The Devil in Disguise

Since Roxie is a Lab/Pit Bull Terrier Mix people assume that she has ferocious tendencies. Nothing could be further from the truth. She is one of the sweetest and most mild mannered dog I have ever met. Except for the fact that she likes to chew my possessions I think she is pretty perfect. Old Navy has on sale this week their dog Halloween costumes. I had seen this devil costume a couple of weeks back and didn't think I wanted to spend/waste $20. Well yesterday it was on sale for 50% off and I just had to have it. I thought it would be so cute to dress up Roxie and Dixie. I put the cape and horns on Roxie first. She looked so adorable and we all started laughing (I have my friends Swen and Verina staying with me for Ironman Florida). I think we gave her some sort of complex. She hid under the dining room table and in the picture Swen is trying to coax her out. She wouldn't come out until we took the costume off.


Dixie on the other hand thought she was the bomb. She pranced around the living room and "posed" for pictures. Well let me tell you that costume fits her perfect. She most definitely can be the devil sometimes. When Swen and Verina said they were coming to Florida I warned them of all the crazy quirks my dogs have. Number one with Dixie is that if you give her a couple of seconds with an open door she takes off like a bat out of hell. Catching her is next to impossible. She literally has to wear herself out and then she will allow you to bring her home. This takes a minimum of 2 hours. This morning Swen made the mistake of opening the front door and just stood there. I was about 2 seconds too late. I called his name to warn him and then Dixie took off. Swen felt so bad. Since I have been through this at least 25 times I was calm and I tried to let him know that we would get her in about 3 hours. I realize that she could get hurt in the interim but since no one is able to catch her there is so sense in driving around getting frustrated.

When I got to work I got a call from my friend Suzanne. Suzanne lives about 4 blocks from me and has helped me catch Dixie in the past. "Do you know that Dixie is out running like a crazy dog down Maine Avenue?" Yep. "Okay, just checking. Let me know if she's still out after the kids get out of school and we will come help you find her." I love friends like this. Next call one hour later. My friend Cullen, who has a very thick southern accent, "Your damn dog is running all over Maine Avenue." Yep. This time I decided I would go and try to catch her since Cullen had Suzanne's husband with him. Sometimes she can be caught with three people plus it has been about 2 hours. She should be getting tired. No such luck. We saw her numerous times and Cullen was even 3 feet from her at one point. I went back to work knowing that if I didn't catch her before Swen got back from swimming he would feel even worse. He had already spent an hour looking for her even after I told him to wait. About 11AM I get a call from my neighbor 2 blocks from my house. They have Dixie. She just walked up to their back door. Poor thing was tired. Not really feeling sorry for her. Not even now. My neighbor wanted to know if I wanted them to let her go (are you CRAZY???) or if I wanted to come pick her up. Needless to say, I went there directly.

Too bad she likes the devil costume or I would make her wear it as a punishment. I think instead I will give her a nice leisurely bath. Since giving her a bath is the bane of her existence I think it will be fitting given her antics this morning. Plus she stinks to high heaven.

Isn't She Lovely?

My niece, Emily Brock, will turn ten on October 30th. I cannot believe she is ten sometimes and then other times I think she is a teenager. Bless her heart, she is always concerned about her "Aunt Shelly" and the status of my relationships (or lack thereof). She is thoroughly convinced that I need to go on eharmony or match.com because "they really work".

Roxie Strikes Again!

I really don't understand how a dog that not only looks so sweet but also acts so sweet and loving insists on chewing up my possessions! Now I have to add my heart rate monitor to the list of:

3 Remote Controls (thankfully Comcast thinks it is amusing)
An ENTIRE year of Oprah magazines
4 Burned CD's
One shoe each of six pairs of shoes

After this laundry list of chewed up items I started putting her in the kennel when I leave the house. Slowly I have been letting her have short stints out when I go out. I clear the floor, coffee table and end tables and shut all the doors to the bedrooms. Last night I did the same think but I didn't realize my HRM watch was on the couch. When I got back after being gone an hour she had chewed up a sample ballot of the upcoming general election (not a huge loss consider the state of our nation) and as I was picking up the pieces of paper I noticed that some were heavier and made of plastic. Immediately I remember that I left my watch on the couch. This is all that is left:




I thought I could just fix it and replace the watch band but the way she chewed it didn't look like it would work. Plus, I used this HRM almost everyday. So last night at 9:00PM, I am on the hunt for a new one. I went to Sports Authority and the manager was pulling down the gate. He was kind enough to let me in, I assured him I wasn't in there to browse and I knew exactly what I was looking for. Then I remembered seeing a $25 coupon earlier in the week so I was able to get the next model up for the same price as the one I bought before. This is my new HRM. I really like the fact that it's pink.




I used it today at the gym. It's really cool. Well cool in a crazy expensive exercise gadget sort of way.

See you soon!
Michele

Caloric Intake

Last night, while training, Mark and I got into a discussion about calories. I am having to keep a food diary on this really neat website called "Spark People". You put in your food and exercise daily and it keeps track, etc. I know that tracking food is the best way to actually lose weight because I have used Weight Watchers before with success (but only if you keep doing it!) Anyhow, right now I am eating anywhere from 1200 to 1700 calories a day. I am exercising 5 days a week and on the days that I train I will burn anywhere from 700 to 1000 calories. Theoretically with those numbers I should lose pounds considering I am not counting the calories burned throughout my day. Let me say this, I am not looking to lose pounds quickly (i.e. in some "fad" diet sort of way). I want to lose pounds sensibly and in a matter I will be able to maintain after I finish my personal training. In our discussion last night Mark tells me I should only be eating 1200-1500 calories a day. WHAT!! People I would literally be SO very hungry if I really had to cut those 200 calories. On the days I train, you cannot stop me from eating about one hour after I finish. I am so famished. So today I am wearing my HRM to work and I am going to see how many calories I burn normally. I know on the days I train I will be in a deficit.

For instance, yesterday I consumed 1415 calories and I burned 740 at the gym last night. That difference is 675 of unburned calories. Well right now at 8:18AM I have already burned 456 calories. There is no way that buy then end of the day those 675 calories would have been left. No Way.

I need those 200 calories. Really. Seriously.

Physical Training Session #8, #9 & #10

Free weights are not my friend. I have discovered this, well basically from session #1. Mark, my trainer, finds this quite amusing. I have no idea why I have such trouble, it isn't because my arms are weak, they are quite muscular, is it possible I have weak wrists? Perhaps. I am fine as long as I don't have to lift over my head because then everything goes willy nilly. Mark is always concerned that I am going to knock myself out. Needless to say he tries not to have me do too much overhead lifting.

I am half way through my training. I am feeling better because I am actually losing weight, albeit not a lot (it still amazes me that it is SO easy to put on but SO hard to take off!) but any weight loss is good. I can tell that I have gotten stronger working out with Mark. I think this is because when I was doing strength training by myself I wouldn't push my muscles past a certain comfort level. He, on the other hand, pushes.

Another thing that has helped is having a heart rate monitor. I LOVE the fact that it tells me how many calories I have burned. There is this feeling of such satisfaction seeing that number at the end of a workout. I do realize that the real reason I have this HRM is to tell me my level of exercise and this has helped me tremendously.

I think I will ask Mark to take my measurements tonight just so I can see where I am. I have lost a total of four pounds but I'd like to see inches also.

Until next time!
Michele

Physical Training Session #5, #6 & #7

Well, I cannot say that I remember the specifics about these sessions except to say that when I leave I am drenched with sweat. I come home, cook dinner and I am normally in bed by 9:00PM. I haven't gone to bed that early in years, like high school. I am that zapped. I am actually getting at least 8 hours of sleep. It makes getting up in the morning so much easier.

When I got on the scale this morning I was very happy to see that I had lost 3 pounds! Who would think that 3 pounds would make me so excited. Considering it has been the only reduction in weight I have had in 5 months it is no wonder. Progress is being made! Happy Day!

Michele

Physical Training Session #4

Ew, I am sore! My arms (two days later) still feel like jello. By the end of our session on Thursday Mark wanted me to do these bicep presses on the side of a weight bench and I actually felt like my arms wouldn't hold me up. He just looked at me like I was crazy and made me do something else. I guess this is what "they" (whoever they are) mean when they say that in order to strengthen your muscles you have to push them beyond your comfort level.

This morning I am making up one of my lost sessions at 9:15 AM. I am not a morning workout person. I realize this isn't early but I like to be lazy on Saturday mornings. My dogs get me up at the same time every morning so it isn't a matter of sleeping in but I just don't like having to do anything. I think it came from dating Geoff for 5 years and practically every Saturday morning we were up early and out the door to do some sort of workout. This morning we are doing legs so I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow!

Until then,
Michele

Physical Training Session #5 Postponed

Well, I had to postpone PT last night. I had to get this shot and when I asked the nurse and then the doctor if I could got work out they both said no. I surprised myself by really being disappointed not to be able to go! I did get some cardio in Monday night but I have a feeling that I will be getting my butt kicked tomorrow night. I have to admit I am ready to suffer, I am feeling quite sluggish.

It is supposed to be in the low 50's tomorrow morning. I cannot wait! I love Fall weather. There is this crispness in the air that I cannot get enough of. I wish I lived somewhere with seasons, especially Fall. I am going to open all my windows tonight, who cares that it will probably be 85 by 10 am!