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!

Walk This Way....

There is nothing that calms one's nerves after a long day at the office like a walk through the neighborhood with a friend.  Something about the combined movement of body, and the ability to vent unencumbered about annoyances big and small brings a sense of relief from the daily grind.

T and I walked about 2.5 miles (she also walked to my house and back home - she knows how to show that sidewalk who's boss).  The weather was nice, although the spring blooms did start to get to our various allergy senses near the end of the loop, and I was glad to retreat back indoors to escape the terror of pollen.  It was a beautiful evening, and I am resolved to have more of these walking excursions to keep my momentum.

I'm also feeling a little high today because I was able to bring my new belt down one more notch.  Score.

Just In Time

I walked across town to do my errands today, a nice 3.5 mile loop around town with a couple of short stops at the bank and post office.  The weather was pretty nice when I first set out, but the longer I walked the grayer the clouds got.  I lucked out - it didn't start raining until I was back in my own driveway!

Now that I'm home it's time for some deep cleaning and a shower... although maybe not in that order because trying to walk quickly enough to outrun the rain has left me a very sweaty mess.  Fitness smells oh-so-good.

Flexing Fannies

I hit the living room for another round of yoga today and managed to stay on the mat for about 25 minutes before my left knee took on a life of its own and began dancing and wiggling in a kind of muscle spasm I've never seen before.  Rather than push myself through the last 5 minutes of the workout and risk my Jello-knee going completely haywire I did a little cool-down stretching and then walked away.

Unfortunately as the weather has started getting nicer and my friends and family have realized that spring is quickly approaching, our group has become littered with twisted ankles and pulled muscles.  We're all in a rush to get back into our workout routines and while getting back into shape after a winter of hibernating under a stack of pumpkin pies, roasted turkeys and chocolate covered strawberries is rapidly climbing to the top of our list it is best to tread softly during these first few weeks of workout weather.

My knee has stopped jiggling, so I think it's time to hit the showers.  On to the rest of the day!

It's Raining! It's... Sunny?

I had a strange walk this morning, 2 miles around the block through what seems to have been a wide enough loop to go through a couple of weather cycles.

It was nice and warm this morning (a balmy 53 degrees last I checked) so I headed out into the world to get a walk in before buckling down for a consultation with a tax accountant.  I'm trying to get myself psyched up for a chat about tax filings, exemptions and deductions and I figured I should put my best face forward.  So, to get clear-headed and pumped full of energy I hit the pavement in what started out as a light sprinkle.

About halfway through the walk I was suddenly drenched as the cool, calming sprinkle turned into a sudden downpour.  The benefit of the downpour was that it inspired me to walk faster... and I apparently walked so fast that I escaped the cloud altogether because the skies broke loose and sun spewed forth!  My walk ended with me wet, warm, sweaty and wondering... is Mother Nature off her meds?

Three walks in a single week - It's a trend!

On my third trip around the neighborhood for the week, I realized how far I've come in the scheme of things.  I beat myself up a lot for not working out as much as I'd like, not making getting a gym membership a priority and not eating exactly right 100% of the time.  But really, when putting one foot in front of the other on a cold January day, it is amazing to think about everything that I've accomplished in the last year.  Since it's all fresh on my mind, I figure I'll list everything I can think of here:

1) Quit my day-job to write full-time and support my husband's business.
2) Began writing weekly for sites like Associated Content, Yahoo!, Examiner, Rivals and more.
3) Managed three blogs (almost) weekly.
4) Started an exercise routine.
5) Moved my mom in with me and my husband.
6) Helped my mom move back out on her own.
7) Finished writing a novel.
8) Started writing a second novel.
9) Began submitting writing to contests, magazines and journals (still keeping fingers crossed that those pan out someday).
10) Kept up with friends and family as best I could.
11) Went to Disneyland.
12) Went to Legoland.
13) Went to Dragon*Con.
14) Played paintball more times than I can count.
15) Suffered a death in the family.
16) Had to put a pet down due to illness.
17) Started reading again.
18) Started sewing again.
19) Started crocheting again.

The list goes on, I'm sure.  It's a lot - much more than I thought could possibly fit all in one year, but there it is. 2011 is shaping up to be even more jam-packed, and I am glad that I've been able to stick to my desire to live a healthier lifestyle through it all.  Of course, I'm not perfect, but the changes to my well being have stuck and that is what matters.

On that note, I'm off to do laundry for the first time this year.  Thank goodness for clean underpants!

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.

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!

 

Rooftop Chores, Chutes and Ladders

Today's calorie burning adventure took place on the roof of my house.  As I was checking the mail a few days ago, I happened to look up and see that the entire north side of the roof was sprouting moss by the bucket load. Leaves were peeking out of the gutters, and the house magically added "home maintenance" to my weekly To Do list.

Mr. Kawaii and I headed up the ladder this afternoon when the sun peeked its head out from behind the fall cloud cover.  After a couple of hours of bending over to scoop sloppy leaves from the gutters, traversing the incline to sprinkle moss-killer across the shingles and hunting for loose or torn shingles we were left sweaty, soggy and proud that our rooftop is heading into winter prepared for Mother Nature's worst.

As much as I enjoy hitting the gym for a focused workout, I prefer the opportunity to burn calories while I work on an physically demanding project.  It makes me feel more accomplished, self-sufficient and proud of my own abilities.

So, how's your roof looking? ;)

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.

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

Cleaning Makes The Muscle Grow Fonder

It's days like today that make me wonder if cleanliness is next to Godliness, or if it's just the next best thing to spending five hours in a gym.  Really wonder.

I was blessed by a visit by my Great Aunt and Grandmother today, and before they made the venture out to the house I wanted to make sure I was putting my best broom forward.  Waking up early so I could get all the nitty gritty sweat out of the way before their arrival and still have time to shower the stink off of me before their arrival, I started my day by wiping down all the counters and tables (I have three - I'm not sure why) making the bed, doing laundry, sweeping the entire house and then running over it with a mop.

On these days of rushed deep-cleaning, when I have four days of work to get done in just a few hours, I suddenly discover that I use muscles scrubbing and mopping, de-greasing and spot-removing, couch pet-hair-removing and HVAC filter cleaning that I don't use on any other project or adventure in my life.  For some reason the motion of sweeping is unlike that of mopping, and neither are akin to rowing a boat although it seems like they should be.  Scrubbing the toilet uses completely different muscles than scrubbing the sink, and neither are helpful when it's time to churn butter or wash the dog.  Tugging at the sheets on a king-sized bed doesn't help to build the same muscles that one might use when pulling vines from trees to swing like Tarzan (or in my case, Jane), and lifting items to dust doesn't seem to be anywhere near the same as bowling.

The positive silver lining to this realization is that cleaning house can be an immense workout when you put your back into it; and it helps to shape and tone your whole body while you bend, lift, squat, push and pull your way towards a clean house.  The end result is that not only have I found myself an indoor workout on a day that was close to 97 degrees last time I checked, but I've also ended up with a spotless house that won't need to be cleaned for at least another six hours.

As any person trying to keep a clean house can attest: a lot can happen in six hours.