Today...at the gym...I voluntarily choose to exercise on...the dreaded elliptical trainer!
[insert woman screaming and terrifying music here]
I think today is probably the third time in - oh, say maybe 10 years - that I've hoisted my big butt onto one these torture devices. But I am determined to reign supreme! And, lo and behold, I return from battle victorious!
Thirty-three minutes.
Two miles.
307 calories.
*wheeze wheeze* *pant pant*
Now, I know that there's a great deal of room for improvement here. I'd like to eventually be able to get on that thing for 45 minutes without feeling like I'm going to die. And I'd actually like to add some resistance. Today I just hit "Quick Start" and off I go on the easiest of easy levels.
But, still...104 sticks of butter ago, I don't think that I could have done more than 5 minutes on the elliptical trainer. And at the end of that five minutes I probably would have felt like passing out. So, I feel pretty good about my progress.
And, strangely, I'm looking forward to my next elliptical training adventure.
Who'da thunk it?
Certainly not me.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Challenges
So, our gym is offering a 10-week "Fall Fitness Challenge" that includes:
(!!!!!!)
I really want to do this.
I mean I REALLY want to do this. I've been happy with my progress to date, but I must admit that I could use a huge push when it comes to my exercise routine. I tend not to stray too far from what I usually do (treadmill, stationary bike, upper and lower body lifting.) I have yet to take a class at my gym or utilize a personal trainer. This Fall Fitness Challenge is the push that I need to get me to the "next level" of fitness and weight loss.
But my challenge is...drum roll please: my job.
Sigh.
I'm heading into the busiest time of year for me. Lots of client meetings and presentations all over the state so I have to be up and out crazy early to get to where I need to go. And chances are that no matter how much I say that I'm not going to work late this year... I probably will.
Sigh.
So, my time for anything other than work is extremely...limited.
I hate it that I have to even question whether or not I can do something like this Fall Fitness Challenge (which I know will be SOOOOO good for me) because of my job. For the last 4 years my job has been all-consuming from August through December. Recently my parents wanted to come for a visit one weekend in October and I told them not to come because I would just be too damn tired to be a good hostess.
How sad is that???
My life seems to get put on hold during the busy season and I hate that.
My fabulously motivated husband has already signed up for the challenge. Another reason that I want to do this is because it's something fun and interesting that we can do together. A continuation of the hard work we've already put in this last 6 weeks. I really want to do this with him.
But I'm afraid that I'll let him and the team down because of this crazy job of mine. Afraid that I'll miss team training sessions or team challenges or that I won't make it to the gym the required 5 times per week. I don't want to be that one team member who lets everyone else down.
Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!
Man this pisses me off!
I don't want to be afraid. I don't want to miss an opportunity to do something really good for myself, for my health, for my marriage, and for my ability to be an active, healthy mom when our Schmoopie finally arrives.
I have a few days left to figure all of this out.
I just hate that it's so challenging to sign up for this challenge.
- 10 personal training sessions
- 10 group training sessions
- 6 team challenges (there will be one team from each of the 4 gyms in our gym network)
- Fat/body-composition analysis
- Nutritional counseling
- Weekly weigh-ins
- Prizes and an end of challenge banquet (with healthy food, of course...)
(!!!!!!)
I really want to do this.
I mean I REALLY want to do this. I've been happy with my progress to date, but I must admit that I could use a huge push when it comes to my exercise routine. I tend not to stray too far from what I usually do (treadmill, stationary bike, upper and lower body lifting.) I have yet to take a class at my gym or utilize a personal trainer. This Fall Fitness Challenge is the push that I need to get me to the "next level" of fitness and weight loss.
But my challenge is...drum roll please: my job.
Sigh.
I'm heading into the busiest time of year for me. Lots of client meetings and presentations all over the state so I have to be up and out crazy early to get to where I need to go. And chances are that no matter how much I say that I'm not going to work late this year... I probably will.
Sigh.
So, my time for anything other than work is extremely...limited.
I hate it that I have to even question whether or not I can do something like this Fall Fitness Challenge (which I know will be SOOOOO good for me) because of my job. For the last 4 years my job has been all-consuming from August through December. Recently my parents wanted to come for a visit one weekend in October and I told them not to come because I would just be too damn tired to be a good hostess.
How sad is that???
My life seems to get put on hold during the busy season and I hate that.
My fabulously motivated husband has already signed up for the challenge. Another reason that I want to do this is because it's something fun and interesting that we can do together. A continuation of the hard work we've already put in this last 6 weeks. I really want to do this with him.
But I'm afraid that I'll let him and the team down because of this crazy job of mine. Afraid that I'll miss team training sessions or team challenges or that I won't make it to the gym the required 5 times per week. I don't want to be that one team member who lets everyone else down.
Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!
Man this pisses me off!
I don't want to be afraid. I don't want to miss an opportunity to do something really good for myself, for my health, for my marriage, and for my ability to be an active, healthy mom when our Schmoopie finally arrives.
I have a few days left to figure all of this out.
I just hate that it's so challenging to sign up for this challenge.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Flexibility
When I was in my early 30s I wasn't in great shape or the thinnest I've ever been, but I was exercising and eating right.
And when I sat down on the floor with my legs extended in front of me I could grab my feet and almost touch my nose to my knees. I was moderately flexible at that time.
Not anymore. Ten years and a lot of sticks of butter later...not so flexible.
Earlier this year I could barely touch my toes at all!
Aaaaaiiiieeeeeee!!
There was this ridiculously gigantic belly in the way.
A belly so huge that it seemed like its own entity....something vaguely alien and unwelcome... I named her "Bernice."
When it came to flexibility, Bernice didn't let my nose get even remotely close to my knees! In fact, at the beginning of this year I could barely bend over at all. When I was "stretching" in a seated position I ended up almost completely vertical with the tips of my fingers straining to even reach my toes...that's how in the way Bernice was!
Today, I'm pleased to report that Bernice is becoming less and less of an impediment. While my nose isn't once again close friends with my knees, I can at least reach down and grab my feet without any trouble at all. And from a standing position I can bend over to place my hands almost flat on the floor.
Relief!
The return of flexibility.
I know that I have a ways to go before Bernice is gone from my life, but she's definitely on the way out.
Goodbye, Bernice...
And when I sat down on the floor with my legs extended in front of me I could grab my feet and almost touch my nose to my knees. I was moderately flexible at that time.
Not anymore. Ten years and a lot of sticks of butter later...not so flexible.
Earlier this year I could barely touch my toes at all!
Aaaaaiiiieeeeeee!!
There was this ridiculously gigantic belly in the way.
A belly so huge that it seemed like its own entity....something vaguely alien and unwelcome... I named her "Bernice."
When it came to flexibility, Bernice didn't let my nose get even remotely close to my knees! In fact, at the beginning of this year I could barely bend over at all. When I was "stretching" in a seated position I ended up almost completely vertical with the tips of my fingers straining to even reach my toes...that's how in the way Bernice was!
Today, I'm pleased to report that Bernice is becoming less and less of an impediment. While my nose isn't once again close friends with my knees, I can at least reach down and grab my feet without any trouble at all. And from a standing position I can bend over to place my hands almost flat on the floor.
Relief!
The return of flexibility.
I know that I have a ways to go before Bernice is gone from my life, but she's definitely on the way out.
Goodbye, Bernice...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Milestone
As of today...drum roll please...
100 sticks of butter melted away from this girl's body!
Woohoo!
There's a lot more to go, but I am taking a little time to enjoy this moment.
And now...off to prepare tomorrow's healthy lunches for my HoneyBunny and me!
100 sticks of butter melted away from this girl's body!
Woohoo!
There's a lot more to go, but I am taking a little time to enjoy this moment.
And now...off to prepare tomorrow's healthy lunches for my HoneyBunny and me!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Fantasy
OK, so here's my fantasy...
(And, no, it doesn't involve Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt or any other dreamy movie star covered in whipped cream and chocolate.)
So my fantasy is to lose all of the weight, to get really fit and to...
...become a certified personal trainer.
Shut the front door!
Me - the lifelong compulsive eater who's been occasionally thin, but more often than not quite heavy and every possible weight in between - become a personal trainer? That's crazy, right?
Maybe, but it's my fantasy.
In my fantasy I have muscular arms, a flat stomach (which I've never had), a back with not a smidge of flab hanging over my bra, and super toned and sexy legs. I'm extremely fit and healthy.
In my fantasy I help other obese people overcome their many years of bad habits, get out of their weight induced funks and become the healthy people they long to be.
I help these people because I know exactly what they're going through.
As fantasies go, I guess this might seem pretty tame (after all...no Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt with whipped cream and melted chocolate...), perhaps even pretty lame, but it's my fantasy and I'm sticking with it.
Who knows...occasionally fantasy does become reality.
(And, no, it doesn't involve Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt or any other dreamy movie star covered in whipped cream and chocolate.)
So my fantasy is to lose all of the weight, to get really fit and to...
...become a certified personal trainer.
Shut the front door!
Me - the lifelong compulsive eater who's been occasionally thin, but more often than not quite heavy and every possible weight in between - become a personal trainer? That's crazy, right?
Maybe, but it's my fantasy.
In my fantasy I have muscular arms, a flat stomach (which I've never had), a back with not a smidge of flab hanging over my bra, and super toned and sexy legs. I'm extremely fit and healthy.
In my fantasy I help other obese people overcome their many years of bad habits, get out of their weight induced funks and become the healthy people they long to be.
I help these people because I know exactly what they're going through.
As fantasies go, I guess this might seem pretty tame (after all...no Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt with whipped cream and melted chocolate...), perhaps even pretty lame, but it's my fantasy and I'm sticking with it.
Who knows...occasionally fantasy does become reality.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sleep
This upper respiratory bug is hanging on with a vengeance.
It's been an entire week since I have engaged in any exercise thanks to this damn bug. I've been either horizontal or moderately horizontal for seven damn days and I cannot stand myself anymore. So I decide to head to the gym today for a very slow walk on the treadmill. Nothing particularly taxing. Just a slow, gentle walk.
It's lovely.
I manage to get the speed up to 3.0 mph, which is a little more vigorous than I had panned, but since I don't seem to be hacking up a lung I go for it.
Chris arrives at the gym just as I'm getting ready to stretch.
"How was your walk?" he asks.
"Good," I reply, "do I have a little color in my face?"
"Mmm...you're mostly just sweaty."
Ah well. I had hoped for a little pink in my cheeks, but I'll be satisfied with sweaty. Proof that I actually moved today.
So I stretch for a few minutes and then head home for a late lunch. Chris arrives home to find me sitting at the table with an empty bowl in front of me, book in my left hand and my chin resting heavily in my right hand.
"You look wiped out," he says.
"Yeah. I am."
Two very slow miles on the treadmill have done me in.
So it's off to the shower and then into the bedroom for a little lie-down.
My "little lie-down" turns into a 3.5 hour nap. And even though I've just now gotten up from my marathon nap I feel as though I could get right back into bed for another 3.5 hours of sleep.
This bug is kicking my ass.
Tomorrow is a work day. There's no more time for me to be at home trying to get rid of this thing. So, I'll head into work where I'll likely be scrambling to get myself caught up.
Think anyone will notice if I lie down on the floor of a my cubicle for a 3.5 hour nap?
It's been an entire week since I have engaged in any exercise thanks to this damn bug. I've been either horizontal or moderately horizontal for seven damn days and I cannot stand myself anymore. So I decide to head to the gym today for a very slow walk on the treadmill. Nothing particularly taxing. Just a slow, gentle walk.
It's lovely.
I manage to get the speed up to 3.0 mph, which is a little more vigorous than I had panned, but since I don't seem to be hacking up a lung I go for it.
Chris arrives at the gym just as I'm getting ready to stretch.
"How was your walk?" he asks.
"Good," I reply, "do I have a little color in my face?"
"Mmm...you're mostly just sweaty."
Ah well. I had hoped for a little pink in my cheeks, but I'll be satisfied with sweaty. Proof that I actually moved today.
So I stretch for a few minutes and then head home for a late lunch. Chris arrives home to find me sitting at the table with an empty bowl in front of me, book in my left hand and my chin resting heavily in my right hand.
"You look wiped out," he says.
"Yeah. I am."
Two very slow miles on the treadmill have done me in.
So it's off to the shower and then into the bedroom for a little lie-down.
My "little lie-down" turns into a 3.5 hour nap. And even though I've just now gotten up from my marathon nap I feel as though I could get right back into bed for another 3.5 hours of sleep.
This bug is kicking my ass.
Tomorrow is a work day. There's no more time for me to be at home trying to get rid of this thing. So, I'll head into work where I'll likely be scrambling to get myself caught up.
Think anyone will notice if I lie down on the floor of a my cubicle for a 3.5 hour nap?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Hunger
So, the oatmeal yesterday was OK. I enjoyed it.
But the light lunch I made myself yesterday...not so much. I spent the rest of the afternoon feeling more than a bit nauseated by the introduction of some tuna salad and a beautiful tomato into my system.
Thus, last night it was back to soup and a fudgsicle.
This morning I awake once again to having no appetite. No hunger at all. The thought of anything beyond the egg drop soup that's in the fridge (and even that isn't sounding all that appetizing at the moment) is sort of... yech.
The score to date =
Upper respiratory bug: 1
Appetite: 0
It's a funny thing this not being hungry. You might think that - as someone who is trying to lose weight - I'd be jumping up and down at the prospect of not being hungry.
And in years past I might have.
A long time ago I might have jumped on the starvation bandwagon with glee.
But after so many years of so many successful and failed attempts at losing weight, what I have learned is that you have to eat to lose weight.
Starvation isn't the way to successful weight loss.
You have to eat to lose weight.
Food is fuel.
It's the fuel that helps a dieter get to the gym to hit the treadmill for 30 minutes or lift weights or take a Zumba class or take a bike ride on a beautiful day. Without lots of good, healthy food a dieter's muscles don't have the fuel to do what they need to do. When you don't eat, your body goes into starvation mode - trying to stretch each calorie and hold onto fat reserves.
One thing that's always surprised me about my most successful attempts to lose weight is how full I usually am during the process. When we started SBD a few weeks ago, I was surprised at just how much food I have to consume each day. The meals and the snacks are sizable. There were a number of days when I came home from work with food left in my handy, dandy cooler because I was TOO FULL to eat anymore.
Too full...on a diet.
Go figure.
So, while I will likely lose a few more pounds as I rid myself of this damn bug that has me in its grips, I'm really quite ready to experience hunger and fullness again. Ready to give my muscles the fuel they need to do what they need to do to help me toward permanent weight loss. This sitting around, not feeling hungry and not eating much is zapping me of all of my energy leaving me limp and exhausted.
I need to be hungry again.
Going to go try some oatmeal again.
Wish me luck.
(And then I think a nap...)
But the light lunch I made myself yesterday...not so much. I spent the rest of the afternoon feeling more than a bit nauseated by the introduction of some tuna salad and a beautiful tomato into my system.
Thus, last night it was back to soup and a fudgsicle.
This morning I awake once again to having no appetite. No hunger at all. The thought of anything beyond the egg drop soup that's in the fridge (and even that isn't sounding all that appetizing at the moment) is sort of... yech.
The score to date =
Upper respiratory bug: 1
Appetite: 0
It's a funny thing this not being hungry. You might think that - as someone who is trying to lose weight - I'd be jumping up and down at the prospect of not being hungry.
And in years past I might have.
A long time ago I might have jumped on the starvation bandwagon with glee.
But after so many years of so many successful and failed attempts at losing weight, what I have learned is that you have to eat to lose weight.
Starvation isn't the way to successful weight loss.
You have to eat to lose weight.
Food is fuel.
It's the fuel that helps a dieter get to the gym to hit the treadmill for 30 minutes or lift weights or take a Zumba class or take a bike ride on a beautiful day. Without lots of good, healthy food a dieter's muscles don't have the fuel to do what they need to do. When you don't eat, your body goes into starvation mode - trying to stretch each calorie and hold onto fat reserves.
One thing that's always surprised me about my most successful attempts to lose weight is how full I usually am during the process. When we started SBD a few weeks ago, I was surprised at just how much food I have to consume each day. The meals and the snacks are sizable. There were a number of days when I came home from work with food left in my handy, dandy cooler because I was TOO FULL to eat anymore.
Too full...on a diet.
Go figure.
So, while I will likely lose a few more pounds as I rid myself of this damn bug that has me in its grips, I'm really quite ready to experience hunger and fullness again. Ready to give my muscles the fuel they need to do what they need to do to help me toward permanent weight loss. This sitting around, not feeling hungry and not eating much is zapping me of all of my energy leaving me limp and exhausted.
I need to be hungry again.
Going to go try some oatmeal again.
Wish me luck.
(And then I think a nap...)
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