would be about matching gain, not loss. We have eaten out for every meal this week, and my wife actually complained because at one steakhouse they didn't have lobster to go with her steak and she had to settle for shrimp. The only weight loss I am achieving is in my wallet.

 

[Agian]

Fred, that's brilliant! If I was standing next to you dropping beats, we could be famous rappers.

 

[Paleowoman]

Loved the poem Fred - very clever !