Tag Archives: 30 Day Ab Challenge

animals, life

Morning walk – Day Two

Heading into the teens in temperature (Celsius) out there already, so we took it very slow. We went the same direction as yesterday morning – just so Odin felt a sense of “I know where I’m going” so he felt a bit more confident and it worked because he was FULL of bounce and happiness. They got to the sand wall spot from yesterday and this time he joined in the fun (digging as best he can with a wobbly back end) and he and Gina played a bit of chase and dig and then Azzie got in on it too 🙂

He likes to walk next to Azzie now, as well. And she lets him!

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We then moved over to a pile of gravel where he and Azzie and Gina proceeded to do ZOOMIES (yes, he zoomies too!) all over the gravel and around in circles 🙂 It was AWESOME to see him so happy! And Azzie played a bit with him and Gina as well. It’s a good start, good progress in their relationship. He was also much better with the gate guards – even allowed the young gentleman to pat him for a second, and the female guard got to kneel down and give him a chest rub. He was still wary, and he’s not keen on cars (not unexpected, since he was probably knocked over by one, thus the broken leg and dislocated knee) but generally, a WONDERFUL walk 🙂

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They all pooped – all excellent (well, his was _good_ not excellent, but nothing to worry about) and we took it very slowly again because it was starting to warm up even more on the way back.

Azzie being less of a jerk now too.

We came back, settled in, I fed them (he didn’t eat all his food – which is a good sign that he’s finally realising that there will be more food later and he doesn’t have to gorge every time he eats – which is a HUGE thing for a lifetime stray like him) and now they are all sleeping happily in various spots. He is on Gina’s bed… sprawled out. Gina is, for some reason, asleep BEHIND the couch (no idea why – that’s where she decided to eat her breakfast too) and Azzie is in one of her many favourite spots near the kitchen (a little through-breeze helps her cool down)

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Happy dogs. Happy me.

I MIGHT be a little allergic to him. Since he’s arrived I’ve been sneezing, have burny, itchy eyes and a runny nose. Very unlike me. But I’m sure it’s because he’s got such dry skin and I’ll get over it. Took something for it and I’ll be fine. I do need a nap though. I’m really tired. Haven’t slept very well because I’m always “listening” for any signs that I need to get up for them.

Might have a nap on the couch while they snooze around me.

 

animals, food, life

Queen of Excuses

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I am the queen of excuses.

Sometimes they are valid, but mostly they are just pathetic attempts to make myself feel better for being lazy/clumsy/fat/uninspired.

So yesterday, I finally kicked my own butt, and made an effort. I signed up to Livestrong Women and got the “MyPlate” app for my phone as well.

It has a calorie tracker. I set my current weight, my goal weight, my age, my sex, my height and my activity level and it told me how many calories I should try and consume a day to help me lose weight.

I thought – that looks easy! And then I started actually putting in the things I was eating and wow do those calories add up quickly! Luckily, I saw that a nice easy dog walk a few times a day helps a GREAT DEAL – so imagine how fat I would be if I didn’t have my girls to keep me active?!

So today, I am feeling much better about it all – I know I _can_ go through the day on the calories I have to consume, without feeling hungry, and as long as I keep up with the dog walking, I will manage to lose some weight. Of course, I need to get a scale to actually see if I’ve lost anything!

One of my many excuses for not running started out as a legitimate one: while at the dog park, one of the dogs (not Azzie, surprisingly!) slammed into my knees and popped my right knee back very hard. It was swollen and bruised for over 2 weeks and I could barely walk, much less run. So I gave it 4 weeks to heal. That was 6 weeks ago. So. No more excuses. I MUST RUN! If dog walking takes off anything from 97 to 170 calories, imagine what running can do?! Come on, biatch, get your fat butt in gear.

I must just ignore the guilt I feel for leaving behind two perfectly good dogs while I go off and do stuff on my own… right?

It’s hard. They do everything with me – they are with me nearly 24/7 (only times they are not is when I have to go into a shop etc, so I leave them at home – I don’t leave my dogs in the car if it’s even vaguely warm outside – and if it’s cold, I still only do it for maximum of 5 minutes) so it’s difficult to leave them behind and head out the door in my running shoes. I know it’s all me! They don’t care, as long as I come back! They were the only ones worried the one night that I went for a run late at night and got locked out of the gate I went through  and had to run an extra 4km to get home… I was gone nearly an hour… my husband had no idea, but the dogs went ballistic when I got home!

I love them so much, these two silly fluffy butts. They are just getting healthy again, after so many months (years, in Gina’s case) of being unhealthy and not quite “right” at all. They are (besides my husband) my everything in this world.

But it has to be done! I REFUSE to turn into a fatty before I’m 40! It’s no excuse! Sure I’m getting old, heading into middle age… but I know women who are twice my age and they run marathons, for goodness sake! I’m HEALTHY, got use of my legs my body my mind – I have NO  excuses left.

And the yoga, too – I need to do that more. The dogs settle after a few minutes of flopping all over me and climbing under my Downward Dog, so that’s not an excuse EITHER!

Vegetarian thing is going well – I’m settling in to my routine and menu nicely, even when tempted by other food that I loved before. I just think about where it came from, how it got there… and my mind is set. I feel healthy, despite the weight I’ve gained (and I know I have, thanks to the wobbly bits and the bits that fight me when I put on an old pair of jeans) I just need to drop the fat now, and tone the muscles that I know I have underneath!

Doing the 30 Day Ab Challenge (Livestrong Women) and I WILL FINISH IT. No giving up.