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?

Back in the Saddle Again...

After taking a 3 week vacation from the workout circuit, I have slowly begun feeling like I'm moving a bit slower and having a more difficult time getting going in the morning.  The need to get up and do something has been building like a pot about to boil over on an unattended stove and finally today I gave in and got outside.

I didn't dive headfirst into a "too much too soon" workout though.  I've done that in the past and have finally learned that doing so leads to disastrous results.  The last thing I want to do now that I'm ready to get back into my workout is to pull a muscle or stretch a tendon.  No, instead I headed out the door with Pooch (he looked far too comfortable sleeping on the couch) at my side and the two of us plunked along on a mile walk around the neighborhood.

The walk was amazing despite the cool weather and foggy mist that left my sweatshirt drenched after 15 minutes of moving around in it.  Just being out and moving coaxed my body into releasing some of that pent up energy and now I'm feeling ready to tackle the rest of my "to-dos" with gusto.

If you have gotten back into the rut of taking too much time away from your workout... take heart.  You aren't the only one feeling the guilt and shame of replacing afternoon walks with 5lbs. of fudge.  Now that the holidays are over, it's time to put down the ladle of gravy and put on those sneakers!  Let's get back in motion before Valentine's Day rolls around.

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:

• 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.

Nearing the Finish line at the 2010 Great Columbia Crossing
October, 2010

Shrinking Abs, A** and Appetites

Back in the day, I used to be able to go out and eat a full meal at a diner and clean my plate.  Today, I discovered my days of eating super-sized meals are over and slowly fading in the sunset.  The way I discovered this today was over a basket of fries and pepper-bacon cheeseburger at Burgerville.  Mr. Kawaii and I were out running some errands and decided to stop off and have a late breakfast/early lunch between locations.  Since eating out is now such a rarity, we decided to go big and order a full basket each - no sharing allowed.

I made it through the delicious and juicy burger just fine, but suddenly started petering out mid-way through the fries.  And then, something that hasn't happened at any point in recent memory... I wasn't hungry again until dinner.  It appears that my hunger centers, digestive system and food craving epicenter have all decided that they are suddenly allowed to just shut down when I overeat.  What in the world is going on?!?  It's insanity, I tell you.

On the exercise front, M and I headed out to the track and she laughed at me while we walked along with half the town (Apparently they are coming out in droves to watch the free entertainment).  Imitating the moves of a very fit older gentleman, I shook things up by doing some walking grapevines around a portion of the track on our first lap - VERY tricky with the walking sideways while crossing the legs in front and behind one another.  Amazingly, I didn't fall over although it seemed like everyone on the track was betting on me kissing the pavement as I rounded the bend in the track.

Grapevines completed, I then took to doing walking lunches around the second lap.  Not as much as a balancing act as the previous lap, but after about my 10th lunge I started really "feeling the burn" as they say.  I was determined to keep going though, and spent the rest of the way round pretending I was on a Merry-Go-Round.  I thought M was going to die of embarrassment as I clung to an invisible pole connected to the invisible pony I was riding up and down.

Lap three brought on another move that threw M off every time I did it.  Each time a number, line, arrow or other track marking came into the lane I leaped over it.  The problem for M was that as we walked she got used to me not making crazy or embarrassing movements and then all of a sudden, without warning, I was up in the air and landing with a "thump" beside her.

Finally, the last lap was spent reverse leg kicks.  By now, M was immune to my oddities and chatted with me as if nothing odd was happening, even though the woman jogging with a pink umbrella was staring at me as if I were trying to complete a 3 legged race by myself.  I stared right back at her... I mean, who jogs with an umbrella? On a nice evening?  When there is no rain?  When it's not hot?  When the sun has started descending behind the tree line?  Not I.  I just thrust my legs out behind me without care or worry, surprising and almost injuring anyone who happens to not be paying attention and finds themselves walking behind me.

Still full of energy, I came home and did two different 10 minute ab workouts.  The first one I did was Standing Abs on Fios On Demand.  It was easy, fun, and over before I knew it.  Then I flipped over to 10 Minute Abs with Amy Dixon.  About 6 minutes in, while I was sprawled out on the floor on my belly, arms outstretched and legs kicking behind me in some kind of "I'm pretending to be learning to swim in the kiddie pool but my swim instructor doesn't actually trust me to be in the water" kind of move... my husband walked in.  He looked down at the floor at me, looked up Amy Dixon, looked back down at me and said, "Well, it's not the strangest thing I've ever seen you doing; but it's up there.  Have a nice swim."  And then he left.

Somehow, I managed to keep at the workout for the last 4 minutes without curling up in a laughing ball of hilarity and ended my workout day with two thumbs up and a few calories down.  Mr. Kawaii noted that my waist appears to be disappearing and for some reason the butt of my pants seems to be sagging as my rear end begins to shrink.  It was a great day for fitness, reduction in fast-food cravings and fun in the sun!