It’s Spring!

Yippee!  Spring has finally arrived!  The daffodils are in bloom!  The days are getting longer!  And the sun is shining (most of the time)!  It’s time to lace up your shoes and hit the walking trails.  This is an amazing time of year!  Winter seemed to be especially gloomy and cold and everyone is excited about the chance to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Hopkins County has a variety of walking trails available for those ready to say good-bye to winter and embrace the bright and sunny days of spring.

• Dawson Springs City Park: This is a nice shaded, quiet trail.
• Dr. Festus Claybon Park: A relatively flat trail with the playground visible from the entire circuit.   
• Earlington City Park: This trail is also known as the Stewart Creek Walking Trail.  This is the trail I use the most.  It’s simple and provides plenty of shade.  I also feel safe walking it alone in the rare occasion I must walk without a partner (which for safety sake, I don’t recommend!) 
• Madisonville City Park: This is by far one of the most popular trails in Hopkins County.  Yet it is my least favorite.  My issues—traffic, safety, and snakes.
• Nortonville City Park: This path offers a pleasant but challenging walk. 
• Trover Wellness Park:  This trail is relatively new.  I haven’t had a chance to try it out, but those I’ve talked to describe it as enjoyable and tell me they felt safe walking here.  
• White Plains City Park:  I’m sorry, but I’ve never walked this path and haven’t even looked at it.  If you have tried this trail and have an opinion on it, please post it in the comments.  

Walking is America’s favorite form of exercise.  It’s cheap, easy, and convenient.  Studies have found that people are more likely to keep walking for exercise throughout their life.  And walking boasts the highest adherence rate and lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.    

Before you take off, consider a few pointers that can help make your walk safe, effective and enjoyable!

• Warm-Up: Aim for 5 minutes of slow walking or other warm-up exercises before setting out.
• Use proper form and technique:  Good posture prevents post-walk aches and pains and enables you to go faster.  You may have been walking from a young age, but here are a few tips that can help you get more results from each step:

1. Keep your gaze forward, not down.
2. Maintain an upright but comfortable posture with your neck, upper back and shoulders relaxed.
3. Bend your arms to about 90 degrees and make a loose, relaxed fist.  This turns your arms into shorter, more compact pendulums.  You’ll be able to swing them faster and thus help your legs and feet move faster. (Have you ever tried running with straight arms?)
4. Front hand should rise no higher than chest level.  Rear hand rises just to hip height.
5. Gently pull in your abdominal muscles.  This helps strengthen your abs while reducing lower-back pain.
6. Resist the urge to squeeze your glutes as you walk, as it can throw off your form.  To increase backside sculpting, increase the incline.
7. Avoid locking your front knee.
8. Land on your heel, roll through the ball of your foot, and push off with your toes.
9. Keep your stride moderate in length, allowing your knees to be slightly flexed as your legs swing forward and your feet strike the ground. 

• Breathe: It’s important to breathe deeply and evenly through your nose and mouth as you walk. 
• Cool-down: After your walking workout, start to slow down gradually.  Keep walking, but slow your pace to a stroll.  The cool-down phase is an excellent time to do stretching exercises.  

Hands down, walking is the easiest, no excuses, put-on-your-shoes-and-go cardio workout.  It’s popular, the risk of injury is low, and you get to be outside.  It’s the best way to get back into shape, especially for people who are overweight, have been sedentary a long time, or are over sixty.  In my next post I’ll discuss more of the health benefits derived from a walking routine, tips for staying safe during your walk and ways to have fun and boost the calorie burn while you walk. 

Until then, Stay Well and Be Fit,

Mel  

[Via http://mx2fitness.wordpress.com]

Watch this nerd shrink!!!

Hey blog-world!

This is day number one of my new life.

I don’t expect anyone to read this. I’m not under the impression that I will become an internet sensation and end up writing books about my story; signing books for throngs of admiring fans who hope to accomplish what I have.  Naturally, the narcissistic part of everyone secretly hopes that their blog will somehow be an overnight internet phenomenon.

I’m okay with this being a private recounting of a struggling girl trying to lose weight.

I am a 21-year-old University student. I grew up in a broken family that tried to quell awkwardness with fatty food.  Getting second helpings of food at supper guaranteed me a “Good girl!!” from dad.  By the time I was 13, my food options were almost entirely up to me.  Lets just say that I didn’t always make the best choices.

I was always big, I was 190 when i graduated from high school.  University  and late night pizza and beer, along with a long-term relationship where I got quite comfortable ballooned me up to 275 over two years.  (Working at McDonald’s didn’t help either!)

My relationship ended and I moved across the country and have been slowing losing weight for two years; I lived with athletes in residence at school and my fear of judgement overwhelmed my desire to eat an entire pizza, shoving it in my mouth, right out of the box, growling like a deranged animal.

This fear style dieting lost me some weight.

But let’s face it, it’s time for a complete overhaul!  I’m up to it.

Although it might be the most cliché thing ever, today is the first day of the rest of my life!
Here are the measurements I have been dreading taking. Ughhhh!

Bust:42
Waist:36.5
Hips:51 (oh me, oh my!)

Weight: 242
Height: 5′6″

Yeahhhhhhh….. How about that! Ugh.

[Via http://kathleenschange.wordpress.com]

Day 47, March 19th, 2010

I need to stop slacking. Seriously. Bah.

EXERCISE

Did a different workout on my wii fit… lots of boxing, step dancing and hoola hooping. The best I could describe it as was aerobics, and my internet research led me to believe I burned 173 calories. I can’t really argue it, and I guess it makes sense since it’s mostly cardio.

DIET

Went over again with late night snacking and doing a few shots with my bff, not to mention eating popcorn, and then pudding, in celebration of her being a kick ass photographer and taking new pictures for my business website

Oh yeah, who's the best? ME.

So I’m at 1800 calories for the day, with about 4 glasses of water I guess again…

MEASUREMENTS

195.2lbs… one day it will go down….

[Via http://wiislim.wordpress.com]

232 Days Till The Wedding

Dearest Supporters:

Not much to report today.  I slept later than I wanted, but when I got up, amazingly, I didn’t feel any pain in any part of my body.  As I think about it, I can’t even remember the last time I felt so… normal.  It’s fabulous though.  I wonder if taking Advil before going to bed helped or maybe it was the yoga stretches I did in bed to fight off the insomnia I was suffering from.  Whatever it was, it worked.

I made it into the gym today.  This marks three whole days in a row that I’ve exercised.  Wow!  Give me a gold star.  I think I’m settling into a routine.  I still haven’t seen any changes in my body and my pants and tops are still too snug.  Even though I know very well from experience that losing weight takes time, I still wish I could be surprised when I  pull those skinny jeans over my fatty thighs.  Sigh!

While I’m proud of the fact that I’m remaining so regimented, the thought crossed my mind today that being a week on vacation has certainly helped me to remain focused.  But what happens come Monday when I have to be up at 5am, into work at 7:30 and then I spend the rest of the day getting totally lost in my work?  When my day finally ends, I will have to endure an hour commute home, and it’s during that period of time when I talk myself out of exercising.  You see, this is ultimately what happens.  This is the pattern. I get cozy in the car and realize that I’m just too tired to do anything but go directly home to eat and relax.  Then before you know it, five months have gone by, I’ve forgotten where the gym is located and I’ve gained a few pounds.  Sound familiar?

So, how do I stay focused and motivated at the end of the day?  That’s the question I’m going to have to ponder and when I figure out the answer, I’m sure millions of overweight, Americans will want to know it.  Maybe it’s this blog that will keep me accountable as well as my followers, which as of right now, I apparently don’t have any.  I know there are still 232 days left until I have to squeeze into the Maid of Honor gown, but really, if I’m going to make my goal of losing twenty-five pounds, I don’t have much wiggle-room to mess up.

Time to snuggle up in bed with a good book.  I think I’ll pop some Advils and stretch a bit first.

VTY,

Thy Maid of Honor

[Via http://thymaidofhonor.wordpress.com]

Diet Friday

It’s a late post for Diet Friday; in fact it’s an extremely late post as I missed last week!  Thanks for your inquiries, all is well.  I’m working on some big projects at work (yes, I have a real job) which will take some more of my attention for the next month or so.  But enough about me, I know that what you’re really curious about is The Diet, so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.

Another pound down!  I am pleased to report that the slow but steady downward trend continues with almost no effort on my part. Here is what I’m doing”

•  I limit the amount of sugar I eat, and try to focus on “good carbs” without actually counting carbs.
• I focus on foods with high nutritional value
• I allow indulgences of really good artisanal cheese, very dark chocolate and red wine. (in moderation)
• During the week, I eat smaller, more frequent mini-meals
• On the weekends, I adapt to the situation. 
• If I’m eating out on the weekend and want to have bread (only the really good kind) I take a starch-blocker made from white bean extract.  (Only on weekends, I don’t make a habit of it)
• Exercise is 30 minutes total body program on elliptical trainer at least 4x per week, crunches 3x per week.

Now please don’t think that I’m advising anyone to eat cheese as a health food; I happen to love it and it takes the place of a sugar-laden dessert for me.  I also don’t tout the health benefits of taking a starch-blocker.  Although the ones made from white bean extract are supposed to be free from any known side effects, certainly check with your health care provider to make sure it’s OK for you.  I only use it a few times a week when I want to enjoy a piece of fresh bread and although it works for me without any side effects, I wouldn’t use it on a regular basis.  The good carbs that I eat regularly are high in nutrition and I wouldn’t want them to be “blocked”.

For me, limiting sugar intake is key.  I don’t avoid it completely.  Originally I was keeping my sugar intake under 15 grams per day.  I no longer keep track,  as choosing low sugar foods has become second nature.  I really (truly) have no cravings.  My hunger and appetite is under control, and I occasionally lose track of time and forget to eat.  (For those of you new to the blog, this has really never happened before!)  I’m not going for drastic weight loss, and if I lose only a few ounces every week I am quite pleased with the  steady progress. 

If you have any more specific questions, feel free to ask and I will be happy to anwer.

To all my blogging friends out there, I’m still reading; keep up the good work.  I hope to participate more actively when things slow down a bit!

[Via http://kitchrn.wordpress.com]

AWOL!

So I have been a bit absent from my blog lately but in my defense I have had a few things going on!

1. Jason and I got engaged! I am so excited and already having fun with wedding planning!

2. I’m taking the Praxis test next week so that I can go back to school and get my teaching certificate!

3. Work has been SO stressful lately that I feel like I am treading water and just trying to stay afloat.

I fell off the wagon last week and pretty much ate anything I wanted. It wasn’t pretty but I did continue to work out and watch my portion sizes. So I skipped last weeks weigh in and tried to get back on track this week. I weighed in today and lost .4 pounds! Woo Hoo! I was happy for any loss!

This week I am recommiting to stay on track and hopefully get into the 170’s next week! When I started WW’s this time 170’s seemed so far away but now it is just around the corner and then the 160’s will be here before I know it! I really can’t wait! I am so excited and so committed this time around!

[Via http://dawnm3513.wordpress.com]

Damn Girl Scouts

So, the last couple weeks, I am clicking away the days, watching my diet, discovering good foods and low point snacks to chase away the cravings of sweet or salty, oh, and let me give a quick shout out to the people at Jello, the sugar-free chocolate mousse, its awesome and only 60 calories per serving.

Anyways, doing good on the diet until the doorbell rings. I find this strange since being in my new home, far removed from my old neighborhood, no one comes to visit yet.  Low and behold, there is the sweet little girl scout who sold me cookies over a month ago, the cookies I swore I was going to give to my kids or bring into work to be devoured by my co-workers. I smiled and thanked her, closed the door, opened the bag and saw the 3 boxes of cookies. Not even completely sure of what I ordered.  There they were. One box of thin mints, a Girl Scout staple of course, Trefoils, luscious shortbread, and a box of Samoa’s, a little slice of caramel and coconut heaven.

I close the bag quickly, actually feeling a lump build in my throat, from the stress of knowing I really can’t eat them.  I opened up the freezer and threw the bag in. Bad mistake, it just reminded me how good thin mints taste frozen. My kids came upstairs due to the door bell and saw the cookies. The jig was up, and now they had to be opened. Dammit.

I wanted to eat them row by row as I had mindlessly done in years past. But I am trying to be a forward thinker regarding all things food. I heard all my excuses and rationalizations in my head, and then I had one of each cookie.

The rest I had my son hide until the next day where I split up the balance of the cookies, giving one half to my oldest son to be shared with his Lacrosse buddies and the balance was brought to my son’s daycare and divided accordingly.

Myself, I feel as if I need an anti-anxiety pill and hope the cookie sales are no longer happening at the local grocery stores.  I can do this, I think, I hope.

Damn Girl Scouts.

[Via http://curveygirl.wordpress.com]

SUN!

How glorious today was! I truly did not believe it would actually hit the 60s AND be sunny, but boy, it sure as heck did! I got a somewhat rough and premature start to the day thanks to this little cutie:

Looks so innocent, hm? Well, around 6am this morning I happened to notice turning a momentary wake-up, that she wasn’t on the bed. It’s a very odd occurrence, because she’s normally either curled up on a pillow near my feet, or somewhere next to my body. Especially since it’s chilly at night and HTB isn’t home. But I couldn’t find her! I totally freaked out! I turned on all the lights, I checked the closet, I started pulling out storage bins from under the bed, all the while shouting: CHLOE CHLOE!

I thought, God, what if she somehow suffocated? But where was she? Freaking out I tell you. I was nearing my wit’s end, and was about to get on the phone and call… ANYONE, and then I looked at the bed again. I took my hand and ran it over the mattress and felt a solid bump. I flung back the covers, and lo and behold, there was the little minx, all sleepy-eyed, giving a little stretch in my direction. I totally yelled at her, but only because I was so relieved she was alive. But honestly, what’s her problem? Couldn’t she tell I was upset? Why didn’t she stir or make a noise or something? God.

So anyway, that kinda threw me off. Then I went into the tiny second bedroom and laid out my yoga mat and pumped up the space heater. After taking the pups for a quick walk, I did a bit of yoga with the heater on, and while it was no Hot Yoga class, it was actually really nice! I think I’ll do that again tomorrow.

Today was so boss that I couldn’t stay inside. I had tons and tons of reading to do, so me and the kids took blankets outside, pretty much right in front of the condo steps, and laid out. They loved it. It felt amazing to have that sun all warm and delicious on our skin! Later on I took them to the school to run around in the grass football field and chase geese (only Sam chases, Chloe just watches with an air of snottiness), and then I hit up Derby Street Shoppes for some walking and window-shopping. I definitely got my retail therapy on, and it was awesome, because guess what?

I am ONE JEAN SIZE SMALLER.

Take that… whomever.

So that was cool. Obviously I had to buy the jeans, in that smaller size. Out of my hands(into my closet).

I’ve been so remiss with the picture-taking lately, but I promise to be better, especially this weekend at my Wedding Shower!

I definitely didn’t wear green OR celebrate with boozey today, but Happy St. Patty’s Day to you! I’m sure you’re in the thick of it right now, so be safe and pop a couple Advils before you hit the pillow

PS – Do you like the new header? I made it myself.

dfgdfg

[Via http://mrssturgis.wordpress.com]

Week 7

Let the weightwatching update commence.

• Kickoff on Jan 25th. Realized that I am a whopping 52 lbs over my wedding weight. Owwee, that smarts.
• Week 1 – feeling all motivated & shit. Lost 6.4 lbs.
• Week 2 – Badbadverybad week. Lots of emotional face-stuffing. Gained 1.2 lbs.
• Week 3 – tried to make good decisions without being psycho. Lost 3.0 lbs.
• Week 4 – Week o’ Funk, complete with much crying, gnashing of teeth, & bad food decisions. Skipped my mtg. No weigh-in.
• Week 5 – Trip to Charleston instead of WW mtg. No weigh-in again. Followed by Bobby’s birthday fiesta & lots of alcohol. Yeehaw.
• Week 6 – Forced myself to attend my WW mtg after 2 weeks of gluttony. Gained 1.2 lbs.
• Week 7 – Back in the saddle again. Lost 3.8 lbs, for a grand total of 10.8 lbs… YIPPEE!! Got a big snazzy star sticker to decorate the cover of my little WW book — and since I’m a dork, this makes me happy

Up. And down. And up. And then down. I think this is what they call yoyo weight loss. But whatever… I’ll take it.

[Via http://stillthinkingagain.wordpress.com]

disappointment.

After being so super psyched about the cruise, today, we found out that we can’t go. The leader in charge of the whole thing made it sound like the whole thing was a definite when in fact she had not even called to make sure it would work out. So, we can’t go. Because people our age are notorious for tearing up the ship.

I’m pretty upset to be honest. I’ve always dreamed about going on a cruise, and now, it’s just plain not going to happen. At least until I’m older and can afford it again.

The cruise was the inspiration for my weight loss, and now I just.. don’t feel inspired. I went to my kickboxing class today after hearing the news, and I found myself just completely uninspired to work myself. I did all the motions, but I just didn’t put that oomph behind them. I even left before the cool down stretches at the end. I know that I still have summer to look forward to and hopefully whatever replacement trip we take, but the cruise was just the ultimate inspiration.

I’m just insanely disappointed.

[Via http://itsmekatie.wordpress.com]

204

So close to being out of the 200 pound chunk on the scale.  I can’t believe it, my goal is the next chunk!!!

I weigh myself on a doctor’s office type scale at the gym.  Those 20 pound chunks are really chunks of time.  How long does it take to lose 20 pounds?  I’ve done it in a month and I’ve done it in 4 months.  Believe me, those 4 months can feel like a lifetime.

It truly is a long term commitment to lose a lot of weight.  It’s a lot longer than a season of The Biggest Loser.  It would not make for very good TV.  Life doesn’t stop when you try to lose weight.

I’ve been at this for 14 months and I’ve lost 83 pounds.  That’s 290,500 more calories burned than consumed.  No wonder people get frustrated!  And some people have hundreds of pounds to lose.  My heart goes out to them.  Trying to lose about 100 pounds has been hard enough.  I can’t imagine doing it two, three, four or more times.  But it CAN be done!

I see people all the time on SparkPeople who have done it.  They are real people.  There’s a woman who was so heavy she couldn’t get out of bed.  So when she started, she did the hand bike. You just have to do what you can, even if that’s just a little bit.  Something is always better than nothing.

It is so worth it.

[Via http://notsobigk.wordpress.com]

Why Cardio Doesn't Work for Fat Loss

TurbulenceTraining

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work
so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has
tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn’t add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.

British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren’t previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).

Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That’s a lot of
exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great – I was positively surprised by the results.

So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!

Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out…

The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.

The scientists think they know where things went sour. They
classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the “Compensators”
and the “Non-compensators”.

The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.

Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge “compensatory” increase in appetite experienced by this group.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does,
research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.

So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your
appetite and calorie intake to see if you are “compensating” for
your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program
of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research,
interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. And
increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat
burning benefits.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of
cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity
exercise a go for your next workout program.

Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

[Via http://weightloss4u2.wordpress.com]

A Good Trainer Is Hard To Find

Finding an effective, qualified trainer will make all of the difference in an individuals training regimen.  I think, too many people find this out the hard way!  We’ve all seen a great deal of trainers who don’t practice what they preach; advising their clients on one thing and doing another.  Now, I’m not saying that every trainer should be an elite athlete and complete specimen of perfect health, but they should be able to back up their talk with results!  That’s what it’s all about and nothing more.  Proper training and guidance is priceless, especially when you get the results you were looking for.
How can a trainer help you achieve your goals, if they can’t reach their own? Chances are, they can’t!
Keeping goals in mind is a huge step towards forward progress.  Sometimes the trick is finding the proper tools necessary to achieve them.  There are numerous ways to to make progress; strength, endurance, cardio, flexibility, body composition, etc… What are you’re goals and can your trainer help you reach them? The results speak for themselves at Rad Boot Camp.
Location: Kinetic Edge Performance, Inc Tamarack Hills 683 Bielenberg Drive Suite 203 Woodbury, MN 55125 Pages: kegym.com http://www.kineticedgeperformance.com/contact.php http://radbootcamp.com/ Any Questions????

[Via http://kettlebellkurt.wordpress.com]

Tough time losing weight

Dear Dr. I WannaWanna,

What kinds of questions should I ask my doctor? I am having a tough time losing weight?

Dear Wanting Doctor’s Support,

Congratulations on your willingness to address your battle with weight loss and to seek medical counsel from your physician. If this is your first reading of my blog, Welcome. As you will see, I am direct and clear.

I start out by calling your Excess Weight: Fat!

So we start again.

Congratulations on your willingness to accept that you Got Fat!      

And 

That you are willing to admit it publicly, here on this blog and hopefully elsewhere,     

And 

that you are also looking for help to rid yourself of your Excess Fat!

Tell your doctor, that you are serious about losing weight and want his/her help. Some doctors have a weight loss plan that they help their patients follow, others don’t.

Regardless, they can provide trusted support as you begin to follow a plan.

The primary questions to ask and have answered are:

Is there anything else going on with my health other than my poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and or stress that is responsible for my Excess Fat?

If there is, Get It Treated!

For many the answer is no. The problem lies in the previously mentioned areas. For sure your physician can monitor your weight, blood pressure, blood and urine.  They can help you determine if there is any physiological or hormonal reason for your Excess Fat.

They can prescribe appropriate medications or treatments to help you balance any imbalances.

They can advise you against any things you shouldn’t do.

Once you begin this conversation with your physician, allow them to suggest their best recommendations. Many know exactly what to do to help you.

That’s it for now.

To your willing development and DOing of Your WannaWanna Fat Fight Plan!

Gary

a.k.a.

Dr. I WannaWanna

www.UGotFat.com

www.com means WannaWannaWellness.com

Please send questions to Gary@UGotFat.com.

[Via http://drwannawanna.wordpress.com]

A rhythm nation is Walking It Out

Watch your back, Just Dance.  A new challenger is ambling toward the title of sleeper video game hit of 2010, or more accurately, “the game the gamers love to hate and everyone else is finding irresistable”.

Of course we’re talking about Walk It Out, which was released 2 months ago and didn’t make much initial noise other than guffawing from game critics.  In WIO, you just walk (or jog or jump) through a cartoony fantasy land called Rhythm Island, using a DDR mat (an Active Life mat also works), balance board or just the remote/nunchuck.  With each step recognized by the game, you get a point, and you spend those points furnishing the nearly-barren island with trees, buildings, fountains and even bridges to other islands, as well as gaining new songs and a daily rainbow.

That’s all there is to it: walk, point and shoot at prize capsules.  Even I thought it sounded a little dumb at first.  But it got some good reviews out of the gate at Amazon, so when they put it up as a one-day special for $10 off, I bit.  And like a growing number of fans – here, here, here and here – I got sucked into the happy little world (Bob Ross would’ve loved it) of Rhythm Island.

Happy little trees! (courtesy of Gamespot)

As with other addicting casual games like Bejeweled and Tetris, simplicity is key.  The easy, monotonous gameplay lets you while away hours, only with Walk It Out, you’re on your feet and burning calories while whiling away.  And while the soundtrack isn’t as party-in-a-box as Just Dance or We Cheer, it is huge (120 songs) and has a variety of both genres and tempos.

Wii often gets criticized for being standard-def in a high-def world, but Rhythm Island has terrific detail for its graphical limitations, from drifting clouds to shifting shadows in breeze-blown cherry blossom trees.  Cows moo and streams whisper as you stroll past.  And depending on the time of day, the island changes from sunny days to starry nights, or you can unlock the “magical” clock and warp to whatever time you choose.  Most of the time, though, I stick to real-life time, whether it’s a mid-morning walk in the blazing sun (no need for sunscreen or bug spray), an after-dinner sunset stroll, or a late-night walk in lieu of Jay or SNL – or a midnight raiding of the fridge.

Walk It Out is also very well-designed as a fitness game, with enough profiles for 6 people to track BMI, calories, steps and distance.  I’ll go into those record screens in detail in a future post.  Two can play, and it’s ideal for families.  My 8-year-old has been enthusiastically playing the game nearly every day.

This game combines pick-up-and-play simplicity, the fantasy-world attraction of  Animal Crossing or Farmville, mostly-good tunes, and a healthy angle into a can’t-miss package.  It also has much less of a learning curve than DDR, and superior workout record-keeping.  (I just got DDR Hottest Party 3, which I’ll review in another post; it’s improved over previous editions, but workout mode is still lame.)  With Walk It Out and/or Just Dance for cardio plus Wii Fit and/or EA Sports Active for strength and flexibility, you could have yourself a very well-rounded exercise program on the Wii.

[Via http://arrowdynamicmom.wordpress.com]

Weighty

My weight has been a source of problem since I started puberty.  My body was growing at a rapid rate, and I did not know what to do with it.  Plus, there was this implied prohibition against the activities I enjoyed prior to my entry into womanhood.   As a child, I was quite active.  I enjoyed rigorous activities that burned many, many calories.  I ran, I jumped, I competed against the other kids in the neighborhood.  That all stopped after my first period.  It seemed that all the tomboyish activities I enjoyed so much were now forbidden to me.  Entering puberty meant the end of the games.  I had to be a lady now.  I had to behave with decorum, not get dirt on my clothes, or play with boys.  Immediately, I started to gain weight.  My body was no longer active, thus I was unable to use all the calories I was consuming.  Simply put, I was gaining weight.

As I became more and more housebound, I gained more and more weight.  I couldn’t break the cycle.  My parents made matters worse by ridiculing me for my weight gain.  I was even nicknamed “pig.”  This habit of teasing me and taunting me about my weight continued for years.  Throughout middle school I gained more weight.  I became more withdrawn and I lived in a dream world where I was thin and popular.  In high school, I retreated into my dream world nearly full time.  I had elaborate fantasies about my alternate life, which was always much more exciting and wonderful than my reality. 

My senior year in college I started to exercise regularly.  I lived in Morrison Hall, which had a workout room on the first level.  I would get up and exercise for an hour or so before going to breakfast.  This routine was wonderful.  I was able to maintain, then lose some weight.  In fact, I went down to about 150 pounds.  That was probably the lowest I weight since before my weight gain. 

After graduation, I moved back in with my parents, and tried to maintain a regular exercise routine, but I never quite managed it as I did the year before.  I slowly, but surely gained weight.  It was noticeable by the spring of 2003.  My arms were tight in the sleeves of blouses that were loose in the fall of 2002.  By the time I moved to Los Angeles, I was about 165. 

In 2003, I joined the faculty at a middle in South Los Angeles.  I gained and lost the same 10 pounds every semester.  I was mildly depressed the whole time I worked at that school.  The stress level was much higher than I had ever experienced in my whole life.  I took comfort in food.

I tried several times to lose enough weight to get to the recommended range for my height.  I’m 5′2″ and I should weigh between 100 and 135.

At my heaviest I was 186 pounds.  This was right before my trip to China.  I lost about 5 pounds in China.  This was mostly due to the fact that I was sick and the food wasn’t very good.  However, I noticed the weight loss and the I noticed the way my clothes were fitting differently on my body.  I decided then that I must put in a determined effort to get to a healthy weight.

Upon my return I looked into gym membership, but was not satisfied with any of them.  So, I put off signing up for gym membership.  I found a treadmill on Costco.com that was on sale, so I decided after a couple of days to buy the treadmill.  I have not been totally committed to an exercise routine as I was in college, but I am more active than I have been for over a year.  I am now about 176.

Having spent some time thinking about my weight and the reasons why I couldn’t stick to a diet plan or an exercise plan, I’ve come to the realization that my weight is symptomatic of my unhappiness with my life.  Knowing this, and acknowledging it is helping me to deal with my weight and my attempts to lose some of it.  I hope to lost about 20 pounds by my 30th birthday; if I lose more than that, so much the better.

[Via http://randomlypersonal.wordpress.com]

*Cough*

Oh, what a week! I have been stressing so thoroughly over my fitness and my cruise that I have developed a beyond-pesky stuffy nose. I sniffle twenty-four/seven, I keep getting dizzy and I have a really hard time sleeping because I can hardly breathe. It blows. But I currently have no insurance so seeing a doctor is out of the question. *Sigh and Shrug* I am just going to have to try to treat myself with liberal amounts of Dayquil and Dimetapp and pray I get over it before our cruise.

Sadly, though, I do not think I am going to be able to utilize my elliptical again today. I simply cannot risk it with my center of gravity in the toilet. However, I can do some strength training, since it is close to the floor. It may not burn as many calories but it is better than nothing, right? *Shrug* I was planning on just doing some strength training next week so my muscles could rid themselves of any swelling. Maybe I am just getting started early. I am going without exercise completely two or three days before the trip so I am properly rested. I am still planning on dieting so I sincerely hope that taking it easy does not set me back. *Another Shrug* Please pray for me. I really, really want to feel good about the way I look while we are on vacation. I will be terribly stressed if I don’t, as shallow as that might sound. *Sigh* Okay,well I have no statistics or anything so that is truly all for now. Adios, mi bonitas!

The Damsel

[Via http://damselindasweats.wordpress.com]

How Can I Lose Belly Fat Fast and Get Slim and Smart

In order to lose your belly fat and get lean you must concentrate on two important factors i.e your diet and your schedule of work outs. You need to increase your physical activity and eat less. There is no sole solution to lose belly fat. You can lose belly fat by altering your eating habits and follow an effective schedule of workouts.

Include more of cardio exercises in your daily schedule, but you must perform those workouts by the highest intensity level then only you will notice the outcome. You need to have some interval between workouts as it gives your body time to recover and to let you work at the optimum intensity repeatedly. Always try to modify your work outs, if you continue to perform those same exercises, your body will get accustomed to. Then it does not affect your body. Performing cardio work outs at the same speed means lowering the rate of metabolism; this may result in loss of muscles.

In order to burn your stomach fat fast you need to follow the interval training routines.

Do not just initiate interval training directly. First and the foremost thing is to complete the aerobic exercises for around thirty minutes at a slow pace. In order to build stamina, start performing cardio at a low intensity. You can include some walks or running at a slow speed for fifteen minutes. After this when you have built sufficient stamina, work up for more time. When you accomplish till this level, now you are prepared to do some strenuous workouts.

Gold Level: In this level, you are required to do some warm ups for around five minutes which includes running or jogging in an average speed and then run for say, one minute, start jogging at slow speed for one minute, walk for a minute, repeat these till you have finished twenty minutes in total. Do not involve warm ups in twenty minutes. Cool down and stretch.

Platinum Level: Here you also require initiating warm up for five minutes or slight jogging. Jog at a slow pace and run for half minute, slow down jogging for a minute again run for half minute and repeat till you have finished 9-10 sets of jogging and running. You must involve at least fifteen minutes in total. Do not involve warm ups in this process. Cool down and stretch. Here your heart rate must be ninety five percent at the time of high intensity running intervals and it must be sixty to sixty five percent or less at the time of low intensity jogging intervals.

You must perform cardio work outs in the morning hours, it is much effective. The most important thing is that you must be consistent and you will observe the results by using an outstanding method of losing belly fat interval training.

If you continue working at high intensity level, you would promote the release of your muscle building and fat burning hormones. It helps in increasing your metabolic rate to get rid of extra calories after your workout is completed.

Find information on How to Lose Belly Fat and Get a Flat Stomach. Read effective ways to Get Rid of Belly Fat naturally.

[Via http://homeremediesblog.wordpress.com]

An Unexpected Glimpse in the Mirror

Has this ever happened to you? You unexpectedly catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror. Because you weren’t intentionally looking, some new fact about yourself sneaks up on you. You don’t recognize something about yourself.

I had that experience yesterday in spin class. I was wearing a sleeveless technical shirt. I caught a reflection of myself in a side mirror. And there it was. Something I thought I might never see, but always hoped I would. I saw my tricep muscle.

I was so proud and stoked, this morning I woke up before my 4:05 alarm, ready to hit the gym. I hope I’ll do the same tomorrow.

All because my tricep was showing.

[Via http://482gr8.wordpress.com]

The hardest days...

are the ones when you just don’t want to get out there.  You have the time and you have your running clothes on and you just don’t want to go.  Today was one of those types of days.  I’m happy to say I still made myself run, but it was definitely a mental struggle.

On a happier note, however, I saw the boy last night for the first time in a couple of weeks; and it went exceedingly well.  And I still found time to run yesterday.

I’m worried about weighing in Friday because two weeks ago I was .8 lbs over my goal weight and last week I was (sigh) 2.2 lbs over my goal weight.  And, quite frankly, I’m pretty sure there’s no way I lost 3.2 lbs this week to put me back on track.  But if I lost more than my one-pound-per-week goal, I’ll live with that because I’ll know that eventually I’ll make up that 3.2 lbs.

But now it’s time for me to call it an evening because I’m utterly exhausted.  More tomorrow….

[Via http://theplumpvegan.wordpress.com]

Speaking out about anorexia

Inga's story appears in the current issue of Reveal magazine

Magazines and newspapers are always interested in hearing from women (and men) who’ve overcome eating disorders and this week, Reveal magazine featured our client Inga Radziejewski.

Inga is a successful model who has battled anorexia. At the height of her illness, despite being a size 00, was still deemed too ‘fat’ for the catwalk by a number of fashion brands.

Inga now fronts a campaign called ‘Models of Diversity’ run by Sinclair Model Management, and the article was a great way of raising awareness of the campaign as well as inspiring other women who are currently suffering from anorexia.

If you’ve experienced an eating disorder and would like to share your story of recovery with a newspaper or magazine, email us on message@talktothepress.com. Perhaps, like Inga, your dress size stopped you from pursuing your dream? Whatever your eating disorder story, we would like to hear from you. You can also get in touch with us by completing the sell story form on our website.

[Via http://sellmystory.wordpress.com]

Super-size Me.

If you haven’t watched the documentary “super size me” you should. I know, it’s old and everyone has adleast heard about it but last night was the first time that I actually sat through the whole thing.

OMG

In case you haven’t seen it let me give you a little run down; a middle aged something young male decides that he will eat McDonalds and only Mcdonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 30 days. Here are some of the things that happpened to his body;

1. In one month he gains about 25 pounds and it takes him about 5 months to lose it all
2. His liver started to shut down. Infact his liver looked the same way that an achocolic liver looks
3. His sex drive went from normal to non-existant.
4. He had breathing problems, headachs when he did not eat Mcdonalds.
5. He showed the same signs as a person addicted to herion

Now granted that he went to the extreme; but eating fast food is bad for you, horrible for you it can be argued that Mcdonalds and other fast food chains like it will be responsible for the deaths of millions of people around the world……………..

and yet……

ba, ba, ba, I’m lovin’ it??????

Makes you think….
Cheers,
Janet

[Via http://5lbsatatime.wordpress.com]

Clean Sheets

Today was a day that had molasses in the middle.  I started out well, think I ended okay, but man, I was working so hard today and didn’t dodge the 8-ball whatsoever.

Yesterday was the start of a vent.  I kind of feel like I need to keep talking but I feel like I’ve said everything I’m comfortable saying.  Like I know the root is still down in the ground, but I don’t want to keep digging in case I hit a power line.  I don’t know what questions are obvious or left hanging.  I don’t want to be the person of yesterday’s post and because this IS the year of change, of tygers burning bright, I decided not to be today.

Today was a little breath of air.  Huge workload I fell under like a suffragette under a horse-drawn carriage, but I didn’t sit around expelling emo and self-pity.   Maybe I was grumpier than was called for at times, but I kept my bootstraps well and truly strapped and I ate like a human being.  I ate for nourishment and not for perfection.   I didn’t throw myself into A++ behavior.  I have C+ behavior today.  I haven’t exercised, but I’m not at home…instead, I’m doing laundry which needed doing in the extreme.  I’m going to get it in tomorrow.  Kind of craving that movement. 

I drank water and had chicken and salad and peppers and shakes and I’m kind of trying to target one thing – perfectionism.  If yesterday’s entry told me anything, it’s that everything revolves around this issue for me.  I am so tightly bound by my internal judgement that I literally am frozen to the spot.   I make these posts about what I didn’t get right, or in my head, I tell myself that if I can just force myself into this mold, I can achieve this supposed greatness.  And that wasn’t what this project was about and it isn’t what was working for me when I started it. 

Kindness towards the self.   The journey.  Bein’ cool with myself for just trying.  Realizing that I do handle a lot of stuff in my life.  That I’m not unhappy.  That  I like trying and I like what I see as results and that’s why I’m doing this, not to become Claudia Schiffer (dated!hotness!reference!) or to dazzle people or to make them suddenly get me.   This is not a project to fix myself and the multitude of flaws that make up who I am.   This is not a pass/fail course.  I fell down and I got back up, even if I only pulled myself to my knees.

This is a girl in process.  Learning.  Becoming. Transmogrifying and challenging her own expectations.  Seeing what she can do and that isn’t always what everyone else can or would want her to do.  I’m already astonished that I’ve been able to keep this record going since January.  I love the fact that everyday, I was here, I was able to manage it.  It means that my will can make a way.

[Via http://lustrata.wordpress.com]

10k swings- 23 days

Ok- others can do better but I feel proud of myself because I hit some personal bests during this challenge. Yesterday I managed 1200 swings and followed that by another 720 today despite the fatigue.

I swung an extra 120 just in case I miscounted somewhere along the line. Then I re-counted on kettlebell inc and discovered an extra 100 swings. So the final total is 10,220 swings in 23 days.The last 100 was with the 20kg and then I wanted to swing the 24kg just to show off- some guy gave me a disparaging look whilst I was doing warm up swings with the 12kg, so I did 20 with 24kg just to show  could.

[Via http://kettlebellqueen.wordpress.com]

You Haven't Been to the Gym in a While, Have You?

Well, she did it. She went back to The Damned Gym.

Since it had been a while, it took some planning.

First, where’s the gym bag?

Found it! So much for that excuse. Great! OK, let’s see what’s inside. Two pair of stretchy pants and a T-shirt. Not sure how long they’ve been rolled up in there, and not wanting to show up at the gym in wrinkly pants that are too small, Bunny tossed them in the laundry and threw in a fresh T-shirt and a pair of nice, friendly, loose black pants she knew would work. Bunny is too big and way too old for those cute little stretchy haltery toppy things.

Shoes? Check.

Socks? There’s one. hmmm…where did she put the little white socks? hmmm…. oh, there’s one. OK, unfortunately we have everything we need.

Gym bag and workout routine safely in the car, off she went to work. It was a pretty difficult day, and Bunny toyed with the possibility of skipping the workout. Maybe she could do it tomorrow instead? To keep to the every-other-day schedule her physical therapist had threatened her with strongly recommended, she would have to do it again on Saturday. No, she knew she would kick herself if she had to go to the gym after work Friday night. Friday night is for going out to dinner, not exercising. It was bad enough she had to ruin her blessed Saturday.

So, headache and all, after work, Bunny headed for the gym. After some discussion at the front desk about her membership, what an old keycard she had, and wow, she must not have been here in a while, Bunny headed off to the locker room.

Bunny is just not comfortable at the gym. We know that if she would just get into a routine, she would be, but the fact is that she is not. She’s intimidated. Everyone is thinner and fitter than her. It’s a fact that every single person in there goes to the gym every single day. They’re all looking at her wondering what she’s doing here, how she got in that condition, and why she’s even bothering. She’s sure of it.

So, she meekly puts on her workout clothes. Pulling the T-shirt out of her bag, she discovers that her nice, sedate, don’t-look-at-me black Virgin Islands T-shirt has a huge orange fish on the back.

How embarrassing.

Something else for people to mock her about.

Maybe she should just go home?

No, she would have to hide it as best she could. She grabbed a towel and tossed it not so casually over her shoulder, making every attempt to hold the towel in a way that covered the monstrous orange fish.

Bunny went to the room where she knew the treadmills were. There they were. OK, the recumbent bikes must be here too. hmmm… ellipticals. Those Stair-Stepper things. No bikes? What the heck?

Maybe she should just go home?

She went to the front desk. Feeling like an idiot, she asked the 20-year-old size-zero blonde where she could find the recumbent bikes.

Oh, you haven’t been here in a while, have you?  The bikes are in the next building, just outside the spin room.

Bunny’s gym is in an office complex that has three buildings. It wasn’t designed to be a gym, and as they have expanded, they have opened rooms in other buildings. You have to go outside. So, she did. She found the next building. She tried to open the door. Locked. She walked around the building. No entry. No lights on.

Is this a trick?

Maybe she should just go home?

Feeling like even more of an idiot, she walked back to the front desk and asked Ms. Size Zero what she was missing.

Oh, we’re so sorry! It’s up one level. Just go outside and up the stairs, then turn left and there you are.  You haven’t been here in a while, have you?

So, Bunny finally found the recumbent bikes. There were eight of them. She chose one far away from two women who were chatting on neighboring bikes, but not so far away that it was obvious she was trying to stay away from them. She didn’t want any trouble.

She hopped on, adjusted the seat, put her feet under the straps on the pedals, started to pedal, decided that she wasn’t comfortable with the position her feet were in, put her feet on top of the straps instead, and pushed the button.

It asked her how long she wanted to ride.

10 minutes, thank you.

What level?

One. Definitely one.

Then it asked her how much she weighs.

EXCUSE ME?????

This is a warm-up! She’s supposed to pedal slowly so as not to hurt her not-quite-recovered knee, for 10 minutes, and not worry about how fast she goes. She wasn’t about to type in her weight. The guy on the Stair-Steppy thing in the row behind her is watching every move the fat old lady with the big orange fish on her back is making, and she’s not going to tell him her weight. No way!

Maybe she should just go home?

She managed to cancel the request, and the nosy bike allowed her to proceed with her warm-up.

She pedaled for ten minutes. She looked around to see who was watching her. They were being sneaky about it. The two women were still chatting, and a guy a few machines away kept saying “SHHHH!” They kept chatting. She hoped there wasn’t a rumble.

Pedaling reasonably happily, Bunny flipped through the channels on the TV mounted atop her bike (nice!), making a mental note to bring earphones next time.

She kept adjusting her towel to make sure it was covering the stupid fish.

As she progressed toward the end of her 10-minute warm-up, she looked around to see where she could go to find a mat for the next part of her routine. She saw three mats. All were in use.

Maybe she should just go home?

She stepped off the bike and walked outside and back to the front desk in building one. Giving up on feeling idiotic, now she was just annoyed. She asked the skinny bitch her helpful new friend where she could find a mat on which to do her floor exercises.

Oh, sure! There are mats in the room with the bikes, outside the spinning room, some more in the room upstairs in this building, just go up the stairs, turn left and kind of look to the right, or there are more in the room downstairs in the basement, but it’s the second room on the right, not the third room on the left, which does have mats, but there’s going to be a yoga class in there soon, so don’t go in there.

You haven’t been here in a while, have you?

Maybe she should just go home.

[Via http://bmarisol.wordpress.com]

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[Via http://healthymeandyou.wordpress.com]

The Monkey May Be Off My Back, But...

“The monkey may be off my back, but the circus is still in town.”

I heard that today in a recovery meeting. It’s one of those little nuggets I’ll never forget. And it’s so true.

I had another opportunity to thank my boss for letting me work from home yesterday afternoon. She knows I work a program of recovery and while she’s supportive, it’s not something we need to discuss very often. Today I told her that because I was feeling so overwhelmed yesterday, I found myself wanting to use sugar to take the edge off, but that for me there is no such thing as “one time use to take the edge off.” I told her I only have a daily reprieve and I guard my recovery as if my life depends on it…because it does.

I’m glad that yesterday my Higher Power gave me the wisdom to know that it wasn’t sugar, or alcohol, or pills I needed. What I needed was time alone to work on projects, cross things off my list, and feel accomplished.

Today I was back in the office and completed a writing/desktop publishing assignment by 11 a.m. I felt great the rest of the day. Even though I didn’t feel like I needed to go to a lunch hour meeting, I did so anyway. I’m glad I did because I learned that for me, the circus is still in town.

[Via http://482gr8.wordpress.com]

I Hate My Scale Today!

me and my scale

I’m becoming obsessed with my scale and I hate it! Today I gained a pound, it’s frustrating because I’m so good with my diet and exercise. I mean you should have seen me in the living room with Turbo Jam, I really brought it! I keep telling myself you really started exercising for two months, give it time but it’s been TWO WHOLE MONTH! I don’t understand what’s taking so long…Forgive me I’m really pissed.

I feel a little better writing about it. I just have to punch and kick the air harder in my next workout. I’m so impatient when it comes to weight loss.

[Via http://wesoslim.wordpress.com]

Count Down To New Life On Earth

At 51.5 years old I can say that I have pretty much lived my life, for better or worse,  any way I wanted to. And it shows. I am over 200 lbs over weight. My body is riddled with arthritis and other physical ailments. I have blood pressure issues. I have sleep apnea and use a Bi-PAP machine that I cannot live without. (I have literally died and self resuscitated myself over 100 times). All this for the sake of living the high life. 

What is the high life? For many years I was a recreational drug user. I smoked a lot of pot. Hit some of the hard stuff every now and again. Stayed up way too late and partied way too often. I ate whatever I wanted and sometimes ate when I really didn’t want anything. My life has been filled with poor choices over everything that has to do with my body. 

Now, after all of these years of self-abuse, a change is on the horizon. It is a self-inflicted change that there is no going back from. And it will change the way I manage my body, and my life,  from now until the day I die an earthly death. 

Proverbs 3:5 (New International Version)

 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding; 

Colossians 1:10 (New International Version)

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 

Psalm 18:46 (New International Version)

 46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
       Exalted be God my Savior! I am renewing myself before God. I am cleansing myself of some of the horrible temptations of gluttony I have faced on this earth and rejuvenating my body that I might live a physical life more pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit is with me, the one who as part of the Trinity, and is the doorway of communication with God on this earth. I am reconciled before him. I lift up this entire process in the name of Jesus Christ. I am yours oh Lord. 

Thursday, March 5th, marks the first day of my preparation for weight-loss surgery. On March 19th I will undergo surgery to place a lap-band inside my earthly body to restrict what I can put in it because I cannot control it on my own. This entire process I lay at the feet of Jesus. I ask that Jesus use me in whatever way he sees fit as a living testimony of my will to commit long-term to serving him. May this become a ministry tool to help others change their lives for the Glory of God. 

Where we go from here is yet to be determined. But the pathway has been laid. What will you give up to better be able to serve and honor God? Welcome to the journey!

[Via http://suthrn1.wordpress.com]

1 : Marie Claire's Four Week Routine

Hey guys, Lydia here. 130 pounds today, with 133 pounds two weeks ago. It’s a great start, but I guess it’s probably because of puberty. Unfortunately, I’ll have to be a procrascinator and say that I’ll begin my workouts tommorow – after all, I have a Chem 11 test this Friday, and I haven’t even studied yet due to a long Law exam this morning. I’m not really worried though; after all, tommorow’s a great day to start – I have Phys. ed, guaranteeing me a good half hour in the weight room. In other words, a great start to my long weight loss journey. [Not to mention, today a classmate joked about my overweightness. It was somewhat of a stab at my self-esteem, but hey. All the more reasons to lose the weight!]

So recently, I’ve discovered a great weight loss site – Marie Claire. It’s for adult women, but nonetheless with some editing, I think it’ll fit my schedule and my needs. Here it goes:

SUNDAY
Target your butt, legs, and abs.

What to do:

30 minutes of cardio activity

20 squats

20 lunges

25 dead lifts

40 crunches

1 minute of skipping rope jumps

40 alternating lunges

20 bicycle crunches

40 reverse curls

MONDAY
Target your arms and chest

What to do:

30 minutes of cardio activity

20 chest presses

20 chair dips

40 biceps curls (20 per arm) holding a five- to eight-pound weight

20 dumbells

20 rows

60 karate kicks

TUESDAY
Target your back and shoulders

What to do:

30 minutes of cardio activity

25 jumping jacks holding one- to three-pound weights in each hand

20 lateral raises

40 front raises (20 per arm)

20 shoulder presses
WEDNESDAY
Target your butt, legs, and abs

What to do:

30 minutes of cardio activity

30 donkeys (15 per leg)

15 squats

20 pelvic lifts

40 oblique twists (20 per side)

1 minute of lift-ups

1 minute of leg kicks

1 minute of leg lifts

1 minute of leg holds

1 minute of leg ups

THURSDAY

What to do:

Repeat Monday’s workout

60 Ab stretches

FRIDAY

What to do:

Repeat Tuesday’s workout

SATURDAY

What to do:

Repeat Wednesday’s workout

1 minute of Alternating lunges

1 minute of plank-lunge pushups

Seeing this schedule gives me a sense of guidance. Who knows? Maybe it’ll work. I’ll see how much progress I make after 4 weeks.

Anyway, catch you guys later! Time to get working on that chemistry…

Created by MyFitnessPal – Nutrition Facts For Foods

[Via http://lyliaepiphany.wordpress.com]

Shangri La

I’ve had a lot of friends email or message me about the Shangri La Diet (SLD) which is convenient because I was already planning to write about it today!  Way to be on the same page, guys!

I first read about SLD in a book called, ‘Freakonomics’, by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt.  The SLD was discovered by Seth Roberts, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California at Berkley.  He was not happy with several things in his life, insomnia, acne, being overweight, etc…and decided to do something about it.  Relying on self-experimentation and using the scientific method, he researched and put into practice several different theories until he finally, one by one, was able to change the things in his life that he was unhappy with.  When it came to weight loss, he dubbed his new eating style the Shangri La Diet.

In a nutshell, SLD is based on the theory that, our world and our brains have progressed, basically, we’re all still cavemen when it comes to food.  When there is an abundance of food and lots of variety, our bodies tell us, “Eat, eat, eat!!  There will be famine later, let’s stock up your fat supply now so that we can live on it when we need to!” and, when there isn’t a lot of food, very bland food, or not a lot of variety it, our bodies say, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!  Let’s slow that metabolism down, we’re obviously in a famine and we’ll supplement with your fat reserve.”  When there’s less food available, your body actually makes you less hungry and, when there’s tons of food, your body tells you to binge.  Doesn’t make much sense today in our modern world, does it.  I’m very blessed to live in a time and place where, if I’m hungry, I can run to the grocery store and choose from thousands of food items from all around the world.  Basically, my body has had 32 years of prepping for famine and, guess what, it’s not happening in my life anytime soon!

So, what are your options if you want to short-circuit this caveman program?  You can’t starve yourself, that will just lead to your body hoarding your body fat.  You could eat bland, boring food all the time to trick your body but, really, who is going to be able to sustain that kind of diet?  In no time at all, you’ll be bingeing on cake and ice cream!  Seth Roberts’ theory is that, if you give yourself ‘falvorless’ calories once or twice a day, that will be enough to trick your body and then you can eat whatever you want the rest of the time.  The flavorless calories he suggests are, 1-4 TBSP of Extra Light Olive Oil (ELOO) or sugar-water per day.  The flavorless calories actually cause appetite suppression which leads to eating less (obviously) but without triggering the ‘I’m starving!’ alarms that cause your body to hoard its fat reserves.

Sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it?  Well, like anything else, it does have stumbling blocks.  For me, it’s the texture of the oil as I take that quick shot in the morning.  It doesn’t taste bad at all but, that .o5 seconds where the oil is actually in my mouth is enough to trigger my gag reflex most days.  Most people would, if they had a problem with the oil, switch to the sugar-water but, since I have PCOS and I’m pre-diabetic, I really am supposed to limit my carbs and my brain just kind of rebels at the thought of drinking plain sugar-water as horribly unhealthy, even though I’m fine drinking juice or soda.  When you think about it, soda could be hundreds of times worse, with all those chemicals and dyes!  Another thing to watch out for is making sure you eat only when you’re hungry, not just because it’s dinner time or you’re going to be hungry later, it defeats the whole purpose!

In my experience, I’ve discovered a lot of unexpected benefits to SLD that totally outweigh the gag factor.  Besides the fact that I started experiencing appetite suppression the very first day, I’ve also linked the ELOO to better and easier sleep, my skin clearing up, my hair being healthier and less pain in my joints.  An awesome side-effect for me is that, when I am hungry, I’m craving lighter foods like fruits and vegetables and I’m thirsty for water all the time!

That being said, I haven’t been perfect in taking it.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve taken it for a week and I need to get back on the horse!  If you do decide to try the SLD, I would suggest reading the book, The Shangri La Diet by Seth Roberts.  Barnes & Noble has it for about $4.  If you’re too eager and you want to try it right away, the least you need to know is, make sure to take your flavorless calories in the middle of a two-hour window so as not to cause your brain to associate the calories with the other flavors.  I usually take it right when I wake up in the morning and hold off breakfast for at least an hour though, usually, I’m not hungry until lunch time.  conversely, you could take it at bedtime as long as you haven’t eaten for at least an hour before.  Also, unless you have over 50lbs to lose, start at 1 TBSP per day and see how you feel.  If 1 TBSP doesn’t really change your appetite, slowly work your way up, never exceeding 4 TBSP per day.

I hope that answers all your questions!  If you have any others that weren’t covered, please post them in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them!  Also, if you try SLD, let us know what you think and about your experiences!

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1 . Order your free, miracle prayer cloth right now!

Our building’s fitness center is outfitted with ellipticals, weight machines and treadmills. There are three televisions, and the good treadmill has one placed directly above it. That’s what makes it the good one, and today I got up early enough to beat my neighbors to it. Channel surfing twice as fast as I was walking, an infomercial for a blood of Jesus prayer cloth caught my attention. The messenger, a curious man who probably burns more calories in thirty minutes of peddling than I did on the treadmill, promised all kinds of miracles from healing to wealth. But you had to act quickly and order, right now!

I wouldn’t mind a miracle. You see, thirty two pounds ago (or, exactly one year, if you prefer time measures) I was finally nearing my ideal weight. The year before that, I had transitioned from a sedentary, overeating lifestyle to one of daily exercise and sensible eating. I was very happy. I bought sexy jeans and pointy shoes. I felt like a new person. And when my birthday came along, I decided to celebrate big by indulging in my favorite food, veggieburgers! I was exercising so much and eating so well, that I lost weight even while eating 31 veggieburgers in 31 days.  A couple of months later, though, I found myself lapsing back into my old, lazy ways. Tons of other fun and happy things were happening around me; I got distracted, and now I’m back where I started.

There will be no 31 veggieburgers sequel. Instead, I intend to celebrate my 32nd birthmonth (birthdays are for sissies) by kick starting my weight loss journey. And I know just the thing to do…it’s a bit of ancient wisdom, a twofold key to being fit and healthy, and the only tried and true way: eat less and exercise more. To accomplish this, I will be using the Weight Watchers system and exercising one to two hours a day. You might say, “What’s the big deal? Tons of people do that.” Yeah, but I hate, double-hate, exercise and I love, double-love, eating. “Oh yeah, you and half the world.” Okay, but I’m going to blog about it. “Yeah, ‘cause what the world needs now is just one more weight loss blog!” Okay, now you’re just being rude.

As I laughed at the man peddling the miracle cloth on TV this morning, I thought, “wouldn’t it be nice if that really worked?!” First thing I would do is pray for a faster metabolism, like that of my friend in college who lived on a diet of Sonic and Dr. Pepper and was thin as a rail.  I picked up my phone to write down the number (just for laughs, seriously!) and then I realized I already had a miracle cloth, sitting in front of me: it’s called a gym towel.

Have any tips, advice, questions or jokes? Leave a comment!

Today’s Numbers

WW Points: 27.5 (of 32)

Treadmill: 60 mins (3.5% incline, 3.5 speed)

Pilates: 20 mins

Pushups: 12

[Via http://32poundsago.wordpress.com]

Today's Gratitude

I have a Facebook friend who recently posted something about how no one wants to hear about your daily gratitude journal. I happen to disagree with that. Not only would I enjoy reading other people’s daily gratitudes, but I think I’m going to start posting some. Because it’s my freaking blog and I can do whatever I want. I don’t care if anyone reads it or not. It’s more for my own documentary purposes.

My therapist has suggested I do the daily gratitude thing to break the habit of negative thinking. I”m not sure that’s going to be a remedy for all my craziness, but I’m willing to try. She said to shoot for two things per day and that they don’t have to be huge things. Maybe just that the sun is shining.

Today I am grateful for:

Jack Johnson

I’ve lost four pounds since becoming a vegetarian recently. Yay!

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