The concept of this blog is really pretty simple, but it's the thing that has been key in me finally being able to make a permanent lifestyle change: I boxed myself in with as much accountability as possible.
It started with going to Weight Watchers meetings. Not the At-Home program. Not on-line meetings. The actual in-person meetings. I knew I needed the accountability of weighing in with an actual human being once a week. And I don't just weigh and leave: I make myself stick around for the meetings. I'll be honest with you- Most of the meetings I feel like I could lead myself. I have the most phenomenal WW leader on the planet (I love you, Jane!), but for me they are largely review. They help keep my head in the game, though, so I attend 'em.
Over time I've added other things: Now I also weigh at home at least twice a week, have a fantastic personal trainer who takes my measurements every four weeks (Ross, I am blessed to have found you!), and have a wonderful man who is helping me distance (thank heavens for the Internet!) with my nutrition and breathes down my neck about anything I eat that gets in my way of my goals (No more iceberg lettuce, Ruben! I promise!). I have started this blog, and I've posted pics of my progression on public sites. If you are reading this, you are part of my accountability network.
Additionally, I have started using SparkPeople.com for more than just motivation and have started to also post my food and workouts there. The more I have to own up to what I am doing, the less likely I am to mess up.
And, I have in mind down the road, after my braces come off and after my daughter is married (about a year and a half from now), to compete in figure and/or bikini competitions. Maybe when it comes right down to it we'll (trainer, nutrionist, and myself) get to the point where I should be competition ready and decide my body isn't right for it. I dunno. But I'm gonna at least look like a figure competitor, even if I don't actually compete.
What's it gonna hurt? Nothing. What's it going to help? Everything.
I plan to have a new goal in front of me, be it a competition, a race, a new body fat level, or adding more muscle, at all times. And I plan to always attend Weight Watchers meetings and weigh in weekly. Why? Because I know if I don't, eventually I'll gain the weight back and go back to what I was. I must ALWAYS be accountable. That's just the way it is.
This is my plan, and I'm sticking to it! What's yours?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Gaining weight over the holidays is a choice.
No one forces us to gain weight over the holidays- we choose to do it with our actions.
No one makes you eat three slices of Aunt Maude's famous Rum Cheesecake- you choose it.
No one puts a lock on the gym doors to keep you from working out- you choose not to go.
No one is holding a gun to your head making you bake (and eat) holiday treats every day from Thanksgiving through New years- you're the one who chooses to do it.
Ouch, huh?........ Yeah.... me too!
As a holiday-weight-gainer myself, I am well aware that when I point a finger at anyone else for these choices, there are three fingers pointing back at me. But I've also decided that the weight gain is no longer worth the indulgence. So I've decided to make some changes this year. I hope that by sharing my strategies I inspire you to take responsibility for your not only your own health but also for setting an example for your loved ones this holiday season:
First of all, I've made the choice to view the holidays as just a few days or meals instead of a period of weeks. It's a lot less overwhelming to think of Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years as four individual days. Anyone can stay in control for four days!
I've chosen to make smarter food choices and plan ahead what I am going to eat. No, it's not as fun as a feeding frenzy, but I'd sure rather budget it now than have to work to get it off later.
I'm not cooking an overwhelming amount of food that will throw me off, and I'm not keeping a lot of stuff in the house that will tempt me. As the chief holiday cook, I have the power. If the family really wants fudge, they can go buy it and eat it outside the home.
I'm purchasing a cheesecake with nuts for dessert on Thanksgiving. I'm allergic to nuts, so this totally eliminates a temptation. I will also be baking pumpkin pie, but it's not one of my favorites, so one piece should be plenty for me.
I don't plan on spending a lot of time in tempting situations, like holiday parties. And when I do, I plan to drink zero-calorie beverages and make one pass through the buffet making the best choices I can. I'll allow myself one special treat, but after this single trip past the food I'm staying away from it.
I'm already visualizing how I will handle temptation. I'm thinking through the holiday parties, the friend showing up with the unexpected treat to share, and the food being close at hand while I cook holiday meals. I am picturing myself handling these situations with wisdom and grace. If I've practiced it mentally, it should be that much easier to handle it in reality.
I have marked on my calendar my weekly Tuesday Weight Watchers meetings, complete with weigh-ins and staying for the meeting. For me, they are a non-negotiable appointment.
In addition to my Weight Watchers weigh-in's, I've added a weigh-in on Saturdays at home.
I've scheduled my work-outs and put them on my calendar. I also consider these non-negotiable appointments.
I've hired a personal trainer. It's a splurge, but knowing I have to look a big, buff 20-something in the eye twice a week helps to keep me honest.
I've consolidated the family holiday birthdays (5) down to one big family party. I plan to make this a very fun annual tradition. We don't need 5 separate cakes, and I don't need all of those parties in addition to the regular additional work of the holiday season.
And, probably most importantly, I have made up my mind that I am not going to gain weight between now and January. This is my body and my choice. I have the power, and I'm seizing it.
Hey, I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty for eating holiday goodies. I'll have a few that are budgeted into my eating plan. And if you want to view the holidays as an opportunity to eat everything you like and gain 20 pounds, that's your choice and I won't hold it against you. But I want you to know that you can take steps to not go down that path if you don't want to.
It's all a choice.
No one makes you eat three slices of Aunt Maude's famous Rum Cheesecake- you choose it.
No one puts a lock on the gym doors to keep you from working out- you choose not to go.
No one is holding a gun to your head making you bake (and eat) holiday treats every day from Thanksgiving through New years- you're the one who chooses to do it.
Ouch, huh?........ Yeah.... me too!
As a holiday-weight-gainer myself, I am well aware that when I point a finger at anyone else for these choices, there are three fingers pointing back at me. But I've also decided that the weight gain is no longer worth the indulgence. So I've decided to make some changes this year. I hope that by sharing my strategies I inspire you to take responsibility for your not only your own health but also for setting an example for your loved ones this holiday season:
First of all, I've made the choice to view the holidays as just a few days or meals instead of a period of weeks. It's a lot less overwhelming to think of Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years as four individual days. Anyone can stay in control for four days!
I've chosen to make smarter food choices and plan ahead what I am going to eat. No, it's not as fun as a feeding frenzy, but I'd sure rather budget it now than have to work to get it off later.
I'm not cooking an overwhelming amount of food that will throw me off, and I'm not keeping a lot of stuff in the house that will tempt me. As the chief holiday cook, I have the power. If the family really wants fudge, they can go buy it and eat it outside the home.
I'm purchasing a cheesecake with nuts for dessert on Thanksgiving. I'm allergic to nuts, so this totally eliminates a temptation. I will also be baking pumpkin pie, but it's not one of my favorites, so one piece should be plenty for me.
I don't plan on spending a lot of time in tempting situations, like holiday parties. And when I do, I plan to drink zero-calorie beverages and make one pass through the buffet making the best choices I can. I'll allow myself one special treat, but after this single trip past the food I'm staying away from it.
I'm already visualizing how I will handle temptation. I'm thinking through the holiday parties, the friend showing up with the unexpected treat to share, and the food being close at hand while I cook holiday meals. I am picturing myself handling these situations with wisdom and grace. If I've practiced it mentally, it should be that much easier to handle it in reality.
I have marked on my calendar my weekly Tuesday Weight Watchers meetings, complete with weigh-ins and staying for the meeting. For me, they are a non-negotiable appointment.
In addition to my Weight Watchers weigh-in's, I've added a weigh-in on Saturdays at home.
I've scheduled my work-outs and put them on my calendar. I also consider these non-negotiable appointments.
I've hired a personal trainer. It's a splurge, but knowing I have to look a big, buff 20-something in the eye twice a week helps to keep me honest.
I've consolidated the family holiday birthdays (5) down to one big family party. I plan to make this a very fun annual tradition. We don't need 5 separate cakes, and I don't need all of those parties in addition to the regular additional work of the holiday season.
And, probably most importantly, I have made up my mind that I am not going to gain weight between now and January. This is my body and my choice. I have the power, and I'm seizing it.
Hey, I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty for eating holiday goodies. I'll have a few that are budgeted into my eating plan. And if you want to view the holidays as an opportunity to eat everything you like and gain 20 pounds, that's your choice and I won't hold it against you. But I want you to know that you can take steps to not go down that path if you don't want to.
It's all a choice.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Mix it up to maximize benefits!
How to move to move past a plateau, prevent one in the first place, or get max benefit for your efforts? Mix it up!
- Change your caloric intake from day to day. If you regularly eat 1600 calories, vary this amount of the course of the week, keeping 1600 as an average. For instance, on Sunday you could do 1700, Monday 1400, Tuesday 1600, Wednesday 1500, Thursday 1800, Friday 1400 and Saturday 1800 again. When I do this I lose faster.
- Change up your cardio frequently. I rotate between step aerobics, floor aerobics and kick boxing tapes at home, and the stationery bike, recumbent bike, elliptical, and treadmill at the gym. Or, as my former trainer advised, you could do 10 minutes on several different pieces of equipment one right after the other.
- Change the kinds of weight lifting exercises you do from workout to workout. This helps to create more symmetrical muscle groups with no weak areas. Even within the separate sections of a muscle group it is possible to develop one segment of that section stronger than another. The possibility of injuring yourself from muscle weakness is reduced when you lift weights, but diminished even further when you change the types of exercises you do for each body part, ensuring all areas of the muscle are equal and balanced.
Bodies adapt very quickly to whatever you demand of them. By changing it up, you keep the body adapting and therefore the positive changes happening.
- Change your caloric intake from day to day. If you regularly eat 1600 calories, vary this amount of the course of the week, keeping 1600 as an average. For instance, on Sunday you could do 1700, Monday 1400, Tuesday 1600, Wednesday 1500, Thursday 1800, Friday 1400 and Saturday 1800 again. When I do this I lose faster.
- Change up your cardio frequently. I rotate between step aerobics, floor aerobics and kick boxing tapes at home, and the stationery bike, recumbent bike, elliptical, and treadmill at the gym. Or, as my former trainer advised, you could do 10 minutes on several different pieces of equipment one right after the other.
- Change the kinds of weight lifting exercises you do from workout to workout. This helps to create more symmetrical muscle groups with no weak areas. Even within the separate sections of a muscle group it is possible to develop one segment of that section stronger than another. The possibility of injuring yourself from muscle weakness is reduced when you lift weights, but diminished even further when you change the types of exercises you do for each body part, ensuring all areas of the muscle are equal and balanced.
Bodies adapt very quickly to whatever you demand of them. By changing it up, you keep the body adapting and therefore the positive changes happening.
Everyone can exercise like a man!
You know what irritates me? When people refer to the difference in the way that women and men "should" work out. I'll admit we have our differences in many areas, but women don't need a special workout regime that is different from a man's. Why? Because we have the exact same muscles (to include the heart) as men, and what is being worked is muscle!
The differences we do have act as a safeguard to keep women from getting as big muscularly as men (as covered in an earlier post).
Therefore it is perfectly Okay, and even beneficial, for a woman to work out as hard as possible with the same types of workout formats and programs that men use. The female generally won't be able to lift as much as the male, but she can do the exact same exercises in the exact same way as a man without worrying that it's wrong because of her gender.
To further review my earlier post: If she is one day able to lift as much as the big boys in the grunt-end of the gym she won't be as muscular as said guys, because of the lack of testosterone in her body. The only way a woman gets big, gross, man-like muscles is if she uses steroids.
In the same vein, my good friend Kim asked that I discuss the difference between male and female push-ups. I call them "standard" and "bent knee" push-ups.
There is a reason men have an easier time with standard (strait-leg) push-ups than women- It's because they tend to carry a lot more muscle in the upper body than women do, so they are using their strong parts to lift their light parts (this is the same reason they have an easier time with pull-ups, aka "chins").
Additionally, because of the structural differences in how weight is distributed between men and women, the typical man has a higher center of gravity in a horizontal position, so this swings things in his favor when doing push-ups with legs extended: He just doesn't have to work so darned hard to balance, since his center of gravity is so much closer to the wide base of his hands.
This is also why women who are smaller through the bottom half and/or have built the muscles in their upper body usually don't have issue with strait-leg push-ups, and why men who do have a hard time with them frequently carry a lot of weight below the belt.
It's simply a matter of physics.
So, bent-knee push-ups are a perfectly acceptable place to start. However, going back to the theory that everyone can exercise like a man, no damage will be caused to a woman (and great benefit can be gained) by executing regular strait-leg push ups. Or performing chins, for that matter.
Personally, when doing push-ups I do as many in the strait-leg position as I can (usually only about 8), and then drop my knees and do them bent-knee until I can't do any more. If the push-up is my main chest exercise for the day I'll take a rest, then repeat this a couple of more times.
And, for the record, I've yet to be able to do a single chin. It's a goal of mine to be able to do 10. That's quite the feat, if you've ever seen these hips!
The differences we do have act as a safeguard to keep women from getting as big muscularly as men (as covered in an earlier post).
Therefore it is perfectly Okay, and even beneficial, for a woman to work out as hard as possible with the same types of workout formats and programs that men use. The female generally won't be able to lift as much as the male, but she can do the exact same exercises in the exact same way as a man without worrying that it's wrong because of her gender.
To further review my earlier post: If she is one day able to lift as much as the big boys in the grunt-end of the gym she won't be as muscular as said guys, because of the lack of testosterone in her body. The only way a woman gets big, gross, man-like muscles is if she uses steroids.
In the same vein, my good friend Kim asked that I discuss the difference between male and female push-ups. I call them "standard" and "bent knee" push-ups.
There is a reason men have an easier time with standard (strait-leg) push-ups than women- It's because they tend to carry a lot more muscle in the upper body than women do, so they are using their strong parts to lift their light parts (this is the same reason they have an easier time with pull-ups, aka "chins").
Additionally, because of the structural differences in how weight is distributed between men and women, the typical man has a higher center of gravity in a horizontal position, so this swings things in his favor when doing push-ups with legs extended: He just doesn't have to work so darned hard to balance, since his center of gravity is so much closer to the wide base of his hands.
This is also why women who are smaller through the bottom half and/or have built the muscles in their upper body usually don't have issue with strait-leg push-ups, and why men who do have a hard time with them frequently carry a lot of weight below the belt.
It's simply a matter of physics.
So, bent-knee push-ups are a perfectly acceptable place to start. However, going back to the theory that everyone can exercise like a man, no damage will be caused to a woman (and great benefit can be gained) by executing regular strait-leg push ups. Or performing chins, for that matter.
Personally, when doing push-ups I do as many in the strait-leg position as I can (usually only about 8), and then drop my knees and do them bent-knee until I can't do any more. If the push-up is my main chest exercise for the day I'll take a rest, then repeat this a couple of more times.
And, for the record, I've yet to be able to do a single chin. It's a goal of mine to be able to do 10. That's quite the feat, if you've ever seen these hips!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
What's your Why?
I'd first heard the concept of having a "Why" from David Greenwalt, a fitness expert who has helped many with his program "The Leanness Lifestyle". He emphatically stresses that until you have good, solid, concrete reasons for taking superb care of yourself (he calls these reasons your "Why") it just can't be done. I've come to find that he's right.
Until I just recently found my true motivation I went through the motions, and that was good. Without going through the motions I'd weigh easily 75 pounds more than I do now, have cholesterol through the roof, and more than likely I'd be a diabetic headed strait for heart disease. But if I was going to be successful at this over a lifetime, I knew I was going to have to find my true Why.
In the course of mulling this all over (which, by the way, has taken about 5 years since first hearing the concept of a Why) I did some counseling about weight-related issues and the counselor observed something that was revealing to me: I am more motivated by running FROM something than TOWARDS something.
I just had to find something that scared me bad enough to run from it for the rest of my life.
Then, something shifted: I started to acknowledge my family history of heart disease and diabetes. The reality that these things were more than likely eventually going to kill me sunk in. And when it sank in, it scared the devil out of me! I started doing whatever was necessary to keep these things at bay and maybe even avoid them all together:
-I upped my game and got more organized and methodical about how I lifted weight
-I started incorporating more aerobic activity into my workout regime
-I cut back drastically on white flour, sugar, and diet sodas (I'm not convinced enough research has been done on diet sodas to have a steady stream of them pouring through my body.)
-I stopped drinking alcohol
-I started eating less processed foods
-Probably most importantly, I joined Weight Watchers and began the process of losing weight.
I had finally found something truly worth running from.
I'd heard the term "Lifestyle", and phrases like "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle", countless times. But it wasn't until my trainer, Ross, said that he wanted to work with me because he can tell I have a passion for this lifestyle that it finally clicked for me. I really HAD made it a lifestyle- he saw it, and now I see it. I have found my core reasons for taking care of myself. Not something I do just because I should, but something I do because I want to. Now, it's a part of me.
And last night I was able to write out my true Why. I'll share it with you if you'd like to see it, but I'm not going to bore you if you don't. :-)
I realize that me sharing this is not going to help anyone to immediately figure out their Why, but it may be the seed that starts the process growing within you. I'm relieved I've found my WHY. I'm grateful for the process it took to get me here.
This lifestyle is who I am. It will be until the day I die. I'm sure of it now. I want you to be sure of it, too.
Until I just recently found my true motivation I went through the motions, and that was good. Without going through the motions I'd weigh easily 75 pounds more than I do now, have cholesterol through the roof, and more than likely I'd be a diabetic headed strait for heart disease. But if I was going to be successful at this over a lifetime, I knew I was going to have to find my true Why.
In the course of mulling this all over (which, by the way, has taken about 5 years since first hearing the concept of a Why) I did some counseling about weight-related issues and the counselor observed something that was revealing to me: I am more motivated by running FROM something than TOWARDS something.
I just had to find something that scared me bad enough to run from it for the rest of my life.
Then, something shifted: I started to acknowledge my family history of heart disease and diabetes. The reality that these things were more than likely eventually going to kill me sunk in. And when it sank in, it scared the devil out of me! I started doing whatever was necessary to keep these things at bay and maybe even avoid them all together:
-I upped my game and got more organized and methodical about how I lifted weight
-I started incorporating more aerobic activity into my workout regime
-I cut back drastically on white flour, sugar, and diet sodas (I'm not convinced enough research has been done on diet sodas to have a steady stream of them pouring through my body.)
-I stopped drinking alcohol
-I started eating less processed foods
-Probably most importantly, I joined Weight Watchers and began the process of losing weight.
I had finally found something truly worth running from.
I'd heard the term "Lifestyle", and phrases like "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle", countless times. But it wasn't until my trainer, Ross, said that he wanted to work with me because he can tell I have a passion for this lifestyle that it finally clicked for me. I really HAD made it a lifestyle- he saw it, and now I see it. I have found my core reasons for taking care of myself. Not something I do just because I should, but something I do because I want to. Now, it's a part of me.
And last night I was able to write out my true Why. I'll share it with you if you'd like to see it, but I'm not going to bore you if you don't. :-)
I realize that me sharing this is not going to help anyone to immediately figure out their Why, but it may be the seed that starts the process growing within you. I'm relieved I've found my WHY. I'm grateful for the process it took to get me here.
This lifestyle is who I am. It will be until the day I die. I'm sure of it now. I want you to be sure of it, too.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Palms up, thumbs back!
Sometimes I get compliments on my posture. I do try to keep my spine in proper alignment, not only because it takes pressure off of my skeleton, but also because it makes me look thinner and more confident. Who doesn't want that?
So what is proper skeletal alignment? Glad you asked!
I have a little exercise for you- one that has come in handy and keeps me in check. And you can do it while you are sitting here reading my seldom-read blog. Ready? (This is so simple, it'll make you laugh!):
First of all, skooch forward a little, so that your back isn't in contact with the back of your chair anymore. Bend your elbows in front of your body, holding your arms at a 90-degree angle- like you are sitting in an arm chair. Now, turn your palms face up. Lastly, pull your thumbs back towards your body.
What did you do? Surprised? Yep! You sat right up strait, didn't you? THAT's proper spinal alignment, and the position you should be trying to achieve all the time.
It works equally well standing, also.
If you can do this little posture-check several times a day, sooner or later you will start to hold yourself in proper alignment naturally. Slouching will feel unnatural, and your body will thank you.
This, combined with conscientiously holding your stomach muscles in will help strengthen your core better than any ab exercise I can recommend.
This is also, coincidentally, the "proper alignment" and "neutral spine" people are talking about when they refer to exercising.
Let me know what you think!
So what is proper skeletal alignment? Glad you asked!
I have a little exercise for you- one that has come in handy and keeps me in check. And you can do it while you are sitting here reading my seldom-read blog. Ready? (This is so simple, it'll make you laugh!):
First of all, skooch forward a little, so that your back isn't in contact with the back of your chair anymore. Bend your elbows in front of your body, holding your arms at a 90-degree angle- like you are sitting in an arm chair. Now, turn your palms face up. Lastly, pull your thumbs back towards your body.
What did you do? Surprised? Yep! You sat right up strait, didn't you? THAT's proper spinal alignment, and the position you should be trying to achieve all the time.
It works equally well standing, also.
If you can do this little posture-check several times a day, sooner or later you will start to hold yourself in proper alignment naturally. Slouching will feel unnatural, and your body will thank you.
This, combined with conscientiously holding your stomach muscles in will help strengthen your core better than any ab exercise I can recommend.
This is also, coincidentally, the "proper alignment" and "neutral spine" people are talking about when they refer to exercising.
Let me know what you think!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Abdominal workout tips
Here are a few tips to get the most out of your ab exercises. All of these help to ensure that your abdominal muscles do the work and not other body parts:
1. When doing any kind of crunch, strait up or to the side for obliques, keep your elbows so far back that you can only see them in your peripheral vision.
2. Also for any kind of crunch, keep your chin well back from your chest wall. You at least want a fists-length distance between your chin and the base of your neck- more is better.
3. When doing standard crunches, focus on a spot on the ceiling slightly behind your head. You want to be looking up and back, not up and forward.
4. When doing side crunches, pull your shoulder towards your knee, not your elbow. Keep your elbow far back as in rule #1, above. Envision there is a rope or cable attaching your shoulder and opposite knee that is being pulled on to pull you up into the crunch position. And come up as far as possible on side-crunches.
5. When doing strait-leg lifts (also called ceiling stamps) for lower abs, point your toes towards the ceiling at the top of the move.
6. ALWAYS think of the part of the abs you are using (middle, upper, lower, or obliques) as the originator of the movement. The more mental focus you can put on the muscle worked, the more muscle fibers you will engage and therefore the better the workout of the muscle will be.
And remember: The best ab exercise you can do is to push the plate away from you at the table. The less fat cells you have at your mid-section, the better your abs will look.
1. When doing any kind of crunch, strait up or to the side for obliques, keep your elbows so far back that you can only see them in your peripheral vision.
2. Also for any kind of crunch, keep your chin well back from your chest wall. You at least want a fists-length distance between your chin and the base of your neck- more is better.
3. When doing standard crunches, focus on a spot on the ceiling slightly behind your head. You want to be looking up and back, not up and forward.
4. When doing side crunches, pull your shoulder towards your knee, not your elbow. Keep your elbow far back as in rule #1, above. Envision there is a rope or cable attaching your shoulder and opposite knee that is being pulled on to pull you up into the crunch position. And come up as far as possible on side-crunches.
5. When doing strait-leg lifts (also called ceiling stamps) for lower abs, point your toes towards the ceiling at the top of the move.
6. ALWAYS think of the part of the abs you are using (middle, upper, lower, or obliques) as the originator of the movement. The more mental focus you can put on the muscle worked, the more muscle fibers you will engage and therefore the better the workout of the muscle will be.
And remember: The best ab exercise you can do is to push the plate away from you at the table. The less fat cells you have at your mid-section, the better your abs will look.
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