Nature and Weight Loss

Friday, May 09, 2008

I really feel the need to just get outside and lose the weight and connect with nature again. My newest projects will be to work in my yard and make my backyard my haven to relax in .

It's time to roll up the sleeves and get out the gardening tools and gloves and just get to work on my new fitness plan...gardening. There is alot of work to be done out there so I know it will be a chore but I'm taking it just like I did my weight loss...a little bit at a time. I will just plan to spend a minimum of an hour a day out there for the first part. I will add more work on the weekends.

I also want to work some nature into my art endeavors that relax me and make me happy. I think the combination will do wonders for me. So, here's to the weekend and a good body workout.

I also started Zumba classes this week and I'm still able to get out of bed!

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The Naked Truth

Sunday, May 04, 2008

I weighed today just because I wanted a new weight for the swimsuit bootcamp contest and to give me a grip on my eating / drinking patterns.

It was not a pretty site. I gained back 11 lbs of what I lost last month. Why do I do this ? It's the wine.

Ok, so I decided to take my measurements also and then discovered that although I gained pounds, my measurements all went down! What is up with that?! I have decided it was a combination of two things...the good ole water retention and the new muscles I have gained by taking weight training classes for 2 semesters. I guess it's a good thing?

THAT is why I hate the scales. They do NOT give a total picture of your health and shape. They also make me crazy because society has brainwashed us all into thinking that the number on the scale is the important thing. It's NOT!

OK, I will get off my soapbox and will shut down this pity-party. Here are today's stats:

Weight 162 Previous 151
Waist 37 Previous 37.5
Hips 42 Previous 42
Bust 44 Don’t remember
Neck 14.5 Previous 14.75

Waist to hip ratio: .88 not bad since it was once over 1.


Instead of wasting alot of time worrying, I'm posting new goals for the month of May:

1. NO MORE EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Stay within my calorie range of 1200 to 1500 per day.
3. Make 'healthy' food choices. Quality over quantity.
4. Monitor my foods and exercise daily.
5. Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
6. Continue with my strength training throughout the summer so I will not be out of shape when the fall semester begins.
7. Find someone to help monitor me who really cares about me. I need a 'Program Police' friend!!!!!! Any volunteers? I promised myself that I would get to goal this year.

OK, that should be enough for now. Now to get busy with BootCamp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get your booty running!!!!

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OMG! Weighed In

Friday, April 18, 2008

OK, I have been struggling since before Thanksgiving to get back down to what I was then. I was working on counting calories most of all. I have been working out with weights and doing cardio for over 8 mos now...even before I joined SP.

My problem was that I would drink too much wine even though I stayed within my calorie ranges. I also ate too many starchy carbs even though they were whole grains. So, I'm 54 yrs. old now and I know what really works for me. I avoided it like the plague because I did not want to do it.

I actually tried cutting calories way low only to find that I did not react to it. My body is stubborn. So, I decided I would try one last ditch effort and just monitor my weight after 2 wks.
I went on South Beach Diet and cut out fruits and starchy carbs except for my wine on weekends only.

I added L-glutamine to help with sugar and wine cravings and I added L-carnatine to help with burning the fat. I also take a multi-vitamin.

After 2 weeks, I weighed and lost 13 lbs! I cannot believe it. I just cannot even though I knew that was about all that works for me. But after menopause, I just have had a harder time losing than I did even 2 yrs ago. I will continue this plan until I get to my goal weight of 135! That is only 17 pounds away!

That sounds much better than the 100 lbs that I originally started with.

I hope I can keep it up for 17 more lbs and then for life.

*crossing my fingers*

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Boot Camp Workout

Thursday, April 17, 2008

I burned off a couple of calories with this workout today.
5 minutes of stretching all muscles
Then 9 sets of all of these exercises as directed by the coach.
Running back and forth up and down the gym for a few minutes until he blew his whistle. Then, we would drop and do 10 crunches with knees up at 90 degree angle and elbows to knees. Then we would get up again and run until he blew the whistle and do the crunches...we did that 3 times...then ran and did push ups and reverse push ups and then running and jumping over obstacles. then running down a narrow set of step aerobic steps set up end to end. the we did all that 3 times again. Oh and we had to run and jump over obstacles with both feet together. The we ran more and had to stop when he blew the whistle and do 10 jumping jacks...then run and so on. After that, we had to all kinds of stuff that I can't even explain. It was an hour of intense workout that left me exhausted!

I felt so good...after it was over. His workouts are always intense no matter what they are. That's why I take his class. He is the toughest instructor in that dept. I'm lucky to work where I can take classes like that. He pushes me. I do not push me. And, I have not died, although, I have secretly prayed for it in the midst of the workouts! Just kidding.

My favorite part of the whole class is shower time. Today, I am proud of myself because after that class, there was a party going on in the cafeteria for faculty and staff. They were giving away free food...hamburgers. One of my favorite foods is hamburgers. Everyone kept telling me to go get some food. I told them all that I had just finished boot camp and there was no way I was going to waste those calories burned on junk food.

I'm saving my calories for wine this weekend. That's my treat.
I'm learning to make choices and to really think about what is important to me now as far as my health and lifestyle are concerned. That class ends in May. I will miss it but he is teaching summer classes for 2 hours a day....4 days a week. After two semesters of his weight training and conditioning, I will not be taking summer classes. LOL

Tomorrow, it will be hard to get out of bed! I will probably have to log-roll out of it. I hope the dog will catch me and soften the blow.

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Doctor Visit and You On A Diet

Sunday, April 13, 2008

OK, i went to see my doctor Friday mainly because I wanted help losing weight. I have read the book, You On A Diet and Dr. OZ talked about some meds for helping with cravings, etc. Anyway, on page 272, he talks about topiramate (Topamax) which is supposed to help with weight control and has a calming effect. sigh. So, I went to see my doctor who is a female and I really like her. She is over 60 and you would never believe it to see her. She did not agree that I should be on that drug. I was not surprised. BUT, she kept talking to me and eventually, I broke down in tears. I hate that.
I told her that I just needed something to help calm me down besides wine so that I could lose weight. Then we talked about how I can not relax and that it makes me nervous to relax and watch a movie with my husband and that I always have to be doing something in addition to that. I usually am reading. I usually read self-help books or magazines also.

SOOOOO, she said that that means I"m just ignoring what is really bothering me.

I'm sure that is true but was not prepared for that....so she put me on Zoloft. I"m not really depressed! I just need to calm down and when I read about Topamax in Dr. Oz's book, it just sounded like what I need.

I guess life goes on and I will just eat healthier and stop obsessing over my weight. I wonder if that is actually going to happen? ha.

I have to get a new doctor anyway since she is leaving to go somewhere else to practice. I really hate to see her go but maybe it's time for a new one anyway. I just hate starting over from scratch.



shhhhheeeeeeesh.

I guess I will take it awhile but I'm not really keen on that.

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