Randoms...

I've been keeping busy!  And, therefore, neglecting the blog.  Sorry!  Actually, I've been keeping so busy that I can't seem to string thoughts together for a long blog post.  So, I have a few random thoughts I thought I'd share tonight.  But, first, an update!  My weight is still stuck, but that's not a bad thing.  I've been doing strength-training twice a week for the last few weeks now.  I do upper body one day, then cardio the next, then lower body, then another cardio, take a day or two off and then head right back to it.  I picked up a Personal Training journal from B&N.  $5.95 on the bargain racks.  Best money I've spent in a long time!  This thing is awesome.  It's got enough space for a year's-worth of journaling.  Each week has it's own page for diet, another page for strength-training, and another for cardio.  At the beginning of each week, there's a spot for you to write in what your plans are for the week.  And then you can check them off as you get them done.  It's a great motivator for me.  It's kept me going.  Even when I'm sore, which I really am!  All that weight-lifting is definitely having an effect.  I've had to up my weights a couple of times already in order to challenge my body enough for it to do some good.  My body was definitely in need of the challenge that strength-training provides!  My weight may not be changing, but my body composition certainly is!

My randoms....
1. Do you think that noise that men make when they're lifting actually does something for them?  Seriously, they grunt and groan and make as much noise as they possibly can (not all men, but you know the ones I'm talking about).  I just wonder what they think the noise is accomplishing....
2.  I thought I knew what a "hard" workout was....and then I put the elliptical on the Fat Burn setting today.  Apparently, if you don't go fast enough, it increases the resistance for you to up your heart rate.  Unfortunately, I didn't figure this one out until I was working like I was trudging through drying cement.  The machine was at its highest resistance when I noticed this message: Increase speed to decrease resistance.  Really?  It couldn't have mentioned that back when the resistance was manageable?  Seriously, I'd been spending the last 5 minutes cursing the machine and praying for it to ease up!  By that point, there was no way in hell I could have gone faster.  It took everything I had just to keep going!
3.  I find people at the gym funny.  There's one particular woman that I see every. single. time.  Seriously, it doesn't matter what time I head to the gym.  She's always there!  She's super-skinny, middle-aged, and she must work out non-stop.  She does this weird little move on the elliptical where she puts both feet on the same peddle and just uses her arms to move.  She reminds me of a stork or some tall, thin bird.  It's a very interesting effect.
4.  Something I've been noticing lately....every single person who comes into the locker room post-workout does the same exact thing as soon as they get to their locker.  They let out a big sigh.  Seriously, everyone does it!  Huge sigh before digging out their post-workout crap so they can clean up and get going.  I think it's a sigh of relief.
5.  Children are a great motivator for getting in to the gym.  Or maybe it's the two hours of child-free time that the gym allows.  Either way, it's keeping me going!
6.  Every person at the gym has OCD tendencies.  Really.  You start to pick up these things when you go to the gym a lot.  You see the same people working out on the exact same machine every day.  For me, I know my OCD tendencies are brought forward at the gym.  I break my time down into 6-minute increments and change direction every six minutes.  I also have an addiction to the Quick Start buttons that I am now attempting to break.

Okay, enough randomness.  I'll end by sharing with you some of my ideas for moving forward.  I picked up a few things today.  I want to add in just a bit more activity in an attempt to get the kids and I going each morning.  I picked up a yoga DVD for beginners that includes an AM and a PM workout.  And a $5 jump rope.  I have a tough time getting myself moving each morning.  I think most parents of d-children (and just small children in general) probably have the same issue.  So, if nothing else, I can at least pick up the jump rope for a few minutes each morning or pop the DVD in and see if the kids will do the exercises with me.  I signed Lily up for a Sports Sampler class at the gym and she's been going to that each Wednesday at 10, which gets me to the gym early.  Wreaks havoc on her blood sugars, no matter what I do, but we'll figure that out eventually.  The training journal is helping me keep track of what I'm eating and how many calories I'm eating and burning.  So far, it seems like my daily intake is averaging about 1500-1600.  I'm trying to make sure more of my calories are coming from protein and fiber and that seems to be helping to keep me going.  All of that at least gives me something to do while I'm waiting for the weather to improve.  I'm dying for it to be spring and warm enough to take the kids out in the bike trailer or the stroller for walks/rides around the lakes and the neighborhood.  There are so many parks nearby and I know the kids are dying to get out just as much as I am!  Now if Mother Nature would just cooperate!

I'll leave you with my favorite of our Easter pictures:

These two beautiful babies are my reason for everything I do!