My body has been talking to me lately. Alot. I ignored it for awhile, but finally realized I needed to listen to what it was trying to tell me. And in doing so, I've learned some rather interesting things:
I can do more than I think I can. Whether it's an untried Pilates move, a cycle class, or just keeping on walking, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by what my body can do. So I should try before I say "I can't do that!"
Just because it's on the menu plan for the day doesn't mean eating it is a good idea. Sometimes I really am too full to finish my meal. It's perfectly alright to put off eating part of a meal until later. I can eat that cup of pineapple just as well with my evening snack as I can with my filling dinner. Not stopping when I feel full is counterproductive, not to mention damned uncomfortable!
Getting enough sleep is really, really, really important. And that doesn't just mean spending time laying in bed. My Exer-Spy tells me how much time I spend doing each, and I'm often amazed at the amount of time I spend NOT sleeping, when I think I am. Going to bed earlier gives me more time to get in enough actual sleep, and makes me more productive the next day.
Sometimes I just need to rest. I spent last Friday walking around Six Flags Great Adventure with my son's Middle School band. Lots of walking, lots of sun, not alot of healthy food choices available (so I didn't eat much). I came home and was just worn out. In bed by 10:30, sound asleep before 11, and I didnt' wake up until 10:15 the next morning! If that wasn't a message from the management, I don't know what it was! I chose to take the day off from exercise, and use the hour I would have spent at the gym to pay a much needed visit to the chiropractor. Since Sunday is always my day off, I got a 2-day break. And was ready and raring to go this morning when it was time to head out to the gym!
Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. I've been on too many meds for various health issues, and have long said I wish I could get off the anti-inflammatory so I could also say goodbye to the diuretic (needed because the anti-inflammatory causes fluid retention) and the Prevacid (to protect my stomach from the effects). Well, turns out my kidneys aren't real fond of the stuff either, so my doctor told me I had to stop taking them. She prescribed a painkiller instead. I didn't feel like it was helping that much, if at all. So I stopped taking it. The jury is still out on whether I can do without it, but I'm sure hoping.
I'm not a teenager anymore. I am a middle aged woman who has been severely overweight for most of my life. I will never have a 29 inch waist again. I will never have thin thighs, or toned legs and arms. I have wrinkles and they are here to stay. I may admire someone else's figure, or legs, or whatever, but there's no point in wishing I had that figure, or legs, or whatever, because I DON'T and I WON'T, even if I weighed 110 pounds! This is partly genetic, partly age related, and mostly my own doing. I'm much better off accepting the body I have and taking the best possible care of it.
So, see, I HAVE been listening! Paying attention, even. About time, dontcha think?
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Random Thoughts
On Friday, my BFF turned 50. That means I only have about 5 months to go. We went out to dinner with a mutual friend who I haven't seen in years. It's hard to believe that it was 40 years ago that we were the 3 little girls on bicycles riding around the neighborhood. Where have the years gone?
I got a salad spinner for Mothers' Day. Who knew a little thing like that could get me so excited? I love it! Makes salad making SO much easier.
Monday I took a Zumba Gold class. It's supposed to be "slower paced". I'm so glad they think so. I still can't keep up--I've got 2 left feet. But it was lots of fun, and I'd do it again.
Tuesday I went bike to the torture chamber...er, cycle studio. Beginner Cycle. I took my padded seat cover and promised myself I would stay for the one hour class. It was TOTALLY different from the first cycle class I took! I couldn't keep up the pace, but I did just fine. I was even able to ride standing up for a bit. And I lasted the whole hour!! Funny, but when I left, my legs were tired but my arms felt like jello. Guess I'm still leaning on them too much.
Yesterday I went to a women's conference with my favorite author, Liz Curtis Higgs. I don't know when I've laughed so hard so much! It was a wonderful day of fellowship. I even bought 2 more books!
Today I feel achy. My neck hurts and I've got a wicked headache. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and that's when I noticed my neck was hurting. My stomach has been sore too--actually my abdomen, not the stomach proper. So I'm taking it easy tonite. My son got his braces on today--he looks so cute with his mouth full of metal!
Tomorrow is scale day. I wonder what the numbers will show. My ExerSpy says I'm running a calorie defecit of about 800-900/day. I actually dropped my calories from the high 1600s to the low 1500s. I need to be in weight LOSS range, not maintenance. But I also found that, while my expected calorie burn is 2175/day, most days I'm burning around 2500. I lvoe my ExerSpy. Unfortunately, my computer doesn't--half the time I can'tget it to download. Tomorrow I'm just going to download it at the gym.
Goodness, I lead such as fascinating life...NOT!
I got a salad spinner for Mothers' Day. Who knew a little thing like that could get me so excited? I love it! Makes salad making SO much easier.
Monday I took a Zumba Gold class. It's supposed to be "slower paced". I'm so glad they think so. I still can't keep up--I've got 2 left feet. But it was lots of fun, and I'd do it again.
Tuesday I went bike to the torture chamber...er, cycle studio. Beginner Cycle. I took my padded seat cover and promised myself I would stay for the one hour class. It was TOTALLY different from the first cycle class I took! I couldn't keep up the pace, but I did just fine. I was even able to ride standing up for a bit. And I lasted the whole hour!! Funny, but when I left, my legs were tired but my arms felt like jello. Guess I'm still leaning on them too much.
Yesterday I went to a women's conference with my favorite author, Liz Curtis Higgs. I don't know when I've laughed so hard so much! It was a wonderful day of fellowship. I even bought 2 more books!
Today I feel achy. My neck hurts and I've got a wicked headache. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and that's when I noticed my neck was hurting. My stomach has been sore too--actually my abdomen, not the stomach proper. So I'm taking it easy tonite. My son got his braces on today--he looks so cute with his mouth full of metal!
Tomorrow is scale day. I wonder what the numbers will show. My ExerSpy says I'm running a calorie defecit of about 800-900/day. I actually dropped my calories from the high 1600s to the low 1500s. I need to be in weight LOSS range, not maintenance. But I also found that, while my expected calorie burn is 2175/day, most days I'm burning around 2500. I lvoe my ExerSpy. Unfortunately, my computer doesn't--half the time I can'tget it to download. Tomorrow I'm just going to download it at the gym.
Goodness, I lead such as fascinating life...NOT!
Monday, May 3, 2010
What's WRONG With These People???
OK, I just want to know one thing. Who is the sadistic bastard who invented the bicycle seats for the Spin class I took this morning????
The instructor is a friend of mine from church, and she's been after me for over a year to take her class. I promised I would get there someday. Today is someday.
I've signed up for the Biggest Loser challenge at my gym. I desperately need the incentive and motivation to get my big butt in gear and back on track. One of the things you can get points for is taking 3 classes, one in each of 3 different fitness areas (Cardio, Aqua, Cycle, Strength, and Mind/Body) each week. So this morning I went to my first ever Spin class.
What a nightmare! The seats are about the size you'd expect on a toddler's tricycle, and they are hard as a rock. I sat down on it, and right away it went to places I didn't want it to go. I tried to find a comfortable position, but such a thing apparently doesn't exist.
Class began, and I noticed that the room was nearly full, with only a couple of empty cycles. Everyone else had been there before. We started off and I seemed to be doing OK. I looked in the mirror and noticed that most people seemed to be resting comfortably on their forearms. Mine felt like I was trying to hold back the water behind Hoover Dam. The other cyclers seemed perfectly happy to plant their skinny little butts on the tiny little seats. My butt was not amused.
The instructor called out instructions with a peppy CD playing in the background. Apparently, this was an interval class, so she was switching things up alot. Cool, I like the interval thing. Only, not there! She said we should be doing an "easy" ride, at about 75-80 RPM. I looked down and saw that I was at 52. Next, she tells us to stand. Huh? Stand up on those little pedal things? OK, I ried it, and it's ALOT harder than the other people made it look! They all seemed to be enjoying the break from that sadistic seat, but I felt like my legs would fall off after about 5 revolutions of the pedals!
So, I sat back down. Ouch. That's a bit tender there...
Next, she upped the intensity. Faster song. "Now you should be at a little over 100 RPM". I looked down. I was at 63. And I was getting VERRRRY uncomfortable. I shifted a bit on the seat, hoping to relieve the, um, pressure. Great, now I'm just as uncomfortable, but in a different part of "down there".
I checked out the timer and noted that I had survived exactly 5 minutes and 31 seconds of this horror. And it was an hour long class! I started praying. "Please God, just get me through this". The teacher told us to close our eyes, and I did so, hoping to not lose my balance and fall off the bike in front of everyone. (I'd taken a seat up front, right near the door.) "Now, pedal as fast as you can, and don't worry about the rate until you open your eyes and see where you are". OK, so I pedaled as fast as my stubby old legs would go. I opened my eyes and saw that I was at...73. And I was starting to get numb in my hands, shoulders, and that other place.
At 15 minutes, I decided, to hell with the speed, I'm just going to DO this. I'd been dutifully raising the resistance every time she told us to, and that seemed to be going well. I was all the way up to 10, right along with the crowd. I was sweating like a pig, something I NEVER do. (My warmup jacket had been tossed off at about 2 minutes into the class). I was taking a drink from my water bottle as often as I felt I could reach it, waaaaay down by my shins. I was wondering what ever posessed me to think that this would be a good class to take.
At 20 minutes, I made a decision. There was just no way in hell I was going to survive that entire class. I told myself that I could stop at 30 minutes. Assuming I lasted that long. Meanwhile, the rest of the class is happily pedaling along without a care in the world. What's wrong with these people? Have they NO feeling? Or is that it--they've been at this so long that they've lost all sensation of pain?
At 25 minutes, I had lost all feeling in my hands and shoulders. If only I'd had the good fortune to lose feeling elsewhere...
At 27 minutes, I was watching the timer on the bike. It seemed to me that it was moving verrrrry slowly. At 28 minutes, I was just praying for it to be over, and at 29 minutes, I began my countdown and my cooldown.
At 30 minutes, I stopped. I shot an apologetic look at my friend, the teacher, and somehow managed to disengage my feet from the straitjackets on the pedals. It took me a minute to figure out how to get OFF the bike, but I managed. I picked up my jacket and my water bottle and hobbled out the door, as the teacher said "great Wendy, you did 30 minutes. Next time you'll do 35".
Next time?!?! You mean I'm supposed to do this AGAIN???
The instructor is a friend of mine from church, and she's been after me for over a year to take her class. I promised I would get there someday. Today is someday.
I've signed up for the Biggest Loser challenge at my gym. I desperately need the incentive and motivation to get my big butt in gear and back on track. One of the things you can get points for is taking 3 classes, one in each of 3 different fitness areas (Cardio, Aqua, Cycle, Strength, and Mind/Body) each week. So this morning I went to my first ever Spin class.
What a nightmare! The seats are about the size you'd expect on a toddler's tricycle, and they are hard as a rock. I sat down on it, and right away it went to places I didn't want it to go. I tried to find a comfortable position, but such a thing apparently doesn't exist.
Class began, and I noticed that the room was nearly full, with only a couple of empty cycles. Everyone else had been there before. We started off and I seemed to be doing OK. I looked in the mirror and noticed that most people seemed to be resting comfortably on their forearms. Mine felt like I was trying to hold back the water behind Hoover Dam. The other cyclers seemed perfectly happy to plant their skinny little butts on the tiny little seats. My butt was not amused.
The instructor called out instructions with a peppy CD playing in the background. Apparently, this was an interval class, so she was switching things up alot. Cool, I like the interval thing. Only, not there! She said we should be doing an "easy" ride, at about 75-80 RPM. I looked down and saw that I was at 52. Next, she tells us to stand. Huh? Stand up on those little pedal things? OK, I ried it, and it's ALOT harder than the other people made it look! They all seemed to be enjoying the break from that sadistic seat, but I felt like my legs would fall off after about 5 revolutions of the pedals!
So, I sat back down. Ouch. That's a bit tender there...
Next, she upped the intensity. Faster song. "Now you should be at a little over 100 RPM". I looked down. I was at 63. And I was getting VERRRRY uncomfortable. I shifted a bit on the seat, hoping to relieve the, um, pressure. Great, now I'm just as uncomfortable, but in a different part of "down there".
I checked out the timer and noted that I had survived exactly 5 minutes and 31 seconds of this horror. And it was an hour long class! I started praying. "Please God, just get me through this". The teacher told us to close our eyes, and I did so, hoping to not lose my balance and fall off the bike in front of everyone. (I'd taken a seat up front, right near the door.) "Now, pedal as fast as you can, and don't worry about the rate until you open your eyes and see where you are". OK, so I pedaled as fast as my stubby old legs would go. I opened my eyes and saw that I was at...73. And I was starting to get numb in my hands, shoulders, and that other place.
At 15 minutes, I decided, to hell with the speed, I'm just going to DO this. I'd been dutifully raising the resistance every time she told us to, and that seemed to be going well. I was all the way up to 10, right along with the crowd. I was sweating like a pig, something I NEVER do. (My warmup jacket had been tossed off at about 2 minutes into the class). I was taking a drink from my water bottle as often as I felt I could reach it, waaaaay down by my shins. I was wondering what ever posessed me to think that this would be a good class to take.
At 20 minutes, I made a decision. There was just no way in hell I was going to survive that entire class. I told myself that I could stop at 30 minutes. Assuming I lasted that long. Meanwhile, the rest of the class is happily pedaling along without a care in the world. What's wrong with these people? Have they NO feeling? Or is that it--they've been at this so long that they've lost all sensation of pain?
At 25 minutes, I had lost all feeling in my hands and shoulders. If only I'd had the good fortune to lose feeling elsewhere...
At 27 minutes, I was watching the timer on the bike. It seemed to me that it was moving verrrrry slowly. At 28 minutes, I was just praying for it to be over, and at 29 minutes, I began my countdown and my cooldown.
At 30 minutes, I stopped. I shot an apologetic look at my friend, the teacher, and somehow managed to disengage my feet from the straitjackets on the pedals. It took me a minute to figure out how to get OFF the bike, but I managed. I picked up my jacket and my water bottle and hobbled out the door, as the teacher said "great Wendy, you did 30 minutes. Next time you'll do 35".
Next time?!?! You mean I'm supposed to do this AGAIN???
Friday, April 23, 2010
My Legs
I was reading another blog today, and the writer was talking about the awful things that people say to fat people. People can be beyond cruel, and they seem to think that just because you're fat means you can't hear either, or have no feelings.
"Oh my God, look how fat that girl is, and look at how much she's eating"
"Good grief, look how fat she is! I wonder where she finds clothes that fit that body"
"You have such a pretty face, if you'd just lose weight"
"Mommy!! Look how FAT that lady is!"
"Ugh! People with legs like that should never wear shorts!"
And on, and on, and on.
After losing a great deal of weight, I am still far from thin, and never will be thin. I'm pretty average size for a soon-to-be-50 woman. But my legs are my worst feature. I have hated them for years. They are much bigger than the rest of me, and years of yo-yo dieting have left them saggy like a Sharpei. There is nothing I can do to change this--if I weighed 95 pounds they would still look that way (probably worse!). I look at other women, with their cute legs, in short skirts, and feel so inadequate.
Today, coming out of the gym, I had an "ah-ha" moment. I can't change this. No matter what I do, these are the legs I've got. Agonizing about it won't change a darn thing. So I have to accept them for what they are. And on the uncommon occasion when I wear shorts, if someone looks at my legs and doesn't like what they see, they are free to look the other way!
"Oh my God, look how fat that girl is, and look at how much she's eating"
"Good grief, look how fat she is! I wonder where she finds clothes that fit that body"
"You have such a pretty face, if you'd just lose weight"
"Mommy!! Look how FAT that lady is!"
"Ugh! People with legs like that should never wear shorts!"
And on, and on, and on.
After losing a great deal of weight, I am still far from thin, and never will be thin. I'm pretty average size for a soon-to-be-50 woman. But my legs are my worst feature. I have hated them for years. They are much bigger than the rest of me, and years of yo-yo dieting have left them saggy like a Sharpei. There is nothing I can do to change this--if I weighed 95 pounds they would still look that way (probably worse!). I look at other women, with their cute legs, in short skirts, and feel so inadequate.
Today, coming out of the gym, I had an "ah-ha" moment. I can't change this. No matter what I do, these are the legs I've got. Agonizing about it won't change a darn thing. So I have to accept them for what they are. And on the uncommon occasion when I wear shorts, if someone looks at my legs and doesn't like what they see, they are free to look the other way!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Taking the Bull By the Horns
As I sat here yesterday, looking at the huge quantity of snow outside and lamenting the fact that I couldn't get to the gym. I really did not feel like another battle with the Wii Fit, so I spent the time cleaning out a closet that desperately needed it. Probably a better workout than the Wii anyway...
So, I got to thinking, "Damn, I really wish I had an Elliptical here at home!" I've often said if I ever owned another fitness machine, it would be an Elliptical. But where would I put it? Besides, I go to the gym 5-6 times a week, why do I need one at home. Well, all that snow sure answered THAT question! Besides, when I get home from work, sometimes I really don't want to head back out into the cold and go to the gym.
I talked to my sister (who was snowed in with us--what fun!) and we discussed the issue of where I could put it that I could still watch TV but it wouldn't be squeezed in somewhere or in the way. And then it came to me--what do I need more? The 25 year old loveseat in my family room (that is accompanied by 2 chairs and a big sofa anyway) or an Elliptical? They have about the same footprint. I rarely need seats for that many people in here, and could always move in some chairs from other rooms. Hmmmmmm...that really got me thinking.
I had actually talked to my trainer about Ellipticals on Tuesday, and she had said the ones at the gym were like $8000!!! Who knew? But she said Precor made cheaper ones, and they were the best. Well, I looked online and they may be "cheaper" but they sure ain't cheap! The lowest price I saw was still over $3000! So I read some reviews from various sources, and one other brand kept coming up--Smooth. I ventured over to their website, plugged in my height, weight, level of activity, price range, etc., and it spit out some suggestions. The lowest one was still $1899. But I had seen mention of yet another model that looked like it would meet my needs, so I checked it out. Brand new 2010 model--special introductory price of $1399! Now THAT's what I'm talking about!
I called the sales department at Smooth and talked to a very nice, helpful young man. I told him what I needed, which models I was considering, and asked what he would recommend. Based on my height (5'4") and the fact that my 4'10" daughter will likely be using it too, he said the higher priced one would likely be too long of a stride. He recommended the lower priced model, assured me it would meet our needs very nicely, and answered my few remaining questions.
OK, so, do I go for it? YES!!! I placed the order, and requested their "White Glove Delivery" which includes bringing it into the house and setting it up for me! (Regular delivery leaves it at the curb--NOT an option for a 210 pound piece of equipment!)
It should be here in 2-3 weeks. That won't help me through the next snowstorm (forecast for this coming Monday), but I will sure be prepared for the future!
So, I got to thinking, "Damn, I really wish I had an Elliptical here at home!" I've often said if I ever owned another fitness machine, it would be an Elliptical. But where would I put it? Besides, I go to the gym 5-6 times a week, why do I need one at home. Well, all that snow sure answered THAT question! Besides, when I get home from work, sometimes I really don't want to head back out into the cold and go to the gym.
I talked to my sister (who was snowed in with us--what fun!) and we discussed the issue of where I could put it that I could still watch TV but it wouldn't be squeezed in somewhere or in the way. And then it came to me--what do I need more? The 25 year old loveseat in my family room (that is accompanied by 2 chairs and a big sofa anyway) or an Elliptical? They have about the same footprint. I rarely need seats for that many people in here, and could always move in some chairs from other rooms. Hmmmmmm...that really got me thinking.
I had actually talked to my trainer about Ellipticals on Tuesday, and she had said the ones at the gym were like $8000!!! Who knew? But she said Precor made cheaper ones, and they were the best. Well, I looked online and they may be "cheaper" but they sure ain't cheap! The lowest price I saw was still over $3000! So I read some reviews from various sources, and one other brand kept coming up--Smooth. I ventured over to their website, plugged in my height, weight, level of activity, price range, etc., and it spit out some suggestions. The lowest one was still $1899. But I had seen mention of yet another model that looked like it would meet my needs, so I checked it out. Brand new 2010 model--special introductory price of $1399! Now THAT's what I'm talking about!
I called the sales department at Smooth and talked to a very nice, helpful young man. I told him what I needed, which models I was considering, and asked what he would recommend. Based on my height (5'4") and the fact that my 4'10" daughter will likely be using it too, he said the higher priced one would likely be too long of a stride. He recommended the lower priced model, assured me it would meet our needs very nicely, and answered my few remaining questions.
OK, so, do I go for it? YES!!! I placed the order, and requested their "White Glove Delivery" which includes bringing it into the house and setting it up for me! (Regular delivery leaves it at the curb--NOT an option for a 210 pound piece of equipment!)
It should be here in 2-3 weeks. That won't help me through the next snowstorm (forecast for this coming Monday), but I will sure be prepared for the future!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
ANOTHER Blizzard...UGH!
For the second time in a week, we are getting slammed with a snowstorm. 16 inches over the weekend, and this time we are forecast to get 16-22 more. Right now it's coming down hard and fast.
Heavy snow means I get stuck at home. Now, this is not completely a bad thing (although my kids are known to drive me crazy on snow days). But stuck at home means no going to the gym. And that IS a bad thing.
On Saturday, I made do with 30 minutes of Wii Fit. Not bad, but it pales in comparison to my usual workout. So, knowing the snow was coming and I would likely not get to the gym today, I opted to go Monday night. AFTER working all day and doing grocery shopping. This is new for me, I have NEVER done it before! I always exercise in the morning anyway. But I thought it would be a good idea.
I went yesterday and did my usual workout and an hour with my trainer, and figured today would be a Wii Fit day. Well, it turned out that the roads were well plowed this morning, and with the worst of the snow forecast for later in the day, I decided to venture out after all. The roads were fine, and I happily got in 45 minutes of cardio before it started looking questionable. The roads going home weren't bad, other than when turning corners, but I could see it was getting bad fast.
So now I'm home, and have the satisfaction of knowing that, not once but TWICE, I made a decision in favor of health. Which means I can sit back and watch the ugly white stuff fall, and not have to worry about going anywhere until tomorrow afternoon. When hopefully, this will have cleared up.
So much for global warming!
Heavy snow means I get stuck at home. Now, this is not completely a bad thing (although my kids are known to drive me crazy on snow days). But stuck at home means no going to the gym. And that IS a bad thing.
On Saturday, I made do with 30 minutes of Wii Fit. Not bad, but it pales in comparison to my usual workout. So, knowing the snow was coming and I would likely not get to the gym today, I opted to go Monday night. AFTER working all day and doing grocery shopping. This is new for me, I have NEVER done it before! I always exercise in the morning anyway. But I thought it would be a good idea.
I went yesterday and did my usual workout and an hour with my trainer, and figured today would be a Wii Fit day. Well, it turned out that the roads were well plowed this morning, and with the worst of the snow forecast for later in the day, I decided to venture out after all. The roads were fine, and I happily got in 45 minutes of cardio before it started looking questionable. The roads going home weren't bad, other than when turning corners, but I could see it was getting bad fast.
So now I'm home, and have the satisfaction of knowing that, not once but TWICE, I made a decision in favor of health. Which means I can sit back and watch the ugly white stuff fall, and not have to worry about going anywhere until tomorrow afternoon. When hopefully, this will have cleared up.
So much for global warming!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
My Battle With the Wii Fit
Since we were in the middle of a major snowstorm today, I was unable to get to the gym. So I decided to get on the Wii Fit for the first time in ages. It was fun doing the different exercises again. Admittedly, I'm a little rusty after all this time.
But that stupid machine told me I'm obese! Hello? I have 26% body fat--that is NOT obese! Not only that, it says my body age is 59. Which is 10 years older than I actually am. Now, I'm in pretty decent shape, so I find this hard to believe. OK, my balance leaves alot to be desired, but still, 59?
So I yelled at the Wii Fit. "Are you crazy?" "I am NOT obese you idiot!" "What the hell do you know anyway?" Didn't change anything, but it did make me feel a little better.
Stupid machine...I'm going back tomorrow to show it what I'm made of!
But that stupid machine told me I'm obese! Hello? I have 26% body fat--that is NOT obese! Not only that, it says my body age is 59. Which is 10 years older than I actually am. Now, I'm in pretty decent shape, so I find this hard to believe. OK, my balance leaves alot to be desired, but still, 59?
So I yelled at the Wii Fit. "Are you crazy?" "I am NOT obese you idiot!" "What the hell do you know anyway?" Didn't change anything, but it did make me feel a little better.
Stupid machine...I'm going back tomorrow to show it what I'm made of!
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