Why, oh Why, am I doing this?

Friday, February 05, 2010

I’ve been thinking about the many reasons I want to lose weight and I’ve come up with the following list. I wanted to write it down so I can keep reminding myself why I am pursuing this journey:
o Walking without pain
o Not becoming diabetic
o Lowering blood pressure
o Getting out of a car in the Y parking space
o Using a normal size bath towel
o Sitting comfortably in an airplane or bus seat
o Fitting into a “one size fits all”
o Sitting comfortably in a booth at a restaurant
o Being able to get into a seat in a restaurant where the tables are too close to each other.

I’ll be updating this as I think of other things. Feel free to offer additional reasons.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

EYEONGOAL 2/6/2010 10:08AM

Great list. I would add: Not feeling out of breath when taking a walk Not having to go to the "Womens" section of the department store Being comfortable in shoes that are not tennis shoes, birkenstocks, or other flat shoes Being happy when I see myself in a picture Enjoying clothes shopping. Report Inappropriate Comment

BEVPRESLEY 2/5/2010 10:10PM

I like your list, and I will add Chasing the grands around all day. Report Inappropriate Comment

KARLIEK 2/5/2010 8:13PM

Those are great reasons to motivate! Just remember its the turtle the stuck to it that won the race!! Good job! One reason I thought to add, is so I can play with my new granddaughter with out feeling old! Report Inappropriate Comment

Another Day, another Dollar.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Tomorrow is Friday! I get to stay home and sleep in. I can do my exercises at a reasonable hour. Maybe even do a few more since I won’t have to hurry out the door late as usual. I’ve been doing some strength training exercises recommended by Spark People and want to add the original boot camp videos I first learned last month. They are my security blanket as I am comfortable with them from experience. I know what they are like and I can do them (sort of). Plus I want to see if I can get better at them. Maybe even do the leg lifts and planks.

Today was better at work. Had a whole day of lively discussion which wiped away the tiredness. I didn’t get a chance to walk around the building corridors today as my lunch period was shortened between meetings, and today I chose to eat. I have found that I need that regular eating time or I get a headache and I spend the afternoon searching for something “good” to eat. My whole day is shot and my body is off schedule. So today I ate lunch instead of walking the corridors. But I went to the gym after work and did a quick 15 minute workout on the treadmill before water aerobics. For the 15 minutes I tried going faster than I normally do and a higher incline. I did get my heart rate up from yesterday, so even if it was a short time, I worked harder than I have before. Hooray for me! I was jazzed from my treadmill work out so when the water aerobics trailed into volleyball instead, I spent the last 15 minutes swimming laps. So today I got my cardio in three 15 minute segments. I hope what they say about short spurts of exercises, that they are just as good as one 45 minute continuous effort, is true.

I’m glad work is done for the week. For me, it’s harder to stay focused when I’m at work then when I am home. I find that I get hungrier at work. My “munchy” habits are back so I have to keep my hands busy by drinking water. I find myself using more of my survival techniques than when I’m home. I guess it really is boredom that triggers my eating binges. I better bone up on anti-boredom eating tips.

Have you got any tips to keep from eating out of boredom?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

EYEONGOAL 2/5/2010 12:05PM

I find that sugarfree gum helps. Tasting food with gum in your mouth is unappealing. This is a trick that I used to use while cooking and cleaning up after dinner. Keep up the good work with your exercise. Report Inappropriate Comment

DESERTDREAMERS 2/5/2010 4:36AM

Great minds run alike! (Another day, another dollar) Good for you for getting in more exercise at a harder rate - breaking it up does seem to work - and sometimes, I just can't stand thinking about working out for an hour, but I can do 4 15-minute blocks. I get hungrier (from boredom) at home. Usually too busy at work, and no access to "forbidden" foods - except when someone decides to treat everyone and orders pizza - my downfall! Report Inappropriate Comment

Treadmilling away

Thursday, February 04, 2010

It was a little better at work today. Even so, at 5 I got tired again. So this time I got up and walked around. I found somebody still there to talk to. We gabbed about work for about 30 minutes and the sleepiness went away. And it was much closer to leaving time so I finished up my emails and scheduling, grabbed my gym bag and headed out to the gym. I did treadmill today as the swimming classes are not given on Wednesdays (not enough swimmers to support one more day a week—bummer). I worked very hard (well, hard for me) and I still could not get my heart rate over 100. But I’ve accepted that it’s my medicine keeping my heart rate down. (Thank you Spark People for writing an article on the effect of blood pressure medicine on exercise.) Still, I’m going to keep on trying. I am working my way up to 2 miles in 30 minutes (on the treadmill and on the streets). So far I’m only up to 1.5, but I can do it!

I wore my new clothes today. It felt so good to be in a smaller size and to realize that I’ll probably be in an even smaller size by summer. WOW what a nice feeling of confidence that gives you. I haven’t yet given up my larger sizes though because if I did I would have to wear the same outfits over and over; how boring is that! I’m not ready to buy a whole new wardrobe yet. Maybe the thrift stores might be a good idea. I’ll have to think about that.

My spark buddy is gone tomorrow night. She’s out enjoying a weekend of fun and games in San Francisco while I slave away at the gym all by myself. Oh well, it’s her loss.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

GCHUNG 2/4/2010 8:43AM

Great progress!!! Congratulations Report Inappropriate Comment

EYEONGOAL 2/4/2010 7:21AM

It's great that your clothes have gotten so loose. One option that you might consider for your favorite clothes, is to have them tailored. It might end up being less money than replacing them (this is mostly true for work clothes). Report Inappropriate Comment

LEWISCA1 2/4/2010 1:47AM

Yeah yeah... my loss indeed! Actually you can take comfort in the fact that you won't be tempted at every turn to over-eat like I will be all weekend. For instance, I know there's a great hotdog place right across from this art/craft store I want to visit. And T loves the fried calamari. How many calories is clam chowder??! Go buy some more clothes this weekend! You can't keep wearing the same too-large clothes. I think some more tops are in order, and maybe two more "could wear to work if I wanted to" pairs of pants. That won't break the bank, and having a variety of smaller clothes will make you feel good! And give some thought to whether you'd like to split a CSA box with us. Its coming up time to sign up before Spring. Enjoy your long weekend! Report Inappropriate Comment

Work Day Blues

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

I am so psyched today! I went to water aerobics and the instructor was the deep water instructor and he worked us today. I did so much better than I used to with him. Usually my abs are flabby and I can’t keep my rear against the wall while I lift my legs (my body just floats up on its own). Today, with the help of some stronger abs (thanks to the boot camp abs of horror videos), I was able to keep my rear against the wall and raise my legs almost 90 degrees! I even had to work harder on the sprints because it was much easier than I expected. I am definitely going to keep on doing the strength exercises. I can feel the difference in my movements and my energy.

First day back at work is always a drag. I made it to 5pm before the lack of sleep and early morning exercise kicked in. For most of the day I was so busy cleaning up emails and attending meetings that I didn’t even think about resting. But by 5 everybody else has left and it’s just me and my computer. It’s so quiet I have a hard time keeping my eyes open. And I also have a hard time not thinking about eating. Why is it that working in front of the computer at work stimulates my appetite while working in front of the computer at home keeps me so busy I forget about eating? Boredom I guess. I pack my lunch and snacks so my calories are all measured out before I get to work but now I have to work on making those snacks last throughout the day instead of eating them all at lunch.

What do you do to keep the boredom munchies away at work?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

EYEONGOAL 2/3/2010 10:41AM

I loved reading this blog! I used to go to aqua aerobics, but I didn't have the option of deep water. The deep water option sounds great. It sounds like the strength exercises are really doing their job. Congrats! It always feels good when we notice unexpected improvement. As far as the boredom thing, getting up and taking a quick walk to the bathroom, to the breakroom to pick up a beverage (more water), or to deliver papers (do they still do that?) used to help me. Definitely do not stay at your desk for lunch or breaks. You need the break to break the boredom. As far as snacks go, it sounds like you are already planning ahead. I find that snacks like baby carrots with hummus, string cheese, celery or apple slices with peanut butter, or almonds stick with me better than popcorn or granola bars. Keep up the great work! Report Inappropriate Comment

LEWISCA1 2/3/2010 1:23AM

I surf the internet. There is always something distracting there... like SparkPeople! Ha ha! Report Inappropriate Comment

Beyond Boot Camp

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Today I started a new challenge, the healthy heart challenge. First challenge was 30 minutes of moderate intensity workout each day for 5 days. I figure my walking satisfies this. But I also am doing a 15 minute dancercise video in the morning. That gets my heart going for the day. I adjusted my fitness goals and signed up for Spark People to chart a strength training course, so today I had two upper body strength exercises to do followed by some stretching (good because I’ve decided I need lots of stretching for my muscles that have atrophied after many years of laziness.) It will take a while for the strength exercises to make a difference as I am only doing 10 minutes a day, but just in the one month of January boot camp I have seen a difference in what I can do. For one thing, I find myself getting up out of a chair easier. WAY TO GO!

Tomorrow starts a new work period. Three days a week for three weeks. I really enjoyed my time off this month and have not thought about work at all. I’ve even forgotten my password so I couldn’t check email while I was “off duty”. But it’s back to work in the morning-Early in the morning-Yuck! That means I have to get up and do my morning exercise before going; which really means I need to get moving and not stalling or I will be late again. And it’s gym tomorrow night, water aerobics for a change. If the teacher shows up that is. Otherwise it’s treadmill time. I go to gym at night so I don’t have to drive home with the commuter traffic, so it doesn’t really matter what I do as long as it keeps me away from the highway until the highway calms down.

February is off to a good start! My weight is still going in the right direction – down and my feet are a little better. I have high hopes for this month. Go Team!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

EYEONGOAL 2/2/2010 8:23AM

After reading the blog before this, I tried a Bootcamp video from Spark. It was really good. Thanks for giving me the idea. It sounds like your current goal is really doable. I understand the atrophied muscle thing. It takes dedication, but strength training does make a difference. I have a long way to go, but I have also come a long way. Keep up your determination. Report Inappropriate Comment

LEWISCA1 2/2/2010 2:24AM

My weight tonight after Jazzercise was 172 point something, but yesterday it was 174 point something. It is bouncing around all over the place, so I can't say if I've made any difference yet. I suspect my eating will have to change further. But I feel good being physical - it feels like I am doing something good for my body. I will have to remember to pack both options in my gym bag tonight. I always have to stuff it to the gills to get both options into the bag. I'm glad you decided to add some strength training! So important for long-term health! Report Inappropriate Comment