Though my belly does still shake like a bowl full of jelly, unfortunately, I can't say that this has been a fabulous Christmas. So far, it has been quiet, which is a blessing, but due to financial strife all month, there was little money for gifts and I barely managed to get things for everyone on the list. My stress levels have been very high all month, and my Crohns has been flaring in response to that stress. Of course, I have also been terrible at resisting emotional eating and chowing on sweets, but I have kept up with my workouts despite illness and crazy weather and scheduling conflicts. Last Thursday it took my husband's vanpool THREE hours to get from Redmond to Maple Valley, and I couldn't make it to the gym because my son was ill, and they don't allow sick kids in the daycare. So there was that added frustration, and now my hubby is extremely ill, and barely able to make it out of bed to open presents today, so I am trying to make up for his non-existent holiday cheer by being extra attentive to my son, family and friends. I still am planning on a nice Christmas dinner of ham, mashed potatoes, corn and tofu-pumpkin pie for dessert.
Traffic has been insane in the whole SE King County area, and there was snow and sleet on the ground today. Because I do not like to drive anyway, the traffic conditions and rude drivers have only added to my stress levels. I actually ate two-thirds of a box of dark chocolate cordial cherries Monday night. I just could not stop eating them. My son was despondant, so I had to buy him his own box of milk chocolate cherries, which he ate in one day. Sigh. Nice job of passing on my bad habits there.
But I have avoided some of the more onerous holiday snacking, such as eating whole bottles of marachino cherries, or making sure that I make several dozen sugar cookies and eat at least a dozen myself. This year, Santa got chocolate mini-kiss cookies that I couldn't eat because they had eggs and dairy in them. And the cherries stayed on the shelf. So I figure if I have a small soy pudding later in the week, that will be okay, I will work that in to my calorie count for the day. And January, with its resolutions won't intimidate me this year, because I know that I can lose weight sensibly without starving. And one final note, my neighbor actually called me "buff" the other day! Ha! I don't consider myself Bruce Lee, but I do feel more toned and muscular than I have in 20 years.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Coming off Cortisone
Greetings from upholstered belly central!
I finished my last round of antibiotics and my week of prednisone last week on Tuesday.
Now I just have to be patient and continue to exercise off the 4 pounds of fat and 5 pounds of water I gained while taking the steroids. I have to admit that I wasn't going to take the prednisone, but my asthma got so bad that I was having trouble breathing through the night, and kept waking up coughing and wheezing. The cortisone really helped my reactive airways and allowed the antibiotics to rout the rest of the pneumonia from the bottom of my lungs.
My PCP wasn't happy to hear, during my third visit, that I'd been exercising all month while battling the pneumonia. She felt I should have spent at least two weeks on bed rest. I didn't really feel the need for bed rest while I was sick, though, and I felt able to continue my regime of light/low impact workouts at least three times a week. I doubt that these workouts had any deleterious effects on my healing ability. In fact, I think they helped my immune system in dealing with the bacteria in my lungs.
I also think I would have gained three times more weight had I not continued with my work out routine. Especially considering the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband and sons birthdays were all food fests that I fully participated in, though I did try to limit my portions on Thanksgiving. Still, the soy chocolate/vanilla pudding and the Rice Dream peach non-dairy ice cream I've consumed in the past couple of weeks can't be blamed on the holidays...I just gave in to my cortisone-cravings for sugar.
Meanwhile, I've been assigned an article on three local gyms and their programs to help people lose weight and get in shape for the coming year. I'm really looking forward to talking to Janice Zander and Carol Kayler of Work It Out Women's Fitness, as I believe that WIO's boot camp and other new classes will be a good fit for many local women seeking a way to get in shape for 2008. I'll probably end up writing the story on Wednesday, Dec 12, which is my 47th birthday, but I am okay with that, as I really want to be paid as soon as possible so I can go Christmas shopping for my son, husband and parents. I am trying not to stress about the state of our finances, but I find myself wanting to do some serious emotional eating when I think about how tough Christmas is going to be this year.
Thank heaven for the endorphins and friends I have at Work It Out, because without them, I'd be an anxious mess.
I finished my last round of antibiotics and my week of prednisone last week on Tuesday.
Now I just have to be patient and continue to exercise off the 4 pounds of fat and 5 pounds of water I gained while taking the steroids. I have to admit that I wasn't going to take the prednisone, but my asthma got so bad that I was having trouble breathing through the night, and kept waking up coughing and wheezing. The cortisone really helped my reactive airways and allowed the antibiotics to rout the rest of the pneumonia from the bottom of my lungs.
My PCP wasn't happy to hear, during my third visit, that I'd been exercising all month while battling the pneumonia. She felt I should have spent at least two weeks on bed rest. I didn't really feel the need for bed rest while I was sick, though, and I felt able to continue my regime of light/low impact workouts at least three times a week. I doubt that these workouts had any deleterious effects on my healing ability. In fact, I think they helped my immune system in dealing with the bacteria in my lungs.
I also think I would have gained three times more weight had I not continued with my work out routine. Especially considering the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband and sons birthdays were all food fests that I fully participated in, though I did try to limit my portions on Thanksgiving. Still, the soy chocolate/vanilla pudding and the Rice Dream peach non-dairy ice cream I've consumed in the past couple of weeks can't be blamed on the holidays...I just gave in to my cortisone-cravings for sugar.
Meanwhile, I've been assigned an article on three local gyms and their programs to help people lose weight and get in shape for the coming year. I'm really looking forward to talking to Janice Zander and Carol Kayler of Work It Out Women's Fitness, as I believe that WIO's boot camp and other new classes will be a good fit for many local women seeking a way to get in shape for 2008. I'll probably end up writing the story on Wednesday, Dec 12, which is my 47th birthday, but I am okay with that, as I really want to be paid as soon as possible so I can go Christmas shopping for my son, husband and parents. I am trying not to stress about the state of our finances, but I find myself wanting to do some serious emotional eating when I think about how tough Christmas is going to be this year.
Thank heaven for the endorphins and friends I have at Work It Out, because without them, I'd be an anxious mess.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Breathing Through Pudding
I've now officially had pneumonia for a month. I've had to take nearly three rounds of antibiotics to kill the bacteria in my lungs, and though I am almost finished with this last round of Avelox, I still feel like I am breathing through pudding made of acid--my lungs hurt and it feels like my back has been pummeled. I've been working out at least 3 times a week anyway, just huffing and wheezing harder and trying to keep my heart rate from skyrocketing. Slowing down so much makes me feel like I'm 70 during my workouts, but I figure that its important to keep active so my immune system will kick in at some point. Plus, I over ate after Thanksgiving (I love leftovers!) so I know I won't reach my weight loss goals unless I keep pushing myself to gain muscle and lose fat.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, my nose was so stuffy that I couldn't smell or really taste much, except for discerning texture, so I did fairly well at dinner that day because I wasn't hungry enough to overeat...and food isn't as appetizing when you can't enjoy the aroma of it cooking.
But I daresay our guests for the afternoon feast, Bill K and Anita,his significant other, seemed to enjoy the repast and the company, though, compared to their fancy condo in Seattle, our humble abode must look like a slum.
While shopping for the feast, I was actually hit on by a very nice older guy (as in someone in his 50s) in the beer aisle of the grocery store. He advised me as to which beer is most appropriate for dining with my husbands former boss, and flirted shamelessly for several minutes. It was quite refreshing, considering no one has flirted with me for about 20 years.
My son Nick celebrated his 8th birthday this past weekend, and had a Pokemon cake with 'eyeball" marshmallow ice cream. The ugly chocolate "eyeballs" in the ice cream were much coveted by Nicks buddies. They all played games at Noobs in Covington and had a splendid time. Today is Nicks actual birth date, though, so I am going to bring cupcakes to his classroom and read them all a story or two. I find it hard to believe that 8 years have gone by since I felt that little boys big baby foot cut through my cervix in an effort to escape his now-dry womb...he was such a tiny little fellow, all of 3.5 pounds, but he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen when they wrapped him up and showed me his sweet face. What a miracle he was, and is, now that he's a big, strapping 80 pound child. I have a great deal to be thankful for, and when all the financial woes of my family start to get me down, I try to remember that. I also try to remember that I have friends who have recently lost someone they love, or are about to lose someone they love, and so far, knock wood, I haven't lost my parents or any of my immediate family.
Fortune favors the bold, they say, but I think fortune also favors those who have compassion for their fellow humans and want to believe the best of everyone they meet.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, my nose was so stuffy that I couldn't smell or really taste much, except for discerning texture, so I did fairly well at dinner that day because I wasn't hungry enough to overeat...and food isn't as appetizing when you can't enjoy the aroma of it cooking.
But I daresay our guests for the afternoon feast, Bill K and Anita,his significant other, seemed to enjoy the repast and the company, though, compared to their fancy condo in Seattle, our humble abode must look like a slum.
While shopping for the feast, I was actually hit on by a very nice older guy (as in someone in his 50s) in the beer aisle of the grocery store. He advised me as to which beer is most appropriate for dining with my husbands former boss, and flirted shamelessly for several minutes. It was quite refreshing, considering no one has flirted with me for about 20 years.
My son Nick celebrated his 8th birthday this past weekend, and had a Pokemon cake with 'eyeball" marshmallow ice cream. The ugly chocolate "eyeballs" in the ice cream were much coveted by Nicks buddies. They all played games at Noobs in Covington and had a splendid time. Today is Nicks actual birth date, though, so I am going to bring cupcakes to his classroom and read them all a story or two. I find it hard to believe that 8 years have gone by since I felt that little boys big baby foot cut through my cervix in an effort to escape his now-dry womb...he was such a tiny little fellow, all of 3.5 pounds, but he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen when they wrapped him up and showed me his sweet face. What a miracle he was, and is, now that he's a big, strapping 80 pound child. I have a great deal to be thankful for, and when all the financial woes of my family start to get me down, I try to remember that. I also try to remember that I have friends who have recently lost someone they love, or are about to lose someone they love, and so far, knock wood, I haven't lost my parents or any of my immediate family.
Fortune favors the bold, they say, but I think fortune also favors those who have compassion for their fellow humans and want to believe the best of everyone they meet.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Craving the White Stuff
I'm on antibiotics for what my doctor tells me is a case of walking pneumonia, and I've been directed to taking more inhaled steroids and, if those don't work, oral cortisone, which I am loathe to ingest, because the side effects of having an appetite 24/7 and gaining 30 pounds or more tends to send me into a deep depression.
Ugh.
The winter lunger is a tradition with me, as I've had winter virus/flu/respiratory infections for as long as I've had asthma, which is about 42 years.
It's getting harder to get over these things as I get older, though, and doctors are not as good about helping out my tattered immune system with antibiotics as they used to be, mainly because of MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria that are lurking around out there, killing off old folks, children and other immune-compromised people, like myself (I am taking azithioprine, a drug that depresses the immune system).
Oh, and before I forget, I'd like to set the record straight about something that could be misunderstood from previous posts. I do NOT hate Janice Zander,co-owner of Work It Out Womens fitness, easily one of the best gyms I've ever had the good fortune to attend.
Janice is a very tough and intense instructor, and, as such, somewhat frightening to those overstuffed with avoirdupois, like me. I'm not limber, nimble or agile, and I have a hard time with some of the moves she devises for her classes. I realise its all in the name of fitness, muscle building and health, and that there's no malice involved, but, being raised as the good midwestern child that I was, I am loathe to disappoint my teachers, and I hate feeling like a big fat plodding idiot, which is what often happens to me when I attempt moves that are beyond my physical limitations.
Yet I still take Janices classes and modify the moves I can't accomplish. Since Billie is still out with kidney infections, Janice is teaching her classes, and yesterdays balla and weights class was surprisingly easy...I assume because the lovely Marilee has bronchitis and I mentioned that I have pneumonia, and I can only assume Janice didn't want to have to call 911 for either one of us. So she mercifully kept it low impact, though we did a lot of reps during the weights portion of the class. Still, it was a manageable class that I enjoyed and was amazed to complete, crap-filled lungs and all. And Janice rocks!
I find that I tire more easily when my lungs are infected, and that it hurts to take a deep breath. I also find that inhaled steroids and antibiotics make me crave the white stuff--sugar, in copious amounts. I have this insatiable need for sweets, and, knowing it will end up on my belly, I have the opposite desire to not consume too much of it, lest I gain back all the weight I've worked so hard to lose. Of course my husband, who lost 15 pounds in three weeks just by giving up coke and exercising, hasn't gained an ounce back, even though he is back to eating fake cheeze products on crackers, beer nuts, chocolate milk and beer, with the occaisional peanut butter cup or chocolate brownie thrown in for good measure. And he doesn't gain it back! ARG!
How unfair is that? And his doctor told him today that she thinks he may just be able to go swimming a couple of times a week, stay away from cola and sweets, and not have to go on any type of diabetes medication for his insulin resistance. Again, how unfair! I think she should have told him he needs to exercise at least three times a week, and lay off the beer and crappy snacks completely. But no. He gets a get out of jail free card, while I'm working out 5 times a week and not losing a pound.
But today is Jims 47th birthday, so I suppose the man is entitled to a bit of good news. I just wish my body worked as well as his does at shedding weight and fighting off colds and infections. Men and their superior ability to gain muscle and lose weight really chaps my hide this time of year. I know that hubby will be able to overeat on Thanksgiving and Christmas with impunity, dagnabit.
Oh, well, there are some compensations to being female, I suppose. Being cleaner, softer and being able to produce wonderful people like my son Nick are but a few I could name.
Ugh.
The winter lunger is a tradition with me, as I've had winter virus/flu/respiratory infections for as long as I've had asthma, which is about 42 years.
It's getting harder to get over these things as I get older, though, and doctors are not as good about helping out my tattered immune system with antibiotics as they used to be, mainly because of MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria that are lurking around out there, killing off old folks, children and other immune-compromised people, like myself (I am taking azithioprine, a drug that depresses the immune system).
Oh, and before I forget, I'd like to set the record straight about something that could be misunderstood from previous posts. I do NOT hate Janice Zander,co-owner of Work It Out Womens fitness, easily one of the best gyms I've ever had the good fortune to attend.
Janice is a very tough and intense instructor, and, as such, somewhat frightening to those overstuffed with avoirdupois, like me. I'm not limber, nimble or agile, and I have a hard time with some of the moves she devises for her classes. I realise its all in the name of fitness, muscle building and health, and that there's no malice involved, but, being raised as the good midwestern child that I was, I am loathe to disappoint my teachers, and I hate feeling like a big fat plodding idiot, which is what often happens to me when I attempt moves that are beyond my physical limitations.
Yet I still take Janices classes and modify the moves I can't accomplish. Since Billie is still out with kidney infections, Janice is teaching her classes, and yesterdays balla and weights class was surprisingly easy...I assume because the lovely Marilee has bronchitis and I mentioned that I have pneumonia, and I can only assume Janice didn't want to have to call 911 for either one of us. So she mercifully kept it low impact, though we did a lot of reps during the weights portion of the class. Still, it was a manageable class that I enjoyed and was amazed to complete, crap-filled lungs and all. And Janice rocks!
I find that I tire more easily when my lungs are infected, and that it hurts to take a deep breath. I also find that inhaled steroids and antibiotics make me crave the white stuff--sugar, in copious amounts. I have this insatiable need for sweets, and, knowing it will end up on my belly, I have the opposite desire to not consume too much of it, lest I gain back all the weight I've worked so hard to lose. Of course my husband, who lost 15 pounds in three weeks just by giving up coke and exercising, hasn't gained an ounce back, even though he is back to eating fake cheeze products on crackers, beer nuts, chocolate milk and beer, with the occaisional peanut butter cup or chocolate brownie thrown in for good measure. And he doesn't gain it back! ARG!
How unfair is that? And his doctor told him today that she thinks he may just be able to go swimming a couple of times a week, stay away from cola and sweets, and not have to go on any type of diabetes medication for his insulin resistance. Again, how unfair! I think she should have told him he needs to exercise at least three times a week, and lay off the beer and crappy snacks completely. But no. He gets a get out of jail free card, while I'm working out 5 times a week and not losing a pound.
But today is Jims 47th birthday, so I suppose the man is entitled to a bit of good news. I just wish my body worked as well as his does at shedding weight and fighting off colds and infections. Men and their superior ability to gain muscle and lose weight really chaps my hide this time of year. I know that hubby will be able to overeat on Thanksgiving and Christmas with impunity, dagnabit.
Oh, well, there are some compensations to being female, I suppose. Being cleaner, softer and being able to produce wonderful people like my son Nick are but a few I could name.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Mercury Retrograde/Full Moon Mess
I don't know whether its the full moon or the oft-mentioned Mercury Retrograde (if you ken to astrology) that was at fault these past 10 days for all the things going wrong or painful lessons being learned, but I, for one, am praying that it has passed now. Please.
Here's what happened (not necessarily in this order):
My computer, that I'd only had for three weeks, died. It cost me $180 (thanks Adrian!) to fix it. I was planning on using that money for gifts for my huz and son, both of whom have November birthdays.
My mothers refrigerator died, and she was only able to find another side by side for over a thousand dollars. So her holiday and birthday budget was compromised as well.
Halloween happened and I have no will power when it comes to candy corn. I must have eaten at least a cup of those triangular sugar bombs.
I caught the lung crud that has been going around and coughed up my lungs every night, so I didn't get much sleep. My favorite instructor, Billie, had the same thing, but also ended up with a kidney infection that has her doctors threatening her with the hospital if she doesn't take it easy and just teach her aerobics classes without breaking a sweat herself. I haven't been able to get an appointment with my doctor until doomsday, so I will either have to shake this thing myself or go to the urgent care, which is always a bummer, because you end up spending all day in the waiting room. Due to my lungs feeling like they were on fire, I didn't get to work out Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, so I had to do double workouts on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. I plan to take a family trail walk on Sunday.
I had a telephone interview for a position I was told was telecommuting/freelance that turned out to be anything but, and I wasted a whole day preparing for it.
I washed something red in with other clothing and turned a bunch of stuff pink, including a stripped shirt of my sons...he actually thought I'd done it on purpose, but he was okay with the cotton candy coloring, which is slightly disturbing from a taste standpoint.
I broke several dishes, a pitcher, the lip of my lap desk, and three ponytail holders.
My husband was laid off from his very good job on Friday. His company didn't get the contracts they thought they were going to get, and subsequently can't afford a full editorial dept, so they laid off Jim and another editor. And he has to work through next week, during his birthday, and suffer through a goodbye party when he's the kind of guy who hates crowds. I think they should give him a birthday bash and a huge severence package. He will get some severence, but not much, as he's only been there a year. Hopefully, he will get contract work soon. Our sons birthday, mine, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all coming up, and we'll be strapped for cash, again. Oy.
I took a belly dancing class last night, which was, as Beth warned me, WAYYYYY harder than it looked, and I realized that I have all the grace and coordination of a water buffalo. Undulation is just beyond me.
I gained 5 pounds and then lost 3. So I am still two pounds up from where I was about 3-4 weeks ago, but I am hoping to get back on track this month and lose another 4-6 pounds. I will have to stay away from Naan bread, Rice Dream peach pie "ice cream" and their ginger cookie version, too. I am betting I need to keep paws off the "Tings" as well. I've been baaad.
Two zits appeared on my face this week...why, I don't know...stress, maybe?
The lovely libran belly dancing instructor, who told us she's "near 60" looks younger than I do, and she's a total hottie. She is in flawless shape, and can move in such a sexy and sinuous manner that I am sure most men would be drooling on her toes after being in her presence for 5 minutes. She was a delight to talk to, and I thoroughly enjoyed her class, though I sort of waddled my way through it, but I don't think I have the gene that allows my hips to slide and shimmy in such a seductive fashion. I plod and thump about like an old badger. Still, it was enriching and invigorating to give the class a try. I wish I could afford to go again.
Which brings us to money, and my lack thereof. I haven't a clue how I am going to find money for birthdays and holidays. I need a monetary miracle, or cash-flow feng shui.
One happy thing that I heard from Carol Kayler was that Lori, one of my fellow boot campers, got back from her trip to Ethiopia, where she lost 20 pounds, due to that country's lack of sugar (a sugar free country? However do they manage?), Starbucks, and any kind of junk food. This news had everyone within hearing planning trips to Africa.
Another good idea was reading Victoria Moran's "Lit From Within" which was a joyful book full of positive ideas and wonderful words of wisdom on leading a light-filled existence, and being the beautiful woman you were meant to be. I highly recomend the book, though I do not agree with everything in it. Still, I passed it along to my friend Janine. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
Here's what happened (not necessarily in this order):
My computer, that I'd only had for three weeks, died. It cost me $180 (thanks Adrian!) to fix it. I was planning on using that money for gifts for my huz and son, both of whom have November birthdays.
My mothers refrigerator died, and she was only able to find another side by side for over a thousand dollars. So her holiday and birthday budget was compromised as well.
Halloween happened and I have no will power when it comes to candy corn. I must have eaten at least a cup of those triangular sugar bombs.
I caught the lung crud that has been going around and coughed up my lungs every night, so I didn't get much sleep. My favorite instructor, Billie, had the same thing, but also ended up with a kidney infection that has her doctors threatening her with the hospital if she doesn't take it easy and just teach her aerobics classes without breaking a sweat herself. I haven't been able to get an appointment with my doctor until doomsday, so I will either have to shake this thing myself or go to the urgent care, which is always a bummer, because you end up spending all day in the waiting room. Due to my lungs feeling like they were on fire, I didn't get to work out Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, so I had to do double workouts on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. I plan to take a family trail walk on Sunday.
I had a telephone interview for a position I was told was telecommuting/freelance that turned out to be anything but, and I wasted a whole day preparing for it.
I washed something red in with other clothing and turned a bunch of stuff pink, including a stripped shirt of my sons...he actually thought I'd done it on purpose, but he was okay with the cotton candy coloring, which is slightly disturbing from a taste standpoint.
I broke several dishes, a pitcher, the lip of my lap desk, and three ponytail holders.
My husband was laid off from his very good job on Friday. His company didn't get the contracts they thought they were going to get, and subsequently can't afford a full editorial dept, so they laid off Jim and another editor. And he has to work through next week, during his birthday, and suffer through a goodbye party when he's the kind of guy who hates crowds. I think they should give him a birthday bash and a huge severence package. He will get some severence, but not much, as he's only been there a year. Hopefully, he will get contract work soon. Our sons birthday, mine, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all coming up, and we'll be strapped for cash, again. Oy.
I took a belly dancing class last night, which was, as Beth warned me, WAYYYYY harder than it looked, and I realized that I have all the grace and coordination of a water buffalo. Undulation is just beyond me.
I gained 5 pounds and then lost 3. So I am still two pounds up from where I was about 3-4 weeks ago, but I am hoping to get back on track this month and lose another 4-6 pounds. I will have to stay away from Naan bread, Rice Dream peach pie "ice cream" and their ginger cookie version, too. I am betting I need to keep paws off the "Tings" as well. I've been baaad.
Two zits appeared on my face this week...why, I don't know...stress, maybe?
The lovely libran belly dancing instructor, who told us she's "near 60" looks younger than I do, and she's a total hottie. She is in flawless shape, and can move in such a sexy and sinuous manner that I am sure most men would be drooling on her toes after being in her presence for 5 minutes. She was a delight to talk to, and I thoroughly enjoyed her class, though I sort of waddled my way through it, but I don't think I have the gene that allows my hips to slide and shimmy in such a seductive fashion. I plod and thump about like an old badger. Still, it was enriching and invigorating to give the class a try. I wish I could afford to go again.
Which brings us to money, and my lack thereof. I haven't a clue how I am going to find money for birthdays and holidays. I need a monetary miracle, or cash-flow feng shui.
One happy thing that I heard from Carol Kayler was that Lori, one of my fellow boot campers, got back from her trip to Ethiopia, where she lost 20 pounds, due to that country's lack of sugar (a sugar free country? However do they manage?), Starbucks, and any kind of junk food. This news had everyone within hearing planning trips to Africa.
Another good idea was reading Victoria Moran's "Lit From Within" which was a joyful book full of positive ideas and wonderful words of wisdom on leading a light-filled existence, and being the beautiful woman you were meant to be. I highly recomend the book, though I do not agree with everything in it. Still, I passed it along to my friend Janine. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Groaning Glutes
My glutes are groaning! My hamstrings are humming and my abs are abominable right now, because Janice took over for a sick Billie in Balls and Weights class on Friday, so I had four Janice classes in a row this week, which means every class was doubly difficult. That translates to lots of sore muscles and aching body parts, even though I modified many of the exercises to the best of my ability.
Though I've taken two hot baths and downed several naprosyn (Aleve) so that I can bend over and do housework, or sit on those sore butt muscles, I am still feeling like a 100 year old woman who was asked to march the length of the Sahara every day with an 8-year-old strapped to her back.
I know, whine, whine...but other than last summers boot camp, I've not had to deal with muscle soreness or aches and pains during my regular work outs, because I've been careful to choose exercises that are low impact and gentle on the joints. I'm NOT a believer in the "no pain, no gain" school of muscle building. That's for young fools or people with very limber and resilient joints, not for 40-somethings with padded bellies and tubby torsos or flubbed knees.
I was so glad to see Suzanne yesterday morning for "Saturday Surprise" class that I hugged her like she'd been gone for years! I was just beginning to wonder, and I know this sounds paranoid, if Janice was following me and watching me in each class I was taking. She said, during the first part of Balls and Weights, before Billie left, "Now that I'm here I can watch you and make sure you don't cheat." I nearly choked. Why would she think I've been cheating in B&W class? Just because I enjoy bouncing on the ball and have a good time because Billie is such a fun and uplifting instructor does NOT mean that I'm cheating or not getting the full benefit of a work out. In fact, the opposite is true...I feel like I get a better work out in Billies class, and time seems to go by faster, because I'm not gasping like a fish and trying not to pass out or barf all over the gym floor. I work hard, but I don't kill myself, and I don't think I should have to kill myself to get good cardio exercise and build muscle while losing fat.
I even asked Carol, the co-owner of the gym, if perhaps something was amiss, and Janice was taking over everyones classes because they couldn't pay the instructors, or, heaven forbid, they were closing their doors!
Carol, being the darling gal she is, told me not to worry, that because she doesn't have any boot camps going for the next few months, Janice feels the need to go to all the gym classes and update the instructors while finding out which classes are popular and soforth. Carol is busy writing up the information needed for their entry as one of the top 20 small businesses in America! GO WORK IT OUT! No one is more deserving of the best small business of the year award than Carol and Janice, who have managed to build a gym that is a haven for women trying to change their bodies and become healthy.
Anyway, wish me luck as I crawl to classes this week and hope that my glutes don't just give up and fall off my body!
Though I've taken two hot baths and downed several naprosyn (Aleve) so that I can bend over and do housework, or sit on those sore butt muscles, I am still feeling like a 100 year old woman who was asked to march the length of the Sahara every day with an 8-year-old strapped to her back.
I know, whine, whine...but other than last summers boot camp, I've not had to deal with muscle soreness or aches and pains during my regular work outs, because I've been careful to choose exercises that are low impact and gentle on the joints. I'm NOT a believer in the "no pain, no gain" school of muscle building. That's for young fools or people with very limber and resilient joints, not for 40-somethings with padded bellies and tubby torsos or flubbed knees.
I was so glad to see Suzanne yesterday morning for "Saturday Surprise" class that I hugged her like she'd been gone for years! I was just beginning to wonder, and I know this sounds paranoid, if Janice was following me and watching me in each class I was taking. She said, during the first part of Balls and Weights, before Billie left, "Now that I'm here I can watch you and make sure you don't cheat." I nearly choked. Why would she think I've been cheating in B&W class? Just because I enjoy bouncing on the ball and have a good time because Billie is such a fun and uplifting instructor does NOT mean that I'm cheating or not getting the full benefit of a work out. In fact, the opposite is true...I feel like I get a better work out in Billies class, and time seems to go by faster, because I'm not gasping like a fish and trying not to pass out or barf all over the gym floor. I work hard, but I don't kill myself, and I don't think I should have to kill myself to get good cardio exercise and build muscle while losing fat.
I even asked Carol, the co-owner of the gym, if perhaps something was amiss, and Janice was taking over everyones classes because they couldn't pay the instructors, or, heaven forbid, they were closing their doors!
Carol, being the darling gal she is, told me not to worry, that because she doesn't have any boot camps going for the next few months, Janice feels the need to go to all the gym classes and update the instructors while finding out which classes are popular and soforth. Carol is busy writing up the information needed for their entry as one of the top 20 small businesses in America! GO WORK IT OUT! No one is more deserving of the best small business of the year award than Carol and Janice, who have managed to build a gym that is a haven for women trying to change their bodies and become healthy.
Anyway, wish me luck as I crawl to classes this week and hope that my glutes don't just give up and fall off my body!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Three P's and Diet Rage
I've been spending a lot of my exercise time trying to avoid the three P's---pain, passing out and puking. I hate throwing up, and have a strong aversion to anything that smells even faintly of vomit, like some cheeses. This is one reason I could never be bulimic...I wouldn't be able to force myself to hurl after every meal.
Anyway, I've been avoiding taking Janice's boot camp class mainly for this reason. She prefers to teach high-impact, no-holds-barred exercises that involve lots of jumping and running and other joint-stressing activities. I am just too old and too fat to accomplish most of her exercises, and I've got a knee that screams in pain every time I try jumping or leaping about.
Yet I managed to survive last nights boot camp class that Janice insisted that I try, and I don't think I could have made it without my workout buddies Charlotte and Beth, heaven bless them, who both modified exercises with me and teamed up with me, the only fat person in the class, to help me get through the series of obstacles and jumps Janice had set up for us. I thought I was going to puke and pass out by the end of the class, but my buddies were triumphant that we'd all managed to finish without having a cardiac! YAY! Beth and Char, you gals ROCK!
From SparkPeople, the article below has some great ideas on keeping your focus healthy when dieting and exercising to lose weight. I know that I am guilty as sin of not seeing the forest for the trees and being dissatisfied with where I am in my weight loss program. Most days I berate myself for eating too much, eating something I shouldn't or just for not losing 100 pounds this year, as I did 20 years ago. But, as with most things, it's all about the journey, not the destination. I've got to remember that. And the shortcuts never work thing is especially poignient for me, as I am always dreaming about ways to get to my goal faster.
Dieting Destination by Mike Kramer
Think about your dieting history. Does it give you the same feeling as an exasperating traffic jam? You never quite get where you want to go as fast as you want to get there. You get aggravated, yell (usually at yourself), and see people in other lanes going faster than you (how do they DO that?!), and it usually ends up ruining your day.Here’s the lesson: Getting frustrated with your diet does no more good than getting frustrated in traffic. It just makes you unhappy, unsuccessful and tense.By the time I got to work (it was a long commute), I noticed a lot of things that we, as weight loss veterans, can learn from traffic jams. Next time you start to feel frustrated with your weight loss progress, keep these "lessons of the road" in mind:
• Pay less attention to how much further you have to travel. Stop asking yourself "are we there yet?" You’ll get there when you get there. Instead, look at the scenery, think about life, carry on a conversation, sing along with the radio, or simply be thankful for how far you’ve come.
• The journey is always more fun with a passenger. Have you asked anyone along for the ride?
• You know the route you need to take to reach your weight loss goals. It’s already mapped out. As long as you stay pointed in the right direction, you’ll get there. Even in the worst traffic jams, you still get to your destination at some point. It’s the same way with dieting – just a matter of time. It may take longer than you first expected, but you will get there.
• There will always be periods of stopping and starting. It’s something that you should just anticipate and allow for. No use getting upset or stressed about not making progress. It’s a normal part of the journey.
• Sometimes, you’ve just gotta go with the flow of what’s going on around you. Life can present some situations that you really can’t do anything about. When that happens, staying straight and steady – doing the best that you can – will keep you on track and sane. In traffic, impatient people stop, change lanes, weave in and out of other cars, driving themselves and everyone else crazy – and in the end, usually don’t get any farther along than you do by staying put and going with the flow.
• Shortcuts never work.
• Driving too fast is dangerous. That’s why they call it "crash" dieting. Slow down, take what life gives you, and make sure you arrive at your destination in good health.I finally did get to my destination after all. Hands were pried away from the steering wheel, teeth were unclenched, and a few aspirin were popped. Of course, people in the cars around me probably had a good laugh at my arm-waving and soundless yelling. Funny how we can lose our senses when faced with something that frustrates us, whether it’s traffic or our diets. Hopefully, remembering these rules will help you reach your destination sooner – and more content – than you expected.
Anyway, I've been avoiding taking Janice's boot camp class mainly for this reason. She prefers to teach high-impact, no-holds-barred exercises that involve lots of jumping and running and other joint-stressing activities. I am just too old and too fat to accomplish most of her exercises, and I've got a knee that screams in pain every time I try jumping or leaping about.
Yet I managed to survive last nights boot camp class that Janice insisted that I try, and I don't think I could have made it without my workout buddies Charlotte and Beth, heaven bless them, who both modified exercises with me and teamed up with me, the only fat person in the class, to help me get through the series of obstacles and jumps Janice had set up for us. I thought I was going to puke and pass out by the end of the class, but my buddies were triumphant that we'd all managed to finish without having a cardiac! YAY! Beth and Char, you gals ROCK!
From SparkPeople, the article below has some great ideas on keeping your focus healthy when dieting and exercising to lose weight. I know that I am guilty as sin of not seeing the forest for the trees and being dissatisfied with where I am in my weight loss program. Most days I berate myself for eating too much, eating something I shouldn't or just for not losing 100 pounds this year, as I did 20 years ago. But, as with most things, it's all about the journey, not the destination. I've got to remember that. And the shortcuts never work thing is especially poignient for me, as I am always dreaming about ways to get to my goal faster.
Dieting Destination by Mike Kramer
Think about your dieting history. Does it give you the same feeling as an exasperating traffic jam? You never quite get where you want to go as fast as you want to get there. You get aggravated, yell (usually at yourself), and see people in other lanes going faster than you (how do they DO that?!), and it usually ends up ruining your day.Here’s the lesson: Getting frustrated with your diet does no more good than getting frustrated in traffic. It just makes you unhappy, unsuccessful and tense.By the time I got to work (it was a long commute), I noticed a lot of things that we, as weight loss veterans, can learn from traffic jams. Next time you start to feel frustrated with your weight loss progress, keep these "lessons of the road" in mind:
• Pay less attention to how much further you have to travel. Stop asking yourself "are we there yet?" You’ll get there when you get there. Instead, look at the scenery, think about life, carry on a conversation, sing along with the radio, or simply be thankful for how far you’ve come.
• The journey is always more fun with a passenger. Have you asked anyone along for the ride?
• You know the route you need to take to reach your weight loss goals. It’s already mapped out. As long as you stay pointed in the right direction, you’ll get there. Even in the worst traffic jams, you still get to your destination at some point. It’s the same way with dieting – just a matter of time. It may take longer than you first expected, but you will get there.
• There will always be periods of stopping and starting. It’s something that you should just anticipate and allow for. No use getting upset or stressed about not making progress. It’s a normal part of the journey.
• Sometimes, you’ve just gotta go with the flow of what’s going on around you. Life can present some situations that you really can’t do anything about. When that happens, staying straight and steady – doing the best that you can – will keep you on track and sane. In traffic, impatient people stop, change lanes, weave in and out of other cars, driving themselves and everyone else crazy – and in the end, usually don’t get any farther along than you do by staying put and going with the flow.
• Shortcuts never work.
• Driving too fast is dangerous. That’s why they call it "crash" dieting. Slow down, take what life gives you, and make sure you arrive at your destination in good health.I finally did get to my destination after all. Hands were pried away from the steering wheel, teeth were unclenched, and a few aspirin were popped. Of course, people in the cars around me probably had a good laugh at my arm-waving and soundless yelling. Funny how we can lose our senses when faced with something that frustrates us, whether it’s traffic or our diets. Hopefully, remembering these rules will help you reach your destination sooner – and more content – than you expected.
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