Motivation

Hi Everyone!!

Just wanted to pop in and wish all a Very Merry Christmas!!! I know we all have lots to do over the next few days and it will be hard for some of us to stop by and see how everyone is doing. I wish everyone well, everyone a tad too much to eat and mostly wish all peace. We made it another year. It has been one full of angst, recovery, fitness, weightloss. offspring issues (Deanna hope your boy is doing better!) loss of loved ones etc. We are all strong women, we have proven that, but I appreciate everyday that you are all in my life helping me up when I stumble. Thank you all for that. Enough mushy stuff.

Hope Santa is good to you all!!!!

Merry Christmas my friends.

Love Penny 

Awwww I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside now!!  Looking forward to the New Year!!

kmmd, so did you get on that treadmill today??  I managed to do 2 miles this a.m. as I won't have any time later.  Hope I can keep up the morning routine, it sure is nice getting that part over with!

My younger DD is driving up as we speak and DH gets off work in an hour and will drive up also, YAY!! 

Deanna, praying for your DS.

Hi all you lovely ladies and Merry Christmas to those celebrating! We had a wonderful quiet Christmas--me and my two boys--my DH and Ds. (Is it Ds if my dog is a boy? Or just small d for dog? Oh well...) Talked a lot to our families this morning, discussed each gift and sent some pics. Not as good as being there but nice to connect. Got a nice walk in today--the weather was beautiful and spent the afternoon cooking. Ended up making beef tenderloin. (Expensive!) It was good and all the sides came out fine. I even made chocolate truffles yesterday and caramel bread pudding tonight. It's fun to try new things when there is no pressure of a lot of guests! We just watched the Hangover (movie) tonight--very funny.

Kari--hope you had a great trip down here!!

Brenda-have a wonderful vacation if I haven't missed you already...!

Deanna--ugh--so sorry your son has to go thru that. I hope surgery goes well--we'll be thinking of him and sending good thoughts...

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Oh and a question for this exercise-minded group--we are thinking of buying an elliptical machine so we can get out of the gym membership by exercising at home. Would love any recommendations or input of machines anyone has and either loves or hates....thanks!! 

Went to a huge family Christmas party and they had Wii sport! It was great! So less sitting around and more moving than usual. However, ate lots of food!! ahhhck!

Deanna, What a thing to be going through over the holidays. Will be thinking of you and your poor son!! ouch...

KMMD, what are they doing to give you buns of steel? I may need glut exercises to plump up my now even flatter butt!

Agreed Joy, the "dancing in the yard" should be our vision for life! That was our Miss Kari I believe....

Hi Ladies,

Didn't turn on the laptop yesterday but had to today because I had forgotten to wish you all season's greetings!!!  Everything went off quite well here except I burned the sauce!!!! Lots of left overs today so I'm taking a break from the kitchen. I really hope that everyone had a good holiday and that you all enjoyed yourselves and were good to yourselves. 

We have been having cold icy weather here that we are not use to and travelling is difficult. My DD was working today so DH had to drive her as she would have no experience of driving in these kinds of conditions but he had to abandon the car on the way home as he couldn't get up the hill to our home.  He has just set off on foot now to collect her and hopefully make it up the hill home!!! DS is loading up a new computer game - my big 22 year old baby!!! Mum is staying for a few days, she has a nasty cold but some TLC will sort her out!!

Well I'll check back in soon - take care all and stay well.

Yes I am enjoying the leftovers. I made yorkshire pudding for the first time tonight also--really yummy and easy.

Kari--love the dancing in the back yard image!! It's a good visual for positive energy and happy times. I was actually boogie-ing around the living room last week to Nat King Cole's L-O-V-E song. It's not really a Christmas song but they had it in that genre on iPod. Such a fun, happy song. The dog was looking at me like I was nuts...

Thanks PK and kmmd on the input. My DH has his eye on a Nordic Track that folds up a bit--still big. I will have to sell (on craigslist) the mammoth sleeper sofa we have in the office to make room.

Have a good night everyone! We are rainy here--a good night to be at home. Ainm--careful with that bad weather--yikes!! 

Deanna, surgery tomorrow for DS, wishing you all well.  We've always had low stress Holidays, concentrate on just getting together, and scaled back even some of the prepping this year.  I agree with you, best Christmas ever.  

Spring, don't actually have buns of steel, just thinking they hurt so much after yoga fusion, I better start getting them.  Our comcast cable lets you go to exercise TV and pick up different routines, anything from yoga to pilates, to dancing.  And some young thing in low cut pants who seems to spend 20 minutes blowing the hair out of her eyes. Not sure how many calories that burns.

 I toally agree dancing in the yard has to be the theme for the thread.  Makes me smile everytime I picture it.  

Well, can't say the foods yesterday were the healthiest (lots of cheese on some of those vegies), but they tasted great and I used some portion control.  Kept to my vow to get at least 20 minutes of some sort of exercise in each day.  Today will get in more.  But, squeezing in at least 20 is manageable on the days when things are hectic.  Off to another round of family get togethers soon. 

DS made it in despite the bad storms in our part of the country.  We're all healthy and happy this year and we're together.  Best Christmas gift I could ever get.

Cheers to that Joy!  And cheers to all the 'dancing' visions of you lovelies!  Deanna I am the same as you with regards to the 'going with the flow' these days.  Chemo has changed me forever!

Well, with the exception of this a.m.(was a bit tuckered out) I have done 2 miles of hills/valleys everyday for a week at a good pace!  The only day my back really bothered me was Sunday, when I did my exercise then went shopping for hours...oh boy did it hurt then!!  But I didn't let that stop me. I feel in my mind and body that I am getting stronger!

Deanna, we are making plans for a summer trip to Palm Springs.  Hope we can meet!  Stay tuned...Also, wondering about your DS.  

kmmd, still chuckling over wondering how many calories blowing the hair out of the chickie's eyes burns!  heehee 

Hi, all ~ We're home, and DS is doing great.  Thank you all so much for the prayers and concern.  I truly believe it made things go as well as they did.   He's in some pain today, but hopefully it will improve quickly.  In the mean time, if anyone knows of any natural or holistic pain easers, both oral and topical, I'm all ears.  He's not crazy about staying on the Percocet and is contacting his naturopathic doctor this morning for suggestions, but I thought I'd throw the question out here, too.

Joy ~  Glad you have some days shifts this week.  I know 7:00 a.m. is tough, but I think days are less disruptive to our natural body rhythms.   Spring ~ Glad you're seeing family.  Stay warm & enjoy!   Kari ~ I am so looking forward to meeting you in person!   Smiling just thinking about it!   kmmd, Brenda, ainm, Penny, Allie, Mandy, Meg, and all ~  Here's to a New Year of vibrant health for each and every one of us!   Each of your efforts and stories have inspired me far more than any long haired chick in low cut yoga pants looking pretty for the camera.   Hugs to all ~  Deanna

Deanna glad to hear your boy is doing better. Those stones are nasty stuff.

Joy good to hear from you, glad to hear you are on days, always hated eves and nights, they really screwed me up. '

Kari, take it easy, don't push too hard and end up not being able to do anything.

Spring, take it easy too!

Ainm think I need some of your motivation, haven't exercised in a week! Can feel it too, my body aches are back (I think that is the estrogen depletion from ooph)

Big hi to everyone else I missed! 

Thanks for the pep talk Kmmd, will work on at least 10 min on the elliptical when I am not going to do the hour long DVD's!

kmmd, I am thinking like you these days.  My alarm woke me up today, so I only had time for a quick stretch and 10 min. on the treadmill, but I did it, and it felt good.  Yesterday I took off, I was pooped and had to go to DD's to feed and play with my granddoggies.  I crack up playing with them, but it broke my heart when it was time to go and little Chip was crying.

I also noticed that my hip bothered me more yesterday when I did no exercise than when I push it or do get some in.  interesting...

Harley, welcome!  Do you have access to some dvds/tapes/treadmill/gym?  With the exception of the crowded mall around the holidays, I was going to the mall on my lunch hour (11:30-12:30) and putting on my tennies and leaving my coat/purse in the trunk and power walking for 30 min.  Luckily, I work under 2miles from a huge mall, and its not very crowded at that time of day.  I enjoy being around music and people so that helps me.  I do have a treadmill, but I get bored very easily, but I've been on track and pushing myself lately, cause I think of everyone on this thread, and that really helps me. 

Welcome, Harley!  (Love your name!)  Having lived in Aspen, Steamboat, Park City & Vail for many years, and always hated being cold, I think the trick to doing anything outdoors in the winter is layering.  If you're warm enough, getting out shouldn't be a struggle.  Do you have some Cuddle Duds (silky long underwear)?  Pile on some extra (lightweight) layers and see if that makes walking/running in the cold any better.  Or, is there an indoor pool anywhere in your neighborhood?  Swimming is such great exercise+toning.

kmmd, great advice on the 10 mins.  I think so many times if we can't do a full whatever, so we don't do anything.  That 10 minute idea is excellent!   And crackers & cheese wasn't so bad!  My weakness was croissants.  I bought a package of mini ones and have eaten 3 this week.   But, hey, both of those are better than cookies.     Deanna  

Deanna, great to hear all is well!!! 

Harley, welcome!

Finally out of the compressoin garments, but still tight and sore, but was able to do 10 min of gentle yoga stretching last night. When home, will have to start up the daily walking again. I feel like I must have gained 10 lbs!! ugh, not a good feeling....  Good thing I have this thread to keep me on the straight and narrow!!!! (No snow here Joy, not yet anyway!!!)

Spring.