No Peeking

Could you go an entire month with no peeking?

If there is one thing most women can’t stand it’s the number on the scale. Although I’ve never been a scale person (I don’t have one in my home), I know I’ve gained a little bit over the past year or so. So in gearing up again with my personal trainer, I asked him if we could do measurements before our session today. This included the scale – and his has always shown more than my physician’s office.

He did weight first, I did not look at the scale. Do you know how HARD that was? Gets better. He did measurements and pictures. I have no idea what the measurements are, and I already know what I look like.

Cuz I know you’re dying to know:

Circuit 1:

Deck of Cards:
Diamonds = 5 burpees
Spades = 15 squats
Clubs = 10 curl & press w/dumbells
Hearts = 30 second plank

You have 20 minutes to draw as many cards from the deck and do the exercise that corresponds to the above suits. No breaks. Here’s mine:

14 cards drawn (average is 20):
75 squats
1 minute planks
15 curl & press
45 burpees (modified)

Circuit 2:

5lb Dumbbells:
15 side raises x 3
15 half Arnolds x 3
15 front raises x 3
15 full Arnolds & press x 3

Circuit 3:

12lb Dumbbells:
15 curls x 3
15 tricep press x 3
15 hammer curls x 3
Pushups? Total Fail.

Life Check: What AM I Doing To Myself???

I follow several fitness bloggers, my favorite being Steve & Bonnie Pfiester and their BCX Boot Camp page and LiveExercise program (um…no…really…I’m not a stalker). They have honest, practical, in-your-face content I just suck up.

Not to be confused with “suck it up” – that’s later.

Bonnie’s latest blog is about Celebrity Bodies, before and afters, what’s normal, etc. In her post she talks about what her weight typically looks like, what it looks like when she preps for photo shoots, and when staying a bit leaner. Bonnie also mentioned she’s been a bit more than her leanest weight, what makes her feel, miserable, and what twenty pounds more feels like.

I don’t want to quote her entire post. What I do want to quote is this: “We all have that weight where we feel our best, and mine is (go read the blog). That is a weight I feel good at, and I feel like I can maintain without being miserable.”

This is a frigging fantastic comment and one I cannot comfortably say. For while I’m incredibly happy I do not stare at numbers which loom slightly under the 400lb mark any longer (I still can’t wrap my head around that, I am not happy where I’m currently at – which is still another 55-60 pounds from my goal weight.

My goal isn’t out of reach. I know all I have to do is get off the lazy truck and do what I know I’m supposed to be doing. I have a lot of motivation: my friend Jill who weighed just ten pounds more than I did when we both embarked on our weight loss journeys (she threw herself into the gym – and that is an understatement!). My #1 Jesus Mum – Debi – who’s healthy as a little horse (seriously…”You’re not the boss of me”…totally takes on a whole new meaning) – she has mysteriously high cholesterol and sports several heart stints. I have online pals who follow my weight loss antics (okay…some are downright hysterical…I fall off stuff really well).

I have women in my life who when we do workout together, it’s a blast. It’s really infrequent. I get discouraged because we’ve had discussions on “Yah! This’ll be great!”. Commitment is an issue…and then my commitment to myself becomes an issue. I know it’s an excuse. I can’t tell you how challenging and fun it is to workout with someone. Working out alone is…alone. Dumb excuse.

Life check. What the heck AM I doing here???

For those of you on the post-op wagon who got off track, those friends who run when I invite them to play at the park, the other friends who’ve opened the weight loss door of discussion then flee like a warehouse fire erupted when I hold you to it: all in or all out? Longevity of life to chase nieces, nephews, grand-kids, spouses, Minions, new cute little man-babies (okay…I really, really, really like Beckham) do a pull-up.

I want to continue to be amazed at the little stuff: I can put another half of me in an airplane seat – where I use to spill over into the next one. I can cross my legs…like…all the time. I’ve been in the bathroom twice on the plane – to pee – but I can walk in without turning sideways…or knocking the toilet paper into vortex below.

Personally: I’m either 100% in or I’m 100% out. My health, though vastly improved, is not optimal. Physically – if I don’t get the remaining weight off I’m in for a real headache. Knee replacements are on the horizon, and one will have to be in the next 12-18 months. My back hurts where my spine curves. The added weight doesn’t help. My butt bounces when I run (I need a butt-bra). I want to do Cross Fit (I can do most of the stuff). I’d KILL to get up to the top of a muscle rope – right now I can’t even pull my body weight over a bar.

Time to get off truck of lazy and focus on making my life matter. Not just in the Jesus realm, in the physical too!

 

Saturday Boot Camp: No, Can’t, Sh**t

Someone cancelled out of boot camp last night, and my other participant was half an hour late this morning. So by the time she arrived at the park, I had already completed the warm-up & four rounds of the first set of exercises below.

I let her know the bar was moved up (generally this elicits a rather loud “oh no”), and that I had three rules:

–You are not allowed to tell me no, nor what you will or won’t do.
–You are not permitted to say “can’t”. That means you’ve already given up and that makes for a crap workout.
–You can’t say “sh**t” (it’s her favorite word).

Anne is a friend from church. She also works at my doctors office, knows my PCP and my weight loss doctor. Anne started seeing my personal trainer last year (I drug her to a session). Admittedly – I get after her quite a bit to be more active – she gets mega props though: she’s lost somewhere between 50 & 60lbs! For a woman who recently turned happily 60, that’s incredible!

Saturday Boot Camp WOD

Warm Up
Forward Lunges: 15 reps (each leg)
Side to Side Squats: 15 reps (each leg)
10 Incline Push Ups

Set 1:
Quick Step Ups: 20 reps (quick breather) and 20 reps (3x)
Incline Push Ups: 15 reps (3x)
Incline Jump Backs: 15 reps (think half-burpee with a bench) (3x)

Fourth Round: 30 seconds of each in set 1

Set 2:
High Knees: 30 seconds fast (3x)
Jumping Jacks: 15x (3x)

Fourth Round: 45 seconds of each in set 2

Set 3:
Dumbbell Swings: 10lbs – 30 reps (2x)
Toss & Squat: 6lb Medicine Ball – 15 reps (2x)  Anne ate the ball once

To Tell The Truth Tuesday: How I Found My Abs

Hey, look. Another write-up on abs!

Not really.

Take a peek at any magazine rack anywhere and you’ll see “Rock Hard Abs” in bold print near a set of…uh…rock hard abs. I get a little depressed when I see those racks (the magazines…and the abs).

I’m fairly certain I have abs…somewhere…under the crinkly skin nobody sees unless I parade around in the dark under a spotlight in a sports bra (guess that would mean I wouldn’t be in the dark, huh?). I’m certain they’re supposed to be located in the “gap”. No, not the Gap – but that space between my tube boobs and belly button (which could be mistaken for an Apple branding snafu: iButton??).

I think I found them.

On a good day I can suck in enough air to look like I got a Tupac two-pack there.

The Kitchen Gym

I’ve officially converted my kitchen in to a space which has multiple functions: coffee corner, peanut butter station, workout studio.

The table I picked up earlier in the year at IKEA is now the “L” to my desk in the office, the cart which was a floating island of sorts is now in the bathroom storing towels and much needed counter space (I had a plastic three drawer tall bin thing in there but the top bowed – that’s now hidden storage). Space is a much needed commodity in my home, so I removed items from the drawers and cupboards I rarely use and stuffed those in the storage closet. The items from the rolling island now occupy the drawers.

This is the new space:

 

This long bench was a $10.00 find at Target two years ago (I think it was a pricing error). It now holds my KBands gear, weights, a medicine ball, and all of my boxing gloves. AND the top is super sturdy for step-ups and other exercises.

And for Wanda, it provided a place to drop dead on (she really didn’t die): 

Friday Fitness WOD: Sprint Challenge

Hey! Check out the WOD here: http://spfitdet.com/2013/09/13/friday-fitness-sprint-challenge/

Thursday Workout of the Day

Check out the WOD right here: http://wp.me/p3N8DT-30

Tuesday Workout of the Day

Hey!!

Check out the WOD here: http://wp.me/p3N8DT-2P

 

 

Wanda’s All Heart: Saturday Early Bird Boot Camp

I want to give a MASSIVE shout out to Wanda D!

Wanda has a heart condition where her heart pumps about 30% to capacity (I reserve the right to correct this – I have another friend who’s lungs are functioning low, so I may have the numbers slightly off), she also has crummy kidneys which requires daily dialysis treatments. Last week at a short girls lunch out, Wanda told us she was going to come to boot camp, she felt motivated by me (sometimes that may not be the best thing to like about me, but I’ll go with it).

After the holiday I sent her an email with a short to-do list. Nothing major, I just wanted to make sure her health was first and foremost, but I didn’t hear back. My friend Anne said Wanda was still coming to class, and so was she! I was thrilled!

So thrilled in fact, I bypassed all three of my alarms (my anxiety and sleep issues don’t have the best timing). Thank God I have Momma Hen Anne who came to the house to make sure I was okay, it’s not like me to just not show up without a heads up.

Anyways, we all made it to the park and a had a really great time. I chased after Anne to keep up, coached them both through each exercise so they wouldn’t hurt already stressed joints, and they weren’t allowed to say “I can’t”.

Wanda did an incredible job! The woman with the heart condition, with crummy kidneys, who clearly stated she would take a nap as soon as she got home…she not only kept up but set the pace.

If these two feisty gals who are forever 21 can meet up at 7:00 on a crispy Saturday morning and allow me to chase them around a park for an hour – you can too. It’s just about healthy choices. And no healthy choice is a bad one (oh, and her doctor cleared her to participate!).

Wanda, you were awesome. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work with you and Anne this morning.

Workout of the Day

-Walking Lunges x 3 with KBands cone markers
-Three brisk laps around the park
-Squats 15×3
-Rows w/KBands straps 15×3
-Triceps extensions w/KBands resistance bands (yellow and green) 15×3
-Pull downs w/KBands resistance bands (yellow & green) 15×3
-Biceps curls R&L w/KBands resistance bands (yellow & green) 15×3 per arm

Fitness Friday: How to Beat Late Summer Heat

Here in my neck of the States, the weather has been super hot. The numbers on the thermometer are exacerbated by high humidity. Working out in such conditions can be risky if one is properly prepared, but keep in mind: low temps don’t necessarily mean you’ll be in a better place physically. 70 degrees with high humidity can still be dangerous.

Don’t find yourself in trouble before it’s too late. If the air which surrounds you is not cooler, or the sweat on your body isn’t evaporating to cool you off, your insides can cook – and your internal organs could begin to shut down.

How to tell you’re in trouble:

Nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, an altered mental state (i.e. rambling incoherently) are all signs of some type of heat illness – which can lead to heat stroke. Body temps can spike up to 105 degrees (or more), and if your body’s sweating mechanism shuts down – you’re at risk for heat stroke, which can result in death.

What to do:

Water, water, water – NOT caffeine loaded drinks, or sodas, or beer. Drink a quart of water before an outdoor workout or a run, and drink a quart after. Drink even if you’re not thirsty. Thirst does not make or break what your body may deal with.

Exercise smarter, not harder:

• Runners: run between 4a.m. and 6a.m. Traffic is at it’s lightest and the air quality is best.
• Wear light-colored, loose fitting, absorbent clothing. Try not to wear clothing that can stay wet (i.e. spandex or cotton clothing).
• Avoid strenuous workouts, you can get overheated and dehydrated.
• Carry a frozen water bottle in the back of your shorts.
• Stick to shaded areas.
• Exercise moderately (or 60-70% of your max heart rate).
• Take breaks, walk.
• In addition to drinking the quart of water prior to and after your workout, drink two cups every 20 minutes.
• If the temps are over 90, workout at the gym where the AC keeps things cool.

If you (or your friend) find yourself in trouble:

• Cool off fast! (Toss yourself in ice water if you can).
• Cool, wet cloths.
• Sips of water, shade.
• Lie down, elevate the feet, get in front of a fan.
• If you are fire hot, and rambling like a confused mad man, call 911.
• The goal is to lower the body temperature as quickly as possible.