I feel good today. My hair worked, my make-up worked, I feel like I look cute, and my muscles have that nice feeling like they’ve been used extensively, but not so painfully that it’s impossible to walk. Even the Avon products I’ve been using for the past couple of weeks seem to be delivering the advertised results.
The messed up part about even writing the statement, “I feel good,” is that it’s a novel enough feeling to warrant notice. It’s interesting to have a goal that specifically includes taking feeling good for granted.
Oh, speaking of advertised results, I’ve been taking Align for, well, the specific conditions that it’s supposed to help. I noticed several folks ’round these here parts suffer from IBS or other various digestive problems (well, I didn’t notice it FIRST HAND, they mentioned it). Now, I don’t tout a product unless it actually works for me, and I’ve gotta say, this stuff has actually made me feel a lot better. It took about three weeks of taking it daily to really start seeing a difference, but now it seems that “things” are really on their way toward functioning, erm, correctly.
GEEZ, TMI is hard to avoid when you’re talking about poo.
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Here’s a question for you all. Is it better to work out for 20 minutes on the elliptical machine at Level 3, or 30 minutes at Level 2? A faster workout that pushes me more, or a longer workout that isn’t as strenuous? I alternate between the two, depending on a) how much time I have; and b) what I feel up to doing that day. Sometimes I even do 30 minutes at Level 3, but then I collapse in an incoherent heap and beg for a Klondike Bar. On my particular elliptical machine, there isn’t much difference at all, that I can tell, between Level 1 and Level 2. Level 3, though, HOO BOY. FEEL THE BURN.
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I’m having a love affair with roasted vegetables. Asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts (and WHY is there an “s” on the end of “brussel”?), zucchini, and summer squash have all found themselves tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic and stuck in my oven (425 degrees) over the past few weeks. Even CALVIN has been enjoying them (except for the brussel(s) sprouts, which I think I undercooked).
I’m dying to try pattypan squash next, anybody have a good recipe?
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No Butts About It 
A recipe? For squash? I thought the name WAS the recipe. 😀
I think it’s more important to sustain the workout…run a marathon instead of a sprint…but that’s my feeling and it’s hardly scientific.
I had the James Brown thing going the other day after I finished cleaning the garage. I may have actually walked into the house singing it. If not, I intended to.
~snort~ I guess mashed squash IS kind of redundant.
I have an AMAZING recipe for squash; I’ll email it to you as soon as I get a chance later!
I also have troubling to sometimes severe poop issues. I’ve been diagnosed with IBS, finally, and given a prescription for Miralax, but it’s also sold over the counter. Most people are supposed to take “as needed” but my doctor told me to take it every day – I’m SPECIAL! I’m glad you found something that works for you.
As far as the cardio, I’ve heard so many different things, but one thing that sticks out is that you really don’t get into good fat and calorie burning until at least 20 – 30 minutes in. Therefore I’ve always pushed myself to work up to the point of doing it for 45 mins to an hour. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but when I was doing that on a regular basis, I saw some dramatic and fabulous results. Right now I’m barely doing 25 minutes on the stepper though, so it’ll be awhile before I’m back there.
I did fairly well pants-fitting-wise at one point when I was doing 15 minutes, stretching for 5 minutes, and then getting back on for 15 more. But I think I did at least as well doing 30 minutes at a stretch. *shrug*
Not having a TV in the workout room is no excuse, I know, but DAMN is cardio BORING. If I had a TV I bet I could go a whole hour, no problem.
Agreed on the TV. Even though I keep my mp3 player on in the cardio room, just having a TV in front of me to focus my attention makes a huge difference.
Goody! I’ll probably make it this weekend.
I’m taking Prilosec for acid reflux, but haven’t been doing anything about being, erm, stopped up except for trying to add fiber. Adding fiber is hard. Taking a pill is easier.
Yeah, you’re probably right about longer = better (dear God, if that comment doesn’t bring Bound and Gags AND MTAE running). Do your feet ever fall asleep mid-workout?
I think the good thing is that with all this exercise, the innerds (sp?) are sure to start functioning better. I know you are not wanting to hear this, but I vote for 30 minutes on Level 3! My reasoning is that you have already done it. Yes, collapsed in a sweaty heap, but you survived! Therefore, that is your benchmark. Do that for a few days and in no time, you’ll start to think it’s easy. I’m coming to the conclusion that so much of this is mental. I feel like I’m constantly bargaining with myself about getting up and doing it, or maybe I’ll do it later or I’ll do extra tomorrow. Each time I overcome that BS, it makes me feel so good, like I can really stick with it this time. So, I say Level 3, baby! All the way! You can do it! If you are pressed for time, then do 20 minutes. Only if you are injured go back to level 2. If there is no difference between level 2 and level 1, then you are really only doing level 1. (God, did I just get possessed by Jillian? I think I did). Either that or I just had a testosterone flare from working out so much.
Le sigh. Nobody’s going to let me off easy on the workout thing, are they? 😀 That’s okay, that’s what this blog is for!
Hey! Try the new Glad or Zip lock steamer bags. They are the most amazing product! I partially steam the veggies (takes like 3 minutes), then put them on a cookie sheet and finish by roasting. Less time in the hot oven, same lucious, flavor changing outcome.
I love brussels sprouts steamed in one of the bags (I can get 2-3 uses out of one, or until the zipper goes). Dump them into a bowl with a little bit of olive oil, a healthy tablespoon of grainy mustard and some honey. Oh, and fresh pepper. Absolutely to die for.
I have trouble finding the bags in the Iowa wilderness, so when I run into them (big T@rgets carry them), I get three of four packages.
Don’t EVEN get me started on the magic these things work on green beans.
Great idea with the steam/roast combo! I always think the veggies need less time in the oven than they do, and they end up being undercooked. I don’t mind so much, but my husband LOATHES undercooked veggies. Or overcooked veggies. Really, there’s only a very small window that qualifies for my husband’s seal of approval on veggies. Mustard on brussels sprouts sounds really good, I’ll have to try that.
Being stopped up has never, ever been a problem for me, so I worry that taking a product like that would make things…ominously worse.
Because they are sprouts from Brussels! It’s actually Brussels sprouts, capitalized, for that reason.
PS: Pattypan squash is so tender and yum that just about any recipe you could find will be good for it.
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