I just finished the Harry Potter book. Yep, it took me a whole week to read it and I was actually attemping to savor it by reading slowly, but to no avail. No, I am not going to spoil the ending, but suffice it to say it all makes more sense to me now. I will miss my old friend Harry (as in no more HP books), but at a certain point certain relationships require closure, so HP, it has been nice, but Adieu and I wish you well. Thanks for letting me in to your magical world.
So the past week I have been playing with http://myfooddiary.com (MFD). What an eye opener. I think I have not been eating enough for my metabolism for the past six years (which may clear up a certain mystery that has been going on for a while). MFD, which is basically a calorie counting program (don't worry, I don't spend every second looking up calories because after a while, all your favorite foods are saved in there). I also have been going too low on fat which may also be the culprit behind this mystery. No doctor has bothered to look at what I am eating although I have spent way too much money asking for their opinions.
MFD tells me I should eat at least 1200 calories a day for my height and weight (I am 5'1"). I may lose slowly, but at least that way my body will be getting what it needs to stay healthy. I am also forced to eat my exercise calories. What good is that you may ask? In the long run it all comes down to living a healthy lifestyle. If my body is in too much of a deficit for too long, certain hormonal changes may occur. Exercise brings on a bigger deficit than just eating losing calories which for a small person like myself may put me in the danger zone metabolically speaking.
On WW, I was always reluctant to eat my Activity Points, thinking not eating them would only boost my weight loss. To a certain extent a little bit, but then I would get so hungry I would double dessert at night or worse.
Since I am not about to give up running, bellydancing, lifting or anything else that helps me to remain depression (and fat)-free, I decided to try the MFD suggestion for one week about eating back most activity calories. It recommended I lose no more than .9 as a safe weight-loss (remember I want to get back to my personal goal).
Well, I did as it said for the most part (although since I was a little worried about overestimating, I came out slightly short 5/7 days and over my maintenance zone by a little on 2 days, the weekend) and lost .8 which is pretty dang close. The scale I weigh on only weighs to the nearest tenth.
Four areas which require attention for me, according to its system of smilies and frownies, are sodium (looks like I will rarely achieve this one since I am addicted to salsa and bread plus I run in the heat which makes me crave sodium even more), dessert (sorry, but I am not giving up my nightly dessert of <200 calories and no I am not counting it as a "snack" just to get a smilie since what I eat is essentially a treat with hardly any nutritional value), iron (I am a rare meat-eater so this one is tough) and fat (too low in fat since we drink skim milk, I rarely eat cheese and I limit healthy fats -- but I know now I can eat back my exercise points in peanut butter, avocado, nuts and olive oil - yippie!).
So there. Let's see if by eating a little more fat and calories I will continue to lose the .8 a week and get/stay healthy at the same time.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
You've been served!
Last night at bellydance class our teacher had us gather in a big circle for what she calls the "Yalla circle" (yalla="let's go!" in arabic). Then she had us go in two by two and have a "dance off" with each other. One would dance and the other would reply and try to outdo the other.
It was too much fun! This was the first time that the ladies really came out of their shells and got jiggy with it. In fact those shells were cracked wide open. I keep smiling thinking about how fun it was. It was fun to watch the mothers and daughters especially. Nothing like a little friendly competition to get things rolling.
Ha ha, it was a female fight club with hips instead of fists ;) But no black eyes and everybody laughed. Now that is exercise for the soul.
And that was after we each did a shimmy solo in which the teacher told us which direction to move. Again -- too fun!
How could this be exercise. If this is exercise than I will take more of the same please!
This week R and I entered into a little friendly competition of our own, a little weight loss competition to see who can lose the most percentage of body weight each week and by the end of six weeks. Again, no losers. This was just what I needed since I was finding it hard to find a new and exciting way to motivate myself to lose these niggling few pounds (six to eight to be technical if you want to go with the evil night reading at my official weigh in on Monday night). The winner gets a massage! The loser also gets to have one that day, but must pay for the winner.
I too have joined the ranks of myfooddiary.com and am loving the little motivating comments about how much weight I will lose or gain if I choose to continue to eat a certain way. In fact it encourages me to eat my exercise calories to get the most bang for my buck. Interesting how at my weight it also recommends I lose no more than .9 pounds a week. I know I can make that goal. I also know the difference between one and two pounds is dessert every day which I refuse to give up!
I wasn't that way when I was losing 110 pounds. Desserts were sacrificed for the greater good and I was fine with that. Nowadays if I don't get my Weight Watchers cookie dough sundae fix or my Skinny Cow, I am doomed.
In any case the MFD has encouraged me to cut my Skinny Cow ice-cream sandwiches in half and see if half will work as well as a whole. And you know what? Mostly it does!
If you are in any way competitive, I recommend a contest. In the end it is only ourselves we are competing against and if you pick your contests wisely, all will be winners in the end.
Just a catch up on this week's happenings... got in uber long run (13 miles, but felt like 15) with L on Sunday. The heat haze and humidity (welcome Monsoon season!) was a killer, but we did it and finished strong. That post-run dunk in the pool never felt better!
Monday was aerobic machines, abs and free weights at the gym.
Tuesday was my first speed workout in like forever with R. We covered about 5.5 miles of undulating terrain doing fartleks of 2 minutes fast with 3 rest. There were some warmup and cool down miles as well.
Wed I met L and she kicked my b#++ in the weight room. We were doing all the stuff you need spotters for, the stuff I usually avoid doing because I don't have a spotter. The Hubster used to spot me on the bench, etc. Now there is L! I SO feel it now.
Not to mention last night's veil, zills and basic BD moves class.
This morning's 5.2 mile run started slowly and a little sluggish, but I managed to pick it up on the way back. Methinks I just had to wake up.
It was too much fun! This was the first time that the ladies really came out of their shells and got jiggy with it. In fact those shells were cracked wide open. I keep smiling thinking about how fun it was. It was fun to watch the mothers and daughters especially. Nothing like a little friendly competition to get things rolling.
Ha ha, it was a female fight club with hips instead of fists ;) But no black eyes and everybody laughed. Now that is exercise for the soul.
And that was after we each did a shimmy solo in which the teacher told us which direction to move. Again -- too fun!
How could this be exercise. If this is exercise than I will take more of the same please!
This week R and I entered into a little friendly competition of our own, a little weight loss competition to see who can lose the most percentage of body weight each week and by the end of six weeks. Again, no losers. This was just what I needed since I was finding it hard to find a new and exciting way to motivate myself to lose these niggling few pounds (six to eight to be technical if you want to go with the evil night reading at my official weigh in on Monday night). The winner gets a massage! The loser also gets to have one that day, but must pay for the winner.
I too have joined the ranks of myfooddiary.com and am loving the little motivating comments about how much weight I will lose or gain if I choose to continue to eat a certain way. In fact it encourages me to eat my exercise calories to get the most bang for my buck. Interesting how at my weight it also recommends I lose no more than .9 pounds a week. I know I can make that goal. I also know the difference between one and two pounds is dessert every day which I refuse to give up!
I wasn't that way when I was losing 110 pounds. Desserts were sacrificed for the greater good and I was fine with that. Nowadays if I don't get my Weight Watchers cookie dough sundae fix or my Skinny Cow, I am doomed.
In any case the MFD has encouraged me to cut my Skinny Cow ice-cream sandwiches in half and see if half will work as well as a whole. And you know what? Mostly it does!
If you are in any way competitive, I recommend a contest. In the end it is only ourselves we are competing against and if you pick your contests wisely, all will be winners in the end.
Just a catch up on this week's happenings... got in uber long run (13 miles, but felt like 15) with L on Sunday. The heat haze and humidity (welcome Monsoon season!) was a killer, but we did it and finished strong. That post-run dunk in the pool never felt better!
Monday was aerobic machines, abs and free weights at the gym.
Tuesday was my first speed workout in like forever with R. We covered about 5.5 miles of undulating terrain doing fartleks of 2 minutes fast with 3 rest. There were some warmup and cool down miles as well.
Wed I met L and she kicked my b#++ in the weight room. We were doing all the stuff you need spotters for, the stuff I usually avoid doing because I don't have a spotter. The Hubster used to spot me on the bench, etc. Now there is L! I SO feel it now.
Not to mention last night's veil, zills and basic BD moves class.
This morning's 5.2 mile run started slowly and a little sluggish, but I managed to pick it up on the way back. Methinks I just had to wake up.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Shake it Like Shakira
Last night I tried a new bellydance class. My usual Friday night choreo class was cancelled so it gave me the opportunity to try something new. It was billed as the "Shake It Like Shakira" class and since I like Shakira, I was all excited about learning how to do some of those MTV moves.
The class is taught by Maharasha, the male bellydancer (that is his moniker, btw). And we actually learned a choreography to Shakira's "Whatever. Wherever." Now he wants to perform it at the next Hafla (next week!). Unfortunately I will be back to my normal BD class next Friday night.
Too bad this class wasn't going on during that whole time when the Community Center was giving my other teacher heck about having her class there and we had no choreo class for a month.
On another note, I met L yesterday morning for a 5 mile trail run from her house. It was steep to begin with and I actually took a flying header (left hand is all scraped up), but it turned out to be a great run. She brought her dogs which are super running dogs. The run was followed by a dip in the pool, breakfast (I brought melon!) and a nice chat.
We will meet on Wed to work out at the gym (hopefully my hand will be ok enough to grasp those weights by then) and maybe next Friday for a long run.
I took this morning off from activity although I will practice some BD moves today.
The class is taught by Maharasha, the male bellydancer (that is his moniker, btw). And we actually learned a choreography to Shakira's "Whatever. Wherever." Now he wants to perform it at the next Hafla (next week!). Unfortunately I will be back to my normal BD class next Friday night.
Too bad this class wasn't going on during that whole time when the Community Center was giving my other teacher heck about having her class there and we had no choreo class for a month.
On another note, I met L yesterday morning for a 5 mile trail run from her house. It was steep to begin with and I actually took a flying header (left hand is all scraped up), but it turned out to be a great run. She brought her dogs which are super running dogs. The run was followed by a dip in the pool, breakfast (I brought melon!) and a nice chat.
We will meet on Wed to work out at the gym (hopefully my hand will be ok enough to grasp those weights by then) and maybe next Friday for a long run.
I took this morning off from activity although I will practice some BD moves today.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Shouting into the Wind
The topic this week in the meetings is activity. There is no other topic that receives such a mixed reaction. No matter how I ask the questions, what I wear (this week I have been wearing my "badwater racing pajamas" -- an spf a million sun suit), and what I share of my good times with friends participating in my fitness pursuits, I can hear the crickets chirping.
One lady I worked with said to me yesterday that she lost weight really well just modifying her food intake and was ready to add exercise when her weight loss slowed down. Well 60 pounds later it didn't slow down so now she is maintaining and wondering how to get rid of her underarm flab.
But you know, I can relate. When I was in the weight loss phase, the eating was the focus of my universe and activity were the little moons that revolved around the planets. They existed, but were secondary to my purpose. Any activity I did was to give the weight loss a little boost, not to be my sole source of burning calories.
It's funny how things are all flip-flopped around. No, activity doesn't burn most of my calories. It is still about the food choices, but activity makes for a lifestyle centered around movement versus couch-potato-dom. When you are at goal, keeping moving is the way to stay there. I don't want to be a slave to my tracker the rest of my life.
Plus the midset is different. Now I am an "athlete." Athletes I know do not blow through an entire bag of Doritos and a gallon of Ben and Jerry's during Prime Time. Or maybe that is the fantasy I choose to believe.
When I go to eat something I have asked myself, "Would Lance Armstrong eat this?" which has often stopped me in my chocolate-hunting tracks.
So it is important to surround myself with people who believe as I do. It feels good at the end of the day to walk into my bellydance class and be greated with smiles and hellos from the other dancers (who remembered my name! I am SO bad with names! I know way too many people to know everyone!) who are ready and wishing to dance. The teacher last night asked how hard we wanted to work and she got a rousing response of hoots and hollers. And she worked us and it was fun. The class is filled with women of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels and we are all there to learn, move, have fun and laugh together. No frowny faces or blank stares.
In fact the positive attitude I sense while participating in these sub-cultures or runners and dancers makes it seem so normal and fun to want to move and groove. Complainers are not allowed. Such a difference from the move less mindset of the general population.
Tomorrow I am meeting L and R for a tough and fast trail run through the hills near L's house followed by a splash into L's pool. I can't wait. I feel like an eager puppy raring rushing my owner to go out for my run.
Activity is playtime. When I meet up with like-minded people I am faced with eager smiles and enthusiasm. Nary a blank stare or an excuse.
In my quest to squish more spontaneous and convenient fitness moments into my day, next Wed in between my morning and late afternoon meetings I will meet L near my Wed Centennial Hills meeting location to lift weights. The window is big enough and I won't feel rushed or have to make extra trips to drop off melty bars beforehand. We got the idea yesterday when I called her after my meeting and we met for lunch at Chipotle nearby where we decided that it would be more fun if we worked out THEN ate lunch next time.
Yesterday's activity included a 5 mile early run, tv weights and two hours of BD class (one hour of veil plus one hour of high energy basic moves drills). No doubt I will feel it tomorrow.
One lady I worked with said to me yesterday that she lost weight really well just modifying her food intake and was ready to add exercise when her weight loss slowed down. Well 60 pounds later it didn't slow down so now she is maintaining and wondering how to get rid of her underarm flab.
But you know, I can relate. When I was in the weight loss phase, the eating was the focus of my universe and activity were the little moons that revolved around the planets. They existed, but were secondary to my purpose. Any activity I did was to give the weight loss a little boost, not to be my sole source of burning calories.
It's funny how things are all flip-flopped around. No, activity doesn't burn most of my calories. It is still about the food choices, but activity makes for a lifestyle centered around movement versus couch-potato-dom. When you are at goal, keeping moving is the way to stay there. I don't want to be a slave to my tracker the rest of my life.
Plus the midset is different. Now I am an "athlete." Athletes I know do not blow through an entire bag of Doritos and a gallon of Ben and Jerry's during Prime Time. Or maybe that is the fantasy I choose to believe.
When I go to eat something I have asked myself, "Would Lance Armstrong eat this?" which has often stopped me in my chocolate-hunting tracks.
So it is important to surround myself with people who believe as I do. It feels good at the end of the day to walk into my bellydance class and be greated with smiles and hellos from the other dancers (who remembered my name! I am SO bad with names! I know way too many people to know everyone!) who are ready and wishing to dance. The teacher last night asked how hard we wanted to work and she got a rousing response of hoots and hollers. And she worked us and it was fun. The class is filled with women of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels and we are all there to learn, move, have fun and laugh together. No frowny faces or blank stares.
In fact the positive attitude I sense while participating in these sub-cultures or runners and dancers makes it seem so normal and fun to want to move and groove. Complainers are not allowed. Such a difference from the move less mindset of the general population.
Tomorrow I am meeting L and R for a tough and fast trail run through the hills near L's house followed by a splash into L's pool. I can't wait. I feel like an eager puppy raring rushing my owner to go out for my run.
Activity is playtime. When I meet up with like-minded people I am faced with eager smiles and enthusiasm. Nary a blank stare or an excuse.
In my quest to squish more spontaneous and convenient fitness moments into my day, next Wed in between my morning and late afternoon meetings I will meet L near my Wed Centennial Hills meeting location to lift weights. The window is big enough and I won't feel rushed or have to make extra trips to drop off melty bars beforehand. We got the idea yesterday when I called her after my meeting and we met for lunch at Chipotle nearby where we decided that it would be more fun if we worked out THEN ate lunch next time.
Yesterday's activity included a 5 mile early run, tv weights and two hours of BD class (one hour of veil plus one hour of high energy basic moves drills). No doubt I will feel it tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Feel the Burn
First off, thank you friends for the nice comments on my first BD performance video. Your support means a lot to me.
Today is hotter than hot. Or maybe it just feels that way. I mean it has been around 110 for a few weeks now. Just driving around town with a window missing and having to schlep stuff too and fro makes it more apparent.
I took this morning's workout indoors and got in a good 65 minutes on a combination of two types of ellipticals, the stair monster and the dread mill. Yeah me! Of course "always abs" as my bro would say.
This afternoon before my meeting I will sneak in some upper body at home. Having to leave Rick's car parked anywhere (like at a gym for body pump)with that window missing from the break-in and with my meeting stuff in the trunk makes me nervous. Fool me once...
This heat just makes me want to never leave the house until Halloween.
I am back to counting points. I think I eat too much on Core.
Today is hotter than hot. Or maybe it just feels that way. I mean it has been around 110 for a few weeks now. Just driving around town with a window missing and having to schlep stuff too and fro makes it more apparent.
I took this morning's workout indoors and got in a good 65 minutes on a combination of two types of ellipticals, the stair monster and the dread mill. Yeah me! Of course "always abs" as my bro would say.
This afternoon before my meeting I will sneak in some upper body at home. Having to leave Rick's car parked anywhere (like at a gym for body pump)with that window missing from the break-in and with my meeting stuff in the trunk makes me nervous. Fool me once...
This heat just makes me want to never leave the house until Halloween.
I am back to counting points. I think I eat too much on Core.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Back in the Running
This weekend has been a whirlwind on ups and downs running-wise and lifewise.
On the upside, despite my limiting weekend schedule, I was able (and willing, since ga$ is so expen$ive these days) to have three social runs in a row.
Friday I met R and L at Bootleg for a strong 6 mile trail run. Although waking up for these runs is never fun (since when is a 4:00 wakeup call ever fun?) once I am there I am raring to go! L runs just a bit faster so it makes for a good challenge. There were some harrowing moments like for instance when L went running off a cliff, but other than that we made it back in on piece - whew! It was fun to spend time with both R and L.
Saturday I met on ol' running buddy, Ernie the ultrarunner of running across Nevada two years in a row and badwater fame (see link on the left). The course is challenging (Red Rock Canyon loop), but the pace was not too hard since she likes to take walking breaks up the hill. We met a couple others and we sort of divided into three groups. Terri ran ahead. I ran with Ernie and Steffen ran on his own. We all met up at the end and shared some watermelon I brought (which I meant to bring the day before to Bootleg). E thinks I should just go ahead and train for the St. George Marathon. I am signed up and was very close to cancelling, but I haven't closed the door yet.
I am glad I held back running with E because I knew Sunday morning meeting up with L to run would prove challenging in both miles and pace. Finally I found a running situation that works for Sunday PLUS I can get a long run in to boot! L lives just minutes away from my Sunday morning meeting. Now running with her required a 3:30 am wakeup. It didn't help that Rick returned home at 2:30 am and woke me up causing me toss and turn in bed for an hour before really having to wake up (grumble grumble grumble -- one of the reasons I wanted to give up summer running to avoid the sleep necessary for early morning wakeup calls) I warned her that I am slower and espressed my concerns about keeping up and knowing the course. She said my pace is fine as she runs with another girl who runs probably a little slower than me and is just looking for someone to run with right now. Funny how we push each other in the early miles and we keep having to tell each other to back off the pace. Good thing we did because we lost track of time, which we have done twice before while deep in conversation and ended up getting in 14 instead of 13 miles which was the perfect compromise between her wanting to get in 15 and me wanting to get in 12 or 13.
We ended with a soak in her pool. She let me use her shower too!
Also, on the fun and adventure front, Friday night BD performance practice was great as we continued to learn the moves for Misirlou as well as practice La Playa again. Watching that video over and over really is helpful for me in seeing what I need to work on.
Ok, on the negative front, I am dealing with a car returned from the mechanic that required a new timing belt that cost major buck$. In the process they didn't rehook up the AC nor did they reset the security alarm (insert me picture of me pulling out hair from my head).
Meantime Sunday morning during my meeting, I thought I heard a car alarm go off around 9:45. I asked the receptionists to check. I was driving Rick's car. Turns out thieves broke into his car and stole my gym bag. Given it had nothing but old pink Nikes, skanky sweaty gym clothes (grody shorts and my favorite running expensive bra), a hair dryer and my good makeup collection/deoderant I felt violated nonetheless. I hope they touch the gym clothes and it gives them cooties. I felt sad about losing my favorite WW gym bag. Thank goodness nothing else was taken and thank goodness I had the sense to drag all my other cr@p inside, weighed down like a pack mule before the meeting. I was lucky indeed. Of course having to shell out another $240 to fix the window is not too lucky.
Rick and I had a choice to go home after and wallow and nap or to continue with our plans. We decided to see Transformers instead. Very entertaining, but again too long. I thought long summer movies were a fluke, like when I thought Pirates was too long. But I guess not. 2.5 to 3 hours is too long to sit no matter how entertaining. That is almost enough to erase the entertainment time and make if feel as if I am doing time to get my happy ending.
This morning will be tv weights since I don't want to park Rick's now insecure car outside the gym for an hour, BD moves, appointment and later my meeting and seeing Harry Potter (let's hope it isn't too long) and dinner with M.
PS -- I am no longer tracking my food intake in here. I felt wierd doing it here for all the world to see and was not always around here to do it. It was an interesting experiment nonetheless.
On the upside, despite my limiting weekend schedule, I was able (and willing, since ga$ is so expen$ive these days) to have three social runs in a row.
Friday I met R and L at Bootleg for a strong 6 mile trail run. Although waking up for these runs is never fun (since when is a 4:00 wakeup call ever fun?) once I am there I am raring to go! L runs just a bit faster so it makes for a good challenge. There were some harrowing moments like for instance when L went running off a cliff, but other than that we made it back in on piece - whew! It was fun to spend time with both R and L.
Saturday I met on ol' running buddy, Ernie the ultrarunner of running across Nevada two years in a row and badwater fame (see link on the left). The course is challenging (Red Rock Canyon loop), but the pace was not too hard since she likes to take walking breaks up the hill. We met a couple others and we sort of divided into three groups. Terri ran ahead. I ran with Ernie and Steffen ran on his own. We all met up at the end and shared some watermelon I brought (which I meant to bring the day before to Bootleg). E thinks I should just go ahead and train for the St. George Marathon. I am signed up and was very close to cancelling, but I haven't closed the door yet.
I am glad I held back running with E because I knew Sunday morning meeting up with L to run would prove challenging in both miles and pace. Finally I found a running situation that works for Sunday PLUS I can get a long run in to boot! L lives just minutes away from my Sunday morning meeting. Now running with her required a 3:30 am wakeup. It didn't help that Rick returned home at 2:30 am and woke me up causing me toss and turn in bed for an hour before really having to wake up (grumble grumble grumble -- one of the reasons I wanted to give up summer running to avoid the sleep necessary for early morning wakeup calls) I warned her that I am slower and espressed my concerns about keeping up and knowing the course. She said my pace is fine as she runs with another girl who runs probably a little slower than me and is just looking for someone to run with right now. Funny how we push each other in the early miles and we keep having to tell each other to back off the pace. Good thing we did because we lost track of time, which we have done twice before while deep in conversation and ended up getting in 14 instead of 13 miles which was the perfect compromise between her wanting to get in 15 and me wanting to get in 12 or 13.
We ended with a soak in her pool. She let me use her shower too!
Also, on the fun and adventure front, Friday night BD performance practice was great as we continued to learn the moves for Misirlou as well as practice La Playa again. Watching that video over and over really is helpful for me in seeing what I need to work on.
Ok, on the negative front, I am dealing with a car returned from the mechanic that required a new timing belt that cost major buck$. In the process they didn't rehook up the AC nor did they reset the security alarm (insert me picture of me pulling out hair from my head).
Meantime Sunday morning during my meeting, I thought I heard a car alarm go off around 9:45. I asked the receptionists to check. I was driving Rick's car. Turns out thieves broke into his car and stole my gym bag. Given it had nothing but old pink Nikes, skanky sweaty gym clothes (grody shorts and my favorite running expensive bra), a hair dryer and my good makeup collection/deoderant I felt violated nonetheless. I hope they touch the gym clothes and it gives them cooties. I felt sad about losing my favorite WW gym bag. Thank goodness nothing else was taken and thank goodness I had the sense to drag all my other cr@p inside, weighed down like a pack mule before the meeting. I was lucky indeed. Of course having to shell out another $240 to fix the window is not too lucky.
Rick and I had a choice to go home after and wallow and nap or to continue with our plans. We decided to see Transformers instead. Very entertaining, but again too long. I thought long summer movies were a fluke, like when I thought Pirates was too long. But I guess not. 2.5 to 3 hours is too long to sit no matter how entertaining. That is almost enough to erase the entertainment time and make if feel as if I am doing time to get my happy ending.
This morning will be tv weights since I don't want to park Rick's now insecure car outside the gym for an hour, BD moves, appointment and later my meeting and seeing Harry Potter (let's hope it isn't too long) and dinner with M.
PS -- I am no longer tracking my food intake in here. I felt wierd doing it here for all the world to see and was not always around here to do it. It was an interesting experiment nonetheless.
Friday, July 13, 2007
I Love Lucy Sneaks into the Chorus Line
There I am, big hair and all! Hehe! Amaryllis gave us our videos of our first performance Wed night at BD class.
Ok guys, be nice. We are beginners. I can see those mistakes in posture and the occasional flubbed move. But hey, we were working it!
But my little sneaky looks at the teacher to check out what to do next are apparent. I feel like Lucy when she snuck into the chorus line, remember that episode?
Anyway, everytime I replay it I giggle because I look like I have been transported back to six years old (but this time I didn't quit ballet because the teacher said I had bad posture and a stomach that sticks out).
Anyway, I am pleased with the effort and know next time will be better! It was fun even though my expression says the opposite. I thought I was smiling, really.
(By the way -- Today my arms hurt from hurling, I mean, gently waving Alice, my silk veil around during the first class of Bellydance 2 Wed night. Yes she has a name to force me to be nice to her. She is no longer a nameless, faceless veil. You want a good arm workout? Try veil!)
Yesterday was the WW day from hell. I worked FOUR meetings (subbed one) so I didn't have my usual midafternoon break to come home and unwind before revving up and driving off again. There was nothing left by the end of it all. Talk about that run over by a Mack Truck feeling. I had no voice left by the middle of my third Getting Started Session of the day.
I won't let that wipe out any warm fuzzy feelings from helping 55 people yesterday (small classes due to summer).
On a positive, I wore a great "multi-tasking" outfit (heals, knee highs, sport coulottes, tank, flowy overshirt) so I could easily kick off my heels and sneak in a 1:30 BD class at the gym.
Here is the combo du jour:
shimmy with arms going up in the air
right bump bump up with arms "directing/pulling" over the hip
left lift with arms in that direction
Figure 8 (forward)
To right, travelling hip circles with arms out and then hands over mouth
reverse to left
keep hands over mouth (so eyes show, very dramatic) 3 full mayas (flat-footed, erghh!)
roll up with hands moving toward head and ending in "migraine position" (very dramatic, see Dina the famous Egyptian BD superstar)at the same time as chest lefts up and down
R foot brushes floor to direction of R front, side, back hip lift with matching arm "directing"
Back to "migraine"
Same on Left
Repeat on Right
Repeat on left but instead of returning to migraine, hands in air and squat lean, pose with hands back in migraine
I know this sounds wierd, but the moves are very dramatic. It is supposed to exude emotion. I think on a nice Jewish girl like myself the moves bespeak, "Oy veyesmere, vat a headache!"
It was fun and I made it do the second half of my "Day of Heat and Hell" on time.
I didn't get to track, but I am deducting 6 points from my WPA to make it 21.
This morning I met R and L for a great run out at Bootleg Canyon. It is a challenging course, but it is so much fun with all the undulating singletrack.
Maybe I will run St. George afterall. L is trying hard to motivate me to do it. She says she thinks I can run it well. I know that is the truth. The heart of the matter is how much I want to dedicate myself to training for it. Well, if she is willing to run those miles with me, perhaps I can change my mind. It isn't too late.
She wants me to come and run 13 with her on Sunday before my meeting.
And tomorrow I will meet Ernie and Steffen at Red Rock Canyon for six "easy" miles at the crack o' dark. Oh summer how I love/hate thee!
Todays journal so far:
coffee/ff milk/splenda
oatmeal, banana, ff milk
six mile, hilly trail run
2 pt bar/propel (3)
carrots/veggies
cottage cheese/yogurt/fiber 1 (1 -- yogurt was a lite n'fit, all I have left!)
turkey salad with veggies, salsa, evoo, few spriztes Wishbone, few pretzel thins thrown in (1)
la tortilla (1)
sf creamsicle, part, rest melted and I forgot about it (0)
Golden Spoon frozen yogurt, small (3)
veggie stir fry, evoo, ff cheese, nf milk (to make a sauce w/evoo & cheese)
watermelon -- seemed like lots
shared choc smoothie w/hubster
2 ww choc cookies (1)
WPA's left: 18 (took 5 from AP's)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Got Lettuce?
Yeah "Title" is Working Again!
Nothing exciting today yet. Just food. Bored yet? I would like to stop posting my menus once this week is over as I am embarrassed by sharing my high use of lettuce and spinach as the cornerstone of my "diet." But "salads" make everything bigger, even nibbles that just start as "bites" "licks" or "tastes." Eating these things as part of a salad forces my brain to register what I am eating is in fact food to be counted in some way.
Anything can become a salad. Got some crackers? Break them up and toss them in with some lettuce. A little leftover corn? Toss it in. One ounce of turkey? Add that too.
On the other hand salad is the food that keeps on giving. Still want to munch on something? Add more lettuce. Need some crunch? Add a couple baby carrots. Need to make it through an episode of "America's Got Talent?" Throw together a two point salad in a HUMONGO tupperware bowl and you are set :D
Tonight is the start of a new BD session yippee!!!!!!
I thought I would share an NSV (non-scale victory). My co-worker last night remarked on my "muscle tone" while I was reaching to put product away on the high shelves. I was wearing a tank top ;)
Ok, so call me motivated to keep up the tv weights.
So here's today's eats:
coffee, splash ff milk, splenda
yogurt, fiber one, small banana, sf ff van pudding mix
broke down and had bread, alt. pita, just because, pita (1) Darn it!
diet coke
gum
apple before my 2nd meeting -- this was "fast food" I picked up at Walmart, down from Taco Bell, on the way to my meeting, taking the same amount of time as "fast food." It thought I could just break into the bars in the trunk or I can bide my time until I passed a supermarket and get to enjoy a nice big juicy apple. Notice how these things taste better when we are actually hungry? And the world didn't stop spinning on its axis because I had to wait 20 minutes until I found a store.
BIG salad with corn, shredded chicken, avocado, salsa, evoo, rwv, mushrooms, carrots, lettuce, five spritzes of Wishbone cesar dressing
20 cal creamsicle (0)
British herby WW biscuits (1)
ww choc smoothie w/coffee, ice, little sf pudding mix
pretzel thins (2)
gum
2 hours BD classes (veil, zills, basic moves)
eggwhite omlette w/onion, mushrooms, Core guac, evoo, Core fried potatoes, ketchup, carrots, brocc, ff cheese
ww cookie dough sundae (3)
Extra points: 7
WPA's left:20
Nothing exciting today yet. Just food. Bored yet? I would like to stop posting my menus once this week is over as I am embarrassed by sharing my high use of lettuce and spinach as the cornerstone of my "diet." But "salads" make everything bigger, even nibbles that just start as "bites" "licks" or "tastes." Eating these things as part of a salad forces my brain to register what I am eating is in fact food to be counted in some way.
Anything can become a salad. Got some crackers? Break them up and toss them in with some lettuce. A little leftover corn? Toss it in. One ounce of turkey? Add that too.
On the other hand salad is the food that keeps on giving. Still want to munch on something? Add more lettuce. Need some crunch? Add a couple baby carrots. Need to make it through an episode of "America's Got Talent?" Throw together a two point salad in a HUMONGO tupperware bowl and you are set :D
Tonight is the start of a new BD session yippee!!!!!!
I thought I would share an NSV (non-scale victory). My co-worker last night remarked on my "muscle tone" while I was reaching to put product away on the high shelves. I was wearing a tank top ;)
Ok, so call me motivated to keep up the tv weights.
So here's today's eats:
coffee, splash ff milk, splenda
yogurt, fiber one, small banana, sf ff van pudding mix
broke down and had bread, alt. pita, just because, pita (1) Darn it!
diet coke
gum
apple before my 2nd meeting -- this was "fast food" I picked up at Walmart, down from Taco Bell, on the way to my meeting, taking the same amount of time as "fast food." It thought I could just break into the bars in the trunk or I can bide my time until I passed a supermarket and get to enjoy a nice big juicy apple. Notice how these things taste better when we are actually hungry? And the world didn't stop spinning on its axis because I had to wait 20 minutes until I found a store.
BIG salad with corn, shredded chicken, avocado, salsa, evoo, rwv, mushrooms, carrots, lettuce, five spritzes of Wishbone cesar dressing
20 cal creamsicle (0)
British herby WW biscuits (1)
ww choc smoothie w/coffee, ice, little sf pudding mix
pretzel thins (2)
gum
2 hours BD classes (veil, zills, basic moves)
eggwhite omlette w/onion, mushrooms, Core guac, evoo, Core fried potatoes, ketchup, carrots, brocc, ff cheese
ww cookie dough sundae (3)
Extra points: 7
WPA's left:20
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Marathon Tuesday
This morning I met some of the Las Vegas Road Runners training for the LV Marathon at Sunset Park at 5:30 am. Talk about a park that doesn't know it is 5:30 am. Walkers and joggers were out there doing their thing already. The bathrooms were even open (but they were the scary prison stalls with the cold metal toilet and no doors!).
It was pleasant enough. The company was great and the pace was easy. This group runs with the 4:30 marathon pace group and was supposed to run a 10:00 min/mile pace and was closer to an 11:15 pace. I wasn't about to be the one responsible for pushing the pace this time since it was their pace. I was just a tagger-onner.
The route consisted mostly of red dirt track and cross-country trails which gave the legs a respite from the pounding pavement and occassional cement (See Fitness Police).
We covered about 4.5 miles in 50 minutes.
I've got a lot of running around from appointment to appointment today. Tonight is body pump if I can make it. (didn't)
Todays eats so far are:
coffee with splenda and ff milk
alternative pita with icbinb spray, cinn, splenda and a little sf maple syrup (1)
4.5 m run
yogurt, van pudding mix, cinn, splenda, Fiber One, small banana
watermelon (with a sprinkle of salt which brings out the sweetness!)
Appointment
spinach salad with shredded chicken, salsa, rwv, peppers, mushroom, carrots, corn
2 biscuits (1)
2 pt bar, Salty Sweet, my favorite! (2)
watermelon
Meeting
Appointment
Bank
gum on drive home
choc ww smoothie with coffee, a little ff milk, sprinkling of ff sf pudding mix, ice
mushrooms, salsa, California slaw salad, rwv, couple spritzes wishbone ceasar dressing
Upper body tv weights
Meeting
petite spin salad with turkey and some veggies, couple spritzes of wishbone, salsa, rwv, evoo
mini jollytime 94% popcorn and evoo
ww cookie dough sundae (3) -- These ROCK!
couple bites of yogurt with sf pudding mix (what was I thinking, put it back, yeah me!)
Uncore points: 7
AP's earned:4, spent 2 (only half and will apply WPA's to rest)
WPA's left:27 (spent 5)
It was pleasant enough. The company was great and the pace was easy. This group runs with the 4:30 marathon pace group and was supposed to run a 10:00 min/mile pace and was closer to an 11:15 pace. I wasn't about to be the one responsible for pushing the pace this time since it was their pace. I was just a tagger-onner.
The route consisted mostly of red dirt track and cross-country trails which gave the legs a respite from the pounding pavement and occassional cement (See Fitness Police).
We covered about 4.5 miles in 50 minutes.
I've got a lot of running around from appointment to appointment today. Tonight is body pump if I can make it. (didn't)
Todays eats so far are:
coffee with splenda and ff milk
alternative pita with icbinb spray, cinn, splenda and a little sf maple syrup (1)
4.5 m run
yogurt, van pudding mix, cinn, splenda, Fiber One, small banana
watermelon (with a sprinkle of salt which brings out the sweetness!)
Appointment
spinach salad with shredded chicken, salsa, rwv, peppers, mushroom, carrots, corn
2 biscuits (1)
2 pt bar, Salty Sweet, my favorite! (2)
watermelon
Meeting
Appointment
Bank
gum on drive home
choc ww smoothie with coffee, a little ff milk, sprinkling of ff sf pudding mix, ice
mushrooms, salsa, California slaw salad, rwv, couple spritzes wishbone ceasar dressing
Upper body tv weights
Meeting
petite spin salad with turkey and some veggies, couple spritzes of wishbone, salsa, rwv, evoo
mini jollytime 94% popcorn and evoo
ww cookie dough sundae (3) -- These ROCK!
couple bites of yogurt with sf pudding mix (what was I thinking, put it back, yeah me!)
Uncore points: 7
AP's earned:4, spent 2 (only half and will apply WPA's to rest)
WPA's left:27 (spent 5)
Monday, July 9, 2007
Motherload from the Motherland!
Ok, my ancestry is not British, but I am a WW member and with the Duchess of York being a Brit and our spokesperson and all, doesn't that make us relations, like 2nd cousins?
In any case we do love our Duchess.
I couldn't wait until tomorrow to share the cornucopia of WW foods, Jessica, a member in my Monday night class brought back for me!
There were two types of cookies (or "biscuits" as they refer to them) as well as little herb infused crackers. The chocolate cookies were alright. The crackers and cranberry orange biscuits were lovely! I can totally picture a perfectly on program WW tea time! (tea white with skim milk of course ;) ) Shall I be "Mum?"
The baked beans are interesting. Jessica mentioned the Brits love to have beans on toast. Who knew?
The canned pasta meals appear a little dodgy to me. I may keep them for novelty sake; however, at some point I just may have to break down and try them.
There was also a sliced fruited malt loaf that needed to be frozen right away since it was set to expire. I took a nibble and it didn't taste like anything. I don't know what it was supposed to taste like. It must be a British thing. Anyone care to explain?
PS -- Hubster wants to know if we can order the Cranberry Orange cookies online. I am all about the herby biscuits myself. Those would be fab with some laughing cow light.
Check out the nifty foods available in Britain here: http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/food/fdb/CategoryShowcase.aspx?gcmspid=1037042&gcmscid=1037102
Core of the Matter
Like I mentioned recently I would like to drop a few pounds. Well, "dropping" any weight for me lately usually isn't the case. Let's call it slowly losing tenths of a pound.
So I decided to bite the bullet and give Core a shot this week. I will attempt to document it here. Perhaps that will add to the accountability. I warn you, your eyes may glaze over reading this:
7/8
coffee with splenda and ff milk
Alternative Pita w/sf jam (1 point plus 0)
Ran 5.2 miles (5 AP's to account for 5 points unCore foods like my pre-run breaky)
1 bottle of propel (30 cals -- 1 point)
WW choc smoothie w/FF milk and frozen banana
Golden Spoon regular size frozen yogurt -- it's HUGE! (3)
SF Wintermint Gum (0 --but chewed whole pack all day long and during movie)
Diet Coke -- 2 (not points, just bottles during the day)
Salad with lettuce, ff refried beans, 1/3 of leftover chicken breast, corn, salsa, onion, couple squirts Wishbone Asian dressing, rice wine vinegar
La tortilla factory tortilla (1)
watermelon nibbles while cutting it up
small baked potato with salsa, icbinb spray, ff yogurt, hot sauce
2 oz core hamburger with ketchup, no bun
big salad with lettuce/core veggies, 2 tsp evoo, rice wine vinegar
carrots, raw
chocolate pudding and 1/2 100 cal snack of chips ahoy cookies dipped in (1)
note: I think I ate too much. Wasn't stuffed, but it just seemed like too much
Weekly Points Allowance Used:2
Activity Points's used: 5
7/9
Three small pieces of watermelon
Coffee with splenda and FF milk
FF plain yogurt, ff cottage cheese, Fiber one, banana, sf vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon (whoops -- I don't think I can mix cereal with yogurt anymore on the recent Core plan. I think it is just milk. I will count it as Core today and try to change for the rest of the week. This used to be my favorite Core breaky/snack/dessert.)
Gum
Suhaila Salimpour's Beginning Bellydance Yoga Fusion: Good for stretching, glute and bellyroll undulation isolations, mayas and figure 8's. It takes a while to get (like patting head and rubbing tummy at same time). Includes bonus features like cute little daughter's performance (worth it right there for that!) So cute!
Small piece of watermelon
45 minutes Elliptical and abs
Mex. shredded chicken, salsa, 1tsp evoo, carrots, lettuce, roasted bell pepper slices, mushrooms, rice wine vinegar, canned corn
Western Bagel Alternative pita (1 point)
diet coke
watermelon (a good "on the go" food packed in my WW cooler)
Golden Spoon yogurt, mini 1/2-1/2 cookie dough/pb cup (1)
1 each ww chocolate and orange "biscuits" (1.5 pts -- member brought back from England and shared in my meeting tonight... I need whole boxes of cookies hanging around my house like a hole in my head. Funny how the measure points to the 1/2 point on their packaging.)
baked potato with evoo, ICBINB spray, broc, cauliflower, ff cheese, ketchup, spices
spinach/lettuce mix salad with turkey veggies, rice wine vinegar (Nagano brand, seasoned)
dessert will be a WW smoothie and fruit shared with the Hubster
4 WW herb "biscuits" from England - 2 (doh!)
AP swapped: 4
WPA's left: 31
Like I mentioned recently I would like to drop a few pounds. Well, "dropping" any weight for me lately usually isn't the case. Let's call it slowly losing tenths of a pound.
So I decided to bite the bullet and give Core a shot this week. I will attempt to document it here. Perhaps that will add to the accountability. I warn you, your eyes may glaze over reading this:
7/8
coffee with splenda and ff milk
Alternative Pita w/sf jam (1 point plus 0)
Ran 5.2 miles (5 AP's to account for 5 points unCore foods like my pre-run breaky)
1 bottle of propel (30 cals -- 1 point)
WW choc smoothie w/FF milk and frozen banana
Golden Spoon regular size frozen yogurt -- it's HUGE! (3)
SF Wintermint Gum (0 --but chewed whole pack all day long and during movie)
Diet Coke -- 2 (not points, just bottles during the day)
Salad with lettuce, ff refried beans, 1/3 of leftover chicken breast, corn, salsa, onion, couple squirts Wishbone Asian dressing, rice wine vinegar
La tortilla factory tortilla (1)
watermelon nibbles while cutting it up
small baked potato with salsa, icbinb spray, ff yogurt, hot sauce
2 oz core hamburger with ketchup, no bun
big salad with lettuce/core veggies, 2 tsp evoo, rice wine vinegar
carrots, raw
chocolate pudding and 1/2 100 cal snack of chips ahoy cookies dipped in (1)
note: I think I ate too much. Wasn't stuffed, but it just seemed like too much
Weekly Points Allowance Used:2
Activity Points's used: 5
7/9
Three small pieces of watermelon
Coffee with splenda and FF milk
FF plain yogurt, ff cottage cheese, Fiber one, banana, sf vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon (whoops -- I don't think I can mix cereal with yogurt anymore on the recent Core plan. I think it is just milk. I will count it as Core today and try to change for the rest of the week. This used to be my favorite Core breaky/snack/dessert.)
Gum
Suhaila Salimpour's Beginning Bellydance Yoga Fusion: Good for stretching, glute and bellyroll undulation isolations, mayas and figure 8's. It takes a while to get (like patting head and rubbing tummy at same time). Includes bonus features like cute little daughter's performance (worth it right there for that!) So cute!
Small piece of watermelon
45 minutes Elliptical and abs
Mex. shredded chicken, salsa, 1tsp evoo, carrots, lettuce, roasted bell pepper slices, mushrooms, rice wine vinegar, canned corn
Western Bagel Alternative pita (1 point)
diet coke
watermelon (a good "on the go" food packed in my WW cooler)
Golden Spoon yogurt, mini 1/2-1/2 cookie dough/pb cup (1)
1 each ww chocolate and orange "biscuits" (1.5 pts -- member brought back from England and shared in my meeting tonight... I need whole boxes of cookies hanging around my house like a hole in my head. Funny how the measure points to the 1/2 point on their packaging.)
baked potato with evoo, ICBINB spray, broc, cauliflower, ff cheese, ketchup, spices
spinach/lettuce mix salad with turkey veggies, rice wine vinegar (Nagano brand, seasoned)
dessert will be a WW smoothie and fruit shared with the Hubster
4 WW herb "biscuits" from England - 2 (doh!)
AP swapped: 4
WPA's left: 31
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Calculated Risks
(why won't Blogger let me title this post?)
I am such a good girl that I can't even fathom all the risky possibilities that are out there.
But yep, that was me jogging down the right side of the street on the sidewalk! I agree that kind of behavior involves some kind of calculated risk.
It was 6:30 am and at least 90-something degrees in the shade.
Never mind most of the time I am Molly Mindful, careful to wear appropriate gear (I have a sun protection outfit I wear if I am running later in the day, which I am not), apply sunscrean and face traffic while running in the street.
However when it is a million degrees outside and there is a little traffic. I dare to break the rules sometimes.
Shade trumps cement.
Double bike/parking lane trumps non-existent shoulder and constant jumping out of the way for cars.
In any case said violation occured for about a mile out of a six mile run. Guilty as charged.
One of my members caught me in the act and mentioned it. The Fitness police are out in full force, it seems.
Yes I know I was breaking the rules. But sometimes it is better to break them. She quizzed me about my knees, etc. They are fine. I was running slow enough that I wasn't "pounding" too hard.
Honestly if I didn't break some rules sometimes, I probably wouldn't run. Running is about breaking the rules of convention. Most people say they don't have time for exercise. Running makes me feel trimphant over everyone else's needs of my time. It makes me feel like the boss of me even when my schedule seems to belong to everyone else's. I go when I am tired and sometimes sore (but I don't push it when I feel bad). So sometimes I am trimphant over sloth. And it is too hot to be outdoors... well almost not at 5:30 am!
The alternative would be hard on my hard, joints, mind and soul. I shudder to think!
Meantime I will continue to drink my daily (Alzheimer's causing) Diet Coke, chew my lock-jaw inducing sugar-free gum and run on an occassional sidewalk. Please leave me what "vices" I have left in my tea-totalling, early-to-rise, non-partying, salad-eating, milk-drinking, non-drug using, non-gambling, seatbelt-wearing, show up at work on time life.
It's what I do most of the time that matters anyway ;)
Run this morning -- 5.2 mostly on the road. .6 on dirt shoulder -- wore sun-protectie shirt and carried water :p
(why won't Blogger let me title this post?)
Ok ok I give up! You caught me in the act. What was I caught doing?
Was it ordering a whole pizza for myself at midnight? A pack a day habit of cigarettes? Driving without a seatbelt on? Drunk driving? Riding a motorcycle without a helmet? Speeding excessively down the highway? Dialing on a cellphone while driving? Skydiving? Putting my entire paycheck on red at the roulette table? Climbing Mt. Hood in the middle of a snow storm? Cliff diving? Shooting up heroin and sharing needles? Smoking while pumping gas? Having unprotected sex? Running naked through the streets of Baghdad waving an American flag? Oooo the possibilities are endless.
I am such a good girl that I can't even fathom all the risky possibilities that are out there.
But yep, that was me jogging down the right side of the street on the sidewalk! I agree that kind of behavior involves some kind of calculated risk.
It was 6:30 am and at least 90-something degrees in the shade.
Never mind most of the time I am Molly Mindful, careful to wear appropriate gear (I have a sun protection outfit I wear if I am running later in the day, which I am not), apply sunscrean and face traffic while running in the street.
However when it is a million degrees outside and there is a little traffic. I dare to break the rules sometimes.
Shade trumps cement.
Double bike/parking lane trumps non-existent shoulder and constant jumping out of the way for cars.
In any case said violation occured for about a mile out of a six mile run. Guilty as charged.
One of my members caught me in the act and mentioned it. The Fitness police are out in full force, it seems.
Yes I know I was breaking the rules. But sometimes it is better to break them. She quizzed me about my knees, etc. They are fine. I was running slow enough that I wasn't "pounding" too hard.
Honestly if I didn't break some rules sometimes, I probably wouldn't run. Running is about breaking the rules of convention. Most people say they don't have time for exercise. Running makes me feel trimphant over everyone else's needs of my time. It makes me feel like the boss of me even when my schedule seems to belong to everyone else's. I go when I am tired and sometimes sore (but I don't push it when I feel bad). So sometimes I am trimphant over sloth. And it is too hot to be outdoors... well almost not at 5:30 am!
The alternative would be hard on my hard, joints, mind and soul. I shudder to think!
Meantime I will continue to drink my daily (Alzheimer's causing) Diet Coke, chew my lock-jaw inducing sugar-free gum and run on an occassional sidewalk. Please leave me what "vices" I have left in my tea-totalling, early-to-rise, non-partying, salad-eating, milk-drinking, non-drug using, non-gambling, seatbelt-wearing, show up at work on time life.
It's what I do most of the time that matters anyway ;)
Run this morning -- 5.2 mostly on the road. .6 on dirt shoulder -- wore sun-protectie shirt and carried water :p
Friday, July 6, 2007
Cheater! Cheater!
Recently I was asked what I do, as a WW Leader, when I know members are "cheating." I thought about this. I don't really do anything. A person knows whether s/he is doing the program or not. It's all about choices and we make our own. No one can do it for anyone else.
I didn't realize until I became a leader that there are members who just don't seem to want it as badly nor are they willing to follow the program they are paying for. I was also surprised at the low percentage of LT members that are awarded. I just figured everyone was on the losing track and would make it eventually so long as they didn't quit (and I have joined and quit numerous times, but I didn't hang around if I wasn't ready to do what it took).
It does frustrate me when I see how badly some people want it yet they aren't doing the work to match their level of want.
Or are they?
I just read a man's post (a big loser like myself) who summed it up pretty nicely. The whole secret to sticking with something comes down to what we want the most. When I started my journey I was so ready to do what it took. I wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in my way. For me losing weight was an emergency situation and I was ready to make my move. Why waste time, I thought?
Well not everyone is on the same path. Some people are on the scenic route. The scenic route is fine as long as we are enjoying the journey.
Like now, at maintenance/needing to lose a few pounds I don't go nuts with the discipline. Yes I am disciplined enough to get enough workouts in and to eat most within my points, but it isn't as important for me to write down every BLT (bite lick and taste)like I used to when I was really on the losing track.
My body may not be perfect. But it is sure a lot better now with over 100 pounds gone and can do a lot more too. Is that enough? Maybe for now.
But when you really want to lose and are going for the goal in the most direct way possible, you've got to REALLY WANT IT, like there is a fire under your butt. That is how it felt.
I was throwing stuff out of our kitchen that was too tempting. I would find myself staring at the fridge and yelling, "stop" and marching away without taking anything out when I wasn't "hungry." I would eat pickles or a plain pretzel first as a snack before I would consider anything else more pointific. Water I would drink like there was no tomorrow. If I wanted something sweet I would have a diet coke. Desserts, even lower cal ones, had not place in our house. And you know what? I averaged close to 2 pounds a week. And that was without crazy exercise. Did I miss my favorite foods? Not so much that I could go without them most of the time.
If I really wanted something I would eat it out and not eat the whole thing. Then there was no snacking allowed for the rest of the night.
So why I can't I drop these annoying three pounds? Because they don't annoy me enough to want to give up my nightly dessert and extra snacks.
But that is what it takes for me. It isn't about the diet. It is about the WANT.
Check out Gotta Keep It Off!: The $64,000 Question
I didn't realize until I became a leader that there are members who just don't seem to want it as badly nor are they willing to follow the program they are paying for. I was also surprised at the low percentage of LT members that are awarded. I just figured everyone was on the losing track and would make it eventually so long as they didn't quit (and I have joined and quit numerous times, but I didn't hang around if I wasn't ready to do what it took).
It does frustrate me when I see how badly some people want it yet they aren't doing the work to match their level of want.
Or are they?
I just read a man's post (a big loser like myself) who summed it up pretty nicely. The whole secret to sticking with something comes down to what we want the most. When I started my journey I was so ready to do what it took. I wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in my way. For me losing weight was an emergency situation and I was ready to make my move. Why waste time, I thought?
Well not everyone is on the same path. Some people are on the scenic route. The scenic route is fine as long as we are enjoying the journey.
Like now, at maintenance/needing to lose a few pounds I don't go nuts with the discipline. Yes I am disciplined enough to get enough workouts in and to eat most within my points, but it isn't as important for me to write down every BLT (bite lick and taste)like I used to when I was really on the losing track.
My body may not be perfect. But it is sure a lot better now with over 100 pounds gone and can do a lot more too. Is that enough? Maybe for now.
But when you really want to lose and are going for the goal in the most direct way possible, you've got to REALLY WANT IT, like there is a fire under your butt. That is how it felt.
I was throwing stuff out of our kitchen that was too tempting. I would find myself staring at the fridge and yelling, "stop" and marching away without taking anything out when I wasn't "hungry." I would eat pickles or a plain pretzel first as a snack before I would consider anything else more pointific. Water I would drink like there was no tomorrow. If I wanted something sweet I would have a diet coke. Desserts, even lower cal ones, had not place in our house. And you know what? I averaged close to 2 pounds a week. And that was without crazy exercise. Did I miss my favorite foods? Not so much that I could go without them most of the time.
If I really wanted something I would eat it out and not eat the whole thing. Then there was no snacking allowed for the rest of the night.
So why I can't I drop these annoying three pounds? Because they don't annoy me enough to want to give up my nightly dessert and extra snacks.
But that is what it takes for me. It isn't about the diet. It is about the WANT.
Check out Gotta Keep It Off!: The $64,000 Question
Furnace Friday
This morning I met R and a new lady, L, at the Equestrian trailhead for a six miler. L and I got to talking and somehow we did 7.6-ish That was fine since I could use the mileage and I had a good time.
The heat is killing me though. It is time to take it seriously and pack accordingly. It used to be a 5-8 mile run required not more than 2 fuel belt bottles. Now I need at least 4 with Propel (for electrolyes), especially if I am doing more than my usual sloth pace as of late. And L is fast and of course since we were talking we were going at a good clip. I wasn't pushing at all. But without the proper hydration on the way back along with the uphill, I felt the effects. And with 100-teen weather (90-something at 5:30 am) during the day, one can't fool around. Point taken.
But I am excited. She is about my age and a good running match. I have a feeling she will push me to run better.
Later I will lift and dance.
This afternoon I am meeting M for a late lunch (2 pm) to find out the deets on her elopement/marriage/engagement-whatever.
Meantime I've got work to do, a house to clean and zills to practice.
The heat is killing me though. It is time to take it seriously and pack accordingly. It used to be a 5-8 mile run required not more than 2 fuel belt bottles. Now I need at least 4 with Propel (for electrolyes), especially if I am doing more than my usual sloth pace as of late. And L is fast and of course since we were talking we were going at a good clip. I wasn't pushing at all. But without the proper hydration on the way back along with the uphill, I felt the effects. And with 100-teen weather (90-something at 5:30 am) during the day, one can't fool around. Point taken.
But I am excited. She is about my age and a good running match. I have a feeling she will push me to run better.
Later I will lift and dance.
This afternoon I am meeting M for a late lunch (2 pm) to find out the deets on her elopement/marriage/engagement-whatever.
Meantime I've got work to do, a house to clean and zills to practice.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Thermal Thursday
Ay yay yay! It is 114 outside! Summer is here for sure. No more teasingly hot days followed by an 80 degree day.
But I did get to gym today for a one mile warm up on the TM followed by 75 minute BD class.
The combo du jour is a spin-off on Tuesday's:
shimmy rrllrrll forward while raising arms
shimmy rrllrrll backward while lowering arms
iceskating move with kick to
4 right hip bumps/lifts while raising right arm
spin to left and figure 8
flamenco grapevine right and then left (unsure what this move is called)
half circle with foot forward to back with hips drop (2)
travelling hip lift (sort of Egyptian) forward
snakes arms (4) shimmy (3) quick shoulder lift and drop (1)
It was fun and I feel like a million bucks. Now I wish I was as motivated to drive all the way across town in the heat to lead another WW meeting tonight!
Points are at 13. I am counting again.
But I did get to gym today for a one mile warm up on the TM followed by 75 minute BD class.
The combo du jour is a spin-off on Tuesday's:
shimmy rrllrrll forward while raising arms
shimmy rrllrrll backward while lowering arms
iceskating move with kick to
4 right hip bumps/lifts while raising right arm
spin to left and figure 8
flamenco grapevine right and then left (unsure what this move is called)
half circle with foot forward to back with hips drop (2)
travelling hip lift (sort of Egyptian) forward
snakes arms (4) shimmy (3) quick shoulder lift and drop (1)
It was fun and I feel like a million bucks. Now I wish I was as motivated to drive all the way across town in the heat to lead another WW meeting tonight!
Points are at 13. I am counting again.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Happy Thindependence Day to Me!
Today I celebrated my freedom from the prison of unwanted fat and the right to bare my arms by running 5-ish miles -- yeah me!
During my jaunt I passed two runners (a rare sight in these parts) and was passed by a member on a bike from my Sat group (she gets a bravo for being "sighted in action" by me).
The plan today is to shower up and lead my only meeting today (hopefully it will be jam packed with dedicated "losers"), enjoy a Golden Spoon frozen yogurt, see a movie (hopefully Pirates!), dunk in the inlaws' pool and BBQ. I promise to stick to appropriate portions of whatever is there, but I will bring something 0 points to snack on just in case ;)
So how are you celebrating your Thindependence today?
So let's all stand, put your hand over a body part you would like to shrink and say together,
During my jaunt I passed two runners (a rare sight in these parts) and was passed by a member on a bike from my Sat group (she gets a bravo for being "sighted in action" by me).
The plan today is to shower up and lead my only meeting today (hopefully it will be jam packed with dedicated "losers"), enjoy a Golden Spoon frozen yogurt, see a movie (hopefully Pirates!), dunk in the inlaws' pool and BBQ. I promise to stick to appropriate portions of whatever is there, but I will bring something 0 points to snack on just in case ;)
So how are you celebrating your Thindependence today?
So let's all stand, put your hand over a body part you would like to shrink and say together,
"I pledge allegiance to myself
In quest of my weight goal
And the healthiness for which it stands
One body...
Under control...
Indisputably
With confidence in new clothes for fall."
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Good Comeback
Ok, this afternoon crazy wedding Monday finally caught up with me and I wanted nothing but to sleep for two hours before my meeting. So I copped out on Body Pain class. Sorry, it is 112 outside and I just got back from driving around in the heat and rushing off again to do the class and shower and get back into my business suit didn't appeal. Downtime was needed.
But I had a second wind. My meeting was energetic and I was upbeat and "on." I think I left them feeling good and motivated.
No joiners tonight and I realized I had a choice... I could go to Golden Spoon and get yogurt for dinner (and to bring home) or I could sneak in a BD class I never get to take since it starts so early on a Tuesday night. So guess what I did, yep, I made it hence to BD class.
There was a sub, but she was good and knew the teacher's moves in and out so we had a good lesson/workout.
The combo du jour was:
double shimmy right/left/right/left while walking forward, hands going gradually up
same backward, hands going down.
iceskate lean L, R , L, kick R (look at foot)
horseshoe hip drops start forward left (f, b, f, b)
again with hands out and in air
turn to left (1,2,3) and hip lift on right
turn right and hip lift on left
2 big hip circles (or one made of 4 hipcircles) counterclockwise
jump shimmy with starburst arms and pretty hands down
I would personally end with a shoulder shimmy instead
Voila!
But I had a second wind. My meeting was energetic and I was upbeat and "on." I think I left them feeling good and motivated.
No joiners tonight and I realized I had a choice... I could go to Golden Spoon and get yogurt for dinner (and to bring home) or I could sneak in a BD class I never get to take since it starts so early on a Tuesday night. So guess what I did, yep, I made it hence to BD class.
There was a sub, but she was good and knew the teacher's moves in and out so we had a good lesson/workout.
The combo du jour was:
double shimmy right/left/right/left while walking forward, hands going gradually up
same backward, hands going down.
iceskate lean L, R , L, kick R (look at foot)
horseshoe hip drops start forward left (f, b, f, b)
again with hands out and in air
turn to left (1,2,3) and hip lift on right
turn right and hip lift on left
2 big hip circles (or one made of 4 hipcircles) counterclockwise
jump shimmy with starburst arms and pretty hands down
I would personally end with a shoulder shimmy instead
Voila!
And there will be cake!
Yesterday I received a cryptic message from my friend M on my cellphone, "Ivan and I are getting married at midnight. I invited just a few people. And there will be cake! So I hope you can come and share some cake with us!"
Huh? Who is Ivan (was he the famed archeologist/opera singer/cantor I heard about or someone else)? Married? How long were they engaged? Minutes? Didn't they meet only twice (ok for about a week each, but still) in person? I guess JDate or the like really works!
Actually hubby and I shared a piece AND there was champagne! So much for Reigning-in-the-points Monday.
Ha ha!
Well they only "sort of" eloped. There will be a chuppah wedding in the Fall. I suspect there were certain reasons they need the certificate I will not post on the blog and they are only suspicions really.
And there was cake indeed!
I was supposed to run this morning. Needless to say a 2:00 am bedtime put the kabosh on that! When then temps top out at 112 either you run at 5-6 am or gym-it.
Later I will be gyming it if I don't need a nap.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Dread not Fear not
This afternoon at my meeting (with my one member, but that is a whole other story... biting tongue... biting tongue) we talked about what motivates those who work out to work out? How do we get over our own self-consciousness? How does it become something you look forward to doing instead of dreading?
Good question.
Dance so far has been the one form of physical activity I do not "dread" in any way. Maybe because I have no expectations for myself and I am not expected to perform in any way or using it to "earn" activity points. Yes, I earn them I am sure. But that isn't the point.
Other activities I enjoy once I am doing them or sometimes not until I am done include: running, swimming, working out with weights, tennis, yoga, hiking, cross-training on the gym machines, etc. I enjoy the sense of achievement running gives me; the peace of mind from yoga and the temporary power to eat mindfully; getting out there with nature when it comes to hiking and trail running; and time to bond and socialize with like-minded friends during any of these activities (working out with a friend usually makes it more fun).
Sure I feel good doing all of them and like the way my arms feel after a good weight workout.
The thing is how do we find that one activity that we like no matter how we are feeling that day? Does it exist? I guess we got to keep looking. That unto itself is part of the adventure. We can't dread what we do not know.
Besides that I did workout this morning. I chose two different aerobics machines (the retro-stair monster and stair mill). I started out feeling tired and draggy yet inevitably I felt better and somewhat competitive with the machine after 10 minutes (you know, make it an even mile, make it an even 100 cals, make it 15 minutes, through the next song, make it 2 miles, 200 cals, etc etc).
This morning's was a fake it until you make it kind of workout. I can do anything for 10 minutes. And you know, I did! I did it for 40 -- yeah me!
Good question.
Dance so far has been the one form of physical activity I do not "dread" in any way. Maybe because I have no expectations for myself and I am not expected to perform in any way or using it to "earn" activity points. Yes, I earn them I am sure. But that isn't the point.
Other activities I enjoy once I am doing them or sometimes not until I am done include: running, swimming, working out with weights, tennis, yoga, hiking, cross-training on the gym machines, etc. I enjoy the sense of achievement running gives me; the peace of mind from yoga and the temporary power to eat mindfully; getting out there with nature when it comes to hiking and trail running; and time to bond and socialize with like-minded friends during any of these activities (working out with a friend usually makes it more fun).
Sure I feel good doing all of them and like the way my arms feel after a good weight workout.
The thing is how do we find that one activity that we like no matter how we are feeling that day? Does it exist? I guess we got to keep looking. That unto itself is part of the adventure. We can't dread what we do not know.
Besides that I did workout this morning. I chose two different aerobics machines (the retro-stair monster and stair mill). I started out feeling tired and draggy yet inevitably I felt better and somewhat competitive with the machine after 10 minutes (you know, make it an even mile, make it an even 100 cals, make it 15 minutes, through the next song, make it 2 miles, 200 cals, etc etc).
This morning's was a fake it until you make it kind of workout. I can do anything for 10 minutes. And you know, I did! I did it for 40 -- yeah me!
Hot Hot Hot Hot Stuff. . . Hot Hot Hot Hot
Donna Summer with her famous disco tune and her appropriate last name pretty much sums it up right now.
Welcome to Las Vegas in the summertime. Today's high will reach 111 (I have a feeling it will be hotter since it is just 110 now) with the temps rising steadily throughout the week peaking at 116 on Thursday.
Every July and August I ask myself the same things, why do I continue to put up with this heat? I guess because the weather is pretty much perfect if not fairly cold in the winter so much so that we forget how hot it can get. This too shall pass.
You want hot? Check this out! Hey at least I am trying to avoid the hottest times to run.
So 4:00 am wakeup calls to run are pretty much the norm, that is if I want to run half-way awake with my body functioning and all that jazz.
Yesterday I ran my new 9.5 mile loop from my house, down to the evil community center and around through a neighborhood, past a park and down a parallel street home. Can you believe it still felt hot at 5 am? I started off on dirt, but as soon as I hit the pavement the residual heat left over from the day before raised the ambient temps by about 10 degrees.
Why continue to run during the hottest time? Well there is always an excuse why I can't run and if listened to that voice each time I wouldn't be running. It sure feels good to be done and to say I have done it. And no doubt it will make running through 50 degree temps feel like a breeze. Try running with an anvil strapped to your back for two months and you too will come out stronger, LOL!
And by the time I made it to my WW meetings I felt accomplished and ready to give to others.
After was the requisite reward of a regular (3 points) Golden Spoon yogurt as my reward for making it through my morning followed by a not so accidental dunk in my inlaw's pool in my clothes and a bellydance class.
I was glad I went as it would have been so easy not to go. We focused more on folk-style with a lot of hoppy steps. She had us wear skirts. Darn it! I wore one last week and all we did was roll around on the floor like Madonna so I refused to wear a skirt again to BD class. We only did a little rolling around today. We also played with the veil and she reviewed some moves she showed us a while back I was ready to be reminded on.
So I have a few things to work on this week including my camels. Gotta work on being more "snakelike" and flexible. That comes with time I am sure. Hey I started out totally stiff with two left hips and now my hips are in the game which is good progress. Again I am not only learning how to bellydance, but how to learn to dance in general. This process requires patience.
So lately I have been struggling with an issue about one of my instructor's occassional comments putting down other instructors (which I take from). I did speak with another instructor about the situation because I didn't want her to feel as if I was "cheating" on her by learning from someone else. She said I should continue to learn as much as I can from everyone. But as soon as it gets too uncomfortable, it is time to go.
Back to Sunday's class... I go with all the positive self-talk about how much I am learning and how fun it is to bellydance when I get a snide comment during a correction to one of my steps. Ok, what I was doing wasn't wrong per se, but maybe not the best choice of move for the music. But we were playing with the veil and I thought a camel would look nice. Like anyone was following the music anyway? But ok, I can take a correction. I want to learn. I did feel like a kid sneaking a cookie from the candy jar (No slow moves, this is fast music!). Then she says something like your other teacher may have taught you that, but that is wrong. Um, no one taught me that. I was just freestyling with the veil. But to dig on my other instructors was mean. Last week and some other time she called the style my other instructor teaches us is akin to "stripping." That is so wrong.
That makes me laugh, though, since this teacher dances the same style! Cabaret!
Anyway, I will stop rambling. The point is if I am starting to feel like I can't express myself in this class for fear of being judged or if I keep hearing negative comments, I may have to change. I joined that gym because that class is offered at the right time on the right day. Too bad.
Welcome to Las Vegas in the summertime. Today's high will reach 111 (I have a feeling it will be hotter since it is just 110 now) with the temps rising steadily throughout the week peaking at 116 on Thursday.
Every July and August I ask myself the same things, why do I continue to put up with this heat? I guess because the weather is pretty much perfect if not fairly cold in the winter so much so that we forget how hot it can get. This too shall pass.
You want hot? Check this out! Hey at least I am trying to avoid the hottest times to run.
So 4:00 am wakeup calls to run are pretty much the norm, that is if I want to run half-way awake with my body functioning and all that jazz.
Yesterday I ran my new 9.5 mile loop from my house, down to the evil community center and around through a neighborhood, past a park and down a parallel street home. Can you believe it still felt hot at 5 am? I started off on dirt, but as soon as I hit the pavement the residual heat left over from the day before raised the ambient temps by about 10 degrees.
Why continue to run during the hottest time? Well there is always an excuse why I can't run and if listened to that voice each time I wouldn't be running. It sure feels good to be done and to say I have done it. And no doubt it will make running through 50 degree temps feel like a breeze. Try running with an anvil strapped to your back for two months and you too will come out stronger, LOL!
And by the time I made it to my WW meetings I felt accomplished and ready to give to others.
After was the requisite reward of a regular (3 points) Golden Spoon yogurt as my reward for making it through my morning followed by a not so accidental dunk in my inlaw's pool in my clothes and a bellydance class.
I was glad I went as it would have been so easy not to go. We focused more on folk-style with a lot of hoppy steps. She had us wear skirts. Darn it! I wore one last week and all we did was roll around on the floor like Madonna so I refused to wear a skirt again to BD class. We only did a little rolling around today. We also played with the veil and she reviewed some moves she showed us a while back I was ready to be reminded on.
So I have a few things to work on this week including my camels. Gotta work on being more "snakelike" and flexible. That comes with time I am sure. Hey I started out totally stiff with two left hips and now my hips are in the game which is good progress. Again I am not only learning how to bellydance, but how to learn to dance in general. This process requires patience.
So lately I have been struggling with an issue about one of my instructor's occassional comments putting down other instructors (which I take from). I did speak with another instructor about the situation because I didn't want her to feel as if I was "cheating" on her by learning from someone else. She said I should continue to learn as much as I can from everyone. But as soon as it gets too uncomfortable, it is time to go.
Back to Sunday's class... I go with all the positive self-talk about how much I am learning and how fun it is to bellydance when I get a snide comment during a correction to one of my steps. Ok, what I was doing wasn't wrong per se, but maybe not the best choice of move for the music. But we were playing with the veil and I thought a camel would look nice. Like anyone was following the music anyway? But ok, I can take a correction. I want to learn. I did feel like a kid sneaking a cookie from the candy jar (No slow moves, this is fast music!). Then she says something like your other teacher may have taught you that, but that is wrong. Um, no one taught me that. I was just freestyling with the veil. But to dig on my other instructors was mean. Last week and some other time she called the style my other instructor teaches us is akin to "stripping." That is so wrong.
That makes me laugh, though, since this teacher dances the same style! Cabaret!
Anyway, I will stop rambling. The point is if I am starting to feel like I can't express myself in this class for fear of being judged or if I keep hearing negative comments, I may have to change. I joined that gym because that class is offered at the right time on the right day. Too bad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)