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Gaia

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  1. There are many things that could happen to the animals. Dogs could starve yes, but maybe not. There was a pack of wild dogs that were running around in our woods for a year or more till someone shot them on their property. And yes cats can survive more than dogs probably, but we had foxes that would get one every once in awhile. My mom use to tell me that the hawks around here could pick up a small cat, but I have yet to see that! And male cats are very territorial, and we had one come in and oust the current male cat out and then proceeded to oust all his kittens. Not a pretty sight that morning. My question is whether it is morally right or wrong to kill these animals humanely (as we humans like to say it) or let fate decide and let them loose onto the world and let them fend for themselves. Like the dogs above. Would it be morally right to let them have a year of life roaming around and then get killed by human, or to round them up, send them to the pound for three weeks/or whatever limit they deem to the dogs who may be not be pet material, and then killed? But then again, they might be adopted by a nice family and live happily ever after. Maybe we can comprimise and try one and then if that doesn't work out, then put them out in the world? Why do we say they would suffer so and end it right there? This year I was blessed with a little kitten that was near death. She was so disease ridden that the poor little thing had hardly any blood left inside, its eyes were so crusted over with dried mucus, and she wheezed when she breathed. I cleaned her up, gave her my special herbal water (water, sea salt, agave nectar, grapefruit seed extract, and spirullina), and a hot water bottle to curl up to. She put up a night with me force feeding her the water, and she rewarded me by living through the night, releasing these incredible looking worms, and standing on her feet, and finally urinated on the table top! She was purring through this whole ordeal! That day I took her into the vets and they confirmed that she was a case of "wallking death" and she had the feline leukemia virus and that if she got better she would still be dead within the year. I didn't care, I had bonded with this kitten and was going to try the 20% recovery rate they gave me for her to pull through this. But then they told me that my other cat would probably catch the virus too, then I had to think. I wanted to give her the year to live and purr, but at the expense of my other cat's life? I could never keep the two cats apart. My cat is very territorial of our family and hasn't let another cat in our yard ever, and she is very good at sneaking into places we don't want her to be (like the fish in the bowl on the highest shelf which she finds a way to get up there!). I, actually the vet and my daughter and me, had to make the heart wrenching decision to put her to sleep as I stroked her fur and she purred her way to the sleep of death. I didn't want her to suffer anymore and she seemed to be so content when she did die. Here was a kitten who would have died along side the road if my daughter's friend hadn't picked her up and given it to my daughter (the vet volunteer), who gave it to me to see what I could do. She still ended up dead, but not alone and miserable and suffering. I still wonder if I did the right thing or not. Some times my thoughts beat me up and I should have tried to get her to recover, even if it was going to be a long battle full of suffering (her part and mine). And then how it felt so right to just let her slip of into purrland as she did. Her life touched me and changed me forever in those two days we had together, and my life experiences are fuller for it.
  2. Leg day: Went early to the gym at 10 am. No cardio today since it is leg day. It is now night at 9 pm and I am hungry. I get to have my shake, and I ate some carrots (as my family proceeded to eat my Good Karma Ice cream chocolate bars ). I will think about how I saw 169 on my scale this morning (finally broke below the 170s) and I hope to see it again tommorrow morning. Lifefitness Leg Extension: 90/25warmup, 150/15, 180/15, 210/10 (same as last time). Icarian Leg Curl: 160/15, 170/10, 180/8 (same as last time). Leg Press: 450/15, 540/8 (same as last time). Seated Calf Raise: 90/25 X 4 Plie (Power) Squats: up the weight to 140/25 (very hard to do). Legs are really sore tonight. I hope I can do cardio tommorrow. Maybe yoga again instead of 45 minutes on the treadmill?
  3. Back and Tricep day: Took me awhile, but I managed to get into the gym by 10 am to do the 45 minutes on the treadmill. It was OK (I watched Martha Stuart again). Went to lift around 3:30 pm today. Very busy! Alot of Resolution newbies are in. Hammer Strength Back Row: 90/25warmup, 140/15, 180/15, 230/10 (weights the same). Cable Lat Pulldown: 100/15, 110/15, 120/12 (+2 than last time), new weight 130/8! Cybex Back Row: 150/15, 162,8/8 (same as last time). Cybex Pull-Up: 15/15(+3 than last time), 14/12 (+2 than last time), new weight 13/8! HyperExtensions: 35/25 X 4 Shrugs: 250(new weight)/25 X 4 (my grips were not helping this time. Need to get straps to do this weight. really the grips were wet from sweat so they were slipping). V-Bar Cable Overhead Tricep Extension: 5/15, 6/15(+3 than last time), 7/7 (+3 than last time). Rope Pushdown: 5/15, 6/10, 7/4 (same as last time). Bench Dips: Bodyweight/25 X 4 Interesting thing happen. The trainer asked how I was doing, and I said I was having a little trouble letting the weight go. He says out loud "You gotta eat the meat!" and then lower "to be a bodybuilder". I just smiled and said that "sounded alittle sexual ". So now I know that he must be on the other end of the bet that I can't make it as a vegan. I am now more inspired to keep going!
  4. Shoulder Day only (tried to do Legs but I felt light headed and my fingers were numb after two sets of leg extensions, so I ended my session): Went to Jivamukti yoga today and it felt wonderful to stretch and twist my core. Went off to the gym after picking up the kids (they wanted to skate on the lake (finally froze over) instead of running and I gave in and let them). Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 50/25warmup, 70/15, 90/13, 100/8+2 Dumbell Laterals: 20/15, 25/12, 30/8 Icarian Rear Delts: 50/15, 60/12, 70/8 Military Press (Smith): 50/15, 70/10, not doing 80/5 Cable Laterals: 20/10-15/10-10/10 decending sets Icarian Shoulder Press: 70/15, 80/10, not doing 90/5 Slow warming up, but then I increased by one on some. Then I did not do the hard ones that I did last time, but will try next time possibly. Feeling a little dishearted tonight. The weight is not moving, I am hungry after my meals, and I don't seem to be able to lift more than before. Yeah....welcome to cutting. I wonder if I should go to the gym and treadmill while watching 24? If it was warm and the sun was still up I would, so hard when it is dark and cold and I just want to go to sleep, or veg out on the couch while watching the shows. My son just informed me that Heroes is on tonight too! Reality escape here I come .
  5. I always wondered how digestive enzymes could break down a Whopper with cheese into micronutrients when there is none ! I also looked on a bottle of those enzymes and they had enzyme Lactase and Maltase (breaks down lactose and maltose in milk) and Protease (breaks down protein, specifically found in meat). As a vegan, I don't need these enzymes. Also raw food advocates say that eating raw foods contains the enzymes needed to digest the food that they eat. Cutting your food into small little pieces, and chewing it really well can help in the digestion process too. Sometimes though, I catch myself wolfing down my meal in a hurry. I then see it later on if you know what I mean (lentils in particular).
  6. Strength training is what you do at the gym. Bodybuilding is usually what the outcome looks like. Now you can go on to power lifting, which is all about strength: how much you can lift and pull. Plus there are specific moves you do for power lifting. Bodybuilding is about building muscles, but also keeping the bodyfat low to show the muscles. Also it is the aesthic appearance of the symmetry of the body with the muscles (basically for contests is this a basis for bodybuilders). Like have you ever seen a person with an incredible upper body, only to have slim legs? or vice versa. Your workout sounds great. But what about chest and back exercises? Any incline chest presses? or back rows/lat pulldowns? Only change your routine if you notice no more gains, or are bored with what you are doing. Your body can get into a groove and anticipate what you are going to do and that can stagnant your gains. I like to mix mine up every month or so. It may be the same exercise, just a different machine, or using dumbells instead of barbells, or cables instead of free weights or machines. With three times a week of cardio at 35 to 45 minutes, you will need to eat alittle more if you want to add 10 lbs to your frame. A protein drink with some green stuff in it after your workout is alittle bit more. It is usually only 150 calories, and 5 of them a week is only 750 calories more, which is about 1/2 lbs added a week. Or you could also cut back on the cardio to 25 to 35 minutes a week, still 3 times a week and see if that lets 150 calories less for using your muscles to get the half pound for the week. This way is tricky, I always like to eat more .
  7. Rest Day! I did go to the gym and got on the treadmill for 45 minutes. Being Sunday, I weighed myself and saw that it was still 170 lbs. Shoot Now I am 2 lbs behind for the week. Tightening on the diet this week. My trouble spot is at night. I sit on a couch watching my TV series shows and the message of eat, eat, and eat is on at every commercial. I am now muting the commercials, and wrestling with my kids instead . Being that they are bigger than me (except the little 10 year old) I will probably get hurt!
  8. Instead of putting the animals to sleep and dumping them in the dumpster, would it be more humane to just let them go free in some woods? or why not even a subdivision? I've gotten many of my pets because people have just ditched their animals on my cul de sac. Still 5,000 animals let loose is alot. Do we allow nature to kill them, or do we? Are they getting reprimanded for dumping the dead bodies in a dumpster instead of cremation? Or is it the way they euthanize them?
  9. Chest and Bicep day: Treadmill for 45 minutes. Went to the gym around 3 pm. Nice and quiet. Just went about my workout. Hammer Strength Wide Chest Press: 90/25warmup, 180/13, 200/8 (not as good as the last time I did these which was a month ago +). Cybex Flyes: 60/15, 70/12, 80/8 (forearm/elbow area hurted, but I found if I stand intead of sitting on the seat, and get my shoulder blades over the back of the seat so I had room to bring my shoulder blades together and puff out my chest, my forearm/elbow did not hurt!). Smith Incline #3 Chest Press: 70/12, 80/9 Cable Flyes: 50/10, 60/6 LifeFitness Chest Press (Dumbell Grip): 105/8 Cable Curl with straight bar: 80/15, 90/15, 100/10 Hammer Curls: 25/15, 30/10 EZ bar Curls: 20/12 X 2 Overhead "Bicep" Curl: 5/8 Don't know if I am down on the weights because this is my old routine and haven't done it for a month or so, or if the cardio is starting to effect my strength to lift on the same day. Or the dieting down could also be affecting it. I will have to see what happens next time around.
  10. Gaia

    Buddhism

    Reading a book called the Splendor of Recognition by Swami Shantananda with Peggy Bendet. It is based on Kashmir Saivism, but some content is the same as Buddhism. Last week's AHA! was on this paragraph: I try to cultivate looking around me and with gratitude, desire and want what I have. Gray skies and cold weather are perfect for hibernating inside and doing inside chores. And I simply adore hot steamy showers. They warm me inside and out, ease my muscles from the workout I put them through that day/or two days ago , and make me squeaky clean.
  11. Back and Tricep day: Started off with 45 minutes of treadmill jogging on my favorite treadmill: easy time again. Went to the gym at the usual 3 pm time. Fridays are always quiet. Hammer Strength Back Row: 140/15 X 4 supersetted with Cable Lat Pulldown: 100/15 X 4 Shrugs: 230/25 X 4 supersetted with HyperExtensions: 25/25 X 4 Cybex Row: 150/15 supersetted with Cybex assisted Lat Pull-up: 16/15 X 4 V-bar Tricep Pulldown: 50/15 X 4 supersetted with V-bar Overhead Tricep Extension: 40/15 X 4 Bench Dips: Bodyweight/25 X 4 End of the ligament cycle. Start lifting heavy again tommorrow. Forearm feels like it is healing. It is not a sharp pain, but a dull vague pain in the area now. Still haven't lost the two pounds for this week (not even the one that I should have). I weighed all my food today (portion wise) and kept it clean. Vega is out again, because the gas came back again. Supreme Meal seems to be the protein shake for me so far. Need to make my own protein powder combo due to $$$.
  12. Thursday I went to my usual Anusara Yoga class, and I ran with the kids at the high school gym for about 30 minutes only. Upper body was still really sore, so doing my back and triceps wasn't going to go today. Legs are still really sore too, but I did jog alittle faster this time than last time with the kids. They still passed by me with smiles on their faces, and the little one (10 years old) even started jogging backwards in front of me to tease me on my fifteenth lap (still had five more to go!). Inspired me to run faster to catch his little @ss !
  13. Are you a Mann's sugar pea pod addict too? My kids tell me that it is my drug of choice. I can only go two days without a bag! I will go to three stores just to find a bag!
  14. I know that davidtarrfoster was taking the photos, but were you thinking SEXY during these shots? (Maybe put him in a blond wig or something ). You need to be thinking sexy to be sexy. These all look like workout shots. Like you just got done working out and are pumped up. The jean with the facial hair looks pretty good, and the hand in the pocket is a little bit naughty. The other hand is not in the frame and it looks not right (creepy). Looking straight into the camera is alittle too straight forward into my personal space. Look slightly off, or put your head pointed slightly off and down with a sheepish smile, and then have your eyes look up into the camera. Again think SEXY.
  15. A good rule of thumb: Only eat what you make, in other words make your own food. No processed food. No fast food. No restaurant food. No food made in the supermarkets. Just whole food made from scratch. It takes time. It takes alot of hard work. And it can limit your intake of food. Raw is the way to go if you don't want to do any work! So the apples is a good idea. Along with kale smoothies (well, there is clean up of dishes with that one). And talk about cheap!
  16. Caffeine is a stimulant. It will override any warning your body might be sending you to relax or take it easy cause something is going on with the body. I also heard of the adrenals can be exhausted with so much caffeine over so many years, leading up to chronic fatigue syndrome. It is a stress factor cause. Some info: www.relfe.com/caffeine.html
  17. I am confused how humans, actually animal rights activists, say that these people who died recieved a just reward. Why use the animals to justify these deaths? as a just reward? (A common analogy would be homosexuals deserve to die from AIDS). I only see stupid people doing stupid things to themselves or to each other. People will not think a bit more about going out for hunting. The point is they are not the thinking type .
  18. Leg and Shoulder day: Went to the gym early today to see if this would make my workout better: workout in the morning when I have strength and cardio at night after dinner. It was good that there is no cardio on leg day since I was so wiped out after working out that I didn't do too much afterwards all day (picked up kids, cooked dinner, and did the dishes). LifeFitness Leg Extension: 120/15 X 4 supersetted with LifeFitness seated Leg Curl: 70/15 x 4 Leg Press: 360/15 X 4 supersetted with Leg press Calf Raise: 360/50 X 4 Seated Calf Raise 90/25 X 4 supersetted with Power Squats: 90/25 X 4 Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 70/15 X 4 supersetted with Dumbell Laterals: 20/15 X 4 Smith Military Press: 50/15 X 4 supersetted with Icarian Rear Delt 50/15 X 4 Cable Laterals: 10/15 X 4 Weight isn't going. Portions are still too big, especially at night (dinner). I can clean it up a little bit more too. I sure liked cutting last time cause it was warm outside and I could go trail running for an hour or more. Plus I could go out at night and walk around and talk to neighbors instead of sitting on the couch and watching TV or DVDs. Another day tommorrow and another way of finding a way to lose weight.
  19. Rest day: Didn't do cardio because I was going do legs today. I had planned a yoga class, but got too carried away with housework and the time past before I knew it. Went to the gym and started to do ligament training with my legs. At the leg extension, I could feel how sore my legs were still from last time and just couldn't do it. So I left and made it into a rest day. . . all around with no cardio and no weightlifting.
  20. Planning my garden and looking at all the seed catalogs, and then in February starting all the seeds and having seedlings everywhere in the house is what gets me through the winters here in Michigan. Even though in the past the seedlings/transplants were put out in June and a nice frost came along and killed them all. Oh well, that is what greenhouses are for, and you just buy what is available . Though I have learned my lesson and have row covers now to protect my precious transplants.
  21. I just put in my seed order form today. I love January with all the seed catalogs coming in. Makes me think of springtime and daydream of my garden for this year. More medicinal herbs I think, and a white flower garden along the side of the house. I usually order out of the Seeds of Change catalog in order to support organic gardening, but last year I saved alot of seeds from my own plants. I have about 1 month to go before I start my indoor seed trays. Does anybody else garden? and have you used soil blocks? I love making them. Dirt goes everywhere!
  22. Yesterday was Chest and Bicep day: Started out with 45 minutes of cardio on the treadmill. Yep, I found a new treadmill that I like. It was an easy 45 minutes while watching Martha Stuart. And I was late getting to the gym at 5 pm, so it was incredibly busy. It was going to be an easy day since it time for the ligament cycle again. Incline #3 Smith Chest Press: 70/15 X 4 LifeFitness Pec Dec: 60/15 X 4 Hammer Strength Wide Chest Press: 180/15 X 4 (very hard to do on the last two sets. Chest already fatiguing). LifeFitness Chest Press/Dumbell Grip: 90/15 X 4 (dying on this last exercise for chest). EZ bar Curl: 20/15 X 4 Hammers: 25/15 X 4 Tried to do Overhead Bicep Curl but my forearm said NO!! Done for the day. Nothing much pumped during this workout, and I am not sore this morning: stiff yes, sore no. Back to taking VEGA, and I took it at night and it kept me up. Today I am taking it in the mid morning shake time, and lets see how the gas develops: hopefully not. I'll do the Supreme Meal at night and see if that lets me sleep.Otherwise, lucid dreams here I come again.
  23. Back and Tricep day: 45 minutes on the treadmill for this week. It was of course very hard this morning to do it since I did Legs yesterday. Felt like I was treading water. When it got to be too much, I backed off and just power walked for a couple of minutes and then started back up to the 12min/mile pace. I did have to change treadmills because apparently the one I was on couldn't handle the change in pace and just shut off. I went to the next one, and it was a little easier to jog on that one. Weird . I think I found a new favorite treadmill to use from now on. Hammer Strength Back Row: 90/25warmup, 140/15, 180/15, 230/10 Cable Lat Pulldown: 100/15, 110/15, 120/10 Cybex Back Row: 137.5/15, 150/12, 162.5/8 Cybex Pull up: 15/12, 14/10 Hyperextension: 35/25 x 4 superset with (these were easy to do after doing deadlifts and making my lower back so sore. May alternate hypers with deadlifts). Shrug Machine: 230/25 X 4 Rope Tricep Pushdown: 5/15, 6/10, 7/4 (ouch with the rope hurting the forearm on the flare on the way down). V-bar Cable Tricep Overhead Extension: 5/15, 6/12, 7/5 Bench Dips: Bodyweight/25 X 4 Some weights were the same, others were not up to the last time I used this exercise routine. Not to worry, I think I can get back there. Forearm is still a factor in some pulling exercises (not in the pushing ones). Made the 2 pounds loss for this week, still 170. Next two are up next, and hopefully I can keep the weights up with all this cardio. I think I am going to mix up the routine of what body parts to lift on what days. Some parts need more rest with cardio in the mix (namely Legs. Owwie!).
  24. Leg Day: No treadmill or yoga today. Just went to the gym in the afternoon. LifeFitness Leg Extension: 90/25warmups, 150/15, 180/15, 210/10 (ouch. haven't been on this machine in about a month. not easy). Icarian Leg Curl (like this one better than the LifeFitness one for some reason): 160/15, 170/10, 180/8 (very hard to get out the 8 in good form). Leg Press: 450/15, 540/8 (legs fatigued already. not going to push them hard today. maybe next time). Lep Press Calf Raise: 450/25 X 4 supersetted with Plie (Power) Squats: 90/25 X 4 Seated Calf Raise: 90/25 X 4 Leg Press Calf Raise was too easy. The Seated Calf Raise is the one that makes the calves scream, so I am going to stick with those from now on. I will up the Plie Squats to 140 lbs. for 15 reps like last time, but my legs were already tired and for some reason I don't feel like pushing them today. Perhaps easing back to the old routine is my intention for today.
  25. Shoulder day: Did another 40 minutes on the treadmill today. It was so boring! but I did it anyways. Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 50/25warmup, 70/15, 90/12, 100/8 (these were all hard to do. Forearm feels much better!). Icarian Standing Delt: 20/15, 30/15, 40/8 (hold hands on the end caps because it hurt my forearms otherwise). Icarian Rear Delt: 40/25warmups, 50/15, 60/10 Military Press (Smith): 70/10, 80/5 Icarian Shoulder Press: 70/15, 80/10, 90/5 (Dumbell Grip) Dumbell Lateral Flyes (just for fun. They did not hurt my forearms, unlike the Icarian Standing Delt): 10/15, 20/15, 25/10 Was going to do Legs, but I was wiped out with Shoulders, and I did the treadmill already which comprimises my ability to really push the weight with my legs. I will do them tommorrow. No treadmill tommorrow then. Even though it is not Sunday, my weight was 170 this morning! Three pounds this week already, see if I can keep it up till Sunday (no backsliding by bingeing!).
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