There Is More Than One Way To Exercise

There's a couple of things that have been going around in my head:

1.) Why more people haven't noticed that I've lost weight.
I realized yesterday that part of the reason people may have not noticed (I say "part" because see #2) is that I've been at this weight before. Been here. People noticed then, and got used to it. Then when I crept back up, went back down - same thing. So some people have made comments on me losing weight, but really I've just been getting to where I was. Makes sense. I was still wearing all the same clothes, they were just incredibly uncomfortable on me.

2.) My clothes do not fit as nicely as they did last time I was at this weight.
Specifically my pants. I think my pants were looser. I'm cursing myself for not taking measurements, but I truly feel like my belly parts are bigger than they were last time I was at this weight. I had pants that I could put on that I can not right now. So either some of my fat has migrated, OR I have a huge tumor brewing in my midsection. The hypochondriac in me leans to the second option, but realistically, I'm starting to get the midsection bulge that people get around my age. Sigh. It's frustrating. But it is also motivation to continue to lose more until I DO feel my pants sliding off my behind!

3.) There's more than one way to exercise.
This one is SUPER important to me. Like I said in another post - I'm not much of a gym person. But during the winter months (or hot summer months), it's sometimes hard to get outside. So I do my Walk Away the Pounds, or other similar workouts, in the house. I haven't been at the gym in a couple weeks. I don't really miss it. I like the equipment, but I don't like the extra time I need to carve out to go there, and the extra preparing I have to do. I like to wear my pajamas to workout at home. Less laundry. I workout in my socks. I hate shoes.

Yesterday I took my son to a lunch buffet. I ate reasonably, but not being able to accurately count the calories made me nervous. I needed to do a workout. But I also had other things I needed to do. I feel resentful (weird, I know), sometimes at the time it takes to keep oneself healthy. I reminded myself that good, hard, work is a natural, productive way to get some exercise in. That's what I decided to employ.

I rearranged my living room. I scrubbed walls, vacuumed carpets, tossed away junk, moved furniture. If I gave my home and hour of HARD WORK a couple times a week, I think I'd be happier in my home. I'd get things done. Not all workouts have to be in the gym (especially for those of us who don't like to go there). Simply being active around the home is good, too. Intentional movement. I worked up a sweat, used muscles, and got things done. Love it.

The few weeks that I made the gym a priority, my house went to shambles. I am going to remind myself to mix it up a bit and use the sidewalks for my walks, use my videos, use the gym if I want, but also use the simple things God put in front of us to keep our body healthy: work.


Twice this week I shoveled for a workout. Not only my sidewalk, but my neighbor's. It felt good.

My body likes intentional, productive work and play. My mind and spirit seem to, too. Sometimes I like a good workout in the gym, too. But it really did my spirit well to put time into my house. For me, that worked.

Treadmill Workout - 45 Minutes

I don't know why I did it. Honestly, I don't.
I was still dying from the previous day, and bitter over my weight stall.

But I went. I packed up my shoes and my ipod, and told myself to just do the treadmill.

I worry I'm overdoing it. Then I think that is just an excuse.

Working out more days than not, eating right more days than not - is a key to life-long health. Today, tomorrow, next year, five years from now... that won't change. Why feed my head with thoughts that today is different?

I went to the gym, unloaded my anger, bitterness and hatred for working out, put on my shoes, filled my water bottle, stepped on a treadmill - didn't have the right feel for me. Stepped off to the next one. Good.

Set my pace and went at it.

I wanted to sweat, I wanted to feel like I had a workout. I wanted to run, but I'm pacing myself. Pace, pace.

Here's (about) what I did.

For me, it was a decent workout. I was sweaty, I got my heart rate up over 150, I wanted to quit. 

After I was done, I got off and went to get the spray to wipe off the machine, and still had that floaty feeling that treadmills give you, like I'm walking and now I'm moving - before I wasn't.

I went and did one stretch, and decided to finish at home. I just wanted to leave. There's nothing relaxing (to me) about stretching in a tiny area filled with other sweaty people. My germaphobic nature starts to go into overdrive. Maybe I'll get over it. I don't know.

So I came home, did some stretches, made some oatmeal, and came to post this before I forget what I even did on that treadmill. 

This is what it said at the end, although the calories might be off because I didn't punch in my weight until about 10 minutes in. And I was walking when I took the picture. 

This was during my cooldown. 2.26 miles, 340 calories. I don't know what that 4 is, but it was about 48 minutes in. This helps me remember a bit what went on. I need to somehow figure out how to keep better track, but that will come in time. I hope.

Rewarding Myself With Bodywash And Trying To Stay On Point

Today I got up, sat on the couch, checked email, decided I:

1. Was awake enough

2. Had procrastinated enough

and I busted out my recently purchased My Fitness Coach for Wii and took it for a second spin. Verdict is still out on it, but initial reaction is quite sour. But that's not the whole point of what I'm talking about today, and I'm trying to do a little better with staying on point.

Not working so well in the first few minutes here.

Ah well. So anyway, I was up, exercised and ready for my day, which is not normal. And I'm not saying it's going to BE normal. I'm just saying I did it today. Living in the moment... Then, I had my breakfast, and hopped in the shower. Slightly excited to hop in the shower, because I had a new body wash. Nothing fancy, just a Softsoap creamy something that's supposed to moisturize. It was $3 at Wal-mart.

And then I realized how, in the past few weeks of counting calories and a bit of self-denial, I had made a subtle switch. I said "subtle" honey, not groundbreaking; keep that in mind. But I realized that for $3 measly dollars, I totally brightened up my morning, and rewarded myself for a workout well done. It wasn't a food reward (which is my normal way of doing things), it didn't cost me calories, or make me feel guilty later.

See, I often tell myself that my food rewards are somewhat "passable" because, well, ya have to eat, right? So going out to dinner is a necessary evil -- why not enjoy it? Right? Weak, I know. But that led to my fat self weighing in at linebacker stats. And it isn't cheap either.

But... a woman's also gotta shower. So why not enjoy that? I'm not saying that I need to go spend oodles of dollars on body washes, scrubs and such, but responsible spending on little non-food items that make me happy aren't hurtful.

After my shower I lotioned up with some new Jergen's Natural lotion, and felt pampered and happy.

And then I pondered on the patience that weight loss requires and how I really wasn't blessed in that department. But we can talk about that later, because I'm trying to stay on point today.

Better in BETA, and Over-using "Airquotes"

Sunday is my "free" day. I don't know why I say that, because I'm not really on any "program" or anything. I've just mentally put myself in this weird "BETA" mode of fitness and health. Like I said, it all started with Lent. And Sunday is a day where that you can break your "fast" if you choose. Interestingly enough I haven't really went on a "binger" (I'm totally just over-using the whole "quote" thing now I hope you know - imagine "airquotes").

I didn't "officially" start my fast at the onset of Lent, and I really don't like/want to discuss it too much because it is personal. But since we're friends, I'll share a little bits regarding my fast from bakery items/sweets/desserts. It started out rough, but is now very easy. My cravings are way down, but the habit remains (example: St. Patrick's Day dinner, being handed a cupcake, and accepting it out of habit... or automatically eyeing up the bakery items when I'm buying a coffee).

Last Sunday I had ice cream; this Sunday I did the same. It was nice, but a lot. I'm just not accustomed to all the sugar. I felt doped-up after eating it. But enjoyed it. Wasted a lot of calories on it, but whatever.

So, what I'm actually getting at is that today I took the kids to a movie. Got popcorn. I didn't completely deny myself because I wasn't sure that would be the best bet. But I got a little junior-sized portion with no butter and extra salt. It was a far, far cry from my regular butter-soaked bucket that I normally eat. Normally I'd have eaten more popcorn than I did today and would have tripled the calories with extra butter on top. So, hey. Go me.

I went for a walk, too. And later (gosh, what a day of JUNK) we ordered pizza, and I didn't eat it right away out of "habit" but instead waited until I had the kids in bed, and then grabbed 1 piece (rather than 3), ate it, and was done with it. No beer (even though I could have - I instead decided to just drink water) Followed it up with a grapefruit topped off with some Sun Crystals, and called it a day. It was not a stellar day, but it is a slow continuum of a more thoughtful, intentional way of nourishing my body. I journalled every bite.

365 Days of Exercise Day 4

Whelp. I did it. Day 4. Contemplated cashing in on a 10min. quickie, but did the whole thing.

20 min. walk, including a hill

How are you doing? Is there anyone out there anymore? I need some links to blogs that are actually updated.

365 Days of Exercize - Day 3

20 minute walk

Nothing fancy, same mindless route I always take when I'm down to doing business. I SO wanted to cash in on one of my 10min. sessions, but didn't. It was SUPER humid, SUPER hot, SUPER grouse. I should NOT have been sweating, but I was and profusely. I felt like I was wearing full-body armor in the sweltering desert.

But I survived.

365 Days of Exercize - Day 2

Ooops!!

I did it again.

And better than Brittany, though, since I didn't lose my dignity.

Went for a walk today, about 20 minutes, moderate walk. Not a "workout" but a heart-health pace.

I didn't really go over my "condition" (I like quotations, don't you? - These are all airquotes, too, for fun.) of this experiment, but bare minimum I need to do 10min. of exercise a day. And I'll only give myself a 10min. workout pass twice a week. That should do me for days where things are crazy busy or I don't feel like it. Unless I'm puking up my toenails, I should be able to manage 10min. of intentional movement.

Shouldn't we all?

By the way, before my walk I was literally (LITERALLY) half-asleep. My brain had already started to fizz out, checking out, really. My body wanted to crawl under some cool covers and say "nigh-nigh" - but I didn't let it, and I made it through Day 2. Raise the roof.

365 Days of Exercize - Day 1

Yes. This is what I've turned into. Challenging myself to 365 days of exercise. Walking, biking, treadmill, stationary bike - whatever. But managing to do it daily, every day, for one year.

Starting August 1, 2009.

In addition and accompaniment, I will also be reading through the Bible using The Daily Walk Bible(KJV)

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This isn't just vanity, or health. For me it is a discipline, something, at this point in my life, I feel like I am very much lacking.

So I suppose that means that I'm going to have to check in here every day and post. Which is fine, because I really don't have a huge gathering of folks checking me out anyway. But it will be good to hold myself accountable.

I hope that a conscious effort to move will encourage my body to shed some pounds. But I'm not sure it will. I also hope that my conscious effort to move with make me more accountable, and will be a good reminder to myself to be faithful and have discipline, something I lack. I hope that I learn a bit about myself as I use a small walk, ride, movement of my body to focus on centering myself.

We will see.

Day 1... later

I'm doing OK. Yesterday I walked. Today I was pretty lazy, but then around 5pm I said, "Girl. You gotta go walk. You promised." I was going to go outside to walk, but then instead grabbed a Walk Away the Pounds video. I thought I grabbed the 1-mile one, but mistakenly did the 2-mile. I could feel myself resisting and complaining within 2 minutes of starting the workout.

But I pressured on. I put my hands on my overgrown, falling down over my thighs tummy and pushed on. Those videos are more intensified than a regular walk. And I can do them barefoot. So there's really no excuse for me not exercising.

My eating hasn't been great, but it hasn't been horrible. Instead of candy or some other delectable sweet I opted for a Kashi bar (after some grueling shopping I was in dire need of nourishment). I had an orange for a snack. I'll have dinner tonight. But most importantly -- I worked out. I got up and made a point of moving my body beyond what I normally would.

Today was a good day. Thumbs up.