Decisions, decisions...
So I've ordered the new PC. Didn't go for a laptop in the end, as I couldn't justify the expense. It's a super duper 3Mhz processor, stupid 160GB memory with 8MB cache, built in wireless, 7in1 disk reader, dvd rewriter, and a decent graphics card. I'm sooo excited. I should get it by end of April.

In anticipation I am contemplating moving the blog or using some other way of blogging. Tripod is a bit clunky and won't let me do what I want it to.

I've been having a look at WordPress, but I can't figure out if I can keep the space I have at Tripod, but use WordPress? And I have thought about TypePad or MoveableType. Problem is that I just don't know what I'm doing. This leads to masses of research and finding even more blogs to read. If I was a brainy computer nerd I'd be able to sort all this out, but with most things in life, I know just about enough to get me in trouble.

I know I DON'T want Blogger:
Airlie
Beanz
CrazyDogMama
Julie Berg
Katrina
Kyra (although is nicer than most blogger ones)
Ointy
NinjaKittyCat
Silverella

And much earlier I tried BlogCity and didn't get on with it
Exactly
Red Highlights
Yoga Girl

and as I say, I'm not too keen on tripod anymore
Bisous
Fabric Princess
Skwigg
WOAS

Blue Poppy has a nice site, but not really what I want - I prefer to have more than one entry per day.

I can't work out what Dangergirl is using but I love the idea of having books and cd's down the sides. I think it might be Typepad, which DietGirl
Go Fug Yourself
Sarcomical
Otter
WIP
and DivaQuest use, but all look fairly different. Must be different templates?

Maggie and PUPU are using WordPress which I am quite keen on.

And Erin uses movabletype, which again I quite like.

So it looks like I need to make a decision between MovableType, TypePad and WordPress. I need to find a host I think too, rather than sticking with lycos tripod thing. And then I can have a proper url. I have even been tinking about changing my nom de plume. LMG has the wrong connotations for someone trying lose weight, methinks.

Any ideas on new names, hosts or blogging tools, let me know.

New US Food Pyramid
My Pyramid Seems quite sensible sound advice.

Based on the information you provided and the average needs for your age, gender and physical activity [Age: 31, Sex: female, Physical Activity: 30 to 60 minutes ] your results indicate that you should eat these amounts from the following food groups daily.

Your results are based on a 2000 calorie pattern*.

Grains 6 ounces (168g)
Vegetables 2.5 cups
Fruit 2 cups
Milk 3 cups
Meat and Beans 5.5 ounces (154g)

1 Make Half Your Grains Whole
Aim for at least 3 whole grains a day

2 Vary Your Veggies
Aim for this much every week:
Dark Green Vegetables = 3 cups weekly
Orange Vegetables = 2 cups weekly
Dry Beans & Peas = 3 cups weekly
Starchy Vegetables = 3 cups weekly
Other Vegetables = 6 1/2 cups weekly

Oils & Discretionary Calories
Aim for 6 teaspoons of oils a day

Limit your extras (extra fats & sugars) to 265 Calories

*This calorie level is only an estimate of your needs. Monitor your body weight to see if you need to adjust your calorie intake.

Thanks...
Cheers to Yogagirl who sensibly asked for folks to delurk. Thanks to her I have found a new tranche of blogs to follow.

Looking at my fave raves I have a few commonalities:
1. women (who'd've thought - I usually hang out with men. Turns out I can't stand male blogs. Or I like women better when I read rather than interact? Go figure)
2. No kids. There are a few with kids, but generally, it's a no kids blog I'm after. I don't want to read abut nappies/diapers. Sorry Dooce (Queen of Blog)
3. Fitness obsession. How I got started on the whole blog thing, but it's no longer a given. A passion or obsession of any kind will do.
4. Student/and or career beast/ and or change of career person. A vague one, but I know what I mean. 'More than a job' kinda person suits my reading.
5. Food nut. Some of the fitness nuts definitely DON'T fall in this category, but some of us LOVE (and respect) our food (check out Argy who writes about food as if it were a living breathing person invited to the table (which it is!))

If you're reading this and fit in any of the above, let me know. Drop me a line...

Gettng there...
Interesting theory on the catabolic effect of cv exercise, but no mentions of lifting weights. Sigh.....

Recently, I is mostly...
Topic: Recently, I is mostly...
...Reading

Red magazine, despite the Lin and Leo lapbag fiasco. I'm obviously the age and demographic they are aiming the magazine at because apart from the odd thing about kids, it has me hooked. And I keep thinking I really must sort out my finances and it's all due to an article in last months magazine.

...Watching



No Angels on Channel 4, 10pm Tuesdays. Partly because it's set in Leeds and I can recognise some of the locations, but mainly because I love the writing. No matter how outrageous their behaviour they never come across as sl*tty, and the problems are based in reality, even if the situation is slightly over the top.

...Listening



Doves - Some Cities. Went to see them last week in Manchester and they were great. Realised I had no idea what they looked like and now I know why. Bless their little cotton socks, not blessed with the good looks of a boy band. And hurrah for that.

...Eating

Roast chicken with cheesy leeks and veggies. Obviously this is why I need to rein myself in and watch the food a bit more carefully.

...Drinking

Amarula - a strange creamy fruity drink from Africa. Sing along now everyone 'Show me the way to Amarula...'. It's bit sweet and sickly really and not really a good substitute for Bailey's.

...Doing

Heavy weights. Too heavy. Ouch.

...Wearing

Continuing my obsession with overly priced comfortable footwear, I have invested in a pair of Frye's. They'll last forever you know...

Dependent, Independent, Interdependent...
Reading that last post, I sound a bit wet and obsessed with keeping my man. Can I point out that I would rate myself and Mr LMG to be interdependent. I went through my 'independent' stage after my break-up with the ex-Mr LMG (truthfully, probably before and during) and am now happy to have someone I can share my life with.

Gah - I've gone all soppy and yicky now. And making up for last week with 3 posts in one day - I'll try to rein it in now...

http://kyras.blogspot.com/

Just found this whilst surfing through the blog backlog. I love it when someone vents their spleen and I also loved her stats. I weigh less than the average female (I'm guessing this is the average American female, but the UK probably isn't too far behind).

Reading blogs can be a 2 edged sword. I have my heroes like Skwigg who does an awesome amount of exercise, or Maggie at Caustic Musings who has the most discipline I have ever encountered, and I think 'I will never be that fit'. And in a way I don't want to be. I have Mr LMG and my career to think about and as long as I have my health, I am happy. But I want to be the best that I can. The best that I can ISN'T 15% BF and 120lbs, because I have prioritised other things higher. The best I can is 135lbs and 25% BF, with a relationship and a career, a nice house in a nice area.

I was having a similar conversation with AIF on Saturday night. We were having a drunken conversation about life in general, and I mentioned my goals before I'm 40. Got to talking about writing books and if I should venture into the health/fitness/nutrition field. As I said to her, I know all the theory, but if I knew how to put it into practice whilst doing all the rest of the things I have to, then I'd be the weight I want to be.

What I'm getting at, is that it's all very well doing 12 week challenges and sticking to strict regimes, but if it's to the detriment to the rest of your life, is it really worth it? I've been thinking about this a lot recently and have a shortlist of 5 items that I have prioritised. I know for a fact that my list is prioritised in a different order to AIF or Mr LMG, but there is no RIGHT way of doing things. Anyway, I'm losing the drift of what I'm trying to say, but for the record here is my list in order of priority:

1. Health
2. Relationships (social life included here)
3. Career
4. Self Improvement/Study
5. Fitness

Sometimes it switches round and Career comes to 1 or Self Improvement, but Fitness is hardly ever No. 1. Health is always more important. You could argue that Fitness would lead to Health, but I believe health is more a function of being happy in your life and a social life is probably more a factor than fitness.

Anyway, I will write that book one day. 'A Handbook for Career Girls who Love Food, Want to keep Their Man, and Aren't afraid to lift Weights'.

Just need to work out where the balance lies between all my priorities and get there...

Still alive!
Still here - just had a week of economics at college. Never havng done it before I was expecting the worst - but quite liked it in a perverse logic kind of way.

During last week I met with G again and met QoB, his colleague. She seemed ok, but a little wet. Not an engineer (a good thing?) but more an environmentalist. Waiting now for a date for formal interview. In the meantime, an agency in London have been trying to persuade me to interview for a similar role for yet another company. The downside is that their offices are in either Manchester or Sheffield and I don't want the commute. All this activity makes me realise how my current company is NOT prepared for the gear shift that next year's legislation is driving. What to do? Do I abandon them completely or have a back-up plan in case the G thing falls through?

In other news, yet another healthy kick starts here - I have just under 8 weeks till I go on holiday. I have taken the focus away from weight or fat or inch loss. Instead I am focussing on the doing rather than the results. As I keep saying, consistency is always my problem and focussing on results doesn't help me. Don't get me wrong, I still have long term goals with respect to how I want to look, but they are maybe too far away and divorced from what I am doing, if that makes sense.

So the goals this week are to do cardio 3x20 minutes 65 - 75% max HR and 2 x weights. Weights are to be 2 sets of 12 reps, with as heavy as I can stand. I'm focussing on abs, glutes, shoulders, back and arms. Legs will be stretched rather than worked - a bit of yoga/stretches to keep me limber for the cardio. I'm keeping the exercise volume low this week and trying to keep food to manageable calories and proportions (30:20:50 F:P:C). Then next week I'll ramp the food up to really clean and continue with the exercise, adding some more cardio. Baby steps.

And I'll keep reading those blogs. Lots of good work going on out there and they keep me sane and realise I am not alone in my madness! Which reminds me, I still have a load to catch up on from last week...

Head wrapped in Cling Film

What fun! What mess! I am sitting here with Lush Caca Brun hair dye applied to my tresses, all bound up in cling film. I've given it just over 2 hours and might leave it another half hour before washing out.

I'm going through a natural phase when it comes to comestic products - I tackled my leg hair this week with

which again was messy and fun! Need a bit more practice, but easier than wax, and after my bitter disappointment over the Veet 3 minute razorless shave stuff (3 minutes my arse), I may have found the answer to the leg hair issue this summer. Watch this space.

Of course, all this mucking around with home beauty products may look like procrastination to those who think 'shouldn't she be finishing that bloody assignment'. Yes, you are probably right. But the word count is now 2285 (aiming for 3000) and I am about 30% through beating it into shape. 36 hours to go - no sweat!

Another cull...
Clearing out the blog roll, adding more in. Trying to keep it to a manageable amount. Half my morning is wasted by logging in and seeing who has posted. Which is usually a pointless exercise for the US blogs, especially if I've checked before I go to bed. They won't be up yet, you loon?

My feet hurt. I was a VERY silly girl today and walked 3 miles in unsuitable shoes. I have a massive blister on the ball of my toes on the left foot and a massive blister on the arch on my right, plus one on each of my big toes. Idiot. I have slapped Compeed on them, but failed to burst them first, so I have a great big bag of pus on each foot. Grim. Let's hope the swelling goes down by tomorrow morning or I risk pulling the Compeed and half my foot off to burst them. Urk.

Assignment is nearly there. Have been working on some graphic design stuff at work this week for a bid presentation. It's killing me not knowing what I am doing in the next few months. It's half-term, and loads of folks on hols, which is probably why I haven't heard from G. College next week, then who knows what...