Category Archive:Moose Nuggets

Day 101/40

October 25th, 2017 / Categories: Moose Nuggets / 2 Comments »

The energizer bunny just will not quit. I completed Crossfit Certitude’s 40 day challenge in August – and kept right on going. Today is day 101. I still do my best to get in my protein and calories on a daily basis, while staying close to the desired fiber and fats.

It’s not always easy, but the rewards are music to my ears. I’ve seen both of my doctors this week and both were well pleased. My blood pressure has dropped enough that my internist has taken me off one of my meds. What a blessing!! I just need to keep an eye on it and if it starts inching back upwards contact her and possibly go back onto the med.

My internist says I am like a 20 year old compared to the rest of her patient load. My gynecologist says she would guess me to be in my 50s if not for the fact she knows I am closing in on 68.

Can you feel my smile from where you sit?

My coaches love me. I continue to hit the workouts M-W-F each week. I am concentrating more on form than increasing weight, although there is some of that also. And, there are ropes hanging from the ceiling that SOME day I plan to climb. Well, we will see won’t we?

9-23-17 COMPARE 9-7-10 I’m including pictures for comparison. The “me” on the left weighed in at 363# (!!) That pic has haunted me, showing up on my facebook feed every October since 2010. This year I jumped up and grabbed a coworker to take the pic on the right. I weighed in at 258#!!! Yes, that is a 105# weight loss in 7 years. (Nobody said this was going to be an overnight success story.)

My gyn doc asked me this morning what my goal was and I had to tell her I don’t really have a weight in mind. I am happy to be feeling healthy and watching the weight going down.

I do have one bucket list goal: I want to do the zip line in Seward. First off I am a bit squeamish with heights, but, I can overcome that. They do have a weight limit: 270# I am FINALLY below that marker – so summer of 2018 here I come. Who wants to join me???

Thanks Coach Nikki and Crossfit Certitude!!!

45 Days and counting

August 30th, 2017 / Categories: Hear Me, inspiration, makin' my own fun, Moose Nuggets, Moosin Around / Comments Closed

What’s that you say? You thought the challenge was only 40 days? Well, you are correct, sir. Congratulations. However, why waste the start of a good thing is what I would like to know.

You don’t, of course. My goal is to continue this as a new lifestyle. There are changes just waiting to be seen.

For instance: my knees no longer hurt! I mean, seriously – they no longer hurt. Now, that is not directly due to the challenge. It is mostly due to Coach Nikki and I working hard at getting them to the point that they no longer hurt. She has been wrapping my knees with her voo-doo band whenever I’m in the gym. Now I do the wrapping and she oversees to make sure it is done correctly. After two minutes, the wrap comes off and I walk about in the gym making sure my toes are pointed forward instead of duck walking like I used to do. (especially with my right foot.) I can’t tell you how many times I would come home after a great workout and have trouble bending my knees to sit after standing in the shower, standing to dry my hair, standing to do my breakfast . . . this week I noticed that is not happening any longer!!! Whoot!!! Article on using voodoo bands

But, that is not even the biggest change. This one can pretty much be attributed directly to the past 45 days of learning to eat clean, reducing sodium and refined sugars . . . at my eye exam last week I discovered my blood pressure was extremely low (for me) at 88/54. Ummm, yes. You read that correctly.

I had to place a call to my doctor to see if she wanted to see me sooner than my normal time in October. Spoke with the nurse, scheduled an appointment for tomorrow. Then the nurse called me back yesterday and said, nope, an appointment is not needed. We will lower the dosage on one of your meds and see you in October, unless you feel you need to come in sooner.

After years of having my BP in the 135-140 range (top number) and 90s range (bottom number) I can only attribute this to the past 45 days. article on blood pressure

Now do you see why I intend to continue?

Thanks Coach Nikki and Crossfit Certitude!!!

40 days – and 40 nights

August 27th, 2017 / Categories: Hear Me, Moose Nuggets / Comments Closed

My crossfit gym recently held a 40 day partner challenge and a friend and I signed up. We downloaded apps that helped us understand how many calories we needed each day in order to build muscle, lose weight, get stronger.

Now, if you are like I am, you have always thought – fewer calories equal weight loss. Right? Wrong!!! As counter intuitive as it seems, you NEED to take in enough calories for your body to survive day in and day out. I slowly got my head wrapped around that and discovered for my height, weight, and age, I needed to take in nearly 3000 calories per day. Yes, blink, you read that correctly.

Before pics and measurements were taken. Instructions on point systems and prizes were given. The process began. My partner and I chatted constantly via messages daily. We worked out together and separately. We tracked our food intake and our exercise both inside and outside of the Box.

Friday was day 40. We had done a certain WoD (work out of the day) back in July and this day was a re-test. We had also done our max on back squat back in July and re-tested that as well. I was excited and pleased to add 35 pounds to my 1 rep max back squat (from 150# to 185#) and cut 2 minutes and 37 seconds off Angie. (100 Ring Rows, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 air squats)

We did our after pics and measurements Saturday. My weight loss was nearly 5 pounds. Now, that may not sound like much to some, but it is exciting for me. Look at the pics and I think maybe you will see it, too. I replaced fat with muscle and we all know that the volume of one pound of fat is more than the volume of one pound of muscle. I call the past 40 days a success!

Oh, and I am not finished. I plan to maintain the same healthy eating and exercise program. After all, it takes 90 days to form a habit. This habit is my lifestyle choice.

p.s. it appears that my partner and I won the challenge also – all those extra point challenges on top of our regular points came in handy for the win.

Many thanks to Coach Nikki and CrossFit Certitude for the challenge and for the encouragement. Thanks also to my family who have supported me through these past 40 days – for your love and encouragement. Thanks to my coworkers who have had to listen to me daily yak on about it all.

before after front before after side

Bonus Anniversary #2

May 10th, 2017 / Categories: Family, Moose Nuggets, Moosin Around / 1 Comment »

weddingday

We were 19 – young, scared, in love, full of ourselves. We had the world at our fingertips and, rushed headlong to meet it. We were barely out of diapers, looking back.

But, we had each other and were ready for whatever the world would throw at us:

In sickness and in health . . .

That title up there? Bonus Anniversary #2? July 31, 2015 almost saw the end of us. The “us” we knew. A cardiac arrest almost took my heART away from me. But, with the grace of God and the hands of the surgeons and doctors He placed in our way he survived. And, for that, we are grateful.

And with that, we celebrate not only our 48th wedding anniversary, but it is our second bonus anniversary.

We will be going to Homer for a couple of nights to rest and relax and just BE together in the place we hope to call home someday.

Valentine's dinner smooch 2016

Valentine’s dinner smooch 2016

Light Bars and Fog Lights and Aged Eyes, oh, my

April 17th, 2017 / Categories: Alaska, Hear Me, Moose Nuggets / Comments Closed

We are saying goodbye to the long winter dark here in Kenai. Yes, we are thankful the ice and snow have (mostly) faded away to only a few blackened lumps around town. Yes, we are grateful the icy roads are (for the most part) a thing of the past.

But, as my early morning drives to the gym are gradually getting lighter, there is one thing I am really looking forward to: no longer needing to flip off on-coming drivers. No, not THAT kind of flipping off, sillies. I’m talking about using my dimmer switch.

What? You didn’t know there was such a thing? I’m afraid you are not in the minority. It would seem several people do not know that particular switch is installed in their rigs.

Although I use the thing rarely, I would be thrilled to not have to use it at all.

It depends on you, dear early morning drivers. I would not have to flip you off if you would be courteous enough to turn off your fog lights and light bars when meeting on-coming traffic. Like me. Driving to the gym in the early morning hours.

I try to be courteous enough to make sure my brights are dimmed while you are still down the road. I figure if I can see your lights you can see mine and take appropriate action.

Yes, those light bars are great fun – and it shows you have some status, well, cash to put into such toys. And, I know they are useful for those long hauls to Anchorage in the dead of night. And, they are even useful on the street-light-less roads between Kenai and Soldotna.

But, please, take into consideration those of us who have aging eyes. If you are close enough to me that I am blinded by the lights (two points for lyrics!) then you are causing both of us possible harmful reaction time.

Now, go on . . . go play with your toys on the escape route. Please dim your lights and turn off the light bars and fog lights when in traffic.

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