Update!

Hello there!  I'm ashamed that I haven't sent you an update since April, and my deepest and most sincere apologies.  Life sure can turn on a dime, huh? 

In my last post, I discussed my fear of change regarding who I was and how I had been defined most of my adult life which was as a plus-sized girl. I'd spent fifteen years or better poking fun at my size, gathering chuckles and calling attention to my growing body before anyone else could even think it.  I knew where to shop, what size to buy and now to accentuate this while hiding that.   The fear I had of dropping below 200 pounds was scary, for sure.  "What if I plateau here, what if I can't do this anymore, what if I GAIN weight."  I couldn't stand the heartbreak I would feel if the scale ever tipped above 200 again, after all the hard work I'd put into this.

So I went for it. 

I blew through the 190's and am down to 184. :)  I just bought a pair of size 10-12 shorts, though that's them being VERY kind to me, because I'm wearing 14's for the most part.  (I'm in between 14-16 right now.)  I'm 9 pounds away from my goal weight of 175.  This is the weight I wanted to get to, then evaluate how I felt about myself and if I wanted to keep going. 9 pounds away. When I started this journey, I had 61 pounds to lose. I thought "I'll never get there.  This is a pipe dream. Grab the Oreos and get comfy."  But one pound at a time, with patience and determination, 52 pounds- the equivalent of my 6 year-old son is no longer on my body. And boy, does it feel GOOD. 

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Changes

I have tried to keep my blog updates positive and encouraging, and today might end up that way, but for now, I just have to be real.  I am having a bit of a tough time adjusting to a lot of things lately.  I have never been one to mind or even scoff at change. Bring it on!!  However, on this weight loss journey, there are things that are changing every day, and while it's awesome, it's also very overwhelming.

It was so much easier (though heartbreaking) when it seemed I would never shed the extra weight that was keeping me imprisoned in my own body.  In my mind, I was still very active, but when I tried to DO anything, the chains of added weight clanged.  I remember the first time I tried to sprint with one of my kids a few years ago.  In my head, I shot across the yard.  My body was much slower.  Though I never really accepted it in my heart, I guess at some point, I accepted my size in my head. I refused to live humiliated or downhearted about my size.  I was as I was, and that was it.

But now...now I'm down 36 pounds, and I see pictures of myself from before my weight loss journey.  The difference is BAFFLING.  I see pictures of myself and think, "Wow, I look good!" as opposed to being reminded over and over how big I've gotten. Whereas before, I'd see pictures of myself and be shocked at how different I looked in person vs. pictures.  Now I see pictures and think "Do I really look like that now?"

I'm also thrown for a loop by the changes in my clothing.  For the last 15 years, I have been in plus-sized clothing, and at one point I was up to a size 22 pants and 2X shirt.  I'm down to a size 16 pants and Large shirt.  While you're cheering, let me just tell you that this is so bizarre to me.  I have an entire fashion industry that has just opened up to me, and I'll be honest when I tell you, I'm not sure how to handle it.  I've been limited to Fashion Bug (and the occasional Wal-Mart store) for the last 15 years because they were the most affordable store with clothes for big girls my age.  I quit shopping at most department stores because they didn't carry trendy plus-sized clothing, and I felt like people were snickering at me if I tried to "squeeze into" smaller sizes.  Now, I have gone to two separate stores and pulled stuff off the rack in the "regular" section that fits.  While it makes me smile, it broadens my "where do I fit in this world" complex. LOL

I have been hovering just above my next goal weight for about two weeks now.  (I mean HOVERING...as in 1-2 pounds away from my goal weight.)  I am about to drop below 200 pounds for the first time in I don't know how long.  Why am I waiting? I don't know. I think it has something to do with fear, but I haven't really put my finger on it yet.  I have wanted it for so long, and now it's right at my fingertips, and it seems I'm intentionally keeping myself from it.  I think it has something to do with that "Holy crap, is this really happening?" mentality that's been going on lately.  Wanting change, making it happen are one thing...then to actually stand back and SEE that you're doing it this time....I'm really doing it! I'm really going to beat this thing!

So yeah...I'm at a turning point, now, and I look forward to that moment when I level my eyes, jut out my jaw, and blow past the 190's.  It's coming very, very soon. :) 

Accountability

I balked at the idea that I needed someone to hold me accountable for a long time.  I argued that I was strong-willed and disciplined enough to get it done, since "I hold myself to such high standards."   Yet I continued to let myself down and would eventually give up.

I tried the online programs."Jot this here- record this there." It wasn't enough.  I needed an actual physical person to hold me accountable.

Enter Casey G.

I think God put us on the same path at the same time knowing we'd need each other to pull through the tough times in the weight-loss valley. (I mean, let's face it.  This is a MAJOR life change!)   There were moments when I felt like a mule being pulled by a rope.  When things got hard, when schedules got tested, when anything even remotely when sour, I mentally wanted to give up.  In those moments of weakness, I wasn't thinking about how much I was letting myself down; I was thinking about how I would be letting her down.  I had the desire; I had the motivation; and then I had a teammate that was counting on me just as much as I was counting on her.

In the beginning, it was a necessity for us to schedule our workouts together- it held our feet to the fire.  As busy as we both are, we made it work.  I am very grateful for that, because since we laid that firm foundation, my workouts have become an important part of my life- not just in a physical way.  It is excellent stress-management for me and an excellent way for me to take my frustrations out in a positive manner.  I NEED my workouts almost as much as I need my morning coffee. LOL. 

My challenge to you this weekend is to think of someone you have discussed your weight dissatisfaction with and see if you can get together just one time this weekend for 30 minutes. 
The other challenge I have for you is get dressed and get those tennis shoes within 15 minutes of waking up.  That makes a HUGE difference in my day.  (Why, I don't know. Just try it. LOL) 

Let's do it!

A Few Nuggets of a Non-Chicken Variety ;)

What I have posted thus far was essentially how I got started in my weight loss journey.   I was surprised to discover that it's not just about working out, and even more surprised at how long it took me to discover this.  For me, there are many things involved when it comes to being successful in weight loss. I had to:

• Determine my daily caloric allowance.
• Learn how to read labels.
• Learn what "real" portions were.
• Drink more water. (It was harder than it sounded. LOL)
• Learn how to take care of my body, my mind, and my spirit. 
• Recognize what was happening when I wanted to lay into an emotionally-propelled binge.
• Educate myself on proper exercises that target all muscle groups and learn which exercises will give me the most "bang for my time."

It was very frustrating in the beginning, because I WANTED to go head-first into action. But I had learned from all of my previous "binge-changes" that doing it all at once was just a great exercise in setting myself up for failure.  I'd go buy all the right foods, and they'd expire (or rot...lol) before I even knew what to eat when and how to prepare it.  I bought books, exercise videos, joined gyms, and hit the floor running before I even knew what I was doing. I failed to recognize how my emotional eating and my negative attitude toward my ever-growing body was hindering my progress.  So, I started THIS journey by educating myself first, then I slowly made changes where I knew I could (portions, drink choices, etc.

I was incredibly overwhelmed when I read any type of "diet" meal plans, because frankly, who really eats like that??  Many of the diets out there are difficult (for me, anyway) to follow or aren't meant to become life-long eating plans.  (I don't consider any diet that eliminates an entire basic food group healthy.)  What works for me is knowing what foods I like and how to find the healthier choice.  For example: I love pasta. It broke my heart to think I had to give up pasta.  Then, I discovered whole wheat pasta, and there's very little difference in flavor or preparation, but a big difference in the nutritional value. I also had to learn how to eat properly so I can use this for the rest of my life.  After a basic study of food, I wrote down foods that I liked and were healthy choices in a little notebook, and I carried that with me everywhere I went. (I still have that, actually.)  It had meal plan options and caloric value, which made life much easier for me, especially when I was grocery shopping or eating at a restaurant. 

I encourage you to make a list of some of your favorite foods.  (Entree's, sides, breads, desserts, drinks.)  Google them and look up the nutritional value, then write it down somewhere.  You may find (as I did) that while a certain food may be low in calories or fat grams, the sodium or sugar per serving is outrageous!  You may find that your favorite sandwich is only 260 calories with the fixin's and then you'll feel EVEN BETTER about chowing down on it!  If you are an avid condiment user, take a look at the serving size and calories per serving.  Those little calories sure add up in a hurry. (This includes sugar/creamers for coffee, FYI.)

Have fun with it.  Think of yourself as a CSI agent on the prowl for clues to solve a big weight-loss mystery.  See if you can identify 200 "hidden" calories in your current eating plan that you were unaware of.  You're doing great!! Keep it up!

PS:
Tonight, after my workout, I found myself in the kitchen scanning the cupboards before I even realized what I was doing. (I was searching for something sweet, and a lot of it.)  I didn't have anything readily available which gave me a moment to stop and ask myself why I was feeling this way.  I was hungry, yes,  but what I was looking for wasn't a means of nourishment...I was on the verge of a binge.  I was angry when I got home because I failed to respect my calf muscle injury and played volleyball anyway.  I wound up injuring it again, and though it's not bad, it's still a set-back.  My frustration level was high, and subconsciously, I was about to self-medicate with bad food choices. So, I had a cup of Cheerios with skim milk (180 calories).  I'm satisfied, I've calmed down, and because I made a healthy choice, I won't be mentally beating myself up all night.  Win/Win!

My absence

I apologize for my absence and hope to be back up and running soon.  In the meantime, I hope you have been reading labels, monitoring how many calories you are taking in, and getting a little exercise daily.  Don't forget to write ten things you like about yourself today.

LET'S DO IT!

OK, I am feeling back to normal now, so I'm ready to hit it again with full force. Tomorrow will be my first day back in the gym and I CANNOT WAIT!!!  I'm so jazzed up, I can't hardly sit still. I've been mentally envisioning myself lifting weights and doing cardio for the last two weeks, and tomorrow, I actually get to do it.  BLISS!!

I hope in my absence you have kept up with the great work you began before God popped me upside the head.  One of the things I have learned on this journey is there are countless people who can help me along the way, but ultimately it is me, myself, and I that will either get it done or not.  My workout partner can plan a helluva workout for us, but if I don't show up or give her 100%, then truly, I'm only cheating myself.   Since I have spent my adult life cheating myself in many areas, I figure it's about time for me to start taking myself seriously and getting it done.

Now, that being said: self-discipline does not come easy for me; I have to hold myself accountable ALL THE TIME.  And, I have my inner voice that just pisses me off really.  She'll twitter in my head "get your shoes on...get your shoes on...get your shoes on..." until I just throw up my hands and go get my darn shoes.  Then it's "Where's your water, where's your water, where's your water?" And so on, and so on.  My favorite is when I'm DYING to have a taste of something completely sinful and delicious, she throws the last visual of my weight on the scale to the BLINDING forefront in my mind's eye.  To keep my own personal level of annoyance at bay, I try to do these things before she wakes up. ;)

So, it's a beautiful day outside.  I challenge you to a twenty minute soul-cleansing walk.  It doesn't have to be brisk or even elevate your heart rate today.  My challenge to you is clear your mind.  Take deep breaths.  Get re-centered and get  your head back in the game.  Refocus on what is important.  For twenty minutes, I want you to stroll around the block and chase any negative thoughts out of your head.  Positive thoughts in, deep breaths out. 

If you're ready to roll tomorrow, wake up, get dressed in your uniform to the shoes (no house shoes or flip flops...) find (and fill) your water bottle, and schedule exercise times for yourself.  I challenge you to two twenty minute sessions tomorrow.  And, don't worry. I'll be right there with ya!

Get off the mat

I have had my fair share of hard knocks in the last year.  I have had torn muscles, dislocated ribs, the flu, respiratory infections, hives, and my latest fiasco- an infection in a gland in my face and a TMJ flair-up.  (I know, I said the same thing. "Huh?")  I had an allergic reaction to one medication, then another reaction to the antibiotic. It seems every time I really hit my groove in my weight-loss journey, whammo... I'm slapped down to the mat, and I have truly contemplated at times just staying down.  This time, I have spent a little over a week on the mat; however today,  I find myself getting to my knees.

Sometimes I wonder if these types of challenges are deliberately put in front of me.  I am a firm believer in "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"  and just when I think I have nothing more to give, I am forced to dig deeper and push through.   I expect these types of challenges in life, my career, parenting, etc, so it should come as no surprise that they manifest in my weight-loss journey as well.  Yet, I am surprised -discouraged, overwhelmed, irritated, pissy, what-have-you, when these obstacles knock me down. But, perhaps that's just God's way of asking me over and over again, "Are you serious about this?"  I feel He allows me to go underwater at times so I will truly appreciate the big deep breath when I resurface.  And, I think He smiles and says, "Well done." when I do. 

I also wonder if God slows me down when I refuse to do it for myself.  I may have my head down, trudging forward and have no idea that there's a semi veering out of control a quarter of a mile down the street.  Maybe he shoves me into the ditch to keep me from being plowed by the truck. Scraped knees are easier to heal than broken bones.  I don't know.  Maybe I was working too hard in the gym and was facing an injury, so God slapped me upside my head and laid me up for ten days to allow my body the rest it needed.  (And, it very well could just be that "stuff happens" and we go from there.) 
 
And that's my point.  Today, I start from here. I have my jug of water sitting on my desk; I have updated my blog, and I have watched my caloric intake today.  Exercising isn't something I can do just yet, but just for today, I have made an effort to get off the mat.  And tomorrow?  I just might get to lace up my shoes.


 

"The Tale of the Tape"

I started my weight loss journey in January of 2009.  After losing 30 pounds and maintaining my weight for eight months, I got lazy and ate everything in sight while skipping on the exercise and poof- Santa brought me a fully-installed, prepackaged weight gain of eleven pounds....right in my stomach.   I thought, "Huh...well I dropped 30 pounds in four months earlier this year-- I can knock out eleven no problem."  HA!

Casey (my work-out partner and great friend) and I started working out together again, and I was so disappointed in how out of shape I was already.  Within a few weeks of eating right and exercise, I stepped on the scale for the first time.  No weight loss...zero. Nothing.  I could tell my clothes were fitting differently, people were commenting on my weight loss, yet the scale said the same number.  So I thought..."PMS, water retention, stress, too many calories in, not enough calories out..." and pressed on, trying not to obsess TOO much on what the scale said. (Which, I felt like it had pretty much flipped me the bird.)

Another week passed, and I noticed I was weighing every day, every other day, and again...no weight loss.  I went through this heart break for nearly THREE WEEKS.  If it hadn't been for Casey and the encouragement from many people in my life, I might have cried my way all the way to the ice cream aisle.  Casey finally convinced me to put the scale up and start taping myself.  So, I did. This was the best advice ever!  Using a body tape (seamstress-type), I tape myself every Saturday morning.
I tape my:

• right upper arm 
• my rib cage- right under my breasts
• my natural waist (just above my belly button)
• the largest part of my hips (right across my hip bones)
• right thigh. 

The first time I taped, I nearly cried.  (And yes, I AM going to post my measurements on my page.  I just haven't done it yet.)  36-24-36 had turned into 40-45-50, and it didn't matter how many ways I tried to make excuses (as with the scale), the numbers didn't lie.   I was so pissed at myself, disgusted, ashamed --insert every negative, ugly word you can think of here and that's how I felt about myself.

After my melt-down, I re-centered myself and decided that day would be the last day those numbers would make me feel that way. You know the saying about bees and honey, right?  How could I motivate and encourage myself to do ANYTHING while I was saying those awful things to myself?  So, it took some doing, but I began to embrace my size and my "present" without condemning myself for poor past choices.  Finally, I began to look at myself with compassion and learned to be proud of who I am today; this moment, right now.  No more negative self-speak.

The next week, I taped and was SHOCKED at the results. I had lost two inches on my rib cage, waist, and hips...two inches!! I just couldn't believe it!  And guess what? I felt so great, I weighed!

....WHAMMO..... no weight loss.

I had a brief thought to take that scale outside and beat it with a tire iron.  I had proof in the tape that I was losing inches. I didn't understand it and frankly, I still don't, but that's OK.  My body is shrinking, I feel better, and I'm getting healthy one day at a time. So, just for today, that's all I have to worry about- making the best choices I can. 


You will see a new addition on my blog home page very soon called "The Tale of the Tape."  I haven't figured out the gist of it yet, but it will have my inches posted from start date to current.  I will also have my weight posted, too.  (GULP!!)   I figure if I'm going to do this and be as honest and real as possible with you, then it is necessary.  And, it's good for me, too, because it helps me rid myself of this feeling of being ashamed.  I am who I am, and I'm very proud of me.  But, there's always room for improvement! :)

YOUR MISSION:
Tape yourself.  NO, you do not have to share that with anyone. There are all kinds of Body Measurement charts you can print off the net to help you keep track week to week, or you can simply just have a column for Bust, Waist, Hips, Thighs, Arms and write the date on the left-hand side of the paper.  I want you to be able to see you progress. It's pretty cool.  (Mine hangs on my fridge next to my picture of me in Basic Training.)

Write a few things you look forward to as a smaller person.

 Consider your goals:   You don't have to make one change right now..but you are now eye-balling labels, you know your allotted caloric intake for the day, and you're getting a bit more exercise in the meantime.  We're slowly introducing minor changes in your day to keep from having that "week one melt-down."  Too many changes at once is a recipe for disaster to me.  So I slowly introduced minor changes in my day here and there, and gradually over time, I have made some pretty impressive lifestyle changes.  When you're ready to sit down and make some short-term and long-term goals, write them in your journal.  It doesn't have to be this week; just tuck that little nugget in the back of your mind.  Personally?  I hate goals.  But I still set them. LOL.

Look over your average weekly schedule and set your exercise times. 

Tonight:   Take the night off. I am! :)   I'm so proud of you. I'll see you tomorrow and hopefully I will have a good report on my tape!  

OK, the "Sigh"- Explained

You've heard me mention in a few posts something about "eating to the sigh."  Here's what I mean. 

I heard/read several years ago that when you are physically full, you will sigh, and anything eaten past the sigh is considered overeating.  I have no scientific basis for this, no citing available, and frankly, it could be a crock.  But, it makes sense to me, so I use it.  I re-implemented this into my eating plan a few weeks ago, and it was so hard to do at first.  I would fly right past the sigh and never even notice it.  Then, one day, I felt my body take that deep breath and sigh, and I pushed my plate away.  It didn't happen immediately, but it DID happen.  And now, my brain automatically waves the caution flag when I sigh.  It has happened when I've been in the middle of shoveling my last piece of pasta (whole wheat, of course) in my mouth, and I have literally spit that bite into a napkin and thrown it away. Extreme? Perhaps...but, that's just how I roll.

Awareness

You just won't BELIEVE what I found out yesterday.... I forgot my lunch on Tuesday, and instead of prioritizing eating, I went shopping.  (Yes, I am not exempt from bad choices. LOL)  I didn't eat lunch until almost 2:00pm and it was an Asiago Chicken Sandwich from Picklemans, Baked Lays, and water.  I was starving by that point and downed the whole thing, no problem, completely ignoring the sigh.(I'll tell you about the sigh, I promise.)  Sounds reasonably healthy, right?  WRONG!!  Yesterday, I looked up the nutritional information online and that sandwich BY ITSELF was 918 calories and 56 grams of fat.  I could have just passed OUT!  I had over half of my daily caloric allowance in one 6 inch sub.

Task 1:  Find Nutritional Info on Favorite Restaurants
Most restaurants nowadays have online menus with nutritional information available on their websites.  Today, I challenge you to pick a few of your favorite restaurants, Google them, and see if you can find the nutritional information on your favorite dishes.  I can tell you right now, it will shock you. Especially when you discover that delicious salad you had in lieu of a sandwich had more calories than the sandwich and side combined... that's pretty sobering.   (who knew the "little calories" added up so much?)  It's good to educate yourself, too, so you know if you go to Ruby Tuesdays for a lunch date, you will know the Asian Dumplings are only 114 calories per serving (4 dumplings), and the Turkey Burger Wrap is higher in calories than the grilled chicken wrap (by over 200 calories, actually.)  A LITTLE research goes a long way.  And, a little knowledge will prevent you from having the TRAIN WRECK meal I did on Tuesday.

I plan to blow holes all over the idea that healthy eating is more expensive than "normal" eating, but that will come another day.  For today, we're going to continue to look at labels, and now I want you to look at serving sizes and notice portions.  A regular portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or the back of your hand (fingers, thumbs, wrists not included...lol)  So now you can see how portion control is WAY OUT OF balance in restaurants and in a lot of our households.  For me, a steak should have covered AT LEAST half my plate, lest I felt cheated. :) 

Task 2: Grab your measuring cups and play with your food. I promise I won't tell Mama.  Get a feel for what a 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes looks like... see how much 2 Tbsp of dressing really is.

 

Task 3:  Exercise today!   Lace up those shoes, fill your water jug, and do a repeat of yesterday's performance.  Crank up some happy tunes!!
3 minute warm up (cardio of choice)
5 minutes of stretching
10 more minutes of cardio  (Add some waist twisting today.... get your "ab" on.)
10 toning
5 minutes of stretching
2 minute cool down.
** One GREAT WAY to get through a workout in the beginning is DISTRACTION.  March in place while you're watching TV or on Facebook.  You'll be shocked at how quickly 5 minutes will pass.  Have your child count your stretches. 
Keep in mind...this does NOT have to be done all at once, so if you're at work, do some upper body stretches and "jump" your feet up and down in thirty second intervals.  No one has to know you're working out. LOL

Task 4:  Drink water. 

Task 5:  Pat yourself on the back!   I am so proud of you for all you're doing, and I hope you are, as well.  Today write ten reasons in your journal that you are proud of yourself.  It's all about you-- not your kids, not your job... things you are proud of. (Three consecutive days of motivation.  Meeting a goal.  Drinking 8 more ounces of water yesterday...) This is ALL ABOUT YOU... and don't it feel GOOD!

Recap:  Educate yourself, practice portions, exercise, hydrate.

Back to Basics

I have a few things I want to go over first, then I will put forth your mission for the day.  Got your shoes on? If not, go do it...I'll wait. 

1.  I do not diet.  I have an eating plan. Same difference? Perhaps, but the word "diet" has such a punitive meaning to a lot of people and it already gets your brain in "denial mode".  So take that word "diet" and remove it from your memory banks.  You won't be denied any types of foods- you will simply make smarter choices.  (And if you slip up, don't kick yourself over it. Progress, not perfection. Remember?)

Intake

Part of your daily mission is this. 
Determine your needed caloric intake for basic functioning. (I used http://caloriecount.about.com/ to find mine. Go to "Tools" and then "Calorie Target". You can call your doctor and ask the nurse...whatever.)  You burn calories just by breathing... you burn calories by digesting food.  My body needs between 1500-1700 calories a day just to keep me functioning.  Think of it like a car.  If you run it on fumes, you're not going to get optimal performance and will probably sputter and stop before you reach your destination. Subsequently, if you found yourself stuck on the side of the road, you wouldn't dump a sack of sugar in the tank, and we're not going to do that to your body today.

For the rest of the day, I want you to pay attention to the labels on food containers.  We're looking at serving sizes and calories per serving.  We're not CALCULATING anything today. I just want you to be aware.  Our eating plan is simply about portions, smart food choices, and staying under my allotted calories for the day.  So just for today, I want you to eat like you normally do, but eyeball the serving sizes and calories.

Drinking water
Many people have a huge hang-up with drinking water.  64 ounces?? That's crazy and unrealistic.  Well, here's my way around that. I have a 32 ounce mug with a straw that I keep at my desk.  My daily goal is to drink one before lunch and one after...that gives me four hours to drink 32 ounces of water. I can do that.
Your challenge:
Find your cup/bottle/container of choice.  (I have to have something with a lid- I never have made it out of the sippy cup mode.)  Fill it with ice cold water and nurse that baby for the next hour.  No chugging required.  If you have a 20 ounce bottle, great.  8 ounce? Awesome. 40 Big Super Gulp Mammoth beast... I'm impressed!  Bottom line. I want you to drink one of those today.  Don't shoot for 64 ounces of water intake today.  Baby steps.  Set a goal you can achieve.  For those of you who work, keep a little post-it note on your desk of how many times you filled your bottle today. If you stay home, write it on the fridge or dry-erase board.  But, just for today, focus on increasing your water intake by one bottle.

EXERCISE

 Get moving!  With every action you make, you burn a calorie or two, did you know that?  Did you know that if you clean the house for an hour at a moderate pace, you can actually BURN 300 calories or better? No gym required, there, baby! 

OK, got your comfy clothes on? Tennis shoes? Hair pulled up? NO??? Why not?  

We are athletes in training.  Dress the part.  I wear stretchy pants, a tank-top, and sports bra to work out.  In fact, here's how I prepare for a work out.  You've heard of "Making your nest", right?  I have a routine that I have to follow every time I get ready to work out, and it helps me transition from office worker to athlete.  I put on my "uniform" and I start getting in the zone with every addition to my uniform.  I start mentally preparing by saying, "I am an athlete. I am an athlete."  After I am dressed, my hair goes up. I have a few idiosyncrasies that have developed over time...as in, I can't get in the zone unless I have fresh Blistex on my lips, a piece of Extra Polar Ice gum in my mouth, and my MP3 player blasting.  The gum keeps me from getting cotton mouth in the middle of a run and gives me something else to focus on when my biceps are burning.  The Blistex....I have no idea. LOL.  Once I have donned my uniform, I put on my weight lifting gloves, and when I look in the mirror, I am ready to roll.  You may develop something like this routine over time, you may not.  Whatever it takes to make that shift in your head from average woman to Super-Sexy Goddess of all Exercise, do it.  You own this place. Rock it out.  

Challenge:

3 minute stretching

10 minutes of Cardio

10 minutes of Toning

3 minute stretching

I can't emphasize enough...STRETCH.  We have been pretty sedentary for some time and we want to avoid injuries, right?  Stretch...and listen to your body.  NEVER STRETCH without a quick warm up. Do something to get your heart rate up just a bit and get extra blood into those muscles. I usually ride the bike, do the elliptical, or walk for 3-5 minutes.  If you are working out at home, put on a fast song, crank that baby up, and dance!!

Here we go!!

1.  Pick your activity of choice for your warm up. Set a timer if you need to (the oven is fabulous!) 3 minutes.

2.  Stretch (If you need specific stretches, let me know and I'll email you some. I just do the same types of stretches we did in P.E. when I was a kid.)  Hold each stretch for 12 seconds. You'll want to stretch your arms, abs, back, hips, quads, calves, and ham strings. Don't forget to do a few neck stretches, too.

(CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU'RE ALREADY 10 minutes into a work out and we haven't even started!)

3.  Do five more minutes of cardio. Dance, jump, march, run in place, whatever... (again, if you need more structure here, let me know and I'll tighten it up for you.)  Set a timer...five minutes.  If you are winded, good... if you are out of breath, ease off a bit. No passing out allowed. LOL.  Are you uncomfortable? Good!  It feels good, doesn't it?  Are you in pain? Ease up.  

4.  Toning: (don't get caught up in the idea you have to have weights.  Grab a family sized can of veggies in each hand, or a can of pork and beans in each hand and poof- we have resistance. You can also use a sack of potatoes, liquid laundry soap... etc.  If you lift that over your head ten times per arm, you'll feel it, trust me.)

Two sets of 10:

Arms- 

10 bicep curls

10 tricep "pushes".- stand with your arms at your sides and "push" your palms back as far as you can. This will work your tricep area. Use weights/resistance if you want.

10 arm lifts- stand with your arms at your sides and lift them even with your shoulders.  Slowly lower back down. That's one. 

10 overhead lifts- Bend your arms and have your hands even with your shoulders. Lift your arms above your head.

STRETCH YOUR UPPER BODY NOW.

Does it burn?  Fabulous! It's supposed to!  By the time you get to #8, you should feel the burn and have to dig deep within to reach those last two reps.  That's completely normal. 

Legs

10 squats (easy at first...then we'll work on going lower and lower.)

10 tippy-toes. (hands on your hips, stand up on your tippy toes then back down flat footed...that's one.)

10 standing leg lifts- Hands on your hips, lift your leg out side-ways and back to center. That's one. Switch legs. Wash, rinse, repeat.

10 lunges per leg. 

STRETCH!  DRINK WATER!!!

That's it for today! If you're still in the zone, keep going...just remember to be easy on yourself.  And I am SOOOOO PROUD of you!!  

Now...for those of you reading this at work... you can STILL do all of this.  Tee hee!  Do modified stretches at your desk, get up and walk around the office for a few minutes or walk a flight of stairs. You many not get that heart rate up as much, but it still counts!!

SELF 

 Taking care of your mind is just as important, if not more-so in this process.  I need you to get a notebook, a journal, open a blank word document...something.  But here's your challenge.

Write 10 nice things about yourself.  (Trust me, there are hundreds, but just pick ten today.)

Write about how you are feeling in this moment, after your workout. Be honest and real with yourself. If you're tired and cranky, put that. If you're proud and energized, do that too.  Write for two minutes how you feel.

Lastly, I want you to write this on a piece of paper as big as you can.  "I AM AN ATHLETE." Put it somewhere so you can see it a lot.  It will make you smile. :) 

Recap:  become aware of calories, get some hydration going, get moving... and be nice to yourself.  

A little history, a lot of now, and a glimpse of tomorrow

At 20 years old, I was a 5’3” 136 pound hard body fresh out of Army Basic Training.  Within a year, however, I gained about 60 pounds due to lack of exercise, poor food choices, and a medication that causes weight gain.  (But mostly due to my poor choices.)  Over the next several years gained the additional 40 pounds which led me to my highest weight of 236 pounds.

I was in denial about how my weight was affecting my quality of life.  I was in a constant state of pain (My back, my feet, my stomach, my knees.)  which gave me just the excuse I needed to stay inactive.  Emotional eating, lack of activity, and failure to take care of my spiritual self left me spinning out of control.  Every time I even thought about getting healthy, I was overwhelmed before I even started due to all of the major changes that seemed required of me at the time.  Eat this, avoid that, pop this pill, avoid that exercise, drink this water, stop with the coffee.  After gathering all of the research and tools I needed to begin, I was exhausted and sat down with a big bowl of ice cream to read and coordinate. (Sound familiar? Go ahead. Raise your hand. No one is looking.)

When it came to eating,  I had a lot of really good excuses. I was married at the time, I have two small children, and who can afford to buy two types of foods for the family? How could I eat healthy without punishing my family?  Calories, fat grams, sugar grams, carbs, hydro-whatever... AGH!   Or, my sad discovery was that I had become "the table Hoover".  I cleaned up the kids plates, regardless of how full I was. 

Exercise?  Who has time for that?  In this society of "bigger, better, faster", who honestly has time to slow down long enough to get a good workout in?  (Everyone, but I'll get to that.)  My mindset was as follows: I can't afford a gym membership; I can't be away from my kids any more than I already am; I don't have the right clothes; the right shoes; I am scared to sweat in front of people; I'm afraid of what people will think of my fat ass in the gym; I'm so out of shape- I'm embarrassed. And then guess what...I ate to comfort myself.  (Anyone else raising your hands?)

I made several excuses over the years, but when it came right down to it, I was overweight because of choice. I had chosen not to prioritize my health and was now suffering the consequences.   In January of 2009, I tipped the scale at 236 pounds.  I saw pictures of myself at Christmas and I nearly sobbed.  I just couldn't believe what I was seeing, how I was feeling, and I made the decision, then, that something had to be done. 

I lost thirty pounds in 4 months the old fashioned way...calories in vs. calories out.  I maintained that weight for 8 months, and then I gained back 11 pounds during the holidays.  So, back at it again!

I will write more later.  Here's your first mission:  find your tennis shoes.