The View From Kalamazoo

In yesterday’s Kalamazoo Gazette Letters to the Editor:

Mothers invited to Nurse Out

ProMoM (Promotion of Mother’s Milk,Inc.) encourages all breastfeeding mothers to go out during World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7 and breastfeed in public. We don’t mean your regular routine; we mean go out specifically to nurse in public.

What makes a Nurse Out different than a “nurse in”? Nurse Outs are for all nursing mothers to heighten awareness of nursing in public by casually blanketing large areas without use of signs, pickets or protests. The purpose of a Nurse Out is to increase visibility of nursing in public in a casual manner, while a “nurse in” is geared to protest or change policy, generally by asking nursing moms to nurse in clusters in front of a specific business or government building.

Why participate in the National Nurse Out?

ProMoM hopes that by promoting the image of breastfeeding in this way, more people will accept breastfeeding as a natural everyday occurrence and the normal way to feed and nurture babies. “Nursing Out” is also a way to encourage expecting mothers by showing them that it is possible to breastfeed in public without anyone being embarrassed!

What you can do:

# Nurse in public as much as possible the week of Aug. 1-7, and then continue to pursue that freedom on your own as necessary for your baby.

# Participate in your local nurse out.

WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 3 between noon to 2 p.m.

WHERE: Nurse throughout downtown’s Bronson Park and the Kalamazoo Mall, then meet at the park’s flower peacock at 2 p.m. to visit with one another.

No cardio yesterday – craaaaaamps from hell. (yeah, yeah – it’s oversharing. get over it) Plus my chest hurt – that chest press ran me over but good. I was feeling decidedly bad at lunch and decided that I wanted, WANTED, a Qdoba chicken quesadilla. So I had one. With guacamole on the side. HA! It was pleasing. It feels really, really good to be bad once in a while, and I have been pretty damn good for 5+ weeks, let me tell you. I was in a mood to be good again by dinnertime and had skipped both of my snacks to donate the calories to lunch. Homers: Guaaacaaamooooooole..mmm….*drools*

Today still feeling like something slightly better than death warmed over. Olga put me through my regular circuit – upped the seated leg curl another 2 lbs. Increased my reps. for biceps – two sets of 20 each arm, and increased my sets for triceps – two sets of singles, one double. She was relatively kind with the crunches because of the cramps – three sets of 15 + 10 with the heavier medicine ball, no weird reverse crunches on Big Wiggly Ball for me today. I did a shortened cardio afterward because I was just feeling really wrung out – 5 min. brisk walk, 1.5 min. jog, 5 min. brisk walk. Today’s weight – 273.7.

I *so* don’t know what to make of this weirdness. So wrong on so many levels…

I don’t think today could possibly get shittier, but I won’t go into most of it now. Or here. Or whatever.

Anyway, leg extension went up 3 lbs., chest press went up 2 lbs. Added 2 onto my arm reps – biceps and triceps are now 14 per set instead of 12. Crunches with the heavier medicine ball, and a new terrific experience on Big Wiggly Ball: I balance on my elbows/stomach, plant my feet so I’m straight as a board then push down with my elbows to lift my stomach – sort of a reverse crunch I guess. It’s really odd, I feel like a goon. Today’s weight – 274.3 🙁 Up a pound, which sucks, but Olga reassured me that some fluctuation is normal, I was bad on my water yesterday (note to self: don’t forget water bottle at work again!), and all is not lost. *sigh* Damnit. I followed it all with more interval training – 5 min. of brisk walking, 1.5 minutes of jogging, 4 min. of brisk walking, 1.5 min. of jogging, then 3 min. of somewhat slower walking as a brief cool-down. Tired my Happy Fat Ass out something fierce, after already spending a 1/2 hour with the weights. I hope to add another set to that to take my cardio from somewhat over 15 minutes to closer to 20. I’ll do cardio tomorrow morning with Bri. and see how long I can go (or otherwise maybe I’ll try to learn how to work the elliptical machine so I’m not doing exactly the same exercise 2 days in a row, since Olga advised me to skip a day.)

I want mood icons on this system.
I want to find mood icons that look like Cartman. (“Hey!”)

Oversharing? Maybe.

Nevermind my earlier amazement, I know why my weight popped up – my moon just begun. Let’s see – I was up on the 18th and again today, so that figures just right. Now I know that around the two crazy/funky-hormone times of my cycle I tend to blow up like a blowfish and my weight will reflect the retained water. That’s it – I’m a retaining wall! (no, not a dyke. very different. oh, nevermind.)

The good news is – I’m not pregnant. Bri. will be pleased, Emma will not since she is, of course, jonesin’ for a baby sister.

And on such a shitty day, too – cramps are just be the icing on the cake.

Not the most productive weekend, workout wise. Had a family reunion yesterday for Bri’s family so I had to figure out how to handle eating there – brought Chicken Veggie Cassarole (in expanded form, from The Menu) so I knew there was *something* I could eat. No crunches Sat. – up late chopping veggies for cassarole. Sun. no crunches, but did manage to get my stretching in. I’ve been trying to alleviate my boredom by doing more substituting while still sticking closely to the calories, and that’s helping some. I think if I have to see Spaghetti Ragu one more time I’ll run from the house screaming – I’ve taken to making it for Bri. (since he likes it) and doing a substitution for myself.

And so. This morning military press went up 1 lb., seated leg curl and lat. pull down went up by 2 lbs. Biceps and triceps mostly the same – extra rep. for the triceps, biceps I did my reps. with the dumbells farther from my body, if that makes sense, to work the muscles more. Crunches with a lighter (3.5 lb.) medicine ball, but upped (5) to 20 + 10 each set. Today’s weight 273.3.

Someone from work now swears I have a dimple. Say it ain’t so!

Call for Papers is back from printer – international started processing Mon., domestic Wed. I got mine in the mail Fri. so look in your boxes for yours!

No crunches last night – too late by the time I had a few minutes for them. Worked hard this morning, although was short of time this morning and didn’t do cardio. (bad me) Crunches today again didn’t include Big Wiggly Ball, but DID include another, heavier, medicine ball. Whee. 3 sets of 15 from the mat followed by 10 from the highest point of the previous crunches. I’m sure that has some sort of formal name, but I dunno it. Anyway, that equals 75. Those second sets hurt like a beeeeotch, let me tell you.

For those playing along at home, here are my current weights and how they compare to two weeks ago/starting weights: Leg extention- 62 lbs., up 12/22 lbs.; Seated leg curl (slow 10 X 6)- 88 lbs., up 8/18 lbs.; Chest press (slow 10 X 6)- 70 lbs., up 10/20 lbs.; Lat pull down (slow 10 X 6)- 80 lbs., up 10/20 lbs.; Military press (slow 10 X 6)- 36 lbs., up 6/11 lbs. I’m up to 12 lb. dumbells for biceps (2 sets of 12), and 30 lb. singles on the pully for triceps (2 sets of 12 each side). Today’s weight 274.4

Bri set this thing to now allow discussion (comments, you know – gab), so you can reply to my entries! Reply away!

For those of you who watch what you eat…

Here’s the final word on nutrition & health, and it’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies:

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Canadians, British or Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the Canadians, British or Americans.

3. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Canadians, British or Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the Canadians, British or Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers, eat lots of sausages & fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Canadians, British or Americans.

6. Ukrainians drink a lot of vodka, eat a lot of perogies, cabbage rolls and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Canadians, British or Americans.

CONCLUSION:

Eat and drink what you like.

Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

[sent to me by the great and glorious Angela]