Wellness

[bopper]

Welcome to January 2014 Everyone:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[JudyL]

Happy New Year! Well almost anyway. Here on the west coast it's not quite midnight yet. I want to wish you all the best year ever!

My trip was fabulous but way too short. It was interesting spending the holiday in not only a different country but a different climate than I'm used to. South Africans celebrate the holidays differently than we do. It is far less commercial and the emphasis is on spending time with family and friends, having a big meal together, etc. While there were a few decorations at the hotel, when we drove around the City and surrounding areas, you wouldn't have even known it was the holidays. People don't decorate their homes like we do. Gifts may be exchanged but on a much lesser scale than we do. I was surprised how busy the restaurants were on Christmas Day but again, that's how they celebrate there - going out to dinner, or having dinner at home with family and friends. I liked it. I liked having the emphasis on family and friends and sharing a meal and not all the trappings of presents and shopping and decorating. It was nice to see the holiday spent as I think it was meant to be celebrated.

We did do some touristy stuff and then before I knew it, it was time to go home. So hard to leave my BF again but the important thing is that we had some time together. Will be going back to Africa at the end of July to meet his parents, siblings, friends and his 3 kids. We'll stay in his hometown in Zimbabwe for a few days then head to Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town is supposed to be absolutely beautiful and it'll be springtime then so the weather should be nice. It's a very big deal in my BF's culture for him to introduce me to his family, kids, and friends. I'm already nervous. LOL The fun thing about the July visit is that we'll be together on my birthday at the beginning of August. I was supposed to go back in June but he really wants us to be together on my birthday so will be going at the end of July instead.

Yesterday I started to not feel very well and today it's pretty obvious that I caught a cold on one of the flights home. So will take it easy for a few days but I must get back on the healthy eating and exercise routine. I know sooo many people say that after the holidays but I'm hoping I can make the turn around and get myself moving again.

Now if I could only get my sleep back to a normal schedule....

Judy

[Iluvlucy]

Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for starting us off again bopper!

I enjoy watching all the festivities from my own bed with my main squeeze, cats and hubcaps. Lucy was out like a light, if it wasn't her ball dropping, she didn't want to hear about it.

Judy, sounds like you had another fantastic trip! Cape Town is beautiful from the pictures I've seen, we have friends that visited there a couple of times. I hope you are feeling better, I woke up with my sinuses feeling full.

I got a lot of miles in yesterday, it was nice to power-walk while talking to a friend...for over two hours! We got behind over the holidays...lol!

Bedsheets are in the wash, bedroom cleaned and now we're deciding what to do for exercise...see if the sun is coming out or not, that could be our deciding factor and it isn't looking promising. In the 20's with snow coming, not like other places though...I see some in NY are supposed to get another 14" to 18" and they've already been slammed.

[nomless]

Judy, so glad your trip was good. In no time, you'll be off again. This is the last day of my vacation....I'm so sad. It went by fast as I knewxit would. Happy new year, everyone.

[bopper]

Happy New Year everyone! We were in bed before 11 pm last night, the big party people we are!

Just cleaning today, took down the tree, lots to dust and vacuum. Putting the totes out in the garage. I almost wiped out on the garage floor as it is so cold in there and there is slushy stuff on the garage floor and being the floor is cement I almost took a digger but caught myself on the side of the car thank goodness.

Judy sounds like your trip was fabulous and you are already planning on the next one. Great memories you have now to carry you through until the next trip.

Watching the Hockey Winter classics game on TV and the we will watch the Rosebowl. game.

Have a great day everyone!

[nomless]

I spent the morning doing computer scans and a backup. Spent the afternoon doing other stuff to be ready for work tomprrow. We had snow today and it was slick apparently....I saw several accidents on tne street outside my front window. I didn't do a workout, I plan to do cardio tomorrow. Time to get on the straight and narrow again.

[nomless]

Oh, just remembered....I happened to flip to Q when dmq was. They showed a ring that was similar to my mom's wedding band. It was inexpensive soI ordered it. It's an x desig with a small stone between each of the x's. Not exacty like mom's but close. Her rinf is too small for me, so I'll wear this one when I want to feel that she's nearby.

[Iluvlucy]

Morning! Back to regular routine today!

nomless, I hope you enjoy your ring for many years to come. I've been thinking about my parents a lot lately but always do over the holidays, their anniversary is on the 30th and my dad loved New Year's Eve.

You guys wouldn't believe how many miles Lucy did yesterday! I won't even say because someone will probably call me out on it later...either say I'm fibbing or that it's too much for her. And she ran so fast, I couldn't keep up with her and daddy for a while.

Going back to class today...ugh. I've lost 3lbs since Sunday but I'm sure that's just what I put on while traveling. So now it's time to get serious again. Dh is into it too, he wants to lose around 10lbs of fat and put on a couple of more pounds of muscle before we move. He doesn't expect his guys to do anything that he can't do. If they're going for a 12-mile run, he wants to be able to join them and do it without dying.

In the 20's again but it doesn't feel bad. I guess we're still going to get some snow tonight. Dh and I washed and cleaned out both vehicles yesterday...they needed it! I hate dirty cars. Mine is 10 years old and a lot of people think it's much newer. Cars are like your teeth, take care of them and they'll take care of you...lol. Or not.

[bopper]

Good Morning, still in the frigid temps and he said even colder next week...

I did 3 different workout today from On Demand...one had Petra leading, for those who know her, and the other instructors I didn't know...all toning .

Snowing again too...I have deer coming into the yard and trying to eat from my bird feeders. They have been know to get them open and drag them away! Lots of rabbits too. I just dumped some apple peelings into the yard for them instead of my seeds. I made applesauce over the weekend and safe the peelings and cores for the deer. I usually bring the stuff to the trail but I have had deer tracks in the yard so dumped some off to the side.

I am down 2 pounds which surprised me but I have been careful with my eating so I"ll take it!

Nomless I am glad you found a ring like your mom's...that is very comforting.

Pppmint I heard your area may get this winter storm that is hitting NY and the east coast. I think NY had a blizzard warning actually.

Judy are you recovered yet from your fabulous trip?

FUTURE do you have the rest of this week off work or are you back to it again? Hope your holidays were bless and filled with love and family.

Tony do you watch hockey? I watched the Winter classic yesterday played outside. It was pretty interesting seeing them shoveling off the ice. Red Wings lost by a shoot out to Toronto but is was a good game. Then we watched Michigan State win the Rose Bowl ...

Waving to all, Logan is giving me the stink eye!

[Iluvlucy]

While sitting here waiting for dh to get home because we're going to go for another run, I've been reading some good articles and cooking up some veggies.

One said what I've said all along, not eating at night doesn't help you lose any more weight than eating a bigger meal in the evening or eating after it's dark. It's still about what you're taking in on a daily basis. The studies even showed that those that ate a large meal after dark actually lost more 'fat' than those that stop eating after a certain time.

This was at the top of the "Ways To Get Fit This Year"

...Put on a few pounds of muscle....

Every pound of muscle you add can help burn an extra 45 calories per day. So if you beeline it for the weight room and pack on 10 pounds of lean muscle, then your body can continue to torch 450 calories daily well after you've left the gym, even if you’re chained to a desk for most of the day. At that rate, you can lose almost a pound of fat per week.

It's one of my goals...I will go by my body-fat measurement and how my clothes fit and only weigh myself once a month. I will get back down to a certain size but not a weight on the scale...back to body-fat percentage.