Back from a Health Vacation

I'm proud to say that I went to the gym yesterday, started tracking my weight and food again, signed up for a few sessions with a personal trainer (starting Saturday) and am confident that I will stay on track this time around!

I've decided to go with wording in this post that will include pride and commitment - instead of shame and embarrassment for not exercising for three months, and definitely not watching what I eat.  I do work 7 days a week during the summer months due to holding two jobs, and I used that as my justification.  But now that it's over, I'm going to remain positive and get back into a good routine!

This routine will include working out (either a home video or at the gym) at least 3 days a week.  Ideally 5, but if I can get 3 in, I'll accept that as a starting point.  I'm also using MyFitnessPal again to track my food/calorie intake.

Surprisingly, I lost a few pounds over the summer!  Not sure how that happened...we'll explore that in a different post.

Also, I'll be utilizing the support system of fellow bloggers to motivate me!  By not keeping up on my daily blog readings, I simply stopped even thinking about staying healthy!  It made me realize that it really is a mindset, a way of life!  With all the billboards showing the newest juicy burger creations around town, it's easy to focus on that instead of a yummy vitamin-filled salad!

So here we go - back from my health vacation and ready to get my beach body (just in time for the winter, ha!).

Accept my apology for this apology post

I'm the type of person who gets annoyed at bloggers who keep making apology posts.  I've already had my fair  share of posts talking about lack of motivation, falling off the wagon, or simply giving in to the temptation that a few slices of pizza offers.  Posts like that are good at times, but in the long run too many of them provide the opposite of what I'm going for.  The mentality that forms is one that finds excuses to not change and not eat/be healthy.  And that's what I've done this past month.  A whole month!

I'm happy to say that I haven't gained any weight on the scale - but my body has lost what I worked three months to gain.  The definition that started to form in my arms are long gone.  The waistline on my jeans are now too tight again (whereas a month ago I was proud that I had to keep pulling them up, even with a belt on!).  I'm also a lot more tired and get worn out easily.  I've been using that tiredness as an excuse not to blog.  I'm still working over 40 hours a week, trying to get everything together to apply for grad school in a few months, and having those serious conversations with the hubby about starting a family soon...so in my lazy state of mind, I convince myself that I have no time to write, no time to work out, no time to prepare a healthy meal, on and on!  And that's just not true!

This is the result of too many excuses - nope, ain't gonna happen!

So, here we go again.  Down the path of being healthy and allowing this blog and the community that surrounds it to hold me accountable!  Summer is here, so I have no more time for excuses!  This will be the last apology post for this blog - challenge accepted!

Food Matters!

In the past week I came across numerous blogs raving about the two films Food Matters and Hungry for Change.  Since I had some time off work thanks to the kidney stones, I was able to watch both...and I think they were just the motivation I needed to not only keep going with eating healthy, but to realize how important it is for my body in the long term!  I have not resigned to the common thought that I will most likely have a heart attack in my 50's and be lucky to ever hit my mid-60's.  I don't feel entitled to stuff harmful food down my throat.  I feel a responsibility to this planet that gave us life.  These films educated me and helped solidify my desire to eat healthier!

 Here's a preview for Food Matters - go to www.foodmatters.tv to watch and learn more!

It's one thing to read about the pink slime in our ground beef, or the arsenic that is in our chicken breast...but somehow images from films stay with me longer.  Quotes stated by professionals will stay in my memory and randomly pop up like a song stuck in my head.  If you're the same way, I definitely recommend watching these films - don't worry, there are no grotesque images trying to sway you to become vegan.  Instead they show how we can prolong our lives and end most of our suffering simply by choosing healthier, fresh, organic options!  I have no desire to become dependant on medications as I grow older - I do believe my body can heal itself, and I'm going to join in this revolution!  I will give my body the best fighting chance I can!

Ok - stepping off my soap box for now.  Give it a watch and I hope it motivates you in the same way!



"Rocking" My Kidneys, Not the Gym

As you knew from my last post, I had big plans to step it up and not allow anything to get in the way of my fitness and health goals! Well, life can have a morbid sense of humor at times, and decided that I had to wait to start my journey again - against my will!  I went to the ER yesterday when a small back pain grew into the most excruciating feeling all over my midsection, from under my hip bone up to my lungs!  Within 30 minutes of the pain starting, I was curled up on the bed and unable to move or speak.  I have never felt anything remotely close to that type of pain!

My husband rushed me to the hospital, where they quickly checked me in and proceeded to play musical chairs on my arm with the IV needle.  Finally they started pumping some pain meds into me and after a cat scan and some blood tests, they determined that I had kidney stones - ONE IN EACH KIDNEY! I didn't win the mega-millions lottery, so my body thought it'd make it up to me by granting me double the stones, double the pain.

One of the three marks made by the med student fishing for my vein...

I've since read online that the pain of kidney stones is worse than child birth, and this was confirmed by a facebook friend who has had both...so I guess I'm now ready for anything life can throw at me!  I'm currently towards the end of a cycle of percocet, so while the pain is pretty bad right now, my mind is clear enough to actually write an update post!  I won't be so lucky in about an hour...

So now my main goal is to drink as much water as I can until the pain on both sides goes away.  While I do have some fruit that I've been snacking on, it's not really a balanced diet that I'm on, and don't even mention doing something like running to me right now!  I think that if I could ignore the pain enough to do that, I'd probably get lost and disoriented with the meds that I'm on...

So, as soon as these stones pass, I'll get back into the healthy lifestyle again - hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later!

Where'd the Wagon Go?

I haven't posted in a while because to be honest, I want to preach what I practice, and this last week I've been far from a saint. I started making excuses to not eat healthy...and they kept growing and growing!  Here are my top 3 excuses and the reasons I felt justified in breaking away from my diet:


1. A Going Away Party - I wouldn't see my friend for 3 months as he traveled for work, and since we took him out to a nice restaurant, I decided to get what everyone was raving about - the baked mac and cheese, topping over 1,000 calories...  I don't go out to fancy places much, so I wanted to treat myself (and I admit, peer pressure played a part...sigh).


2. Eating Dinner at the Mall Food Court - My hubby and I had just bought a couple new games. We knew that the rest of the night we'd be glued to our controllers and wouldn't take the time to make dinner, so we decided to eat at the mall. While looking at a BBQ place, McDonalds, Sbarro, etc, we went with Panda Express and ordered the steamed rice...but we cancelled out that healthy choice with the other options they offered...and that meal went over 1,000 calories as well.


3. Ordering Buttered Popcorn at the Movies - I only see movies in the theatre about 3-4 times a year at best, so I once again gave in to peer-pressure and ate a medium buttered popcorn while watching the Hunger Games.


So those are my three biggest sins for this past week.  These all tied in to not working out as well.  I didn't make the time to go to the gym on those days, especially since I was feeling stuffed and just wanted to chill on the couch instead. 

I'm surprised looking back to notice how past actions can have a domino effect.  It's easy to keep going down that familiar road, and keep stacking up the bad habits...and live with the consequences of weight gain and poor health.  But instead, I'm starting again today, full force!  I had my Fiber Once cereal for breakfast, and 0% fat Greek yogurt and granola for a mid-morning snack.  I have a spinach, mushroom and carrot salad packed for lunch with raspberry vinaigrette, and I think for dinner I'll do a grilled chicken breast on the George Foreman grill with some steamed broccoli and a glass of ovaltine for dessert.  I'll get back on the wagon that I fell off of, and stay on it this time around!

Don't flirt with me - I'm workin' out!

When do you feel the sexiest?  Possibly when you're wearing a cute little black dress with strappy heels?  Or riding a bull at the western bar?  Maybe just waiting for the bus, turning your head so that the slight breeze blows your hair like you're in a shampoo commercial.  But not at the gym...unless you're already in shape, which I am not.

But there I was, stepping off my elliptical after 20 minutes and wiping the sweat off my forehead, uppper lip, everything! My face looked like a 3-day long sunburn was pasted on it, and my mouth was hanging half-way open.  Oh baby. Oh baby.  I grabbed my water bottle to head over to the weights when the guy who was on the  elliptical next to me told me he liked my shirt.  What?  Did I hear that right?  And he said, yeah, that the shirt looked really good on me.  He stopped and leaned closer to read what it said....

The logo on my shirt - just not as dirty!

"Average Joe gym, huh?  Well, you're anything but average!" I smiled and said thanks, and promptly turned to get over to the weights as soon as possible!  Why would he be hitting on me at a time like this, with a shirt like that, AND a ring on my hand!?  There's definitely something that he's seeing that is absent when I look in the mirror.

I head over to the weights and start on the one at the end that works your triceps when you push the handles forward (example below).  I'm on my last rep of 10 when sweaty creeper guy comes over to the machine next to me and starts to tell me how I'm wasting my time going from one machine to the next when I could just focus on the machine that he's on.  I let him know that I'm fine doing my machine migration, but he insists that once I try his machine, I'll be hooked.  He even offered to show me how to do the exercises! 

Apparently this machine has sex appeal.

I finally pry myself away from the conversation and keep going down the row of weight machines, farther and farther from the wanna-be-boyfriend.  I end up only doing a few machines before being ready to go home.  It threw off my groove for the night, and I couldn't get back into "the zone" of working out.

My husband found the whole thing pretty amusing, and said that I held my own fairly well.  I know that I should find it flattering, but instead I was annoyed the whole time.  The gym is my zen place of sorts, and I don't like distractions.  I get home from work after 10 hours and all I want to do is focus on my body and how far I can push it.  I don't want to worry about keeping advances at bay.  Plus, there's the sexy factor.  There isn't one, and if I don't feel sexy while I'm doing an activity, any sort of attempted flirting is baffling to me!

I hope that he got the hint that I'm not interested and I don't have to play keep-away at the gym tonight!  But, I will give him props for giving it a try.  Maybe the next chic that he says hi to will be a little more receptive that I was.

Eating Healthy - Mexican Style

Is there really such a thing as a healthy item on a Mexican restaurant's menu?  This is a dilemma to me, because living in Colorado gives me access to numerous Mexican cuisines on a daily basis!  In fact, the building I work in has a burrito place, and a Chipotle and Qdoba are each  within two blocks of this building!

I know there is healthy Mexican food - in fact, I could simply throw some rice, tomatoes and black beans into a tortilla and call that a healthy burrito!  But that's in the comfort of my own home.  When I eat out, I'm faced with a menu filled with items that are fried, smothered with cheese and chili, and topped with sour cream - AND all served in larger portions than we should ever encounter!  There is no option to have steamed veggies on the side, nor is there a salad menu (yeah, a taco salad is NOT healthy...).  I feel doomed every time!

I cannot find it in me to recommend cutting back on the tequila though....

So I did a little research online and created a list to share with you guys!  Here's some tips for finding healthier options at a Mexican restaurant:

- NO queso/cheese dip for an appetizer
- No more that about 10-12 chips dipped in salsa (that is one serving size that equals around 200 calories).
- Nothing deep fried (taquitos, chimichanga, etc)
- Black Beans instead of Pinto or Refried
- Brown instead of White Rice
- Grilled Chicken instead of Beef
- Soft Shells instead of Hard (hard=fried)
- Corn instead of Flour Tortillas (less calories)
- Or even better, go naked!  No Toritlla at all!
- Hold the cheese, sour cream and avocado/guac (avocados are healthy, but are high in calories which you won't want with a meal that's already bursting at the seams!)
- And, of course, only order water with your meal instead of a soda:)

I'm hoping this will help for the next time you go out for Mexican!  My next time is in about 50 minutes with some co-workers...wish me luck!

Hollz 2, Treadmill 0

While I haven't quite conquered my nemesis the Treadmill yet, I'm getting pretty darn close!  Last time I could barely lift a hand to wipe the sweat off my brow, and was so tense that I might as well have been standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon!  Today though, I took both hands off the bar!  Woot! It first happened during the walking phase, but still, I consider that improvement!  

After a bit of walking with my arms swinging like a pro, I increased the speed to the point where I could start running and grasped the bar again without hesitation. The digital display began 'recommending' that I take my hands off of the heart-rate monitor bar.  Ha, fat chance mister Treadmill, I know you're secretly planning on my demise!  So I held on for dear life for about a quarter of a mile - when suddenly some little daredevil inside me made me take off my hands!  It was only for a few seconds, but for those few seconds I was actually running on the treadmill like a normal gym rat!  I quickly realized what I was doing and grabbed the bar again.  But that sense of pride, of taking another step to dominating the treadmill, was mine for the night!

I can't wait to see what I accomplish on my next round! Thou shalt not win, oh Treadmill of Annihilation!

Couch to 5K madness!

I know that I was supposed to provide an update with my treadmill journey, but since the hubby was replacing the breaks on our car today, I figured I'd try something new.

I'll be running my first ever 5K in a couple months, so what better way to train than to download the Couch to 5K app!  It's a fairly simple app - once you open it all I had to do is click the very first icon on the top titled "Start My Run."  This is my kind of technology!

Leaping off the couch to run a 5K can be hazardous to your health...start with the app first!

Instead of just timing how long it took me to run a full mile like I used to do, I felt like I was actually going through a training routine.  Day 1 of Week 1 consisted of a 5 minute warm up, followed by 8 running intervals (about .10 miles a piece) that are separated by a fast paced walk.  After completing the 8 intervals in about 18 minutes, I ended with a 5 minute cool-down walk.  It wasn't too much too fast. I definitely got my heart pounding and sweat pouring, but my knee started hurting during the last running interval.  I made it through without stopping, but I'm a bit worried if it starts acting up again...hmmm, we'll have to see what the future holds.

 

Here's the details of my run below - you can see that half way through I ran at the pace of a 9 minute mile - woot!  

miles/yards km/metres

Stage Distance Time Pace WU 474 yards 5:00 18:32 1 153 yards 1:00 11:27 1R 164 yards 1:30 16:01 2 158 yards 1:00 11:04 2R 122 yards 1:30 21:27 3 182 yards 1:00 9:37 3R 130 yards 1:30 20:10 4 175 yards 1:00 10:00 4R 148 yards 1:30 17:45 5 196 yards 1:00 8:58 5R 202 yards 1:30 13:03 6 167 yards 1:00 10:31 6R 146 yards 1:30 18:03 7 152 yards 1:00 11:31 7R 131 yards 1:30 20:05 8 171 yards 1:00 10:16 CD 476 yards 5:00 18:27 Total 1.37 miles 18:30 13:31 inc WU/CD 1.91 miles 28:30 14:55

Even though this is my first day using this app, it comes with my full recommendation!  This will be a nice supplement to my gym visits and occasional work out videos.  I'm still going to tackle that treadmill from my nightmares this week, but ideally I'll do more outdoor running when I can!

Tackling my fear - the Treadmill edition

My hubby ended up reading my blog post about the Treadmill of Doom.  And since all men want to be the hero, he offered to help me overcome my fear this morning.  Not one to turn down a challenge (well, skydiving doesn't count), I accepted and we went over to the row of treadmills at the gym.

They stalk their prey in a semi-circle...beware the ambush!

He stood to the side while I pressed the Quick Start button.  The track beneath me started moving at a snails pace.  Now, this may have been my problem in the past - I found it embarrassing to be taking a leisurely stroll on a treadmill, so I would always speed it up quickly so I at least got to a speed-walk/jogging pace.  And then I'd freak out, yank the stop button, and hold back the tears of shame as I stepped on an elliptical instead.  But here I was, slowly walking on the treadmill, and my husband telling me that it was OK to be starting off slow.  And that encouragement really helped.

I started to relax more, and got to the point where I told him to up the speed.  Eventually I got to that awkward point on the treadmill where it's a bit too fast to walk, and too slow to jog.  You know what I'm talking about.  Most people just up the speed right past that point, but my fear started creeping up on me again, and I was forced to remain in that awkward stage for at least a minute.  Finally I pried my hand loose from the bar and pushed the speed up to a comfortable jog - speed 4.  

My husband, in between speaking words of encouragement, was definitely was holding in the laughter at how tense I looked.  When I asked what was so funny, he replied that it looked like I was running with a puckered butt-hole.  Thanks, love.  That's my dream man, right there.

As if my red face wasn't embarrassing enough...

I made it to the half mile mark before stopping - I could have kept going, but my hands were sweating from my anxiety so much that they kept slipping off the heartbeat monitor bar!  I felt good that I was able to stay on the dreaded machine more than 10 seconds, but I'm far from my goal of going 3 miles without stopping before my first 5K.  I'm pretty sure that I'll still have my hubby-coach by my side next time I tackle this though...which will be tomorrow morning, yikes!

I'll update you on how session two of the Treadmill of Doom goes.

Cravin' the Cheese!

I recently posted on Twitter about how I am substituting Cholua sauce for cheese on my eggs in the morning. Cholua has 0 calories, and we all know how bad cheese can be for you! So, @MissLegallyFit had asked if I have a problem with cheese cravings, and I realized that I really do! It's not just my craving for queso/salsa dip (which, by the way, I haven't eaten since before Lent started!), but it's a craving for cheese in every meal! Extra cheesy eggs in the morning, extra cheese on my sandwich at lunch, mac and cheese for dinner, and cheese and crackers for a snack used to be a normal day. @MissLegallyFit suggested that I possibly wasn't getting enough calcium in my diet - but I'm not sure this is the case. My daily vitamin gives me some calcium, and I usually have at least 1 8oz glass of soy milk a day. So I went researching on the net!

 

 

Everything I found online suggests that I crave cheese because I'm actually addicted to it! I used to think that a food addiction is a poor excuse for not having self control. "Oh, I can't stop drinking Pepsi because I'm addicted - oh well!" I hated those excuses. I wanted the person just to admit that they won't stop drinking soda for a specific reason, or because they simply like it too much. Don't blame it on addiction.

 

 Beware of signs of addiction in your own children

 

 

But here I am, debating if I had/have an addiction to cheese. Dangle all the chocolate in the world in front of me, and I can easily walk away - but one slice of cheese, and I can't say no! So, after cutting out queso a couple weeks ago, I've been slowly finding reasons to NOT eat cheese. Adding extra veggies on a sandwich instead of cheese, or creating a breakfast burrito with only eggs, black beans and salsa. It's been slowly cutting back the cravings, that's for sure...which means that maybe the addiction was for real. Regardless, I've been cutting back which is what matters.

 

Check out these sites if you're interested, and do some research on your own to understand your own cravings and find a way to beat it:

 

Stop Craving Cheese

 

Conquer Your Cravings

 

Cheese Addiction

 

 

Did I mention that I also dream of cheese and rainbows?

 

I've got 99 problems...

Maybe instead of saying problems, I should label them excuses.  99 excuses to not go to the gym, not eat veggies for a snack, not go for a walk during lunch...on and on.  And I would argue that most of my excuses are valid.  They don't consist of TV-watching, video-game-playing silliness.  The excuses I find are the valid kind, of having to work through lunch, or needing to write a blog post (thanks social media!).  

Crunches can wait - it's blogging time!

But are these excuses worth it?  I was planning on doing a side-by-side comparison or some sort of graphic to show the instances that choosing an excuse over health is more beneficial.  But the same result would come up in every situation.  The excuse was always worth it for instant gratification and satisfaction.  But when I looked any long term goals, including living past my 60's with minimal health issues, no excuse could compare.  I am planning for my future with a 401K, but that won't do me any good if I have multiple heart attacks before age 65 like my father-in-law.  I need to plan for a long, healthy life today and stop procrastinating.


So, it's time for a new list of rules for myself:
- I have to track every thing I eat in My Fitness Pal - no skipping because I know I ate a bad meal!
- I am not allowed to write a new blog post until after I've already worked out for the day - I cannot use this as an excuse to skip the gym!
- If I'm busy at work, then I will take at least 15 minutes in the afternoon to go for a quick walk - this also will help me de-stress to make it through the rest of the day!
- I will go grocery shopping for fresh fruits, veggies and lunch items once a week - this means I prepare my lunch at home and won't spend extra money (and calories!) eating out during the week!


That's a good start - once those rules become habits, then I can add some additional ones.

More Exercise = Less Beer

I used to drink almost every day. Not heavily, but usually a beer or two when I got home from work, plus a few extra drinks on either Friday or Saturday night. It wasn't a problem at all, but when you think about the calories from not only the beer, but from the bar food as well, and it's not a surprise that I was rapidly expanding my mid-section. I always said that if I just cut the beer out of my life, I'd drop a good 10 pounds. But how can you say no to a cold one after a stressful day at work? It was my vice, and I was fine with that because of the stress relief that came with it.

 

 

When I started hitting the gym 5 days a week, I noticed a change almost immediately. I didn't have time to have a beer when I got home from work, because I was leaving again within 15 minutes to go to the gym. Then coming home afterwards, I was high from the endorphins that the workout released, and no longer needed a beer to relax me for the night. I basically killed the cravings for alcohol during the week, either by working out or eating healthier.

 

  Vodka in a water bottle helps kill the beer cravings as well

 

The interesting thing is that this isn't in line with what the most recent scientific studies show. This link from the New York Times sums up a couple of these studies. It seems that most people drink more  with an active lifestyle. So, technically I should be maintaining my pre-healthy-lifestyle-change levels of drinking at the very least, if not drinking more. But hey, I'm not going to complain. Thanks to cutting back on the beer-a-night lifestyle, I'm now a cheap date for the hubby! 

 

 

That's my kind of workout!

S**t people say videos - Fitness Style!

I woke up this morning to this great video, posted on the Keeping the Pounds Off Blog by Jane: http://www.keepingthepoundsoff.com

Stuff Dieters Say

Because we all love to waste our time on youtube, I also found the following video, which really is amusing:

S**t Women Say to Personal Trainers

The thing about these two videos is that they relate more closely to people who have short term goals. These are the people who want to be on a diet to fit into an old pair of jeans. Or they are going to a personal trainer to get in-shape for their wedding. Of course people with short term goals want to succeed in achieving their goals - that's why they are taking action like dieting or exercise. But, I tend to see the complaints that you see in those youtube videos coming from people with short term goals, not a life-long goal of a healthy lifestyle. I'm not saying that health-nuts never complain (and in fact, some of them do a lot!), it's just that I've seen most complaints coming from people who just want to see results then move on with their lives.

It's like taking a class in college. If you're taking a class that doesn't pertain to your degree at all, then you're much more likely to complain, put off doing homework and studying, and not put in that much effort since all you want is a passing grade. Once you pass the class, then it doesn't matter anymore. You gladly forget everything you learned, knowing that if you really want to, you could just look up what you need on the internet in the future. But when you take a class in something that interests you, you're fully invested. You show up to class everyday, you read related articles in addition to the assigned readings from the textbook, and even join a study group. You want to succeed and retain the knowledge that you learned, not simply regurgitate it for a final exam then never visit it again.

I hope that more and more people exercise and eat right because they are passionate about being healthy - not simply hoping for a quick fix before swimsuit season begins. Regardless of why you're currently on this journey, go ahead and enjoy this one last youtube video for the day before going to the gym:

S**t Personal Trainers DON'T Say

Resisting temptation

Remember how I mentioned a couple posts ago that I had given up my dearly beloved queso for lent?  Well, today was my first major temptation, and I'm proud to say that I passed!  My co-workers that sit in the desks next to mine came back after lunch with a large cup of queso and chips EACH.  They politely told me that they didn't invite me since they knew I gave it up, then started popping cheesy nacho style chips into their mouths!  I was devastated!  I knew I could resist the urge to actually go and buy some myself, but to be literally surrounded by melted cheese was almost too much to take! 

 

But then I thought about this situation.  I was able to view someone eating queso from an outside point of view.  For example, one of the girls who was chowing down claims to currently be on a Slim Fast diet - which means she is supposed to drink a Slim Fast shake for two of her meals each day.  It's not that I'm judging her, but I realized how hypocritical it was of me to talk about my motivations to become healthy and fit, yet give in and enjoy something so fattening.  I definitely wasn't credible when I did that, and more importantly I wasn't a motivation for others to be healthy either!  Listening to the crunching of the chips was something of an eye opener for me.  I have to practice what I preach in order to make a difference not only in my life, but in other lives as well.

 

After about 30 minutes and an empty bowl of queso, the Slim Fast girl turned to me and said, "If it makes you feel better, I can feel the cellulite expanding on my legs after eating that!"  Well, even though that was TMI, I do hope that she feels a tinge of regret so that she doesn't indulge in a LARGE (that's at least 12 ounces, people) queso bowl again...and I'm thankful that I witnessed something that woke me up to my own bad habits.

See what a large bowl of queso can do to you?

Color+Running=Fun

Well, now I have no choice - I have to actually start running outdoors, or man-up and give that treadmill a try.  Why?  Because I just registered for my first ever 5K* and I've got to get my butt in shape!  I can go a mile in my neighborhood, but with a few 'walks' during it.  That ain't gonna cut it.  I signed up with a few of my co-workers, and since they're all in much better shape than me, I'm the most likely to be lagging behind!  That's not gonna happen on my watch!

I'm actually more excited than I thought I would be at the prospect of running a race.  This is the Color Run, and it looks like the kind of race my parents would have signed up for back in the 60's!  Check out this video and you'll see what I mean:

Yep, words can't describe the colorific awesomeness of this race!  THIS is motivation to start running!  It's not till May, but I'm going to start pushing myself starting this week so that I'll be ready for the color craziness!  I'll let you know how I progress throughout these next few weeks...

*I did participate  in a Race for the Cure back in 2006, but that was all walking...so it didn't count as a 'race' in my book!

The Treadmill of Doom

I hate treadmills.   Always have.   Now, I know what you're assuming - that I don't like them because I'm overweight and don't want to exert the energy to actually run. Nope, that's actually not the reason. I wish that I could run on them. I could watch a TV show, read a magazine, or simply stay inside during a Colorado blizzard - AND get some good cardio and fat burning action at the same time! No, the reason I hate treadmills is because I have some unknown irrational fear that rises to the surface each time I step on them.

 

 

I don't have many fears. There is my fear of spiders, which I deal with by screeching unintelligible syllables and running out of the room, refusing to go back in until someone removes it from my sight. And there is also my fear of heights, which is not as easy to deal with. When that fear comes on, I literally freeze up. My insides turn to stone, with the exception of my heart and lungs, who each seem to be competing to see who can go the fastest - my heart rate or my breathing. Nausea comes on, and because of the stone limbs, I'm unable to remove myself from the offending position. I'm stuck in horror until someone can talk me into moving again.

Congrats - you've expanded your vocabulary today!

 

 

While it'd be so amusing to say that I run away screaming when I see a treadmill, I instead get the same feeling as my acrophobia when I step on one, even if I'm going at the lowest grandma speed possible. I start to freak out and immediately step off, fighting back that fear rising up. Yes, I attach that little safety shut-off clip on a string. And no, I've never actually fallen off or been injured by one in the past. So I don't have any reason to fear something that will help me get healthier. I guess I've just seen too many 'people falling off' videos:

Ok, some of these people are being idiots - but it proves that it DOES happen people!

So for now, I'll stick with the safety of the elliptical. Maybe one day I'll be able to conquer the treadmill...but I think I need some therapy first!

Lent is for non-believers too!

Today marks the first day of Lent.  Growing up Catholic, I always had to give up something, such as Skittles, my favorite video game, or a second dessert right before bed.  Because my parents instilled a fear of the church in me, I didn't cheat at all.  I went the full 40 days not even licking a skittle.  But then on Easter Morning, those 1 pound bags of rainbowy goodness were mine!

 

Uh, yeah, I didn't go that far...

While I'm no longer religious in that sense anymore, I think I'll give up something for Lent for the first time in over a decade.  I'm giving up Queso, the cheesy salsa dip for nacho chips.  The reason I'm picking queso is because that seems to be the one thing that I cannot resist.  At least once a week I cannot stop the cravings and I'll go down to a Mexican food chain and order a large.  There are days that I felt guilty in such an indulgence, and other days I justified it thinking that I 'earned' this 900+ calorie treat.  I literally crave it daily, and counting out 10 almonds to eat does not satisfy it.

I want you, I need you!

 

There's apparently scientific studies about this craving phenomenon.  The same part of your brain that responds to drug addictions also responds to food addictions in some extreme cases.  So there's a reason why you not only crave something like chocolate ice cream, but when you finally get your hands on it, you can't stop eating until you're stuffed.  While I'm not sure if I'm at that extreme end of food addiction, I did find a few articles interesting, like this one on CNN.

 

I know that this queso obsession of mine needs to stop if I'm to make any real progress.  I had my last large chips and queso yesterday towards the end of my workday.  My hope is that after being denied this treat for 40 days, my body will no longer crave it.  That would be a truly successful Lent, if it helps you give up a vice once and for all!  I'll let you know on Easter Morning whether this worked or not.

My First Group Fitness Class - Sweat Included

Thanks to living in a country that celebrates past leaders, I had today, President's Day, off of work.  Since I normally work about 8-6 M-F, I was excited to actually be able to try one of the free classes that my gym offers!  Yes, there are some spinning classes that start at 6am, but it's taking all the motivation I can muster to go to the gym at all.  If I forced myself to wake up early as well, I would run, but not to the gym.
   

Run Away!!!

So I chose the 9am CardioFlex class.  I walked in with only my water bottle by my side, and looked at the other gym rats who were determined to be in shape. It was a good mix - I was by far the youngest, but felt like I was in the middle in terms of how out-of-shape I am.  That meant that I'd have others to look to for motivation to keep going, as well as those who would be struggling along with me.  I took the lead of those around me, and grabbed a small set of weights (3 pounds...just in case!), a weight lifting bar with no added weight on the end, a yoga mat and a thing that you step up on.  


The instructor started the music, and it was a non-stop sweat fest for the next HOUR.  Yes, an HOUR with no breaks!  There was nothing traditional about this workout.  Never once did we do a push up or sit up.  Every part of us was moving.  We had to squat while doing curls (Lower, Deeper!). We had to hold a plank position with our hands on the ground, and have our legs perform a running motion (Faster, Harder!).  Even while doing crunches, our legs were in on the action as well (Don't drop those legs!).  Whew!

Dump about 14 gallons of sweat onto this picture, 

and you get the idea of what I looked like

There were times that I truly hated the workout and the instructor.  I'm not up to this level of fitness yet!  Shouldn't she be concerned that we're all going to drop dead of a heart attack and let up a little?  I wanted to quit - but I didn't.  I kept pushing through, if for no other reason than "I'm never doing this crap again!" 


But then the end of the class came, and the stretching allowed my breathing to slow and my mind to clear.  I realized that I worked every muscle in my body.  I think even the few muscles in my ears were sore!  And that felt good.  I felt satisfied.  Part of me was still screaming that I would never willingly return to this form of torture again, but I still thanked the demon, ahem, lovely instructor for such a good work out. Too bad I can only take a class like this on a holiday!  It'll be back to the elliptical and weight machines tomorrow..

Fruit Ninja Saved My Life

It's been over a month since I've started eating healthy and exercising.  My husband and I had a few serious conversations in January about changing our lifestyle to include healthy food, less drinking and daily exercise, and we jumped right into the routine!  I have had plenty of mistakes and daily cravings, but we're on the right path and haven't looked back! 

Because I haven't looked back, I never thought about the exact moment in time that we made the decision to change our lives.  In fact, I didn't think that there was an exact event that triggered this.  I knew it wasn't a New Years Resolution (because those are meant to be broken).  I thought we just started talking and went for it!  But today my husband reminded me exactly how our journey started.

It was a Friday night.  We had just gotten home from work and were already into our second or third beers when we decided to turn on the Xbox Kinect that we got for Christmas.  We were looking through the free games to play, and decided on Fruit Ninja.  For those of you who are not familiar with the game, let me sum it up for you.  Pieces of fruit are thrown up into the air, and you have to cut them in half.  You do this by acting like your arm is an extended sword, Mortal Kombat style, and quickly making a slicing motion through the air.  If you are too slow, nothing happens.

Yep, this is what we look like, just not as badass.  

So there we were, throwing our arms in all different directions, trying to chop as many pieces of fruit as possible!  Being a little tipsy, we were giggling through the first couple rounds.  Then we were heavily breathing.  Sweat started to form on our foreheads. My arms started to burn.  A wheezing sound was echoing through the room.  Finally, we both plopped down on the couch after less than 10 minutes - worn out, sweaty, and in pain.  This video game had officially beaten us.

A game without an enemy or boss had beaten my butt.

Who would have though fruit could be so fatal?

We looked at each other, confused.  Were we really that out of shape? I knew I was about 35 pounds over-weight, but compared to what I see on TV, I thought I was still doing okay since I was well under 200lbs.  My husband, who has always been the scrawny kid, looked just as surprised as me!  He wasn't gaining weight like I was, yet he couldn't do a physical activity that included only his arms for longer than 10 minutes?

That's when it happened.  We realized what the road that we were on would lead to (health issues, obesity, and even an early death), and that it needed to change.  We didn't drink anymore that night, and the serious conversations started the next day.  So when asked what was my first sign that I needed to lose weight, my first motivation to start eating healthy - I have to find a way to say it with a straight face.  Fruit Ninja.

The GAME  Fruit Ninja, not the real life one.

Although this guy could motivate me to lose weight as well...

I want a women's FITNESS magazine, not FASHION!

When you're obsessed with something, it's hard to get it out of your mind.  I've found myself thinking about fitness while at work or doing chores.  When I have free time, I'm reading blogs and online articles about health!  I can't get enough - I want to hear about scientific studies, new recipes, the best workout routines, success stories - you name it, I wanna read about it!  So I browsed through the magazine section last time I went grocery shopping, eager to find one that I could read cover to cover and subscribe to.

Side-note and props to Fitness - your cover model actually looks healthy and beautiful!

Now, I'm going to save you the rant, but believe me, there's one that's boiling deep down inside.  Every magazine that I flipped through inevitably reminded me of Cosmo.  There were tips on applying make-up, getting more shine in your hair, or the hottest fashions - and I'm talking about night-on-the-town fashions, not work-out clothing or running shoes!  I ended up picking Fitness Magazine, solely based on the fact that it was the cheapest.  I also grabbed a Men's Health for the hubby.

 

I did enjoy some of the articles and advice within Fitness Magazine, but started to get frustrated as I neared the end within an hour of reading it.  I threw it across the room and picked up the Men's Fitness instead.  It was like night and day!  Here were the tips and advice I was looking for!  OK, I admit I did skip through some pages (I do not want to sculpt my body like Spartacus), but everything seemed more relevant and had more depth.

Ignore the creepy seal-man on the cover...

 

I'm stopping there because I'm not turning this post into a review, just like I didn't want it to be a rant.  It's more of a personal preference and observation that I made.  Obviously the majority of women out there need help matching their eyeliner to their nail-polish - otherwise these magazines wouldn't sell - but I'm not one of them. 

 

Do you have any recommendations for this average girl who doesn't wear heels but wants to know how to use a Bosu Ball?  

Let me know!

Have you noticed my baggy jeans?

Today, for the first time, someone noticed that I was losing weight! 

I stood staring at my co-worker after her observation of "Wow, it looks like you've lost weight!" stunned me into silence while we were chatting at the printer (we don't have a water-cooler, so we improvise). She must have took my gaping mouth for complete confusion when she followed up with "What, you mean you aren't working out or something?  Your pants are baggier."  The baggy pants statement shook me out of that deer-in-the-headlights feeling.  Yes, I am working out and eating healthy, thanks for noticing.  And no, these are not my baggy pants from 1997 - those are long gone, Missy!

 

Having someone other than the hubby comment on my weight loss made my day!  Especially since the scale has only shown about 5-7 pounds of loss, depending on the day. Even though I've already tightened my belt 1 notch for good, and my boot-cut jeans ARE getting a little baggy, to have someone notice gave me such a boost in self-esteem that I'm walkin' on sunshine!  It's finally paying off!  Bring It On!

 

No - this is not a picture of me because:

A. I'm no where near that thin yet, and B. I know how a tape measure works.

An Unfaithful Valentines Day

I think I need to start treating my healthy lifestyle like a relationship.  I never have and never will cheat on my husband, so why do I keep cheating on my diet?  Remember how I swore I wouldn't have a little fling with smothered burritos?  Well, I've stuck to that promise, but resorted to a one-night-stand with a large bowl of queso (cheese and salsa) dip and chips.  It was a tough day at work, I only had a small lunch and was still hungry, and queso has always been my comfort food, my de-stresser.  So, I went out to a local Mexican restaurant and got the large chips and queso to-go.  I ate the full amount back at my desk, enjoying every cheesey bite.  And then that full feeling set in.  Like when you realize you ate a whole gallon of ice cream while watching a movie - that feeling.  It was towards the end of my day as well, so I knew that within a few hours I would be working out.  Great, how will I be able to work out without puking feeling like a hippo?

 

My Casanova

 

I came home, and my husband greeted me with a glass of fresh pineapple, orange, coconut and apple juice from our juicer and a hard boiled egg for our snack before going to the gym.  I broke out in tears.  (Ladies, you understand how a random act of kindness can provoke tears! Gentlemen, you know women are crazy, so don't judge!)  I told him what I ate and how bad my stomach hurts and how I just want to curl up in a ball and wallow in my misery.  We sat down and had a long talk about sticking to our plan, creating habits, and admitting that mistakes happen.  I didn't want to go work out - BUT I knew that if I didn't go, subconsciously I would know that in the future, if I eat something bad, then I had an excuse to skip the gym.  That would just equal more 'mistakes' in the future!  So, after taking some medicine, I drank my juice and went to the gym....and worked my ass off!

 

I went up another level on the elliptical and kept my speed above 7 (usually I struggle to keep it above 5).  I did an extra set of reps on each weight machine (I usually do 3 sets of 5-10, depending on the weight).  AND I went back to the elliptical two extra times!  I was dripping sweat by the end, but my stomach ache was gone and I felt pretty proud of myself that I didn't let my mistake get in the way of being healthy!

 

It's tough to change your cravings and habits.  I'm always craving cheese, and I still don't think I'm at the point that I could turn down a greasy slab of pizza if it was offered.  But I'm getting there - one push up at a time!

Oh - and Happy Valentines Day my Bloggin' Buddies!

There'd better be a giftcard to Qdoba in that box mister!

(photo courtesy of Markuso)

MyFitnessPal = MyBestFriend

One of the biggest eye openers as I started this journey to being healthy is how many calories I normally consume in a day!  I think I fell asleep in my high school health class on the nutrition day.  I had a very skewed view about how many calories I should eat in one day.  I understood that by looking at a nutrition label that 2000 calories are recommended per day.  Well, I figured that must be the low end.  The number you have to hit if you're trying to be uber-healthy!  So if I saw an 800 calorie serving, I shrugged and ate it anyways, figuring that it was only 800 calories.  A few of those a day won't kill me!

 

And then I saw the results of a couple fitness calculators online.  Based on my 50 hours-a-week desk job, in order to start losing weight I need to be under 1350 calories a day!  1350!  I easily consumed more than that within a couple hours at a Friday night party with beer, chips and pizza!  No wonder I've been steadily gaining weight! 

 

I went on a mini-researching spree online, looking at how many calories some of my favorite meals and snacks were.  Are you ready?

 

1 bag of Smartfood Popcorn - 160

1 serving Easy Mac - 230

12-count chicken nuggets with Ranch dressing from Chick-fil-a - 550

1 full Tortinos Pizza - 728

6 oz Baskin Robin's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream Milkshake - 760

Qdoba 3-cheese nachos with chicken - 1125

Whiskey River Burger from Red Robin (just the burger, no sides!) - 1129

 

And those were just the calories!  I won't add to my embarrassment by including the fat and sodium levels!  By looking at how much I was eating, I knew I had to start tracking my calories STAT!

 

I downloaded an app on my smartphone called My Fitness Pal, which is one of the highest rated and downloaded apps currently, besides Calorie Tracker.  (My husband downloaded Calorie Tracker so we could compare, and they both are equally useful - so no need for a comparison!).  Throughout the day I can either search for the food I'm eating, or actually scan the barcode to easily locate the nutritional value.  There are also areas within the app for me to record my weight and measurements, or to add notes about the day.

 

Not my screen - but a good example of how it works!

 

This calorie tracker app is essentially a food journal, and that's how programs like Weight Watchers work so well.  Instead of assigning points, I just check out how many calories I've consumed so far, and how many calories are left.  If I work out and add that activity to the journal, my calorie 'allowance' for the day goes up.  I understand now why programs that make you keep a journal have such a high success rate.  I can see what I'm putting in my body and see the mistakes I make.  If I eat a spinach and cucumber salad with light raspberry vinaigrette, (like I did for lunch today), I can see that I consumed UNDER 200 calories for that meal, which leaves room for more options at dinner.  And if I decide to eat a smothered burrito for lunch instead like I did last week, I see that number staring up at me, and I hate to say it, but the guilt trip works!  I know that I've failed for the day.  But in that failure, I can learn and not make the same mistake again!  At least not with the same burrito...

 

Tracking your calories may not be what works for you, but I recommend it for anyone who considered a whole box of Kraft Mac and Cheese okay to eat as a snack. Not the single serving Easy Mac packets that I mentioned above, but a full prepared box, mind you.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

 

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

 

Juicer for V-Day

I've always been bad at keeping presents a secret...so the moment one of my Valentines Day presents came in the mail that I bought for the hubby, I knew I had to gift it immediately or spoil the surprise!

I bought him a Juicer!  We've never had one before, and in fact do not currently own a blender.  With our recent obsession with healthy living, which has included a few Jamba Juice trips, a juicer is not only a financially smart investment, but something we could have fun with. The hubby ran out to the store right away and brought back:

Carrots
Pineapples
Mixed Berries (prepackaged)
Apples
Oranges
Bananas

And then he threw a little bit of everything into the juicer!  And Viola - our first cup of frothy yumminess:

So far we're loving it - everything we try is delicious! Stay tuned for recipe reviews and a peak into the juicing book I bought the hubby.

Nachos made me cheat

I have a fear with this healthy lifestyle I'm trying to live.  That I won't be able to actually practice what I preach.  I am struggling with eating healthy all day long.  A healthy breakfast?  Sure!  A salad for lunch?  Yummy!  But give me the option to purchase a smothered burrito with chile con queso to dip some chips in, and I haven't found a way to turn it down!  This week I gave in to that burrito on Tuesday when I went out for a friends birthday.  And last night I munched on some nachos at the bar during Trivia Night.  The culprit is the cheese.  And I can't figure out how to banish it from my life!

 

"Just Say No" does not apply to a Coloradan

The most confounding thing about my cheese weakness is that I do NOT feel good afterwards.  I feel my shoulders slump, my stomach pooches out a bit, and I'm tired.  I know that if I ate a fully balanced meal instead, I would be energized, working out the next day would be easier and I would be closer to my weight-loss goal! I know this in my mind, but in practice I revert back to the old couch potato in seconds.  How do I overcome this?  I might have to try a new goal for myself.  To spend one whole week only eating healthy. No allowances, no "cheat days." 

 

Cheat Days.  What a horrible device!  Each time I ate 'unhealthy' I would excuse it as being part of my Cheat Day - even though the hubby and I decided that Friday nights would be our Cheat Night.  It allows me this mentality of "oh, if I claim this is a Cheat Day Meal, then it's okay to eat a 900 calorie lunch!  I'll just be better tomorrow!"  And that is the failure of many diets.  And the reason why I continued to gain weight.  I thought that there's always a tomorrow, so I'll inhale that burger today!  What I never realized is that there's no time like the present, and my decisions today will effect my actions tomorrow.  So, to get into a healthy habit, let's give this a try.  1 week.  No Cheat Days.  Let's see if this works.... 

 

Um, I didn't say when I would start that 1 week....it's fully okay to wait until after our Cheat Night Dinner tomorrow night, right?  Don't judge me...didn't I start this post out saying that I don't think I'll be able to practice what I preach?

To Train or not to Train - Are Personal Trainers Worth the Money? Part 1

As I mentioned, we received one free personal training session through our gym, and put us through a workout that a drill instructor would be jealous of.  But it will cost us some serious dough to continue to have sessions, so the question arose: Is a personal trainer worth it?

 

Oh, oh yes. YOU are worth it, sir.

(photo courtesy of photostock)

 

Well, let's examine what a personal trainer actually does:

 

1. Motivates and pushes you.  This is probably the biggest reason most people would give when asked why they throw hundreds of dollars for a trainer.  It takes a firm resolve to actually drive to the gym, and once you get there, even a greater resolve to push your self to your limits.  Which is why most people will do a few weights, spend some time on the treadmill, and go home.  A personal trainer will not let you off so easily, as I experienced with my 'buckets of puke' post!

 

2. Sets achievable short and long term goals and tracks your progress towards those goals.  Sure, I want to lose weight - I mean have you seen me in a tank top lately - and I think I set a pretty achievable goal for the end of summer to hike and camp on that trail with the hubby.  But just like you don't go from a first date to marriage (this ain't Las Vegas, baby), you cannot go from being a couch potato to hiking a fourteener.  You need those steps in the middle.  A trainer has experience and knows how to set that road map out for you!

 

3. Tells you what to eat and what to stay away from.  I know that the first things to be cut out of my everyday munchies include fast food and soda, but a trainer will point me in the right direction with supplements, portion sizes and other need-to-knows with nutrition.

 

The issue with every one of those points is that I could technically do all those myself.  My husband and I are tackling this gym and healthy lifestyle road together, so he's great at providing me the motivation.  Thanks to various apps I can track my weight loss, calorie intake and other goals. And there are numerous websites with nutritious and low-calorie recipes that I can look up on my own.  It's like paying someone to walk with you to work each day, pointing out when you should cross the street and reminding you to lock your car - it's not necessary! 

 

But, maybe it is necessary in this instance.  I mean, I never work myself to the point of passing out like the trainer did.  And looking at rows of protein powders and making a random pick based on a blog you read is nothing compared to your trainer saying that she uses a particular brand - and seeing the results right in front of you!  That's the thing - this trainer is a mother of two, a couple years older than me, and looks fantastic!  I want her body after I have kids!  She must be doing something right to look so good.  That's why I think I'll spend the money for her expertise - how hard she works me and the motivation she gives me by keeping her own body and spirit in shape!  Because hell, if I can look like her one day, I'll have it MADE!

 Welcome to the gun show, bitches!

(photo courtesy of photostock)