Monthly Archives: March 2013

The First Week in Review

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After only one week, I actually managed to climb the two flights of stairs that lead to my office at work without panting like an overheated dog. I’m certainly not is great physical shape (yet) but it’s a noticeable improvement. I still have not found a walking partner at work, so (I’m sure you’ve guessed) I have not started to walk at lunch. I still plan on doing it but (another excuse) the weather may get in the way.

There is a major storm heading our way and there may be many inches of snow by  morning. It’s March – only 16 days until Spring! Mother Nature must be out of synch. Winter is coming later and later. Now the forecasts say between 5-10 inches. That may not be much for some areas already hit by major snowstorms this year. But for the past two years we have not had any snow. If we do get the snow that is called for, I can still workout on the treadmill. No excuses that I can’t get to the gym or it’s too cold outside.

I was an excuse maker for many years. I didn’t like it when it was cold outside. I didn’t want to walk in the cold or rain or snow or anything else that made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want to walk in the mall because there were too many people. I didn’t want to work out in the gym because I felt self-conscious with the beautiful people working out. No excuses. I can workout alone with all of the pleasures that come with an Internet connection and routines already planned for me. No thought necessary.

Once I have this every other day treadmill routine worked into a habit, I will need to change up things. I don’t want it to become monotonous. I will add or vary my routine to keep me interested. That’s the only way that I can continue. If I get bored or find that I’m not invested in the workout, it becomes all too easy to stop. There’s not stopping allowed. I have to keep myself from thinking that is an option. More than anything else I need to stay motivated. I cannot fail this time.

By the way, I did figure out my waist-to-hip ratio. The way to measure is in yesterday’s post. For women, the ideal ratio is .80. Mine is .86. My measurement was not as disheartening as my BMI until I read on Wikipedia that above .85 is considered obese. Really – I can’t get a break. That word keeps following me around. How does that simple .01 push me over that edge?

So much more to do…

 

Second Weigh In Results

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How did it go? Check for yourself:

second weigh in
Results of the second weigh in

I did alright – lost one pound! It’s a movement in the right direction. I am so glad that I didn’t gain anything. I tried not to think about it too much beforehand but I was worried that I might not see any progress. This was encouraging. Now if I can do that 30 more times, I’d be good to go!

I realize that I didn’t tell you why my BMI was overwhelming. If I were six foot tall, it wouldn’t be an issue. I’d be in the normal range. Since I’m 5’3″ – not so much. I’m way past the growing stage so getting taller isn’t an option. Losing weight is the only solution to bring down that BMI.

I read the Jillian Michaels newletter everyday. This week she says BMI is not the only method to use to calculate desirable weight. Here is an excerpt:

Today, the medical industry has set its weight guidelines according to the waist-to-hip-ratio method, which is a much more accurate way of arriving at an ideal goal weight. Follow these steps to find yours:

  • Get a tape measure and measure your waist right at the belly-button line.
  • Standing with feet hip-width apart, measure your hips at their widest point.
  • Now simply divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. This is your waist-to-hip ratio.

The ideal waist-to-hip ratios are 0.80 for women and 0.95 for men.
www.jillianmichaels.com

Now I have to go check my waist-to-hip ratio. Who knows – maybe that number will make me feel less “obese” – what an ugly word. I will keep searching for the best information so that I can arm myself with facts that will work for me. But this hip measurement has me worried. Why do men get an additional leeway of .15. If anything, women should get that leeway because we generally are curvier. Having a rounded rear asset is supposed to be a good thing.

Next – waist-to-hip ratio (something else to add to the list of things that don’t make me smile)

After a Good Night’s Rest

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There must be something to this mind-body connection. After doing my “meditation” (it’s an art I have to practice), I was able to fall asleep rather quickly. When I finally awoke, I had slept nearly nine hours! And I didn’t wake up once. That’s quite an accomplishment for me. Usually there’s a three o’clock awakening, for no reason at all, and then I have trouble falling asleep again. Not last night. There’s no magic formula here. I’m just letting my body do what it needs to do – and my mind didn’t getting in the way.

When I got up, I stuck to the promise I made to myself that I would get on that treadmill first thing – before I had a chance to talk myself out of it. Before going to bed, I had downloaded an iFit program to use for my morning workout. Jillian Michaels has a whole set of iFit workouts that I can program on this treadmill. I started with the beginner workout.

Jillian Michaels Workouts
Jillian Michaels Workouts

I was glad she took it easy on me. Exercising first thing in the morning is not my thing. Actually, any exercise is pretty new to me. I have spent the last 15 years trying to avoid it at all costs. My husband enjoys working out. To me, it just feels like work. Anytime in the past when he would coax me into going to the gym, I always felt like I was going to die before we had even gone through a whole workout routine. At least this way, no one else is watching and I can look awful and not compare myself to anyone else.

I have two more days until my next weigh in. I don’t want to anticipate anything. If I don’t lose any weight, I can handle it as long as I haven’t gained any. That’s my biggest pitfall – relying on the scale to dictate whether or not something good is happening. I have to keep focused on the other things too. When I start to feel that clothes are fitting better, looser, and not cutting me in half at the waist line, I will feel successful. I just need to keep reminding myself, the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Time to start relaxing before bedtime. Not everything has to be done every day. Tomorrow is another day and I can start all over again and do the things that need to be done and let the little stuff go so I can find time to relax and enjoy my life.

Tomorrow – A day of rest.

 

A Day to Rest

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Although I don’t feel too sore after that first workout, I am going to take a day in-between the next one. But I sure can feel where my legs meet my backside. Apparently, sitting all day doesn’t really exercise these muscles. They will  get their workout again tomorrow.

I find that working at a desk job Monday through Friday makes me feel sluggish by the end of the day. I think I need to add something else during the day that gets my blood moving. That way, I’m hoping that by the time I get home, I don’t feel totally exhausted and not want to exercise. The last thing I need is to sit the rest of my day away!

It’s too easy for me to get involved in whatever project I am working on and forget to get up. I have forgotten to use the restroom until the last minute because I was so focused. That’s not good. I’m going to put a reminder in my calendar to pop up and nag me to get moving. At least four times a day I want to do something that moves me away from my desk. If I move regularly I hope to make it a habit.

My best days are when I interact with people. I’m going to find a walking buddy at work and try to walk a half hour during lunch time. If I walk on one day, I will treat myself the next day to a lunch offsite. If I have something to look forward to then I’m more likely to keep to my goal.

On my day of “rest” I plan to use other strategies to keep my focus. I’ve downloaded some relaxation music and techniques to mediate. The mind-body connection is the way for me to go. If I don’t have the right frame of mind I won’t succeed. All the exercise in the world will not make me healthy if I continue to allow stress to take over my life.

After the calming effect of the meditation, I hope to have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I will start the day with a workout on the treadmill. There are tons of programs that I can customize to help me vary my workout routine. I will capture some more screenshots on the treadmill. As I said, it has all the bells and whistles so I might as well figure out how to use them.

Off to deep breathing…

First Time on the Treadmill

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Oh my word! As I write this I am still out of breath. I finished my walk on the treadmill and came downstairs to blog about it. Pardon me while I sweat. My heart is pounding out of my chest. What did I expect? I don’t know but I sure didn’t expect to have my butt kicked by walking on a treadmill. My feet are tingling from being trapped into walking shoes and forced to keep pace on that diabolic machine. My workout clothes are sticking to me and I feel like a sweat ball.

Hang on. I’m going to lie down on the floor for a few minutes…

Seriously, I had to lie down on the floor to catch my breath. Wow.
Really. Out. Of. Shape.

But I did it. Good for me! I need to stay motivated. I have the proof that I worked out (besides the sweaty clothes and the dripping wet hair).

Treadmill screen
The workout recorded on the treadmill

I have to keep reminding myself that this is only the beginning. If I don’t stay motivated, I will stop like I have in the past. I texted a friend and told her about my accomplishment. She texted me back “U rock! Proud of u!” Now that’s the kind of friends I need. If you don’t have those kinds of friends, comment on the post and I will be your cheerleader. Without support, we tend to fall into old habits. I recognize that in myself. It’s a tough thing to realize that I don’t have the willpower to stay on top of this exercise thing.

Willpower can be depleted. Stress is the biggest reason for me. When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, I just can’t motivate myself to get things – anything – done. I’ve read other sources that say that willpower is like a muscle where it can be overused and need time to be replenished. What I need to do is find the balance in my life. Sounds like a lofty goal but it’s what I need to do. For me, I need to actively decide if I need to do something, what other thing do I not do. I can’t do it all. And I have to stop doing other things, like sitting on my keister and watching TV like a slug. I could read a book, play with the dogs, or exercise. (I just need to keep reminding myself.)

Now that I have cooled down, I need to eat dinner and feel human again. Food is a very important part of weight loss. (No kidding, you say.) But not just any food. Good food. Tasty food. Filling food. I don’t want to eat and then 10 minutes feel like I haven’t eaten. I’m not planning to eat just salads and bean sprouts. That’s just not enough food for me. I am going to find good meals that I will want to eat and will help me lose weight and provide the fuel to keep exercising.

Next – Putting it all together