Today everyone at my job had to travel to a nearby town to attend a seminar, the kind with a lectorer that gives 90 % jokes and 10 % advice in the self help, stay positive, be in charge of your own health motivational style. Even though much of it is obvious truths I must admit I do wish some of them had something new to say or a new twist on it or LOL at least tell some stories, quotes and jokes I have not heard before so that I would go home feeling I had something more with me home than when I arrived.

Yepp, LOL I am a cynic. Also many of us feel that we are always behind on lots of important things at school as well as on budgets that keep getting smaller so sometimes we do wish that we could spend the ton of money seminars like this costs on other things, but that is impossible because that are different posts on the budgets.

Gold's Gym workout after school

Bench Press 135x13, 225x10, 315x10, 365x5
DB Military 60x10, 70x10, 80x10
DB Flys 55x11, 65x10, 80x7
Side DB Laterals 50x8
Rope Triceps Pressdowns 90x12, 120x10, 140x8

As planned the whole school moved up to the near Alpine center today at Gautefall. I went cross country skiing myself all day, The first time in many years that I have done that for any length. Very sore now naturally.

Also went for an hour's walking when I came home to try to avoid some of that stiffness.

Very happy about myself. The prepaid meal for us teachers went well too. A former student manned the kitchen and skipped the frites and made me a full plate of salat to go with the Leafsteak (kind of like a flat hamburger)instead. When home I have had boiled fish and shredded carrot. I have saved my carbs and might (not decided yet) spend them on a couple of small chocolate pieces to celebrate my skiing LOL.

First of all. I hopped on the scale this morning, not really sure why, but it was a nice surprise. I had posted that I was plateaued and it really doesn't bother me because I see the difference in my shape and the clothes that are now too big. BUT, I was down another 5 pounds. That brings me in at 70lbs (32 kilos Trine) total lost in 22 weeks. That puts me 30lbs (13.5 kilos Trine) away from my original goal. It also dawned on me that I might actually be able to ride my bike now. When I bought it, I was too heavy for the air inflated tires. I may still be, but I will check it out. As we get the warmer weather I am hoping to be able to use it. Worst case I will order some solid tires for it.

The whole school will spend all of tomorrow up at the Alpine center where some will do snowboarding, some downhill, some slalom and some cross country skiing. Then also a few will stay in the cafe area most of the day just beiing social with friends. I'll probably do some cross country skiing and then some on foot walking where I try to drag some of that cafe bunch up a road to the mountain top. I'll better get some sun cream ready because the sun can really be sharp up there.

Today I brought home a big stack of grading so that is what is on my plan today.

Trine

I'll be hitting the gym in the morning. First time in 3 weeks! Later this morning I'll have an ultra sound of my arteries done. It's the first of 4 tests. Should be fine doc says. She's just trying to rule out possible causes.

We had a fantastic weather today and many were out cross country skiing. Even me, even though I had to stop after 30 minutes due to each step being painful on my toes. As I said I could not get any new style skiing shoes so I used a loaned pair of old fashioned ones and that did not work well.

I did however stay outdoors and walked for another hour and half in the snow on foot making sure I kept my arms moving too. My lower body told me when I was done that it had gotten a good workout so I am satisfied.

Foodwise, I eat the right things but I do struggle a bit with hunger, maybe that is my body's way of trying to get me to stop forcing it to do the hard thing and use stored fat as nutricient? Naturally it would rather I fed it easier energy by eating lots and lots of simple or starchy carbs. I'll just have to hang in there untill it accepts that This is how it is and will be.

Since my headache with the blurred vision have kept me hiding in dark corners for 3 days, I was very happy today that I managed 2 hours of walking in the snow today. Very much not motivated for the Gym in the cold but fantastically beautiful weather we have at the moment. Nearly minus 20 C at night but during the day when the sun has worked its magic some hours it is lovely to be active outdoors.

I tried to get quite a bit of incline and decline walking in and I could really feel it afterwards so walking in snow gives an extra challenge for assorted joints and bodyparts

Unfortunately the local sports shop does not have my size in the modern cross country skiing shoes so I have had to borrow a pair of the old fashioned ones from a collegue and will try tomorrow to see whether my joints will allow me to do some cross country skiiing. You know he ones with 3 holes in the sole LOL. Tuesday will be a whole day outdoors up at the nearest alpine center for the whole school.

Things have been chaotic. Work crazy, but I got a small raise YAY! Birthdays, divorces, just chaos all around. Spring must be close.

However, my eating has been pretty awesome. My only issues were with balance. My calories were where they need to be, just had one day where I had more carbs than I realized and so I had three high carb days instead of two. I have had weeks where I did no high carb days and still the fat goes away, so I am not stressing it, just going to be a little more fastidious.

I plan to do measurements tonight. I am plateaued weight wise, but that makes me smile. Because I see the muscle mass I have put on and I assume that is part of it. Plus, plateauing when you have lost close to 70lbs (~32 kilos) is not a bad place to hang for a while.

Had my doctor visit today. I'm in.exellent health but my doc is concerned
about possible seizure problems. So I've got a battery of exams and tests
in the next 4wks. In fact, the doc wanted me to stop driving til the tests are
done. But that was just a suggestion not an order. But I can work out just
nothing too stressful. Spin class is out for a while! I will be incorporating
some yoga. I'm just so grateful and blessed that my wife was there when
I got I'll! Things like that can go south before you know it. So I'll start back
working out on Monday again. Thanks all for the well wishes! Don't count

I am a bit better today but have taken advice given and will take it easy today and hope I wake up with a clear head and vision tomorrow. Biggest challenge today will be to stay within my calories and avoid boredom and comfort eating.

For the third day in a row I am struggling with a headache which includes blurring of the vision. Except from my job I stay mostly in a dark room and away from the brilliant sun against the white snow outdoors. Very annoying and very uncomfortable to have a vision that resembles an old tv screen just before the light rod went.

I kept the weights a bit lighter and reps a bit higher for legs today and focused more on good techniques. I'm pretty happy that I got a total of 27 sets in this workout. 12 sets for legs, 9 for back and 6 for biceps. :)

Leg Press 135x15, 225x15, 315x15, 405x15, 495x15
Leg Ext 90x15, 110x12, 130x12, 150x15
Leg Curls 90x12, 130x12, 150x10
Barbell Bent Rows 135x10, 225x10, 225x10
Close Grip Pulldowns 110x10, 120x10, 120x10
Seated Rows 140x10, 160x10, 180x10
Machine Culrs 70x10, 70x10, 80x10
Reverse Grip BB Curls 70x10, 80x10, 90x10

Then I had my traditional 1/4lb Salmon, Green Tea Ginger Ale and a banana for my post workout meal.

I struggled really hard today with my motivation for working out. Neither the treadmill or walking along slippery road sides was tempting after having walked along stunning buildings on ice free cobblestone streets or along the river in Prague for a week. I forced myself out and told myself I would walk at least 20 minutes. In the end i ended up walking on the prepared ski trails, some of it is also a lighted ski trail. It had been prepared with a width of 2-3 meters and was pretty firm so I could walk on the side without ruining anything for skiers. I was able to double check with 2 of my students who do biathlon on quite a high level so that I felt sure that no skiers would come after me with and axe for walking on shoes along the tracks. Being able to walk with only forest around me made all the difference today and I ended up being active for 2 hours before I went home and did some snow shovelling.

Had a health issue Saturday that put me in the ER. Had some uncontrollable muscle spasms all over. Got to get the docs ok before I can weight train again. That'll be some time next week depending on test results. Wish me good results!

Started my day with the back&neck group training so did not let anything stop me. Superhealthy eating again today now that I am back home. I will enjoy shrimps later tonight :-).

Weight this morning indicates that I did loose weight during my week on holiday (1-2 pounds) which means that all the walking for hours and hours had an impact even though it was not very intense all of the days. Quantity does matter, not only quality so even on bad days there is only one thing to do - spend more time on lower intesity/speed. I even got a comment at work that I had left some weight as well as most of my hair behind in Prague. I cut my hair very short while there to make training even easier this spring. Anyway, the overall effect was that my collegue thought I looked smaller.

I have just arrived home now, cleaned up after the cats and shovelled snow so that my car can come out tomorrow morning.

I had a lovely day in Prague today before leaving for the airport. I went up in one of the hills and up in the tower there and could see all of big Prague in all directions. And of course I walked both up and down, no elevator for me and I walked down from that hilltop instead of taking the hillside tramservice. Because it is so steep the paths go snakelike down across the hill. It became a nice workout according to my feet and knees LOL.

Now I do wonder whether I will have the energy to do the early Back and Neck group before work tomorrow. maybe I will, maybe not? I do not know. Travelling wears one down a bit too.

I kind of overdid things last Wednesday and sort of hurt my lower back so no spinning Wed & Fri last week. Got back into the gym today and focused on Chest, Shoulders & Triceps.

Bench Press 135x10, 225x10, 315x9
Standing Military 135x8, 135x8, 135x8
DB Flys 55x12, 65x10, 75x8
Cybex overhead Tri Ext 80x12, 100x10, 100x10
Rope Tri Pressdowns 80x10, 80x10, 80x10
1 arm DB Side Laterals 50x10, 55x10
1 arm DB Tri Extensions 35x10, 45x10, 50x10
1 arm reverse grip tri pressdowns 40x10, 40x10, 40x10

I'm pretty sure I had another rep or two in me with the 315 bench but, w/ no spotter, I wanted to be safe.

Wow, I don't really even remember when I was last blogging. I have had such a crazy week. Work has been brutal as far as travel (via car) and hours. I missed a lifting work out this week. And I am not happy about it at all. I did get all my cardio done, although it took a "double session" to do so.

The lifting I did get done had great intensity. I have had to back off a little on the amount of weight as my joints have protested. Specifically in my hands and the big toe joints on my right foot. (That was the toe I broke during a judo throw in competition) I have read a few places that joints respond to increased activity more slowly than muscles. My muscles seem fine with the heavier weight. Although I have increased dumbbell weights on average. As I have mentioned in the past, I am starting to do more and more exercises at the machine max capacity. (240 lbs) I am budgeting to get the extra 100 lbs to add to it. Mostly for legs but also bench press, shrugs, and cable crunches.

today my cold and astma allowed me to walk at a speed and intensity that made a huge difference and I loved feeling my body work properly again. Wonderful spring weather here in Prague today as I walked along the river and around on the castle walls. Tomorrow night I will be back home and even though we are not supposed to be scale driven, one of the first things I will do is get up on that scale. The big question I will get answered is how lots of walking but on low intensity works out.