Big Bottom Blogger

In the Zone

2011-07-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggie-peeps!
I hope this finds you all well. I'm "in the zone" and have been for the past several days. Before that...I was sort of in and out of it...as I tried to get back in the swing of things after my illnesses in May/June. The scale said 196 this morning--and body fat has come down from where it was. I've been moving a lot this weekend and intend to keep moving this coming week. Eating is on point. So far so good. I have a 10k race in 7 weeks that I need to get ready for. This is more of a fun social thing than a serious sort of race. It is one of those "mud runs". But, I still want to be able to do it in a respectable amount of time and not be a total lame-o! LOL I ran 4.5 miles yesterday morning..for the first time in a long time. Slow...steady.....hopefully I can get up to 6 miles soon and speed it up a bit.

I recently downloaded Jillian Michael's book called "Making the Cut". It is intended for folks who have about 20 pounds to lose. I think I have a bit more to lose than that....but figured it would be worth the read. It has some great info in it. Anyone else have it?

Alright. I have a house full o boys to tend to. Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow Americans. Love you all! :)

How Is Your Gut?

2011-06-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hello out there in blogville! I hope everyone is doing well!

I saw this article this morning and wanted to share.

"Good Gut" Bacteria May Help Fight Obesity

I have excellent probiotics in my fridge...but more often than not forget to take them. Oops. Do you take any probiotics or eat the foods he mentions on a ragular basis?

Does Cityville Make My Butt Look Big?

2011-06-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Who struggles with too much time on the computer? Blogging, working, playing? How have you addressed it?

I got hooked on Cityville a few months ago and it is surely no coincidence that the more I played, the more weight I gained. It does not take a degree in astrophysics to do the math there! LOL I have recently scaled back the time I spend online, especially with silly Cityville....it seems to be helping.

11 pounds are gone in less than two weeks. Bodyfat was somewhere northward of 30% when I started out...and is 29.5% this morning.

Sinuses be damned....I'm powering through and staying the course. Not as much exercise or as vigorous of exercise as I would like, but I will get back to that as my ability to breathe improves. :)

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend! Thanks for reading and thanks for all of your encouragement!

Holding Steady

2011-06-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Just a quick check in. I am holding steady. 10 pounds are GONE since my re-emergence in the blogosphere a mere week and a half ago! And the body fat percentage has dropped from 30% (!!!) back into the 29% range. (Gotta get back to 26% and beyond asap!)

But.....my sinus issue has returned full force. I guess the quick five day Z-pack a couple weeks ago did NOT knock it out. So...yesterday I had to begin round two of antibiotics, nasal spray, etc.

Which, I really hate.

I DO, however, like being able to breathe and that was not really possible during my workout yesterday. I tried to run just a couple miles with a friend and I was heaving and wheezing and quite a mess. Then, when I got back to the gym I tried to throw around my kettlebells and felt...well....just really bad. I figured it was just allergy stuff (it has been a pollen-fest in these parts lately) but when I caught sight of my face in the mirror at the gym I was shocked by the grey-putty-color of it. I decided to make another visit to dear Doc. Doc said I had a low fever...and the infection was not cleared up. So.....hold good thoughts. I've been doing so well and I do not want to lose ground. I want to get my tail out there and run and swing my kettlebells. For now....I have to just focus on good eating and rest for a day or two. Grrrrrrrrr. I do not want to lose momentum.

I need you to give me pep talks to help me stay focused!

What Triggers Your Turning Points?

2011-06-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hi blogville. I tried to post a version of this yesterday and my computer freaked out and I lost the whole thing. From now on I will blog in M$ Word then copy and paste to the blog.

Debbie over at Ex Yo-Yo Dieter had a couple posts this past week that were very good. Finding "Healthy Me" and The Question of Selfishness, Again They started the wheels of my mind turning more than normal.

WHAT is it that makes us (or at least a lot of us) decide to be good to ourselves through proper eating and exercise.....then, decide to NOT be good to ourselves by eating poorly and not exercising? I know the answer is different for each person, but surely there must be some underlying commonalities in mindset when we go from one side of the spectrum to the other. And....an even bigger question is....HOW do those people who always seem to weigh the same healthy weight and exercise on a regular basis year in and year out..do it? What fuels their consistency? Do they struggle like the rest of us....or have they figured out the answer to life, so to speak?

I don't know what triggers me to be good v bad to myself. I mean..I DO know...some things...but I have not been able to figure it all out yet. I am actively working on it, though, and would definitely love to hear from you on the subject....what your triggers are (both directions) and how you handle them.? What triggers your turning points? And, if you no longer have turning points...please share with us HOW you got to that place.

I weighed 198 this morning. That is a LOT of weight gone in one week. 8 pounds! I exercised six of the past seven days, and ate very very well. I have done a literal 180 in how I am treating myself this week vs how I had been treating myself for the past few months. BOY...would I love to harness that and figure out how to be consistent from this point forward.

As always, the first three or four days are the hardest, but then a rhythm sets in and I totally get "in the groove". I know part of it is that my body literally goes through detox....especially from gluten....as I eat only foods that are good for me instead of a hodge-podge of foods that are good and bad for me. But...it is MORE than that. My mindset changes. ...I get stronger emotionally. I feel empowered. I feel better about myself. I want to do good things for myself. I no longer want to sabotage myself like I have over the past few months....subtly...slowly...but surely self-sabotage.

When I see thin fit healthy people I always wonder....what motivates them? Do they love themselves SO much that they do what is right. Or are they totally insecure and do not like themselves...so work really hard to try to put on a good front for everyone else. I suppose both extremes exist. Clearly...I want to be in the former camp...not the latter! LOL

Ok..enough of this prattling and meandering thoughts!

Here are two thoughts (or..call them what they are: edicts...) for the day:

1. FIND AN EXERCISE BUDDY Do you have anyone in your life that you want to get together with but just never find the time to see them--promises of meeting for coffee or catching a movie or dinner that never quite pan out? Call them up and schedule a 30 or 60 minute walk...run...bike....hike...whatever. Move....as best as you both can move..together...while you talk and catch up. Research has shown that one of the KEY factors to living a long healthy and happy life is socialization and exercise. Multi-task this....call your buddy...and just do it! I want a report back on who you called and what you did together! I made time to do this with two friends this week and it was so much fun and felt so good....physically, mentally, emotionally.

2. FLIP THROUGH AN ATHLETA CATALOG FOR SOME INSPIRATION Have you ever looked at this catalog? Holy cow. Talk about a whole lot of fit healthy happy women doing fun things in cute clothing! Check out those bodies....these are not Victoria Secret models or emaciated super-models...these are bad-ass-but-beautiful women who are strong and active and living the good life. We ALL have the ability to be like them...healthy, fit, active, strong. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different (and...most importantly...don't tell yourself anything different!!).

You are beautiful inside and out. You deserve the best! Treat yourself accordingly.

Everything is Onederful Now

2011-06-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Back in Onederland again. I'd like to stay on this side of the equation now. Darn it!

So far so good in the life of Greta this week. Five days in a row of good exercise and four days in a row of good eating. If you are a seasoned reader of my blog you will know that I used to exercise every other day. I'm stepping it up this round... guerrilla tactics are needed. The weight is melting away this week. The first week is always the most fun...scale wise.

I did Yoga X today with a friend..which made it more entertaining and less painful (even though I did not approach it quite as seriously as I would have solo....). I also threw my kettlebells. 45 reps with the BIG BAD PURPLE one (44 pounds), 36 reps with the 35 pounder. 50 reps with the 26 pounder.

Not doing too good on the squats. Hm. Need to work those in.

So far:
11.5 miles of 16
11,854 of 15,000 pounds of kettlebells lifted/swung
40/500 squats

My week started last Monday...so I have two days to finish up my goals for the week. Will I do 460 squats over the weekend? Um....unlikely. I'll work towards it, though.

Happy Friday, folks. What sort of fun and active activities are on your agenda for the weekend?

I Like June

2011-06-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to go on the record and say that I like June MUCH more than I liked May!

201 today. Nearing Onderland again. Have been tap dancing above and below Onederland for the past few months. Lame. I'm gonna stick it this time and get far enough below to NOT have this issue any more.

3.55 miles logged today. No lifting. I am SORE SORE SORE from yesterday. Yowsers.

Bedtime for Bonzo. Been up since 4:45 am. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Goody Goody Two Shoes

2011-06-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is the end of day TWO of being "good" and "on task" (or day THREE....depends on the definition of good..there was some "festive eating" on Monday but I did get in a run).

I had to beg/borrow/steal time to get to the gym this evening and it involved bribing a 17 year old and conceding to order pizza for the masses once I got home (which I did NOT eat...thank you very much..I had chicken breast, red peppers, carrots, and spinach!)

So....things are looking and feeling good so far. I have never set weekly mileage and poundage goals for exercise before and I LIKE it so far.

Here is where I stand on day 3 of 7 for Week 1:

Mileage: 8 of 16

Poundage Lifted: 7314 of 15,000 pounds
Two 5-minute sets with the 35 pound kettlebell (102 reps total) and two 5-minute sets with the 26 pound kettlebell (144 reps). My shirt was totally soaked and sweat was dripping off my eyelashes and nose...a sign of a productive workout. :)

Squats: 40 of 500
These were done on the bosu ball with weight..and they pretty much sucked, in a good way.

Food: Right on track
Ample protein. Good mix of fruits and of veggies. I am also doing the Thorne Mediclear protein mix once a day (prescribed by my doc and this stuff..though it takes some getting used to...is amazingly chocked full of good stuff...I just ordered another thing of it from amazon with free shipping and it cost $20 less than at my doc's-wow.)

Scale: Moving Southward back toward Onederland
Going totally gluten free helps here, too. Whenever I cut out gluten completely I drop 3-4 pounds within three days. I should NOT be eating it at all ever...but...I struggle with it. Working on it!

I am coodinating an early morning breakfast for 60 tomorrow morning (work)...I've been a little bit stressed out about it today, and tomorrow will be a VERY early day. But...I'm hanging in there. Exercise REALLY helps me handle stress. Note to self: keep exercising, you silly goose!

Ok, blogosphere....how are you doing so far this week??

HAPPY FIVE-TWELVE'S NEW YEAR'S EVE...lol

2011-05-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

You know how some people celebrate half birthdays? Well...I will hereby declare this FIVE-TWELVE'S NEW YEAR'S EVE--therefore, resolutions are in order! (Come on...play along....I need some trickery to get things rolling in my brain!)

Bottom Line: My eco buttprint has NOT gotten smaller in the first five months of 2011. In fact, it has grown! I now take up MORE space than I did before and I am not very happy about it.

I'm back above 200 right now. 206 on Monday morning. No great story to tell. It is a result of eating too much, eating the wrong things, and not moving enough....and generally just not caring enough to do what I know I need to do. Not rocket science. I know better, of course. And it is not like I gave up completely...I still have been hitting the gym and eating well. Unfortunately, there are more days that I am not hitting the gym or eating well.

Here is photo evidence taken yesterday.....flappy floppy fatty bottom and legs.....ew...time for action!

It is interesting, how it all unfolds for me. A feeling of lethargy sets in...and it just takes hold and things slowly unravel. I am fully aware of it, can identify and acknowledge it, yet I still let it happen. It is almost like I am watching my life from the sidelines when it happens. It started happening in December, I guess....or somewhere thereabouts. So, here I am, with 25 or so extra pounds on my body that were not here six months ago. Bad. But, not unfixable!

Here is what I have learned: I feel MUCH better at 180 than I do at 205, and I bet I'd feel even better at, say, 165! More confident, more fit, stronger, more in control. Happier. It is time to get back to where I belong. I deserve to feel better and be healthier--inside and out! (dammit!)

Yes, I am still learning to balance my new (and still wonderful!) job with the rest of my life. Yes, I have four boys who are aged 17 down to 7 and a very busy household to manage. Yes, I also volunteer for a couple organizations and can get a bit over-involved at times. Yes, I was sick most of the month of May with sinus/cold/yuck and was not really capable of exercise. But...WHATEVER....that is life and we all have our own challenges to face each day. My life simply cannot be lived in such a way that I gain 25 pounds in 6 months. Things need to change.

So, I am going to declare June 1st my own personal Five-Twelth's "New Years Eve" and go ahead and make some resolutions for myself. Anyone want to join me?

Here is what I am going to do:

1. I will walk/run at least 16 miles a week in June.

2. I will move at least 15,000 pounds of steel each week in June using my trusty and beloved kettlebells. (For example: 100 kettlebell snatches or clean and jerks with the 26 pound kettlebell would be moving 2600 pounds)

3. I will do at least 500 squats or lunges a week in June...with weights.

4. I will eat wisely all month, the way I know I need to in order to drop weight while exercising. (You can refer to past posts about what WOE (way of eating) works for me. I thrive on a paleo diet...fruits, veggies, meats, eggs,nuts.....and very very very limited grains and NO WHEAT.) Note: Do NOT tell my Naturopath.....but I have been very sloppy with gluten lately which has been a big contributor to my lethargy and flabby-bottomness!

I am breaking it into weeks so I can choose what days I exercise and how long I exercise. I might choose to get it all done between M-F and be a slug on the weekend, for example. Or....I might end up working extra hard on the weekend because I have more free time than during the week. It will vary. It gives me a sense of control over things. I like that. I need that. (bit of a control freak in some arena's of my life....I'll admit it....)

I started things off on Monday (yesterday) with a 3.85 mile walk/run. It was NOT fun. I am on day 6 of antibiotics for a recent bad sinus infection and today was the first day I have been able to exercise in a couple weeks. My lungs and my legs were not exactly delighted with me. Plus...well...they are carrying some extra poundage around. However, I survived and felt better after I did it! It was like I revved my engine and got rid of all the junk and crud that has been clogging my cells and slowing me down. Blood circulating can do that. I need to get my blood circulating more frequently!

UPDATE: Did 3.1 miles this morning. Mostly running (ok...fine...slowish jogging) and a wee bit of walking. My lungs and sinuses are still a bit unhappy but coming around. My feet have some hot spots on the bottom. I will wear different shoes tomorrow morning or skip a day. The last thing I need is some stupid injury! LOL

So, will you joining me in my FIVE-TWELVE'S-New-Year resolutions? If so, HAPPY FIVE TWELVE'S HALF NEW YEAR! Please feel free to reply and share what your New Year resolutions are. (cue: noisemakers and confetti!)

Big Bottom Roll Call!

2011-05-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hello to my dear blogosphere friends!

It has been SUCH a long time since I have posted, and I apologize. There are reasons, and I will explain. But, for now, I just wanted to pop in and do a roll call to see how many of you are still out there and how things are going for you! I am in need of some love and motivation from the blogosphere! Tell me how you are and what is happening on your journey. I look forward to reconnecting with you.

XOXO
Greta

181.6

2010-11-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

181.6 was on the scale this morning. A fine number.

I took a day off from weights/kettlbells/cardio. Sticking to my meal plan 100%. So far so good...and this nearly concludes day 5 of doing the right things. I had my annual exam today..and they decided to give me a tetanus shot. Um....OW! No wonder babies are always so cranky after their shots. This thing aches like crazy hours later.

At the gym yesterday I did a few kettlebell sets. No one there really knows what kettlebells are or what the hell I am doing...which makes it even more fun. When I was done with one particularly grueling set with a 35 pound kettlebell...an elderly gentleman comes over and says "Just watching you makes me feel old". LOL.....um..I do not even know that that means... Was that a compliment? Anyway..it made me laugh. And..made me wonder why the hot fire-fighter guy did not come talk to me instead of the 80 year old.....sigh. LOL

Hey...I am only 6.6 pounds away from my 175 butt print picture...after...what.....nearly a YEAR since my first 180 one!?! LOL. I am so lame. (UPDATE: It was Feb 7th 2010 when I hit 180...over 9 months...man..have I been a slow poke this year!)

Ok..I will think "175" all weekend to keep me on track. Thank for staying tuned in and for thinking good thoughts for me!

What is happening with you this weekend?

14 pounds to 20% and Targeted Ketogenic Diet

2010-11-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Today is day 4 of eating right with no cheats (well...the beginning of day 4 anyway). So far so good and the scale is responding. I am about 14 pounds of fat away from being 20% bodyfat. I can do that. I started out at 49.5% fat in March 2009. I've come a long way!

For those of you following along, I am currently doing a Targeted Ketogenic Diet. It is basically very low carb (my calories come only from meat, eggs, nuts, vegetables and fat) with a 25-30 gram carb item(s) about an hour before I do a heavy (resistance/weights) workout. I am not going to cover all the details of the diet here...as I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. This diet is not for everyone....so be sure to do ample research if you want to follow along.

There are tons of resources out there for low carb diets. In past posts I have put a lot of info out there on low and very low carb eating plans. I have basically followed a moderate to low carb plan for my entire journey...playing a bit with very low carb here and there. But...now it is time for me to pull out the big guns and finish strong. :)

Two of my favorite resources on this subject are Lyle McDonald's blog Body Recomposition as well as www.lowcarbfriends.com. There is also a detailed artile about the Targeted Ketogenic Diet here: http://anabolicminds.com/forum/weight-loss/46389-targeted-ketogenic-diet.html

The trick with low carbing is that you must be strict with it and truly stay away from carbs with no cheats......else the fat that is eaten sticks around. It requires some major will power. Sometimes that works for me..sometimes it does not. Right now...I am in a militant mode and will stick with it!

Do you or have you ever followed a low carb eating plan? How did it go?

48 hours....

2010-11-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

It is difficult to believe that it has been almost a year since I have gotten my weight down into the 180s...and that I have been able to maintain that weight since January....within a 10 or so pound range. That is a big accomplishment for me because usually I lose weight, then gain it back quickly.

The remarkable thing is that maintaining has been pretty easy! As long as I exercise and keep up with kettlebells and/or free weights I have been able to eat what I want (within reason) and the scale has stayed the same. This is a totally new concept for me. In the past when I have lost weight, I have lost muscle and ruined my metabolism and made it virtually impossible to maintain the loss. This time has been different because I have actually paid attention to body composition and put ON some muscle. However....being able to eat what I want and maintain my weight has made it a bit challenging for me to get motivated to lose this final 15-20 pounds. I've gotten a little lazy in my final stretch! For crying out loud..I have been in this "final stretch" for nearly a year! LOL Time to move it!

I am not unhappy at this weight...I am tall, I am fairly fit...it has been a good weight. However, I do need to drop my body fat percentage down closer to 20% and lose the final flab....especially if I ever hope to be a trainer and/or compete with my kettlebells (and I am steadily working on both of those things). Who wants a trainer with thunder thighs and bingo wings? LOL

So, laziness, BE GONE!

I am going on 48 hours now of eating right..without one cheat. No biggie, right...I mean..I went from 253 to 185 in 10 months...clearly eating well is not a foreign concept for me! But, lately I really have been putting things in my mouth that do not belong there during the weight loss portion of the journey. It is time to focus and be strict with myself....and get this DONE...so that I can achieve my goal weight/bodyfat% and THEN maintain it.

So.....48 hours IS indeed a victory for me. Feel free to cheer. :)

Bodyfat was 26.2% this morning. And falling. (It was 27.8% at the end of September when I started hitting the kettlebells hard again) One day at a time!

Must. Keep. Crap. Out. Of. Mouth. And. Get. This. Portion. Of. The. Journey. Over!

Quotes For The Week

2010-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

"If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done." - Mike Murdock

"You will never rise above the image you have of yourself in your own mind." -Joel Osteen

"Whether you think you can or you can't, you are right." - Henry Ford

"Impossible is nothing." - Yoda

Having goals has been such an important key to my success on this journey. My goals have helped me stay focused, stay consistent, and be persistent. They have evolved and changed along with me, and have kept me going strong. Some seem impossible, but I have held fast and kept moving toward them. Progress has been a huge motivator for me!

What are your goals? And what will they evolve into once you meet them? How do you feel as you progress toward your goals?

Final 20

2010-11-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

I think I can still lose another 20 pounds. And, I have a good reason to do so. If I get below 165 then my lifting requirements for kettlebell sport ranks decrease by 5 lifts per arm! (plus, it would take me out of the "unlimited" category and I would not have to compete with the 200 pound solid muscle Eastern Europe women....LOL) I know, that is somewhat of a silly reason to lose this final 20 pounds when the reality is that I should lose it for overall health, wellness, and aesthetic purposes. But, having an extra hook to focus on has been helpful this past week and hopefully will spur me on. Bodyfat went down to 26.4% this week. That is the lowest it has been in a while (tho still not my all time low for this journey). Weight went down to 183. (Have been bouncing around between 180 and 190 for a freaking year now....time to stop the insanity!).

If you look at my pictures, it is pretty clear that 20 more pounds is not going to leave me underweight or scrawny. I definitely still have some padding that is unnecessary.

So, 20 it is. Who wants to join me on this portion of my journey and ditch 20 with me? I'd love to do it by the end of year, but more realistically I think I need to aim for Valentine's Day instead (and, hey, that fits in to the whole concept of loving myself enough to make it happen).

I am taking the 35 pound and 26 pound kettlbells to the field again today to do circuits. I think that today we will put the kettlebells across from each other on the track and run half the track, then swing/lift, half the track then swing/lift...etc...in three 10 minute intervals. Actually, I will not tell the kids but I think I am going to up the intervals to 12 minutes today. (cue evil laugh....!)

Oh! I ran a couple times this past week. I have not done that in a while. I have been running on the treadmill and doing stairs...but only in short interval sort of speeds. It has been a long time since I did a straight solid 3-4 miles on the street. I need to remember to work that into my week. I like running!

Ok. What is your hook...and are you in?

Greta Update!

2010-11-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

I have been bad bad bad at posting lately and I am sorry. I'm still here. I'm still working on things.

I have been diligently lifting kettlebells every other day since the end of September and have seen some fairly impressive gains there. I have, unofficially, met the World Kettlebell Club Rank III requirements as of a couple days ago. I am working hard on getting to the Rank II level so I can submit my video and make it official. My weight today was 184. I feel like I am just SO stuck in the 80's! Sigh. But, body fat percentage had crept up to near 28% for a bit and now it is back to 27% and falling with all these kettlebell workouts. I have been focused this week and have lost 3 pounds. I just need to get the rest of the stupid weight/fat off my body so I can focus on other things besides that. Working on it. Something sort of clicked in my brain a few days ago and since then it has been easier for me to stay on task. Wish I could explain it better than that...but it is a bit mysterious even to me.

How are YOU doing...how did YOU survive Halloween? How are YOUR workouts? I'd love to hear from you. You are such an inspiration to me and to my readers. Please share. xoxo Greta

At My Own Service?

2010-10-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Dearies!

You are likely looking at this picture and thinking..."WTF, Greta, have you lost your mind?" LOL Well. Yes. And no. Read on.

I don't think this costume is going to see the light of day in the real world. But, since this is a (mostly) anonymous blog, I figured...I'd post a pic for you and explain why I even have this costume in the first place. At first glance, it is a fun and somewhat sexy costume. I bought it on a bit of a dare from a fun and cherished friend..just for shits and giggles, really. But, I have since realized that this costume is a metaphor for some of my struggles.

Since becoming a mother nearly 17 years ago, I have been at the service of others more so than to myself. That is fine...and normal...and expected. But, the pendulum just kept swinging further and further away from me. As that happened, I stopped taking care of my body and my soul as well as I could have been. As I became less healthy physically and emotionally, it was really easy to use my poor physique and fitness, lack of self confidence, and my parenting responsibilities as an excuse to continue to not take care of myself. I had no time, was too busy, felt crappy, was overwhelmed, was barely hanging in there.....had a crappy marriage.... A bad downward spiral that, as you know...has not had an overnight fix.

When I was in the Peace Corps the people in my village had a nickname for me that meant "one who makes everyone smile". That young woman disappeared in many ways over the past couple decades. I was still happy as a Mom...and have...honestly, been (in my opinion) an excellent Mom and have insanely wonderful kids...but that was the only place I was pouring my happiness and it was at the expense of myself in many ways. Not such a stellar example for my kids.

Being a good Mom is (and will always be) very good for my soul, of course, but there are other aspects of myself that I neglected terribly. Before becoming a mother, I "served" only my employer. But, being employed only 40-50 hours a week is quite different than being at the service of children 24/7. Add in a home based business that was, while wildly fun, quite demanding. Add a husband (now ex) who was wholly consumed by his graduate education and career and was rarely around physically and never around emotionally. You get the picture. I lost myself in the service of others.

Now? Well. I still struggle with this concept a bit. However, taking control of my health and wellness, both physically and emotionally, has made a huge impact on how I fit into this world around me and my perspective on things. I'm in control now. I no longer consider myself a "victim" of my circumstances while I dutifully plod along on the trail of life. Now...I find new trails that I always knew existed but did not have the gumption to pursue. Hell, I blaze new trails! I'm still going in the same direction and meeting many of the same goals....but I am having much more fun along the way. Taking control of my health and fitness has been mind-blowing on so many levels. It has raised the bar of my life and given me choices that I never thought I would have...and given me the confidence to pursue them if I want. I'm no longer letting life pass me by as I quietly trudge on a little rutted pathway. My oldest son likes to do "parkour", which is basically getting from point A to point B in the quickest, most efficient (and often quite creative) manner possible. No, I am not doing the parkour moves and running up walls (ha! That would be a sight!)....but am definitely using that same concept mentally and having much more fun as I travel through life.

I still serve others, but I enjoy it more now because first and foremost I am serving myself. It is all good. Now, as I serve others, I can picture myself wearing this sexy fun costume and enjoying the whole experience instead of resenting it or just becoming plain tired out by it.

Life is SHORT! I have a couple grey hairs that I keep meaning to pluck...but...I have left them there as a reminder each morning to live life to its fullest each day as I go about my business serving my family and my new employer...as well as my serving God, my community, my organizations, etc. Life is a wondrous thing....even with (or maybe "especially" with) all the challenges and bullshit that are laced through every day.

Thank you for reading, and for being such an important part of my journey over the past couple years. Writing this blog, and reading your blogs, has given me tremendous insight into what was broken in my life that allowed such an intelligent woman get to such a bad place. I've fixed (and am fixing) many of the underlying problems....with your help...and I will be eternally grateful. You guys rock!

Today I have already made two meals for 6 people, have grocery shopped, have done three loads of laundry, have cleaned the house, have helped a "Count Dooku" and a "Ninja" try on their Halloween costumes, baked cookies, have a couple bonus teenagers in the house for a study session, will make a great and healthy dinner, will likely be conned into going to the video store to rent Ironman 2, will work on my volunteer committments, make four lunches for school tomorrow and read through a 501c6 application before work tomorrow. But, I love it. It is great fun and I am blessed to be living the life that I live.

I'm going for a run right now...all by myself in the nice warmish sun. At their service, and my own, in a joyful wonderful way. Are things perfect? No. Do I still mess up? Absolutely. Do I still struggle with things? Indeed I do. But I have changed my perspective over the past couple years and it has helped.

So, here is to getting out there and living life! To its fullest! Have some fun and think outside the box, even as you are at the service of others. We all have it within us to be proactive, instead of just reactive. What trail will you blaze today in order to get out of your rut?

Pushing the Kettlebells

2010-10-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks. This is quick...I have a work gig this morning.

I have been pushing the kettlebells every over day (sometimes on the off days, too) for a couple weeks and the progress is compelling. Sticking with something and being consistent really is key. (duh....I know..but sometimes it takes a reminder). I'm still nowhere near being able to jerk the 12 kg (26 pound) kettlebell 60 times in a row..but I get closer and closer each day. I can do 60 jerks on each arm...just not yet in a row and not yet within the 10 minutes. I ordered a bright pink GymBoss timer that should arrive soon. That will help me with my reps per minute.

I'm also lifting heavier kettlebells to build strength and endurance. I jerked the 16 kg kettlebell 50 times with each arm yesterday (with some arm changes..did 20-15-15 on each arm). This is AMAZING for me. When I first got it a few months back I could only jerk it 3-5 times per arm. Period. And would have never dreamed of snatching it. I also snatched it 25 times each arm yesterday..right after the jerks. !!!!!

I just ordered a 20 kg kettlebell.

This is a far cry from where I started with kettlebells less than a year ago. I look forward to reaching my Rank II. I have no idea how long it will take...I'll know as I go and will keep you posted. :)

Happy Saturday, everyone. And...remember...consistency and persistence is key! Keep on keeping on!

Barefoot Running

2010-10-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hi gang! Instead of telling you the "whys" of barefoot running, I will post some links below. For the past couple months I have tinkered with some barefoot running (not totally barefoot at this point, I am using my Vibram Five Fingers shoes which I also use for my kettlbell lifting). At first I just did a quarter mile a couple times, then a half mile a few times. Today before my kettlebell workout I did a mile barefoot. Aside from an ugly blood blister on the bottom of my left toe, it went well. It feels good..more natural...sort of "Paleo". :) I doubt I will be doing any five mile stints barefoot...but a mile or two here and there will likely be on my work-out line up. It seems to define my calves a bit more, as well as to raise my arches a bit (after carrying four kids and WAY too much weight around for the past 16 years, this is a good thing!).

Here are some links as to the "whys" of barefoot running:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127134241.htm

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319--6728-0,00.html

Who else has run barefoot (or with barefoot shoes) and how is it going and what positive and negatives have you experienced?

Kettlebells

2010-10-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

As you know..I am a fan of kettlebells and in May became a certified instructor. I took a bit of a kettlebell break over the summer and was not very consistent, especially with my new job and trying to figure out how to best manage my time and such.

This past week, though, I am back on the kettlebell wagon and having a blast. They truly are effective and fun...! I decided to set a goal for myself of being able to pass the Level II rank qualification for the one arm jerk and snatch through the American Kettlebell Club. Ranks start with Level IV and go up from there. For my weight, I would need to be able to use a 12 kg (26 pounds or so) kettlebell and do 60 jerks on each arm in a 10 minute time period (with only one hand switch) and 60 snatches on each arm in a 10 minute time period with only one hand change.

I'm nowhere near being able to do that yet, but steadily working toward it. The progress is swift, too...which is satisfying. Today was my 4th session. So far I can do the 60 on each arm, but just not right in a row. I need to switch arms every 15 or 20 for now and it takes about 13 minutes to get to 60. But, I will keep working on it!

Today I used a 16 kg kettlebell and did lower reps, in order to build up some more strength. It is roughly 35 pounds. I was able to do three sets of 10 jerks each on each arm today. (!!!) A while back, when I first got the 35 pound kettlebell..I could only do 3-4 jerks on each arm. So...that is progress for sure! I was also afraid to even try a snatch with the 35 pounder before...and I am up to 13 snatches on each arm now at that weight.

Anyhoo....I was at a point where I needed a specific goal to train toward, so this one made sense. Once I can reach Rank II, I am going to become a (very part-time) kettlebell trainer at a new local fitness club near my house and start to do some one-on-one sessions. I have already been asked to do so and they even bought some kettlebells for the gym, but want to have a bit more strength and confidence before I take that on. I ordered a 45 pound kettlebell today....if I start pushing that around then the 26 pounder will feel like a feather. :)

Oh! I had on a sleeveless blouse at work today and someone said "nice guns!"....LOL..that was fun. :)

So, what fitness goals are you working toward and how is it going?

Goodwill

2010-09-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well...since I have have been quite safely below 200 pounds for over a year now, I decided I needed to clear out the closet and donate all the 1x, 2x, 18, 20, 22, and 24 clothing that was still hanging around. It seemed silly to have a closet with clothing ranging from size 12 up to size 24! A lot of it was nice. It felt a little weird getting rid of it all and for a brief moment I panicked...and wondered what I would do if I needed any of those clothes again..but that moment passed and the donation receipt sits here on my desk. Hopefully those clothes will go to others who need it...who are either on their way up or, even better, their way down the scale.

Have you donated clothing that is either too big or too small, or do you tend to hold onto it?

183.6

2010-09-24T10:06:00.001-07:00

183.6 this morning. Just saying. Funny, isn't it, how eating well and exercising makes the scale move in the right direction? Why do I always marvel at that concept....what sort of denial am I in? LOL

Keeping On

2010-09-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

Wow is life busy! I am still here, still keeping on. 185.6 today. I just finished up a 10 day 13-hour-a-day event that I somehow managed to swing while still working my other job (with helpers...good helpers!). Exercise was not so good during that week....oh...and the day before my 10 day event began, I ran a golf tournament that had some major planning and work that went into it. So...see....crazy stuff.

My eating and exercise have not been perfect over the past couple weeks, but at least I have figured out a way to maintain my loss so far. This might be the longest time since 1994 (pregnancy #1) that I have stayed below 200 for over a year. (Looking back, I broke through 200 this time around at the end of September 2009). So, for that I am grateful and happy. The absolute #1 reason for maintaining it this time is the muscle I have built. It has been revolutionary for my metabolism. If only I had known all of this 30 years ago...sigh. But..hey, onwards and upwards (well...er...wait...downwards).

I still want to be 170 or so....175 maybe. Working on it. I had a good exercise session tonight and have eaten really well the last few days. Please keep cheering me on!

My confidence this past year, and especially this past few months, is at an all time high. It is interesting how dramatically my confidence affects my ability to maneuver through life and the quality of life that I lead. I am much happier now, and feel SO much better mentally and physically than ever before. Exercise and weights are the fountain of youth.

Alright, bloggies. Keep fighting the good fight! Take it one day at a time and enjoy the process. Life is short, let's all make the most of it. xoxo

185.2

2010-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday all! The scale is headed back in the right direction for me. Phew! I won week-1 of the fat loss challenge I am doing with an office friend and I am back on track with kettlebells, weights, running, etc. Feels good! I have a super-duper-crazy two weeks ahead. I hope I can keep it up!

What is the most difficult challenge you will face this long-weekend, and how will you overcome it?

Long Time No Butt Print

2010-08-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a very long time since I posted a buttprint photo. I was waiting until I got to 175 pounds, of course. Which has not happened yet. But(t) it will.

In order for me to feel a bit more accountable to my current quest to finish the weight and fat loss portion of my journey, I am posting today's buttprint. All 188 pounds of it. I know that is going to mess up the order of the pictures over on the sidebar...but, hey, it is what it is.

My last buttprint picture was in February. I have more muscle mass now than I did then...though it is mostly in my upper body so I am not sure it is reflected in this picure. Guess I need to work more on my glutes and hams! I should have taken a pic right after my ketlebell certification in May. Oh well!

My 8 week goal is to work hard toward losing about 18 more pounds of fat and putting on a couple more pounds of muscle. I think...once I do that....I will be at my "happy place" weight-wise and be able to focus strictly on fitness goals.

So, here I am....again.....8 pounds more than my last picture but less overall bodyfat than I had then. You can decide if there is any difference between this and my 180 pic....I definitely see a difference between this and my 190 pic (see side bar pictures on right) even though I am only 2 pounds off of that weight my composition is much different.

Stay tuned for big changes to the buttprint over the next 8 weeks. :) And, if you have ideas on how to ditch the stupid cellulite on the back of my legs....please share! Yowsa!

UPDATE: I am also linking to this post I did back in January as a reminder to myself to maintain perspective on things: Exposed

As I was looking at photos taken for that "exposed" photo, I decided to do a comparison to now. I was 200 pounds in the first picture, and 188 in both of the other pictures. The middle picture was taken in January. The third one, today. Even though I weigh the same as Januray, I can see differences. Not as big of differences as I would like to see in an 8 month timeframe...but differences nonetheless. I'll take it, and build on it.

Time to get back on task and continue to reduce my eco buttprint!

Game On!

2010-08-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Details and wagers are all figured out with the fat-loss challenge I am entering into with an office mate. I'm ready to take this on 100% and prevail! It is an 8 week challenge. The person with the lowest percentage of body fat loss each week must put $20 into the "pot". Ouch! $20 is a lot! Good motivation, huh? At the end of the challenge, the person with the highest overall loss of bodyfat (based on a percentage so it is scaled fairly) gets to decide how and where the $160 gets spent. That is a lot of money and it is my goal to put as little into that pot as possible! :)

Have any of you done weight loss wagers or contests with friends or co-workers? How has it gone? Did it motivate you? What was the outcome? I am all ears....comment away.

Miss Me?

2010-08-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello Hello! I have missed you guys so much! Hugs all around!

Summer has been so busy for me. Typically, I do not work much in the summer and things are pretty mellow, then they get crazy in September. But not this year. I took a contract position in June and have been going full steam ahead all summer long in a brand new job that might turn into something permanent. It is a GREAT job, too....but definitely all-consuming. My learning curve is getting better and better but all of my spare time has gone to the new job and my kiddos and some summer travel and hanging with some new and old friends. I have missed being part of the blogosphere.

But, I am BACK this time and will absolutely make time to come in at least a couple times a week and catch up with you all. (!!!)

I have basically been maintaining my weight this summer. I have NOT been exercising nearly as much as I should be, but this past week I have gotten back on track and even had a couple bad-ass sessions at the gym back on my bosu ball, etc. (Remember those shit-hell exercises back from January? I did 24 of the dynamic hands plank a couple days go and my core is still sore!) I needed to adjust to my new schedule and figure out how to fit all in. I have been walking with a friend a couple times a week....5 miles each time. That has been a fun way to stay in touch with her while exercising and it goes by so fast because we chit chat nonstop like a couple of magpies. I have also been running from time to time (not enough) and doing free weights. I have gotten away from my kettlebells but plan to work them back into the lineup this week.

I'm 188 this morning. The trouble, tho, is that I am 27.8% fat. That is definitely up and is definitely a result of pulling back on the exercise this summer. So, my work is cut out for me. I have a fat-loss wager going with an office-mate that starts today. (not sure what the stakes are...we are deciding that today..but the bet will be based on loss of body fat and we will use the omron body fat monitor). So..this is a perfect time for me to hop back on here and get re-connected with all my dear blog friends.

UPDATE: I just looked at my tracking spreadsheet for my weight and body fat (which i have not visited since July 3....oops) and guess what....!? 27.8% fat is not too far off from where I was back in July. On July 3 I was 187 and 27.5% fat! (But(t) back in March I had gotten down to 25.5% fat.....I like that number better!) So..time to get back on the downward trajectory.

If you are part of the contest up on the right hand side....please update me on your progress! I guess I will need to face the music and also go update my stats. If you want to JOIN the contest....please do so and I will try my hardest to be sure I keep it up to date.

Best part of new job: new clothes....grown up ones, too...suits and heels and such. Heels are fun when you are already 5'11....LOL....don't worry, I stay away from the 4 inch stilettos (for now). :) I have spent the last 16 years of my life avoiding such clothing but am really enjoying it now! Woo hoo!

I'll be back soon! Promise! Tell me how things are going for you! XOXOXO

Bear with Me

2010-07-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am away from home right now visiting family and enjoying time with my kiddos. Internet connections are few and far between. I hope this finds you all well and in control of your summer health and wellness. I will catch up with you all when I get home, and will update everyone's stats on the Race To 10. Keep the results coming! Time to hit the beach, now. :)

Race To 10 Update and Progress

2010-07-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer Saturday everyone. I hope you have a relaxing and fun weekend ahead of you.

Time to update your Race to 10 results if you have not doneso in the past few days! Miss Haneefa...if you are still out there reading...I just saw your entry today (sorry for missing it) and have added you to the lineup. If anyone else wants to join, please do so! Remember that the Race To 10 is a FAT loss contest, not weight loss. We want to lose fat.....not lean....! For more details on how it works and how to participate visit this post: Race To 10 Details

I am not quite up for the nomination for "comeback kid" yet, but my efforts over the past few days are paying off. The scale is headed back in the directon that it needs to be going and I am feeling a lot better than I was a few days ago. My Race to 10 results are still on the plus side...but just barely. It is good motivation to keep things in control over the weekend!

The first big change I made was returning to 100% gluten-free eating. After much experimentation over the past 16 months I am certain that gluten causes issues for me....but I still go through phases of denial. Even just a little bit here and there causes me issues. The first issue is that I get a bit achy...my knees, shoulders, ankles (because gluten causes inflammation for me). The biggest side effect of the achiness is that I am not as eager to exercise when I feel that way...it makes me cranky and lethargic. I also start to crave stuff that I should not be eating..in quanties that are not acceptable. Oh..and...I retain water when I eat gluten. Within three days of going off gluten....all three of these issues resolve. Then, if I eat it again....they instantly return. I KNOW this..because it has happened again and again. I really MUST just never eat it..instead of stumbling around in denial like a crack-addict or something. LOL

The second change I made was to be more consistent about my exercise. After my kettlebell certification class I have become less consistent with my workouts. And...that is fine....maybe my body needed a rest. But, I am back on track now and making sure I get in at least 4 decent workouts a week.

Third change is just being careful about what goes into my mouth. Over the past month I got a bit sloppy about what I was eating and how much I was eating. I started to get back into the mental and physical rut that led me to a weight of 253 pounds. While I had lots of starts and stops trying to get myself out of the rut this past few weeks....I have been eating clean for the past 5 days now and feel worlds better....both mentally and physically. Phew.

So...Greta is back on track and on her way. It would be really nice to eventually get to my maintenance portion of this journey....like......soon......! It is time. There is no (valid) excuse for me to not get my body to where it needs to be and then keep it there. I have the skills. I just need to stick with it and focus.

Rolling Rolling Rolling...

2010-06-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

I am still on a roll but not eating any rolls. Life is busy and good. Food is good. Exercise is happening. Managed to fit in a 3.2 mile run tonight that felt pretty good after the first mile or so. I hope everyone has fun things planned for the weekend! What are your plans to stay on track with your eating and exercise for the next few days?

Junk in the Trunk

2010-06-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ah ha! I updated the Race To 10 results and...as you can see....I am dead last in the pack and headed in the wrong direction in this contest. That explains the feeling of extra junk in the trunk when I went for a little run yesterday. Well.....being the comeback kid is always a good story. I'm off to work...with my healthy lunch. I had a decent eating AND exercise day yesterday...first one in a while. I will consider myself to offically be on a roll (as opposed to eating a roll). Stay tuned. And keep me posted on your progress. Have a great day, everyone!

19 Days AWOL! Oops!

2010-06-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hello my dearies! Oh my goodness...it has been 19 days since I last posted. Yikes! Summer has swallowed me whole and is just now spitting me out. (ha! There is a visual for you!) I am so very sorry for dropping off the earth for so long. Everything is fine! I am basically just settling into a new schedule with the kids out of school. I am also doing some contract work for a local nonprofit which I am really enjoying...but it has taken lots of time. Oh, and I took on a volunteer board position for the high school band. So...with four kids home, a business to still keep afloat, contract work, and volunteer work...and track practices and meets still happening with the kiddos....I've been pretty busy from sun up to sun down.

I am going to catch up on everyone's posts....and update the fat-loss contest and see how everyone is doing. I am right about where I was 3 weeks ago fat and weight-wise (or maybe a wee bit worse....)...darn it....but I got myself back on the exercise ball today and also am going to begin doing a free kettlebell clinic three mornings a week at the park for the summer....just an informal gathering so I can practice my instruction and also have motivation to get my behind out there with some other folks and have some fun! It will be interesting to see how it might grow and what direction it might take. I'm happy to do it for free now...and use the folks who come as my guinea pigs. :)

I have not read a blog or been on this blog for almost three weeks. I have to try to get caught up with it all. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer. I LOVE all the fresh fruit and veggies. Yum yum yum. Going to go make a huge salad with 8 different fresh picked lettuces from my Mom's garden. I hope you all did not forget about me in my absense. I will try to be better now that I am more used to my new schedule.

UPDATE: HOLY MOLY YOU GUYS! I just updated the Race to 10 results and there are some big losers indeed! Wadia...please share with us what you are doing! Great job everyone! I guess I need to jump on the scale in the morning and report my results too, huh? I might be in the same boat as Glenn, tho. Come on Glenn...we can do it! Everyone...feel free to post Race to 10 updates in the comments!

Race To 10 Again

2010-06-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Ok, I think we have our starter group and I think everyone knows what to do. I even have an excel spreadsheet to track everyone. (oh, how accountanty of me) So, now it is time for you to post updates on your progress. Everyone seems to have a different weigh-in day..so, just try to update me once or twice a week and I will update your stats over on the side of the blog.

If you are reading this and wondering wth I am talking about, read the last two posts and feel free to join in the fat-be-gone fun! :)

Here is my news: my twisted back has been causing me some grief this week..but that might be partly due to yard work up the wazoo. So, I have been moving quite a bit but then feeling some pain. You know...when I first started with this back-stuff in August 2009....I knew I had some issues (reverse cervical curve, some lower back curve that brought one hip higher than the other...etc)...but it almost seems like the more I work on it, the worse it gets. I never had any acute pain before...just a lot of tension and tightness and some posture issues. Now....more often than not it seems, I am having more acute-style neck and back pain. How can that be possible? It is frustrating. Now...both the chiro and the PT are even throwing the "scoliosis" word around...and I do not remember hearing that word last August. Cripes. Anyway...one day at a time here. And, I will keep doing my lower back exercises and following all the rules...and hope that one day I am more straight than not. (sigh) I might need to go see an Osteopath (?)...anyone have experience there? Feel free to share wisdom. I am all ears.

I have still struggled some with food this week. Not sure WHAT the heck my problem is, but I am hoping that I begin to see everyone's results with this challenge that I will shape the heck up!!
Oh, and I passed my exam on Monday. Hooray! Now....just one more 4 hour exam to endure (and a couple other small hoops to jump through) before I can put some initials after my name.

Alright, that is it from me. Back to the store for more dripline tubing and bark (or, as it says on the bag "beauty nuggets"......!). Send me your results so I can post them!

Race To 10

2010-06-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

So, we have quite a few participants so far for the Race To 10. I am delighted! Just think of how much fat we can all lose together! Who will be the first one to ditch 10 pounds? Here is a picture of what just 5 pounds of fat looks like....this is good motivation to be the first to lose 10, huh? Five Pounds of Fat

Race to 10:
First person to lose 10 pounds of pure FAT wins! You can read the last part of my 6/4 post (and the comments) for more info..but here is a summary: To get in the game, post your starting weight and current bodyfat% in the comments. You need to use the same method to calculate bodyfat for the duration of the contest. You can use a bodyfat scale, a hand held device like the omron monitor, or an online calculator like this one: http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy Post your results in the comments once or twice a week and I will keep the totals on the sidebar updated. Remember to track FAT lost...not just weight lost. You can actually win this contest without losing one pound of total weight! Losing fat is what we need to lose...not lean mass (muscle)! The best way to make sure that only fat is leaving your body is to eat enough protein each day and to get some exercise. The more intense exercise you do, the more protein you need.

Bye bye fat!!!

In case you are wondering what a healthy amount of bodyfat might be for you, this is a decent guideline: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm I was 49.5% fat a little over a year ago. I am 27% fat right now. My goal is 20%...which is sort of low for a 42 year old woman...but I really really really want to get myself to the top end of the "athlete" category...just...beacuse. Plus, as I start to teach kettlebells I need to look and feel my best to set a good example. I might find that I like 23% (or something else) better...but I want to at least have the info I need to make that decision. 10 pounds of fat will put me at about 23%...so..my quest has begun.

This contest has me motivated! I had another good day yesterday..good eating and decent exercise. My toe is finally ok enough for some running to happen, but it was pouring rain outside. So...I did 5 miles total on the treadmill yesterday....running varied with some walking and intervals and some steep uphill walking. Felt good--burned loads of calories. Legs and butt took notice. (like...ow!) Today is a rest day (well.....I did schlep around a trackmeet with 3 kids for 6 hours.....so...it is not like I sat around eating twinkies...but, still....no serious exercise for me today). I will be back at it tomorrow.....maybe a kettlebell day for me with my 26 pound green monster. :)

Tell me: what are you doing to get off to a strong start? And...please comment if you want to join and give us your starting stats!!! (again..read yesterday's post and comments for more info and to see everyone's starting stats...I also have put all the participants in the upper right corner of this blog and will put results up there as they start coming in). Cheers!

Face The Music Friday and Race to 10!

2010-06-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have never done a Face The Music Friday post before. How exciting (or....really...not so exciting, considering my circumstances...lol).

Keep reading to the end....because I am going to launch a "RACE TO 10" challenge that you will want to participate in!

When I started my journey in March 2009, I weighed 253 and had 127 pounds of lean mass (my bodyfat was over 49%) with virtually no upper body strength whatsoever. At the end of March 2010 I was 179.6 pounds....and 25.5% bodyfat. That put me at 134 pounds of lean mass--and a total fat loss of 80 pounds. It is atypical (especially for a woman) to lose so much weight and not lose lean mass...but...as you know...I have been working on that diligently. I have learned from my many mistakes of the past that losing lean mass is why I was never able to maintain my losses before. I want this to be my LAST weight loss journey ever....so, I have paid attention to lean mass this time around. (finally) And, as a result..I am SO much stronger than I have ever been in my life. It definitely feels good!

I have been a bit stuck weight-wise for several months...and have been frustrated with not being able to get the rest of this fat to vacate. Ideally, I would like to be about 20% body fat (regardless of weight).

The end of April 2010 I was 183 and 25.9% bodyfat....with 136 pounds of lean mass. (ooh....getting ready for the kettlebell class put some more muscle on this body....) This was good and bad..because fat% went up a bit. (sigh) On May 18th, right after I finished my kettlebell certification class, I weighed a smidge below 187 and was 25.6% bodyfat. That put me at a whopping 139 pounds of lean mass...which I LOVE...but, I am clearly still having trouble getting the bodyfat to budge.

Today, Friday June 4....after a couple weeks of sloppy eating and only a handful of decent exercise sessions, I tipped the scales at 189.6 and my bodyfat has gone up to 27%. (LOUD sigh.......sniff sniff......wth.....this is the WRONG direction to be going...but....alas...natural consequences and all that...). My lean mass is 138.4, though....so at least I have not lost too much ground there. In fact.....hell........that is 11.4 pounds of (much needed) muscle on my body that did not exist in March 2009. I am pretty excited about that...and it has definitely redefined my metabolism and the shape of my body. BUT (butt!), it is time for this fat to decrease.

Here is why I need to get to 20% fat asap: 1) Carrying around 20 or so less pounds will take some of the strain off my crooked back. 2) Weighing 20 pounds less will help me to do body weight exercises more effectively. 3) I will LOOK better with 20 pounds gone....and I will actually be able to SEE the evidence of having such a high lean body mass instead of all my hard work still being covered in a bit too much padding. 4) I will have the satisfaction of being DONE with the weight loss portion of my journey and finally be able to focus on maintenance.

Truth be told.....the way I have eaten in the last two weeks would have, historically....put MUCH more weight on my body than it did this time around because I really HAVE increased my metabolism (more lean mass equals a higher metabolism because muscle is much more metabolically active than fat). That does not mean I want to stay in this "sloppy eating" phase anymore....but at least it feels like a bit of a life-saver for me. As Patsy pointed out in yesterday's post...it is not like my weight has gone up TOO TOO much...but, still....being up 10 pounds from where I was the end of March is disconcerting and must be addressed...even if some of that weight is muscle..I still have my work cut out to get from 27% to 20%.

I did great yesterday. I ate pretty well all day long, studied for my Monday exam, cleaned house, pulled weeds, hauled huge planters and lots of dirt and rocks, did a 30 minute intense kettlebell workout (it was the first sunny day in ages so I did it outside on the deck....much to the amusment of passers-by.....lol...whatever), then later I ran 1.25 miles then did stairs at the stadium while the kids had track practice. (55 stairs 10 times up and 10 times down). That was my first running attempt since screwing up my toe..and it was fine, thank goodness. It was so black and purple and swollen and smashed a week ago..but it has healed up pretty fast. (arnica...good stuff). I feel capable of moving ahead in a positive manner now.

After catching up on many blogs last night, it seems that I am not the only person struggling to get back on track (and/or STAY on track) right now. So, I have decided to launch a RACE TO 10 challenge for my readers (and for me!). No cash prize......sorry.....but.....I will put the participants progress on the sidebar (with links to your blog, if you have one)....and, the winner will have the satisfaction of being recognized here..and knowing they did a great job...and...having 10 less pounds of fat on their body.

So, here are the rules. Post your current weight, bodyfat percentage, and pounds of fat in the comments (to calculate pounds of fat: multiply current weight by bodyfat %). Also post the method you are using to estimate bodyfat. You can use whatever method you want to calculate bodyfat (scale, hand held monitor, measurement estimate like the link I have over on the upper right side of my blog....etc)...but you need to use the SAME method of estimating bodyfat for the duration of this contest. ~~Update me in the comments section whenever you ditch a pound of fat.~~ Post a comment to this or a later post once or twice a week to let me know how much fat is leaving your body. Tuesday and Fridays might be good days..but if you weigh on a different day..that is ok, too. (Remember....I am only counting fat for this.....not total weight.....so you need to track fat % in order to participate...it is easy, tho...and if you are confused about how to do it...just ask for help!).

NOTE: If you are at or near your ideal weight......remember that someone can lose 10 pounds of fat without losing any weight overall....if they build lean muscle as they lose fat. So even if you do not have any weight to lose overall....you might still be able to benefit from changing your composition! For example, if you weigh 150 now and have 30% bodyfat....you could lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle and then you would be 23% fat..but still weigh 150..and be much healthier as a result.

First person to lose 10 pounds of fat.....wins! I hope several of you will participate.....it will be fun to cheer each other on and to read about progress....and a little bit of healthy competition will be good for all of us! Are you in?? Let's do it!

Plan of Action!?!

2010-06-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

It is June and I have been a bad blogger. Apologies for being so quiet. And, thanks to all of you for being out there and keeping me accountable...even when I go AWOL.

My scale has a pretty high number on it this morning. Of course, I have excuses (oh, SO many...I broke my stupid toe....I had two kid-birthdays the end of May...my husband broke his leg/ankle in three places while he was out of town at a conference...I have been studying for a stressful exam that I will take this next Monday....the kids have 40 bazillion end of year things.....blah blah blah.....lol)..... However, the reality is such that the excuses do not really matter--well, they matter, of course...but they should not totally derail my hard work. I fully admit that I have become sloppy in my eating and with my exercise.

The big question is....what is my plan of action from this point forward?

In the past, I am typically losing weight or gaining weight...but never maintaining a healthy weight. I vowed to change that this time. I have done a darn good job at maintaining my weight for the past several months...even though it has been 15 or so pounds above where I evenutally wanted to be. But....now....as the scale has creeped back up to the 190 territory I have felt myself slipping back into some of the old patterns of what has happened in the past as the weight begins to comes back. It is a very interesting mental process of anger, disgust...then resignation.

THIS IS NOT A PATTERN I WANT TO BE IN...mentally or physically! I'm going to go ahead and NOT give into the resignation this time around. Deal?

So, I will make adjustments and get things back under control. It is not rocket science, really. Eating better, exercising more. The rocket science part is getting to the mental place where I make sure these things happen! So, I am going to go put on my rocket science labcoat and get to work. (actually....I am going to go exercise right now before I begin studying....then...maybe again later when I am done studying!)

What is your typical "plan of action" for getting things back under control?

UPDATE: I just completed a 30 minute kettlebell circuit of my own making..outside on the deck in the nice warmish sun....and burned 547 calories in 30 minutes. I love kettlebells! I also managed to pull two hefty bags full of weeds today, and got the house cleanish. I even took a practice exam in prep for the big one on Monday. Eating so far: on plan. I CAN DO THIS...I just have to KEEP doing it.....no more fits and spurts...just nice continuous progress for this big bottom blogger. :)

Need Inspiration?

2010-05-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

First, yes..the blog is somehow green. My other template went wacky earlier today so I had to switch to a blogspot generic one. Sorry for the green-overload. Hopefully my other one will be fixed soon and I can switch back to the pretty flower template.

Second...I LOVE getting blog awards...I really truly do. However.....I just am not good about posting the awards and following all the rules. I hope that those of you who have given me an award are not mad or sad at my hugely lacking ability to post the award and follow the award rules. Please know that I am delighted to be mentioned and honored...and I think you guys are just the best! I am just a half-wit when it comes to following through with them. Sorry. :( It really is nothing personal toward those who give the award....it is just an inability on my part.

Now...for the INSPIRATION! A friend passed along a link to this post by Tamara over at PaleoChix. Today is my first visit to the blog..and I will surely return. I think this is such an interesting and thoughtful post..and relevant to so many of us. I also thought it was incredibly inspirational! My goodness...look what she has done for herself. I am in awe! I wonder if I look like anything like that....hidden somewhere underneath this final 20 or so pounds. Good incentive to figure it out, huh?
So, tell me what you think. Does Tamara's achievement and/or insights inspire you to any particular actions? Comment away, my friends.

Back on Track(ish)

2010-05-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hello lovely bloggies! I know I have been pretty quiet lately, and I do apologize. There has not been too much to report, really, and life this time of year is nutty balancing work, exercise, and four kids in three schools with their numerous end-of-year school, music, and sport activities. I am never quite sure if I am coming or going.

I have only done a couple days of significant exercise this past week. I took a little exercise-break after my kettlebell training....somewhat unintentional at first. Oops. Eating has not been bad....but has certainly not been at weight-loss levels. Time to address that, as I still have some work in that area! Also, time to get myself back on track with exercise.

I still have some fairly significant back and neck issues. I had new x-rays and expected to see huge improvements over the xrays last August...and was disppointed to see that, tho some progress has been made....I still have a long ways to go. :( Reverse cervical curve does not just magically go away..even with a special pillow, neck exercises, chiro and ROLFING. I also have a weird curve in my lumbar spine that is getting a bit more pronounced now that my hips are back in alignment. Fix one thing.....and another gets tweaked. I was pretty bummed about the results..and got them just a couple days before I went to my training...and prayed all weekend that I did not throw anything out of whack. (which...I did not..thankfully...at least nothing major....I did need some chiro adjustment after training and driving so far) I'm pretty crooked. But, I am not going to let it stop me from being active and fit...darn it. I just have to continually be mindful of my body and make sure to slow things down when needed. So..this, too...was part of my little exercise vacation this past week. I needed to re-evaluate things and give myself a bit of a break.

I got up earlier than normal today and went for a 3 or so mile run. It was COLD...icy windsheild cold. Brr. It is MAY for crying out loud. Warm the heck up already! I came back and got all the kids fed and lunches made and everyone delivered to their schools...then did a 30 minute kettlebell workout, hopped in the shower, and dashed to work. While I was making kid breakfast and lunches...I also grabbed a bunch of stuff and made myself a big huge bowl of chicken and veggie salad and a fruit salad. Enough for a few meals. I wanted to make something easy to grab...that is ready, healthy, and requires no fuss.

My chicken salad was so easy. I chopped up about 8 stalks of celery, half a red pepper, a couple handful of chopped mini orange and yellow peppers, about 4 cups of chopped raw spinach, a chopped granny smith apple, and leftover grilled chicken breast from last night. I tossed it with some balsamic vinegrette dressing and stuck it in the fridge in a big container. I filled a small container to take with me for lunch today. I have enough left for a few more lunches or dinners...which is perfect. Olives or little baby mozerellas would be good in there, too...but I stuck with just the meat and veggies for this round.....to keep the calories and sodium a bit more under control.

My fruit salad was also easy. Pineapple, mango, kiwi and cherries....tossed together. I took some for a mid morning snack at work since I did not have any fruit at breakfast..and I mixed in about 1/3 cup of greek yogurt. Yum.

Your turn to share....what are your favorite healthy make-ahead meals that you can eat on the run and take to work...and/or eat on the night that your kids/spouse/housemates are eating food that is not on your plan?

The Proof is in the....errrr...Pudding...?

2010-05-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article from Scientific American:

Carbs against Cardio: More Evidence that Refined Carbohydrates, not Fats, Threaten the Heart

Thoughts? It is surely good news for my paleo friends.

Greta The Kettlebell Instructor?

2010-05-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hello blogland. Sorry for being so quiet. I was in Canada all weekend going through 16 hours of very intense training in order to try to become a certified kettlebell instructor. After taking three exams on Sunday (written, technical, and endurance)....I passed and have my certificate! Hooray! It was very humbling....and I still have lots of work to do before I will be confident teaching a group class....but I am excited to begin working one-on-one with some folks and also continue training myself so I can practice what I learned.

The training was very difficult and was an excellent comprehensive course with a group of great people. Most of the trainees were already trainers or coaches of some sort....which put me in the minority right off the bat...being in a room of 20+ fitness professionals. But, it was fine. It was great, actually. We worked our butts off and learned a ton. I have never done anything so physically challenging before, especially the very last endurance exam....taking place at the very end of 16 hours of training (so...we were already a wee bit tired!) He would not tell us what we were doing and for how long.....just that we were not allowed to set down or drop our kettlebell or it was an "instant fail"....and then he just told us what to do...switching up every 30 or 60 seconds. It is difficult to perform a very challenging physical task when you have no mid point or end point to wrap your brain around.....you just keep going until you are told to stop. Yikes. It ended up being about 30 minutes......broken into 5 sets of 5 minute highly intense swing, lift and body weight intervals (even some Tabata moves, Steve..thought you would like that!) with a 60 second rest between each set....but at the end no one had any idea of how long we had been going. We were shocked to learn that he had just put us through five sets. (When I was getting ready for this course, the trainer showed me an intense 5 minute set on youtube and said that if I could do that twice....back to back..that I was in good enough shape for this training.....it had never occured to me to try to do it five times in a row..that would only be for crazy people! ha ha)

I have never seen so much sweat in a room...or heard so many sounds of agony and exertion during this final endurance exam. Regardless of the size kettlebell the men had been using all weekend, they were required to use the 35 pound kettlebell (or bigger) for this test. The women had a choice. Because many of the men had been using the 26 pound kettlebells during the weekend I never managed to keep one for very long during most of the training and only used the 26 and 35 pound kettlebells here and there.....I usually found myself with the 18 pound pink one (which was sort of ticking me off....). So....when all the 26 pound ones were suddenly available for the final endurance exam....I snagged one of those to use. Um.....wtf was I thinking? Only three of the women (myself included) had the 26 pound kettlebells, the rest used the 18 pound ones for this endurance test. After we were in to the endurance exam about 10 minutes I was very much envying those with the 18 pound kettlebells!

It was a very insane workout and it definitely was well beyond anything I have ever done before...imagine having hands so sweaty that they were like puddles and still managing to get the kettlebell where it needed to be. I think (it is all a bit foggy now) in the final few minutes we did a sequence of three different swings all on the same arm....maybe it was something like 60 seconds of the one arm swing, 60 seconds of the clean and press, then 60 seconds of snatches......with hands that could barely keep a hold of the kettlebell..and not knowing when it would be over. I think my arm just went numb at some point... Definitely a new experience for me.

I did have a quitting moment flash through me toward what was the end (but I did not know it was near the end at that point..it just seemed like and endless insane nightmare....lol)....but I did a quick survey of the room...the sounds, the sights....and I saw that everyone else was at about the same place I was mentally and physically......so near complete total exhaustion.....making crazy sounds of exertion and pain.......that I held on for dear life and just prayed it would end soon. And, it finally did. Phew! Then, we all hooted and hollered and did high-fives around the room...and immediately did our group photo (um.....so pretty.....lol..since we were all completely drenched with not a dry spot on our clothing!)... We were all standing in pools (literally) of sweat that coated the entire floor of the gym. It was really quite remarkable.

I passed. I made it. I did it. All my hard work certainly got me to that point of being able to survive and complete this training. Phew! I have made new fitness goals for myself...and my concept of my own capabilities has been expanded in a very interesting way after this weekend. My journey has shifted significantly over the past few months to become much more about fitness and health and strength....and not nearly as much about how I "look" as it has always been in the past. I like this focus a lot better--and the possibilities are greater. How I look (or how I could possibly look) on the outside has become just a by-product of what I do.....not nearly as important to me as what my body can do. My journey is just beginning...it is expanded and more complex now...and I like that.

I'm curious....what is the most difficult physical endeavor you have ever accomplished and how did it feel (physically and mentally) at the beginning, middle and end...and then two days after?

Some Levity

2010-05-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

As my anxiety rises about my weekend training...I decided to share a funny video with you. My dear friend passed this along..with the best intentions, I am sure. :) Enjoy. But, be sure to regard it as a cautionary tale....not any sort of suggestion! LOL

A Big Ass Victory

2010-05-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that one of my major quests has been to be able to build enough upper body strength to punch out a few decent pushups. Ten months ago (July 2009), I could get my body into plank position (and not for very long) but could not move my body down even one inch in any sort of pushup attempt. Seriously..I could not lower my body or bend my arms one little tiny bit 10 months ago.

Why? Years of yo-yo dieting and very low calorie dieting caused my upper body to basically atrophy. I truly had no muscle tone or strength at all because whenever I lost weight I did not care about what weight I was losing as long as the scale was going down. Whenever I lost weight I lost some lean muscle. I lost it primarily from my upper body because I did not use my upper body as much as my lower body. Over and over....this led to very flabby and very weak arms and shoulders. In one weight-loss journey (1996) I dropped 80 pounds in 5 months...but later figured out (from looking at measurements) that about 17 of those pounds were lean muscle. That is so insane! No wonder my metabolism was totally screwed up and I was only able to keep that weight off for 5 minutes. Seriously...I went from 242 to 162 in 5 months and within 3 months of that accomplishment I was back up over 200 and climbing. I lost muscle along with the fat.....and also needed my gall bladder removed......then added back more fat on top of my atrophied muscle the second I started eating more than 1000 calories a day. Sad. But, it makes sense. Because I lost so much lean muscle....my metabolism went way down. As soon as I reached goal and started eating 1500-1800 calories a day, the weight came back at a steady pace. I was gaining weight at a very low level of calories because I had decreased my metabolism so much from losing lean weight. I was so sad....and so mad.....that I just basically said "to heck with this..I am not going to eat like a bird forever...I don't care what I weigh"...and so the weight came back.

I have learned how to avoid that syndrome this time around. Thank goodness! Because...I like to eat and could not imagine a life of just eating 1500 calories a day in order to maintain my weight. In fact..this time around I can eat 2600 calories a day and not gain weight...which amazes me.

So--what is different this time? (Yes..I know..you already know....sorry to be so repetitive on this subject..but it really has been my holy grail of discoveries). My focus this time has been on maintaining and building lean muscle as I lose fat...to ensure that I keep the weight of by raising (not decreasing) my metabolism. The scale does not move as fast when it is only fat leaving the body...but....when it does move, it is a much more maintainable accomplishment. I did not want to have the scale say something I liked....but have a flabby unfit body with no strength. So....my quest to build strength began.

In July I started with machine weights at the gym. In December I switched to free weights at the gym and some kettlebells at home. I had never in my life worked with free weights before December. Never ever. LoriAnn and Wendy helped guide me (thank you guys!!)...as did the book "The New Rules of Lifting For Women". It has all been a whole new experience for me. Then I switched gears again and for the past couple months I have been doing P90X and swinging my kettlebells. I have worked hard to try to build upper body strength.

Can I punch out 10 perfect pushups yet? Not quite yet. But, I sure am getting very very close to that goal! In fact, a couple weeks ago I tried a few real pushups again and still was only able to go down about half-way. So, although discouraged, I have kept at it.

This morning, in a freak-out about my training coming up this weekend....I was lamenting to my kids how I STILL could not even do a real freaking pushup. (Yes...was having a little pity-party....lol). Mr. 13 almost 14 challenged me to demonstrate....so, I did. And...guess what. I DID A NEAR PERFECT ONE! With witnesses! First time ever. They all clapped and cheered (they are so well trained...I love my boys). And I felt pretty darn happy! Whooot!

So....below....I will share my victory with you, my beloved readers...who have listened to me moan and whine just as much (or more so) than my children have about my lack of upper body strength and my ongoing and relentless quest to address it. You have cheered me on and been a witness to this quest. Thank you so much!

Before you watch....keep in mind that this is the fourth take and my poor arms were getting tired. LOL (Yes...I am making excuses as to why I did not go down quite as far as I might have or do quite as many). Regardless....it is indeed evidence that something really cool has happened to my body over the past 10 month. I'm stronger than I have ever been in my life. I am delighted! My strength has eclipsed what the scale says this time around....and I feel so much better....and...I know this is my final weight-loss ever! I'm going to get to goal and stay at goal this time..because I have done it (and am doing it) right.

And, for the record, I am still terrified about my training coming up this weekend. Definitely send me good thoughts. Knowing that I have an online cheering section helps so much!

Here you go.....Greta Gone Wild...lol:

Before and after arm pic, you ask? Before arm measured 16.5 inches at the biggest spot. After arm measures 12.25 inches.

Reality Check

2010-05-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

181 this morning. I know it was above that three to four days ago....and it has come down...two days of not exercising (neck thing) did not help, nor did the whole TOM thing....nor did my gluten free baking experiments and taste-testing. It will be back below 180 in a day or two (monthly fluctuation plus I am being very good right now)....but at this point I think I should be at 175 and beyond. I just keep messing it up.

Why do I struggle so much around this whole 180 thing? It really is getting annoying. I'd rather be struggling around 170.....or....maybe even....160....

Oh, wait..I know why I struggle. Because I stay on track and do great...then I blow it for a couple days.....then stay on track, then blow it. Yes, I am remembering now. The "why" on that is my mystery that still needs to be solved. For some reason my brain and body have switched to "maintenance" mode when I am absolutely not ready for that yet.

A good reality check for me was yesterday during my plyometrics workout (which I followed with an upper body kettlebell workout......still hitting the k-bells daily!). Jumping is not something my body likes to do or is good at....my Type IIb muscle fibers are scant to none. I have improved with the Plyo workout since I first did it a couple month ago...but, it is still mostly pathetic.

Yesterday I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I was doing a squat-jump-reach sequence. And, I happened to be wearing just running shorts and a sports bra. OH...the movement in my remaining fat when I go from squat to a jump/reach! It was fascinating, actually. Gravity....is a powerful thing and it can emphasize all the excess that is on a body. A good reality check indeed. OH, YEAH.....THAT is why I still need to remove 15-20 pounds from my thighs, butt, and middle. Look..there it is......staying up when I go down...and staying down when I go up.....then following in a rippling sort of manner in slow motion. That is the stuff that still needs to go away. It is weighing me down....like someone who jumps while holding a 15 pound weight. You can not jump as high holding an extra 15 pounds..it is harder to move as fast as you might without it.

I have come a long way. I have done great things this past year. But, I am struggle to reach my goal. My goal is not really a weight...... It is more about a percentage of bodyfat and a level of fitness. But, I do not even know exactly what percentage of bodyfat. I will know it when I get there, tho. I do NOT want to be super thin and bony...where it looks like I am just muscle sitting right on top of bone. I WANT some body fat.... I just don't want so much that it makes it harder to move my body around. I don't want so much fat that it zigs when I zag.

So...what is my goal? Not sure....how about just "no zigging when I am zagging". How about that? I will know it when I see it, tho. So, I guess I better get a move-on so I can figure it all out.

For Whom The (Kettle)Bell Tolls......

2010-05-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ding Dong! Greetings from Kettlebell land. This is day 2 of using kettlebells exclusively for my workouts. My quads, hamstrings and butt are screamin'......in a good way, that is. P90X is a very comprehensive workout...which covers all the bases (all muscle groups, plyometrics, interval work, cardio work, stretching, intense Yoga....) But, there is just something about these kettlebells that reaches places beyond that. Interesting.

Yesterday I did a 20 minute kettlebell interval workout (with Steve Cotter) and then his 20 minute Cardio workout. These focused on upper and lower body and were both just a good basic overview of many kettlebell lifts. Today, I decided to try Steve Cotters Lower Body workout, which included a good warm up. Feeling it! Even with the lighter kettlebells I am feeling it. Some of the lifts on the lower body workout require two kettlebells of the same weight. The only pair of kettlebells I have that are the same weight are my 15 pounders..and they were plenty for all but the double swings (could have used heavier there).

Tomorrow will be upper body. Then the next day I will do core. I think I will do the 20 minute interval one either before or after each of the other workouts--it would be a good warm up. I might move back and forth between Steve Cotter's stuff and the Kettlebell Goddess workout DVD, too...as I like those as well. Good to have so many options.

I think I am going to also need to throw a wee bit of running and some plyometric work, too. As much as I detest jumping of any kind.....I need it. Maybe I can work that in when I am voluteering twice a week at track practice. When I am doing it with a group of kids...it might not be so hideous. :) I can make them all do the P90X "wacky jacks". That would be fun. Or, the rockstar jumps. Lots of options.

I learned all about Type I and Type IIa and Type IIb muscles today in my CSCS studies.....that, too...reminded me that I need to keep up with some form of plyometrics. I also learned exactly how weight bearing AND resistance training exercises (lifting weights) can help build bone mass even in people who suffer from Oosteoporosis. Here is an article about it (not from my text..this one is easier to read) http://www.naturalnews.com/010528.html Note the following (and..my text points out that men are also at risk for osteoporosis and benefit equally from weight lifting)

Numerous studies demonstrate strength training's ability to increase bone mass, especially spinal bone mass. According to Keeton, a research study by Ontario's McMaster University found that a year-long strength training program increased the spinal bone mass of postmenopausal women by nine percent. Furthermore, women who do not participate in strength training actually experience a decrease in bone density.

In other and somewhat related news...I had my follow up with Wonder-Wizard chiropractor today. Feeling good there--and his office is SO close to my house. What a great resource to have in my little town--hooray! Yes, I have chronic neck and lower back issues that might not ever be fixed...but I can certainly move them in the right direction. I have early kyphosis of my first 7 vertebrae...no hump back (yet)...but no curve at all in them which leads to big problems--including lots of neck tension, poor posture even though I work HARD at it, and shoulder weakness. (Spine should be "S" shaped...and the top of my S just points straight to the sky....) We're working on getting that curve back. My lumbar spine also curves off to one direction..lifting one hip up a half inch or so above the other. Tho, today....hips were totally even after his adjustments on Monday..which is good. Working with the chiropractor as I continue my ROLFING therapy with my PT will be a good plan. (I had stopped seeing the other chiro when I started ROLFING....plus his office was 50 minutes each direction which was insane...but it is a good idea to tag team this process with both chiro and PT...at least until insurance runs out...I get a max of 60 PT visits a year....and 15 chiro visits.....so far so good)

Wonder-Wizard gave me some neck exercises today (which he said will hurt at first...eeek) and also suggested I find a few minutes each day to lay flat on my back with the base of my neck on a pool noodle. (Oh....the dollar store pool noodles in my house are used for MANY things....light sabers, swords, brother-poking-devices....and now...neck therapy!) Not quite sure when I will be able to work in 10 minutes of pool noodle time...LOL....I will figure it out. "Shhhhh....don't bug Mommy...she is doing therapy!" "But, MOM...we NEED our sword!!!" I guess I could spring for my very own.....they ARE at the dollar store, after all.

Ok..food has been good today. Food was pretty good yesterday. Back on track. Going strong! I was sad when I got on the wii fit a couple days ago and it so glibly noted that I weighed THREE more pounds that I did last time. (and..last time I was on that thing was a while ago). That really ticked me off. Of course....there is no option to say "water-bloat from TOM"....LOL. Perhaps it will be happier with me tomorrow. Acceptance by Wii robot dude is super high on my priority list, you know. (ha)

Have a great night, everyone! Keep on keeping on.

Direction Change...of Sorts

2010-05-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. This is just a quick post to check in.

I managed to do something weird (and by "weird" I mean..wretchedly painful and horrid) to my neck on Friday or Saturdy..that got progressively worse by Monday. No exercise for me at all on Sunday or Monday. For a good part of Monday....I was in pretty poor shape and even made a very stupid looking neck brace out of towels and a bandana. I was able to get in to my new chiropractor at 2:15 on Monday tho and....voila...within 5 minutes I was back to nearly new. (He is a wizard, this guy..I had planned to have an appt with him next week since I just transferred to his practice from my other guy who lived too far away..and did not expect to have an "acute care" visit be my first..oops..but, he proved himself worthy..that is for sure!) A few of my vertebrae were not where they should have been. Not (exactly) sure what I did specifically do get them out of wack.....might have just been a combo of all sorts of intense exercise last week. I logged 12 hours of exercise last week...which was a bit (way) over the top for me (and a result...truly...of how nervous I am about my upcoming training). I am just hugely glad that the neck thing was quickly fixable!

I have 10 days left until my kettlebell training class. I have decided to ditch P90X until after my class is over and focus on just kettlebells between now and then...using them for my strength, interval, and endurance workouts. After my last post about how amazingly effective kettlebells are.....I figured I ought to put my money where my mouth is. LOL I have plenty of material here to keep me quite busy in that regard, and it will help me toughen my hands up a bit before training. I will alternate between upper body workouts, lower body workouts, and core workouts...and get in at least 20 minutes of cardio/endurance with it. I will also add some interval work every other day.

I'll keep you posted. I am headed in for my first post-neck-issue workout right now and am going to play it by ear. If I get any wonky neck pain...then it is game-over for the day and I will wait until after my folllow up with the chiro tomorrow. It feels pretty darn good right now, though...so I think it will be fine.

Have not stepped on the scale for a couple days. TOM arrived right on time today (finally..it has been a bit erratic lately).....so I generally avoid scales for a couple days before and after all that. I also have been experimenting with gluten free bread making for my kids....and....will confess to having partaken in a little too much sampling. Oops. Oh...and, I made some killer gluten free brownies, too. How do I know they are killer, you wonder? Yeah..right....erm......gotta love those PMS cravings. I have kept it pretty much under control, tho...no need to sound the alarms or anything. At least not until I step back on the scale and face the true music. (la de diiiii....dum dum dummmmmm)

Guess What Burns 20 Calories a Minute?

2010-05-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Question: What burns 20 Calories a Minute?

Answer: Kettlebells
(cool, huh? more info on that at bottom of this post)

178.4 this morning and falling. Thank you Fat Flush Protein Powder and P90X! And...this 5'11" body is wearing a pair of size 12 Calvin Klein jeans (thank you thrift store). Size 12. Me! Life is good.

I've been deep in the thick of P90X for the past 7 or so weeks (with a couple starts and stops due to illness). I have worked with my kettlebells a bit, but not as much as I had been before P90X. It is a time issue..there are only so many minutes in a day that it is possible for me to be sweating. And, in week 5 of P90X (the week I am almost done with), it goes to "double" workouts for 3 of the 6 days. Again, not leaving much time for my beloved kettlebells. But today I decided I had better get to work with the kettlebells a bit more, especially since two weeks from now I will be attending the two day certification class.

After doing YogaX early this morning, I did a quick 20 minute kettlebell circuit. I used the Steve Cotter Extreme Kettlebell Workout DVD and picked the first workout from his 4th disc. As far as kettlebell workouts go, this one is not super intense or difficult. It is a basic workout that changes up the exercise every minute or so with a simple "around the body" move between sets that lowers the heart rate a bit and is a rest period..but keeps the body working.

This simple 20 minute kettlebell workout burned 385 calories! My average heart rate was 142 with a range of 115-165. And I was only using a 20 pound kettlebell today. It is short, it is cardio, it is strength.....kettlebells truly are super efficient and effective. There are not many 20 minute workouts where you can work nearly every muscle in your body while keeping your heart at an aerobic rate the whole time.

If you have not given kettlebells a try, I recommend them. (obviously!) Short & sweet workout, efficient, effective, versatile, adaptable, works stabilizing muscles and balance, develops total body strength...and keeps the heart working at a good clip. All at the same time. It's all good.

Here is a great recent article with more kettlebell info from the American Council of Exercise. In it, you will be able to read about the details of how/why they burn 20 calories a minute. Kettlebells: Twice the Results in Half the Time?

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

What is Working Right Now

2010-04-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!

As you know, if you have followed me for a while...I learn new things about my journey and my body all the time...about what works, what does not work, etc. I will never pronounce myself or consider myself "an expert" on anything....because this is a lifelong journey and new information is available to me all the time (from both internal and external sources).

"Power Eating" was not effective for me as a fat-loss tool. Perhaps I was not exercising enough for it to be effective (tho....I was burning between 900-1200 calories a day with a combo of heavy weights, intervals, and cardio...). Perhaps it was just too much protein for my body. Perhaps it was not the right calorie amount. Not really sure, but it did not do what I needed it to do. What I did learn, tho...is that I can eat 2400+ calories a day and not really gain weight. I do not think I have ever been able to do that before..after so many stints at yo-yo dieting over the years and retarding my metabolism. So, that was very GOOD information to discover. I will likely use the Power Eating guidelines once I reach my goal weight (the maintenance plan seemed like it would work really well). But, since I am not quite ready to go into maintenance mode....I needed to go back to the drawing board.

I did not want to share my current plan with you until I knew it was actually effective for me. So, this is day 4 and I definitely am finding it to be effective (together with my exercise). This morning I finally saw a number on the scale that was below 179.6. Yippee! Okay, so...it was 179.4...but, still! On this journey, I broke through 180 once at the beginning of February then also at the end of March....but had not yet been below 179.6.

What seems to be working well for me right now has been to drop my calories to 50-60% of my RMR each day. I am using this calculator...which takes activity level into account: BMR and RMR Calculator My RMR is somewhere between 2500-2700 calories a day according to this calculator. (Figure yours out and post it...I am curious to know what it is since it is different for everyone....and depends on weight, height, activity level, etc...)

As a result of this info, I have dropped my calories to 1400-1600 a day. I also cut grains out completely (again), except for my protein powder which is made from brown rice and yellow pea protein. (more on that in a sec) For whatever reason...my body just does not handle grains well, even non-gluten ones. They do not really make me gain weight, but they stop me from losing weight..and, when my calories come from grains that usually comes at the expense of getting enough protein. So...no grains till I get the rest of this fat to vacate...then I will add them back in. (bye bye rice crackers, pamela's bake mix--which makes killer pancakes and scones--and chocolate rice cakes...see you soon, though!)

What this looks like for me is 120-140 grams of protein a day (since my lean body weight is 135 or so-this is a good level for me), 120-180 grams of carbs a day, and 50-75 grams of fat a day--while keeping within my calorie range. (I use http://www.fitday.com/ to track it...it is free and easy)

What the heck have I been eating? Wellllll......you KNOW I am NOT a fan of drinking my calories....I am just not a fan of protein shakes or meal replacement products of any kind. My BIG issue with them is that they are usually just full of bad crap...preservatives, sweeteners, and unpronounceable ingredients that sound freaky. They also do not help people develop healthy eating patterns with real food. However....I decided to go ahead and do my own version of Ann Louise Gittleman's "Smoothie Shakedown" program using her new Fat Flush Protein Powder. (collective gasp from the crowd) I figured..what the heck....it is only for 2 weeks and I could give it a whirl.....plus, the protein powder has no crap in it at all...just brown rice, yellow peas, stevia, and inulin (which is a natural sweetener that has probiotic properties). Gluten free. Whey free. Soy free. Pure. Simple. Easy. Not a whole lot of thinking involved. And, it does not taste bad. At all. I think I will buy another container of it and use it as a post-workout drink on occasion once I am done with this program.

So, for 10-14 days (will play that by ear), I am having two shakes a day...then eating 6 oz of lean protein and lots of veggies at either dinner or lunch. (omg..this sounds so "slim-fasty"...lol...but without all the chemicals and sugar and crap.....) I also have a couple small snacks in between....either fruit or almonds. And, I still have a small fistful of dark chocolate hershey kisses at night. (20 calories each..I usually have 4 or 5) The shake is 1 scoop protein powder, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 T flaxseed oil, 1 T chia seeds (if you want), 1 cup water or cranwater (for those of you who are not familiar with the Fat Flush program...cranwater is a whole lot of purified water with a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice). I add 6 drops of vanilla cream flavored stevia and 6 oz of greek yogurt to mine. With the yogurt...it is over 400 calories...but 400 really high quality calories. (38 grams protein!) The yogurt gives me calcium and more protein...the stevia just makes it a bit more flavorful. I have also added a few small carrots or some spinach or 1/2 banana.

This is not a forever-plan for me. It is a 10-14 day plan to get things moving again. I needed something that would not be too drastic and restrictive (hence messing up my metabolism)...but would give me some quick results and get the scale to head southward again. So far so good. And, hey..when I started this journey at 253 pounds I was only eating about 1200 calories a day (but have since learned why that was not very good for my body)....so this still feels like a bounty.

I plan to see 175 on the scale within a week or so. Then I will weigh the same as the fictitious number that has been on my drivers's license for years. And, I will get to finally...finally...post a new butt-print pic..first one since starting P90X. Hold good thoughts!

Have you taken any turns in your journey this spring?

Hi Fat, it is me...

2010-04-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Fat. It is me. The one who has been losing you for the past 13 or so months. When we started in March 2009, you weighed 125 pounds. I weighed 253...so almost half of me was YOU. Now, you weigh about 47 pounds and I weigh 182 pounds. Better....MUCH better...but still not quite right.

Here is a trip down memory lane. In April of 2009 you weighed 115 then by May you weighed 104. In June, 94 pounds. July was 89, August was 78. September you weighed 74 pounds, October was 69. November you were 66, December was 60. January 2010...you weighed 58. February was 55. March, 51. Now....47 pounds. So, even though my total weight is about the same now as it was in January.....YOU have gone down and muscle has gone up. I am happy about that.....but not as happy as I would like to be!!

You see...I need you to weigh about 34 pounds. That is ALL I have room for on this body...that is the most I am able to tolerate....to carry around.....etc. Burpees, pushups, running...all of these are harder than they should be with you still hanging around in this quantity....and Yoga is more challenging given the places on my body that you have chosen to reside. So...you MUST get a move-on......or at least 13 pounds of you.

I know you LIKE it here....I am sure you are quite cozy and all living on my thighs and butt and knees....and a bit on my gut. But...really...it is TIME. Time to part ways..... I will allow some of you to stay. I don't want to be skin and bones....you DO serve a purpose. But, I do not need 47 pounds of you to serve that purpose. So.......be on your way.....bye bye...... I have things to do, places to go, kettlebells to swing.....stuff that will all be easier with a little bit less of you. I will not miss you (sorry!). But, I will enjoy what is left of you and promise to be kind to you once you get to where you need to be. So, let's get this show on the road!

Diane's Challenge

2010-04-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Diane over at Diane's Training Journal posted a "Blog My Run" challenge. It could be a run, walk, hike, anything. After I read the challenge last night, I decided to take my four boys on a scenic hike today and post the pics.

So...here you go, Diane! We went up 807 feet for 3.1 miles, then came back down. My 6 and 9 year olds did really well....we all had lots of fun along the way. The views up there were just stunning.

Thanks for the challenge Diane...it got us to a beautiful place today. :)

That is the hill. We drove up a bit further and parked.

On our way up the hill. The views were amazing!

Looking down on the paved path we were climbing up the hill.

At the top!

We jogged a bit as we headed down..happy to be done with the climb. And I was happy that my backpack was lighter after we all had water and snacks at the top!

Looking back up to where we had come from....about half way down...we went to the very top..way up there!

When I read the description of this location and looked at the maps, it looked like it was a 1.8 mile climb. We were surprised that it was almost double that. Oops. But, the boys had few complaints so it worked out okay. I am still amazed that my little two made it 6.2 miles. That is a 10k. Good for them. A fun time was had by all.

An Amazing Thing

2010-04-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone! Scale fail is well under control as the bloat from not-so-good-for-me food waned. Phew. 182 something or other this morning. I like that number better.

I had the day off today and had a bazillion things to do...but, sort of blew most of them off and just had "a day" for myself. I exercised...then I laid in the sun for about 30 minutes per side. Yeah...sure...the high was only 61 degrees today and it was a bit windy. But for this land locked northerner.....it felt like summer...and I even got a wee bit of color and likely a bit of vitamin D. Nice.

My thought for the day: a body is an amazing thing. YOUR body is! So is mine! For those of you who are just starting your journey....or are mid-journey and still striving hard toward some goals.....HAVE FAITH AND KEEP GOING! A body responds well to good nourishment and rigorous exercise!

Case in point:
Not sure if you remember or not, but "The Chrissy" workout is one that is often (always) used as part of the "final exam" for the training I am attending next month. I tried this workout once...last month....and got super sick a couple days later with my sinus plague from hell. Coincidence? Hrmmm. I managed to do the whole thing...but with quite a few breaks in between the 6 sets...and LOTS of heaving and sweating and bad words. I was actually pretty shocked that I was able to even finish it. It is a very difficult workout for me. It took me a LONG time to do. Like..really long. Burpees are NOT my thing...at all. They are pure evil to me. The kettlebell swings are not a problem...it is the burpees.

I knew I had to try it a few more times before my training (which is only 3 weeks away!!!)....so, deemed today "the day" for another stab at it.

I warmed up with the KenpoX warmup (today was KenpoX day anyway)...then did The Chrissy. And...omg.....knocked TEN minutes off my time last month. My time is still not one for the record books...and will still very likely ensure that I am the last person done at the training....but I knocked 10 freaking minutes off of it!

P90X has definitely helped my endurance and strength...and this was good evidence of that for me. Cool beans. And..yes...it still sucked. Just not quite as bad. When I was done, I rested a bit then did the rest of KenpoX (punching, kicking, blocking). That was a serious crazy double workout for the day...1698 calories according to heart rate monitor. Yowsa!

If you had told me a year ago that my body would ever be capable of this...I would have had a really long laugh. A year ago I was just barely undertaking C25K...and was able to jog for a big whopping 60 straight seconds. Period. And it slayed me.

Here is my heartrate graph on Chrissy.....it is intense...that last set of 45 swings got my heart rocking and rolling....then I rested a bit....and KenpoX is the later part (with warm up and cool down at beginning and end):

I've come a long way, baybeeeee..and still have an exciting journey ahead of me. And so have/will you! Stay strong and be consistent and persistent.

Scale Fail

2010-04-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well...my scale delivered some very bad news this morning. 187!?!?! Oops! And, it was headed back down toward 180, too. Drat it. There is always a reason (or three), tho... (sigh)

Reason #1: Three days of no exercise. ("WHAT!", you say!?!) I hurt my calves last Friday doing some standing calf raises with weights. I was over zealous, I guess, because by the next day they were a bit sore...but by Sunday I was hobbling and wincing. I also was on my feet at the Women's Show on Friday and Saturday in less than ideal footwear....which did not help. I still exercised on Saturday...the severe pain really did not begin until Sunday. Weird. In any case...by Sunday I had some bruising coming through around the lower part of both calves....and it hurt like hoo-haa. Sunday was my rest day (exercise wise) which is good, as there was no way I could have done anything at all. I chose to also skip Monday and then Tuesday because I was in a lot of pain and I did not want to cause more damage. (After poking around online.....I think I managed to give myself a level 2 calf strain.....yowsa)

Reason #2: I ate badly on Monday. Just....stupid stuff....not sure why. Stuff with gluten, even....which always bloats me up like a balloon. I came home from work and started looking around the kitchen and just decided......to eat.....stuff that I knew was not good for me. I was in pain....and stressing out about my upcoming training class next month (not knowing how long my calves would stop me from exercise)...and I guess I coped with food. Bad food that was not good for me. Silly me.

Reason #3: Although I ate quite well on Tuesday...lunch was an amazing Indian food buffet. I made good choices and did not overeat at all (oh, it was soooo good, too)...it was basically just chicken, lentils, and rice.....but I think that there was quite a lot of sodium in the food.....enter: water retention. So....in theory...this 187 should be quite temporary and should correct in the next day or two. (crossing fingers!)

Calves were at about 80% yesterday (Tuesday) but I was still too afraid to exercise. Today (Wednesday).....they were a bit stiff when I woke up..but nothing like they had been.....they felt normal. PHEW!

I was supposed to start week 4 of P90X on Monday...so knew I needed to start it today. YogaX. But...this morning I was feeling very un-Yoga like. And..just wanted to go do something without looking at a TV.....and without anyone telling me what to do and how to do it and for how long to do it...preferably with really loud music. So...I blew off YogaX and went to the gym and ran!! I was prepared to stop if my calves hurt at all...but they did not hurt...not one bit. (I stretched quite a lot and warmed up a long time)

I had a rocking 4.5 mile run with a warm up and cool down.....it was my first run in a really long time......6 weeks, maybe. I ran at 6 mph right out of the gate(well..as soon as I warmed up for a bit)...went a mile....then did intervals for two miles. (Walking/Running) There was not much rhyme or reason to them....just sort of played it by ear. I did three 2 minute intervals at 7 mph, 7.5 mph and 8 mph. (this is VERY speedy for me.....like...maximum heart rate sorta speedy). Then I did three 1 minute intervals and attempted one at 8.5 mph....doh!.....that only lasted 45 seconds and jacked my heart up to 182 bpm.......yowsers! (Tiffany...how on earth do you run that fast!?!?!) Then I ran one more interval at 7 or 7.5 (forget).....then another mile at the end at 6 mph. Check this out, tho.....it is actually more intense than when I do Plyometrics or Kenpo X days on P90X. Jeepers! Even when I walked 3.8 mph or so during the intervals in the middle my heartrate stayed way up there. My monitor said I burned nearly 1000 calories with this run, given my weight and my heart rate. Hm! And, it felt good.

I have come a long way in the running department...that is for sure. Remember how I used to just crave that 6 mph/10 min mile pace?? Nice. Thank you P90X and kettlebells for creating some new pathways in my heart and lungs and brain....and some new strength.

I have never worn a heartrate monitor for a run before. I wore mine today just to see. My heart rate rockets up there when I run....it is interesting. I am definitely an "anaerobic" runner...not an "aerobic" runner. Not really sure what the ramifications are of that. Will google it if I get a chance. (anyone know?) I think I need to get running back into my lineup and somehow do it alongside P90X at least a couple times a week. Monica is doing both...she has inspired me. :)

So....feeling a bit bad about blowing off P90X....after work.....I came home and did YogaX with my 9 and 6 year olds (which was quite entertaining....). So.....two workouts in one day...total calorie burn of about 1600....take THAT scale!! (please)

My brown rice and yellow pea (that sounds so gross....lol....but it is supposed to be really good!) protein powder arrived today. I'm going to ponder some ways to add it into my day once or twice to cut back on some of the meat.

As I always say....one day at a time.....one day at a time. And....when I screw up.......I need to always remember to aim for a speedy recovery. Sometimes it seems like I keep finding roadblocks to keep me from reaching my final goal. But...really...I think it is just life getting in the way. I will get there, darn it.

Oh, oh, oh! On Tuesday I got to borrow a 45 pound (similar to 20 kg) kettlebell. Remember the 16 kg one (35 pound) was giving me LOTS of trouble but I worked up to 12 presses on each arm and 12 snatches. Well....figuring that if I could move the 45 pound one around a bit that the 35 pounder would not feel as heavy...I brought the big-ass 45 pounder home. I tried to press it the first day and barely...with poor form, eeeked out one press on each side. This morning I tried again...and did two with good form. Nice. It is HEAVY!!!

One day at a time.....trying to get stronger, faster, leaner.....but not meaner. :)

Women's Show, Kettlebells, and Crossfit

2010-04-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

This past weekend I was able to work in the booth of a fitness store at the Women's Show and talk about kettlebells. There were lots of other things going on in the booth...I just had one little corner with a pretty assortment of pro-grade vinyl coated and cast iron kettlebells. (I like the black cast iron ones better...but the vinyl ones are brighter and prettier and make for a nice display!) It was great! I met so many amazing women...from all walks of life...who are interested in taking classes. WOW...so...yeah...the PRESSURE IS ON for me to pass my certification course next month, huh? LOL Hold good thoughts for me!

It is unwise to put a kettlebell in someone's hand and send them on their way. There is an important/essential education piece related to kettlebells.....choosing the right weight and using the correct form. (A couple people picked up kettlebells at the booth this weekend and did some things with them that made me cringe--holding the kettlebell way outside their body-line, for example......opening up the shoulder to nasty rips and tears....eeek!)

Yes, I am pretty much self-trained through DVDs, books, and youtube. But, my kettlebell training would have been far more effective if I had worked with an actual trainer from the start. In fact, I have made an appointment for the end of the month to work with the RKC kettlebell lady in town. Form is really...really..important..and I want to be sure I am on the right track before I go to my training next month. I have never taken a group (or individual) kettlebell class before....but I can completely understand how that would have been a far more effective way for me to be introduced to them. Lately, as I have immersed myself in the instructional DVDs of Steve Cotter, Pavel, and Andrea Du Cane...I am realizing how my form was not quite right and my understanding of where the power for the lifts come from was not quite right. This info has helped me lift the heavier kettlebells. Had I started with a class, however, I would have understood that from the onset. This is another reason why I am excited about learning enough in the 16 hours of training to teach kettlebell classes. I can give people something that I did not have the benefit of having when I first picked up my 15 pound kettlebell.

A lady came in to talk with me for a while and explained that she goes to a local CrossFit gym and uses kettlebells a bit through that. If you are not familiar with CrossFit, it is a gym that uses a specific style of training that is strength and interval based..but every day is a completely different workout. http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html It is extraordinarily effective. Each day CrossFit gyms post a different workout and EVERYONE does it. It is such things as their March 29, 2010 workout:

Five rounds for time of:

40 Double-unders
30 Box jumps, 24 inch box
20 Kettlebell swings, 1.5 pood

Dang. Oh, and a pood (a Russian form of measurement) is about 35 pounds....so a 1.5 pood kettlebell is 54 pounds. Yowsa!

The lady who was chatting with me in the booth does Ironman competitions (you know...where in one day you swim 2.4 miles, run a marathon, and ride a bike 100 miles.....imagine!). She is quite lean and fit. She joined the Crossfit gym a year ago and she said when she joined, she knew she was already in very good shape (hell...she does IRONMANS!)...but after joining she realized that she was NOT very strong. When she first joined Crossfit a year ago she could not do one pullup. After a year at Crossfit..she can do 150. (Yes.....my mouth was hanging open from this info too).

Fascinating that it is possible to be SUPER DUPER IRONMAN-LEVEL FIT....yet not have much upper body or core strength.

Anyway....I tell this story because kettlebell training fits right in with principles behind Crossfit style training..especially the kettlebell training that is cardio/endurance based. It is combining overall body strength work with high intensity interval work...for a highly effective workout that can even get an Ironman competitor into much better shape. How cool.

Oh, another tidbit she explained is that the Crossfit gyms modify their daily exercise for folks who are not able to do the full version of the workout. I was familiar with CrossFit, but did not know this part....I just assumed that before someone could join a Crossfit Gym..they already needed to be able to lift very heavy weights, run very fast, and do insane amounts of pushups/pullups. Nope. They scale each day up or down to meet the needs of each member. There is also a CrossFit website specifically for endurance athletes, too...it is called CrossFit Endurance. Again, the focus is on helping endurance athletes build more overall functional strength. Good stuff.

I will leave you today with a picture that Wendy posted on her facebook profile last week. This sums it up, for me. I do not think this lady is going to fall and break her hip anytime soon. I want to be this strong in my 80s (hell..I want to be this strong NOW then maintain it for life....) How about you?

Week One of Power Eating....Results

2010-04-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

First week of Power Eating is complete. I stuck with it and kept within the ranges for Carbs, Fat, and Protein every day. Since I weighed about 185 at the start, my calories averaged 2400 a day. My protein averaged 181 grams a day (FAR more than I have ever consumed for a week...ever!), carbs averaged 206 grams a day and fat averaged 87 grams a day. 100% of my food came from whole unprocessed sources. It was basically meat (in the form of fish, very lean ground beef, chicken breast), eggs, fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, milk, coconut flour, and brown rice flour...and a small smattering of raw sugar and honey. I continued with P90X this week....so exercise averaged about 70 minutes a day (that includes the warm ups and cool downs..so more like 60 minutes of exercise a day). Every couple days I also worked for just a handful of minutes with the 35 pound kettlebell....as I am trying to build up my strength with that bad-boy. I can now do...drum roll please.....12 snatches on each arm and 12 military presses with each arm with that big honkin' kettlebell. That is a far cry from my struggles with the 15 pound kettlebell several months back. Kettlebells work...they are efficient, effective, and powerful.

My Power Eating results are sort of a mixed bag--but overall positive. I will explain.

First, this was a lot more calories than I am used to eating, especially when I am in "weight loss" mode. In fact, I am not sure I ate an average of 2400 calories a day when I weighed 253 pounds. Of course...at 253....some days I ate much more than that...but, on average, I do not think I ate this much. I have explained before that my metabolism is a bit broken from years of yo-yo dieting...and I was not exercising much at 253....and my lean body weight at 253 pounds was about 127. It is 136 now.

I lost weight this week. Eating 2400 calories a day. Not a ton of weight.....it was 1.6 pounds...but it was 100% fat, my lean muscle stayed intact...and I did it eating a LOT of food. This is pretty major, to me. It shows me that I have truly begun to address my metabolic issues and that my body is responding. It was DIFFICULT to eat this many calories each day. I had absolutely NO cravings at all, that is for sure...the abundance of amino acids certainly quelled any and all cravings. I also felt pretty "calm" this week...even though it was the last few days of tax season and I had some other crazy stuff going on. It felt like my stress response was affected in a positive way by eating this way. I liked that!

So, what is the downside? Well. This was....truly...just TOO MUCH protein for me. I thought I was eating a lot of protein before this week...I averaged about 120 grams a day. Eating 180+ grams a day was a challenge for me. I felt a bit bloated and over-full and my body could not keep up with that much--elimination wise. (If you get my drift). My fiber (mainly from fruits and veggies) averaged about 25 grams a day, too.....but it still was just too much protein. Now....granted...I was doing the "Cutting" phase of Power Eating which is the phase with the highest level of protein and lowest calories of any of her plans (even higher protein than the muscle-building phase)....and the cutting phase should last no more than 7-14 days. So....I stuck with it and wanted to see it through at least 7 days.

I think (?) that many of the people who follow the Power Eating "Cutting" phase come into it eating more calories than that...so they are really cutting back their calories from, say, 3000 a day to 2400 a day. It was just the opposite for me. Since starting P90X I have eaten around 1900-2000 calories a day....so in order for me to do the "Cutting" phase, I needed to increase my calories. It sort of took my body and digestive system by surprise! My results might have been more dramatic...if 2400 calories a day had been less than what I was eating before. The more I read about women who exercise vigorously and lift some weights...they DO eat more than 2400 calories a day. This is just SUCH a foreign concept to me. Truly...even at 253.....2400 calories a day would have seemed like quite a lot of food for me... I am delighted with the fact that I have (and will continue to) ramp up my metabolism to a point where 2400 calories a day might seem like "a diet" when before it would have felt like "a normal/big eating day". I like food (clearly)....and getting my body to a place where I can eat decent quantities of food without gaining weight is a whole new concept for me. It is exciting. Whenever I have lost weight before....I had to reconcile myself with the fact that I would have to basically eat like a bird for the rest of my life. This is a major paradigm shift for me....and I like it.

I am going to look at all the calculations and think on it today, but I believe I am going to switch from her "Cutting" phase to the "Fat Loss/Sculpting" phase for this coming week....and instead of using the calculations for my current weight, I think I am going to use the calculations for my goal weight. My goal weight is based on getting to 20% bodyfat and keeping my current lean weight. That weight is 170 for me. That is only about 13 pounds away from where I am right now. Remarkable. However, the calories are a lot higher in the "Fat Loss/Sculpting" phase than in the cutting phase...so..again....I am going to mull this over today and formulate a plan for this week. I will keep you posted. It might end up being a hybrid between "Cutting" and "Fat Loss".

The other thing I am feeling this week...after my one week protein load...LOL....is mentally "disciplined". Go figure. I sort of feel like I can stick to absolutely anything I decide this week...that I have the will power and the desire to just make it happen without much mental fanfare of cajoling. Clearly...I have been in that mode..to an extent...for the past year....but....it has been WORK to be in that mode. Right now...I feel like it is not such hard work....it is just what I am going to do to reach my goal and mentally.....it does not feel like I am compromising anything on any level. Maybe that is because of the higher calories and the amino acids. My body feels like "Yeah...ok....we can do this and it isn't any big thing"...both mentally and physically. That is a nice place to be.

Now...I just need to figure out my magical amount (and type) of protein that enables me to maintain my lean weight, gives my brain ample amino acids to make me feel good/calm and not crave things......yet not feel like I have a kettlebell's worth of protein sitting in my intestines! :) One day at a time.

The Human Brain - Proteins is an interesting article on this subject. By the way..even though I have been eating quite a lot of protein for a while now..my serum protein levels were still a bit low at my last blood draw--which puzzled both my doctor and me. Either I was not eating enough protein for my body, or I had absorption issues (or both). Given how I have felt this week (aside from the too-full feeling)...I think I definitely need more amino acids that I had been getting. Perhaps not quite this much, tho! :)

The thing that has me quite confused, however, is that over the past few months I have basically maintained my current weight (179-185 range) at ALL different calorie levels. I stayed in this weight range at 1500 calories a day. 1800 calories a day. 1900-2000 calories a day. And, now....2400 calories a day. That seems weird to me...like I am missing something here. Thoughts?

In my next post I will tell you about working at the Women's Show this weekend...talking about...kettlebells! I had a blast! I was so inspired on so many levels! So far I have 22 women who gave me their contact info because they are interested in classes once I am certified. Whoot!

I am open to hearing your comments and suggestions about my protein and calorie level issues. I do not really do whey or soy..but have considered getting Anne Louise Gittleman's (Fat Flush plan) brown rice and pea protein powder. It has 20 grams of protein per scoop..vanilla flavored with stevia....and no sugar, soy, no gluten, no dairy, no whey....I am intrigued. Update: I just ordered some--will let you know what I think once it gets here. If I mix a scoop of this with 1 cup of unflavored Greek Yogurt...that would be a nice 43 grams of meatless protein. That would be a great breakfast...with some fruit. Yum!

Have a fantastic week and a glorious conclusion to your weekend!

Shiny

2010-04-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hello blogland! Today is day 3 of "Power Eating" and P90Xing..with some kettlebells sprinkled in for flavor. So far so good! I am on allergy medicine now and it is helping me feel MUCH more human. Still not quite 100%..but....so much closer than I was. Phew.

I saw my "little" (he is 6'4") brother on Sunday. He is only three years younger than me and we are fairly close. I had not seen him since the end of July. Here is what he emailed me yesterday: "I can’t get over how great you look and how just bright and shiny you are right now. There is just a light in your eyes that I haven’t seen for years. You have really inspired me."

How sweet is that? He is not the type to really hand out compliments, either. At least not ones like that. That made me feel really good.

I DO feel good....and I suppose it makes sense that I am a bit "shinier" than I once was. (gosh...I might need some powder...ha ha) Losing the weight wisely and building some muscle has definitely improved my outlook on life...on many levels, and I am sure it must show.

In highschool and college my weight went back and forth between about 155 and 185--sizes between a 10 and a 14. Up and down, up and down. I remember during my junior year at college getting up to 185 and my Dad freaking out and insisting that I go to a weight loss clinic...he would pay...etc. So, I did. He acted like 185 was a total crisis...and I believed him and agreed with him. The clinic he paid for was some crazy place (with "medical supervision") that put me on a 800 calorie a day diet (and I was doing aerobics classes back then, and walking quite a bit). I had to go weigh in every single day for two months. I did what I was told and followed the rules. Yes, the weight came off (like it usually did when I did a crash diet)....but what I lost likely included a whole LOT of lean muscle.

Once, after an hour long intense aerobics class (likely with leg warmers and a silly leotard with tights!) during one of my "800 calorie a day" crash diets, I was grocery shopping at a store that had an escalator down to the underground parking garage. Toward the top of the escalator, I passed out. I remember feeling really dizzy, then everything went black. When I came to, I was in the parking with an older man who had his arm around my waist, and he started leading me toward his car and telling me everything was going to be alright and that he was going to take me to his house to make sure I was okay! Good LORD! I snapped to pretty quick and thanked him and got away from him and to my own vehicle. Who knows...his motives might have been totally pure.....but I remember being VERY creeped out by it and getting a very bad vibe from him. Imagine what an 800 calorie diet could have caused had that whole scenario played out.

Reflecting back on those times and other times I have lose weight.....the weight loss never really felt "permanent" to me.... My body, though smaller, was always pretty "squishy" once I lost the weight and not well toned. And I knew that the minute I stopped the 800 calorie thing that the weight would slowly come back. And..of course, it did. Time and again....countless cycles. I made it above 200 pounds during my first pregnancy in 1994...and stayed way up there through and beyond my second pregnancy. After son #2 was about 9 months old, I stopped nursing so I could go on a crash diet (with diet drugs this time). I still feel bad about not nursing him a full year like I did my oldest son. Though...son #2 is FINE....and I am sure it did not make a difference to his growth or development...it is just that "mom guilt". But, still....another stupid thing I did in the name of weight loss.

I lost 80 pounds in 5 months that time. I went from 240 to 160 just before my 30th birthday--taking phentermine and really not exercising much at all. I was delighted..but, again, I was still pretty "squishy" and the weight loss did not feel very permanent (and..looking back at measurements I figured out that of that 80 pounds..something like 17 of it was lean muscle). That weight loss lasted about 5 minutes. Oh, and after that crazy weight loss I had to have my gall bladder removed. Stupid stupid stupid.

Then...two more pregnancies...one more "crash" weight loss after baby #4 turned 1...though that one only got me down to about 210...then a divorce and a cross country move....life as a single Mom for a couple years, then a remarriage....and...voila...I got myself all the way back up to 253. I am constantly amazed..when I look back on all of this...how horribly I have disrespected my body through the past 25+ years.

I am starting to better understand why my upper body was/is so weak. Every time I did the yo-yo diet thing I bet I lost mostly upper body muscle. My lower body muscles got worked out just from walking around, doing aerobics, skiing, etc. But, since I did not do any weights back then, nor did I do any activities that involved my arms much.....I think my upper body took the brunt of all the lean weight loss. The reason I still struggle with pushups (curses to the pushups) is due to years of what basically amounted to muscle atrophy from extreme and unsafe dieting. (just because it is medically supervised does NOT mean it is safe or wise!)

So, today..here I am near the weight that was once considered "crisis weight". LOL I do not feel like I am in a crisis at all. Yes, I have about 15 more pounds of fat that need to go bye-bye...but I am NOT going to do something ridiculous and harmful to achieve it. In fact....I love the irony of my latest eating plan....eating 2400 calories a day to ditch the fat (a la Power Eating). THIS is SO different than the days of 800 calories. And...I have muscle now. And MUCH more strength than I once did. I am not as "squishy" and my metabolism burns much higher.

THIS....feels permanent. For the first time ever. And, it feels good...and.....I would dare say....might be making me "shine" a bit.

Thanks, baby brother..for helping me go back down this rocky road of weight loss memories....and for spurring me to keep it all in perspective! I am SO much more fit than ever in my life, and I am by far better nourished. This journey has been excellent. I wish there was some way to take out a billboard or something to help everyone avoid my mistakes of the past....or that someone had grabbed me back then and smacked some sense into me (tho...that likely would not have helped). But, hey...we do what we can do and...with age and experience (hopefully) comes wisdom.

Yesterday after my P90X workout, I was able to do 10 kettlebell snatches with each arm with the THIRTY FIVE pound kettlebell. Never ever ever have been able to do that before....even the 26 pounder was giving me a bit of trouble. Upper body is getting there......it is getting there.... Good to know that the damage I have done in the past can indeed be undone. I still cannot do a real chest to the floor pushup yet..and have been working on that since July...but I sure can do a whole lot more than I could when I started and I see progress weekly. A body is an amazing thing...that absolutely deserves respect!

Have a great rest of the day, everyone! This was long...and took some turns I did not initially plan....thanks for reading.

Feeling "Fine"...

2010-04-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

It's a New Day
It's a New Dawn
It's a New Life
And I'm Feeling.......fine.

(Yeah....not quite yet "good"...but I'll take FINE any day over this bleachky last week!)

The allergy medicine.....and/or Dr. P's (truly wretched aniti-viral) Poison.....have been somewhat effective at taming these sinus/throat issues I have been having. Thank goodness. I am certainly not 100% this morning, but much closer to fine (that is one of my favorite songs, btw...) than I have been.

It is indeed a New Day and a New Dawn for me....and time for a Fresh Start. This, observed, when stepping on the scale and doing measurements this morning. I thought those jeans yesterday were a little more snug than they had been....and my thighs were looking a bit more rotund in my exercise clothes yesterday than they were last week. Indeed....it has been confirmed just what a week of no exercise does to my body. Nothing alarming, of course....but noticeable. Add that week to another week, then a month, then a year...then another year (reflecting upon the past, here)..and it is very easy to realize how my body got to 253 pounds and 49+% bodyfat. One day at a time....one day at a time.

So, this morning I weigh 184.8 and 26.4% bodyfat (darn it) and my hips are back up to an even 42". Yes, they started at 51" a year ago....but, that is somewhat irrelevant now. They had gotten down to 41.5 a week or two ago and I liked that. I think I am aiming for nice even 40 in the hip/rear region. So, 42 is not really the direction I want to be heading! But....this reflects 136 pounds of lean muscle...which I really DO love. And..happens to be up 8.8 pounds over where I was in March 2009 (now..THAT is cool news!). Muscle good....too much fat...bad. Time for some Fat-Be-Gone action for Big Bottom Blogger!

I DID manage to knock out a P90X workout yesterday. Another attempt at week 3 day 1 (which I had attempted on April 3....then nothing till yesterday due to this sinus plague part II). Week 3 day 1 is...."Chest and Back"...the areas I still struggle the most with....then the delightful Ab Ripper X. I had gotten pretty good at Ab Ripper X...but struggled yesterday. OH...what a difference a week will make!

I also swung my 26 pound kettlebell a bit afterwards (not too much....but I figured I needed to get in some swinging before training next month.) That 26 pounder is SO much more difficult for me to swing than the 20 pounder..... But, yesterday...after P90X....I was able to do 10 snatches with it on each arm. I had not made it past 5 on each arm with the 26 pounder before yesterday. Phew! Then I grabbed the truly evil 35 pounder and did 5 clean and presses with each arm. Those were very very difficult....but a wee bit easier than they had been last time I tried. Last time I could not get past 3 with that 35 pound beast. So...progress there, on a small scale. I need to work in 5-10 minutes with the kettlebells each day before or after P90X. It is VERY clear on my heart-rate graph the second I started swinging the kettlebells for a few minutes. Heart rate goes up about 15-20 bpm more than it was for the whole P90X.

Kettlebells rock for interval work. And strength building. And flexibility. And endurance......and, most importantly (to me)..for building functional and efficient muscle (as opposed to bulky and not-so-functional muscle like some weight programs do). Love 'em! I need to use 'em more!

Speaking of kettlebells....I was able to get my hands on Steve Cotter's "Encyclopedia of Kettlebell Lifting" DVDs volume 1 and 2. I also got his "Extreme Kettlebell Workout" DVD..still in it's shrinkwrap, tho...as there was no way I was capable of that this past week. It looks amazing--like the "man's" version of the Kettlebell Goddess workout that I love so much. I've only watched a bit of the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Kettlebell Lifting....and....Steve is amazing. His DVDs are highly informative and instructive. (My 13 year old was watching them with me and he said "Mom, is he flexing".....I replied......."Nope...not yet....watch....NOW he is flexing!" Steve Cotter is a very strong, flexible, functional, and efficient dude. Check him out!

So...if you want the American version of Pavel....get some of Steve Cotter's DVDs or books. You can also look him up on youtube..he covers many of the kettlebell basic moves there. If you are new to kettlebells, work on these three moves to begin: Turkish Get Up. Kettlebell Swing. Kettlebell Clean and Press. Those will keep you busy for a while....and if your kettlebell is heavy enough to demand your full undivided attention (as it should be)...they will get your whole body involved and your heart rate to a very respectable level!

New Dawn and New Day for Big Bottom Blogger......time for me to embrace some Power Eating, some P90X, and some Kettlebells and blast the rest of this fat off my ass! Fat-Be-Gone! Hold good thoughts.

Well, Hell

2010-04-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am STILL sick with this upper repiratory virus/bacteria/plague..call it what you will. It is really truly just getting on my last nerve. And, just when it seems to be easing up a bit....I wake up and it's baaaaaaack.

Yes, I sinus rinse. Yes, I eat very well....LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies, ample protein, etc....I take supplements....vitamin D..... What the heck IS this thing I have??? My ears are all plugged up today, which is lovely...especially since the kids are currently playing their guitar and drums very loudly. (see...there....I can be positive....Pollyanna....ha!)

Anyway, I wish I had some excellent Power Eating and insane exercise feats to report to you for this past week. But, I got nothing! Just surviving the week is all I did. I was all geared up to begin exercising consisently again.....and have had to take a longer break because of this yuck. I got in ONE P90X day last weekend...then....nadda. Zip. Nothing. Blerrrggg. I might try today.....just to see how I do...but I am afraid if I do I might wake up with even MORE yuck in the morning.

I did do one day of "perfect" power eating....in anticipation of waking up the next day and starting P90X back up again....but the P90X did not happen. So, I have backed off the calories a bit and am in a holding pattern until I can get back into my routine. I even had to give up a really exciting gig this past weekend....helping a fitness store sell kettlebells at a big trade show...because I cannot really talk without coughing and figured the future kettlebell enthusiats valued their good health and did not want me to share this super-bug with them. Drat drat drat.

I might pretend it is allergies this week (and...really..who knows.....it MIGHT be allergies mixed in with a bug.....I am so confused) and just take some allergy meds and keep sinus rinsing. My Naturopath makes an insanely gross concoction that she calls "poison" that is supposed to scare away viruses..lovingly known as the "anti-viral tincture". It is...truly.....just hideous and I am supposed to take 1/2 tsp every two hours. I should do that....I will start that today--just plug my nose and do it. This is just crazy. I mean...ok..maybe my body needed a rest and I am fine with that...but not being able to breathe at night and blowing my nose 200 times a day with an assorted rainbow of colors coming out (sorry....tmi!)......and coughing when I talk too much....that part really stinks.

Send me some healing vibes...tho..the ears can stay a bit plugged for the rest of the morning and afternoon. (They actually play VERY well......and sound great..but it sounds even better when muted a bit).

Here is something my future kettlebell certification instructor runs "for fun" on the weekends he does the 16 hour two day kettlebell training in Vancouver, BC. Grouse Grind. A simple little 1.8 mile trail that goes up 2800 feet. Yes. 2800 feet in 1.8 miles. There is no extra zero in that number. You are not even allowed to walk down it...you must take the gondola...you can only go up. This...."for fun" on top of 16 hours of kettlebell training in a a weekend. Food for thought....and another reason why I MUST get back to consistent exercise pretty darn soon...I am going to be training with crazy people!!!

PS Please note that the "Power Eating" book/plan I talked about in my prior post is customized to individuals (meaning...calories, protein, etc ALL DEPENDS on current weight and amount/intensity of weekly exercise). It really only works if the person doing it is also doing a significant amount of heavy exercise that includes some weight lifting. Hopefully no one who is sedentary read that post and has tried to up their calories to 2800 and protein to 188 grams.......yipes!

Power Eating

2010-04-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

First off…my stupid cold and sinus gunk is BACK..which irritates me to no end. My theory is that the antibiotics I took a couple weeks ago messed up my intestines and immune function a bit--like antibiotics are known to do since they get rid of bad stuff AND good stuff in the body. I have the expensive ”must keep refrigerated” probiotics….but they do not do me any good if I forget to TAKE them….sigh. And, as much as I hate to say it, I think that going from 3-4 times a week of exercise to doing daily intense exercise has taken my body by surprise and might be affecting my immune system a bit. Not sure…just a theory….but after not being sick for a year then getting two sinus things in the past month…corresponding to when I started doing daily intense workouts……seems like it might be related. (Though...my vitamin D levels had come down a bit over the past two months, too...so that likely played a role.) In any case.......no workouts for me since Saturday (sigh)….but I am starting up again tomorrow and might do two days on…one day off….for a while. (that is still 5 days a week) I’m older than I once was….I might need to ease myself into this daily thing! I also think I need to revise what I am eating to fuel such intense workouts…..so the arrival of my new book is aptly timed. It is time for me to do a nutrition overhaul so I can finally get to my goal....and if that means eating MORE....like this book suggests I do....then, that is even better.

“Power Eating” by Dr. Susan Kleiner arrived yesterday and I have read through most of it. Thanks for the suggestion, Wendy!

In Power Eating, the goals are to increase energy, cut fat and/or build muscle. I'm all for that! There are four different phases (not necessarily sequential) one might be in, depending on goals. One is “cutting” which is a rapid fat loss phase that should last no more than 7-14 days. Cutting has the fewest calories but is STILL more calories than I have been eating (interesting!) Another phase is simply the “fat loss” phase..and one can be in that phase as long as is needed. There is also a “muscle building” phase and a “maintenance” phase. She recommends different eating for each phase and goes into detail about how to figure out calories per day and, more importantly, what the calories should be: how much protein, carbs, fat. It is totally different depending on your phase and your current weight….and the intensity level/frequency of your workouts. What I found the most interesting is that someone in the "cutting" or "fat loss" phase needs a bit MORE protein each day than someone in the "building" phase. (she explains this all quite well in the book)

Perfect! A logical and personalized approach to nutrition based on current weight, exercise intensity, and goals…instead of some wacky “one size fits all” approach. I like it!

Another thing I like about this book is her discussion of exactly what very low (800-1000 calories a day) and low calorie (1000-1200) diets do to a body and why it is essential to eat higher calories. I am living proof that very low calorie diets do not work…they rob the body of muscle, they screw up the metabolism, and make it impossible to maintain the loss. (I have many such experiences over the past few decades!).

Based on my goals at this point, I think I am going to try 10-14 days of the “cutting” phase then do the “fat loss” phase until I am able to get this last 15-20 pounds of fat to go away….then move to the “maintenance” phase. The calories and amount of protein, carbs, and fat she suggests changes as weight goes down so I made myself a chart in Excel using her formulas to know what I should eat in each phase. (I also made one for my almost 16 year old because he wants to the "building" muscle phase...he gets to eat a minimum of 3300 calories a day.)

Right now..believe it or not…I am not eating enough protein OR carbs to lose the rest of this fat on my body (according to her research). Wow. And, my carbs...I had been trying to keep them below 150 grams a day.....but after reading her book I have discovered that my body needs more than this, given my current weight and exercise. Interesting!

In the book she cautions folks (esp body builders) to not eat too much protein because some folks who are trying to build muscle go overboard on the protein train and eat 300+ grams a day...and she also cautions the same group about eating too few carbs..and explains why.

I am going to take her theories to task and initiate a diet revision for myself! (hey...it could work...could fail..only one way to find out!) The good news is..that I have basically been eating what she considers to be “maintenance” levels of protein lately and..guess what…I have been sort of “maintaining” my weight for a while now. Good to know what I need to do once I get to where I want to be!

My 10-14 days of the “cutting” phase will consist of about 2400 calories a day….188 grams of which will come from lean protein. (Remember..this is specific to my weight and my activity level...not a one-size-fits-all approach) In the "fat loss" phase, the protein goes down a smidge and calories go up to around 2800 by adding more carbs and more fat. In my “maintenance” phase, when I get to 165 pounds and want to stay there….the protein intake is much lower at 105 grams a day (which is a bit lower than what I have been averaging lately) and the total calories are around 2850. That is a number I could happily live with for the rest of my life (as long as I keep exercising, that is!)

I think her book makes sense…..and although I have never tried eating that much protein before, I think it is worth a go for a few weeks.

I must confess that I like an eating plan where the LOWEST amount of calories for me is 2400…..that sure beats the pants off of the 1200 I had been doing for a while and even the 2000 or so I have done lately…and…the far too many times in the past where I was doing 1000 or less a day…..ugh!!! Sure, I can lose weight fast at less than 1000 calories a day...but I was not losing the right weight. No wonder I never was able to maintain it before..and no wonder I had (and still struggle with) such strength and muscle issues with my upper body.

So...I have felt crappy for a few days with this Sinus Thing Part II....and have not stepped on the scale since last Saturday, and TOM just arrived. (erg) I think I will try to begin the “cutting” program in a couple days and do a starting weight and bodyfat % at that point…and stick faithfully with it for 10-14 days..and see what happens. Should be interesting! I will use myself as the guinea pig so we can all see how this program works. What the heck. It is Spring, and I am up for an adventure. And, I'd love to get some of this fat off of me before my kettlebell certification course next month.....then I will just be known as the "wimpy old lady"....not the "chubby and wimpy old lady"....LOL. (Seriously..from the pictures it looks like most of the participants are in their early 20s...I can call them all whipper-snappers and shake a cane at them!)

At this point.....my goal is not to be or to look like a competitive body builder…but I sure would like to lose some more of this fat and get down to 18-20% in the next few months…and tone some things up a bit......then maintain it indefinitely. Maybe one day I will be known at the "Kettlebell Granny".....that would be awesome. :)

Thanks again, to Wendy, for the suggestion on the Power Eating book! Looks like this will be interesting, for sure. I will keep you posted.

Kettlebells, P90X and Snow Boarding, Oh My!

2010-04-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody!

Sorry I have been a bit absent this week. The kiddos are on Spring Break....tax season is in full swing, and I have been busy sweating up a storm on top of all of that. I hope you have had a splendid week!

I did it...I took the kids snow boarding a few days ago. And....good freaking golly....it is MUCH harder than skiing. I was a skiier in highschool and college....but have not skiied since, so I thought maybe I would have a nice fresh clean slate in my brain to be able to tackle the fundamentals of snow boarding. But, it really was a challenge, especially at first. Just hoisting myself upright....on a hill.....with both feet firmly planted in the bindings....yeah....just that part was difficult...especially having to do it over and over and over again since I did not learn how to not fall on my butt when I stopped until toward the end of the day. LOL But.....we all had a blast..it was a nice day...not too cold....snow was a bit sloppy this late in the season...but we did it and had some fun and all managed to get the basics down and come down the hill looking somewhat in control. Phew. Check that off my bucket list. Next time, tho....I think I will ski. The skiiers looked a bit more happy and relaxed...and I used to be pretty darn good at skiing....so I think my snow boarding days might be over...or at least quite limited. (I stuck only to the heel side for the day and might like to at least try to learn how to get over to the toe side before I totally throw in the towell....) And..wonders of wonders...my legs were not even sore the next day..thank you P90X and kettlebells! My butt was sore...but mostly from falling on it repeatedly...and wrists and forearms were a bit beat up. But, I expected to feel like a train had hit me when I woke up the next day, and I did not. Sweet!

I'm still powering through P90X and started week three today. If you recall.....this is actually week four but I got so sick on what would have been week two that I had to take several days off. So, I decided to start fresh again and figured I could use the extra week anyway, especially on the "chest and back" day which is the one workout I really find difficult and must modify most of it. (that was today's workout...yowsa). I got a cool new gizmo that helps me do the pullups, though. Instead of modifying with resistance tubing or by putting a chair in front of the pullup bar....I came up with a different plan. I found a VERY heavy resistance band LOOP (the loop part is important). It is like a 30" long rubber band. I put that on the pullup bar then put my foot through it...and it offsets my weight enough where I can do the pullups! Today was the first day trying it out, and it worked well.

And.....I have taken the plunge and am registered for a two day kettlebell workshop in May. If I pass the workshop, I will be a certified kettlebell instructor. How cool would that be? I have been a bit (lot) nervous about not being fit enough to be able to handle the two grueling days of training. (I really do not want to be the wimpy old weenie lady in the class......!!!!) But, I have built confidence and I think I am ready...and will be even more ready by mid May. I'm doing it....taking the plunge....getting certified so I can share my passion for kettlebells with others! (!!!!) I am excited.

In addition to my P90X workout today, I did this nice little kettlebell circuit (see video below) twice. It is fun. you should try it. Be prepared for your heart to take notice. I used a 12 kg (26 pound) kettlebell for the swings but will use a 16 kg (35 pounds) one next time (yes...my newest toy is a 16 kg kettlebell on loan from a friend who owns a fitness store....I can only press that bad boy a couple times with each arm so far....but it is fine for doing swings). And..yes....in the workout below I had to modify the full pushups because I am still a weenie....but I did ALL the rest of it right with him.

Here is my heart rate graph for today's workout. I did the P90X Chest and Back warmup first, then the kettlebell circuit above two times with a rest in between (note the two "mountains" on the heart rate graph beginning at minute 12....that would be the two kettlebell circuits...LOL. Yes....that is a good little 5 minute power workout for sure. Then I did the rest of the P90X Chest and Back workout...and then AbRipperX. A nice crazy long workout today. Felt good. Feels good. 1375 calories burned if I can trust my heartrate monitor's calorie calculation. I followed it with lots of protein and veggies...so don't worry. :)

I just ordered the Power Eating book that Wendy suggested in the comments of the last post. Here is what Wendy said about it.....a strong endorsment indeed:

Time to read Power Eating Greta. You won't regret it. I took some training with Kleiner and decided to try her method. I did her 7 day leaning diet and used her calculations to eat on a muscle building program following the lean. I did a 4 day alternating split lifting program - two days on/one day off. No cardio. I strictly tracked my intake of macronutrients to ensure proper intake levels. Got really cut; drew a lot of attention from other club members, incl. heavy lifting guys. Fun and effective. I love to be an experiment of one.

I think I am going to give that a try prior to going to kettlebell training. And..hey...I figure if I can get some of this final 15-20 pounds of fat off of my body before then....the training will be easier (less weight for me to push and pull around...right?) I'll keep you posted.

Tell me if you try the kettlebell workout above...and how it felt. If you do it, you will understand why kettlebells are fondly referred to as "weapons of ass destruction". :)

Inexpensive and Accurate Body Fat Monitor...and more

2010-03-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

I was reading through comments and just wanted to let you know that you do not need to save up for an expensive bodyfat scale. The Omron HBF-306 Body Fat Analyzer handheld monitor is around $30 over at amazon. It is actually very accurate, when used as directed. It has an athlete setting, and gives you a way to figure out if you need this setting, or the normal one. And, although it might not be the exact number you would get if you were hydrostatically weighed, it does give you a point of reference so you know if bodyfat is going up or down...which is the important part!!!

You can also use the link over on the right of my blog for a free measurement-based bodyfat calculation. This one seems to always be right in line with the reading I get from the Omron hand held monitor.

In other news, I am managing to stay on track with P90X still. Shoulders and Arms with an Ab Ripper X chaser was yesterday. YogaX is today (am psyching myself up for that..and deciding if I want to do it before coffee or after...hm).

I love this exercise program and, after a bit of a rough start, I like exercising daily (as long as there is variety!). The thing I love MOST, tho, is that I have to almost force myself to eat enough calories each day. Yesterday I had a 7 oz lean sirloin steak for dinner with a gob of sauteed mushrooms and onions (with.....erm...a couple of pieces of bacon tossed in for flavor.....lol) and three campari tomatoes....then later had a big mug of decaf coffee with one of my gluten-free scones AND a 100 calorie fudgesicle. (I had a decent sized breakfast and lunch, too!) And the scale was still down half a pound this morning....as was bodyfat. If being able to eat more and not gain weight is my reward for daily intense exercise, then I will fully embrace it! It almost sounds like one of those late-night infomercials....eat more, weigh less....which no one would ever believe. But, I do. Forget starvation diets and processed packaged gunk....eat real food, exercise with intention and intensity and variation (weights, cardio, interval)....and see what happens. It's all good!

Spring break here and I am waiting for children to emerge from their various corners of the house so I can feed them. I am working later this afternoon instead of this morning--and later this morning we are going to go see How To Train a Dragon in 3D. Fun fun. Tomorrow....snowboarding. LOL....yes....even me. It will be everyone's first time and we will have a group lesson....so hold good thoughts and feel free to post tips for me in the comments. I am already expecting to be sore..but I think it will be a blast.

Have you ever tweaked your daily calories upward while doing an intense exercise program? I am fascinated by this concept, Mostly because I think it would stink to eat like a rabbit forever. I enjoy food and am not a fan of highly restrictive diets. Tell me what you know, from personal experience, about eating more, exercising more, and losing weight. (Wendy, I remember you saying something about upping calories to 2700 for a while during an intense exercise program you were doing...with really good results....please share!)

Plyometrics, Heart Rate, Fat..you know..the usual stuff....

2010-03-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

179.6 this morning. Broke back through 180 again. I know....I know....seems like the same old story here again and again...for the past few months.....why can't I just blast well below 180 and be done with the weight loss portion of this journey....!?! It is ok, tho....the last time I briefly got below 180 (early February) my bodyfat percentage was 29% and this morning it was 25.8%. So, it is not like I am loafing around here...I promise! I have more muscle than I did then, and less fat. I'll take it. It will ensure that I keep this weight off.

As you know..I have lost weight before but have never managed to keep it off. The #1 reason for that is because I never cared before if I was losing fat or muscle...all I cared about was the number on the scale. I have learned my lesson (over and over.....I am clearly a slow learner)...and am finally doing this the right way by trying to maintain/build muscle as I lose fat...instead of losing muscle along with fat.

Please...learn from my mistakes!

If I wanted to, I could make the scale go down REALLY fast....by eating very low calories and only small amounts of protein...and not doing any weights or body resistance work...I'd lose this last 15 pounds in a couple/three weeks. I totally have the willpower to be able to do that. But...I will not..because that is a very harmful (and typically temporary) way to lose weight. That method would NOT result in much fat leaving my body...it would be muscle, water and only some fat....and my metabolism would decrease (metabolism is in direct proportion to amount of lean muscle in a body), and I would still have too much body fat even though the scale was a number I would like. Then, I would have to eat far fewer calories to maintain that new lower weight because my metabolism would have gone down. Forget that!! I want to eat more calories when I weigh less....not fewer....! So...I'm doing this the SLOW AND PERMANENT AND LOGICAL way this time. Losing just fat....maintaining and/or building some nice strong muscle. I have NEVER felt better, either....I am in better shape at 42 than I have ever been in my life. I like that. :)

(kicks that same old soapbox to the side again)

Okay.....so I just MUST post a graph from my new toy (see prior post). I just finished up my P90X Plyometrics workout and wore the heart rate monitor. So, here is the scoop of just how intense P90X Plyometrics is:

Total time: 66 minutes
Average Heartrate (before I started the cooldown) was 154
Maximum Heart Rate was 175
I was at 90%+ of my Maximum Heart Rate (zone 5) for 18 minutes during the workout (dang).
1142 Calories burned (according to my weight and heartrate during the workout...again..not sure how accurate this is because this seems insane)

And...the graph:

How pretty is that workout? Nice, huh? This was my third time doing it...and I defiinitely noticed improvement. I still might not look like much of a rockstar on the rockstar jumps.....but I looked like more of one today that I did the first time I tried it. :)

Back to fat. I know we have all chit chatted about the fat v muscle thing a bazillion times....but I am curious. Do you track your bodyfat along with your weight? And, if you do....what changes do you make if you notice that your muscle mass is going down....and how effective have you been in correcting it?

New Toy

2010-03-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Phew....I've been up since the crack of dawn (well before, actually)....went to an all-day wrestling tournament 90 miles from home....and made it home in time to make dinner for the masses and then..somehow....managed to get in my P90X workout. I was really not sure if I was going to swing it today....yesterday was "rest"day (and a much needed one at that) and I sort of figured I was going to have to take an extra rest day and start again tomorrow. But..I did it. Now I am dead-tired!

I bought a new toy last Thursday and it was in my mail box today. I finally got a heart monitor watch. It is not super fancy...it is a pretty basic Timex one and I got the dohicky (data recorder) that transmits the data to my computer if I decide to also wear it during the workout. No GPS or anything like that. Here is the one I got (it was by far the best price I was able to find for both the watch and the data thingie)http://www.fitmed.com/timex/timex_digital_zone_midsize_heart_rate_monitor.htm Oh....hmmmm....looks like I got it right in time..I got both the watch and the data recorder for $99 plus free shipping....but now the combo is $16 more than that.

Do you use a heart rate monitor? I never have before. I just sometimes use the not-too-accurate ones on the cardio machines and sometimes take a 10 second pulse when I am exercising to check it. I guess I am "high tech" now.

I set it all up and figured it all out, then did P90X tonight while wearing it. I am not a huge fan of the chest band....but it was not too horrible. The heartrate info is interesting....and the graph it sent to my computer is cool. It tracks my heartrate by zone (how many minutes I was in each of five heart rate "zones"). The manual even had a quick way to estimate my maximum heart rate that seems more accurate than the age old 220 minus age way. Their suggested method involves a 3 minute step test and a 1 minute sitting/standing test--then some calculations. According to that, my max heart rate is 10-20 bpm higher than the 220-age method (which I always thought anyway--based on some of the interval work I have done)

The watch also calculates my calories burned which I expect it is just a rough estimate of calories burned. It says I burned 769 calories tonight ("chest and back" then "ab ripper x"). An hour and 9 minutes total. 769 seems high, doesn't it??.....esp since my heart rate does not go up too terribly much on this workout (average was around 120-130...highest was 152 but just for a wee bit). It will be interesting to see what it measures for Plyometrics tomorrow..or Kenpo X later in the week...those make my heart soar. (769....dang....no wonder I need to eat more when doing P90X!)

So...more data for me to play with and think about. :) And, a good motivator to work a run into my P90X lineup this week...just to test out the monitor on a run and see what my heart does when I run.

Oh oh oh...and guess what!?! Remember my "Flexed Arm Hang" post back in January? On a break at the wrestling tournament today the boys and I were outside horsing around on the pullup bars and I decided to try another timed flexed arm hang. The best time I have clocked has been 11 or 12 seconds (I have only tried a couple times since my post in January). Today: 17 seconds. Hey....that is a 50% improvement. I'll take it. So....I still might struggle with real pushups....but...I am getting stronger. (darn it!) Progress...even if small...is still progress.

What about you? Have you seen progress since January? Do tell!

Why We Get Fat and Brown Fat

2010-03-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

I am at work eating lunch, and really ought not to be posting to my blog. But....I just saw this article and wanted to share it with you:

Why We Get Fat: Seeking Clues in Our Cells

So...HOW might we go about increasing our brown fat? I googled that and found some info:

Maximize Your Metabolism
www.maximizeyourmetabolism.com/MaxYourMetabolismBlog/?p=40

How Now Brown Fat
www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2009/05/how-now-brown-fat/

Can Brown Fat Make You Thin?
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090407/can-brown-fat-make-you-thin

I think I have increased my brown fat...I definitely feel like a furnace after I eat recently...and never ever felt that way before. I imagine that aerobic work AND weight training both help with the brown fat...as well as eating enough fat (which, I do...about 30-40% of my calorie intake each day). The second article above says that the amount of brown fat in our bodies increases as BMI decreases...interesting as well. Anyway....food for thought..especially for those of us who have thyroid issues and/or want to fully maximize our metabolism!

Ok..gotta zoom. Later, gators. :) Tell me what you think..and feel free to post links to other related articles...I did not really have time to do a full lit review here at work.

(BINGO...in this article it says that brown fat is derived from muscle. Aaaaaaah...muscle. Gotta LOVE it!!! http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080820/brown-fat-new-key-to-weight-loss)

A Few Confessions....

2010-03-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings bloggies. I'm here....just been busy up to my eyeballs the past few days. So..this is a bit of a scattered post with a few confessions thrown in--to keep you reading. :)

Confession #1. Here is an item I covet: http://www.tanita.com/en/what-s-new/view/192-id.209715233.html And, only $299 (ha ha...buy one for each bathroom). WHY...would I consider paying $300 to know exactly how fat each of my legs are? LOL (And, no worries, this item is definitelty NOT in my budget any time soon..by the time it is maybe the price will have come down) It is pretty cool, though....it measures fat and muscle in each leg, each arm, and the torso...as well as visceral fat, water, bone....what a fun ~~toy~~ tool this would be!

I'm definitely recovered. Today was day five of P90X.....not sure yet if I will consider this week 1 or week 2...since I had to take a 6 day "vacation" in between week 1 and 2 due to the plague. Regardless, I am back in the game and brutalizing every little centimeter of my body with Tony Horton (who...I used to call Satan but now I sort of have a crush on him...LOL...he is kind of goofy and fun, and not so shabby to look at). He is 45....or was when he did the P90X videos. Pretty impressive for a 45 year old.  Woo woo! I'm getting better and better at Ab RipperX. I am able to do the full amount of reps on all but a couple of the exercises and I definitely notice my mid section is a lot more firm than it was a couple weeks ago. It is nice to be able to see and feel progress..keeps me motivated. And...oh.....my shoulders and arms....so sore...I know I must be getting stronger there. My second attempt at Yoga X was more productive than my first. All is well.

The first week that I did P90X, I upped my calories quite a bit and lost a crazy amount of weight. Then...got sick and the scale stayed the same even though I was eating next to nothing for a few day. This week....I have upped the calories again and the scale is not really moving too much.. I am not really worried about it at this point--my body is still sort of getting over being sick I think. My big goal right now is the get stronger and faster. The scale will move. I'm going to give it a few more days before I make any nutrition adjustments. And....pants are feeling roomy! The 14s might be on their way out of my closet soon.....finally!

My younger boys do a spring Track Club starting in May. They always want parents to volunteer to help with the different events.....and the warm ups, stretching, exercises, etc. Confession #3: I never volunteered before because I thought it would be a bit comical for someone who was obese and not at ALL in shape....and someone who never did track before...to try to help the kids. Instead I would usually just walk the track while the kids were doing their thing--or I would stay and chit chat with the other non-volunteering parents. This year...I plan to volunteer...and help whip the kids into shape....! I am already getting an arsenal of good warm up and stretching exercises....and some leg and plyometric exercises....to spring on 'em. Look out kiddos.....here comes P90X lady....LOL. Maybe there will be more gold medals at the meets this year. :) (Anyone for leap frog squats?)

In totally other news....Confession #4.....I often crave something that I am not allowed to have: Starbucks mini vanilla scones. But gluten=poison for me. I decided to start experimenting with Pamela's gluten free bake mix and find a recipe that is similar...but gluten free. Attempt #1 was yesterday and they ended up being really quite good! They have 165 calories each if you cut them into 20 pieces. Yum. And, easy. Oven to 400 degrees. You take 2 1/4 cup of Pamela's Bake Mix and cut in 5 Tablespoons of cold butter (I use a pastry blender). Add 1/2 cup sugar and mix together. In a separate bowl mix 1 cup sour cream, 2-3 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg yolk. Pour the liquid into the dry mix and blend together till it forms a ball. Press the ball onto a floured (floured with Pamela's) baking stone and make into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 20 pieces and separate the pieces just a bit...then bake at 400 for 15 minutes. While they are baking, mix 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and a Tablespoon or two of milk together...add milk until it is thin enough to drizzle or spread over the scones. (not as thick as frosting....but not too liquidy either). I added about a Tablespoon of unsweetened dried coconut to it.....yum. When the scones come out of the oven, drizzle or spread the glaze over the top then cool.

Super healthy? Yeah..not really. But...a nice little gluten-free goody when the kids are chowing on girlscout cookies or brownies or such. And, really quite good.

Another not so sinful Confession (#5):  I miss running. Doing P90X daily is really all I have time for (and it is often a struggle to fit it in)..but...I feel like I need to get out and do a run. Hm. I read ahead and noticed that in weeks 5-7 that there is cardio is in the morning THEN the usual stuff in the evening ("two a days" with P90X...yikes...)...maybe instead of the cardio DVD I will run then. Maybe even add it in before then. Actually..the "rest" week (week 4) is almost all cardio and no resistance..... In any case....I might just go for a run one of these days on top of P90X just because. Not tonight, tho....I am beat....and my shoulders and abs are screaming right now (even though today was Legs and Back.....weird).

Ok, this is longer than I had anticipated. Thanks for hanging in there and reading.  Question for you tonight: What part of your body is sore today, and why?

Word of the Day: Sarcopenia

2010-03-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I am back to nearly normal now...as the black plague leaves my body. Yuck....that really was just NO fun at all. I have not really paid too much attention to the scale this week....or anything else, actually....and I only was able to eat weird and small amounts of food over the past few days. A rice cake with almond butter and half a banana was one of my "biggest" meals....yes, there are calories...but hardly any protein....I had hardly any protein at all from Tuesday-Thursday....not good for a Type O Hunter like me. I have not exercised at all since last Sunday except for a very tiny amount of work (like....3 minutes only) with my new 12 kg kettlebell today.

When I grabbed the bodyfat monitor just now I was ~~surprised~~ staggered to see it went up over 1 percentage point from last week.....even though my weight is essentially the same. WTH? Is it really possible to LOSE over 3 pounds of muscle and replace it with 3 pounds of fat due to inactivity and inadequate nutrition (esp protein) for 5 days? That seems a bit unlikely...but.....??? Any of you science folks who care to illuminate me...please do. Could I really have lost 3 pounds of muscle this week (and added 3 pounds of fat?)

I did a bit of digging on google about muscle atrophy but did not find anything concrete enough to answer my question above. However, I learned a new word. Sarcopenia. Ever heard of it? It is really quite fascinating, and also a very important word to understand...especially for those of us who are...erm.....past our 20s and 30s.

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass, form, and function. It is inevitable, though it is seldom discussed or understood by most of our medical care providers. However, there are some things we can do to prevent it. Guess what they are!?!

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/sarcopenia.html

http://health.howstuffworks.com/life-stages/aging/sarcopenia.htm

Oh, and you will LOVE the most current post on this blog........um......yes, it seems vaguely familiar.....http://sarcopenia.wordpress.com/

Instead of quoting from the above three articles.......I'm going to let you read them and then quote the most compelling part back to us in your comments. This truly is important stuff to understand....not just for ourselves, but also for our loved ones. In addition to making sure we have enough resistance work each week, it is also time to encourage our elderly friends to use some resistance bands.....or....heck.....a kettlbell or two!

Ok..cannot resist...have to quote ONE thing......then will let you do the rest: "Hasten and others (2000) reported that following a 2-week supervised Resistance Training program muscle protein synthesis rates increased up to 182% from baseline in seven 78 to 84 year olds."

That is REMARKABLE STUFF, isn't it??? Two weeks!!!

Looking forward to your thoughts on this.

Well..that was NOT fun....

2010-03-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

TGIF. Seriously. I want this week to be over now.

Somehow...my little cold that started quite calmly last week (you know....the one I ignored totally while I kept exercising and living life normally) decided to conquer me totally this week and bloom into a full-on sinus infection wrapped up with some lovely flu symptoms. I have not been that sick in a long time. I have had sinus infections before...usually I get one a year...but nothing like this one. This was the mother of all sinus infections. I am on day 2 of mega doses of antibiotics (which I hate) and am slowly emerging from the dizzy pounding fog of the past three days. Oh, and while I was in the thick of it all......my 9 year old managed to cut his finger with his boyscout knife and 4 stitches were required...then last night my 13 year old injured his neck at wrestling which necessitated a 5 hour visit to the Emergency Room (from 7 pm to midnight). (He is fine....some seriously strained muscles...but no spine issues...phew) Really? You guys could not do these things any of the other 51 weeks this year where I was totally healthy? Nope. Life can be funny that way.

I have not exercised since last Sunday. Last Sunday was the P90X "rest" day but I decided to do "The Chrissy" workout just to see if I could do it. I did it. And, it was REALLY hard for me. It took me MUCH longer than most..but I made it through....and sweated like crazy and got my heartrate rocking and rolling. But, then......that was it. I have not exercised since. Hell, I have had trouble standing up for more than 3 minutes since Tuesday. Erg. Maybe I can blame this all on The Chrissy workout. (kidding) Hey..I can swing that kettlebell till the cows come home...but the burpee with the jump....just....slays me.

I feel MUCH better today than the past three days...but not 100% yet. I did manage to do lots (and lots) of laundry today, strip the beds, pay some bills, cleaned up the kitchen, etc....so.....I am getting better. My stomach is still a mess. It was a mess even before I started on the antibiotic...which is why I think I might have a sinus thing packaged together with a flu thing. Erg. Oh.....and I have not eaten very much the past couple days..but the scale is holding firm to 180......crap....LOL...that was my one potentially good result of the week.....but...noooooo! (I am really not worried about it...but...talk about adding insult to injury).

So....here is my big question.....when should I even TRY to exercise again? I miss P90X. :( I was getting into such a great groove...what a shame to lose so many days. I know several of you have had some killer illnesses this past few months..how did you know when you were capable of pushing yourself again? I certainly do NOT want a relapse!

One year down...a lifetime to go!

2010-03-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Blogville! My cold has definitely gotten the better of me and decided to set up camp in my sinuses and lungs. Erg. Yesterday and today were definitely sick days for me. This is just a quick post to say....HOORAY.....it has been one year since the beginning of my journey and great strides have been made. I am more fit than I have been at any other time of my life, and well on my way to my goal weight. 73 pounds are gone overall, which consists of 80.5 pounds of fat leaving my body, and 7.5 pounds of lean muscle being added to my body. My metabolism has gone up for the first time ever during a weight loss journey...which will be the key to my long-term success. It has been a good year. Thank YOU for all your support. It has definitely helped me stay motivated and stay on track. You guys are awesome! :)

NSV: Earlier this week I attended a jazz concert at a restaurant...my 7th grader's Jazz Band was the opening act. When they were done playing, we stayed to watch the main act but there were not any open seats.....so I scooted over and shared my chair with my 13 year old. Yeah...THAT could have never happened a year ago. Small things....all add up.....it is nice to have a smaller eco butt-print! :)

Eat More and Weigh Less??? o.O

2010-03-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Eat More and Weigh Less. That is the stuff of late night infomercials for scam products, right? Or, is it? Keep reading. :)

This is a follow up from yesterday's post. Oh...and KenpoX was a blast. Our favorite DVD in P90X so far. Today is P90X rest day. I have on my running clothes, tho...and am contemplating a short run in the warmish sun.

Before I begin with this post...I will begin with some references--so you know I am not just making this stuff up. The first three are quite filled with science. The fourth is a lot more basic, and summarizes a lot of the information in the first two articles.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark15.htm

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2010/02/01/mythbusting-protein-endurance-events/

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/articles/robbie-durand/putting-the-breaks-on-catabolism?page=0%2C0

http://www.livestrong.com/article/88915-add-lean-body-mass/

The number one reason why people gain weight as they age (aside from eating more and moving less) is because their muscle mass decreases. Each pound of muscle burns about 50 calories a day. So, the fewer pounds of muscle on your body, the less calories you burn each day, and the less calories you can eat to maintain weight or lose weight. (Forget that! I love to eat and want as high of a metabolism as possible!)

Instead of severely restricting calories to lose weight, which can put your body into a starvation mode and actually slow down your metabolism (and be tedious and lead to irrational cravings and increased stress), your best bet for long term fat loss is build some muscle mass and to eat enough calories to AT LEAST support your resting metabolic rate....... What is your resting metabolic rate? It depends on your gender, your height, your weight. AND...your lean body weight. Most RMR calculators do not take lean mass into account, however....but this RMR calculator does, so check it out:
http://nutrition.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Lean-Mass-RMR

If you are active or very active and are trying to lose weight, you might need to eat about 20% more than your RMR...or else your body will hold on to the fat because it feels like it needs it to support what you are doing. Eat more, lose more. I am all over that! How about you?

So, now, let's talk exercise. In my opinion, it is best to be well balanced in your approach. Cardio. Strength. Intervals. (You can read the above articles for way more info on that)

However, long bouts of endurance training triggers the hormone cortisol...which can decrease your muscle mass (read the science-y articles above...cortisol is "catabolic")...so if you are a runner or do other endurance work...be sure to fuel your body very well before and after your runs....and be sure you get enough protein after your run. The articles above also indicate that it is best to keep cardio work on different days of the week than strength work. It seems to be logical to do cardio 3 days a week and weights 3 DIFFERENT days a week. It is good to be balanced. Oh! And do interval work during your cardio days to boost your endurance and speed and to increase your muscle building hormones (testosterone and growth hormone which are both "anabolic" and help to build muscles....and come from doing anaerobic work such as weights and interval work). Interval work also reaches muscle fibers that lifting weights and cardio to not reach. To do intervals, just go "all out" for 1-2 minutes..then slow back down for 1-2 minutes....and repeat If you do interval work once or twice a week, you will notice improvements in both your strength and cardio fitness.

http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/Intervals.htm

NOTE: I have studied all of this extensively over the past few months...and have put this all to the test this week when I started P90X. The P90X nutrition guide suggests a very similar formula for figuring out calories. According to my calculations, I am supposed to eat 2400 calories a day while doing P90X. (um! OMG) This is a LOT more than I have been eating...and it freaked me out a bit...and I was VERY skeptical. Prior to this week, I have averaged about 1500-1600 calories a day. A year ago when I started losing weight, I was closer to 1200 a day...so 1500-1600 seemed pretty grand to me.

As you know, I have been somewhat STUCK weight-wise since December as I keep gaining and losing the same 8 pounds on the scale. I have been struggling to leave the 180s behind. My body fat has come down since December, so I knew that part was good and fat was going away and I was building some muscle, but I really needed the total weight to head south as well because I was starting to get a bit discouraged, and a bit sloppy. This was the main reason I chose to do P90X. P90X is a combo of exactly what I was talking about above...strength, cardio, and interval work. I could be doing the same thing without a program like P90X...and just stick with the gym, with running, and with interval work. But, I was at a point where I wanted to change things up a bit and liked the idea of having someone tell me and show me exactly what to do each day....plus my boys really wanted to do the P90X program, too. The one thing that is majorly different between P90X and what I was doing before is that when I went to the gym I would work ALL muscles in my 90 minute bout there--each group for 10-15 minutes. And I did that 2-3 times a week. P90X only works ONE group of muscles for the whole hour each day...then switches to a new group the next day.

I hesitate to share my results so far, because it has only been a week. I want to see similar results for this coming week before I start shouting from the rooftops. But, I can tell you that I was creeping back toward the 190 territory when I started a week ago..and I am definitely quite close to the 180 territory today. I have had some impressive weight loss and fat loss this week......even though (or....perhaps...BECAUSE) I upped my calories and changed my exercise. I am eager to see if this trend continues because..so far..this is definitely a direction I'd like to keep going.

Eat more, weigh less, exercise smart.

Truly....remarkable concept to me. Making my body more efficient is my #1 objective. I've never done well on highly restricted or packaged diets...I am not even a fan of protein shakes...I like real chewable unprocessed food in normal quantities. One thing I have noticed this week as I have upped my calories is that I have not had any desire to binge...not once. I think my "binge desire" comes when I am being too restrictive with my calories..which stresses me out..and makes other normal-life stresses seem worse than they are....it becomes a bad cycle. I feel pretty darn good after a week of eating more and exercising smart..and the scale and body fat monitor seem to be singing my praises as well.

I am a bit irritated that one reason why my weight might have been "stuck" since December is that I have likely not been eating enough, given my exercise....how bizarre and counter-intuitive that seems..and what an easy fix that would have been. But....each day and each week and each month I learn more about this process. And, looking at it more closely, I have definitely increased my muscle mass since December...which burns more calories. So, not eating enough might have been stressing out my body so much that it lowered its metabolism to adapt. Not what I want...I want my metabolism burning hot. But...again...cautiously optimistic here. Let's see what happens in the week ahead. And if I can stick to it.

So, tell me....have you ever increased your calories and noticed a weight loss? How did you determine the amount of calories it takes for you to lose weight? What about changing your exercise? Do tell. Also, what is your RMR and how does it relate to how many calories you eat each day, exercise, etc?

Do You Know..Do You Care..Should You Care.....?

2010-03-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings! I have somehow made it through five days of P90X, even with this evil little cold. And....check this out....my calories are UP by about 500 a day more than I had been eating.....but weight is down, and body fat percentage is down. Whooot! Eat more, lose fat.....that is my kind of week! Yesterday was Legs and Back....with the delightful "Ab RipperX" chaser. Son #1 joined in..which made it more fun. The Ab RipperX thing is 16 minutes of insane Ab work every other day after the main DVD...so yesterday was my third attempt at AbRipperX..and...it was a bit easier than the first time....which is so great. I love to see progress and improvement, even just a tiny bit....it keeps me motivated....woo hoo. Oh...and one thing that was a big victory for me was on YogaX day. But, it was so early in the morning that I was not even sure that this was real or that I did it...so I tested it again yesteday just to confirm. In YogaX, I was able to...a few times, go from plank to Chaturanga and not crash into the floor...or even touch the floor...and even held it for a bit. For those of you who have been reading me for a while..you know about my struggle with upper body strength and with pushups (or anything LIKE a pushup). So, although I cannot push myself back up to plank from Chaturanga yet......I can get down to that position...which is HUGE improvement for me. A big NSV, for sure. (Remember, last July I could not lower my body down even 1/2 an inch from the top push-up (plank) position.....it was pretty sad....and it irritated me enough to DO something about it. It has involved strength training, a chiropractor (who determined my neck and shoulders were all messed up), a Physical Therapist (10 weeks of ROLFing), etc. I thought my results would be faster than they have been....and it has been very frustrating...so any and all improvement I see in this area makes me smile....a tired but happy smile.

Today is day 6 of P90X. KenpoX...which is some sort of martial-art-ish thing..not sure...it will be revealed to me soon...'cause I am headed in there to do it as soon as I publish this post.

Now...on to the actual post.....sorry if it is a bit "preachy"....but if you have been reading a while you know this subject is my BIG emphasis and it has been the single most important one to me during this year of weight loss. It is (and will be) the key to maintaining my weight loss once and for freaking-all this time around! So, I like to share the wisdom I have gained on this subject. Thanks for putting up with me in that regard. So.....here we go:

Do you know your current body fat percentage? Do you care? Should you care?

I know I have posted a lot of info on this subject before, but I just wanted to post a reminder about the importance of tracking body fat along with weight loss/gain. Your weight on the scale is only one piece to the puzzle...and, truly....is virtually meaningless if you do not know your body fat percentage along with it. (or at least a general estimate of your body fat percentage so you can track the trend).

Think about it. If two people were the same height and both weighed 150 pounds.....but one was 30% body fat and the other was 20% body fat....guess who is WAAAAAY healthier and fit, at a much lower risk of disease, looks better and has smaller measurements, and has a significantly higher metabolism? Yes.....the one with the lower percentage of body fat. It matters. Big time!

Many (most) people who lose large amounts of weight are not only losing fat. They are losing lean mass (muscle) along with the fat. So when the scale goes down 10 pounds...it might be that only 6 of it is fat, and 4 of it is muscle/lean mass. (yikes!) This is especially true on very low calorie diets or diets with inadequate amounts of protein. Muscle loss is expected if a person is morbidly obese, but it should still try to be minimized. Muscle/lean body weight loss is NOT ok when the person is not morbidly obese. It is very important to make sure that you are maintaining or increasing your lean body weight (muscle) during weight loss and only losing fat. You WANT the lean weight/muscle. It burns more calories, it makes you more healthy and strong, and it makes you look and feel better!

The NUMBER ONE reason people gain back the weight they lose (and oftentimes...more) when they diet is because they lose lean muscle when they diet. This makes their metabolism go down, which means that they must eat less and less calories in order to maintain a healthy weight. They lose weight...then realize that the minute they start eating a "normal" amount of calories...the weight just packs back on...fast. Yo-yo.

Let's say someone weighed 200 pounds and was 35% fat when they started a weight loss journey. That means they have 130 pounds of lean body weight, and 70 pounds of fat to start. If this person loses 50 pounds and is 28% fat once they reach their goal of 150 pounds....that means they have lost 22 pounds of lean muscle, and 28 pounds of fat. But 50 pounds is 50 pounds, right? Nope. Losing that much lean mass will mean their metabolism is much slower than it used to be so they have to eat MUCH less to maintain this new weight, and they are still at an unhealthy percentage of fat. If this person had maintained their lean weight during their weight loss they could have gotten WAY down to 20% fat by only losing a total of 37.5 pounds. Of fat. If she had lost 37.5 pounds of JUST fat....she'd be sitting pretty at 162.5 pounds and be a nice and lean 20% fat. She would have lost LESS overall weight, but would look better, be healthier, and have smaller measurements than she would have at 150 pounds and 28% fat. Which sounds better? Losing 50 pounds and still being somewhat unhealthy....or losing 37.5 pounds and being lean and healthy and strong?

TRACK YOUR BODY FAT!!!!! Do whatever it takes to maintain or increase your lean weight as you lose fat. (What does it take? Simple. Exercise....lifting some weights.....and eating enough protein.)

Some people say "Oh, when I exercise I do not lose weight as fast...so I do not exercise". PLEASE.....pleaase...tell me that you can understand the folly in this logic.....after my example above! Sure...you do not lose weight "as fast"...because you are preserving and/or building some muscle. But the more you exercise and lift weights...the LESS overall weight you need to lose! It is brilliant! And, exercise and weights makes you feel better and look better.....a bonus.

There are a lot of online calculators that can give you an estimate of your body fat based on measurements. There are some scales that can estimate it. There are hand held body fat analyzers (such as the omron ones for $30) that will tell you. There is hydrostatic weighing....which is the most accurate. There are bodypods that some gyms and docs have.

I found an online calculator today that gives me almost identical results as the omron hand held analyzer does. You can check it out here: http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/body-fat-percentage-calculator.php

Just...do it. Make it a habit of checking your fat percentage whenever you check your weight. Just to see where you are at and how it is going. If it seems like you are losing lean mass...then make some adjustments. Do a little more weight lifting (fill a couple empty gallon milk jugs up with water for an 8 pound hand weight if you do not have any weights in the house...bench press a toddler...do squats and pushups, do kettlebells, find a hot trainer at your gym to introduce you to some barbell and dumbbell moves....be creative....!). Eat a bit more protein. It is good to stay on top of this and to understand what is happening to your body as the scale goes down. Or...when the scale does not go down. Look at this:

"Oh, I am so mad..I worked so hard at the gym this week, I ate well, and I did not lose any weight...what is wrong with me, I am broken, I can't lose weight, I am a failure" What really happened.....lets say this person was 180 last week....and 180 this week. So sad, right? No weight loss. But...what if her fat percentage was 29% last week, and 27.5% this week? Guess what happened? The scale did not move....but she lost 2.7 pounds of fat.....and gained 2.7 pounds of lean muscle.....which is a remarkable feat and a VERY successful week! She ROCKED it....but might 'give up" because the scale does not reflect this victory.

The more lean body weight you have, the more you can weigh and still be considered a healthy weight. (because your percentage of body fat is a MUCH MUCH more accurate indicator of how healthy you are then your current weight is) The more lean body weight you have, the higher your metabolism is, and the more you can eat to maintain your current weight....and, the easier it is to lose weight if you reduce your calories (because you are burning more calories).

References:
http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/fitnessevalandassessment/a/Body_Fat_Comp.htm
http://truestarhealth.com/members/cm_archives11ML3P1A20.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_288_build-lean-body.html

Another post I did a while back on this subject (with more references) http://bigbottomblogger.blogspot.com/2009/08/plateau-heck-no.html

Keep track of what is happening with your body composition by recording weight AND fat each time you measure...and make sure you are only losing fat, and not your gorgeous hard working muscle.

Get strong. Get lean. Keep that muscle....lose that fat. It is a beautiful thing!

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

When there is an X.....

2010-03-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

Day 4 of P90X got done early this morning. I was up super early..and figured..hey..today is Yoga...what a great way to start the day! But, I forgot one thing. The X. Not Yoga. Today was Yoga X.

I have only done some Yoga in my life. Pregnancy Yoga, mostly....nice gentle calm Yoga that is not very strenuous or challenging. I did Yoga with the Wii last week..and that was all fine and good--especially since I got very high scores and the little Wii dude was all happy with me. So, I figured I would be ready for Yoga X. I mean..come on...how hard could it be?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaa. Yeah....how hard could it be? Well. I learned.

It was hard. And it was 90 minutes (which I did not realize) I was doing fairly well keeping up (and sweating profusely, I might add) until we got to this beauty of a combo..check out the maneuver at about the 3 minute mark:

Hey..I gave it my best shot..but...cripes..it was 5:45 in the morning after all! I am sure it was not pretty. And, would have been somewhat frightening to anyone watching me attempt that.

This one was followed by three more really intense combos (Prayer Twist from Runner's Pose to Side Arm Balance and then Warrior III to Standing Splits then Half Moon to Twisting Half Moon). I was losing steam and it was only about the half-way mark for the DVD...I was worried. The good news is that some balance poses came up next and those are not as challenging for me. So..next time, I will be better able to power through those knwing that Tree pose is coming soon. Toward the end....is a lovely little section called Yoga Belly.....aaaah....intense Ab work while doing Yoga. Because Ab Ripper X from yesterday (and for tomorrow) is just not enough....

It is ok. It is all good.

My cold and sore throat is still chasing me..and we have a cold dreary rain/sleet thing happening today. I am just glad I got in my exercise early today because...of all days...this one would have been a perfect day to blow off the exercise. It is only 3:50 pm and I am already looking forward to sleep. Brrrrrr and.......ooooooowwwww! No pain, no gain.......right? Right? (pathetic whimper)

Muddling Through

2010-03-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

Aaaaah, life! Finances are (very) stressful. Work is enjoyable but also a bit stressful. My part-time business is barely afloat these days.....this week I have kids with half school days all week (oh, and conferences to attend for all of them). Most days....I am amazed at the end of the day that I even made it through and got (most) everything done..everyone where they needed to be, everyone fed, the bills paid, groceries bought, the animals cared for, the house somewhat picked up and the dishes done.....a shower......

Fitting in exercise and trying to eat right is tough!

I enjoyed what I saw of the Biggest Loser last night because they had "work week" where they all had to commute (via bus) to and work an full 8-hour shift at the food bank..and still manage to get in their exercise (around limited gym hours) and make and plan their meals. Aaaaaaah....yes...real life! They were exhausted....and I totally understood that! (Actually...I was SO tired when I was watching it I fell asleep before the end so I do not even know who got voted off..guess I need to go watch the end before I fall asleep tonight...).

Anyhoo..I guess I am just venting a bit. Or, "preaching to the choir", as I am sure everyone who reads this has an equally nutty and busy life (or moreso!) and you face similar struggles.

The good news: I did exercise today. I managed to do "Day 3" of P90X. Shoulders and Arms were the workout du jour...with an Ab Ripper X chaser. My kids joined me in the 16 minute Ab Ripper extravaganza..which was fun. We were in the master bedroom..which is not big and not much floor space...all flailing our legs and arms about and trying not to kick each other in the eyeballs. After dinner (I grilled up some fresh lean ground sirloin into some mean looking burgers for them.....I grilled myself a huge 8 oz patty with mushrooms and onions piled on top) my 9 year old asked if we could throw the 10 pound medicine ball to each other for a bit. (Another new tax-refund toy......shhhhhh....lol...let's see...running shoes, 26 pound kettlebell, bosu ball, 10# medicine ball....that was it.....that was my splurge)

I also ate well today and yesterday....ramped calories up to near 2000 (yikes...this sort of terrifies me but the scale was down a bit this morning....so....I'm going to go with this for now and see....) Too boost up my calories, I made pumpkin and cranberry scones with Pamela's gluten free baking mix this morning...yum! (used recipe on the package for scones...but replaced the milk with equal amount of raw pumpkin.....worked perfectly....and I have lots of extras because I am mean...and made them off limits to the kids......who have their own treats that I cannot eat....) I also soaked some chick peas all day..simmered them this evening...and made a fresh batch of hummus in the blender tonight to have on the ready in the fridge this week--yum with veggies and/or rice crackers.

So, really..when it comes down to it......life is good. Things are going well. I just feel a bit weary. Oh, and...Tony Horton (p90x dude)...I hope you do not mind that I have nicknamed you Satan.

If I could better incorporate exercise and work.....wouldn't life be a bit easier? (Aaaaaaaah....yes, there is some foreshadowing in that query.....the wheels of my brain have been turning lately......) For now..I will just leave that as a teaser.

Tell me how you balance it all. Or how you don't. What tricks do you use to make it through the day and get it all done? We can all glean tips from each other. You, my dear wonderful readers, are such a resourceful and intelligent lot....I look forward to learning from you...and to all of us learning from each other.

(Speaking of...if you want some exercise ideas.....read the comments to the post from March 7th...great stuff!)

Ciao for now.

P90X......um.....wow

2010-03-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

I already lost my P90X buddy. 13 year old tough guy wrestler, football player, track high jumper decided he did not want to do it today. I tried. And tried. Then just did it solo. Maybe he will start up with me next week when 15 year old joins in. Today was 55 minutes of the intense plyometric session. Plyometrics, you ask? Jumping, kicking, squatting, lunging....again and again and again. Pretty high impact....tho you are supposed to jump "lightly"...like, erm..spiderman. Yeah. I am sure I looked JUST like spiderman. (ha!)

Legs are a bit wobbly now and chest/back are still sore from yesterday. I would say it is effective. I did not need to modify much of anything today. My "guitar player leaps" might not have been quite as high as theirs.....and there is one other high knee jump where I am not getting the height that they do...but I really hung in there today.

According to the nutrition guide that comes with P90X, I am supposed to be eating 2400 calories a day while I do it. That would be a really big increase for me. Well...actually..considering that I have been eating on the highish cal side for the past week or two...maybe not THAT big of an increase. But, an increase. I am still mulling that one over. According to their information, eating higher calories is actually what will spur fat loss and muscle maintenance/gain during this demanding program. Thoughts? I'm all ears.

I have not been tracking calories much this past couple weeks....might be a good idea to at least do that...so I know what I am doing then tweak it if necessary. I have been in the 1600-1800 range, I am going to guess, for the past couple weeks. And weight has gone up a bit as a result (but last week was not a good one for exercise for me). So.....hm. Drawing board time again. My goal is not so much a certain weight as it is a certain body fat percentage. Initially I thought I wanted to get to around 23%. The monitor this morning was 26.4%. (nice...I like the athlete setting on the hand held monitor...!) Now I am thinking my goal is more like 20%...which is the higher end of the chart for someone who is "athletic". (It is 16%-20% for women...not adjusted for age)

To get to 20% (using the data from the omron hand held monitor with the athlete setting instead of my wonky old scale)....I would have to lose 15.4 more pounds of fat and maintain my lean muscle. I could do that! I think! Lord....15 pounds away from 20% body fat is really amazing, actually. I definitely can do that!

I am going to take some "before p90X" pics tonight.....but will not post them here until I have some "after pics" to contrast them to. :) Aaaaaah, the suspense. ha ha I even bought a cute bikini at Ross (on clearance....it is a Jag suit and it was only $9.99!). I am nowhere near being able to confidently wear it in public..or even private..... But, it will be good for the "before pic" I think...and it will get me into bikini thinking mode.

Stay tuned.

Forgot to mention that I had bloodwork done again a couple weeks ago and my vitamin D level is back on the lowish side again...after FINALLY getting it up in the low 70s. It is down in the 50s now...darn it. And I sort of have had a sore throat starting this week, too. (low vitamin D lowers the immune system) So, I have upped my vitamin D supplment (I take the liquid form now) from 10,000 IUs every other day to 10,000 IUs a day for a few weeks. Come on summer.....I need some sun! Info on Vitamin D (there is SO much more if you do a little googling....trust me....almost all of us need to supplement...especially folks with darker skin!)

Have you ever had your vitamin D level checked? The test is called 25-hydroxy. Getting my vitamin D level up is what gave me the energy and ability to begin my weight loss journey a year ago. My levels were really really low (13 ng/ml). Working on getting them toward a normal level gave me a much better mental outlook...and much more physical energy. Simple test, simple fix!

Monday Musings

2010-03-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

My post titles are getting boring...sorry. Tax season makes me uncreative....at least with things other than tax returns, since I can be somewhat creative in that realm. As much as the law allows, that is. :)

And...holy smokes....what a GREAT response to my post yesterday, everyone! Reading through all of that made me grab my running shoes early this morning and go for a run! Thanks...I needed that! (And how cool that it is FINALLY a bit light outside at 6 am!) I love all the different approaches and different plans that everyone has. Isn't it cool how personalized exercise is....how we all make it work with our lives and our goals? It is also really cool to know that so many of you guys are out there breaking a sweat so many times each week. You all rock! And, Wendy....stop calling my pink shoes ugly! You are the one who wears the vibram five finger freaky shoes! lol

So.....13 year old son came home from school today (he is between after school sports programs and only has wrestling practice 2 nights a week) and wanted to try Day 1 of P90X. Oldest son (aka "gimpy" right now) went to swim practice for the first time in a week since he hurt his ankle...so was not here to do it with us. We made an executive decision to begin without him..because if we waited till he got home from swimming he would have been too tired anyway.

So. We. Did. It. Day. One. P90X.

Just MY luck that day one is chest and back. My Achilles' heel. It is basically 55 minutes of pushups and pullups and a few other things sprinkled in. Sound like fun? Yikes! I modified most of it....because....I am still struggling with both push ups and pull ups (but have come a LOOOONG way since last July!). I used resistance bands for the pull up portion and did most of the pushup sets on my knees like a girly-girl. (sigh) Oh.....and WHO KNEW there were so many different and hideous versions of pushups?! This program is going to help me develop more upper body strength....I can already tell. Oh, and just when we thought we were done....we realized that the 55 minute chest and back DVD needed to be followed by the Ab Ripper X one......so, 16 minutes of abs. Um. Ow. My 13 year old...about half way through the Ab Ripper X DVD, said "this is NOT for kids...this is definitely for adults!" I cracked up. Yeah...honey..it is hard for adults, too...trust me!

We used a hand held body fat monitor when we were writing down our beginner stats for P90X. It has an athlete setting (which my scale does not)....which I believe is more accurate for people with some muscles (which...amazingly....is a category I now belong to!). In any case...I like the percentage it gives me way better than my scale's body fat percentage....so I am going to go with this monitor from now on. A good way to instantly reduce my bodyfat percentage by 2 points! LOL It says I am 27.4% fat. That is a far cry from a year ago when my scale said 49% fat. Oh. My. Goodness!

Hey....guess what!?! My 12 kg (26 pound) bright green kettlebell was delivered today. It is a professional/competition one so it is HUGE. (They make them all the same size, regardless of weight...just the colors are different). It is about 4 times bigger than my 20 pound one. I did not do much with it today...just tried a couple things. It is definitely much heavier than the 20 pounder......6 pounds makes a big difference to me, especially in the press (jerk). Not quite sure how I will proceed with moving up to the 26 pounder. Slowly but surely, I guess. I fear it, at this point. Look...you will see what I mean:

Even the bird is a bit suspicious of the new kettlebell...mostly because it is the same color as he is. He has been freaked out by it all day long today. LOL

Alright....I will end this post with an informative article about the "best weight loss supplement ever". And, no..it is NOT a pill or a gimmick. Number One Supplement For Weight Control So, the big question of the day is...how much fiber do YOU get each day? Do you get it just from food...or do you supplement? Whole grain fiber does not work for me....so I need to get mine from mostly fruits and veggies and some beans and brown/wild rice and/or quinoa here and there. (had some homemade hummus tonight that was fab....along with my yummy spicy chicken, wild rice, and kale soup!) How about you? Tell me your fiber strategy!

Sunday

2010-03-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hi All. This is just a quick check-in. I'm still here...just been really busy this past week. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying some signs of spring.

Some random thoughts and stuff:

1. After much deliberation and gnashing of teeth (I mean..really...why not make all decisions as difficult as possible...makes life more stressful......fun fun!).....I took my pink Mizunos for a run and...guess what? They rocked. Felt fantastic. No problems whatsoever. Phew! Wendy, you might find them (and all running shoes) ugly...but these are way better than the men's ones I was wearing! :)

2. I am still throwing the kettlebell around (Wendy...I need to update my totals on your challenge). I also ordered a 12 kg (26 pounds) professional kettlebell that ought to be here soon. I doubt I will be able to do many reps with it yet...the 20 pounder still is a challenge....but, I am looking forward to have something to move up towards. So..yesterday I decided to see how many "jerks" I could do with the 20 pound kettlebell in 10 minutes. The "jerks" are harder for me than the "snatch". I was able to do 55 on each arm in 10 minutes...which is really not too bad! It is even somewhat close to the lowest "rank" for my weight....and this bell is 2 pounds heavier than the one needed for the lowest rank. So...that is fun.....to at least know I am making some progress. Rank IV is doing 60 snatches with each arm in 10 minutes with an 18 pound (8 kg) kettlebell.....and then 60 jerks with each arm in 10 minutes with an 18 pound (8 kg) kettlebell. Rank III is 75 on each arm with the 18 pound kettlebell...Rank II moves up to the 26 pound (12kg) kettlebell....

3. p90X is here but my oldest hurt his ankle last weekend so we have not started it yet. He is on the mend....so, soon.....soon...we will commence.

4. I spent 11 hours at a wrestling tournament yesterday with three of my four boys.....the two youngest making their tournament debut. It was a long..but really great day. All three (all three!!!!) of them brought home a medal which was really exciting! (2 silvers and a bronze). Quite cool to have 3/4 boys in the same place at the same time doing the same thing.....efficiency!

5. I think they should have a challenge on Project Runway where they make an outfit in size 2, like they always do for their 6 foot tall 115 pound models.....then make the SAME outfit in a size 12 and, heck.... a 22.......and be judged on how well all three of the models look in all three of those sizes. Wouldn't that be cool? Then, they could do that follow-up "models of the runway" show with all those different sized models....anyway....lol.....nevermind....

6. Food and exercise have been so-so for me this past week. Working on it..but not winning any prizes or making huge progress. Looking forward to a new week, actually!

7. Now, a question for you all. How much do you plan to exercise this coming week and what do you plan to do..roughly....? Do tell! Hearing about all your different plans will help inspire some of us who need some inspiration! :)

Why Can't I Have Girl Feet?

2010-03-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have been wearing a men's size 12 in my running shoes.....and they are a size or two too big....but, even too big, I LOVE these shoes. (I got them at a sidewalk sale last summer for $40...and they are $100 shoes...so, I dealt with the too big thing) They are comfortable, light, and have never caused a blister or problem when I run...even tho (or perhaps because) I have loads and loads of toe room.

So, when I discovered that this same company has a similar (but new) shoe which includes a women's size 12 (with pink accents, no less) I was happy! I put it on my wishlist for when our tax refund came..and it came...and the shoes arrived yesterday. I put them on in the house and wore them for a while. They are much more snug than the too-big men's version. But they seem to fit "right". They look QUITE good....much better than the floppier mens version. The fit? The bottom of my feet were a teeny bit sore (hot spots...normal with brand new shoes)...and it seemed like they are maybe...maybe...just a wee bit too narrow. But, I could not be sure they are too narrow unless I took them out for a run.....in which case they would not be returnable if they are, indeed, too narrow. Erg!

Do you think that if I try them on the treadmill they will show any signs of wear? I really really want to be sure these are perfect before I commit to them...they cost an arm and a leg ($89!!!!).....

Why can't I just have a nice easy to fit girlie foot instead of these freakishly boat-sized mishapen things that make it so hard to find shoes...running or otherwise?? Sigh.

UPDATE:

Another issue...I never ever can find a running shoe that is even a bit "girlie" because of the size I wear. So, that is why these are even more tempting. :) I am wearing them around the house again. They DO feel pretty darn good. And, look: pretty in pink! A rarity for Ms. Boat-feet. (My youngest son just came in while I taking a picture of my feet..he just shook his head and left...LOL....I love it when my kids think I am weird....).

Farewell (good riddance!) February

2010-02-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Farewell February...and don't let the door bang you on the big fat butt on your way out!

On the last day of this month I am pretty much where I was on the first day of the month. Rats. Actually..I am up a couple pounds of weight, but down a bit on fat %....so at least I added a bit of muscle to my body this month. It is, however, the only month during my weight loss journey where I went up a bit in weight...and not down. (sigh) But, since February is my least favorite month of the year.....I'll take it and I will be grateful it is not worse.

Notice how I did not record my weight once during that long upward stretch....LOL. Mid month denial?

I have definitely turned things around this past week or so.....and have the momentum to finish the first year of my current journey strong. I remain optimistic.....and happy to be where I am at....especially compared to a year ago! My calories went up a bit in February so I am going to reign them in somewhat for March and I will keep on exercising. One way or the other I will reach my goal...darn it!

I am hitting the gym soon so that I can make it 8/8. I am not nearly as sore today as I have been on past days. Today my calves are just a bit sore from my run yesterday--but not bad at all. I think what did me in the most this past week was jogging up and down the stadium stairs. But(t).....as I was walking around shopping with my son yesterday my butt felt different....more muscled....LOL.....so, I think I need to visit those stairs again soon....maybe after the gym today.

How was your February?? Great, Good, Fair, Bad, or Ugly? I am going to rate mine as "Fair".

How nuts is this??

2010-02-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

A friend just sent me a link to this trailer for a new show: Food Revolution. Do you think this was staged...or do kids really not know what fresh vegetables are? If the latter is true....this is madness! My kids would be able to identify every one on the table...they might not EAT every one...but they know what they all are. I think I might have to look this show up and add it to my DVR queue. No wonder we have such health problems in the US, huh??? Would your kids/grandkids/kids in your life.....know these veggies??

Going for 7/7

2010-02-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Morning blogville! I had to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn this fine Saturday morning to get my eldest son to a Jazz band gig so here I am at 6:45......had my coffee, had my breakfast...now what? Well....it is pretty mild outside and the sun is coming up, so I think I am headed for a nice slow run around the town. I was going to head to the gym but they open pretty late on the weekends and I think I need to get this done and out of the way now...while I am somewhat motivated. Then.....I will be able to say I am SEVEN FOR SEVEN....which will be a good thing. And, really......a first for me, I think. Maybe......EVER. Wow. Isn't it amazing what we can do when we set our minds to something?

My 18 y.o. step daughter is here this weekend. (what..you did not know that, in addition to my four....that I also have step children? Yup. Three.) She texted me yesterday and asked if I wanted to get a manicure with her today. Sure, I said....and how about a pedicure, too.....and some skinny lattes from starbucks while we are at it......then I suggested she bat her pretty eyelashes and ask her Dad for $100 for the excursion (that would cover it, with tips..and maybe leave a bit extra!). I was very much kidding....knew he would not fork that sort of cash over for such extravagance.....and that we would likely just stick to a manicure each (which would have been fantastic anyway!). But.....she worked her Daddy's Girl magic..bless her heart...and he said he'd cough it up. So...mani/pedi/latte at 10 am. Now...THAT is what I call a fine Saturday! :) And, dang, I should bat my eyelashes a little bit more often myself, huh? (wheels in brain turning...lol)

My 220 kettlebell throws did not rip open any blisters or callouses last night...in fact, it seemed to make them a bit more firm. My hands are responding well to Wendy's 10,000 challenge so far...and I can not believe I am 1/10 of the way and...really...right on track because this is day 4. If I do all 10,000, I am going to buy a kettlebell tshirt. (silly, I know..but these sorts of little things can keep me on track!) One of the throws is called the "snatch". Yes....a "bad word" in slang....meaning female pubic region! So...whenever I say or type "snatch" I wince a bit! But, look at this shirt I found...it cracked me up...and...NO...I would NEVER EVER get this one...I would never be that bold. But it still cracked me up.

So, here is my thought/question for the day. So far this week I have winged my exercise day by day. Each day I get up....figure out what is going on for the day and assess how my body is feeling...and decided how and when I would fit in my exercise. It has been a bit of an afterthought.....and I have just squeezed it into my day somehow. I am wondering if I need to become more deliberate about it....be more regular....have a solid schedule of when I will exercise. I mean....."winging it" has worked for me so far.....but, it does seem a bit haphazard. What do you do?

UPDATE: Did my run so I am officially 7 for 7. I walked about .7 miles and ran 4.7 miles. The run took me 52 minutes. So that means....what....an 11ish minute mile pace? Hey, I'll take it!!!

Finally met the Wii Fit

2010-02-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

Six for Six!

I had the kids bring the Wii and the Wii fit board upstairs today so I could try it out. I got Wii Fit Plus for everyone for Christmas...but I had not tried it yet. So, I made my little Mii and did all the registration razmataaz. (I gave my Mii a little mole...much to the confusion of my oldest son who kept scanning my face for signs of a mole...hey...better than a mustache....which, given how facial hair seems to explode on 40+ year old female faces would not be too far from reality if Nair were not in my bathroom!!!)

I am quite sore today from all my exercise this week...between the kettlebells and the stairs at the stadium yesterday my upper and lower body are both feeling it. So, I messed around a bit on the Wii then found the yoga section. I have not really done yoga since I was pregnant with my youngest son. So.....7 year ago or so....and it was just a gentle pregnancy yoga class. I really enjoyed it..but have not tried it since. Until today! It was great. I really liked it....and my tight-shorted little Wii trainer dude was very nice and said some kind (and some not so kind) things to me. I did every pose that is on the Wii Fit Plus, some a couple or three times. It was calm and nice. Some definitely were a bit painful because of my muscle soreness...but not too terrible. So..that is it for my exercise for the day. An hour and 17 minutes of calm yoga and a few of the balance games on the Wii Fit. I did not even break a sweat....but at least I did get moving a bit. I think I needed a calm gentle day. My 13 year old walked in when I was doing the shoulder stand and was astounded that I could do that. LOL That was sort of fun.

My Mii had a BMI of about 25.12.....so it called me overweight. Yeah...gee...thanks for pointing THAT out. Then it told me that people feel better and get sick less often if their BMI is 22. Mmmmmhmmmm. Easy for YOU to say...computer animated tight short big shouldered Wii dude. Given what I have gone through this past year....I think 25.12 is a damn fine BMI! :)

Do you do Wii Fit? What are your favorite activities?

UPDATE: After reading Wendy's latest post, I felt the urge to go throw the kettlebells some more, even though my hands are pretty sore and my upper back and shoulders have been screaming. I am not sure I will be able to do 10,000 in a month.....but.....since I was 220 away from 1000 I thought that sounded like a good number to try for today. So, I just did 220 swings with a 15 pound kettlebell. (Yeah..that 20 pounder can take a hike for a couple more days.....!). That makes an even 1000 swings so far for the challenge.

Five for Five

2010-02-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

Five days of exercise in a row. I'm on a streak. I hope I can keep it up until March 17!

It defiitely feels different than 3-4 times a week. My body is wondering what the heck I am doing to it. But, no serious pain or anything..just normal muscle soreness that lets me know that I'm working it. My weight is not really moving down yet. My calories have likely been a 100-200 more than normal these past few days, but that should not be making a big difference given the extra exercise. I bet the scale will catch up to me in the next few days--I need to get below 180 again pronto. I imagine I have a bit of water retention as my body is holding on for dear life to fluids as I put it through the ringer. lol

Recap:
Sunday: 4.8 mile street Run; Swimming with the kids for a couple hours, mixed in with some laps

Monday: 90 minutes of free weights at the gym (with some cardio warm up)

Tuesday: 20 minute treadmill Run

Wednesday: 45 minutes of 15 pound kettlebell throws (snatch.....580 total!)

Thursday: 12 minutes of 20 pound kettlebell throws (snatch-70 each arm and clean/jerk-60 each arm); 1/2 Mile outdoor track Walk (warm up); 3 mile track Run; 20 minutes of stadium stairs at the track (up and down 70 steps 15 times....yowsers on the legs and butt!)

This is definitely the first time I have gone five for five since I started this journey. So far so good. And I am changing it up enough so that it is not boring or monotonous.

We ordered P90X and it should be here in the next few days. I am not sure how long of a program that is each day (anyone know..Tiffany...you do it, right??)....or how I will incorporate that in. I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I ordered it mostly for my teenagers, but I think I am going to do it too. I also really need to jump on the wii fit....I got it for the kids for Christmas but I have yet to play around on it. That might be a good way to get in some early morning exercise on my busy days.

It is sort of hard to try to work in exercise every single day!! Heck, on some days I am lucky if I wash my face! One day at a time....that's all I can do.

How is your "pre-Spring Training" going?

UPDATE: I am more sore as the evening goes on.....! I need to find my arnica pellets...those help a lot.

--Not Yet-- Four for Four...

2010-02-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

Well....it is 4 pm and I have not had the chance to exercise yet. What am I going to do about it? Don't worry......something will happen! I think I need to go throw the kettlebell around because I want to join Wendy's 10,000 swing challenge. That would mean 333 swings a day. Yipes! I do not think I have ever done even 100 in a day. I wonder how many I can do. Guess there is only one way to find out.

UPDATE: 5 pm now and I have thrown a 15 pound kettlebell 580 times. Five freaking eighty! I had help counting....good math lesson for my little ones. :) I am not sure how long it took me total...I took a little break after each 100. My hands are pretty raw....I need me some kettlebell callouses!

Everyone sing: "You Can Ring My Belllllll, Ring my Bell.....Ding Dong...."

Three for three

2010-02-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

So far so good. Three days of exercise in a row. Today was just a 20 minute run crammed into the middle of a busy day. But, hey....I'll take it where I can get it. I am SORE from my weights yesterday, too...but sore in a good way....like it did me some good. :) I have only been exercising 3-4 times a week for the past several months....so switching to daily is going to take some discipline and creativity. But, I am up for it. I am going to do what some of you suggested and just DO IT for three weeks and see how it goes. That means I will finish the last three weeks of the first year of my weight loss journey strong. A good thing.

I hope you are having a great day. I still have lots to do before I konk out later....kids need to go in a few different directions this afternoon and evening. But...I will feel nice and energized from my little run. Whoot! Have a good one.

Two For Two

2010-02-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm kicking ass and taking names! (not even sure what that means, but it sounded good...lol) I am getting my second wind (as per Jack's post today) and looking forward to getting to 175 (the weight on my drivers license) and beyond in a speedy fashion! Sunday: exercise. Monday: exercise. Two for two, baybeeeee! Pity party over for the big butt blogger! Time to ramp things up in the exercise department and get the rest of this fat to leave the arena...for good.

I did a nice 4.8 mile run yesterday at a fairly speedy pace (exact pace unknown because of cell phone stopwatch malfunction). I finally got to try out my new music lineup on my mp3 player and most of the songs were perfect.....fast paced, motivating, and helped me keep my mind on things other than "am I there yet?" Later yesterday I took kidlets to the pool and swam for an hour (I got some laps in, too....when I was not swimming with them).

THEN, I got done with work at noon today...came home and had a stellar lunch of reheated steak, sweet potatoes, and wild rice...and hit the gym. Hard. Weights only! I even wore my new converse knock-off shoes from walmart ($9).....they do not have a lot of cushion and are pretty flat...so good for weights and balancing on stuff. I did my bosu ball tricks with the 40 pound barbell, and lots of other fun stuff involving the stair machine, the captain's chair, and some dumbbells. I did step ups onto an 18 inch platform holding 15 pound dumbbells (um.....ow......could only do 3 sets of 5 on each leg with a captains chair break in between)

I had about 10 minutes to kill at the end so went upstairs and played on the balance board for a bit. I tried the flat bottom fulcrum at first......then decided to try the little tiny round fulcrum which makes the balance board rock in all directions, not just side to side. OMG....that little gem works every single freaking leg muscle when trying to stay balanced. I think the longest I could keep it totally balanced was about 20 seconds--and that was a feat. It is fun. The one at my gym is like this vew do one.....truly...a killer leg appratus! Vew Do. Ooops...it is sort of expensive, $149. But, when I just looked on amazon I saw other ones called "wobble boards" that looked good, too....a couple were in the $20 range and they even have some fun kid-friendly ones with a ball that you work through a maze. A great kid gift...that parents would like, too! And, if you or someone you can bribe are "carpentry-inclined"...it does not seem like a hard thing to make. A balance board tackles thighs, hamstrings, inner and outer thigh, and even calves. I imagine it targets the core, as well. (?) Efficient, effective, fun. I like those kinds of exercises....the one that do not seem like exercises. Balance Board Exercises

So, that is my story for Monday. I have 23 days till my "get fit anniversary" date, March 17 is when I started this journey last year. I need to get my booty shaking if I want to get closer to my goal by then! It dawned on me that there is still 3 or so months until summer...and that if I keep at it...I might....might....be able to wear a bikini this summer and not be too mortified. WHAT A CONCEPT--this body has not donned a bikini since....um....1990 or so. I definitely still have my work cut out for me--but it is doable within a 3 month timeframe if I stick to it. Bikini! Just saying that word makes me a bit giddy. And,..you know what...as long as I can get the fat to go away...the stretch marks do not bug me too much. My maternal badges of honor.

Second wind....underway. Thanks for helping me maneuver through the storm.

Three for three coming up.....stay tuned.

OFF the Pedestal!!

2010-02-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Greta and I am addicted to food and indolence.

I am flattered by everyone out in blogville who thinks I am an inspiriation....who are under the impression that I am a "workout machine"....who believe that I am an exercise bad-ass who always makes good choices.

However, the reality is different than this. Perhaps my blog comes across this way because this is what I STRIVE for...and I like to chat about it when I am on the right path. More than I like to chat about it when I am NOT on the right path. I hate reading the blog posts that say "Well, I f**ked up today and ate a dozen doughnuts with a 2 liter sprite chaser". I hate reading those kinds of posts because.....reading about that sort of thing reminds me of my own weaknesses and often helps to catapult me down that same path. I am definitely someone who actively struggles with eating right and exercising....every day....every hour.

This past week I have not...at all...lived up to your expectations of me. Or mine. I have been a bit of a train-wreck, actually.

Greta is NOT perfect. Greta is NOT a work-out machine. Greta likes food, especially the wrong foods. Greta has to work every day.....hard.....to try to stay on path. Greta screws it up. Greta especially screws it up when life is unusually stressful...and the less Greta exercises and eats well the more stressful life becomes. Greta is learning every day how to do this, and do it right....and is NOT an expert....even if she comes across as one from time to time.

Someone close to me referred to me as a "jock" a few weeks back.....and the reference was not made in a flattering way....and it ticked me off. I am NOT..by nature...a jock. In my distant past (high school and college and in the peace corps) I was moderately active....but nothing too impresive. A year ago I weighed 250+ pounds and got winded just walking around. YES.....I changed that over the past year. YES...I changed it SO much that I am in better physical fitness shape now than I likely have ever been. But, that does not mean it is second-nature to me....or "part of who I am" quite yet. I sometimes wonder if it will ever be. It all still feels a bit "temporary" to me....very much day-to-day still.

I try to convince myself that I just LOVE hitting the gym and running....and, I usually DO...once I get there and get started. But.....the mental games I play leading up to exercising happen every time.....the good angel and bad angel on my shoulders duking it out.

Reading everyone's comments here about your impression that I am a work-out machine of sorts.....really threw me. It is flattering....for sure.....for you to think this of me. But.....I feel like I have grossly misrepresented myself. Mostly because I like to talk more about the GOOD things I do than the BAD things I do. And...I do want to be inspirational to people....and help people comprehend that they can succeed.

The impression I do NOT want to give, tho...is one of "well, that is just Greta and she is just some sort of freaky "work-out machine".....I could never be like that."

ATTENTION!!!! This is NOT correct. I am totally human. I am not, by nature, a work-out machine. This is all TOTALLY new to me. And....to defiantly prove this to you and myself.....in a really really stupid way...I have not exercised ONCE in the past week....brilliant, right? Mmmmmmmmhmm. Einstein, here..let me tell ya.

How do I feel? Not so great. Not terrible....not as terrible as I had hoped (was I trying to teach myself a lesson, here.....not really sure). I weighed 188 this morning. I was 179 a couple weeks ago. So, that part sorta sucks. It all goes right to my thighs, too.....fascinatingly enough.....my thighs are my uber-efficient fat-storage units. The more days that have gone by without exercise the more sort of "frazzled" I have felt. The more I want to eat not-so-good foods to fill some sort of hole. I have not eaten really well this week. Not horrible (well......yeah....actually....pretty horrible in many ways when it comes right down to it). Not enough protein, not enough veggies, not enough fruit, not enough healthy fat. Too many carbs. Too much sugar.

What a great experiment, huh?

What the hell am I trying to prove, here? (really....I am curious to know your thoughts...because I am somewhat at a loss!)

Yes..I had a very awful thing happen a couple weeks ago. (the bird.....which I was accidentally responsible for....really did affect me in a primal sort of way..right down to the damn core). I seemingly bounced back pretty well....but, did not, really. Each stressor that has happened the past couple weeks affected me more than they should have. Little things were getting to me...that really should not have. Some crappy stuff at work.....etc....things were affecting me more than they should have been. Then, my great act of defiance to prove to you and to me that I am not...in fact, a "work-out machine" this past week by avoiding the gym and all forms of exercise. LOL See........illogical, emotional, and pretty darn messed up...right?

So, the big question is....what am I going to DO about it? Eat more of my 9 year old's birthday cake.....or go for a run. (I simplified the possible immediate choices for myself....).

Here is my plan. I WILL run today...because it is GORGEOUS outside right now. I am also going to take the kids to the pool later today for family swim. (We did this last Sunday and had a great time..my little ones are becoming better (but not great) at swimming and the only way they will be full swimmers by summer is to practice!) I am bidding on p90X on ebay right now.....my oldest son has been begging me to get it for him (to augment his swimming workouts) and I think I will like it, too (modified...of course...as there is no way I can do a pull up at this point and still cannot do the real-deal pushups!) I will hit the gym at least three days this coming week and try to do something at home each non-gym day so that I can begin to incorporate "being active" into my daily life...not just compartmentalizing it 3-4 times a week. (this has become an issue for me.....)

Each day....I will work on overcoming my addiction to food and indolence. You can cheer for me if you want...but don't put me up on a pedestel for crying out loud!!! It is lonely up there....and is such a far way to fall! From now on...I want to be on terra firma with everyone else who struggles with this journey on a day to day basis. Deal?

(You KNOW I love you guys, right....and am NOT blaming you for my decisions!!!! I take full responsibility!)

I have battled my own mini "imperfect storm" this past two weeks and I will perservere...dammit....and your support and encouragement helps SO much!!! Thanks for reading and for being out there and for giving me feedback. Spring is coming....as is Summer. A good time for a fresh start and a fresh perspective, huh?

Diet by Sign?

2010-02-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

What's your sign? LOL

I do not remember the last time I heard that question...it has been a while. As I was surfing around the net just now I found this article that suggests that we follow different diet/fitness plans depending on our zodiac sign. So, I will link it here and you can see what you think. Does your diet-by-sign ring true to you? Mine actually does....which amused me. I am a Leo (shocking for you all, I am sure..)....and mine says this:

Leo (July 23 to Aug. 22) -- The 6-Day Body Makeover
You're a fire-sign, Leo, and as such, not notoriously patient. So any diet that guarantees results in less than a week … well, that's definitely going to catch your eager eye. In addition to providing results so quickly-- which is all you really needed to hear -- the 6-Day Body Makeover also gives you another wonderful fire-sign gift: the inspiration to exercise, something every fire sign needs. That goes double for you, Leo. With all that fire you're packing, if anyone needs an outlet for that energy, it's you and your fire-sign cousins. Give this one a try. If nothing else, you'll love seeing results on your rapid-fire schedule.

Interesting. Maybe I will check that out of the library...but....I am thinking that I might need a bit more than 6 days. :)

Curious to know your thoughts on your "diet horoscope".....have some fun with it...enjoy.

Poo Chi

2010-02-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

A must see:

February

2010-02-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

Warning: not an up-beat "badass" post. :)

I hate February. If not for a tax refund and my 3rd son's birthday....the month would just be a total loss.

It is cold and damp, but not snowy. It is grey and brown and dull. It is HARD to get motivated! Boo on February!

Anyone have a southern home with a spare bedroom for a big butt blogger? Oh.....and four kids and a bird that yells "hello mama" from under his blanket at 6 am? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller......Bueller..........

Workout Machine!?!

2010-02-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

On my last post, Danon over at  The Insatiable Host left a comment that included this: "and I kinda loved the random post - it shows your human side rather than the work-out machine that I figured you to be..."

This cracked me up (in a good way). Is this really what my blog portrays? That I am a work-out machine!?! Boy have I got you guys (and/or myself) all fooled, then.

I would actually love to be more of a "work-out machine" but struggle with how to achieve this.

Here is my deal. I still have to seriously pysch myself up EVERY time I exercise. It has not yet become second-nature. Music helps.....a TON....and I just found this great link today and added MANY of these songs to my lineup (just listening to some of them made me excited about hitting the gym tomorrow....a good thing!):

http://battlingforhealth.com/2008/02/102-great-running-songs-for-a-fun-and-fast-paced-workout/

My problem? At this point I only exercise 3-4 times a week (and, really....more on the 3 side than the 4 side.....).  I think this is because (in my mind) if I aim for 6-7 days a week I might crash and burn--too much pressure...too many days a week...too hard to fit into my schedule......blah blah blah. I have been thinking this over lately and might try to get over it..because I think I can handle it, physically.....it really is much more of a mental hurdle for me than a physical one.... OH, the mental games I play with myself.

I have known about Dr. D'Adamo's blood-type food and exercise recommendations for 10 years....and I knew, even back then, that if I followed it I would attain optimal health for me. I happen to be the ONE freaking blood type (and Geno Type) for which it is HIGHLY recommended to exercise vigorously for at least 40 minutes a day. (just my luck, huh?) Recently, D'Adamo published a new book called the Geno-Type Diet.....I was excited because I thought "Oh, surely when I figure out my Geno Type it will be one that can eat wheat and not have to exercise quite so much". Mmmm, yeah....right. Nope. I am still in the same "type" that basically needs to eat meat, eggs, veggies and fruit and exercise vigorously 40+ minutes a DAY. (I already knew this...but...was still hopeful....lol).

But....even though I clearly have the capacity and ability to exercise daily....I choose not to....even though I know it would be best for me....on all levels (especially for stress management and for dealing with my autoimmune thyroid thing). Why?

Up until about six months ago.....vigorous exercise is not something I had undertaken in at least 17 years (and, truth be told, not ever on an ongoing consistent basis before then, either). In the past 17 years I would walk....sometimes....ride a bike....etc....but...."vigorous" would NOT have been the adjective to describe it...nor would "consistent". I blamed my fatness and lack of fitness mostly on "having had four children in nine years". A good excuse, and easily justified on many levels because I allowed that to be my excuse. I had other excuses, too. A bad marriage. A divorce. A cross country move. And my personal favorite: I'm too fat to exercise. On and on. Really...I will ALWAYS have (create) numerous reasons to blame for not eating well and not exercising...... But, the reality is--it is 100% my own responsibility....it is always my choice to eat well and exercise (or not)....regardless of any other issue going on in my life. My choices (regardless of the justification) resulted in obesity, poor fitness, messed up hormones, messed up mental outlook, and a worsening autoimmune disorder...that quicly became a downward cycling catch-22.

YES....I have addressed this over the past year or so. I started exercising last April. All I could do then was walk. Then, I decided to start the Couch to 5k program....which was outlandish to me.....I had not run or even jogged slowly since 1990....and I weighed 240 pounds, had aching joints and my fat flapped uncomfortably (for me and anyone watching) all around whenever I tried to go faster than a swift walk....it was, clearly....somewhat SILLY to even try. But I did. And I could only "jog" for 30 seconds at a time last April. Then I would need a three minute walking rest before I could try again.....then the next week I could do 60 seconds at a time..and so on.

So, am I really a "work-out machine" at this point? I don't think so. Yes, I have learned to make some good choices on a somewhat consistent basis. Yes, I exercise.   Yes, I can run now....and have even run 7.5 miles straight a few times and miraculously achieved a 10 minute mile pace on the treadmill on occassion. Yes, I got some kettlebells and some DVDs and learned how to do those. Yes, I lift free weights now (even though I had never done a bench press in my whole life before December 2009). But, I am only doing these things 3-4 times a week total.  3-6 hours a week or so.

Could I do more?  Yes.

Would I benefit mentally and physically from doing more? Yes.

Should I do more? Not sure. (!?!)

What do you think? I mean....if I were really going to update the name of my blog to "Fat Ass to Bad Ass".....clearly, I'd need be become a bit more Bad Ass! What would that mean? What would I need to be doing to officially become a Bad Ass? I'm open to ideas and would love for you guys to brainstorm this a bit so I can wrap my brain around a couple solid goals that epitomize "bad-assedness". Oh...and....er hmm....those things would have to simultaneously help reduce my still somewhat jiggly and bumpy fat-assedness...... :) Maybe this is just what I need to finally make a definitive move on getting to goal. And, becoming a Bad Ass is actually a fun and inspirational thing to focus on. So....help me define it! And, think about it for yourself, too.....what would it take for YOU to become a Bad Ass? (If you are not one already...which....MANY of you already are!) Let's discuss.

Compliment, and Random Musings

2010-02-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Are you also worried about Lori-Ann over at Amazon Runner? She has not posted in a week....at first I figured it was snow issues and such..but now I am sort of worried. Lori-Ann....if you are out there and reading...give us all a holler so we know you are okay!

I am still deep in the throes of PMS...but somehow still hanging on around 179 (usually the scale heads north this time of the month....but so far so good). I have been in these size 14s for a while now.....they are finally starting to feel a teeny bit loose. 12s would be so nice.......

It is a four day weekend for us....our schools decide that the teachers need an in service training day today...then the normal three day President's Day thing. It was this weekend last year when I took the kids to a water park......and realized just how fat I had become as I marched up trillions of concrete steps in my granny-bathing suit. It still took me another month to DO anything about it....but it was definitely one of those "turning point" sort of days for me mentally. I realized that I deserved to be fit and healthy.....and my kids deserved a Mom who could play and have fun with them and who not spend all her time worrying about how behemoth she looked in her bathing suit and huffing and puffing up and down the stairs. I was over 250 pounds a year ago. Wow.

I made it to the gym today for 90 minutes. While I was standing on the bosu ball and doing my thing with the body bar (bicep curls, clean and presses, squats, and today I was also doing some one-legged balancing while holding the bar in one hand..then trying to squat...a bit..I cannot go down very far but...man...it gets a boatload of muscles!).....a guy started walking over toward me. When I realized he was coming over to talk to me, I pulled a headphone out of one ear. I figured he needed the body bar I was using and was irritated that I had been on that bosu ball for so long. But...no. He came over to COMPLIMENT me.....he said he had been watching me and was amazed that I could balance on the ball and do the different lifts, especially the squats. He said my form was excellent (!!!) and that he could never do what I was doing. (He was no schlumpy dude, either....he was muscular and quite fit). Well...hell! I always assumed people were watching me on the bosu ball because I looked like a big tall freak over there sweating like a pig (which...I do.....because I am using SO darn many muscles all at once and it takes a lot of effort to not fall of that ball....so I sweat a ton!), balancing on the ball, and lifting. Maybe some of them are thinking something else.....that the old lady over there is a bit of a badass. LOL I love it. Hey. ff I ever need to change my blog name maybe I can make it "Big Ass To Bad Ass". tee hee. Lately people have been noticing my weight loss and saying nice things....which has been fun....but, that total stranger complimenting me on my form....that really did make my day! (Note to self.....remember to compliment people who impress me....I often keep that info inside but should "speak up" a bit more so folks know when I am impressed..it is nice to say positive things to people!)

I gave a friend a 15 pound kettlebell for her birthday today (she was excited...she wanted one..lest you think this was an odd gift....ha ha)....and she was surprised by how heavy it was...then she said "Wow...I have lost 15 pounds before and I had no idea this is how much it was". (Friend is 5'6" and a size 8...thin, fit....) Then she looked at me and gasped...and said "YOU have lost almost SIX of these!". Yes...indeed I have. I have lost almost six-15 pound kettlebells. LOL

Today is adoption day for our newest addition to the household. We're leaving to get him in about 20 minutes. We are adopting an Eclectus parrot. This is a big deal....it is a big bird....who will live a long time. They are VERY smart, and very social, and really wonderful birds. This one is 7 and has had a rough (but not toooo horrid for a rescue bird) life. He has some plucking issues and was a bit malnourished for his first 5 years. But, we have a good plan and have done a lot of research. We're going to give it a go. He has been in foster care for a while and really needs some undivided attention and love from a big happy family. Perfect fit! The day has been full of preparations and the kids are all delighted and excited. My kids all LOVE birds....big birds, little birds...all birds. One of our favorite trips is to the bird store in town...we stay for over an hour and we all hold the various birds and visit with them...even my 6 year old is fearless with the bigger birds. So.....after dear Dusty's demise.....we have opted to make a serious commitment to this magnificent creature. His name, ironically enough, is Rusty. I felt sort of sad about that at first, but I think we will all be okay with it.

Sorry for the randomness of this post! :) If you are still hangin in and reading....how about you tell me about the best compliment (weight/fitness relted or not) you have received and how it made you feel.

Have a happy Friday and a happy weekend!

Stress Management

2010-02-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

PMS time here...on top of all the other craziness of tax season, raising four kids who are in three different schools and participate in several different activities, recently losing a pet (and preparing to adopt/rescue a new pet).....etc. Life.

I worked late today...got 6 tax returns done, tho...wow...but had no time for the gym.....erg. I had to dash to the store to get some groceries for the rest of the week, get the kids, feed the kids, then get 3/4 of them ready for wrestling practice and feed #4 when he got home from swimming. Once everyone got to where they needed to be (thank goodness my brother takes them and helps to coach!) I had about an hour to do with what I wanted. Let's see...one hour...and I had about 3 loads of laundry I needed to get going, bills to pay, some housework to do, some emails to answer, some studying to do....just thinking about it all was making me stressed.

What I really wanted to do was to eat bad food and watch mindless TV. (remember: PMS) I thought over my options for about 3 minutes and then chose to go to the gym....even though I knew it would be packed and crazy there...at least I could deal with my stress in a productive manner that helped move me toward my weight and fitness goals. (plus..that comment Wendy left yesterday about not resting on my laurels after my 180 buttprint......sort of stuck in my mind..thanks, Wendy!)

AND I DID IT....darn it......I got my booty over there and I did the treadmill for about 50 minutes. I warmed up then did 3 miles in 29 minutes (whoot). After that I did interval work (alternated flat walking with steepest incline walking) for a mile or so. Then....I ran the last quarter mile at a 7.5 mph pace. (whoot) Two minutes at a 7.5 mph pace is something I have never done before. (I had done 1 minute of 7.5 a couple times.....never 2 minutes). So, that was sort of exciting. If I can do 2 minutes...then I can do 3 minutes....maybe a whole mile at that pace someday soon. (that would be an 8 minute mile...not holding my breath....lol)

I got home just as my younger kids were getting home from wrestling.....perfect.

I feel great now. Calm. Revived. Not stressed. A bit smelly....ooooh...need a shower! lol I got everyone to bed, got a load of laundry going, paid some bills, reviewed some tax law, made myself a yummy and nutritious dinner, tidied up the kitchen, and even flipped through a silly tabloid-ish magazine a friend gave me. (oh, Brad and Angelina...just pull your heads out of your butts for the sake of the SIX children you somehow are raising......) I even showed my oldest son a few kettlebell lifts he can do to build some of his swimming muscles...so I threw the 20 pound kettlebell around a bit, too.

I do believe the exercise helped...and really was a much better way to deal with my stress than caving in to the PMS demons. I rarely exercise in the evening....hopefully I am not too revved up to get to sleep later! Hm. It is Biggest Loser night, isn't it? That should be DVR-ing as I type...so I can watch that and mellow out with an ounce or so of dark chocolate...it is a fancy one with some sort of spciy chili flavor. Sounds good.

Here is a fairly simple (yet informative) article about stress and exercise: http://stress.about.com/od/programsandpractices/a/exercise.htm

Since I tend to be a stress eater......I have been trying to read articles like this to remind myself that I have other options for stress management besides abusing my body with bad food. Good to know, huh? Why this all took me 42 years to figure out is beyond me!

How do you deal with stress?? How would you like to deal with stress? Do share!

It is ABOUT freaking time! :)

2010-02-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Drumroll please......I have finally broken through 180!

I am not filtering or altering this pic at all...no sepia or black and white. I'm putting it out here in the harsh bright lights....so all the bumps and lumps are very apparent. I am hoping that the next (and perhaps FINAL) 15-20 pounds that leave will smooth some of these things out! And what is up with those dimples behind my knees? LOL (And..WHEN the hell in this journey from 253 to 180 did I become a perfectionist? lol)

I'm still a bit of a mess from our loss yesterday. I left work early and am going to take some time to regroup. I did not get much sleep last night, which is very unusual for me.... I did not mention in my last post that Dusty's demise was a horrible accident...but one that involved me. SUCH a hole in my heart over it. It has really messed with my head. The kids have recovered speedier than I have.....too many details still in my head and too many feelings of guilt and sorrow and horror at doing something, albeit completely accidental, that caused my kiddos (and myself...and a sweet little animal) so much pain. :(

Alright. I'm going to focus on good happy things and work this through. Thanks for all of your great comments on my last post. It has definitely helped.

Hooray for 180! I was actually 179.8 this morning. I'd like to leave 180 in the dust....no more up and down stuff for this big bottomed blogger. I mean...really....I have knee dimples that need addressing! :)

Reward vs Abuse

2010-02-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

There is a big difference between reward and abuse. That is such a simple concept, yet it has not really fully entered into my consciousness before now. It hit me like a ton of bricks last night that I keep getting these two concepts mixed up!

After being gone a couple days I came home to dirty dishes in the sink and a mostly empty fridge. I was tired and somewhat cranky, and really did not have the energy to go "big" grocery shopping at 9 pm, but figured I had better get to the store so we had food for the next day and next week. Going to the grocery store tired and cranky is never a good idea. Grocery stores are full of food that is not the food I should be eating. As I strolled past all the Superbowl carb-fest chip and soda displays..my head started going to a "not so good" place. Here is how it goes with me "you were so good for the past few days, you have exercised several times, you have eaten really well even when on the trip, your jeans feel a little bit loose today, you even dragged your kettlebells to the hotel so you could get in a workout this morning after your run....you really do deserve to grab some (insert name of two or three NOT good foods here)....you should reward yourself for all your hard work."

I actually went over to the candy bar section....started contemplating.... For me...by the time it gets to this point....the decision has been made and the action is as good as done. Logic leaves the scene. When I have gotten to this place lately I typically give myself a couple minutes to think it through.....but, there is definitely a point of no return where I know I am going to make a decision that is not going to help me reach my goal.....and I get into the "F-it" mode....and just give in.

What hit me last night as I was stumbling around the store in a tired fog, though, is the concept of "Reward" and "Abuse".

WHY.....truly......WHY...would I consider a dark chocolate milky way bar and a bag of thick sliced sea salt kettle chips...."reward"? (Well...actually...I know why..because they taste really good.....but...follow my logic here). What I am really saying when I go through this whole "binge contemplation" thing is not so much "you deserve a reward".....it is much more "you don't deserve a reward...you only deserve to abuse yourself and sabotage your goals". For ME (not projecting this to anyone else here....we all have different demons lurking in our heads).......buying and eating the bad food is NOT a reward...it is abuse...it is me not feeling like I deserve a reward...don't deserve to succeed and reach my goals. But I DO deserve some rewards for my hard work. I have worked VERY hard and I am proud of what I have accomplished this past year. The reward I deserve, though, is not junk food with hundreds/thousands of empty calories. THAT....is abuse.

Interesting. And, perhaps TOTALLY obvious to everyone reading this. And...at this point...obvious to me. But...for some weird reason, this whole idea of reward and abuse had not ever fully sunk in until last night.

It ended well. I chose to not buy the "binge foods". More than half of my cart (as is typical these days) was filled with fresh yummy produce. What I did manage to find was a package of gluten and dairy free chocolate cookies (which....did NOT look like tasteless cardboard)...4 cookies has 130 calories. I grabbed those and decided to have a big mug of decaf coffee and 4 or 5 of those cookies when I got home (after I unloaded all the food). And I did. And it was good. And that little snack made me feel satisfied. If I had bought and eaten the other stuff, I would have felt angry and frustrated with myself, bloated, full, sick to my stomach, and defeated....and it very well would have caused me to have a bad eating day today, too. Instead, I woke up feeling great. Jumped on the scale and joyfully saw a number that was less than 1 pound away from the next buttprint picture. THAT is the kind of reward I deserve! :)

The rest of today was great for food and exercise. But we had a horrible thing happen to a very beloved pet. It was devastating to us....just wrecked us for most of the day. Oh, the tears....buckets and buckets. My oldest son asked if I would take him to the pool so he could swim through his feelings and grief.....which I understood....so he and my 13 year old and I all headed to the pool and did laps and tried to work through things together, in a productive way. I have not been in a pool in an exercise capacity for many years. It felt good. For a while...I just floated with my ears below the water so it was just silent and calm. It helped. My younger boys were still with my Mom.....and when the incident happened, I called and asked her to please keep them for longer.....I was not ready to tell them about it and go through it all again. Man.....it was one of those "being a Mom is really really hard work" days. So, when the little boys came home I got to relive it all over again. My head is pounding! But, as awful and exhausting and tearful as it was....we are working it through and are on a path toward healing. And...eating bad food and abusing myself did not even remotely enter my mind at all today. Progress.

Rest in peace, sweet Dusty. You will be sorely missed, our fine feathered friend..especially when you so conceitedly called yourself a pretty bird and kissed yourself every time you saw a mirror. He brought us so much joy and laughter and was such a big part of our family. Damn....we will miss that bird.

How Do You Respond?

2010-02-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hi gang! I just got back in town. I went to the middle of the state to watch my oldest son compete at the District level for swimming. He did great....he has improved dramatically in the past year. It has been such a joy to see his VERY hard work pay off and to see his confidence and abilities grow. He brought home a 4th place, a 6th place and a 7th place. Very exciting. I have no voice left.

Okay. I have a question for you. How do you respond if someone (whom you care about) tells you that they do not think you need to lose any more weight if you DO still need to ditch some fat?

I am getting closer to my goal, but am certainly not there yet. In fact...got a bit of a brutal reminder of that this morning when I ran on the hotel treadmill. The ENTIRE wall in the tiny little hotel fitness room was a floor to ceiling wall to wall mirror. (gaaaak..flashbacks to 5 year old ballet class!) It was sort of hard to not look at myself as I ran. At first I looked at my feet.....to see if my foot fall seemed correct...then slowly moved up the line and got to watch a semi-side view of my back-side and thighs jiggling around quite a bit. Even my arms, which have become somewhat toned...were flapping about more than I thought they still did. I feel sort of bad now for all the people on the treadmills behind me in my gym at home....LOL. It was FINE...I was not beating myself up over it or anything. I was being very objective about it and thinking...wow...I sure don't jiggle and flap around NEARLY as much as I once did...but I definitely still have some junk in the trunk that needs to go bye-bye and some triceps that still need some "bingo wing" reduction. I definitely still have about 15-20 pounds to get to my goal...and I got a chance to see it up close and personal today....in a tank top and lycra! (eeeep! lol)

So, what do you say when someone makes a comment you disagree with about your goals?

Calipers!?! Pinch pinch pinch!

2010-02-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

Greeting blogland! Thanks for all the nice messages yesterday! All is well, I just got off to a rough start this week and was feeling really buried. I was not able to get to the gym for a few days, either...and I realized that not exercising increased the impact of the stress on me about 20-fold!

I hit the gym hard yesterday for 90 minutes of strength work (felt SO good....and.....wow....skipping 4 days of weights definitely made a difference..learned my lesson there!). Then today I snuck over there and did the treadmill for an hour. I am sad to say that the last time I ran was a WEEK ago. Good Lord. See.....this is why the stress got to me so much earlier in the week!!! Good to know....good to know. I ran the first 2 miles in about 21 minutes then decided to alternate walking and sprinting. (Well....maybe 7 or 7.5 mph is not sprinting to many people...but to me it is! No teasing from you fast people out there--lol) So, for the next 3 miles I sprinted for 1 minute then walked for 2 minutes.....and so on. Intervals! It was good....my legs feel it...big time! Altogether I went 5 miles in 57 minutes. Felt good. Felt really good--mentally and physically. It felt MUCH better than eating cookies.

Today is my third day of very clean eating. I had 12 straight days of really clean eating...then went haywire for 2 days...now I am back on track again. If I could only learn to only go a "little" haywire...I'd be golden. Buttprint pic....who knows when..but I am working on it!

My gym had advertised free body composition testing today. I was sort of excited about that. I was eager to compare their measurement to my old tanita bodyfat scale (which can swing from a reading of 27.5% fat to 31% fat all in one day.....). I was also hoping to get a lean mass number...bone weight, water weight, that sort of thing. I was a little disappointed when it ended up just being a lady at a table with calipers. So, I did the caliper thing. She only took three measurements. One on my lower (not even the top meaty area) front thigh, one on my upper stomach area, and then my tricep. Then she did her little calculations, asked my age...and told me I was 23% fat. Which....I am not. (not being pessimistic here....but, I know that is lower than where I am at right now--and using calipers in just three areas is not very accurate.) The three places where she took the readings were nowhere near my "flabby bottom and upper thigh" region. I wish it was accurate....23% would be great....once I reach 21-22% I am DONE with the weight loss portion of this journey. So..back to the drawing board. The University has a bodypod that I think I can use for $30. I might do that to get a "real" reading just so I know if my scale is in the ballpark. I'm guessing I am somewhere in the 28-29% arena right now.

One cool thing I noticed the other day was that waaaaay back in 1993 when I got married the first time around...I weighed about 174 and my hips were 42.5 inches. (WHY do I have this data....lol....how weird...I had a little notebook where I used to record such things..even when I was in Africa I took measurements every month or so.....lol). I was fairly fit then....did aerobics, roller blading, hiking, that sort of thing....but no weights. I weigh more than 174 right now...but my hips are a half inch smaller now than they were at my wedding (!?!). As are my thighs! (My waist..bless it's pre-baby heart...was and inch smaller then) But the hip/thigh thing means I have more muscle than I did back then. I LOVE THAT! It is nice to know that an old lady like me can still build some muscle and be more fit than I was at 26. Three months after the wedding I had managed to gain 10 pounds and an inch around my hips (aaah....gotta love how my body loves to gain weight)...then became pregnant with son #1 and proceeded to gain 65 more pounds (and 6 inches on my hips!!!!!) during the pregnancy (eeeeeek!). It is good to be below my original "pre-pregnancy" weight right now.

Ok. Anyone have any caliper or other stories to share? The lady doing the calipers said "Oh, you don't really have much fat to pinch in the ab region"....that was a nice thing to hear! If only she'd seen me a year ago.....I'd have given those calipers a work out! :)

It is Official

2010-02-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

It is official. (And, no, this is not a post with my 180 butt print because I have yet to see that on the scale.....!)

What is official is that exercise is indeed a better way to deal with stress than eating. And, another unscientific finding of mine is that...lack of exercise combined with stress can lead to eating the wrong foods.

I've been pretty darn stressed here.....more so than usual...and crazy busy for the past several days. Have not dealt with it as well as I would have liked. I am working on it..and doing much better today and yesterday then the two days before that. One day at a time. Exercise, not food. Truly. It works SO much better and feels so much better.

Sorry to not be around too much this week. And I am traveling out of town this weekend. I should be back online more next week. Stay tuned. :)

Food Villian.....

2010-01-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

I especially liked this part of Drea's comment yesterday: "Maya Angelou says that once you know better, you do better."

So, with that in mind. here is more food villian info for you to ponder:

This Common Food Ingredient Can Really Mess Up Your Metabolism

Anybody make it all the way through the article? Thoughts?