It's THURSDAY again!

I can't tell you enough how much I looooooove Thursdays.

My massage therapist will arrive here today some time around the 1:30 pm mark (later than her usual 1:00 pm due to a medical appointment that she has to attend with one of her four boys).

This week's challenge is my neck.  It's been bothering me a lot lately.  My physiotherapist performed her usual magic on it, but that only holds for so long.  Now it's the massage therapist's turn.

I've buggered up my right shoulder too, but my physiotherapist set me straight on that.  She asked me what I've been doing differently.  (I've added weights to my treadmill time.)  As soon as I showed her what I do with the weights, she stopped me.

"Nothing that takes your arms above your head, Bonnie," she admonished.  "That just aggravates your already sore rotator cuff.  Keep your elbows at your ribs.  And when going out to the side, don't lift your arms more than 30% away from your body."

Of course, I had been forcing myself to go that extra push, in spite of the pain, thinking I had to strengthen the muscles.

"No," she said, "listen to your body!  If it hurts, it's because you shouldn't be doing it."

So yesterday when I did my weights, I followed her instructions.  What a difference it makes to my comfort level.  Already, I can feel the difference in my shoulder.  Before long, perhaps it won't bother me at all!

I've also added time to my treadmill work.  I do my 20 minutes every day in "workout" mode -- that's the session when I walk as fast as I can without breaking into a jog (jogging is not allowed with my new hip).  It's during this 20 minutes that I use the weights, to provide a cardio workout at the same time.

Later in the day, I do another 30 minutes on the treadmill but at a much slower speed, more like a leisurely stroll, just for the movement aspect.  I figure if I'm going to watch television, I should be moving while I'm doing it.

I continue to follow the "eat within 90 minutes of waking" rule.   (I'm actually eating within 30 minutes of waking.)  I'm also doing really well at the eating three meals and two snacks every day.

And I'm happy to report that this morning, precisely one week since my first meeting with the nurse, I am four pounds lighter than I was at this time last Thursday.

It's called discipline and if there's one thing I can do, it's discipline.  Now, if the weight loss continues at this rate (which I know it won't), I'll reach my goal by the time the "Healthy You Classes" finish on June 6th!