Life goes on...

Isn't that the truth?  Life goes on...

I've always said that a person is the center of his/her own universe and the main star in a One Act Play... meaning that everything comes from our own perspective and can seem so meaningful to us, but absolutely zero to another person (unless they love you or are invested in your life).

Well, enter our Realtor.  She actually 'gets us'... I saw her turning her nose up to certain areas based on our wants and desires.  She's good... not just capable, but GOOD.  Unfortunately, we seem to see anything that actually speaks "live here" to us a day too late.  Yep, we've put in two back-up offers on houses that "just accepted an offer this morning".  Oh well.  I have to believe that we just haven't found "the ONE" yet.

Came out of lodging to this gorgeous site pre-run!

In the meantime, there was a tropical storm, Flossie, that was downgraded to a depression and really fizzled out prior to hitting Oahu.  I woke up yesterday thinking that our plans to view 2 houses and me going running were going to be a bust, but the storm just never hit.  Thankfully!!

Did I run?  Yes... during a lull in the rain.  BOY was it MUGGY.  AND... the bugs!!  Holy cow.  I got some in my eyes and splattered on my chest and legs when I was running/walking into the wind!  Thought they were dead, but I guess they were stunned as when I got back to the room most woke up and started crawling around on my shirt and pants!!  My son noticed.  Thanks!

Another sighting of the rainbow during the run! 

There WAS a beautiful rainbow I spotted in the beginning of my run that I spotted again when I turned around to run into the wind.  It certainly gave me something to watch and from which to gain motivation!  (Yes, in that photo, you can see the historical airtraffic control tower on Ford Island and the Pacific Air Museum next to it... that's my view on my runs)

Speaking of motivation... NOT going to wait until that late in the day (about 4:30pm) to run again!!  Too hot and muggy.  However, I DID impress myself in needing to tack on more distance to the run as I ran a little faster and went farther.  Week 2 differs from Week 1 in the Couch to 5K by increasing the running intervals from 60 seconds to 90 seconds, and the walking intervals went form 90 seconds to 2 minutes.  Those are done for 20 minutes sandwiched between the 5 min warm-up walk and cool-down walk.  Needless to say, the run/walk intervals lessen in number as they increase in length.

Click here to see my run stats

Well, next run is tomorrow!  I'll try to take other photos during my walking intervals to share...

A gentle nudge... or kick in the a$$?

A delightful blogger, Jared, from Primal Fatso, wrote a blog that resonated with me yesterday.  He was asking for someone to help him be accountable.  So, after reading his blog and all three comments already written in response.  Though the responses sounded helpful, I still felt the urge to write to him... that's the helpful person I am ;)  Read his blog here, then my response now... though I typically refrain from using off-color language on my blog, I did in my response to him.  Please excuse the more colorful language!!  What you will notice, if you read my blogs at all, is that this blog sparked me to write my last blog posting... yes, I'm keeping accountable to Jared, but to you, the anonymous reader out there...

Jared,
I read all the previous comments before commenting myself. Currently, I’m in the midst of a move from Japan to Hawaii. Yes, moves are stressful, and yes, I’ve eaten a few things I’m not proud of (like all the Hawaiian treats in our Welcome Basket!!). However, with that being said and me noting my bitchiness lately (sorry, but that word accurately conveys how I’ve been acting… poor hubby), I realized that I, too, needed a swift kick in the rear!!

Now, I’ve been reading your blog and following your progress and seem to be pretty much a similar person as you (or the you I’ve come to know through your writing). I’ve empathized with much of your trials and understood each goal as it came. Unlike you, I did not have as much to lose. I DID have huge health issues that have pretty much resolved.

So… Needing someone to say “Wake the *F* up and get your ass in shape!!!”… I understand that, too. So, how about I say it to you and you say it right back at me!!

1st: STOP eating that shit!! Moderation is OK for some people who can stop themselves from eating more!! Eating a ‘cup worth’ is awesome… for me? I just refill it!! So… Quit it!! If it makes you feel worse after eating it, STOP. OR>>> MAKE YOUR OWN. I know you know how to do it with DARK chocolate and coconut oil and stuff, so do THAT!! We both know that by the time we’ve made it and it’s ready to eat, we’re not AS hungry for it anymore (or have sampled the stuff so much our tummy aches already). But at least you know all the ingredients.

If you DO pick up some crap at work to eat… stop and read the ingredient list. Then remind yourself how crappy that processed shit is!! That you don’t want those chemicals in your body anymore!! Like me, get a bag of goodies for your desk or work fridge and snack on those. I NEED crunchy stuff daily… if not celery or carrots, then homemade sesame crackers or something. (Still have yet to make those freakin’ kale chips!! but, if you have… perhaps some of those)

2nd: Get a cheap app and get using it. I have SO many reasons NOT to exercise, it’s not even funny. However, when I first “went Paleo/Primal” I was doing the Couch to 5K running plan 3 times a week and saw my weight just drop off. Can’t say for sure it was ONLY eating Paleo or a combination… but I do know that I plateau’d when I stopped exercising (yeah, the past year). So… during this stressful time of moving from foreign country to another overseas assignment (yeah, we’re “in the states”… have you SEEN the prices out here??!!), I realized that I could and should get my butt out the door (sheesh, I’m in Hawaii…).

So, I took my Japanese iPhone (nope, the phone doesn’t work here in America, but I’ve figured out the GPS does) and put on earbuds and stepped out the door around 9am Monday to my Week 1 Day 1 “Ease into 5K” program. It sucked and I sweated SO much. It also was god-forsaken HOT outside with the sun beating down on me… but, I persisted. Today I finished up with Week 1 Day 3. Still sucked, but I got out there at 7:30am instead and sweat probably half as much. I had my workout music (yeah, sucked it up and bought a playlist that keeps 100 – 120 beats a minute the entire time) and sunglasses.

Next, the same app company (Bluefin) made another app called the 7 minute workout. So, I went ahead and bought that… plan to do that on my “off” days from running. It has 12 activities, and each one is for 30 seconds. I’m sure I can do that. I read some of the reviews and they say to add a second and third time as you get stronger. What appeals to me is that I don’t have to go anywhere or bring a gymbag to work!! Or have weights… or any other apparatus except my own body (and that’s heavy enough for these exercises!! lol)
- jumping jacks
- wall sit
- push ups
- ab crunches
- step ups
- squats
- triceps dip
- plank
- high knees
- lunges
- push-up and rotation
- side plank

So… I’m game if you’re game!! (I actually might blog this myself!!)

your friend and fan,
Debi

Moving overseas to overseas

The move is complete.  Well, almost... or not quite... well, we are in Hawaii!!

Narita International Airport, Japan to Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, USA

Phew!!  What an adventure!  I tried to map it for you, but google won't play fun as when I mapped getting to China from Japan years ago (it actually told you to jet ski across!!).  For us, we went from Narita International Airport to Honolulu.  It was, thankfully, an uneventful trip!  The dogs did very well and other than having a child seated behind me playing a game on the touch-screen TV on the back of my seat, we did too.  We were "lei'd" by my hubby's new boss and wife once they found us.  That was neat as the leis smelled great.  Supposedly, there's an entire ceremony or specifics regarding how to lei someone... will have to look that up.

First view of Oahu from the Northwest side!!

So, we're on Ford Island for now in the Navy Lodge.  It's nice enough, though I'm lamenting over not having a "real" kitchen.  The dogs are doing excellent and LOVE the dog park that is right across the street.  Buddy is loving the large area in which to run and chase things.  Cheyenne, still sticks close to me in the park, but is building up her walking endurance as we go there 2 to 4 times a day and I try to get her to walk to the back side of the park for exercise.

Chevy Volt 2013

Currently, we're in the search mode.  We're searching for a house.  This is NOT easy in Hawaii!!  First of all, my hubby wants a garage because he just leased a Chevy Volt and needs a place to plug it in securely.  That's a cool little car, but since the dealership leased it to us with ZERO battery charge, we can't see what it's really like when charged at all... so far, it gets about 34 mph.

A roadside park had gorgeous views... just above Kaneohe on the windward side.

So... what has this to do with BabyPT being Primal?  Well... during a move, there's stress.  There's also a learning curve to figuring out how to eat in a new country/new locale.  Us military have the commissary in which to grocery shop... however, the organic selection and clean eating sections are pretty slim.  I found local, organic full fat milk, and decent cheeses, but VERY limited organic produce (no shopping for the dirty dozen/clean 15 at the Pearl Harbor DECA!!).  I also had zero luck in egg selection.  Yes, they had a few different brands, but the only organic or "pastured" eggs were from 100% VEGETARIAN fed chickens!!  Ummm... I know it sounds gross to eat bugs and snails, but that's a chicken for you.  Needless to say, I caved and got one of those because I felt the happier chickens might be better for me.  Well.... the yolks were so pitiful and light yellow that I cannot imagine there's any omega-3s in them!!  Remember my old post on Japanese eggs?  Yeah, those eggs I used for the "American" comparison would have put these to shame!!  Needless to say, I caved when the hubby came home with Eggland's Best eggs that are "high" in omega-3s.  Not orange yolks, but more of a medium dark yellow compared to the other ones.

Week 1 Day 2:  24 July 2013

Now, being on the island of Oahu made me decide I needed to do SOMEthing healthy... so, I restarted my Couch to 5K (C25K) program.  First day out, I started at about 9-9:30am... too hot!!!  I was dripping wet with sweat when I returned to the hotel room!!  I had to keep reminding myself that "Sweat is fat cells crying"... oh well, it was worth a shot!!  Anyhow, I realized that my Japanese iPhone might not be a 'phone' over here, but the GPS worked great while out there!  So, I'm able to map the workout!!  That made me happy.

The neat thing about being here on Ford Island, is that the airfield (well, it used to be one!!  Think Pearl Harbor - The Movie) seems approximately 1 mile long.  So, when I run/walk in one direction then turn around, it's 2 miles.  Now I'm wondering how long of a distance is the bridge...

My next adventure is to begin working out on alternate days from the C25K using my newest app:  "7-minute Workout", by the same company, BlueFin, as my C25K app:  "Ease into 5K".  (Here's an alternative app from Cool Running.)  It is comprised of 30 seconds of 12 different activities:
- jumping jacks
- wall sit
- push-ups
- ab crunches
- step-ups
- squats
- triceps dip
- plank
- high knees
- lunges
- push-up & rotations
- side plank

Wish me luck!!  (for the exercises AND house hunting!!)