Pep Up the Workout

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I have decided that I need to pep up my workout. What I need is something that will help balance the cardio of the treadmill and give me more strength. So I’m borrowing my husband’s dumbbells. I’ve done my research and hope to be able to get my arms in shape along with all of the other untoned body parts. But I’m going to pace myself. No overdoing it (already had a taste of what too much, too fast can do (like when I cleaned  the yard). Only two to five pounds to start with should be enough.

I’ve checked out Jillian’s exercises and found there is much I can do with a set of dumbbells. I’ll switch it up, like suggested, so I work out different body parts and not wear out one set of muscles. That’s the new in the exercise department.

For the snacking, I have a bad habit that I am still craving something sweet after dinner. On occassion, I give in so I don’t binge on whatever I find. One treat – like one piece of chocolate – then off I go. Well, better said than done. So I’ve taken to chewing gum after dinner. It actually seems to help. It’s sugar-free and had a sweetness to it. Plus the sensation of a “clean mouth”  makes it less likely that I will snack.

So far so good. Every day is a learning experience. I continue to read articles, other blogs, and recipes. There’s so much information about exercise and dieting that it can be overwhelming. I am going to consult some professionals, hopefully a nutritionist, to help me wade through the conflicting information.

Until then, pep up the workout…

It’s Not All Downhill

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Weight-wise, that is. This week’s weigh in did not show any downward progress. (Somehow that seemed easier to say than I didn’t lose any weight.) I know that there are going to be weeks where I don’t lose weight but I thought that early on I would lose steadily. Now I have to think about ways to kick start this weight loss.

I need to start searching for food options to help me stay on track. There are so many options out there but I’m not sure which one would work for me. I’ve seen the commercials for NutriSystem and the famous people who lose a ton of weight and look the way they did when they were teenagers. Somehow, I don’t think I’m going to look like a teenager ever again.

Besides, I’ve tried all of the stuff before and eventually got tired of it. I want real food. I want real portions of food and not miniscule portions that don’t fill me up. That’s when I start looking for snacks. And that’s where it’s all downhill. I don’t want to go back there.

For me, the food is the key to my weight loss. If I don’t eat right, the weight just packs back on. I’ve lost weight, gained it back, and then gained more. Over and over again. I’m tired of the the yo-yo weight loss. It’s time to lose weight – for the last time. And keep it off. So the search is on for the right type of food that will get me what I want (tasty and filling) and I what I need (nutrition that will fuel my weight loss).

Looking for food in all the wrong places – no more…

Working Outside

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After a couple of weeks of exercising I felt up to working outside. I felt good and the weather was great – sunny, high 50’s – nice for mid-March. I started to clean up the front yard. Since we live on a corner lot, our yard gets plenty of trash blown into it. I was determined to clean up the winter’s worth of debris in one fell swoop. Oh my aching shoulders. I need to remember moderation in everything.

Walking on a treadmill is not working out the other parts of my body. It’s time to look at other avenues for workouts. You just don’t know how weak you are until you try to use muscles that you haven’t used for a long time. My shoulders were burning by the time I finished. Instead of spreading out the clean up, even over the two days of the weekend, I had to do it all at one. Well, it’s done and so are my shoulders.

I don’t believe in the “no pain, no gain” type of exercise. Once I hit pain, I used to just stop. I need to listen more closely to my body. I’ve put heat on my shoulders. Now I’ll do ice. I can feel the ache as I type. Okay, lesson learned. Don’t try to do the whole thing at once if your body is overtaxed and screaming at you to stop.

At least I have one more day left of the weekend. Hopefully, the aching will relax and I can find other exercises to build up my shoulders. Time to look up an exercise to work out my shoulders the right way, in a day or two.

I hope to end the weekend on a positive note.

Can’t Lose Weight at Happy Hour

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Now I am not opposed to going to happy hour nor am I opposed to having fun. But when you’re trying to lose weight happy hour is a pit of calories. Twice this week I was invited to go out to happy hour with friends. I, of course, turned the invitations down. I enjoy a good time out with friends but I’m not deeply entrenched into this new weight loss habit to trust myself.

Once I get a handle on my ability to say no to the things that I should not have, then I won’t need to beg off. I know there are plenty of people who can manage their outings and eat the right food and drink the low-cal drinks. But I need some more time to make this commitment to lose weight to take hold. If I blow it now on pub food or some high calorie drink, it will be another excuse and I’m not ready to start back on the road that put the weight on me in the first place.

If I have another weight loss when I weigh in, I may feel a little tempted to treat myself. But that is where I have the biggest opportunity to kick start my weight loss into a habit. If I feel that I am heading in the right direction, then I can keep the momentum going. It’s when I break that routine and give myself an out that I go off the deep end. So I will stick to my promise to myself. Keep up the exercise. Keep eating right. And most of all, keep the right attitude.

Life is about choices. This one is mine. I will lose this weight. I am not going to set a time limit or specific weight. I am going to work on creating a new me that I enjoy seeing in the mirror. I’m realistic. I know I’m not a young thing anymore but I can look better. And that will help me feel better. It’s my choice. I choose to stay true to my promise to myself.

The weekend is here and so is Daylight Savings Time. Remember to set your clocks ahead an hour tomorrow night. Spring forward!

After the Snow Event

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So I was all prepared to have tons of snow keep up in the house for days. The electric company warned about extended power outages. I had all the necessary supplies. My husband was prepared for clearing the snow away from the sidewalk and driveway. And then the “snow event” was a “no event”. It did snow but it was gone in a matter of hours. Today, no one would know it had snowed yesterday.

What does that have to do with my weight loss? I figured that I should wait and save my energy should I need to help with the clearing of the mounds of snow. Well, you see how that turned out. But what happened is that I broke my routine. And it was so much easier to try to convince myself today that I didn’t need to get on the treadmill. I was already settled in from work. I could just relax. And then I realized – the beginning of the excuses. I got up and changed into my workout clothes immediately.

While I was in mid-workout, my husband walks in the room and asks “Having fun?” Really? Is it not evident that I do not like this one bit? I would much rather be doing anything else. How do people like this kind of exercise? But I know that I have to get in shape and this is the method I chose, so on with it.

I’m still eating well and not snacking during the day. So I am surfing the web to find other outlets to distract me. This evening I found that there are downloads of music, games, and a book that are totally free until March 15th. I will use these to pass the time if I start thinking about snacking.

Snow or no snow, I have to stick to my routine and work on building that habit so it becomes second nature. I need to come home, change into workout clothes, and get on that treadmill. It’s a promise I have to make to myself.

Developing new habits is hard work.

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