A Week of Unrecorded Progress

Well, it's been a long and active week... so active that I haven't had time to sit down at the computer to record any of it!

This past weekend, M and K and I went out to the coast for a few days.  On our getaway weekend we helped to spiff up K's beach house with some painting and closet cleaning, as well as a nice walk on the beach.  The weather was gorgeous, and the company was divine.  We came home rested, worked out and ready for a nap!

Then Monday was all about helping M move into her new apartment, so Mr. Kawaii and I spent the morning running up and down a flight of stairs with our arms full of boxes and the afternoon unloading, unpacking, cleaning and lining the shelves of M's new place.  It is a great little apartment, and once we helped to get her unpacked it felt like more of a home than her last place.  So happy to see her growing her independence with this move!

Yesterday we were back in the office, trying to get some work done between naps... and today... well, I am going to do my best to get a walk in but I certainly am not in a position to make any promises!

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?

The Pooch Walk

This morning, Pooch awakened to the day like a puppy let out of his mother's pen for the first time.  He brought me several bones in bed, barked at me through the bathroom door, bounced on Dummy to say "hello" and generally ran amok through two episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (don't you judge me).  I finally gave in to his hounding and got myself up and dressed for a walk around the block.

I was hesitant to take him on a walk earlier this week because of my back, but his flamboyancy this morning warranted risking the possibility of pain just to gain some peace and quiet!  Luckily, once he was on the leash and out the door he behaved himself and refrained from pulling too hard on the leash to inspect tantalizing shrubbery and barely-contained trash cans during our stroll.  I decided, partially in an effort to make sure he'd nap the rest of the day and partially to see just how out of shape I've gotten since my workout hiatus, to jog a portion of the way and was relieved to be able to make it from one end of the block to the other without feeling out of breath or pulling some vital muscle group.

We only went a mile, and I'm glad I didn't push myself further because as I type I can feel my back tensing as I sit here.  A nice hot shower and some extra strength Tylenol are in order to keep it from getting worse, I think.  But back pain aside, it was a great walk - and Pooch... is already asleep. Peace!

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

Clean Till You Scream!

I'm not sure how it got so late, but at 11pm I finally had time to sit down and blog about my day of housecleaning and exercise.  I spent the bulk of my day carrying boxes up and down a couple flight of stairs while prepping a family member's house for renovation.  I discovered that stair climbing is an exercise that I certainly should have in my ongoing workout schedule because by the end of the day I was sweaty, sore, and my butt-cheeks felt like spheres of molten muscle.

Thankfully, at the days end we sat down for a (mostly) healthy bar-b-que to celebrate family and the progress made emptying rooms and starting on home repairs.  It was a ton of fun to see all the family and spend the day working and joking together.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again next weekend for a day of paintball. That will be just as much workout, but even more fun!

And now that the night has become quiet and the rest of the house is asleep, I am going to turn in for the night.  Until tomorrow!!

Achey, Achey, Takin' A Breaky.

I can't believe we're back at Sunday already!  I'm taking the day off from exercising, aside from helping some family move a piano and some other unknown items around.  My poor body needs the break, and the psychological damage from the last two days working in the yard needs time to fade and settle before I head back out to combat the creepy-crawlys.

Aside from the sore muscles and creaky joints, my body seems to be adjusting to the new exercise schedule really well.  Yes, my back feels like there is a 300 pound man standing on his tippy-toes on it, but I'm not immobile.  Being able to push through the exercises and come out without being bedridden is a huge step in the right direction!

I hope that you all had a great week of movement, and I look forward to seeing what next week brings.  Thank you for your comments and e-mails, they are inspiring and entertaining in their own right and I'm glad that we're all in this struggle together.

Have a great Sunday!