Although I don't have a ton of time to post today, I thought I'd hop on here for a minute and just mention how nice it is to be able to walk to so many of my errands in town. Now that the weather is a little cooler and life is settling back into a routine after a hectic summer it's a lot easier to get out and get moving again.
I've got some things in the works that I think you will all be excited to read about in the coming weeks. I can't wait to share them with you... soon! Until then, take care and keep those bottoms moving!
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14
Monday, April 18
You Look... Different
Hey-O! April is marching along at a rapid pace, and I fear I am going to run out of month long before I run out of things that are supposed to get done. Coming back to post on exercising is a little difficult at the moment because I have the attention span of a goldfish and often forget about the blog when shiny things pass by my window. Oh well, at least I remembered today.
Yesterday Mr. Kawaii and I had a "date day" out on the town and walked for several hours around a show at a local convention hall and at an outdoor mall while we looked for new and inventive ways to spend our hard earned cash. Although I no longer use a pedometer, I am confident that we walked several miles over the course of the day and it was so good to be outside moving around. This past week has been a bit hectic, and unfortunately the workout side of things has suffered, but we made up for at least a little of it yesterday.
As we were out, I bumped into an old friend/romantic interest from back before Mr. Kawaii and I were an item, and after the happy "hello" hugs and chit-chat he leaned back and said, "You look so... different from when I last saw you." Although I'm not sure how the comment was intended (I mean, I've cut about 2 feet of length off my hair, have traded in my tight fitting office attire for jeans and a company jacket and am visibly a much happier person than I was 5 years ago), I couldn't help but think that he was referring to my weight which is, truth be told, significantly different than it was back then. Initially I was embarrassed for having become so large, but as I thought about it more I was propelled into a long and thought provoking look at who I was and where I am today.
After the initial horror of possibly being mistaken for someone who has "let herself go" I've decided that while yes, I do look different than I did back then - it is because my life is different. While it's true that I weigh nearly 50lbs more than I did when the old-flame and I said our last goodbyes, the weight gain didn't come from sitting on ass for several years eating bon-bons. No, I had a demanding and profitable stint in the food service industry where working 60+ hours a week made exercise an afterthought (the unlimited taste-testing, 3 square meals a day on the house and hundreds of gallons of sugary drinks also helped in producing this weight-gain), moved, got married, traveled, gave up the corporate grind to begin working for myself, supported other local small businesses, took care of my mother full time and have somehow found the time to finish writing a novel. And further, while others might see me now and compare the roundness of my derrière to the firm bubble of a butt I had several years ago... what would they have thought if they saw me 18, 12 or even 6 months ago? Truth be told, although I still haven't lost more than 5 pounds since this weight loss revolution took hold, I've dropped from an 18 to a 14.
And so, this morning after pondering this some more (I am a woman after all, so I couldn't just let it go) I find myself shrugging my shoulders and muttering, "who cares what he thinks?" about the whole ordeal. Although it's true that I'd love to be that svelte size 8 that I was yesteryear, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. Maybe one day I'll bump into him again so instead of reacting with embarrassment to the statement, "you look so different" I'll be able to muster the courage to ask him why he looks so very much the same.
Yesterday Mr. Kawaii and I had a "date day" out on the town and walked for several hours around a show at a local convention hall and at an outdoor mall while we looked for new and inventive ways to spend our hard earned cash. Although I no longer use a pedometer, I am confident that we walked several miles over the course of the day and it was so good to be outside moving around. This past week has been a bit hectic, and unfortunately the workout side of things has suffered, but we made up for at least a little of it yesterday.
As we were out, I bumped into an old friend/romantic interest from back before Mr. Kawaii and I were an item, and after the happy "hello" hugs and chit-chat he leaned back and said, "You look so... different from when I last saw you." Although I'm not sure how the comment was intended (I mean, I've cut about 2 feet of length off my hair, have traded in my tight fitting office attire for jeans and a company jacket and am visibly a much happier person than I was 5 years ago), I couldn't help but think that he was referring to my weight which is, truth be told, significantly different than it was back then. Initially I was embarrassed for having become so large, but as I thought about it more I was propelled into a long and thought provoking look at who I was and where I am today.
After the initial horror of possibly being mistaken for someone who has "let herself go" I've decided that while yes, I do look different than I did back then - it is because my life is different. While it's true that I weigh nearly 50lbs more than I did when the old-flame and I said our last goodbyes, the weight gain didn't come from sitting on ass for several years eating bon-bons. No, I had a demanding and profitable stint in the food service industry where working 60+ hours a week made exercise an afterthought (the unlimited taste-testing, 3 square meals a day on the house and hundreds of gallons of sugary drinks also helped in producing this weight-gain), moved, got married, traveled, gave up the corporate grind to begin working for myself, supported other local small businesses, took care of my mother full time and have somehow found the time to finish writing a novel. And further, while others might see me now and compare the roundness of my derrière to the firm bubble of a butt I had several years ago... what would they have thought if they saw me 18, 12 or even 6 months ago? Truth be told, although I still haven't lost more than 5 pounds since this weight loss revolution took hold, I've dropped from an 18 to a 14.
And so, this morning after pondering this some more (I am a woman after all, so I couldn't just let it go) I find myself shrugging my shoulders and muttering, "who cares what he thinks?" about the whole ordeal. Although it's true that I'd love to be that svelte size 8 that I was yesteryear, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. Maybe one day I'll bump into him again so instead of reacting with embarrassment to the statement, "you look so different" I'll be able to muster the courage to ask him why he looks so very much the same.
Friday, April 1
Downward Facing Wet Dog
I have a little beef with this whole exercise DVD thing. This morning, I was feeling a little stiff so I popped in my trusty Yoga DVD and started to follow along. About 15 minutes in, I could feel the sweat start rolling off my back and I looked up to the screen to find that not one of the group of people on my big-screen-you-can-see-every-arm-hair-and-extra-nipple HDTV had even started to break a sweat. There was no glistening skin, no darkening spandex, no need for a hand towel to mop up a damp brow.
It may surprise you that I have been using this very same DVD for nearly 7 years now and I am just noticing this issue, but I would like to point out that because I've had this disk for so long I rarely actually watch it - I just have it playing so that I can listen to the position changes and not find myself stuck in an Eagle pose for 10 minutes while I get lost in a daydream about chocolate fudge brownies. Also, I am not observant and even if this same issue has bothered me in the past I have no memory skills, both counts of which my husband will happily confirm.
I ended the routine smelling quite like a wet dog (there's nothing like realizing halfway through your workout that the carpet smells like your dog used it for an extensive back-scratching), and I just had to share this injustice with the internet. Whether these exercise gurus have the air conditioning turned on full blast in their studio or have had their sweat glands removed is beyond me, but I am going to start a petition to have some production studio intern at least spray them down with a mist of water in the future so that they appear more human, and I feel less like a slimy toad. Who's with me?
It may surprise you that I have been using this very same DVD for nearly 7 years now and I am just noticing this issue, but I would like to point out that because I've had this disk for so long I rarely actually watch it - I just have it playing so that I can listen to the position changes and not find myself stuck in an Eagle pose for 10 minutes while I get lost in a daydream about chocolate fudge brownies. Also, I am not observant and even if this same issue has bothered me in the past I have no memory skills, both counts of which my husband will happily confirm.
I ended the routine smelling quite like a wet dog (there's nothing like realizing halfway through your workout that the carpet smells like your dog used it for an extensive back-scratching), and I just had to share this injustice with the internet. Whether these exercise gurus have the air conditioning turned on full blast in their studio or have had their sweat glands removed is beyond me, but I am going to start a petition to have some production studio intern at least spray them down with a mist of water in the future so that they appear more human, and I feel less like a slimy toad. Who's with me?
Saturday, December 18
Leave Your Attitude At The Door (But Please Bring Your Deodorant)
I had a very enjoyable night last night, falling asleep somewhere in the wee hours of the morning only to rise again at the sound of a 6a.m. alarm. OK, to be fair said alarm was snoozed until 6:30 - but still.
The brief sleep didn't put me in a terrible mood, per se, but it did make getting a move on my morning a difficult proposition. Especially when it came to the workout. I debated skipping it altogether, dreaming instead of losing myself in a batch of cheesecake-chocolate-chip cookies courtesy of a certain nephew's school fundraiser. But my guilt and desire to attempt to stick with my ongoing progress won out in the end.
I made it about ten minutes into my yoga routine when I began thinking, "Huh. I don't know why I always psyche myself out of working out. I always feel better once I'm doing it." This thought was immediately followed by arms going up in an overhead stretch and a smell of... yuck. I hate it when I forget to put deodorant on before a workout!
I battled through the sleepies (and the smell) until I made it to the end of the routine. After I put my arms back down to my sides it dawned on me that I no longer feel like a sloth reaching for a morning caffeine kick to jump-start my day. I'm suddenly awake, feel like I've accomplished something and am ready to take on the next project with gusto.
Funny what a little morning exercise will do.
The brief sleep didn't put me in a terrible mood, per se, but it did make getting a move on my morning a difficult proposition. Especially when it came to the workout. I debated skipping it altogether, dreaming instead of losing myself in a batch of cheesecake-chocolate-chip cookies courtesy of a certain nephew's school fundraiser. But my guilt and desire to attempt to stick with my ongoing progress won out in the end.
I made it about ten minutes into my yoga routine when I began thinking, "Huh. I don't know why I always psyche myself out of working out. I always feel better once I'm doing it." This thought was immediately followed by arms going up in an overhead stretch and a smell of... yuck. I hate it when I forget to put deodorant on before a workout!
I battled through the sleepies (and the smell) until I made it to the end of the routine. After I put my arms back down to my sides it dawned on me that I no longer feel like a sloth reaching for a morning caffeine kick to jump-start my day. I'm suddenly awake, feel like I've accomplished something and am ready to take on the next project with gusto.
Funny what a little morning exercise will do.
Sunday, November 21
Weathering the Wii
It was too crisp and chilly outside this morning to convince anyone to head outdoors for an early morning stroll, so instead I grabbed Mr. Kawaii and we worked up a sweat battling each other on the Wii. 5 rounds of tennis got our hearts pounding, and then a set of bowling helped us to cool down.
It's great to have options like Exercise TV, the Wii and workout videos to keep us moving even during icky weather. It certainly helps me to feel like less of a slouch!
It's great to have options like Exercise TV, the Wii and workout videos to keep us moving even during icky weather. It certainly helps me to feel like less of a slouch!
Thursday, November 11
Chasing the 4:35 Train
Adding some oompf to an otherwise computer-keying day, I decided to take a walk through the neighborhood to the local grocery store this afternoon. On my way back as I crossed over the train tracks I noticed the afternoon train coming down the line. I decided to try to beat the train through the neighborhood (the tracks run parallel to the road that I walk to get to my house) and held my giant bundle of toilet paper and brownie mix tight against my chest as I hoofed it across the concrete.
The train probably moves at 4 or 5 miles an hour, which is still slightly faster than I can walk and so I really had to push myself which is surprisingly difficult with 12 rolls of toilet paper filling both arms and a sack of boxed goodness pounding against your outer thigh. The people in the neighborhood all looked at me in confusion as I peeked between the houses to see how I was progressing and trying to stay in front of the nose of the train.
Sadly the train beat me to the end of the street, but only by a nose. I was even with the conductor's window at the end of the "race". I take a proud second place though, realizing that the conductor has thousands of tons of steel, fuel and momentum keeping him moving and all I've got are a pair of New Balance shoes and the promise of frosted brownies in my future.
The train probably moves at 4 or 5 miles an hour, which is still slightly faster than I can walk and so I really had to push myself which is surprisingly difficult with 12 rolls of toilet paper filling both arms and a sack of boxed goodness pounding against your outer thigh. The people in the neighborhood all looked at me in confusion as I peeked between the houses to see how I was progressing and trying to stay in front of the nose of the train.
Sadly the train beat me to the end of the street, but only by a nose. I was even with the conductor's window at the end of the "race". I take a proud second place though, realizing that the conductor has thousands of tons of steel, fuel and momentum keeping him moving and all I've got are a pair of New Balance shoes and the promise of frosted brownies in my future.
Wednesday, November 10
Recognizing My Own Success Story
I realized this morning that I have been blogging about my exercise adventure for just about 6 months now, and what a journey it has been. I've seen my share of highs and lows over the last six months, have been witness to great changes in M and K, and even a few in myself. I spent the morning on a 2.5 mile walk with Pooch, and we spent our time out on the sidewalk reflecting on where I've been and where I'm heading.
When I started this blog, it was with the idea that if I had some outside accountability that maybe I'd be able to stick with the whole "lifestyle change" concept long enough for it to start working. Work it has, although not in the way that I had expected it to. I was seeking instant results on the scale, expecting to drop 40 or 50 pounds within six months and be back to a size 8 before Christmas.
Although those aren't the results that I've seen so far, I am confident that they are on the horizon and I am taking one step at a time in the right direction. Unfortunately, in my past I have done a number on my body through 10 years of binge eating and starvation topped off with 4 years of eating fast food roughly 12 times a week. Because of my past diet insanity, my body is still afraid to let go of the pounds although it has started shifting things around and transforming some of those former lumps into muscle that are so real you can see and feel them lurking under my skin.
All those trips to the gym, laps around the track and yoga sessions in the living room have given me results that are frequent and substantial enough to keep me going, and through blogging about the craziness of trying to jog with a dog who wants to paint fences every 50 feet and being attacked by flora and fauna in equal doses in the back yard, I have been able to share my experience with others.
This experience has reminded me that sometimes we just have to recognize our own success story instead of comparing ourselves to others. We might not all be millionaire-triathlete-raceway-superstars, but we are all treading the paces of our own journey to shape who we will become in the years ahead of us. And while yes, it is great when there are enthusiastic people like M and K to encourage us along the way, there will always be those days when we just have to get up and be our own cheerleader.
So, in the spirit of cheering for myself, here are my awesome results that have stacked up over the last six months:
Sure, I haven't met my goals of losing 40 pounds and dropping to a size 8, but look at all the things I HAVE done! Most of the things I have achieved are things that I never even thought of as goals, but they went ahead and showed up anyway. The proof is in the fat-free lactose-free sugar-free pudding, and I know that as long as I continue avoiding the drive-thru lane and keep finding ways to be active that I will continue to inch my way towards the smaller bottom of my dreams.
When I started this blog, it was with the idea that if I had some outside accountability that maybe I'd be able to stick with the whole "lifestyle change" concept long enough for it to start working. Work it has, although not in the way that I had expected it to. I was seeking instant results on the scale, expecting to drop 40 or 50 pounds within six months and be back to a size 8 before Christmas.
Although those aren't the results that I've seen so far, I am confident that they are on the horizon and I am taking one step at a time in the right direction. Unfortunately, in my past I have done a number on my body through 10 years of binge eating and starvation topped off with 4 years of eating fast food roughly 12 times a week. Because of my past diet insanity, my body is still afraid to let go of the pounds although it has started shifting things around and transforming some of those former lumps into muscle that are so real you can see and feel them lurking under my skin.
All those trips to the gym, laps around the track and yoga sessions in the living room have given me results that are frequent and substantial enough to keep me going, and through blogging about the craziness of trying to jog with a dog who wants to paint fences every 50 feet and being attacked by flora and fauna in equal doses in the back yard, I have been able to share my experience with others.
This experience has reminded me that sometimes we just have to recognize our own success story instead of comparing ourselves to others. We might not all be millionaire-triathlete-raceway-superstars, but we are all treading the paces of our own journey to shape who we will become in the years ahead of us. And while yes, it is great when there are enthusiastic people like M and K to encourage us along the way, there will always be those days when we just have to get up and be our own cheerleader.
So, in the spirit of cheering for myself, here are my awesome results that have stacked up over the last six months:
- Gone from barely being able to zip up my size 18 jeans to comfortably fitting into my size 16 jeans and size 14 dresses.
- Lost 3 pounds since starting this blog, and 6 pounds overall.
- Have traversed the gap in my belt, going from barely able to get into the last notch on the belt to now being 4 notches in.
- Discovered that I have "tank top arms" for the first time in years, with muscular shoulders and emerging biceps.
- Went from walking a 22 minute mile to being able to walk/jog a 16 minute mile.
- Have slimmed to a point where my fingers are thin enough to wear my wedding ring every day, even to sleep.
- Can see my wrist bones for the first time since 1997.
- No longer feel like I am "spilling out" over the edge of chairs, car seats or benches.
- Have more energy than I know what to do with some days!
Sure, I haven't met my goals of losing 40 pounds and dropping to a size 8, but look at all the things I HAVE done! Most of the things I have achieved are things that I never even thought of as goals, but they went ahead and showed up anyway. The proof is in the fat-free lactose-free sugar-free pudding, and I know that as long as I continue avoiding the drive-thru lane and keep finding ways to be active that I will continue to inch my way towards the smaller bottom of my dreams.
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| Nearing the Finish line at the 2010 Great Columbia Crossing October, 2010 |
Wednesday, June 2
Skipping Rope
If I had known 20 years ago that the jumping-rope I loved to hop over on the sidewalk after lunch could keep my body in tip-top physical shape, maybe I would have given it more respect. Perhaps it would have found it's way into my lifelong daily routine instead of being tossed into a bin unceremoniously marked "GoodWill". It may also have made the 20 minute workout I endured today less... unruly.
Flipping through available workouts, I settled on 21 Day Cardio 1, with trainer Jade Alexis. Done as a part of Elle's 21 Days To A Better You spread, this workout video is the first in a series of exercises to help get your body lean and ready for bikini weather. It also involves a lot of skipping an imaginary rope, something I haven't even thought about doing since my last jump-rope dissolved into the void of lost toys.
While I can appreciate the upbeat nature of Jade and whatever supermodel was working out with her, as well as their ability to jump around for 20 minutes without blacking out from hunger pangs, I wasn't prepared for the amount of jumping (in place, side to side, front to back, in the shape of a square, up high, down low, and so on and so forth) that took place.
If you give this workout a try, I have two tidbits of advice that you should adhere to. The first is that this 20 minute workout doesn't include any stretching before or after, so be sure to stretch out those legs before you start lest you end up like me with calves that explode like roman candles stuck in a jar of peanut butter.
The second is a little graphic so cover your ears if you're timid: you should try to tinkle and make a poop before you make your attempt at 20 minutes of uninterrupted bouncing. I definitely think this second suggestion is something that they should have displayed along with the "consult your doctor before starting this or any other exercise routine" warning in the opening credits as I discovered this is sage advice for people such as myself who ate lunch an hour before.
Now that I've survived the Cardio and showered off the resulting sweat pools, it occurs to me that all of this exercise business would be a lot easier if we had all just continued skipping rope and hula-hooping the way we did as kids. Although we didn't know it when we were playing hop-scotch on the neighbor's inclined driveway, we were exercising as well as having a lot of fun. I hope that as my energy levels increase I'll continue to go back to the outdoor games I used to play instead of boring myself with endless crunches and push-ups. It seems like a lot more fun that way.
Flipping through available workouts, I settled on 21 Day Cardio 1, with trainer Jade Alexis. Done as a part of Elle's 21 Days To A Better You spread, this workout video is the first in a series of exercises to help get your body lean and ready for bikini weather. It also involves a lot of skipping an imaginary rope, something I haven't even thought about doing since my last jump-rope dissolved into the void of lost toys.
While I can appreciate the upbeat nature of Jade and whatever supermodel was working out with her, as well as their ability to jump around for 20 minutes without blacking out from hunger pangs, I wasn't prepared for the amount of jumping (in place, side to side, front to back, in the shape of a square, up high, down low, and so on and so forth) that took place.
If you give this workout a try, I have two tidbits of advice that you should adhere to. The first is that this 20 minute workout doesn't include any stretching before or after, so be sure to stretch out those legs before you start lest you end up like me with calves that explode like roman candles stuck in a jar of peanut butter.
The second is a little graphic so cover your ears if you're timid: you should try to tinkle and make a poop before you make your attempt at 20 minutes of uninterrupted bouncing. I definitely think this second suggestion is something that they should have displayed along with the "consult your doctor before starting this or any other exercise routine" warning in the opening credits as I discovered this is sage advice for people such as myself who ate lunch an hour before.
Now that I've survived the Cardio and showered off the resulting sweat pools, it occurs to me that all of this exercise business would be a lot easier if we had all just continued skipping rope and hula-hooping the way we did as kids. Although we didn't know it when we were playing hop-scotch on the neighbor's inclined driveway, we were exercising as well as having a lot of fun. I hope that as my energy levels increase I'll continue to go back to the outdoor games I used to play instead of boring myself with endless crunches and push-ups. It seems like a lot more fun that way.
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