Friday, May 10, 2013
This Program Has Been Temporarily Interrupted
Sorry I haven't posted in a while but life has been hell on wheels around here for the past two weeks. My husband has been very sick and was in the hospital for three days earlier this week. I've had to tend to him pretty much every waking moment. I've been doing my exercise and following my food plan to the best of my ability but the hospitalization forced me to put that aside. Now that he's back home, I've come down with a hellacious cold from all the stress. I'm doing what I can to get back to routine but it will probably be another 3-5 days before all the pieces come back together as they were before his health crisis. Blogging will resume once I have something interesting to talk about again. Sickness is not interesting.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
April Results
It never ceases to amaze me how weird the weight loss journey can be. I was stressing all month that I wouldn't lose much weight but at the end of the day, I had lost 3.8 lbs. Almost hit my 4 lb. goal so go figure.
I'm going to also do monthly measurements as a second progress check and I'll have pictures posted in the next couple of days.
Here's the measurements. We'll see how much change there is from month to month.
Torso (bottom of the rib cage): 35"
Waist (at the bellybutton): 39.75"
Hips (at the point of the hipbones): 43.5"
Thighs (point of the femur): 26.75" (right) and 26" (left)
Knees (right above the kneecap): 21" (right) and 21.5" (left)
I'm having some joint problems this morning. Now that I know I have RA, I need to be superviligent about this. My wrist is more sore than usual, my right knee was sore when I did squats, and my right ankle was giving me twinges when I walked the dog. I stopped the squats at two sets when I couldn't find a position that wasn't painful. The rest of the workout went just fine but we'll see what this means and whether I need to contact the doctor. I'll be increasing the meds dosage this weekend and hopefully things will settle down.
I'm going to also do monthly measurements as a second progress check and I'll have pictures posted in the next couple of days.
Here's the measurements. We'll see how much change there is from month to month.
Torso (bottom of the rib cage): 35"
Waist (at the bellybutton): 39.75"
Hips (at the point of the hipbones): 43.5"
Thighs (point of the femur): 26.75" (right) and 26" (left)
Knees (right above the kneecap): 21" (right) and 21.5" (left)
I'm having some joint problems this morning. Now that I know I have RA, I need to be superviligent about this. My wrist is more sore than usual, my right knee was sore when I did squats, and my right ankle was giving me twinges when I walked the dog. I stopped the squats at two sets when I couldn't find a position that wasn't painful. The rest of the workout went just fine but we'll see what this means and whether I need to contact the doctor. I'll be increasing the meds dosage this weekend and hopefully things will settle down.
Monday, April 29, 2013
A Germ of Thought
I may not be losing weight very fast but I am killing it in the gym. I'm working so hard and loving every minute of it. You probably couldn't tell by the look on my face when I'm trying to get that last rep on the leg press but I love it because it represents progress.
I've been having this crazy idea lately. It's not a new idea. It's one I've toyed with repeatedly over the years. When I was in my early 30's, I was deeply into bodybuilding and the bodybuilding scene in Illinois. I trained at a bodybuilding gym. I attended the shows and even began the process of certification as a show judge. I was starting my first prep for a show when I got pregnant and that pretty much ended that story. I've tried getting back in the gym on and off over the years but haven't been able to dedicate myself to training until two years ago. I gained so much weight that I screwed up my health and obliterated any gains I had made both with my weight and my musculature.
But I never completely lost the dream of competing again. Usually I look in the mirror and tell myself there's no way I could ever get my body back into competing shape, not at my age. And maybe that's true. I don't know. But I'm starting to have the crazy idea that maybe it's not such an impossible goal after all. Difficult, yes. Lots of hard work and sacrifice, for sure. But impossible, maybe not. It's just a gleam of a germ of a thought right now but thoughts become things. Maybe if I think this thought just right, it will flower into reality. Just maybe...
I've been having this crazy idea lately. It's not a new idea. It's one I've toyed with repeatedly over the years. When I was in my early 30's, I was deeply into bodybuilding and the bodybuilding scene in Illinois. I trained at a bodybuilding gym. I attended the shows and even began the process of certification as a show judge. I was starting my first prep for a show when I got pregnant and that pretty much ended that story. I've tried getting back in the gym on and off over the years but haven't been able to dedicate myself to training until two years ago. I gained so much weight that I screwed up my health and obliterated any gains I had made both with my weight and my musculature.
But I never completely lost the dream of competing again. Usually I look in the mirror and tell myself there's no way I could ever get my body back into competing shape, not at my age. And maybe that's true. I don't know. But I'm starting to have the crazy idea that maybe it's not such an impossible goal after all. Difficult, yes. Lots of hard work and sacrifice, for sure. But impossible, maybe not. It's just a gleam of a germ of a thought right now but thoughts become things. Maybe if I think this thought just right, it will flower into reality. Just maybe...
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Arthritis Win
Just dropping a short post because I've reached a milestone (for me) in this saga of my RA. Today I was able to lift the 15 lb. dumbbell I used for the dumbbell bench press with my left hand alone. No assistance at all either lifting it up into position or putting it down on the floor. I consider that huge because my wrist pain has prevented me from doing a large number of exercises.
When I saw the rheumatologist last Thursday, she said it would take a few months for the medication to fully kick in. It looks like it is doing that and now my wrist can get stronger so I lift heavier weights. I think the next time Rog changes my workout we can incorporate a lot more exercises. I am so pleased!
When I saw the rheumatologist last Thursday, she said it would take a few months for the medication to fully kick in. It looks like it is doing that and now my wrist can get stronger so I lift heavier weights. I think the next time Rog changes my workout we can incorporate a lot more exercises. I am so pleased!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Starting The Week With A Win
Despite all my protestations that I didn't want the scale to run my weight loss journey, when the number on the scale goes down I'm a happy camper. I'm down two pounds this morning and am at 214 lbs. This will not hit my goal for the month but it's the best news I've had in a week.
Rog wants me to start doing measurements for progress. I'm reluctant simply because I have so much trouble being consistent between measurement time periods. I've had numbers go up when it makes no sense and is surely related to small differences in where the tape measure is hitting. Maybe I'll use some indelible pen to mark where on my body I should put the tape! Or not.
We'll be talking about making changes next week and probably after the pictures are available.
Rog wants me to start doing measurements for progress. I'm reluctant simply because I have so much trouble being consistent between measurement time periods. I've had numbers go up when it makes no sense and is surely related to small differences in where the tape measure is hitting. Maybe I'll use some indelible pen to mark where on my body I should put the tape! Or not.
We'll be talking about making changes next week and probably after the pictures are available.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Progress Pants
Here's my Saturday win and then I'll explain the title of this post. My win is the workout I did on Saturday. It was leg press day which has already turned out to be the exercise I like the most and dread the most. It kicks my ass (or more specifically my quads and hammies). I got one more rep on my first set than last time which will be a win for me since these are so hard. The rest of the workout kicked ass too. I was definitely one sore puppy at the end of the day.
But let's get to the title of the post and the story behind it.
Yesterday I weighed myself, as I do on Saturday morning. No weight change. None for the week. In fact, I'm up almost a full pound from the week before despite no breaks from the food plan. And I'm bummed of course. Now I don't want to make this journey all about my weight because that's short-sighted and rather stupid. I'll take pictures, as I've said, at the end of the month. However, I felt I needed something else to help me gauge my progress. I decided that, since I had some cash and a discount at one of the clothing stores I shop at, I would try on a pair of jeans a size smaller than the ones I'm in now. Just to see how far away I am from downsizing. And it wasn't too bad! I was able to get them on my hips but not button or zip them. Probably about 20 lbs. away from fitting into them comfortably. I thought this would be a great opportunity to have something to not only gauge progress but to know where I need to take a diet breather. I'm about 20 lbs. away from my intermediate goal of 194 or so lbs. and I want to stop dieting for awhile once I reach that weight. If I don't reach that exact weight but am able to fit into the size 14 jeans comfortably then I know I'm where I want to be. I really don't know what it's going to take to reach that weight or where my ultimate weight will land. If I build some solid muscle and lose fat, it may be higher than I think. Or not. Either way, size 14 jeans will be the place I take a breather.
I've got those pants hanging in my room so I'm constantly aware of my goal and can try them on every week or so. One way or another I will see my progress.
But let's get to the title of the post and the story behind it.
Yesterday I weighed myself, as I do on Saturday morning. No weight change. None for the week. In fact, I'm up almost a full pound from the week before despite no breaks from the food plan. And I'm bummed of course. Now I don't want to make this journey all about my weight because that's short-sighted and rather stupid. I'll take pictures, as I've said, at the end of the month. However, I felt I needed something else to help me gauge my progress. I decided that, since I had some cash and a discount at one of the clothing stores I shop at, I would try on a pair of jeans a size smaller than the ones I'm in now. Just to see how far away I am from downsizing. And it wasn't too bad! I was able to get them on my hips but not button or zip them. Probably about 20 lbs. away from fitting into them comfortably. I thought this would be a great opportunity to have something to not only gauge progress but to know where I need to take a diet breather. I'm about 20 lbs. away from my intermediate goal of 194 or so lbs. and I want to stop dieting for awhile once I reach that weight. If I don't reach that exact weight but am able to fit into the size 14 jeans comfortably then I know I'm where I want to be. I really don't know what it's going to take to reach that weight or where my ultimate weight will land. If I build some solid muscle and lose fat, it may be higher than I think. Or not. Either way, size 14 jeans will be the place I take a breather.
I've got those pants hanging in my room so I'm constantly aware of my goal and can try them on every week or so. One way or another I will see my progress.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
When The Levee Breaks
Today's weather put me in mind of one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. "If it keeps on raining, levee's gonna break." It's rained a steady downpour since last night with no sign of stopping today. The retention ponds all around us have either overflowed or will soon. That means heavy flooding for our subdivision and it means no way in and no way out. We've seen this twice before since we moved here 15 years ago and it is not pretty. The village is doing everything it can to pump the water out so hopefully if it does flood it won't be too damaging.
This morning I was thinking of not going to the gym due to the potential flood. Last time this happened I went out to do my Saturday shopping and when I got back a few hours later I barely made in back into my driveway. But I decided we weren't at that point yet so out I went for a great new workout Rog gave me. Today I have a flood win! And a goblet squat win! Double win!
I haven't been squatting much due to bad knees and bad body mechanics. Rog has had me working on glutes and core mostly the last few months. Today it paid off big time when I did goblet squats for the first time since last summer. Not only was my form great...stable, hips low, knees out...but I did them using a 20 lb. dumbbell. The last time I did goblet squat I did them with a 10 lb. dumbbell holding onto a wall. Not this time. I was very pleased.
Not so pleased that I weighed today after two low days with no change in weight. I need to talk to Rog about this on Monday. I don't want weight to be the sole criteria for progress. I wasn't going to take pictures until the end of May but I think I'll do them at the end of this month to see if there is any visible progress. I'd rather not make changes if things are really happening. It's hard for me to be objective about these things and I need Rog to give it his professional eyes.
This morning I was thinking of not going to the gym due to the potential flood. Last time this happened I went out to do my Saturday shopping and when I got back a few hours later I barely made in back into my driveway. But I decided we weren't at that point yet so out I went for a great new workout Rog gave me. Today I have a flood win! And a goblet squat win! Double win!
I haven't been squatting much due to bad knees and bad body mechanics. Rog has had me working on glutes and core mostly the last few months. Today it paid off big time when I did goblet squats for the first time since last summer. Not only was my form great...stable, hips low, knees out...but I did them using a 20 lb. dumbbell. The last time I did goblet squat I did them with a 10 lb. dumbbell holding onto a wall. Not this time. I was very pleased.
Not so pleased that I weighed today after two low days with no change in weight. I need to talk to Rog about this on Monday. I don't want weight to be the sole criteria for progress. I wasn't going to take pictures until the end of May but I think I'll do them at the end of this month to see if there is any visible progress. I'd rather not make changes if things are really happening. It's hard for me to be objective about these things and I need Rog to give it his professional eyes.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Traveling Win
I went to Newark, NJ yesterday. I had no idea it was so close to downtown Manhattan. I saw the NY skyline and the Statue of Liberty from the plane as we were coming in to land. Mind blown!
It was a long and tiring day but ultimately successful on all fronts. My colleagues and I were successful in our goal for visiting the client site which was to get them over the hump of decision-making and project ownership. And I was successful in my goal of eating on food plan. Not that I had a formal food plan because I had no idea where my food was coming from that day. The plan was to make wise choices based on my bottom line (no sugar, no grain). Actually, I think I ended up undereating for a 1500 calorie day but that's ok. I'm not sure so it doesn't count.
For breakfast I had Greek yogurt, protein powder and blueberries with my usual coffee creamer mix of coconut milk and chocolate protein powder (so love that stuff). I brought a Quest bar for emergency use. My first choice opportunity was lunch when we got to the client site. Flashback to all the hospital cafeterias I've ever eaten in. It was Mexican day so I chose meat chili with shredded cheese and a banana (not in the chili, silly!) It was enough to tide me over through the 2-hour meeting. Afterwards, on the way back to the airport, I realized I was STARVING and needed to eat immediately or risk meltdown. I chose a sit-down restaurant so I could get some coffee. Not a bad menu. I chose grilled chicken breast with some kind of spinach stuff on top with sides of mashed potatoes and broccoli. It's funny how at this restaurant I was not tempted in the least to throw caution to the wind but I was at the casino steak house. I guess ambiance is everything.
That fit the bill and I was fine for the rest of the night. Which turned out to be a very long night. My flight from Newark to Charlotte was uneventful and on time. But the second leg from Charlotte to Chicago, not so much. The plane they were preparing turned out to have some unexplained bad smell, so at the last minute the airline decided to pull that plane and substitute another that was landing an hour later. I wound up with a two hour delay taking off, so I ate my Quest bar so I wouldn't get hungry mid-flight. My sweet hubby and my sweet dog picked me up when I landed around 11:30 pm and brought me home to fall into bed.
And that's my traveling win for yesterday!
It was a long and tiring day but ultimately successful on all fronts. My colleagues and I were successful in our goal for visiting the client site which was to get them over the hump of decision-making and project ownership. And I was successful in my goal of eating on food plan. Not that I had a formal food plan because I had no idea where my food was coming from that day. The plan was to make wise choices based on my bottom line (no sugar, no grain). Actually, I think I ended up undereating for a 1500 calorie day but that's ok. I'm not sure so it doesn't count.
For breakfast I had Greek yogurt, protein powder and blueberries with my usual coffee creamer mix of coconut milk and chocolate protein powder (so love that stuff). I brought a Quest bar for emergency use. My first choice opportunity was lunch when we got to the client site. Flashback to all the hospital cafeterias I've ever eaten in. It was Mexican day so I chose meat chili with shredded cheese and a banana (not in the chili, silly!) It was enough to tide me over through the 2-hour meeting. Afterwards, on the way back to the airport, I realized I was STARVING and needed to eat immediately or risk meltdown. I chose a sit-down restaurant so I could get some coffee. Not a bad menu. I chose grilled chicken breast with some kind of spinach stuff on top with sides of mashed potatoes and broccoli. It's funny how at this restaurant I was not tempted in the least to throw caution to the wind but I was at the casino steak house. I guess ambiance is everything.
That fit the bill and I was fine for the rest of the night. Which turned out to be a very long night. My flight from Newark to Charlotte was uneventful and on time. But the second leg from Charlotte to Chicago, not so much. The plane they were preparing turned out to have some unexplained bad smell, so at the last minute the airline decided to pull that plane and substitute another that was landing an hour later. I wound up with a two hour delay taking off, so I ate my Quest bar so I wouldn't get hungry mid-flight. My sweet hubby and my sweet dog picked me up when I landed around 11:30 pm and brought me home to fall into bed.
And that's my traveling win for yesterday!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Weekend Win
A losing Saturday night for the Cooley team turned out to be a weekend win for me. Friday night, Chris asked if we could go to the casino on Saturday for a session of video poker and a steak dinner. Lucky for me, that's what I had already planned for Saturday's dinner. Bonus was getting a dinner reservation for 7 pm. so that I wasn't eating too late.
However, as it turns out, by the time dinner rolled around I was starving. There is nothing more challenging to a food plan than sitting in a fine restaurant with a menu in your hands and bread on the table. I came *this* close to chucking everything I had planned, including no dessert (visions of carrot cake danced in my head. I gotta make that sugar- and grain-free recipe!) But as I thought about the consequences and asked myself what do I really want, the food or the win, I chose the win. I ordered the shrimp cocktail, filet, sweet potato and mushrooms I had planned. With my first cup of coffee in hand and the gorgeous shrimp cocktail in front of me, I felt so much better. By the time dinner was done, I was full and satisfied. And I didn't have to carry all that guilt around with me.
Unfortunately, the gambling part was such a win but that's another very familiar story.
However, as it turns out, by the time dinner rolled around I was starving. There is nothing more challenging to a food plan than sitting in a fine restaurant with a menu in your hands and bread on the table. I came *this* close to chucking everything I had planned, including no dessert (visions of carrot cake danced in my head. I gotta make that sugar- and grain-free recipe!) But as I thought about the consequences and asked myself what do I really want, the food or the win, I chose the win. I ordered the shrimp cocktail, filet, sweet potato and mushrooms I had planned. With my first cup of coffee in hand and the gorgeous shrimp cocktail in front of me, I felt so much better. By the time dinner was done, I was full and satisfied. And I didn't have to carry all that guilt around with me.
Unfortunately, the gambling part was such a win but that's another very familiar story.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Something New
I've never been what you would call a skilled athlete. I'm more of an athlete by force of will. In other words, I'm not naturally good at anything athletic. I dont' run very well, I can't do gymnastics or throw a ball well. I'm just not built for it. I'm sort of a pickup truck instead of a sleek Ferrari.
One athletic thing I've always avoided whenever possible (there are many things!) is anything involving jumping. Track and field, basketball, hell even gym class calisthenics were the bane of my existence in high school. I decided that maybe I couldn't change that but I could at least make it a little better by working on doing it all the time. Practice makes perfect, right? Perfection most likely will elude me but perhaps I could learn to do it without fear, trepidation and damaging my ankles. I'd like to at least be able to do jumping jacks and burpees safely and confidently. Not happening the way I am now.
Here's the plan. On the days I go out for my walk, I will do calf raises with an ankle pop (raising up quickly with force) to strengthen those joints and then just do some simple jumping. I'll work on springing up (eventually bringing my knees up too) and landing as softly as possible, not jarring the knees and ankles. I'm doing this on grassy surfaces. I tried it on pavement and that's a big N to the O for that. I figure it will take a long time to build up the strength to jump and the feel of landing properly. I'm looking at this as a performance goal that I can count towards a daily win.
It seems like a small thing but I'll take my wins where I can get them.
One athletic thing I've always avoided whenever possible (there are many things!) is anything involving jumping. Track and field, basketball, hell even gym class calisthenics were the bane of my existence in high school. I decided that maybe I couldn't change that but I could at least make it a little better by working on doing it all the time. Practice makes perfect, right? Perfection most likely will elude me but perhaps I could learn to do it without fear, trepidation and damaging my ankles. I'd like to at least be able to do jumping jacks and burpees safely and confidently. Not happening the way I am now.
Here's the plan. On the days I go out for my walk, I will do calf raises with an ankle pop (raising up quickly with force) to strengthen those joints and then just do some simple jumping. I'll work on springing up (eventually bringing my knees up too) and landing as softly as possible, not jarring the knees and ankles. I'm doing this on grassy surfaces. I tried it on pavement and that's a big N to the O for that. I figure it will take a long time to build up the strength to jump and the feel of landing properly. I'm looking at this as a performance goal that I can count towards a daily win.
It seems like a small thing but I'll take my wins where I can get them.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
My Daily Win
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because frankly nothing of interest has been happening on the fitness/weight loss front. I've been chugging along, doing my workouts and following my daily food plans. With a few days off here and there which I will not beat myself up about. I lost a few more pounds in March and was down to 216.4 at the end of the month. So all good as far as it goes.
But I've been getting into a funk lately. Maybe (probably) it has to do with needing some time off of work and a real vacation which I haven't had in almost a year. Also the weather has been mostly crappy which puts me in a bad mood. And the weight loss routine has become just that. A routine. And routine bores me.
Talking to Rog yesterday about finding things other than the number on the scale to tell me I'm making progress, we discussed goals. Other than the weight loss goal, I don't have any. My strength training is going well but I'm not working out in a situation where I'm going to see great gains and certainly not to make grand goals. Until my weight loss is done and I can eat enough to sustain harder workouts that's not going to happen. I could probably come up with some walking goals but again...boring. Then he said I need some wins and we hit on the thought of a daily win. I need to come up with daily wins, those small victories that are moving me along the path to progress. The big wins don't come often enough to keep up a real sense of excitement. This part of the process is the boring slogging part where many people give up. WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING, NO SIREE!!
I can post about my daily wins which may not seem like much but can keep me interested and keep me going.
Today's daily win is a weight loss (complaining as I was yesterday that it's not happening!). Today I was 215.2 lbs., down almost a pound since the beginning of the month. Yay!!! Also a win was going up 5 lbs. on the single arm lat pulldown. Yay, me!! Yay, progress!!!
But I've been getting into a funk lately. Maybe (probably) it has to do with needing some time off of work and a real vacation which I haven't had in almost a year. Also the weather has been mostly crappy which puts me in a bad mood. And the weight loss routine has become just that. A routine. And routine bores me.
Talking to Rog yesterday about finding things other than the number on the scale to tell me I'm making progress, we discussed goals. Other than the weight loss goal, I don't have any. My strength training is going well but I'm not working out in a situation where I'm going to see great gains and certainly not to make grand goals. Until my weight loss is done and I can eat enough to sustain harder workouts that's not going to happen. I could probably come up with some walking goals but again...boring. Then he said I need some wins and we hit on the thought of a daily win. I need to come up with daily wins, those small victories that are moving me along the path to progress. The big wins don't come often enough to keep up a real sense of excitement. This part of the process is the boring slogging part where many people give up. WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING, NO SIREE!!
I can post about my daily wins which may not seem like much but can keep me interested and keep me going.
Today's daily win is a weight loss (complaining as I was yesterday that it's not happening!). Today I was 215.2 lbs., down almost a pound since the beginning of the month. Yay!!! Also a win was going up 5 lbs. on the single arm lat pulldown. Yay, me!! Yay, progress!!!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Spring Has Sprung
Finally. Some weather this weekend that approximates spring. It's about damn time.
Cold makes me a cranky pants.
My fitness program and progress does not make me a cranky pants. I've settled into the weight training nicely (except for some problem with the plank leg lifts which I'll talk to Rog about on Monday). I'm walking outside again, three times a week, around the flood control lake near the house early in the morning. It's been chilly but tolerable. Everything on my body is looking a bit tighter and sleeker, especially the booty and legs. Nowhere near where I'd like it but it's making me happy.
Weight was down to 216.6 lbs. on Wednesday. The monthly weigh in on Monday will tell the tale on how productive March was, so if I get 3 lbs. I'll be happy. Considering the number of weekends I slacked off and the lack of exercise for most of the month. I'm looking forward to making great progress over the next three months and getting close to the goal weight.
Cold makes me a cranky pants.
My fitness program and progress does not make me a cranky pants. I've settled into the weight training nicely (except for some problem with the plank leg lifts which I'll talk to Rog about on Monday). I'm walking outside again, three times a week, around the flood control lake near the house early in the morning. It's been chilly but tolerable. Everything on my body is looking a bit tighter and sleeker, especially the booty and legs. Nowhere near where I'd like it but it's making me happy.
Weight was down to 216.6 lbs. on Wednesday. The monthly weigh in on Monday will tell the tale on how productive March was, so if I get 3 lbs. I'll be happy. Considering the number of weekends I slacked off and the lack of exercise for most of the month. I'm looking forward to making great progress over the next three months and getting close to the goal weight.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
All's Right With The World
Last night I suddenly had such a sense of order returning to my world after weeks of disorder. Rog is back and we caught up last night. I'll be getting a new training plan soon and will be back to rocking the weights. Health issues (both mine and the hubster's) are at least under control again. Spring is coming...slowly, slowly, but it is coming. Soon I can break out the spring coat and T-shirts.
Life is good.
Life is good.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Positive Changes
A quickie because I've got to get out the door to the gym this morning...PICTURES!! New Year's Day to St. Patrick's Day. Momma is happy.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Coming Out Of The Dark
I have been very very lazy about posting this month. I have excuses, oh yes, lots of excuses. Too many doctor and PT visits, a husband in the hospital, winter just won't go away, I have a cold. They are excuses but the reason is that I have been lazy.
Time to stop being lazy. (ha!) I am still making progress with my weight loss but it has been extremely slow. Maybe I needed it to be slow because my excuses, although excuses, are true. But spring will be here on Thursday, my health issues (and my hubby's) are abating, and my cold isn't really all that bad.
My pattern has always been that I have extreme difficulty being on a diet and following a strict fitness plan at the same time. I've been known to do it for three or four weeks and then slowly one or the other starts to fall off until I'm left with only one. This time it was the fitness plan. I did have a good reason (not an excuse!) because my PT asked me to quit lifting. But I didn't follow through with my plan to keep up the cardio. So much for my reason! My hands and wrists are essentially back to normal. Although I won't be able to jump into full heavy lifting right off the bat, I can do lighter sets until I get my strength back. I can get on the Air-Dyne twice a week and do some intervals. I can get my butt out of the house and walk the neighborhood a couple times week. All doable. It just takes commitment and not being lazy.
My diet has been pretty good. Not spot on every day. I've had a couple of breaks where I don't track my calories but stick to my "no sugar/no grain" rule which keeps me in check. I lost another pound last week and am down to 217.8 lbs. That's only 1 1/2 lbs so far this month. Not that great but still going in the right direction. However, when I look at my legs, hips and booty, things look smaller. Maybe it's my imagination. I'll take pictures today because I missed it when the hubby was sick. Relying on the scale is ok but pictures tell the story, morning glory.
So...more posting, back to the gym, get on the Air-Dyne, get out of the house and walk. That should jump start this old body out of the doldrums!
Time to stop being lazy. (ha!) I am still making progress with my weight loss but it has been extremely slow. Maybe I needed it to be slow because my excuses, although excuses, are true. But spring will be here on Thursday, my health issues (and my hubby's) are abating, and my cold isn't really all that bad.
My pattern has always been that I have extreme difficulty being on a diet and following a strict fitness plan at the same time. I've been known to do it for three or four weeks and then slowly one or the other starts to fall off until I'm left with only one. This time it was the fitness plan. I did have a good reason (not an excuse!) because my PT asked me to quit lifting. But I didn't follow through with my plan to keep up the cardio. So much for my reason! My hands and wrists are essentially back to normal. Although I won't be able to jump into full heavy lifting right off the bat, I can do lighter sets until I get my strength back. I can get on the Air-Dyne twice a week and do some intervals. I can get my butt out of the house and walk the neighborhood a couple times week. All doable. It just takes commitment and not being lazy.
My diet has been pretty good. Not spot on every day. I've had a couple of breaks where I don't track my calories but stick to my "no sugar/no grain" rule which keeps me in check. I lost another pound last week and am down to 217.8 lbs. That's only 1 1/2 lbs so far this month. Not that great but still going in the right direction. However, when I look at my legs, hips and booty, things look smaller. Maybe it's my imagination. I'll take pictures today because I missed it when the hubby was sick. Relying on the scale is ok but pictures tell the story, morning glory.
So...more posting, back to the gym, get on the Air-Dyne, get out of the house and walk. That should jump start this old body out of the doldrums!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Stepping Back Onto The Long Road
After my diagnosis of RA, I realized just how much more important my diet and fitness efforts are now. It's obvious that my joint problems will not go away and I'll never reach a point where I'm completely pain-free. That being said, getting down to a healthy manageable weight and focusing on mobility and strength training will keep my body as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
I'm committing to getting back into the gym three days a week, doing mobility exercises every day and walking 5-6 days week. I'll do what I can to improve performance but I'll always need to pay close attention to any joint pain that comes up. From my research into exercising with RA, it seems that joint pain can flare up at any time and there won't be any warning. I think my hand and wrist pain got so bad because I kept lifting very heavy weights despite the pain and I wound up with tendonitis.
Here's my workout for today:
Leg press 90# x 1 x 6, 90# x 1 x 5, 90#, 2 x 3
One-arm DB row 15# x 3 x 8
DB push press 7.5# x 3 x 10
Plank on elbows 3 x 30 sec
Y portion of Y, T, I shoulder lift on a ball 3# x 3 x 15
Using dumbbells was difficult due to the pain in my left wrist. I'm going to try cables on Wednesday to see if that works better. I think I'm going to be very limited on how much dumbbell work I can do and I think barbells are out of the question right now.
I'm committing to getting back into the gym three days a week, doing mobility exercises every day and walking 5-6 days week. I'll do what I can to improve performance but I'll always need to pay close attention to any joint pain that comes up. From my research into exercising with RA, it seems that joint pain can flare up at any time and there won't be any warning. I think my hand and wrist pain got so bad because I kept lifting very heavy weights despite the pain and I wound up with tendonitis.
Here's my workout for today:
Leg press 90# x 1 x 6, 90# x 1 x 5, 90#, 2 x 3
One-arm DB row 15# x 3 x 8
DB push press 7.5# x 3 x 10
Plank on elbows 3 x 30 sec
Y portion of Y, T, I shoulder lift on a ball 3# x 3 x 15
Using dumbbells was difficult due to the pain in my left wrist. I'm going to try cables on Wednesday to see if that works better. I think I'm going to be very limited on how much dumbbell work I can do and I think barbells are out of the question right now.
Friday, March 8, 2013
A New Life Chapter
Well...
I'm at a bit of loss as to what to say here so I'll just come out and say it.
Yesterday I received an official diagnosis of RA (rheumatoid arthritis). This is something that has been dancing around the edges since my hand/wrist pain started back in August. Although I've been pursuing this as if it was just really bad tendonitis, I had a couple of blood tests that were pointing to RA. Yesterday I had my appointment with the rheumatologist who did a thorough examination and believes I do have RA. I still am having trouble believing it because my symptoms are so mild that there are at least a half dozen reasons I've been telling myself why I have them, ranging from plain old age to over use to injury.
I'm being put on a medication I need to take once a week, along with a daily high dose of folic acid. Apparently this medication goes after folic acid and can causing nausea and other unpleasant side effects. I've started reading what's out on the intertoobz but so far it's not been very helpful. Mostly along the lines of "everybody's different, there's no clear disease progression and you'll have to be closely monitored, and oh by the way this disease really really sucks." Nothing to make me feel good or hopeful about any of this.
I guess the good thing is that I don't need to see the physical therapist or hand specialist again. I'm told the medication will make the pain better. We'll see. I have no restrictions on weight training so I guess I just need to play that by ear and work closely with my trainer.
*sigh* It's always something.
I'm at a bit of loss as to what to say here so I'll just come out and say it.
Yesterday I received an official diagnosis of RA (rheumatoid arthritis). This is something that has been dancing around the edges since my hand/wrist pain started back in August. Although I've been pursuing this as if it was just really bad tendonitis, I had a couple of blood tests that were pointing to RA. Yesterday I had my appointment with the rheumatologist who did a thorough examination and believes I do have RA. I still am having trouble believing it because my symptoms are so mild that there are at least a half dozen reasons I've been telling myself why I have them, ranging from plain old age to over use to injury.
I'm being put on a medication I need to take once a week, along with a daily high dose of folic acid. Apparently this medication goes after folic acid and can causing nausea and other unpleasant side effects. I've started reading what's out on the intertoobz but so far it's not been very helpful. Mostly along the lines of "everybody's different, there's no clear disease progression and you'll have to be closely monitored, and oh by the way this disease really really sucks." Nothing to make me feel good or hopeful about any of this.
I guess the good thing is that I don't need to see the physical therapist or hand specialist again. I'm told the medication will make the pain better. We'll see. I have no restrictions on weight training so I guess I just need to play that by ear and work closely with my trainer.
*sigh* It's always something.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Coming Out Of The Fog
So where the heck have I been the last few weeks? Lost in the woods, dazed and confused, just plain out to lunch.
To recap:
1. The hubby had a nasty run-in with an Internet "herbal pain remedy" that mimiced the symptoms of a TIA. This went on for a week and finally land him in the hospital. Fortunately, that is not what it was but it was a big scare for both of us. I kept up with my food plan for as long as I could but while he was in the hospital over the weekend I let go of tracking my food but did stick to my "no sugar, no grain" rule with good results.
2. The good result was another pound off this week. I started February at 224.2 and started March at 219.4 (about 5 lbs. gone). This was with minimal exercise of any kind.
3. My wrist is still slowly getting better. I got a new wrist wrap and am making every effort to use my left hand as little as possible. This seems to be making a big difference.
4. I got real tired of the lower body circuit Rog gave me and quit it altogether during the hubby scare. But, feeling antsy to get back in the gym, I went in this morning and did a weight training workout, foam rolling and mobility exercises first of course. Here's what I did.
Leg press 3 x 10 x 50#
Monster walk/sumo walk 3 x 10 each direction
Machine chest press 3 x 8 x 10#
Seated machine row 3 x 8 x 15#
Standing Pallof press 3 x 12 sec x 8#
Wall glute march 3 x 10
This felt just about right, not too hard and not too easy. The chest press bothered my wrist a little bit but not enough to matter. I think I can return to weight training as long as I stay away from free weights and most cable exercises. As long as my wrist is in a stable non-weight bearing position I should be ok.
We've got a huge snow storm coming tomorrow. They are predicting 7-10" so I'm not sure I'll be dug out by Wednesday morning to get to the gym. Hopefully this is the last snow of the season because I'm so ready for spring it's insane.
To recap:
1. The hubby had a nasty run-in with an Internet "herbal pain remedy" that mimiced the symptoms of a TIA. This went on for a week and finally land him in the hospital. Fortunately, that is not what it was but it was a big scare for both of us. I kept up with my food plan for as long as I could but while he was in the hospital over the weekend I let go of tracking my food but did stick to my "no sugar, no grain" rule with good results.
2. The good result was another pound off this week. I started February at 224.2 and started March at 219.4 (about 5 lbs. gone). This was with minimal exercise of any kind.
3. My wrist is still slowly getting better. I got a new wrist wrap and am making every effort to use my left hand as little as possible. This seems to be making a big difference.
4. I got real tired of the lower body circuit Rog gave me and quit it altogether during the hubby scare. But, feeling antsy to get back in the gym, I went in this morning and did a weight training workout, foam rolling and mobility exercises first of course. Here's what I did.
Leg press 3 x 10 x 50#
Monster walk/sumo walk 3 x 10 each direction
Machine chest press 3 x 8 x 10#
Seated machine row 3 x 8 x 15#
Standing Pallof press 3 x 12 sec x 8#
Wall glute march 3 x 10
This felt just about right, not too hard and not too easy. The chest press bothered my wrist a little bit but not enough to matter. I think I can return to weight training as long as I stay away from free weights and most cable exercises. As long as my wrist is in a stable non-weight bearing position I should be ok.
We've got a huge snow storm coming tomorrow. They are predicting 7-10" so I'm not sure I'll be dug out by Wednesday morning to get to the gym. Hopefully this is the last snow of the season because I'm so ready for spring it's insane.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Cabin Fever
It's just about this time in February that I start getting cabin fever and longing for spring. Happens every year no matter how mild or bad a winter we had. This year was pretty mild so I'm not complaining, it's just that I'm tired of dark mornings, dark evenings and having to bundle up every time I go outside. It doesn't help that all the magazines are showing spring fashions and makeup so I'm dying to bust out my warm weather clothes.
Anyway, I'm back to my regular macros as of today. I switched up my high and low days this weekend because we're going out to dinner tomorrow, but other than that things are back to normal. I must say that even though I don't feel that ultra low carb/ketosis is right for me, I think this was a useful experiment. Here are the pros and cons of my week.
Pros:
1. Hunger level. I definitely experienced much less hunger of the growly stomach kind. I still experienced hunger in that I knew when it was time to fuel up but my stomach didn't growl right after a meal or before the next one. Also I was able to cut down to three bigger meals with one small bedtime protein shake. I don't feel that was better, just different.
2. Eating foods I have difficulty working in at higher carb levels. Since I raised the fat level, I was able to eat avocado, macadamia nuts and my new favorite brownie every day. Not all on the same day but sometimes two of those in a day. This was a nice change of pace.
3. Macro manipulation. I feel like this experiment has made it much easier for me to know how to move macros around and what foods are better for low carb and which for higher carb. I ate very healthy foods and I see them now as their components and not so much which are going to be more pleasurable. I eat the foods I like but I've changed my perspective on food a bit more through this exercise.
Cons:
1. Energy level. This went down considerably. It wasn't so much that I felt weak. It was more a total lack of motivation to move around and when I did move around (such as taking a walk) I definitely felt overall body weakness. Not a good feeling. I suppose that if I had kept up with it, or lowered my protein and carbs and raised the fat even further I might have shifted into true ketosis and overcome this. It wasn't worth it to me to do that.
2. Sleep. This was definitely affected. I was consistently waking up around 3 am (I go to bed between 9-10 pm). After a few days it seemed it didn't affect me during the day, but that may have been one of the reasons for not wanting to move around so much. I really like to sleep longer and I think it's healthier and better for fat loss, so this was a con for me.
3. Weight loss. I weighed on Friday and gained 2 lbs. up to 223.2 lbs. Now, I'm not attributing that to the change in macros directly and it could have been something that was going to happen anyway since I've been losing weight so fast. But the sleep loss and sedentary behavior didn't help my cause at all, so overall I think this is a con.
Overall, I glad I did this and it was a good time to do it since I'm not doing heavy workouts. But I won't be going back to it since there was no advantage for me to do so.
Anyway, I'm back to my regular macros as of today. I switched up my high and low days this weekend because we're going out to dinner tomorrow, but other than that things are back to normal. I must say that even though I don't feel that ultra low carb/ketosis is right for me, I think this was a useful experiment. Here are the pros and cons of my week.
Pros:
1. Hunger level. I definitely experienced much less hunger of the growly stomach kind. I still experienced hunger in that I knew when it was time to fuel up but my stomach didn't growl right after a meal or before the next one. Also I was able to cut down to three bigger meals with one small bedtime protein shake. I don't feel that was better, just different.
2. Eating foods I have difficulty working in at higher carb levels. Since I raised the fat level, I was able to eat avocado, macadamia nuts and my new favorite brownie every day. Not all on the same day but sometimes two of those in a day. This was a nice change of pace.
3. Macro manipulation. I feel like this experiment has made it much easier for me to know how to move macros around and what foods are better for low carb and which for higher carb. I ate very healthy foods and I see them now as their components and not so much which are going to be more pleasurable. I eat the foods I like but I've changed my perspective on food a bit more through this exercise.
Cons:
1. Energy level. This went down considerably. It wasn't so much that I felt weak. It was more a total lack of motivation to move around and when I did move around (such as taking a walk) I definitely felt overall body weakness. Not a good feeling. I suppose that if I had kept up with it, or lowered my protein and carbs and raised the fat even further I might have shifted into true ketosis and overcome this. It wasn't worth it to me to do that.
2. Sleep. This was definitely affected. I was consistently waking up around 3 am (I go to bed between 9-10 pm). After a few days it seemed it didn't affect me during the day, but that may have been one of the reasons for not wanting to move around so much. I really like to sleep longer and I think it's healthier and better for fat loss, so this was a con for me.
3. Weight loss. I weighed on Friday and gained 2 lbs. up to 223.2 lbs. Now, I'm not attributing that to the change in macros directly and it could have been something that was going to happen anyway since I've been losing weight so fast. But the sleep loss and sedentary behavior didn't help my cause at all, so overall I think this is a con.
Overall, I glad I did this and it was a good time to do it since I'm not doing heavy workouts. But I won't be going back to it since there was no advantage for me to do so.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
A Little Love On Vday
I wanted to give a shout out to Valentine's Day although at this point in my life it's pretty much just a Hallmark holiday. If you can't express love every day of your life, you've got bigger problems than one holiday can fix.
Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about was how my experiment is going. I was going to title this post "Throwing In The Towel" because that's how I felt yesterday.
First, the macros from yesterday...1800 calories, 122 g. protein/95 g. fat/113 g. carb (30%/54%20%).
I haven't done one workout, either the bodyweight one or walking, since Saturday when I decided to change up the macros. I've not been feeling bad. I've been unmotivated. I feel like hibernating and not even going outside. Even walking the dog has felt like a chore. So yesterday I forced myself to go outside for a real walk in the morning and within 5 minutes I could feel my energy go down the tubes. Really unpleasant stuff. I made it through the 20 minute walk but it was not pleasurable. So my thought was that I would quit the experiment today and go back to my original macros.
Well, I compromised. I had some avocado left and didn't want to waste it. So my macros today are as follows. 1500 calories, 124 g. protein, 82 g. fat, 65 g. carb (33%/50%/17%). I'll see how it goes today but my feeling is that ultra low carb is not for me. I see no advantage to it. I'm still waking up at 3 am although I don't feel bad during the day. I'd rather have more sleep. My motivation and energy just to move around is very diminished. There's no way I can train like this. And, although I haven't weighed myself yet, I doubt there is any advantage there either. I plan to be back at my original macros by Saturday. I've shifted my high and low days a bit since we are going to the casino for steakhouse dinner on Sunday (typically a low day). I'll move one of my high days next week earlier in the rotation and have more low days later in the week. It all comes out in the wash.
I'm hoping next week I get some good news about my wrist. It's feeling much much better, with just one point of pain around the wrist bone on the pinky side. My grip is good and I can weight bear on it much better. I still have some pain with certain twisting motions so hopefully a couple more sessions of PT will take care of that. Still looking like I'm on track to be back to lifting weights in March. Just in time for spring!
Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about was how my experiment is going. I was going to title this post "Throwing In The Towel" because that's how I felt yesterday.
First, the macros from yesterday...1800 calories, 122 g. protein/95 g. fat/113 g. carb (30%/54%20%).
I haven't done one workout, either the bodyweight one or walking, since Saturday when I decided to change up the macros. I've not been feeling bad. I've been unmotivated. I feel like hibernating and not even going outside. Even walking the dog has felt like a chore. So yesterday I forced myself to go outside for a real walk in the morning and within 5 minutes I could feel my energy go down the tubes. Really unpleasant stuff. I made it through the 20 minute walk but it was not pleasurable. So my thought was that I would quit the experiment today and go back to my original macros.
Well, I compromised. I had some avocado left and didn't want to waste it. So my macros today are as follows. 1500 calories, 124 g. protein, 82 g. fat, 65 g. carb (33%/50%/17%). I'll see how it goes today but my feeling is that ultra low carb is not for me. I see no advantage to it. I'm still waking up at 3 am although I don't feel bad during the day. I'd rather have more sleep. My motivation and energy just to move around is very diminished. There's no way I can train like this. And, although I haven't weighed myself yet, I doubt there is any advantage there either. I plan to be back at my original macros by Saturday. I've shifted my high and low days a bit since we are going to the casino for steakhouse dinner on Sunday (typically a low day). I'll move one of my high days next week earlier in the rotation and have more low days later in the week. It all comes out in the wash.
I'm hoping next week I get some good news about my wrist. It's feeling much much better, with just one point of pain around the wrist bone on the pinky side. My grip is good and I can weight bear on it much better. I still have some pain with certain twisting motions so hopefully a couple more sessions of PT will take care of that. Still looking like I'm on track to be back to lifting weights in March. Just in time for spring!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Experimenting Again
I'm never satisfied unless I'm experimenting with something. Maybe I missed my calling. I should have been a scientist or an explorer.
This time I'm experimenting (with Rog's permission) on lowering my carbs and raising my fats. Here's what I've done so far.
Sunday: 1500 calories, 66 g. carbs, 137 g. protein, 80 g. fat (17%/36%/47%)
Monday: 1800 calories, 92 g. carbs, 155 g. protein, 98 g. fat (20%/33%/47%)
My sleep has been affected by this. I've been waking at 3 am and having trouble falling back to sleep. It feels like hunger but not what I typically experience as hunger so I'm thinking it's more low serotonin than true hunger. I'd like to keep the experiment going for the week so I'm making a bit of an adjustment. Here are my macros for today.
Tuesday: 1500 calories, 48 g. carbs, 120 g. protein, 95 g. fat. (12%/31%/57%)
What I'm trying to accomplish is to go into ketosis for a few days to see if my body responds well to burning fat for energy rather than glucose. In order to accomplish that I need to lower not only my carbs but my protein. Protein can be converted into glucose so if the protein isn't low enough I won't go into ketosis. I'm reluctant to lower the protein too much. I figure that at 120 g. I'm at 1 g./lb of lean body weight. Just an estimate. I'm not being truly scientific about this.
I've added avocado, macadamia nuts and more full fat sour cream to the menu today. One thing I've noticed since Sunday is that I don't have stomach growling hunger after meals like I do when I eat a meal with significant carbs in it. After I eat I get something similar to a hot flash where my body feels like it's heating up from the inside out. Strange feeling but if you're a menopausal woman you know what I'm talking about. :)
I don't intend to keep this up for long, unless I start feeling significantly better than I did on the original plan, starting sleeping better and keep up the fantastic weight loss I've had. I've heard good things about being in a "burning fat for energy" state and I'd like to see if that is true for me. If I can at least train my body to be able to switch from glucose-burning to fat-burning when I want it to, then it's a double win. That way I can choose my daily macros based on what my training needs are and what I feel like eating on any particular day. Wouldn't that be nice?
This time I'm experimenting (with Rog's permission) on lowering my carbs and raising my fats. Here's what I've done so far.
Sunday: 1500 calories, 66 g. carbs, 137 g. protein, 80 g. fat (17%/36%/47%)
Monday: 1800 calories, 92 g. carbs, 155 g. protein, 98 g. fat (20%/33%/47%)
My sleep has been affected by this. I've been waking at 3 am and having trouble falling back to sleep. It feels like hunger but not what I typically experience as hunger so I'm thinking it's more low serotonin than true hunger. I'd like to keep the experiment going for the week so I'm making a bit of an adjustment. Here are my macros for today.
Tuesday: 1500 calories, 48 g. carbs, 120 g. protein, 95 g. fat. (12%/31%/57%)
What I'm trying to accomplish is to go into ketosis for a few days to see if my body responds well to burning fat for energy rather than glucose. In order to accomplish that I need to lower not only my carbs but my protein. Protein can be converted into glucose so if the protein isn't low enough I won't go into ketosis. I'm reluctant to lower the protein too much. I figure that at 120 g. I'm at 1 g./lb of lean body weight. Just an estimate. I'm not being truly scientific about this.
I've added avocado, macadamia nuts and more full fat sour cream to the menu today. One thing I've noticed since Sunday is that I don't have stomach growling hunger after meals like I do when I eat a meal with significant carbs in it. After I eat I get something similar to a hot flash where my body feels like it's heating up from the inside out. Strange feeling but if you're a menopausal woman you know what I'm talking about. :)
I don't intend to keep this up for long, unless I start feeling significantly better than I did on the original plan, starting sleeping better and keep up the fantastic weight loss I've had. I've heard good things about being in a "burning fat for energy" state and I'd like to see if that is true for me. If I can at least train my body to be able to switch from glucose-burning to fat-burning when I want it to, then it's a double win. That way I can choose my daily macros based on what my training needs are and what I feel like eating on any particular day. Wouldn't that be nice?
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Doing The Monster Mash
Just saw a great video from the Glute King himself, Bret Contreras, on monster walks and sumo walks. I've been doing both of these for the last few weeks and it's made a big difference in my hip strength and stability. What's really interesting is that researchers found that the best muscle activation happened when the band is placed around the forefeet. I've been putting it around my ankles. Since this exercise has been getting easier and I'm using the stiffest band I have, I'll start putting it around my forefeet when I do this exercise.
Here's the video:
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Nanook Of The North
We finally have enough snow that I can go snowshoeing. Not that I'm complaining. I am totally not a winter person. Fall is more my season. But since I love to walk and walking becomes dangerous if not downright impossible when the sidewalks get icy, I bought a pair of snowshoes with boots and poles about three years ago. Typically I only use them once or twice a year. Last year I didn't use them at all. But this year I've been waiting for snow so I could give it a go once again. And wouldn't you know but we've had a virtually snowless winter up till this week. So I was happy to see some substantial snow (despite having to shovel it). This morning, instead of going to the gym for another boring treadmill session, I went to a local park with a big field and walked around for about 30 minutes or so with the snowshoes. And it was much easier to do it this time than I remember my last time two years ago. Having stronger glutes and core definitely helped that. My stamina and wind isn't what I'd like it to be. I had to stop several times to catch my breath but it got easier after 10 minutes or so. I'd equate this to how I felt when I was running back in the day (in my early 20's). I'd feel winded for about the first 5 minutes or so until my lungs opened up and my body got used to the extra oxygen coming in. That never got any better no matter how fit I got from running. So I supposed that is simply the way I'm built and it's just worse now because I'm not as cardiovascularly fit as I could be. I think a few weeks of this could fix that but I don't know how much longer we'll have snow.
GOOD NEWS ALERT!!!! I lost 3 lbs this week. Astonishing. I thought after how much I ate at the party last Sunday I'd be lucky to stay at the same weight. So either I didn't eat as much as I thought or the fact that I didn't eat sugar or wheat helped me stay in a fat-burning mode. One of the things I'm concerned about is losing so much so quickly. I assume I'm losing some muscle since I'm not lifting. Although the bodyweight workout that Rog gave me is going well, and I don't seem to have lost any strength in my lower body, I'm sure I've lost strength in my upper body. Hopefully I'll get cleared to return to weight training by March. The wrist is slowly getting better even though I've been missing PT appointments. I have to keep in mind that the first priority right now is getting the weight off. It doesn't make any difference what kind of weight it is. Just getting down close to my normal weight will be so good for my body that the benefits will allow me to focus on building the muscle back up later in the game. I'll take pictures at the beginning of March so Rog can see what's happening. When I look in the mirror I can see the glimmer of a real waist there so something is going on and it's all good.
GOOD NEWS ALERT!!!! I lost 3 lbs this week. Astonishing. I thought after how much I ate at the party last Sunday I'd be lucky to stay at the same weight. So either I didn't eat as much as I thought or the fact that I didn't eat sugar or wheat helped me stay in a fat-burning mode. One of the things I'm concerned about is losing so much so quickly. I assume I'm losing some muscle since I'm not lifting. Although the bodyweight workout that Rog gave me is going well, and I don't seem to have lost any strength in my lower body, I'm sure I've lost strength in my upper body. Hopefully I'll get cleared to return to weight training by March. The wrist is slowly getting better even though I've been missing PT appointments. I have to keep in mind that the first priority right now is getting the weight off. It doesn't make any difference what kind of weight it is. Just getting down close to my normal weight will be so good for my body that the benefits will allow me to focus on building the muscle back up later in the game. I'll take pictures at the beginning of March so Rog can see what's happening. When I look in the mirror I can see the glimmer of a real waist there so something is going on and it's all good.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Forging A New Chain
My chain broke on Sunday. After 28 days of unbroken dieting, I decided to ease up on Sunday because we were hosting a Super Bowl party. I stuck to my decision to eliminate sugar and wheat but let myself eat other foods if I wanted to. So I'm sure that I ate over my maintenance level but it was one day and I easily bounced back. Now I'm forging a new chain, two days so far. I'll weigh on Saturday to see how much the day off affected me.
Got my leg workout in on Monday night. My legs felt heavy the next day but not sore like they did after the first session. I went to the gym for a good treadmill session yesterday. I'm working on adding intervals to my 30 minutes with a goal of bringing up my walking speed. Between three leg workouts and 2-3 treadmill workouts a week I think I can get a good enough calorie burn to keep up the weight loss. Goal for February: 5 lbs.
Got my leg workout in on Monday night. My legs felt heavy the next day but not sore like they did after the first session. I went to the gym for a good treadmill session yesterday. I'm working on adding intervals to my 30 minutes with a goal of bringing up my walking speed. Between three leg workouts and 2-3 treadmill workouts a week I think I can get a good enough calorie burn to keep up the weight loss. Goal for February: 5 lbs.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Taking A Victory Lap
Today, being the first day of the month, is an important day to weigh in. Although I'm weighing mostly on a weekly basis just to make sure I'm making progress on the plan, the monthly weigh-in is where I get to see the progress at a higher level.
January 1: I weighed 237.4 lbs (my scale goes in increments of 0.2 lbs.)
February 1: I weighed 224.2 lbs.
Total loss for the month = 13.2 lbs.
I repeat. 13.2 lbs. Gobsmacked is I. I got on and off the scale three times and then had to bend down to look at the number because I couldn't believe my eyes.
Now, yes, I understand scale weight is essentially meaningless. I get that it doesn't say anything about the composition of that weight (fat versus lean tissue). I also understand at this point in my journey that I dicked around for over a year trying to make my need to lose fat something other than what it was. I tried to make it about bodyfat percentage and muscle building and eating this way or that way. In the end what it comes down to is I just need to get weight off. Doesn't matter what that weight consists of. If I'm doing a well-designed weight training program (which I've been doing thanks to Rog's help) then I can assume that either there is some small muscle building going on or that at least I'm not losing any muscle. That's all I can expect that this point. Maybe someday, God willing, when I'm at my "normal" weight (whatever that turns out to be), I can start looking at the overall composition of my body's weight and focus on changing that. But right now the weight needs to go. Period. End of story. And that is happening for which I'm extremely grateful. Victory!!!
January 1: I weighed 237.4 lbs (my scale goes in increments of 0.2 lbs.)
February 1: I weighed 224.2 lbs.
Total loss for the month = 13.2 lbs.
I repeat. 13.2 lbs. Gobsmacked is I. I got on and off the scale three times and then had to bend down to look at the number because I couldn't believe my eyes.
Now, yes, I understand scale weight is essentially meaningless. I get that it doesn't say anything about the composition of that weight (fat versus lean tissue). I also understand at this point in my journey that I dicked around for over a year trying to make my need to lose fat something other than what it was. I tried to make it about bodyfat percentage and muscle building and eating this way or that way. In the end what it comes down to is I just need to get weight off. Doesn't matter what that weight consists of. If I'm doing a well-designed weight training program (which I've been doing thanks to Rog's help) then I can assume that either there is some small muscle building going on or that at least I'm not losing any muscle. That's all I can expect that this point. Maybe someday, God willing, when I'm at my "normal" weight (whatever that turns out to be), I can start looking at the overall composition of my body's weight and focus on changing that. But right now the weight needs to go. Period. End of story. And that is happening for which I'm extremely grateful. Victory!!!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These
Good news, bad news since the last post...
Good news! Chain remains unbroken. Twenty-six days and counting. Rog gave me a bodyweight workout this week that I can use during my wrist rehab. I did it this morning and wow! Kicked my ass quite literally. Since I haven't done any real work other than walking for the last month, I lost some of my fitness. Fortunately, my strength seems to be ok but my wind is lacking. This workout targets the lower body, mostly the glutes, and I need it. I could tell that I have a deficit in my left glute because it doesn't fire as hard as the right. I could feel the side glute firing during the monster walks so this will be good for my lateral stability. A win all around.
Bad news! My sleep is getting bad again. I've been waking up at 3 am every morning since Monday. Last night I woke up at 1:30 am. I got back to sleep eventually but I drag during the day and am exhausted at night. Eating the bulk of my carbs at night doesn't seem to be helping. I think my situation is that no matter when I eat my carbs being low carb for more than two weeks eventually drains my serotonin level. The extra supplements keep it from happening faster but don't keep it from happening at all. I think I'm going to need another carb break soon so I'll ask Rog about doing it on Sunday. If I do it right I can negotiate the party and get a adequate dose of carbs for the next couple of weeks.
In other kind of bad news, the car went into the shop on Tuesday and our epic fail mechanic has not fixed the problem yet. I won't go into details. It has me pissed off enough as it is. It's supposed to get done today so that I can get to my PT appointment but I'm not hopeful. My wrist is feeling better but I need to get back to PT to finish the job. If I miss today, that will be three weeks in a row that I've missed PT. And nobody heals that way.
Good news! Chain remains unbroken. Twenty-six days and counting. Rog gave me a bodyweight workout this week that I can use during my wrist rehab. I did it this morning and wow! Kicked my ass quite literally. Since I haven't done any real work other than walking for the last month, I lost some of my fitness. Fortunately, my strength seems to be ok but my wind is lacking. This workout targets the lower body, mostly the glutes, and I need it. I could tell that I have a deficit in my left glute because it doesn't fire as hard as the right. I could feel the side glute firing during the monster walks so this will be good for my lateral stability. A win all around.
Bad news! My sleep is getting bad again. I've been waking up at 3 am every morning since Monday. Last night I woke up at 1:30 am. I got back to sleep eventually but I drag during the day and am exhausted at night. Eating the bulk of my carbs at night doesn't seem to be helping. I think my situation is that no matter when I eat my carbs being low carb for more than two weeks eventually drains my serotonin level. The extra supplements keep it from happening faster but don't keep it from happening at all. I think I'm going to need another carb break soon so I'll ask Rog about doing it on Sunday. If I do it right I can negotiate the party and get a adequate dose of carbs for the next couple of weeks.
In other kind of bad news, the car went into the shop on Tuesday and our epic fail mechanic has not fixed the problem yet. I won't go into details. It has me pissed off enough as it is. It's supposed to get done today so that I can get to my PT appointment but I'm not hopeful. My wrist is feeling better but I need to get back to PT to finish the job. If I miss today, that will be three weeks in a row that I've missed PT. And nobody heals that way.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
News You Can Use
Weight as of Saturday morning: 228.2 lb. (down 0.8 lb)
I'll assume I missed the one pound mark due to the "break" day last Saturday. No biggie. My workouts this week were for the most part 30 minutes on the treadmill. One day I tried a 15 minute circuit of lower body and core exercises that didn't stress my injured wrist. Single leg RDL (with a light kettlebell), single leg glute extension, single leg hip extension, dead bug. It was tough, mostly due to my core. Needs work. Lots of work. I hope this moratorium on weight training ends soon.
Now that I'm used to eating at a lower carb level, I'm going to experiment this week with moving most of my carb consumption to late in the day. I'm planning my meals so that I eat no more before dinner than 20 g. of carb on my low calorie days and 30 g. on my high calorie days. And I'm planning my dinner meals to be around 700-800 calories, with a pre-bedtime meal of 200-300 calories (depending on the daily calorie level). I'd like to see if I'm able to tolerate it and if so, what effect it has on me. I still would like to reach a point where intermittent fasting can be a viable option, or at least at modified version of it. This is me challenging my hunger-phobia at a higher level.
I'll assume I missed the one pound mark due to the "break" day last Saturday. No biggie. My workouts this week were for the most part 30 minutes on the treadmill. One day I tried a 15 minute circuit of lower body and core exercises that didn't stress my injured wrist. Single leg RDL (with a light kettlebell), single leg glute extension, single leg hip extension, dead bug. It was tough, mostly due to my core. Needs work. Lots of work. I hope this moratorium on weight training ends soon.
Now that I'm used to eating at a lower carb level, I'm going to experiment this week with moving most of my carb consumption to late in the day. I'm planning my meals so that I eat no more before dinner than 20 g. of carb on my low calorie days and 30 g. on my high calorie days. And I'm planning my dinner meals to be around 700-800 calories, with a pre-bedtime meal of 200-300 calories (depending on the daily calorie level). I'd like to see if I'm able to tolerate it and if so, what effect it has on me. I still would like to reach a point where intermittent fasting can be a viable option, or at least at modified version of it. This is me challenging my hunger-phobia at a higher level.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The Day After
So how did it go with my quasi-break day yesterday? Quite well, thank you.
Success:
1. Planned meals on Thursday (two days ahead of time). Looked up the casino steak house menu online to make sure I was planning food they actually serve.
2. Prepared myself for the trip to the casino by laying out all the food I would take with me for snacks.
3. Took a long walk in the morning so I'd have a bit of calorie burn under my belt.
4. Drank lots of water at the casino.
5. When I got hungry (and I did despite the extra carbs) I told myself I could be patient and wait until the time I planned to eat. I could do this because this is a skill I've been practicing over the last three weeks. I know that the hunger is temporary.
6. Made sure I took all my supplements as scheduled so my neurotransmitters wouldn't get out of whack.
My takeaway from the experience was this. A quasi-break isn't a diet break. I didn't get enough extra calories to prevent hunger or make me feel full after eating. And I lived and felt pretty good all day. Now it's time to move on with the diet.
Success:
1. Planned meals on Thursday (two days ahead of time). Looked up the casino steak house menu online to make sure I was planning food they actually serve.
2. Prepared myself for the trip to the casino by laying out all the food I would take with me for snacks.
3. Took a long walk in the morning so I'd have a bit of calorie burn under my belt.
4. Drank lots of water at the casino.
5. When I got hungry (and I did despite the extra carbs) I told myself I could be patient and wait until the time I planned to eat. I could do this because this is a skill I've been practicing over the last three weeks. I know that the hunger is temporary.
6. Made sure I took all my supplements as scheduled so my neurotransmitters wouldn't get out of whack.
My takeaway from the experience was this. A quasi-break isn't a diet break. I didn't get enough extra calories to prevent hunger or make me feel full after eating. And I lived and felt pretty good all day. Now it's time to move on with the diet.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Christmas Morning
After a couple of conversations with Rog, who is now my nutrition coach as well as my trainer, we decided to take a break today from the diet. Actually, it's not so much a body break as a mental break. Today I get a bit more calories and a change in my macros to favor carbs rather than fat.Although I'm doing well on the diet mentally (better than I thought I would), I felt I was getting to the point where I'd be in danger of losing control to either hunger or cravings. I believe the new supplements I'm taking are helping me tremendously in this area by normalizing my neurotransmitters which tend to go haywire whenever I drop below a certain carb level.
I planned my meals for today after getting my new macros. It worked out to around 2100 calories at 43% carbs. And I woke up this morning feeling like it was Christmas morning and I had a bunch of presents waiting for me under the tree. That's how excited this makes me. What's funny is that this calorie/carb level is what I was eating every day when I was doing my diet on my own. No wonder I wasn't getting anywhere!
I'm happy to say I met the challenge I had set for myself the past three days. I had a goal to drink one gallon of water every day and I did. Actually, it wasn't really that hard. It just took some planning and keeping track of my intake. I have a certain routine when it comes to water but truly it's not enough. I drink a 20 oz. glass first thing after I get out of bed, usually another during the day but not always, a big pot of decaf tea during the day and another 20 oz. glass of water at dinner. I was getting enough fluids but not enough water. I drink 3 cups of coffee with breakfast and caffeine dehydrates so I should be getting much more water anyway. I'm thinking of going totally decaf once my current coffee supply runs out and switching to decaf coffee and tea entirely. But I think after my experience with the challenge I'll only drink tea during the day if I've made my gallon allotment of water first. Happily, all that water flushed my system enough for a weight loss of one pound this morning. Now I'm at 229 lbs. which is 8.5 lbs down for the month so far.
We'll be going to the casino steak house for dinner today. I've got shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, baked sweet potato and asparagus on the food plan. And I couldn't be more excited!
I planned my meals for today after getting my new macros. It worked out to around 2100 calories at 43% carbs. And I woke up this morning feeling like it was Christmas morning and I had a bunch of presents waiting for me under the tree. That's how excited this makes me. What's funny is that this calorie/carb level is what I was eating every day when I was doing my diet on my own. No wonder I wasn't getting anywhere!
I'm happy to say I met the challenge I had set for myself the past three days. I had a goal to drink one gallon of water every day and I did. Actually, it wasn't really that hard. It just took some planning and keeping track of my intake. I have a certain routine when it comes to water but truly it's not enough. I drink a 20 oz. glass first thing after I get out of bed, usually another during the day but not always, a big pot of decaf tea during the day and another 20 oz. glass of water at dinner. I was getting enough fluids but not enough water. I drink 3 cups of coffee with breakfast and caffeine dehydrates so I should be getting much more water anyway. I'm thinking of going totally decaf once my current coffee supply runs out and switching to decaf coffee and tea entirely. But I think after my experience with the challenge I'll only drink tea during the day if I've made my gallon allotment of water first. Happily, all that water flushed my system enough for a weight loss of one pound this morning. Now I'm at 229 lbs. which is 8.5 lbs down for the month so far.
We'll be going to the casino steak house for dinner today. I've got shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, baked sweet potato and asparagus on the food plan. And I couldn't be more excited!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
It's On Like Donkey Kong
My weight has been holding steady at 230 lbs. since Saturday. Since I didn't get my one day "break" plan for Wednesday, the next high day I have for the break is Saturday. That works out better for me anyway since we are going to the casino and their steak house on Saturday. I can tough it out a few more days.
I thought since my weight loss has stalled and I have low calorie days coming up, I would try to break the stall by drinking more water. Typically I drink about half a gallon of water and a pot of tea each day. But I'm challenging myself to drink a gallon of water every day to flush the system and get things moving again. It may not sound like much but I have to consciously plan otherwise I get so busy during the day I forget. So I've got the Britta filled and my gym water bottle at my side today. I will get this done because I want to close the week with some success under my belt.
I thought since my weight loss has stalled and I have low calorie days coming up, I would try to break the stall by drinking more water. Typically I drink about half a gallon of water and a pot of tea each day. But I'm challenging myself to drink a gallon of water every day to flush the system and get things moving again. It may not sound like much but I have to consciously plan otherwise I get so busy during the day I forget. So I've got the Britta filled and my gym water bottle at my side today. I will get this done because I want to close the week with some success under my belt.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
This Is the Best Day Ever
Well, not quite but it's pretty good.
Color me surprised. I had thought at the rate I was losing weight I would reach 230 lbs. by today. Then things slowed down this week and I thought no way. But I got on the scale this morning and I hit 230 right on the nose. I still have doubts I can make the informal goal I set of 225 lbs by February 1 but who knows. I'm on track, now having 6 days in my chain. I feel pretty good with minimal hunger (or maybe I'm managing it better) and I'm sleeping very well.
The only thing that bugs me is not being able to weight train. I'm bagging for it (family inside joke). With the setback to my hand/wrist rehab this week, I think I might have to wait until the rehab is finished to get back to training. So bummed. I've been walking almost every day but it's really not a substitute. As far as rehab goes, we've switched to ultrasound treatments and I'm continuing with the stretching and icing. We're also focusing on the ergonomics of my workspace. I need to figure out if that's what causing my problem and how to fix it. I've also started doing some trigger point therapy on myself. The PT started probing my upper arm and found some very tender spots. This could be causing referred pain in my wrist. I massage the tender spot above the inside of my elbow and it does seem to lessen the pain.
On another good note, my resistance to carbs is getting stronger. Either my willpower is stronger or more likely the new supplements are doing their job. Our Wisconsin friends are coming this weekend to watch the Packer game and I told them "no brownies!" Brownies are my kryptonite and I don't need that temptation. I'm not ready yet to face the mother of all carb cravings. I'm giving the supps two weeks of evaluation. Maybe the true test will be the Super Bowl party, which we host every year and is a huge trigger of binging for me. All those people in my house and all that food to sooth the anxiety (big parties are an introvert's worse nightmare). I don't want to test my carb resistance too early but that would be the perfect opportunity to see if this is real.
Color me surprised. I had thought at the rate I was losing weight I would reach 230 lbs. by today. Then things slowed down this week and I thought no way. But I got on the scale this morning and I hit 230 right on the nose. I still have doubts I can make the informal goal I set of 225 lbs by February 1 but who knows. I'm on track, now having 6 days in my chain. I feel pretty good with minimal hunger (or maybe I'm managing it better) and I'm sleeping very well.
The only thing that bugs me is not being able to weight train. I'm bagging for it (family inside joke). With the setback to my hand/wrist rehab this week, I think I might have to wait until the rehab is finished to get back to training. So bummed. I've been walking almost every day but it's really not a substitute. As far as rehab goes, we've switched to ultrasound treatments and I'm continuing with the stretching and icing. We're also focusing on the ergonomics of my workspace. I need to figure out if that's what causing my problem and how to fix it. I've also started doing some trigger point therapy on myself. The PT started probing my upper arm and found some very tender spots. This could be causing referred pain in my wrist. I massage the tender spot above the inside of my elbow and it does seem to lessen the pain.
On another good note, my resistance to carbs is getting stronger. Either my willpower is stronger or more likely the new supplements are doing their job. Our Wisconsin friends are coming this weekend to watch the Packer game and I told them "no brownies!" Brownies are my kryptonite and I don't need that temptation. I'm not ready yet to face the mother of all carb cravings. I'm giving the supps two weeks of evaluation. Maybe the true test will be the Super Bowl party, which we host every year and is a huge trigger of binging for me. All those people in my house and all that food to sooth the anxiety (big parties are an introvert's worse nightmare). I don't want to test my carb resistance too early but that would be the perfect opportunity to see if this is real.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Biding My Time
I've been very busy over the last few days and much has happened.
First the good...I've had five good diet days in a row and my chain is now one link longer than previously. I think I've finally settled into the diet. I've been off the sugar and wheat for 10 days and feel pretty good. The other thing that seems to be a success is the new supplements. I have more energy in the morning and my sleep at night has been more restful. The 5-HTP and magnesium I take before bed seem to give me sleep that feels more natural. The other sleep supplements I was taking always made me feel as if I was drugged out and I would wake up groggy. I think this is a winner but I'm giving it two weeks to really make a judgement on that.
Now the bad and not quite so bad...my hand and wrist felt much better Tuesday when I went to PT. She made me a custom hard splint to wear for support and it seems to have made things worse. I wore it to bed Tuesday night and when I took it off in the morning everything was so sore. I continued the stretching and ice during the day, wearing the splint while working, but it was so sore at the end of the day Wednesday that I decide not to wear anymore. I see her tonight so we'll see what she say. I sure would like to get back to weight training again!
I went to my primary doctor for my annual physical yesterday morning and all is well for the most part. I had asked for another RA test since the last one was at the high end of normal. The second test came back abnormal and so I'm off to see another doctor, a rheumatologist, for more specialized testing and assessment. That appointment is in early March. It might not be anything since I have no other symptoms of RA but who knows.
First the good...I've had five good diet days in a row and my chain is now one link longer than previously. I think I've finally settled into the diet. I've been off the sugar and wheat for 10 days and feel pretty good. The other thing that seems to be a success is the new supplements. I have more energy in the morning and my sleep at night has been more restful. The 5-HTP and magnesium I take before bed seem to give me sleep that feels more natural. The other sleep supplements I was taking always made me feel as if I was drugged out and I would wake up groggy. I think this is a winner but I'm giving it two weeks to really make a judgement on that.
Now the bad and not quite so bad...my hand and wrist felt much better Tuesday when I went to PT. She made me a custom hard splint to wear for support and it seems to have made things worse. I wore it to bed Tuesday night and when I took it off in the morning everything was so sore. I continued the stretching and ice during the day, wearing the splint while working, but it was so sore at the end of the day Wednesday that I decide not to wear anymore. I see her tonight so we'll see what she say. I sure would like to get back to weight training again!
I went to my primary doctor for my annual physical yesterday morning and all is well for the most part. I had asked for another RA test since the last one was at the high end of normal. The second test came back abnormal and so I'm off to see another doctor, a rheumatologist, for more specialized testing and assessment. That appointment is in early March. It might not be anything since I have no other symptoms of RA but who knows.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Hard Truth
Well, here it comes. The first set of pictures for 2013. And they are not pretty. I just have to say I don't like having my picture taken. Ever no matter what reason. Just sayin'...
Ok, here goes. The only positive thing is that it will get better
Ok, here goes. The only positive thing is that it will get better
Monday, January 7, 2013
I'm An Experiment of One
My new supplements came today and I couldn't be more excited. If the literature is correct, I'll soon stop having carb cravings, be sleeping better and have more energy. Sounds too good to be true.
So here's my new regime.
Before breakfast:
Probiotic
Phenylalanine
At breakfast:
Mult-vitamin part 1
Vitamin D
Vitamin B6
B vitamin complex
Omega 3
At dinner:
Probiotic
Multi-vitamin part 2
Omega 3
Before bed:
Magnesium
5-HTP
Anytime during the day:
Glutamine 5 mg with a protein shake
I'll post every day over the next few weeks how this affects me and what tweaking if any I do.
So here's my new regime.
Before breakfast:
Probiotic
Phenylalanine
At breakfast:
Mult-vitamin part 1
Vitamin D
Vitamin B6
B vitamin complex
Omega 3
At dinner:
Probiotic
Multi-vitamin part 2
Omega 3
Before bed:
Magnesium
5-HTP
Anytime during the day:
Glutamine 5 mg with a protein shake
I'll post every day over the next few weeks how this affects me and what tweaking if any I do.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Broken Chain
As I feared, the low carb flu hit me last night. Even after taking ZMA and a GABA/melatonin combo that normally would whack me out for the night, I was wide awake and restless. These are the same symptoms I had when I tried to do the paleo Whole30 back in August. I believe what happens is that a very low carb diet quickly depletes whatever serotonin I normally make (which isn't much I think), resulting in wakefulness, anxiety and restless leg type symptoms, especially at night. Which is why I've been so eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new supplements that are supposed to elevate serotonin levels.
I decided to go ahead and break my diet chain last night by eating one of my pumpkin muffins and one of my low carb brownies. That added around 375 calories and 40 g of carbs to my 1800 calorie day. It was enough to sooth my night restlessness and help me sleep but not add too many carbs (especially of the sugar or wheat variety). My carb macros have been working out to be 20% on the 1500 calorie days and 30% on the 1800 calorie days. This is much lower than I would normally eat (35-45%) to feel completely "normal" serotonin-wise. I'm totally willing to keep following these macros once I start using the supplements. My hope is that the supplements will raise my serotonin levels enough to offset the depletion of the diet.
So my chain lasted 4 days. I start a new one today and my goal is to keep the chain going longer than 4 days.
I decided to go ahead and break my diet chain last night by eating one of my pumpkin muffins and one of my low carb brownies. That added around 375 calories and 40 g of carbs to my 1800 calorie day. It was enough to sooth my night restlessness and help me sleep but not add too many carbs (especially of the sugar or wheat variety). My carb macros have been working out to be 20% on the 1500 calorie days and 30% on the 1800 calorie days. This is much lower than I would normally eat (35-45%) to feel completely "normal" serotonin-wise. I'm totally willing to keep following these macros once I start using the supplements. My hope is that the supplements will raise my serotonin levels enough to offset the depletion of the diet.
So my chain lasted 4 days. I start a new one today and my goal is to keep the chain going longer than 4 days.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Quick Saturday Update
I'm down to 231.2 lbs this morning. When I weighed myself on New Year's Day at 237.4 lbs I thought 230 lbs was a worthy goal for the month. Now I think I'll be there by next Saturday. So the inside-my-head goal is 225 lbs.
I am hungry this morning even after eating breakfast. I've had two 1500 calorie days in a row and I'm feeling it. I'm sure my weight loss is still mainly water since I'm getting up to go to the bathroom about 3-4 times a night (and peeing a bunch each time. TMI). This is what I was doing when I did that Whole30 back in August so I need to be mindful of this so I don't get into that depleted state again. I've been taking ZMA every night which is helping me sleep and hopefully helping the electrolyte balance as well. My new supps are supposed to be here Monday and I can hardly wait.
I'm doing 1800 calories today even though I won't weight train due to PT restrictions. I will go to the gym anyway for rehab and cardio work. Maybe I'll play with a machine I've never used to see how I like it.
Pictures for sure tomorrow.
I am hungry this morning even after eating breakfast. I've had two 1500 calorie days in a row and I'm feeling it. I'm sure my weight loss is still mainly water since I'm getting up to go to the bathroom about 3-4 times a night (and peeing a bunch each time. TMI). This is what I was doing when I did that Whole30 back in August so I need to be mindful of this so I don't get into that depleted state again. I've been taking ZMA every night which is helping me sleep and hopefully helping the electrolyte balance as well. My new supps are supposed to be here Monday and I can hardly wait.
I'm doing 1800 calories today even though I won't weight train due to PT restrictions. I will go to the gym anyway for rehab and cardio work. Maybe I'll play with a machine I've never used to see how I like it.
Pictures for sure tomorrow.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Things Change In The Wink Of An Eye
And...here it is in front of me. I haven't written much about the problems I've been having since August with my hands and wrists. Long story short, I somehow got inflammation in both hands mostly likely due to overuse with the computer. After much time spent running through various tests to pinpoint the problem, I wound up at a hand specialist who diagnosed tendon sheath inflammation in the palms of my hands. I got cortisone injections in the right hand which pretty much stopped the inflammation in my right hand, although I still have stiffness and weakness there. The left hand is still a problem and I started with a physical therapist at the doctor's recommendation.
Yesterday was my assessment. The PT wants to treat me with stretching, ice and rest to start. Then she'll move into ultrasound, a splint and whatever next week. But the thing that totally brought my world to a halt was her request that I stop weight training while I'm being treated which will be around 4-6 weeks. I almost had a twitchy fit right there in front of her. I didn't say yes but I think it would be counterproductive not to follow her advice. What was that fourth step of the New Year Revolution? Oh yeah, shut up and listen! Well, I guess I need to do that if I want to get over this thing. I'm assuming I'll wind up getting injections in my left hand anyway when I see the doctor again in three weeks, but I'd like to give the PT a chance to work since I'm paying good money for it.
So Rog and I will be discussing this next Monday. I really have no idea what to do instead or how this affects the nutrition plan he gave me. I really don't want to do 1500 calories of low carb every single day for the next month or so but I guess if I'm not training I might have to. But I'll let the guru make that call (step four again!). So for now it's stretching and ice packs three times a day and we'll see how it goes.
Just as an update, I haven't mentioned anything about weight stats (and still haven't done pictures, sorry!). So...my starting weight on January 1 was 237.4 lbs (darn Christmas goodies) and by January 3 it was 234 lbs. The low carb has taken out a lot of water pretty quickly. I'll weigh again tomorrow and then twice a week thereafter. I don't want to be a slave to the scale but I think this diet will take the weight off fairly quickly so I want to keep track of the progress. And maybe pictures once a month will be more revealing this time so I'll do that too.
Yesterday was my assessment. The PT wants to treat me with stretching, ice and rest to start. Then she'll move into ultrasound, a splint and whatever next week. But the thing that totally brought my world to a halt was her request that I stop weight training while I'm being treated which will be around 4-6 weeks. I almost had a twitchy fit right there in front of her. I didn't say yes but I think it would be counterproductive not to follow her advice. What was that fourth step of the New Year Revolution? Oh yeah, shut up and listen! Well, I guess I need to do that if I want to get over this thing. I'm assuming I'll wind up getting injections in my left hand anyway when I see the doctor again in three weeks, but I'd like to give the PT a chance to work since I'm paying good money for it.
So Rog and I will be discussing this next Monday. I really have no idea what to do instead or how this affects the nutrition plan he gave me. I really don't want to do 1500 calories of low carb every single day for the next month or so but I guess if I'm not training I might have to. But I'll let the guru make that call (step four again!). So for now it's stretching and ice packs three times a day and we'll see how it goes.
Just as an update, I haven't mentioned anything about weight stats (and still haven't done pictures, sorry!). So...my starting weight on January 1 was 237.4 lbs (darn Christmas goodies) and by January 3 it was 234 lbs. The low carb has taken out a lot of water pretty quickly. I'll weigh again tomorrow and then twice a week thereafter. I don't want to be a slave to the scale but I think this diet will take the weight off fairly quickly so I want to keep track of the progress. And maybe pictures once a month will be more revealing this time so I'll do that too.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Do What Scares You
Second day of the Revolution and I'm still alive. I have to admit when I saw the macros Rog gave me it scared the shit out of me. My first thoughts were calories too low, carbs too low...I'm going to suffer. But I stamped on that fear, knowing that I'd committed to doing it Roger's way instead of my way which totally has not been working.
The first two days have not been that bad. Yes, I've been hungry. Yes, it's been a challenge to figure out how the food I normally eat fits into the macros. And so far I've found ways to overcome these challenges. Step number three of the Revolution is Don't Break the Chain. For me the chain is consecutive days of meeting my macros, no cheating or fudging the numbers. The links in the chain are each day on my calendar with a sticker of mission accomplished. One link so far...
Since my calories are much lower than what I've been used to, I decided to decrease the weights lifted in my workouts. I'm glad I decided that because I was definitely getting fatigued at the end today. My new supplements haven't come yet and I'm anxiously waiting so see how they work for me. I'll update with my supplement plan once I have it all sorted out. And pictures are on my to-do list as well.
The first two days have not been that bad. Yes, I've been hungry. Yes, it's been a challenge to figure out how the food I normally eat fits into the macros. And so far I've found ways to overcome these challenges. Step number three of the Revolution is Don't Break the Chain. For me the chain is consecutive days of meeting my macros, no cheating or fudging the numbers. The links in the chain are each day on my calendar with a sticker of mission accomplished. One link so far...
Since my calories are much lower than what I've been used to, I decided to decrease the weights lifted in my workouts. I'm glad I decided that because I was definitely getting fatigued at the end today. My new supplements haven't come yet and I'm anxiously waiting so see how they work for me. I'll update with my supplement plan once I have it all sorted out. And pictures are on my to-do list as well.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year Revolution
Welcome, 2013! So glad to see you at last. Your sister 2012 was good and bad, as many years are. The bad was the six months I spent in misery at my old job, dealing with a level of stress I've not experienced in a long while. The good was that I landed my dream job and have a new life as a stay-at-home worker. Unfortunately my fitness plans were collateral damage and I wound up so not where I wanted to be at the end of the year.
Hence, the title of my post. It's a new year and mere resolutions are not going to cut it this time. I have goals which I'll get into in more detail but what this year requires is a REVOLUTION! A 180 degree turnaround. A change of earth shattering portions. It means digging deep into my strengths and my faults so I can leverage the former and improve the latter. It means changing how I think about myself and the world. It means going against the grain and being the weird one, the one that doesn't go along with the crowd. It means standing up for what I believe is right and true for me and not caving to what I think will make someone else happy or at least not upset with me.
Sounds like a lot and it is. It's not without precedence in my life. I'm not the girl I used to be. If you could meet the me I was 20 or 30 years ago, you would be surprised at how different I am. I've had many "lives" in this life and I know I have one more in me.
So...what constitutes my revolution?
1. Inspiration - drawing daily from the world around me and the good things people do and say to inspire my own efforts. And doing and saying things that might inspire others as well. It's a two-way street.
2. Overcoming weakness - identify it, name it, own it, find a strategy to change it to a strength.
3. Don't break the chain - do the one thing day in and day out that will achieve my goal. Create the links of that chain and commit to not breaking it.
4. Shut up and listen. I'm not always the smartest person in the room.
5. Where there is work to do, do the work. Otherwise it is an opportunity missed.
There's more of course which certainly will be the subject of future posts. For now, today is a day to reflect and look ahead. Good things are a-coming.
Hence, the title of my post. It's a new year and mere resolutions are not going to cut it this time. I have goals which I'll get into in more detail but what this year requires is a REVOLUTION! A 180 degree turnaround. A change of earth shattering portions. It means digging deep into my strengths and my faults so I can leverage the former and improve the latter. It means changing how I think about myself and the world. It means going against the grain and being the weird one, the one that doesn't go along with the crowd. It means standing up for what I believe is right and true for me and not caving to what I think will make someone else happy or at least not upset with me.
Sounds like a lot and it is. It's not without precedence in my life. I'm not the girl I used to be. If you could meet the me I was 20 or 30 years ago, you would be surprised at how different I am. I've had many "lives" in this life and I know I have one more in me.
So...what constitutes my revolution?
1. Inspiration - drawing daily from the world around me and the good things people do and say to inspire my own efforts. And doing and saying things that might inspire others as well. It's a two-way street.
2. Overcoming weakness - identify it, name it, own it, find a strategy to change it to a strength.
3. Don't break the chain - do the one thing day in and day out that will achieve my goal. Create the links of that chain and commit to not breaking it.
4. Shut up and listen. I'm not always the smartest person in the room.
5. Where there is work to do, do the work. Otherwise it is an opportunity missed.
There's more of course which certainly will be the subject of future posts. For now, today is a day to reflect and look ahead. Good things are a-coming.
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