Tonight I tried Kripalu yoga at Twisters, a class advertised as gentle yoga. The room itself was very nice - plain walls, shiny hardwoord floors like you'd find in an old gymnasium, and modern track lighting. Unfortunately the sound system wasn't functioning properly so we did the session without music.
The instructor, Teri, was a substitute and so this class may not have been representative of the usual one. Regardless, it was a good class with a mixture of flowing movements and static poses. The session definitely lived up to its name - the poses were simple and not strenuous on any joints, and Teri showed us ways to make them more or less challenging depending on our abilities. There were many familiar poses as well as a few that were new to me. The class ended with Savasana, during which Teri actually massaged everyone's feet. This was truly an unexpected treat (and from what I understand, not what the regular instructor does). Although the class was less challenging than my Wednesday sessions with Rena, I did leave feeling relaxed and centered - mission accomplished.
Afterwards I did a bit of research on this style of yoga. To my untrained eye, the only differences I noticed were the absence of sun salutations (which I really missed) and the simplicity and ease of the poses. Turns out that in addition to the gentler poses, this style of yoga emphasizes meditation, physical healing and spiritual transformation. Kripalu also tends to appeal to seniors (in fact, a couple women in the class jokingly referred to it as 'old lady yoga') as well as the overweight.
So there you have it, my report on my first Kripalu yoga class. I will most likely give it another try when the regular instructor returns - just to see what, if anything, she does differently. Honestly, the class was very nice but I think in general I enjoy a slightly more strenuous practice.
Monday, November 30, 2009
It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!
This morning I was delighted to step on the scale and find that I have passed the 10 pound mark - a milestone made all the sweeter because it happened over Thanksgiving! I attribute this success to a few factors:
In other news, this past week my inlaws were visiting. Their visit gave me the incentive to visit Twisters (a local yoga and fitness studio) - my husband's mom really enjoys yoga, and Twisters offers a 1-week guest pass. The pass allows you to try all of the classes for free (normally they are $15 each) so I suggested that she give it a try. When she reported back that the studio was very nice, I decided to take advantage of the same offer. So yesterday morning off we went - she to a Vinyasa Flow class, and me to a Spinning class. To date I've tried 3 classes at LA Fitness and enjoyed them, but the class at Twisters was a cut above - the room was spacious, well-ventilated, clean and had a wall of cubbies where you could store personal items. The instructor was on a platform so you could see exactly what she was doing, and the bikes were in excellent condition and nicely spaced apart (read: I wasn't bumping shoulders with my neighbor). The music was pretty good too, and most importantly it was LOUD. And finally, the room was private - no windows where the general gym population could stand around watching you struggle and grimace! So 2 thumbs up for Spinning at Twisters.
Mom-in-law told me that she enjoyed both of her yoga classes, and that the students were all very experienced. Of course, this is completely intimidating, but in the spirit of Getting Over Myself, I'm going to try a few of the classes this week anyway. I survived the spinning class, right? Tonight I'm planning to try the Kripalu yoga class, which is described on the schedule as 'gentle yoga'. As a yoga newbie, I think this will be just my speed. Later in the week I'll try Hatha yoga, mat pilates, Body Pump and hopefully reformer pilates if I can get into the class (which is limited to 5 participants). After each class I'll report back on my experience.
- Planning ahead to manage the T-day feast
- Extreme diligence over the past week with counting calories
- Daily 400-calorie workouts
- Extra activity wherever possible. For example, my husband needed to return some library books on Saturday, so I suggested we walk the half mile to the library instead of dropping them off the next time we were driving by.
- Habit - over the past month, I have gotten into the habit of eating smaller portions and eating more fruits & veggies, so it didn't seem like a chore this week to keep up with that routine.
In other news, this past week my inlaws were visiting. Their visit gave me the incentive to visit Twisters (a local yoga and fitness studio) - my husband's mom really enjoys yoga, and Twisters offers a 1-week guest pass. The pass allows you to try all of the classes for free (normally they are $15 each) so I suggested that she give it a try. When she reported back that the studio was very nice, I decided to take advantage of the same offer. So yesterday morning off we went - she to a Vinyasa Flow class, and me to a Spinning class. To date I've tried 3 classes at LA Fitness and enjoyed them, but the class at Twisters was a cut above - the room was spacious, well-ventilated, clean and had a wall of cubbies where you could store personal items. The instructor was on a platform so you could see exactly what she was doing, and the bikes were in excellent condition and nicely spaced apart (read: I wasn't bumping shoulders with my neighbor). The music was pretty good too, and most importantly it was LOUD. And finally, the room was private - no windows where the general gym population could stand around watching you struggle and grimace! So 2 thumbs up for Spinning at Twisters.
Mom-in-law told me that she enjoyed both of her yoga classes, and that the students were all very experienced. Of course, this is completely intimidating, but in the spirit of Getting Over Myself, I'm going to try a few of the classes this week anyway. I survived the spinning class, right? Tonight I'm planning to try the Kripalu yoga class, which is described on the schedule as 'gentle yoga'. As a yoga newbie, I think this will be just my speed. Later in the week I'll try Hatha yoga, mat pilates, Body Pump and hopefully reformer pilates if I can get into the class (which is limited to 5 participants). After each class I'll report back on my experience.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Running & Weight Loss
I love running! Although I can't sustain it for longer than a minute right now, I look forward to the time when my runs are 30 or more minutes long. Several years ago, I was able to jog 5 miles or more at a time, and after the first mile or so the feeling was just incredible. One foot in front of the other, the rythym of my breathing, letting my thoughts drift - I really miss that. One of the things I loved most about running is the zone I would get into - unhurried, relaxed and feeling like I could just go on and on forever. My runs were about enjoying the journey, not worrying about the destination.
Today's treadmill workout felt like one of my old runs. After a 5 minute warmup, I did 12 intervals - a minute at 5 mph, then a 2 minute recovery at 3 mph. Total distance at 5mph was 1 mile, a new record. And during the entire workout I felt so peaceful and strong. I didn't set out to do so many intervals, I just kept doing one after the other because it felt soooo good. Don't get me wrong - it was really hard and I left the treadmill with shaky legs and sweat stinging my eyes - but it felt good nonetheless. As I started my swim, I reflected on why I was able to go so much farther today than last time - and I think it was because I wasn't really focused on a specific goal for the day, instead I just worked on putting one foot in front of the other and observing how my body felt. Once there was no endpoint, I felt free to let go and just be.
Something really clicked with me right there in the pool - I realized that if I take the same approach to weight loss I might be more successful in developing healthy habits. Rather than putting my main focus on how much I lose every week, what if I put my focus on navigating each food choice in my day, and enjoying the glow of success everytime I make a choice that serves my overall goal? Is it possible to get to a point where I actually enjoy the weight loss process instead of resenting it? Where building new habits becomes a pleasurable experience instead of a chore? I think it is very possible, and as I shift my way of looking at this whole experience I'm starting to look forward to the next food choice as a chance to put another success under my (ever-loosening) belt.
Today's treadmill workout felt like one of my old runs. After a 5 minute warmup, I did 12 intervals - a minute at 5 mph, then a 2 minute recovery at 3 mph. Total distance at 5mph was 1 mile, a new record. And during the entire workout I felt so peaceful and strong. I didn't set out to do so many intervals, I just kept doing one after the other because it felt soooo good. Don't get me wrong - it was really hard and I left the treadmill with shaky legs and sweat stinging my eyes - but it felt good nonetheless. As I started my swim, I reflected on why I was able to go so much farther today than last time - and I think it was because I wasn't really focused on a specific goal for the day, instead I just worked on putting one foot in front of the other and observing how my body felt. Once there was no endpoint, I felt free to let go and just be.
Something really clicked with me right there in the pool - I realized that if I take the same approach to weight loss I might be more successful in developing healthy habits. Rather than putting my main focus on how much I lose every week, what if I put my focus on navigating each food choice in my day, and enjoying the glow of success everytime I make a choice that serves my overall goal? Is it possible to get to a point where I actually enjoy the weight loss process instead of resenting it? Where building new habits becomes a pleasurable experience instead of a chore? I think it is very possible, and as I shift my way of looking at this whole experience I'm starting to look forward to the next food choice as a chance to put another success under my (ever-loosening) belt.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Calling All Emotional Eaters
Mary, of A Merry Life, posted an incredibly insightful entry today about emotional eating. You can read it here.
As a long-time emotional eater, I found this post to be a great reminder of why food is not the answer!
As a long-time emotional eater, I found this post to be a great reminder of why food is not the answer!
Thanksgiving Success Story
Turkey Day has come and gone and I have one more thing to be thankful for this year - my plan worked! My total calorie intake was about 2600 for the day - higher than a normal day, but definitely low considering the damage that could have been done. I burned about 400 calories on the treadmill in the morning, took the dog for a half-hour walk in the afternoon, and stayed pretty active all day with prepping and cooking dinner. Breakfast was bran flakes, one clementine and about 15 almonds. Lunch was toasted naan with homemade hummus, followed by a couple of gingersnaps. At dinner, the "veggies first" strategy worked well - I only had room for about half a plate of turkey, stuffing and potatoes, and only had one slice of pie. Between workouts and a high level of activity, I managed to end the day without a calorie surplus to burn off on Friday. Woohoo!
The capstone to the day was a late night shopping trip with a couple girlfriends - we decided to take advantage of the crazy sales at the Philadelphia Premium Outlet Mall! Stores began opening at 11pm, so at 10:30 we got on line behind about 200 other people (yes, you read that correctly!) to snap up some Black Friday bargains at the Coach outlet. We entered the store at about 11:45, bought a few things, then split up after that and shopped individually for another couple hours. By 2 am I had 3 large bags - carrying them from store to store and weaving around a ton of other shoppers was definitely a bonus workout for the day! Traffic was horrendous on the way out, but we made it home successfully, and after taking a few minutes to gaze lovingly at our new purchases we went our separate ways for the evening. I finally got to bed around 3:30 and slept right through breakfast this morning! Today will be a day of light eating, and due to many sore muscles from all my workouts this past week, I will have a rest day and just putter around the house instead of hitting the gym. It feels so good to have made it through Thanksgiving without a load of calories to work off!
The capstone to the day was a late night shopping trip with a couple girlfriends - we decided to take advantage of the crazy sales at the Philadelphia Premium Outlet Mall! Stores began opening at 11pm, so at 10:30 we got on line behind about 200 other people (yes, you read that correctly!) to snap up some Black Friday bargains at the Coach outlet. We entered the store at about 11:45, bought a few things, then split up after that and shopped individually for another couple hours. By 2 am I had 3 large bags - carrying them from store to store and weaving around a ton of other shoppers was definitely a bonus workout for the day! Traffic was horrendous on the way out, but we made it home successfully, and after taking a few minutes to gaze lovingly at our new purchases we went our separate ways for the evening. I finally got to bed around 3:30 and slept right through breakfast this morning! Today will be a day of light eating, and due to many sore muscles from all my workouts this past week, I will have a rest day and just putter around the house instead of hitting the gym. It feels so good to have made it through Thanksgiving without a load of calories to work off!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving Day - Bring It On
Hello out there in blogland! With the inevitable Thanksgiving feast just around the corner, I've been giving some thought to how I will navigate the 'feastivities' without completely going on a food bender and putting myself in the position of feeling guilty & disappointed in myself.
I am hosting a small T-Day this year – myself, my husband and his parents. Unlike my family, my inlaws prefer to eat dinner late in the day, around 5-6pm. I’m used to a dinner time of noon, after which there is usually a nap, much watching of TV, and then more feasting on leftovers. This year will be different. After a month of keeping the momentum going, and losing 8 fatty pounds, I can't afford to derail my progress and backslide. So it was necessary to devise a master plan to keep my mojo going:
T-Day Plan Part 1:
There will be a good long workout in the morning, most likely step class and then a relaxing swim. A light lunch, and then some yard work or a long dog-walk in the afternoon while the turkey cooks – keep that calorie burn going!
T-Day Plan Part 2:
At dinner, many of the traditional foods will make an appearance: cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and stuffing (mom-in-law makes an incredible sticky rice stuffing with chestnuts – I will try to steal the recipe and post it later this week). However, I will also be steaming lots of healthy veggies (green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli) to accompany this feast. The centerpiece of my plan is to fill my ENTIRE plate with veggies, eat them all, and only then enjoy the usual treats and eat until I am nice and full. I’m hoping that I will be pretty well filled up with veggies before I start on the high-calorie stuff and thus will not have the belly space to do too much damage! In addition, a later dinner means only one feast, rather than a second round of eating after a long nap.
T-Day Plan Part 3:
Since this party is at my house, I need to worry about LEFTOVERS! The final piece of my grand plan is to make smaller quantities of everything, so that the leftovers are gone by Friday and I can get back to my usual eating routine without the temptation of tasty treats in the fridge.
This is a new strategy for me - usually I just try to control my portions and fail miserably, thus triggering the guilt, disappointment, and mental flagellation routine - and then inevitably eat more to numb the bad feelings.
For more thoughts on Thanksgiving, check out this great post by MizFit. What are your plans for navigating this tempting holiday?
I am hosting a small T-Day this year – myself, my husband and his parents. Unlike my family, my inlaws prefer to eat dinner late in the day, around 5-6pm. I’m used to a dinner time of noon, after which there is usually a nap, much watching of TV, and then more feasting on leftovers. This year will be different. After a month of keeping the momentum going, and losing 8 fatty pounds, I can't afford to derail my progress and backslide. So it was necessary to devise a master plan to keep my mojo going:
T-Day Plan Part 1:
There will be a good long workout in the morning, most likely step class and then a relaxing swim. A light lunch, and then some yard work or a long dog-walk in the afternoon while the turkey cooks – keep that calorie burn going!
T-Day Plan Part 2:
At dinner, many of the traditional foods will make an appearance: cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and stuffing (mom-in-law makes an incredible sticky rice stuffing with chestnuts – I will try to steal the recipe and post it later this week). However, I will also be steaming lots of healthy veggies (green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli) to accompany this feast. The centerpiece of my plan is to fill my ENTIRE plate with veggies, eat them all, and only then enjoy the usual treats and eat until I am nice and full. I’m hoping that I will be pretty well filled up with veggies before I start on the high-calorie stuff and thus will not have the belly space to do too much damage! In addition, a later dinner means only one feast, rather than a second round of eating after a long nap.
T-Day Plan Part 3:
Since this party is at my house, I need to worry about LEFTOVERS! The final piece of my grand plan is to make smaller quantities of everything, so that the leftovers are gone by Friday and I can get back to my usual eating routine without the temptation of tasty treats in the fridge.
This is a new strategy for me - usually I just try to control my portions and fail miserably, thus triggering the guilt, disappointment, and mental flagellation routine - and then inevitably eat more to numb the bad feelings.
For more thoughts on Thanksgiving, check out this great post by MizFit. What are your plans for navigating this tempting holiday?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Quickie
Crazy busy week, not much time for a real post, so I'll leave you with 3 quotes that I have taped to my computer monitor to keep me focused. All of them are related to things that I struggle with - obsessing over past failures, wanting instant results and letting myself get discouraged when I encounter difficulties in my journey. Enjoy!
Don't look back - you're not going that way
Change happens over time in repeated attempts
Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal
Sunday, November 22, 2009
First Training Goal Achieved
Last night I achieved my first triathlon training goal: swim 200 yards without a break. A small goal, yes - but more than I could do three weeks ago, so I'm feeling pretty good about that! I've decided my next goal will be to jog 1/4 mile at a 5 mph pace. Right now I can jog about a minute at 5 mph - so I basically need to work up to 3 minutes of jogging to hit that quarter mile target. Hopefully I'll be there by mid-December!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
There, I've Said It: I'm Afraid
A wise woman (my awesome trainer Rena) once told me that all human emotions are derived from fear or love. A wise man once said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". As I slowly work my way back to fitness, I find that there are a lot of big and little fears emerging from the background noise of my brain.
Many of them are quite rational. We all have them. What if I can't stick to my new habits? What if I try a new fitness class and everyone laughs at me? What if I fail? I can deal with these fears, because they are conscious, rational fears that every normal person experiences. But there are other, less rational phobias lurking in my subconcious...
About five years ago I had an interesting experience in a department store dressing room. I had lost about 40 pounds - which at that point meant I was closing in on 190 - and was trying on some new clothes. I caught sight of my rear view in the mirror and realized that my shape was really changing. A waist was emerging, my butt undeniably smaller. My legs becoming strong, toned, and...dare I say it...shapely! My initial reaction, however, was not one of excitement and joy, as you'd expect. No, I felt a stab of panic. And a little nausea. A few days later I fell off the wagon and haven't seen that weight since.
Over the past few weeks, I've given a lot of thought to that moment, as well as all the other times I lost momentum and drifted back to my old habits. At the time, I didn't recognize my reaction for what it was - fear of the new person that was emerging. After some thought, I'm realizing that there is a lot of unrecognized fear within me:
What if I lose all the weight, and all my problems are still there?
What if I lose all the weight, and I'm really unattractive?
What if I lose all the weight and I'm unhappy with the person I've become?
What if people have different expectations of me as a thin person?
What if I'm not good enough?
What if I still...feel...FAT?
As hard as it is to admit, I think I'm afraid of the thing I have wanted more than anything else since I was about 14 - being thin. I've always thought that being thin would solve all my problems, make me a different person, and just generally ensure that my life would be perfect. But deep down, I know this is not true, and I'm starting to believe that's part of the reason I've had so many failures over the past 28 years. Every time I make visible progress towards my goal, I revert back to my old habits and gain everything back, plus more.
I know how to lose weight - my relapses have nothing to do with unsustainable fad diet plans. The magic formula is: eat less, move more. Choose healthy nutritious foods free of artificial ingredients. Lots of veggies and fruits, go easy on the processed carbs. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, keep active, build muscle and bone strength. Eat when you're hungry, eat slowly until you're full, then stop. Don't use food as entertainment or medication. There's really no other way, but making those choices day after day is HARD WORK. How can I succeed at something I secretly fear? Can you imagine the conflict that goes on inside...the struggles...the pain? I'm finally starting to understand why it is so difficult to say no to that second helping of pasta, that extra brownie. It's my subconscious saying 'hell no, we don't want to be thin, that's scary!'. I'm fighting a losing battle against myself.
Right now, I don't have any answers. This time around, my goals are no longer just about being thin - I want to conquer the fears that keep me from living a full, healthy life. And exposing those fears is the first step to squashing them completely.
Many of them are quite rational. We all have them. What if I can't stick to my new habits? What if I try a new fitness class and everyone laughs at me? What if I fail? I can deal with these fears, because they are conscious, rational fears that every normal person experiences. But there are other, less rational phobias lurking in my subconcious...
About five years ago I had an interesting experience in a department store dressing room. I had lost about 40 pounds - which at that point meant I was closing in on 190 - and was trying on some new clothes. I caught sight of my rear view in the mirror and realized that my shape was really changing. A waist was emerging, my butt undeniably smaller. My legs becoming strong, toned, and...dare I say it...shapely! My initial reaction, however, was not one of excitement and joy, as you'd expect. No, I felt a stab of panic. And a little nausea. A few days later I fell off the wagon and haven't seen that weight since.
Over the past few weeks, I've given a lot of thought to that moment, as well as all the other times I lost momentum and drifted back to my old habits. At the time, I didn't recognize my reaction for what it was - fear of the new person that was emerging. After some thought, I'm realizing that there is a lot of unrecognized fear within me:
What if I lose all the weight, and all my problems are still there?
What if I lose all the weight, and I'm really unattractive?
What if I lose all the weight and I'm unhappy with the person I've become?
What if people have different expectations of me as a thin person?
What if I'm not good enough?
What if I still...feel...FAT?
As hard as it is to admit, I think I'm afraid of the thing I have wanted more than anything else since I was about 14 - being thin. I've always thought that being thin would solve all my problems, make me a different person, and just generally ensure that my life would be perfect. But deep down, I know this is not true, and I'm starting to believe that's part of the reason I've had so many failures over the past 28 years. Every time I make visible progress towards my goal, I revert back to my old habits and gain everything back, plus more.
I know how to lose weight - my relapses have nothing to do with unsustainable fad diet plans. The magic formula is: eat less, move more. Choose healthy nutritious foods free of artificial ingredients. Lots of veggies and fruits, go easy on the processed carbs. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, keep active, build muscle and bone strength. Eat when you're hungry, eat slowly until you're full, then stop. Don't use food as entertainment or medication. There's really no other way, but making those choices day after day is HARD WORK. How can I succeed at something I secretly fear? Can you imagine the conflict that goes on inside...the struggles...the pain? I'm finally starting to understand why it is so difficult to say no to that second helping of pasta, that extra brownie. It's my subconscious saying 'hell no, we don't want to be thin, that's scary!'. I'm fighting a losing battle against myself.
Right now, I don't have any answers. This time around, my goals are no longer just about being thin - I want to conquer the fears that keep me from living a full, healthy life. And exposing those fears is the first step to squashing them completely.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Mini-success
Tonight I had yet another work-related celebratory event to navigate - and I am proud to say that not only did I manage not to exceed my calorie goal, but today's overall calorie count was the lowest of the week!
I managed the evening by staying far, far away from the snack table, and leaving when my parking meter expired - a perfect excuse to cut out before I drank too much and lost my willpower. That should be it for the work events for quite awhile, phew!
I managed the evening by staying far, far away from the snack table, and leaving when my parking meter expired - a perfect excuse to cut out before I drank too much and lost my willpower. That should be it for the work events for quite awhile, phew!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wanted: Your Weight Loss Tips - Cookbook Giveaway!
Tiffany at From 12 to 6 is sponsoring an awesome giveaway this month - just post a weight loss tip to her site and she will enter you in a drawing for a great cookbook by Ellie Krieger!
You can check out the contest HERE.
Don't delay - the drawing is November 24th!
You can check out the contest HERE.
Don't delay - the drawing is November 24th!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Squeeze It In!
I sit at a desk all day, either on the phone or computer, often both. Most days, I can feel my butt getting mushier with each passing minute. Sometimes I stand up while I'm on the phone, hop from one foot to another, or try to pace around the 4x4 space as best I can. But now....
I can SQUEEZE IT IN!
www.squeezeitin.com is a really cool website - with photos and videos - to show you how to fit exercise into your daily life. Here's a quote from the site:
"SqueezeItIn.com is a whole new way to think about exercise. With SqueezeItIn.com every chore, every errand, everything you do is an opportunity to get firmer, slimmer, stronger. Missing a day at the gym doesn’t have to mean missing a workout when you learn how to SqueezeItIn.com."
There are exercises you can do while you're in the car, cooking dinner, on the playground, and best of all, while you're at work! Here are a couple of my favorites that are great when you're on the phone for long periods of time: Squeeze Backs & Countertop Pushups.
I came up with my own exercise - I call it "Sitting On Air Instead Of Your Chair":
This move is basically just a wall sit. Find a wall (a solid wall, not a cubicle wall, and preferably not in a high traffic area), lean your back against the wall, and slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Hold til it burns! Stand up, shake it out, repeat a few times until it's time to go back to work. Hmmm...I might need to write to the Squeeze It In folks to suggest this one!
NOTE: One thing that really helps if you're a desk jockey is to invest in an inexpensive wireless headset for your desk phone, which keeps your hands free to do other things, like Pushing Paper. Unfortunately, it also makes you look a bit like a telemarketer...
I can SQUEEZE IT IN!
www.squeezeitin.com is a really cool website - with photos and videos - to show you how to fit exercise into your daily life. Here's a quote from the site:
"SqueezeItIn.com is a whole new way to think about exercise. With SqueezeItIn.com every chore, every errand, everything you do is an opportunity to get firmer, slimmer, stronger. Missing a day at the gym doesn’t have to mean missing a workout when you learn how to SqueezeItIn.com."
There are exercises you can do while you're in the car, cooking dinner, on the playground, and best of all, while you're at work! Here are a couple of my favorites that are great when you're on the phone for long periods of time: Squeeze Backs & Countertop Pushups.
I came up with my own exercise - I call it "Sitting On Air Instead Of Your Chair":
This move is basically just a wall sit. Find a wall (a solid wall, not a cubicle wall, and preferably not in a high traffic area), lean your back against the wall, and slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Hold til it burns! Stand up, shake it out, repeat a few times until it's time to go back to work. Hmmm...I might need to write to the Squeeze It In folks to suggest this one!
NOTE: One thing that really helps if you're a desk jockey is to invest in an inexpensive wireless headset for your desk phone, which keeps your hands free to do other things, like Pushing Paper. Unfortunately, it also makes you look a bit like a telemarketer...
Monday, November 16, 2009
Impatient, Discouraged and Re-energized
Today I was feeling both impatient and discouraged. Impatient, because I've been at this for a few weeks and my pants don't feel any looser, and discouraged, because I am starting to feel overwhelmed about the huge task I have before me - although I don't have a firm goal weight in mind, I kind of like the idea of getting to 160 - which is about 100 pounds from now.
There's not much I can do about the impatience - I know if I trust the process, the results will come. And although I've lost about 5 pounds in 3 weeks, I can't expect to see visible results on my waistline for awhile. But what I can do is appreciate the muscle tone that I feel developing under all my insulation and use that as my confirmation that I'm making changes to my body.
Feeling discouraged - well, that's more of a concern to me. That type of emotion can quickly lead to giving up entirely, and I need to nip that in the bud before it takes hold. I talked over my concerns with my awesome trainer, Rena Raso, and she suggested some realistic long term goals might be in order. My first thought was 'I want to be small enough by next August to fit into an XL wetsuit for the triathlon'. So we talked about what that weight might be, and I think that would be about 190 pounds. Which is about 70 pounds in 9 months. Breaking it down further, that's about 8 pounds a month, or 2 pounds per week. Which might be attainable for the first couple months, but as my weight decreases, so will the number of calories I burn...and so will the amount of food I can eat to maintain a 2 pound per week loss...and.....hmmm. I'm not a contestant on The Biggest Loser - I have a real life to live with social activities and a full-time job. Rena suggested that a more reasonable goal might be 10 pounds a month for the first couple months, then 5 pounds per month after that - a little over a pound a week - a 500-600 calorie deficit per day. So I've set my sights on losing 50 pounds by July 1, 2010, or a mid-term goal weight of 212 pounds. This means I might not be able to get a wetsuit that fits me before the triathlon, but really, it's only a half-mile August swim in the Schuylkil River, not a winter crossing of the English Channel. I think I'll survive.
Now that I have a concrete goal in mind, I'm feeling much more energized and excited! I've already lost 10% of my 50 pounds, and suddenly I see progress instead of stagnation and frustration. And I'm thinking about mini-fitness goals to set as well - such as being able to jog for 5 minutes, swimming 200 yards without stopping, and conquering some of the yoga poses I've been struggling with. And for those of you who would like to follow my numerical progress I have added a stats bar to my page for weekly updates, to be accompanied by occasional 'Now' pictures.
I'd love to hear from everyone out there - what are your goals? Do you prefer to break things up into mini-goals, or just keep your eye on the prize and work towards one big goal?
There's not much I can do about the impatience - I know if I trust the process, the results will come. And although I've lost about 5 pounds in 3 weeks, I can't expect to see visible results on my waistline for awhile. But what I can do is appreciate the muscle tone that I feel developing under all my insulation and use that as my confirmation that I'm making changes to my body.
Feeling discouraged - well, that's more of a concern to me. That type of emotion can quickly lead to giving up entirely, and I need to nip that in the bud before it takes hold. I talked over my concerns with my awesome trainer, Rena Raso, and she suggested some realistic long term goals might be in order. My first thought was 'I want to be small enough by next August to fit into an XL wetsuit for the triathlon'. So we talked about what that weight might be, and I think that would be about 190 pounds. Which is about 70 pounds in 9 months. Breaking it down further, that's about 8 pounds a month, or 2 pounds per week. Which might be attainable for the first couple months, but as my weight decreases, so will the number of calories I burn...and so will the amount of food I can eat to maintain a 2 pound per week loss...and.....hmmm. I'm not a contestant on The Biggest Loser - I have a real life to live with social activities and a full-time job. Rena suggested that a more reasonable goal might be 10 pounds a month for the first couple months, then 5 pounds per month after that - a little over a pound a week - a 500-600 calorie deficit per day. So I've set my sights on losing 50 pounds by July 1, 2010, or a mid-term goal weight of 212 pounds. This means I might not be able to get a wetsuit that fits me before the triathlon, but really, it's only a half-mile August swim in the Schuylkil River, not a winter crossing of the English Channel. I think I'll survive.
Now that I have a concrete goal in mind, I'm feeling much more energized and excited! I've already lost 10% of my 50 pounds, and suddenly I see progress instead of stagnation and frustration. And I'm thinking about mini-fitness goals to set as well - such as being able to jog for 5 minutes, swimming 200 yards without stopping, and conquering some of the yoga poses I've been struggling with. And for those of you who would like to follow my numerical progress I have added a stats bar to my page for weekly updates, to be accompanied by occasional 'Now' pictures.
I'd love to hear from everyone out there - what are your goals? Do you prefer to break things up into mini-goals, or just keep your eye on the prize and work towards one big goal?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone
This has been a challenging week for me, food-wise. Not because I have been battling my compulsive eating demons - they have actually been at bay the last few weeks, for which I am grateful - but because in an 8-day period I had plans to eat out for dinner 4 times. All were celebratory dinners of one sort or another, and I never pass up a chance to celebrate! I decided that moderation would have to be the theme of the week, and for the most part I was very successful. As I wrote last Sunday, I counteracted a big dinner on Saturday night by declaring the following day a Very Active Day. I navigated Monday night's buffet dinner by arriving late enough to skip the appetizers, picking a few foods for dinner and taking small portions, and leaving before dessert was served. Friday night's dinner was sushi in moderation. Last night's dinner, however, was another story - we were going to a really nice Italian restaurant in the East Village and I made a conscious decision to eat whatever struck my fancy as long as I didn't eat til I was sick. So...3 glasses of wine, 1 beer, half a loaf of bread with olive oil, 2/3 of a calzone and several bites of tiramisu later I was starting to feel very full and VERY sleepy (a major signal that I've eaten too much) so I stopped without finishing dessert. And then I was immediately thinking of how I was going to counteract the debauchery on Sunday.
Today has of course been about keeping up my activity levels and keeping down my calorie intake, but I decided that I needed some mental reinforcement to avoid sliding down that slippery slope of "well, I really messed up last night so what's one more day of eating badly". So I pulled out the big guns - 3 podcasts from Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone. I've had these on my iPod for a few weeks and was saving them for a time when I really needed the support. So I listened to them today as I walked around the mall, went grocery shopping, and futzed around the house.
These ladies ROCK! The Fit Chicks are Shauna Reid (The Amazing Adventures of DietGirl) and Carla Birnberg (MizFit), both of whom have a lot of experience with fitness & weight loss. Each episode is about an hour long, and has a theme of some sort - my favorite was Goals Goals Goals!, where they shared and discussed ways of setting realistic goals, working towards achieving goals, how to deal with obstacles, and of course recognizing yourself for accomplishments.
There was a lot of great information in the Goals Goals Goals! podcast, but the concept that resonated most with me (after eating such a huge meal on Saturday night) was this: Question everything you do, and ask yourself if it is bringing you closer to your goal. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, and you are contemplating eating a candy bar...or 3 glasses of wine and a calzone...ask yourself if this choice will bring you closer to your goal. If the answer is no, and you decide to eat the candy bar anyway, you are making a conscious decision to do something that won't bring you closer to your goal. There certainly is a time and place for making such decisions, but asking yourself the question will take the process out of your subconscious and give you the opportunity to say no with a rational mind. As someone who has a real problem with eating while not paying attention, I think this is a tool that could really help me.
Anyway, you can subscribe to the podcast and listen on your MP3 player, or download the programs and listen to them from your computer. I highly recommend checking them out - the entire production is very well done and fun to listen to - I can't wait for the next episode!
Today has of course been about keeping up my activity levels and keeping down my calorie intake, but I decided that I needed some mental reinforcement to avoid sliding down that slippery slope of "well, I really messed up last night so what's one more day of eating badly". So I pulled out the big guns - 3 podcasts from Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone. I've had these on my iPod for a few weeks and was saving them for a time when I really needed the support. So I listened to them today as I walked around the mall, went grocery shopping, and futzed around the house.
These ladies ROCK! The Fit Chicks are Shauna Reid (The Amazing Adventures of DietGirl) and Carla Birnberg (MizFit), both of whom have a lot of experience with fitness & weight loss. Each episode is about an hour long, and has a theme of some sort - my favorite was Goals Goals Goals!, where they shared and discussed ways of setting realistic goals, working towards achieving goals, how to deal with obstacles, and of course recognizing yourself for accomplishments.
There was a lot of great information in the Goals Goals Goals! podcast, but the concept that resonated most with me (after eating such a huge meal on Saturday night) was this: Question everything you do, and ask yourself if it is bringing you closer to your goal. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, and you are contemplating eating a candy bar...or 3 glasses of wine and a calzone...ask yourself if this choice will bring you closer to your goal. If the answer is no, and you decide to eat the candy bar anyway, you are making a conscious decision to do something that won't bring you closer to your goal. There certainly is a time and place for making such decisions, but asking yourself the question will take the process out of your subconscious and give you the opportunity to say no with a rational mind. As someone who has a real problem with eating while not paying attention, I think this is a tool that could really help me.
Anyway, you can subscribe to the podcast and listen on your MP3 player, or download the programs and listen to them from your computer. I highly recommend checking them out - the entire production is very well done and fun to listen to - I can't wait for the next episode!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Knee High Boots
I have ached for a pair of knee-high black leather boots for quite some time. But alas, after I passed the 200 pound mark many, many moons ago, this dream faded into the background. For those of you with have no idea what I'm talking about...well, knee high boots are made with standard-sized shafts (the part that covers your leg from the ankle to the knee). Unfortunately, nature is not selective with her fat deposits and many overweight women have large calves - knee-high boots won't zip past our ankles. Sigh. I really love shoes, partly because I can actually walk into any store and pick out a pair of designer shoes that fits perfectly (this is absolutely not the case with clothing, but that's a rant for another day). Not being able to have the boots of my dreams is a source of frustration for me. Recently, however, I discovered that some boots are offered with wider calves - and that Zappos has a wide (no pun intended) selection. Yippee! Problem solved! I particularly love Zappos because they offer free shipping, coming and going. This means you can order as many shoes as you want, in multiple sizes, and it won't cost you any extra cash. Then you can try the shoes on with everything in your closet, wear them around the house for awhile and really get a sense of whether they will work for you.
But I digress. Earlier this week I ordered 7 pairs of 'wide shaft' boots and they arrived last night. I tried them all on and.........dammit! My calves are STILL too big! There was one pair that did fit, however the back of the boot was made of this coarse stretchy material that looked really ugly - fine if I was wearing pants over the boots, but I also want to wear them with skirts. Sigh again.
So all the lovely boots are going back, and some of them were incredibly lovely. Which brings me to the ultimate point of this post - there are so many things that I literally can't do or have because I'm too fat! Not because I'm too self-conscious, or because I need to build up the strength, but things that are physically impossible for me. Here is my top 5 list (in no particular order):
For those of you with weight to lose - what's on your list?
But I digress. Earlier this week I ordered 7 pairs of 'wide shaft' boots and they arrived last night. I tried them all on and.........dammit! My calves are STILL too big! There was one pair that did fit, however the back of the boot was made of this coarse stretchy material that looked really ugly - fine if I was wearing pants over the boots, but I also want to wear them with skirts. Sigh again.
So all the lovely boots are going back, and some of them were incredibly lovely. Which brings me to the ultimate point of this post - there are so many things that I literally can't do or have because I'm too fat! Not because I'm too self-conscious, or because I need to build up the strength, but things that are physically impossible for me. Here is my top 5 list (in no particular order):
- Crossing my legs
- Finding knee-high boots that don't look orthopedic
- Walking into a designer store - and walking out with something besides shoes, a purse or a scarf
- Doing unassisted chin-ups (some of you might say this is something I could do if I built up the strength, but c'mon - I would have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to lift my current body weight)
- Wearing my wedding ring and engagement ring at the same time without cutting off my circulation
For those of you with weight to lose - what's on your list?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Biggest Loser: Shay
I don't know about all of you, but I watch The Biggest Loser every week for inspiration. The determination, the courage and the honesty shown by the contestants, well, it just about makes me cry during each episode. These folks dig deep! My favorite person by far this season is Shay - she has a mountain of weight to lose as well as many personal problems to overcome, but she battles her demons with intensity and dedication, and takes such pride in the positive changes she's made. This week, I was so devastated to learn that she was voted off the ranch - and there was no update provided at the end to show her progress at home. So for those of you who are wondering how she's doing, here's a video from the NBC website as well as a before and after comparison. Made me cry all over again - she is an amazing woman. Keep up the great work Shay - we are all rooting for you!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Hip Hop Class: The Great Equalizer
I posted yesterday that if I got the chance to dance in public, I would. Well....my gym recently added a hip hop aerobic dance class on Thursday nights. This is actually something I've wanted to try for awhile, but as usual I felt awkward and self conscious. It always helps my confidence to have a buddy when doing something new, so I asked a friend to go - but she had plans for the next few Thursday nights. So in the spirit of Get Over Yourself Day, I decided to go by myself tonight and see what the class was like.
The students were a mixed bag - a lot of young, fit women in cute outfits, a couple women my age, one or two women my size, and a much older man wearing a bandana around his head. Much to my amusement, he planted himself right in the front row and proceeded to get right down with his bad self! Anyway, the majority of the students were in great shape, and intimidation started to creep in. I reminded myself that these women were going to be so busy checking out their moves in the mirror that they wouldn't be bothered looking at my spastic dancing all the way in the back row. And honestly, my only expectation of this class was to get a good cardio workout and maybe learn a few moves to try out on a dance floor - not to end up as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
I am sorry to report that I am not an undiscovered dance prodigy. In fact, I am SPECTACULARLY BAD at hip hop dancing. And I felt really uncomfortable for the first several minutes of the class. But then, something happened. The music was really good, the instructor was enthusiastic, and somehow I just let myself go. I 'unclenched' and just felt the music, and next thing I knew I was jumping around without caring what anyone else thought and I was having a blast! Seriously, this class was so much fun! And here's the best part - when I finally took a break to catch my breath, I saw the most amazing thing...all those skinny girls, in the cute little outfits...they were just as uncoordinated as I was! I couldn't help but laugh to myself - I was so worried I was going to be the only one that couldn't dance, but the reality was sooooooo different. In spinning class everyone was super fit and knew all the moves. In hip hop class we were all equal, regardless of shape or size. Suddenly I was no longer intimidated - we were all on the same playing field. I swear my dance moves got a little better after that (but this is probably just my imagination).
We did 40 minutes of hiphop, another 10 minutes of salsa and chacha, and then one African tribal dance that was really fun. My heart rate stayed above 150 for the entire class and I was drenched in sweat at the end of the hour. I learned lots of new moves, most of which involved sticking out my butt and/or rolling my hips. I am great at sticking out my backside, but the hip rolls, well I need some work on them. It just doesn't come naturally! But overall, this class was a great confidence booster, and most importantly I managed to forget myself for awhile and just have some pure, unadulterated fun.
The students were a mixed bag - a lot of young, fit women in cute outfits, a couple women my age, one or two women my size, and a much older man wearing a bandana around his head. Much to my amusement, he planted himself right in the front row and proceeded to get right down with his bad self! Anyway, the majority of the students were in great shape, and intimidation started to creep in. I reminded myself that these women were going to be so busy checking out their moves in the mirror that they wouldn't be bothered looking at my spastic dancing all the way in the back row. And honestly, my only expectation of this class was to get a good cardio workout and maybe learn a few moves to try out on a dance floor - not to end up as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
I am sorry to report that I am not an undiscovered dance prodigy. In fact, I am SPECTACULARLY BAD at hip hop dancing. And I felt really uncomfortable for the first several minutes of the class. But then, something happened. The music was really good, the instructor was enthusiastic, and somehow I just let myself go. I 'unclenched' and just felt the music, and next thing I knew I was jumping around without caring what anyone else thought and I was having a blast! Seriously, this class was so much fun! And here's the best part - when I finally took a break to catch my breath, I saw the most amazing thing...all those skinny girls, in the cute little outfits...they were just as uncoordinated as I was! I couldn't help but laugh to myself - I was so worried I was going to be the only one that couldn't dance, but the reality was sooooooo different. In spinning class everyone was super fit and knew all the moves. In hip hop class we were all equal, regardless of shape or size. Suddenly I was no longer intimidated - we were all on the same playing field. I swear my dance moves got a little better after that (but this is probably just my imagination).
We did 40 minutes of hiphop, another 10 minutes of salsa and chacha, and then one African tribal dance that was really fun. My heart rate stayed above 150 for the entire class and I was drenched in sweat at the end of the hour. I learned lots of new moves, most of which involved sticking out my butt and/or rolling my hips. I am great at sticking out my backside, but the hip rolls, well I need some work on them. It just doesn't come naturally! But overall, this class was a great confidence booster, and most importantly I managed to forget myself for awhile and just have some pure, unadulterated fun.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Get Over Yourself
Have you ever felt self conscious? Perhaps about a specific physical feature, such as your nose, your hair, or your ears? Think that you can't dance, worry if your butt jiggles when you walk? Everyone has something about themselves that causes them to obsess - but what happens when that obsession grows to the point where it interferes with your ability to enjoy life?
I have really fat arms (there - I've said it out loud) and usually try to cover them up. Other parts of my body are just as flabby, but for some reason my arms are a source of torture. Six months before my wedding, I went dress shopping with my mom and sister, and picked out a gorgeous strapless white dress that we all loved. I thought I had plenty of time to lose weight and tone my arms. Alas, that did not happen. Big surprise - why would I think I'd be able to change decades of habits at one of the most stressful times of my life? The wedding arrived and of course I had lost nothing - and had no choice but to wear my strapless, sleeveless, nothing-left-to-the-imagination dress. And guess what - it didn't matter! I didn't think about my arms at all and had a blast - I felt beautiful and sexy and just like a princess the entire time. The proof is in the pictures - nobody is staring in horror and in every shot I am glowing with happiness even though my flabby arms are there for all to see - flapping in the wind on the dance floor in all their doughy glory.
My point is this - so often I let myself miss out on a fun experience because I am self conscious. For example, I rarely dance in public because I am worried about how I'll look. As a result, I often end up sitting around at parties watching everyone else have fun. This is not how I want to live my life. I want to live like I did at my wedding - having the time of my life, feeling beautiful, and not caring what anyone else thinks. Because really, nobody has time to worry about what I look like - they are too busy worrying about themselves! It's time to stop the madness. For one whole day I will just 'be' - I will not worry that others are judging or thinking negative thoughts about me - when they are most likely wondering if they have food from lunch stuck in their front teeth. I declare today to be Get Over Yourself Day! And if I have a chance to dance in public today, I'm gonna do it!
I would love to hear from all of you - what are you self conscious about? How is it holding you back in life? What will you do today to get over yourself?
I have really fat arms (there - I've said it out loud) and usually try to cover them up. Other parts of my body are just as flabby, but for some reason my arms are a source of torture. Six months before my wedding, I went dress shopping with my mom and sister, and picked out a gorgeous strapless white dress that we all loved. I thought I had plenty of time to lose weight and tone my arms. Alas, that did not happen. Big surprise - why would I think I'd be able to change decades of habits at one of the most stressful times of my life? The wedding arrived and of course I had lost nothing - and had no choice but to wear my strapless, sleeveless, nothing-left-to-the-imagination dress. And guess what - it didn't matter! I didn't think about my arms at all and had a blast - I felt beautiful and sexy and just like a princess the entire time. The proof is in the pictures - nobody is staring in horror and in every shot I am glowing with happiness even though my flabby arms are there for all to see - flapping in the wind on the dance floor in all their doughy glory.
My point is this - so often I let myself miss out on a fun experience because I am self conscious. For example, I rarely dance in public because I am worried about how I'll look. As a result, I often end up sitting around at parties watching everyone else have fun. This is not how I want to live my life. I want to live like I did at my wedding - having the time of my life, feeling beautiful, and not caring what anyone else thinks. Because really, nobody has time to worry about what I look like - they are too busy worrying about themselves! It's time to stop the madness. For one whole day I will just 'be' - I will not worry that others are judging or thinking negative thoughts about me - when they are most likely wondering if they have food from lunch stuck in their front teeth. I declare today to be Get Over Yourself Day! And if I have a chance to dance in public today, I'm gonna do it!
I would love to hear from all of you - what are you self conscious about? How is it holding you back in life? What will you do today to get over yourself?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Walk this way
One of the benefits of working for a ginormous pharmaceutical company is the concern they have for employee health. We have numerous fitness perks - within a 5 minute walk of my building there are volleyball courts, tennis courts, an outdoor track and even weight watchers meetings. The latest is a 'walkstation' which is exactly what it sounds like - a work station where you can walk. It is essentially a treadmill with a desk, but it is also set up with a laptop docking station, phone, monitor, mouse and keyboard so you can actually work while you're walking. The max speed is 2 mph to assure safety, the desk height is adjustable, and the walkstations are located in private conference rooms so you can use a speakerphone rather than hold the receiver to your ear.
Behold:
Today I had a couple of teleconferences scheduled first thing in the morning, so I thought I'd give the walkstation a whirl. It took a few minutes to figure out how to get everything up and running, but once I got my computer fired up and the desk height adjusted, everything fell into place. In addition to the tc's I had scheduled, I wanted to bang out a couple memos and read some documents, so I tried all 3 activities during the 45 minutes I was walking. Here's the report:
Behold:
- You cannot type accurately at 2 mph - the best speed for that activity is about 1 mph
- I was definitely breathing a bit more rapidly at 2mph than if I was just sitting at my desk. So for teleconferences, 1.5 mph seems to be a better pace (to assure I don't get an unexpected phone call from HR).
- Reading the computer screen requires neither manual dexterity nor the ability to speak without panting, so 2mph was just right for trolling through long documents.
- In 45 minutes I walked a little over a mile and burned almost 200 calories, which is about 150 more than I would have burned sitting at my desk.
- Next time I will not wear itchy wool dress pants.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Bodybugg report
Yesterday's burn: 3440. Calorie intake, 1850. Deficit: 1590. Oh Yeah!!!!
Good thing, too, because tonight is a company dinner and the menu has not been published. Going to go light on food at breakfast and lunch and hope there are some healthy choices for dinner.
Good thing, too, because tonight is a company dinner and the menu has not been published. Going to go light on food at breakfast and lunch and hope there are some healthy choices for dinner.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
My Sneaky Subconscious
Part of my Very Active Day schedule included a trip to the mall. The purpose of this visit was three-fold: 1. Keep my on my feet for a couple hours, 2. Give me something to do besides eat, and 3. Use my Neiman Marcus gift card. So after an excellent workout at the gym (awesome treadmill session and swam 350 yards!), I showered and drove off to the mothership, the King of Prussia Mall. Prior to my arrival, I worked out my parking and walking route (park at the opposite end of the mall from the stores I wanted to visit), and gave myself stern instructions that no food would be purchased aside from a tall non-fat latte at Starbucks.
I entered the mall and walked virtuously by the Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen and Godiva with nary a sideways glance, even though I was a bit hungry. I told myself "I don't need high-fat comfort food to fulfill me", picked up my non-fat latte and started shopping. Stopped at a few stores, used my NM gift card and then.....I found myself in Louis Vuitton, hand on my wallet, about to hand over an obscene amount of money for a messenger bag that I did NOT need. Nope, not at all. Furthermore, I wasn't even sure how much I liked said bag!! Fortunately I came to my senses in time to utter a lame excuse that it was too small for my laptop and made my escape. Fast forward another 10 minutes, and I found myself in Williams-Sonoma about to plunk down my credit card for a pasta maker. Came to my senses just in time (uh....I think I'll put it on my Christmas list...) and walked out of the store. Then it hit me right between the eyes: my sneaky subconscious wasn't getting what it wanted (comfort food) so it was trying to trick me into another instantly gratifying activity - buying things I don't need just for the momentary thrill of the purchase. Damn you, tricky brain! At that point, I decided that right now, the mall was just as dangerous to me as a department Christmas lunch at Maggiano's. Time to go home.
On a side note, I stopped at Genuardi's on the way home to pick up some essentials and found that cauliflower was on sale, 2/$5. Normally I would have bought two - but check out the picture below and you'll see why I only bought one:
No, that isn't a trick ruler - this cauliflower is a foot wide!
OK, break is over, off to finish the remainder of my chores and make dinner (which will of course include cauliflower).
I entered the mall and walked virtuously by the Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen and Godiva with nary a sideways glance, even though I was a bit hungry. I told myself "I don't need high-fat comfort food to fulfill me", picked up my non-fat latte and started shopping. Stopped at a few stores, used my NM gift card and then.....I found myself in Louis Vuitton, hand on my wallet, about to hand over an obscene amount of money for a messenger bag that I did NOT need. Nope, not at all. Furthermore, I wasn't even sure how much I liked said bag!! Fortunately I came to my senses in time to utter a lame excuse that it was too small for my laptop and made my escape. Fast forward another 10 minutes, and I found myself in Williams-Sonoma about to plunk down my credit card for a pasta maker. Came to my senses just in time (uh....I think I'll put it on my Christmas list...) and walked out of the store. Then it hit me right between the eyes: my sneaky subconscious wasn't getting what it wanted (comfort food) so it was trying to trick me into another instantly gratifying activity - buying things I don't need just for the momentary thrill of the purchase. Damn you, tricky brain! At that point, I decided that right now, the mall was just as dangerous to me as a department Christmas lunch at Maggiano's. Time to go home.
On a side note, I stopped at Genuardi's on the way home to pick up some essentials and found that cauliflower was on sale, 2/$5. Normally I would have bought two - but check out the picture below and you'll see why I only bought one:
No, that isn't a trick ruler - this cauliflower is a foot wide!
OK, break is over, off to finish the remainder of my chores and make dinner (which will of course include cauliflower).
My Very Active Day
Last night my husband took me out for a birthday dinner at From The Boot, a great new italian place nearby. The food was A-Mazing, and I loved every bite. I made a real effort not to eat everything in sight, and to leave the restaurant full, but not stuffed. In addition, I got a great workout in the morning and went lighter on lunch than usual. Still...after the garlic bread, bruschetta, pesto pizza and homemade cheesecake for dessert, I consumed about 3500 calories for the day. YIKES! According to my my BodyBugg, I only burned 3000 calories, even with a 600 calorie workout in the morning. Sooooo...Sunday is going to be all about burning as many calories as possible to counteract yesterday's indulgence (and the upcoming week's 3 dinners out).
Obviously, I need to do an extra long workout today to help pick up the slack. And that is definitely on the schedule - 60 minutes on the treadmill and another 15-20 in the pool. However, that will account for maybe 600-700 calories at best, and I need to generate a deficit for today as well as yesterday! Which brings me to today's strategy: stay on my feet all day to generate a slow but steady burn. My husband would call this a Very Active Day - a technique he uses when training for his many endurance events which require several hours of activity - but more about that another time. Very Active Days have a great benefit besides conditioning your muscles to be active for long periods of time...they burn a lot more calories than just sitting around watching TV after your workout!
For inspiration on incorporating this strategy into my everyday life, I consulted this article from Apex Fitness which provides a side-by-side comparison of the extra calorie expenditure for things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing instead of sitting when talking on the phone, etc. I tend to be extremely sedentary by nature, and this information really opened my eyes to how much the small things really add up. Could this be the secret of thin people everywhere? Have the modern conveniences I am so used to having really contributed that much to my current poor fitness level? What can I do besides the obvious stair-elevator swap to keep the burn going? Turns out, there's a lot of opportunities just waiting right in my own home.
This morning I got up at about 5am, and started wandering around the house picking things up and returning them to their rightful locations. Normally I would put everything that needed to go upstairs in a big pile and take it up at one time. Not today! When I found a book that belonged upstairs, I took it right up and put it away in the bookshelf. Then I found a pile of clean dishtowels that needed to go down to the kitchen. So down I went. Back and forth, up and down, constantly moving with a high degree of inefficiency! That took about a half hour (the house was a bit of a mess, I'll admit). Then I walked the dog around the yard for 10 minutes or so. Then I decided to get all the summer clothes out of my closet, another 20 minutes. So far so good, on my feet and moving around for an hour and it's only 6am! Looking around, I found a lot more things to do today to keep the calories coming off: wash all the silverware and the tray in the drawer, clean out the fridge and wash all the shelves, organize the guest room in advance of my inlaws' visit next week, clean the doggie noseprints off the windows, you get the picture - any chores that require standing and movement. The finale will be a trip to the mall wearing my MBTs and of course I will park far from the entrance and not use the escalator!
I'll report back tomorrow on the burn rate from my BodyBugg - my goal is a 3500 calorie day, with about 2000 calories of food. Wish me luck!
Obviously, I need to do an extra long workout today to help pick up the slack. And that is definitely on the schedule - 60 minutes on the treadmill and another 15-20 in the pool. However, that will account for maybe 600-700 calories at best, and I need to generate a deficit for today as well as yesterday! Which brings me to today's strategy: stay on my feet all day to generate a slow but steady burn. My husband would call this a Very Active Day - a technique he uses when training for his many endurance events which require several hours of activity - but more about that another time. Very Active Days have a great benefit besides conditioning your muscles to be active for long periods of time...they burn a lot more calories than just sitting around watching TV after your workout!
For inspiration on incorporating this strategy into my everyday life, I consulted this article from Apex Fitness which provides a side-by-side comparison of the extra calorie expenditure for things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing instead of sitting when talking on the phone, etc. I tend to be extremely sedentary by nature, and this information really opened my eyes to how much the small things really add up. Could this be the secret of thin people everywhere? Have the modern conveniences I am so used to having really contributed that much to my current poor fitness level? What can I do besides the obvious stair-elevator swap to keep the burn going? Turns out, there's a lot of opportunities just waiting right in my own home.
This morning I got up at about 5am, and started wandering around the house picking things up and returning them to their rightful locations. Normally I would put everything that needed to go upstairs in a big pile and take it up at one time. Not today! When I found a book that belonged upstairs, I took it right up and put it away in the bookshelf. Then I found a pile of clean dishtowels that needed to go down to the kitchen. So down I went. Back and forth, up and down, constantly moving with a high degree of inefficiency! That took about a half hour (the house was a bit of a mess, I'll admit). Then I walked the dog around the yard for 10 minutes or so. Then I decided to get all the summer clothes out of my closet, another 20 minutes. So far so good, on my feet and moving around for an hour and it's only 6am! Looking around, I found a lot more things to do today to keep the calories coming off: wash all the silverware and the tray in the drawer, clean out the fridge and wash all the shelves, organize the guest room in advance of my inlaws' visit next week, clean the doggie noseprints off the windows, you get the picture - any chores that require standing and movement. The finale will be a trip to the mall wearing my MBTs and of course I will park far from the entrance and not use the escalator!
I'll report back tomorrow on the burn rate from my BodyBugg - my goal is a 3500 calorie day, with about 2000 calories of food. Wish me luck!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Facing Down Fear...or...Why my butt really hurts today
This morning I faced down one of my long-standing fears: spinning class. For the uninitiated, spinning is indoor cycling on a special stationary bike, in a group setting, with an instructor that talks you through moves designed to simulate riding on different terrains. It is touted as one the highest calorie burn workouts you can do, and the creator, Johnny G, has achieved cult-like status among his ‘disciples’. He invented spinning as a convenient and quick way to train for races - and with the cold weather coming on, I need to find an alternative to outdoor cycling to keep up with my triathlon training.
I have wanted to try spinning for years - devotees rave about the calorie burn and the toning, and their physiques certainly speak for themselves. But I have observed a few classes (from a safe distance on a nearby treadmill) and was skeptical about whether I could actually keep up with the pace. During class, which takes place in a very dim (read: creepy) room, there is a lot of grunting and yelling going on. The seats are narrow and hard. Really narrow, and really hard. All of the participants are drenched in sweat within minutes. In fact, most instructors leave the door to the spinning room open during class so the humidity doesn't get so high it rains.
And of course virtually everyone in the class has a rock-hard body and carries an air of intensity and determination that quite frankly intimidates the hell out of me. They all wear skimpy, form fitting clothes - some even have special shoes that look really uncomfortable. Normally, I have no objection to uncomfortable shoes - think pointy toes and 4-inch stiletto heels - but these fancy cycling shoes are anything but pretty, and I doubt they will do much to show off my pedicure:
Are you kidding me? These things are U-G-L-Y-you-ain’t-got-no-alibi ugly. They make my MBTs look almost sexy.
Shoes aside, I was just plain scared and intimidated, and had built my fear up to mammoth proportions. But this fitness journey I'm on is all about changing my way of life, and facing fear is a big part of that process. So this weekend I decided it was time to (wo)man-up and just go. At my husband's advice, I got myself a gel seat cover (seriously, those seats are HARD) and picked a 45-minute class early on Saturday morning in hopes that it wouldn't be too packed with regulars.
I arrived early to get a good spot, then sort of slunk towards the back row and claimed a bike near the door in case I needed to beat a hasty retreat. I tried to adjust the seat and handlebars on my own, did it wrong (almost tipped the bike over on myself in the process) and then found a kind woman in the front row to help me set up. She told me to just go at my own pace, regardless of what the rest of the class was doing, and reminded me that everyone is a beginner at some point. Wise advice, that. The instructor, Toni, was also encouraging, and the woman on the bike next to me was very kind and supportive. So far, so good. I got my gel seat cover situated, and found that the seat was still really hard. Sigh.
Class started, nice easy pedaling - hey, I can do this! - and then....then...all hell broke loose. The instructor started yelling things like 'Gimmee some tension - I need more tension' and this weird guy a couple bikes to my left started yelling 'WOO' at random intervals. WTF? Get out of the saddle, lean forward, focus, go half your max, gimmee some tension...I was so confused. In an effort not to look like a complete idiot, I just copied whatever the guy in front of me did. The class was really hard, and there were several times that I just couldn't keep up. But the instructor came over a couple times to give me some tips, and the kind woman next to me said I was doing 'fabulous'. After about 30 minutes my legs were so shaky that I could no longer stand up on the bike so I just stayed seated and changed the tension on the bike when she shouted (all the while trying to ignore the fact that my butt bones were screaming in pain). The music was great (AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Guns-n-Roses), and LOUD - just the way I like it - and at the 40 minute mark I thought "Wow, I just made it through my first spin class and survived! Nothing left but the cool-down!". That's when the instructor announced we would be going for a full hour...
After class, I hopped on a treadmill at a nice easy pace and walked for about 15 minutes to loosen up my legs and reflect on the morning's accomplishment. Then I caught up with Ken, who was just getting out of a step class in the next room, and gave him my verdict: Challenging but fun. I'll definitely do it again - hopefully regularly. And it feels amazing to have faced down my fear and survived. But wow, does my butt hurt!!!! And I'm not wearing those stupid shoes until Kate Spade comes out with a line of cycling gear.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Free Greek Yogurt!
Check out this link for a chance to win greek yogurt and a tote bag:
http://balanceinbites.com/2009/10/30/greek-yogurt-giveaway/#comment-763
http://balanceinbites.com/2009/10/30/greek-yogurt-giveaway/#comment-763
MBT review
Today I wore my MBT shoes to work. They are dorky looking:
but are so uber-comfortable that sometimes I wear them to work with jeans. The soles of the shoes are rounded so that the heels and toes don't touch the ground when you're standing in neutral posture. This design results in a slightly unstable walking surface, which forces you to engage more of your leg muscles in the act of walking. To date, I've mainly worn them on level walking surfaces, and have found my posture is greatly improved and my feet feel really good with each step. I think my ankles are better aligned as well. There is also a feeling of mild resistance - the closest sensation I can think of is walking in sand.
Anyway, today I wore them on my lunchtime walk with Jenn. There is a moderate hill right outside the back door of our building, and we took this route to get to the track for our walk. Whoa, within about 90 seconds my legs were BURNING!!!! I honestly could not believe just how much more difficult it was to walk uphill in these shoes! I was really pleased to find out that I can throw on these shoes to give a 20 minute lunchtime walk a nice intensity boost. And I'll definitely be lacing them up everytime I go to the mall or walk the dog. Thanks MBT - now you just need to work on making them a bit more business casual and less like freaky bowling shoes...
Anyway, today I wore them on my lunchtime walk with Jenn. There is a moderate hill right outside the back door of our building, and we took this route to get to the track for our walk. Whoa, within about 90 seconds my legs were BURNING!!!! I honestly could not believe just how much more difficult it was to walk uphill in these shoes! I was really pleased to find out that I can throw on these shoes to give a 20 minute lunchtime walk a nice intensity boost. And I'll definitely be lacing them up everytime I go to the mall or walk the dog. Thanks MBT - now you just need to work on making them a bit more business casual and less like freaky bowling shoes...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A work in progress
Tonight Rena was kind enough to do a little photo session with me during our workout (well to be honest, to spare my audience they were taken at the beginning of the workout before I got all sweaty). Originally I thought of them as "Before" pictures. But mulling it over on the way home, I realized that dividing myself, my life, my fitness journey and so on into "before" and "after" implies that one is good and the other is bad. All or nothing thinking, in other words. Which is one of the more common traps that I've fallen into over the past 30+ years - i.e., "I ate a candy bar this morning so I guess I've blown it for the day. I'll give myself a free pass for the rest of the day to eat whatever I want and start over again tomorrow". This is one of the habits I desperately want to change - rather than thinking "I've blown it" and allowing myself to go hogwild in Wegman's dessert section, I want to think "That was a yummy treat, but now I'd better compensate elsewhere by exercising more or eating a lighter dinner." My goal is to be somewhere in the middle, living a life of moderation rather than extremes of behavior.
So....I've decided to refer to the fruits of tonight's photo session as my "Now" pictures - living in the present and accepting myself exactly as I am at this point in time. No judgment, no unkind words, just acceptance. I am a work in progress, but a work of art nonetheless.
So....I've decided to refer to the fruits of tonight's photo session as my "Now" pictures - living in the present and accepting myself exactly as I am at this point in time. No judgment, no unkind words, just acceptance. I am a work in progress, but a work of art nonetheless.
Watersports
I think that the most challenging piece of triathlon training will be the swim. Although I was on the swim team for a year in high school, it has been years since I have done more than just splash around in the water. This past weekend I did 200 yards in the pool at the gym and was so winded that I had to rest after every other lap! I'll approach this the way I came at the 3-Day training - one step (or stroke) at a time. First goal, to swim 200 yards without taking a break. Ultimate goal, to swim 1000 yards at a decent pace. First step, get back in the pool this weekend and swim some laps!!!
To help motivate me to train, I ordered a fun swim cap:
To help motivate me to train, I ordered a fun swim cap:
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Positive changes
3 months later, and I still weigh about the same as last time. However, not everything is the same - in the past 5 months, I have developed a bonafide exercise habit! It all started when I signed up for the Breast Cancer 3-Day on a whim. I thought if nothing else I'd drop a few pounds and raise some money for a good cause. I signed up in February and then proceeded to do nothing for 3 months. During that time, I was travelling back and forth to the UK pretty regularly, and it was tough to develop a routine. But in June my travels ended, and I contacted a personal trainer in hopes of getting some support - with only 4 months left to train for a 60-mile walk, I thought some professional guidance might be in order.
So......I spent the summer walking walking walking every weekend, and training with Rena for 45 minutes twice a week. Somewhere along the line I started going to her weekly yoga class and really enjoyed it. It has been 5 months, and I haven't missed a single workout unless an unavoidable conflict has arisen - and I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened!
Best of all, I learned that I DO have muscles underneath all my 'insulation' and that they are strong and healthy. I CAN walk 20 miles in a day and still have enough energy to go grocery shopping. I LOVE finding out what I am capable of! I look forward to every workout and take pleasure in pushing myself each time. In addition to that, I feel grumpy when I can't workout - which has turned into a great motivator. I've learned that attitude adjustment is as easy as a 30 minute walk. Believe me, I always envied those who crave physical activity and wondered if I would ever achieve such a state of being. The feeling of using my muscles and heart and lungs the way they were meant to be used, well...it just feels wonderful.
Anyway, my intention with this post was not to wax on about the benefits of exercise, or how ridiculously happy I am with my new workout routine...no, I am writing to remind myself that change is possible and that I believe I am capable of changing other things about myself as well. Eating habits are first on the list, and I plan to tackle them in the same way I changed my exercise habits - one day at a time, over and over, until suddenly I realize that I prefer the new way of eating to the old way. At first, each choice of healthy over unhealthy will be hard work, just like making myself work out when I'd rather go home and eat pasta. But with time and dedication, the work will get easier.
And now that I've made exercise a habit, I'm going to take it to the next level - by training for the SheRox triathlon next August. Wish me luck!
So......I spent the summer walking walking walking every weekend, and training with Rena for 45 minutes twice a week. Somewhere along the line I started going to her weekly yoga class and really enjoyed it. It has been 5 months, and I haven't missed a single workout unless an unavoidable conflict has arisen - and I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened!
Best of all, I learned that I DO have muscles underneath all my 'insulation' and that they are strong and healthy. I CAN walk 20 miles in a day and still have enough energy to go grocery shopping. I LOVE finding out what I am capable of! I look forward to every workout and take pleasure in pushing myself each time. In addition to that, I feel grumpy when I can't workout - which has turned into a great motivator. I've learned that attitude adjustment is as easy as a 30 minute walk. Believe me, I always envied those who crave physical activity and wondered if I would ever achieve such a state of being. The feeling of using my muscles and heart and lungs the way they were meant to be used, well...it just feels wonderful.
Anyway, my intention with this post was not to wax on about the benefits of exercise, or how ridiculously happy I am with my new workout routine...no, I am writing to remind myself that change is possible and that I believe I am capable of changing other things about myself as well. Eating habits are first on the list, and I plan to tackle them in the same way I changed my exercise habits - one day at a time, over and over, until suddenly I realize that I prefer the new way of eating to the old way. At first, each choice of healthy over unhealthy will be hard work, just like making myself work out when I'd rather go home and eat pasta. But with time and dedication, the work will get easier.
And now that I've made exercise a habit, I'm going to take it to the next level - by training for the SheRox triathlon next August. Wish me luck!
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