The Pay Off

I'm apparently more of a coffee addict than I'd like to admit, especially since I can only drink one cup a day. Heartburn gets me if I drink more than one large mug of coffee with sugar and half 'n half. And no black coffee ever -- that's how sensitive my stomach is. This morning I wake up with an awful taste in my mouth. I've been noticing a nasty taste/texture on the back of my teeth lately, and today I've figured out what it is: acid reflux. No doubt, eating a cup of Haagen-Dazs pistachio ice cream for dessert last night didn't help. My digestive tract and certain fats just don't get along.

I don't think I would've noticed this so much, except that today I have to have fasting blood drawn so I can't drink my usual cup of brew. What I can drink is hot water to warm me up as I get my son off to school. Hot water does nothing to rid my mouth of that nasty taste. My throat and esophagus also feel scratchy and coarse. Ugh. I have a vague headache, my nose is itchy and I'm a bit spacey as I drive to my doctor appointment.

from Medicinenet.com 

Well, my blood pressure is great at 110/70. That's what I remember it being in HS. After a quick exam by my doc, the tech draws the tiniest amount of blood from my forearm. My doc is concerned about my cholesterol because it was borderline high last time. What I didn't realize was how high: 229. Egads! She tells me not to worry too much because my HDL was 89 which is very high, and considered good. My LDL, on the other hand, is also high, which is not so good, at 140. In a few weeks I'll be able to check the online portal for my current results. (Once upon a time I got my cholesterol down to 166, but I had been vegetarian for a few months. That's just not sustainable in my household these days. BTW, have you read about the meat-eating bunnies and other "herbivores"? Click here for the link.)

I consider heading straight to the gym but I feel so awful that I stop home first just to make myself a cup of coffee! Its's not even fresh coffee -- I made a big pot yesterday. I just reheat a cup and fix it the way I can drink it. I had considered stopping at a coffee place for fresh brew but I couldn't justify spending the cash for coffee I don't really like. (Like Dunkin. Starbucks is out of my way, the lines are always impossible, and even a small drip is pricey.) After I gulp it down, I feel like a human being again. Whew! Now I can go to the gym.

I feel pretty good though, because I'd finally braved my home scale this morning. Imagine how surprised I was to read 110.6 lbs and 16.1% body fat. That's not so different from the last readings way back in July. Of course, my body composition feels different. My waist and hips are definitely bigger. Not a lot, but enough to make some pants a bit snug where they shouldn't be. My upper back is definitely bigger, and maybe even my upper arms.

My problematic right foot is also now noticeably wider, at least to me. While a 6.5 W New Balance sneaker fits fine on the left foot, it's snug on the right. Ugh. (I went to Dick's Sporting Goods just to try sneakers on over the weekend so I would have an idea as to what might actually fit.) I'll have to consider 6.5 XW shoes now and those are hard to find except if I order them directly from the company. I wonder if the heels will also be wide? I'll have to ask them.... No doubt those will never be on sale.

The gym is freezing, but virtually empty. It's almost noon and the lunch crowd hasn't arrived yet. I have on my "new" Bluetooth earbuds so I can wear the sloppy old yoga pants with the loose waist (because my iPod is in my gear bag and not clipped to my pants). Doing cardio feels good and floods me with happiness hormones. Yeah, endorphin junkie here. The Smith is free. I'm even happier. The Smith RDLs are still hard at the end. My last set leaves me panting a little, but that's okay. The gym is starting to fill up with HS kids and some lunchtime regulars. I can hear the Mayor from across the gym, even with my earbuds on. No posse though. He tries to engage various guys but most aren't interested in anything more than a standard greeting. He is left to work out alone and bereft. I don't feel sorry for him at all.

At the Lat Pull Downs, I'm still a bit surprised when it's hard for me to get into my seat with the pin set to 100 lbs. It's much worse when I move it to 115 lbs. I just hang in the air before twisting and arcing myself to get my legs hooked under the knee pad bar. In my head, I know how much I weigh, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I always feel bigger than I really am. Body dysmorphia? No, I'm not that dysfunctional.

T-bar Rows are the last item on my list. Actually, there's also RG BB Curls, but I don't want to cause any bruising on my forearms so I skip those. Even though the puncture is literally just a pin prick, I'm leery of making a nothing into something. (I snap a photo with my phone and later notice how scaly and dry my skin is. This is after exfoliating and using several moisturizers!) The T-bar Rows feel heavier today, because I'm doing them at the end of my routine. The only reason I like them is I can actually feel my lats work. Good enough for me!

There's the promise of a nasty wintry mix at the end of this week. I'm hoping it'll pass to the south of us like the last storm. But just in case, I plan to get all my errands done by Thursday.... My son has a Scouting event on Saturday. My husband is still in Boston and will be until next week, so it's just me and my son, and other Scout parents and their kids. Last year, we trudged through knee-high snow. This year looks more like ankle-deep frozen mud. Oh well...

Tuesday Pull

30 min elliptical + 5 cd
Program 2
Calories 316
Miles 2.84
HR (79) 160-196

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12, 12, 12

Lat Pull Downs
85lbs x 12
100 x 10
115 x 8, 8, 8!!

T-bar Rows
Bar x 20
25 x 12
35 x 12
45 x 15, 15, 15

Quick Mat Stretch