Tipping the Scales

I've gotten into the habit of weighing myself before every workout. Now that I'm tracking my calories so closely, I find stepping on the scale beneficial. After a weekend of eating and drinking I can see where I am and what I need to do to get back on track, for instance.

The other day at the gym, the top bar on the scale I normally use had been replaced. I stepped on and noticed that it read 12 pounds lower than what it normally does. I stepped off to make sure it was properly calibrated, and it was. But it was also properly calibrated the last time, to my knowledge.

Knowing that I hadn't magically dropped 12 pounds since my last workout two days before, I asked the employee at the Y's front desk on the way out if he knew about the women's locker room scale and if it had been replaced.

He said he didn't know. After I explained the discrepancy in measurement, he said, "is it that important to you?"

I was irritated that he would ask this. I felt that he was calling me vain for caring about getting an accurate measure of my weight. This was a 12 pound difference. Kind of a big deal, right?

Beyond that, who is he to judge what should be important to me? It's important because it's something I've been doing to track my weight for health reasons. Hell, the doctor weighs you every time you come in. It's useful information to have. And since the difference was so dramatic, I wanted to know why. I don't think that's unreasonable.

I'm not the type to fret over a single pound or two, as I'm accustomed to my weight fluctuating slightly for various reasons. But maintaining a healthy weight, tracking my BMI, and having records on my progress are that important to me.

So take that, dude at the Y. Maybe it's time to invest in a scale for my house.

Bit o' Sunny

I spent four days last week at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in the mountains of Tennessee. This was my third year at the festival. I find it incredible how easy it is to stay healthy out there. For one, it's on a huge 700 acre farm and you have to walk everywhere. Just walking from the campsite to "Centeroo" where all the stages and tents are is a great workout. On average, I think I attended about 7 or 8 concerts every day, so I felt like I could afford to indulge in beers and the occasional junk food.

Because Bonnaroo strives to be a green, sustainable music festival, they offer a lot of healthy food options--much better than typical festival/carnival fare. For every fried Twinkie there's a hummus and fattoush plate. For every slice of pizza there's a vegan taco stand. It's pretty easy to maintain your weight, or even drop a couple of pounds.

Because of the heat (it was over 90 degrees every day), we had to drink a ton of water to survive. I drank a couple gallons every day.

Then there's the dancing. I got to see one of my heroes, Wanda Jackson, perform. This was an absolutely life-changing experience for me. Wanda Jackson is the first lady of rock & roll. Elvis himself gave her his blessing, and even dated her for a short period of time when she made the leap from country to rockabilly music in the mid to late 50s. Jack White of the White Stripes (another hero of mine) produced her recent comeback record "The Party Ain't Over."

I love traditional rockabilly and classic American music. I love Wanda Jackson. Her band, the Hi Dollars, were incredible. It was impossible to stand still during this show. I never stopped dancing. I must have burned a billion calories. The same thing happened when we checked out Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears' set. They're one of my favorite live bands, and this time they brought out a bunch of soul singers in matching suits at the end of their set. Tail shaking was an absolute must.

Now that I'm back from the festival, I'm focusing more on traditional workouts and healthy food. I did an early morning cardio/core split yesterday and today I plan to bike to the Indians game to meet some friends.

For now, I leave you with a very simple, healthy, nutritious recipe. Seriously, it's foolproof and a great quick, healthy meal. I don't usually shy away from taking my time when I cook, but I had a busy night the other day and had to come up with something fast:

Penne with Broccoli and Toasted Nuts

1 box whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
3/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 pound fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds
1/2 cup julienne carrots
2 cloves garlic
salt, pepper, your choice of spice

Boil your water and cook pasta according to the instructions. While it's boiling, blanch your broccoli. Once the broccoli is cooked (it should still be slightly firm, not soggy--if you overcook it will lose nutrients), drain the pan and add a little olive oil, garlic, carrots, and nuts. Sautee these items together until the nuts are toasted and the ingredients are well-mixed.

Drain the pasta and toss with the veggie mixture, remaining olive oil, and cheese. Stir well.

There you go. It's not anything special, but it's a good, light summer pasta dish.

Outdoor workouts and V8

Hey, all. Been a while for me (and for all of us!). Hope you're all working out happily and successfully. As for me, well, the past semester wreaked havoc on my well-laid plans, as usual. I had a really good streak of workouts going in February, but then I came down with a nasty virus that kept me in bed for several days and without energy for over a week. It was all downhill from there.

Last month I got in a few hours of exercise here and there. Last week I lifted some weights, and today I walked 5 miles briskly outdoors (including lots of hills). So I'm pleased with this upward trend.

Usually the summer months offer the best chance for me to get in shape simply because of all the outdoor opportunities. I love fast-paced walks in the park (with several stops for lunges and stretching along the way), tennis, frisbee, playing catch, anything that gets me moving and in the sun. I haven't cycled outdoors in years but hope to start up with that again this summer. Give me a beach, and I'll play paddle ball for hours.

What are your favorite outdoor activities in the summer months?

In addition to lots of activity this summer, I'm also making renewed efforts at eating well. I'm currently hooked on V8 fusions -- a delicious juice blend containing fruits and vegetables. My flavor of choice is strawberry banana, but mango peach is also good. There are lots of others to choose from.

Today at the store I bought some all-natural whole grain cereal, salad ingredients, a red pepper, watermelon, pomegranate apple juice, low-fat yogurt, peanut butter, wheat crackers, and... okay, I'll admit it, Nutella.

How are you all doing?

Paper Plate Workout

I stumbled across this link that my cousin posted online, and I think it offers some good at-home workouts. The plates seem mostly unnecessary, but I suppose they could be good for people who like visual markers to align their body with.  I've done some of these exercises (called by various other names); the "mountain climber" one is a FABULOUS ab workout.  And by fabulous, I mean you will be sore for 3-4 days after trying it for the first time.  Love it.

Check it out!

How is everyone doing?  I have slacked big time this semester, but tonight I cycled for an hour and did over 11 miles.  It felt wonderful.  If only I could do that every day.....  I watched half of a movie (500 Days of Summer) while cycling, which I like to do because it really makes the time go fast.  Also, I don't let myself watch the second half until I work out again, thus providing motivation to work out again, and soon.

That's all for now!  Oh, I should mention that I am eating lots of chicken.  And lots more veggies than usual (including broccoli and cauliflower).  And lots of fruit (mainly mandarins, strawberries, and cantaloupe).

I gave up desserts starting around the 2nd week of Lent, and I've only cheated once or twice.  That feels good too, considering I was back to my old ways of eating 8 tons of sugar per day.  Approximately.

Okay, I think that really is all now.

Joints

Over the past few months I've experienced snapping in my hips and an increase in joint pain in my knees after workouts. I finally decided to see a doctor.

After several x-rays, it was determined that I do not have any breaks or tears, but the muscles around my knees are weak, and it's affecting my stride. This is likely the cause of my hip pain. My doctor is setting me up with a physical therapist, and if that doesn't help I may have to see a sports medicine specialist.

She also recommended that I visit a shoe store called Second Sole to be fitted with a shoe that can give me better arch support. I went today and the knowledgeable employee I worked with recommended a few pairs for me to try. I went with these: http://www.scott-sports.com/gb_en/product/10752/58796/218740

I don't know much about shoes. This pair definitely felt like it had less padding than some of the other pairs I tried on, but a lot of the super-padded ones felt weird on my feet. I'm thinking maybe I should have thought a little more about my final decision. The shoes I bought are comfortable, but maybe the slight annoyance of having my feet hugged in weird places (arch, sides, heel) is something I need to get used to. Maybe that's the best for my feet. This is a $100+ investment so I want to make sure it's right. I'm kind of stressing about it.

I've never spent this much on a pair of shoes in my life. I see it as an investment in my health and well-being. I want to take care of my feet and legs now so this doesn't become a chronic issue.

So right now I'm feeling nervous, anxious, and a little defeated. I am worried about how long physical therapy is going to take, if I'm going to see results, how much it's going to cost if it's not covered by my insurance, and whether these shoes are going to work out. I'm also disappointed that this stuff is affecting my workout. I was finally starting to see results from my shift in workout regimen, consultation with a trainer, and change in diet (I've begun counting calories on Livestrong.com and I'm doing really well with it). Now I find that I can't do the workout I want to do because I'm experiencing pain. I feel like I'm doing everything right and my body is working against me. It's pretty disconcerting.

Right now I need to try and stay positive. I need to be more careful about what I consume since I might not be able to do as much cardio or work out as extensively as I'm used to. I'm a determined person and I know I can do well with physical therapy and that I'll be diligent with whatever exercises they give me. So here it goes. Here's to getting back into top form.

A Successful Month

About a month ago, I finally busted out of my slump and have managed to exercise 5+ days/week since then. I'm not seeing a huge physical difference yet, but cardio is definitely getting easier. I've been mostly doing the elliptical, but occasionally mixing it up with a bike or a treadmill (or a cardio kickboxing class).

Also, as a habitual soda drinker, I've decided that, rather than trying to cut it out completely, I'd cut back. During the slump I was definitely drinking some every day. Now, I'm at about half as much. Not ideal, but, better.

I hope I can keep my momentum going and at least improvise some on my upcoming trip out of town on St. Patrick's Day weekend. Anyone have suggestions for exercise on the go?

How's everyone else doing?? (I think Mary is busy eating a 3-pound cinnamon roll?)

A Sick Diet

I caught some sort of nasty bug (half flu, half cold) last week, and within 7 days I'd lost 5 pounds.  Let's just say my fitness goal does NOT involve losing weight since I'm already a petite gal, and I'm trying to build muscle tone.  GRRRRRR.

At least my abs look flat in the mirror.  I do not recommend this approach, however.

Oh, and of course, I couldn't work out while sick.  So I'm way behind in my workouts.  Yesterday I did a lot of walking, though, and my quads are actually sore.  That's a good thing.

My goal is to get in a few good workouts within the next week.  And also to stop coughing.

Hope you are all faring better than me!

Getting out of the Doldrums

I haven't posted since pretty much the beginning of this blog, so I thought I better at least say something.

I was in quite a serious exercise funk for a few months where the only thing I'd really accomplish was ultimate frisbee once a week. This is partially due to my job--it's not a particularly strenuous job, but I was unemployed for quite awhile before getting it, so I was spoiled by daytime hours at the gym. It's very hard for me to want to go to the Y right when I get home because I know it will be ridiculously crowded. BUT, if I wait awhile until it clears out, then it's hard to convince myself to leave the house. Especially in this wintery season where it's probably dark and extremely cold.

I'm happy to say that I've gotten through the doldrums--I went to the Y this past Saturday, Sunday, and yesterday and have every intention of heading out again tonight.

What broke my laziness spell was something that I think can help everyone--another person being involved. Saturday morning, I sent a text to two friends asking if they wanted to meet up. They agreed. So, there was no turning back. Well, I could've still backed out, but not without feeling like a huge jerk.

When we met up, they admitted that they probably wouldn't have come if not for me, so it was good motivation for all of us.

Now, I just need to keep it up!

Baby steps

Today I...

Ate breakfast (cheerios)
Walked to school
Walked home from school
Ate lunch (Pierogies and bacon with chives and ranch dressing)
Ate dinner (spinach salad with black beans and corn, and carrot ginger soup)
Took the dog for a walk!!
Took my vitamin
Drank lots of water all day
Drank ZERO caffeine! 
(I also did off-topic stuff like read for school, etc.)

I feel so proud of myself today!  The only thing I didn't do that I would like to do is yoga.  I know it seems like such a simple routine, and such simple meals and everything, but this is where I need to start.  On top of not being very good at following through with my goals, the fatigue of pregnancy makes staying active much more difficult.  Eventually, my workout and nutrition routine will get more complicated, but for now I just need to reach the point of actually doing stuff.  From there, I will become the healthiest woman in the world!!

Just a pregnancy sidenote:  On Sunday I hit my 11 week mark, which means just this week and next week and the first trimester is over.  I hear that from then on, my energy level will be up and I won't have to deal with the fatigue I've been battling.  Also, my belly is starting to round out a bit.  An onlooker would not be able to tell, but Maic and I can!  How exciting!

Inspiration

Reading Joanna's post made me think of the people who inspire me to be fit and stay active all throughout my life.  One such person is my dad's friend and our former neighbor, Joe.  His birthday is the same as mine, and he just turned 67 this past year.  I looked forward to getting "happy mutual birthday" cards from him when I was just 10 years old, and playing tennis with him from the time I first learned at age 14.  He and my dad were my first opponents, and let me tell you, they taught me to be competitive and made me run more than anyone else ever has.

Now, I see him just a few times a year, but he always looks energetic and still talks of the long runs he takes on a regular basis.  As a kid, rarely a day went by when I didn't see him jogging down the street, smiling and waving as he passed.  Seeing someone so enthused and active makes me determined to be just as enthusiastically fit 40 years from now.  I can hope as much as I want, but I know all the hope in the world won't strengthen my muscles.  So on days when I would rather take a nap or do something non-active, I need to remember Joe and others like him and remind myself that the time I invest in fitness now will pay off when I need it most.

Going to Milwaukee for some motivation!

This weekend my husband and I are going to Milwaukee to visit his Godmother/Aunt and many of his cousins.  His Godmother is one of the most in-shape women I've ever seen in my life and she's at least 60 years old.  She could honestly pass for 40.  Part of the reason that she looks so good is because she always has so much energy, triggered by good nutrition and workout habits.  I've never seen her even appear tired, and she has raised 5 (ish) children and now has 12 grandchildren, most of whom live near her and she takes care of on a regular basis. 

Maic told me that the last time he was in Milwaukee visiting her, they speed-walked to church in the morning and his legs couldn't move as fast as hers and he was sore the next day. 

Anyway, the reason for making my praise into a blog entry is that I wanted to tell you that I'm going to ask her for some motivation and a few tips this weekend to get into a more consistent workout and nutrition routine.  Let's see how this goes!

As an update for how I've been doing . . . let's just say I suck. 

Success!!

I've worked out for 3 days in a row now.  I know that seems small, but to me, it's huge since I haven't done that for months.  Here's the breakdown:

Tuesday: Recumbent bike for 40 minutes

Wednesday: Elliptical for 40 minutes, then 75 crunches using the weighted ball (in sets of 20, 25, 30), then about 30 lunges

Thursday: Tennis for an hour (mostly groundstroke and volley drills), then a few weight machines (seated leg press, compound row, and the tricep one with the name I can never remember).  Also 10 minutes on the rowing machine (in 5 minute spurts).

I'll probably be sore tomorrow in my shoulders and arms, but that's okay.  I love a healthy muscle soreness following a heavy workout.  I miss that feeling, and I'll welcome it even as I complain about it.

Let's see how long I can keep up this streak!

Also, I've been making an effort to eat fruits and veggies every day.  Fruit is never a problem because I'm obsessed with it, but veggies I'm slowly starting to like.  I always liked carrots and corn, but so do 5 year olds.  I'm further embracing my love for zucchini and yellow squash and also eating peppers on more of a regular basis.  I feel quite fondly about red bell peppers right now, mainly because they're sweet and thus can be enjoyed raw or cooked (I love eating them raw, either with a homemade dill dip or  just plain).  They're also great in a veggie pasta sauce.  Here's the recipe for the sauce.  It's really simple, and based on what Kevin made for me about a month ago (but no matter how many times I make it, it's never quite the same as his):

1. Chop up 1 red pepper, 2 small tomatoes (or 1 large one), and about 1/3 of a sweet onion. Keep separate.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium heat; while it's warming up, add basil, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper (just eye-ball it; I never measure).
3. Once the oil seems hot enough and is starting to sizzle, add the onions.
4. Once the onions are partially soft (but not so cooked that they're brown), add the peppers.
5. Once the peppers are partially soft, add the tomatoes.
6. Simmer on medium-low, covered, for about 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and begin cooking pasta (rotini is my favorite, and I think it goes well with this sauce).
8. Once the veggies all seem soft (but not mushy), add 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce.  I like Prego's Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic (it also goes perfectly with these veggies).
9. Mix the sauce in with the veggies and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The longer they simmer, the flavors all seem to mix in well together.
10. By that time, the pasta should be cooked.  Time to eat!


I'm hungry now.

Exercising for two!

Sorry everybody!  I'm back now.  I even had trouble remembering how to sign in and post an entry.  I'm going to try really hard to update more regularly.  :)

I guess what pulled me away from here, in addition to the holidays and my intense month-long Hebrew grammar course at Eden, is the newly discovered bun in my oven.  That's right!  My husband and I are expecting a little one in late August. 

But, you know, it's kind of funny that that's what pulled me away from here because it is also what has allowed my nutritional habits and workout habits to improve by leaps and bounds.  Well, okay, the workout habits I'm still working on.  But, I've been eating really well.  I've been blessed and I really don't have morning sickness-- just an unbearable and constant hunger.  I mean, I have an old plastic whipped cream container that I fill with animal crackers, oyster crackers, fruit snacks, nuts, etc. at the beginning of every day and carry with me throughout the day because I'm hungry every 30 seconds. 

This is a good thing for me, because I need to gain weight and develop better nutritional habits.  And by "better nutritional habits" I mean that I need to eat more than the amount required for a human to survive, like I did before I was pregnant. 

The other thing I've been doing is drinking a lot of water, which is really good whether you are pregnant or not.  I encourage all of you to up your water intake!  I drink about 64 ounces a day-- 8 8-ounce glasses.  Or, two water bottles! :) My energy is up (well, still down from what it was pre-pregnancy, but I can tell the water is helping), my skin is healthier (well, again, still down from pre-pregnancy, but I know it's helping), I feel much more flexible, etc.  I pee more, but that's okay.  Anyway, my point is that I think water intake is hugely important to fitness and health!  Do it!!

Okay so I mentioned that I'm still working on the workout habits.  That's very true.  What I really want to do is yoga at least once a day.  I've been doing it about every other day lately.  I feel so much better when I do it, so I don't know why it's so hard for me to get motivated to do it.  After I finish this entry, I'm going to do the "Yoga Mama" workout on Netflix, which is actually for pregnant women.  I really like it, and it makes me feel less fat because all the women are in my boat.  I've also been really enjoying this guy who does a lot of yoga videos-- Rodney Yee.  Check him out.  He is kind of silly looking so he makes it that much more fun.  He has DVDs all the way from beginner to advanced.  If you are considering yoga but don't have any DVDs, Netflix has about 6 or 7 streaming.  If you don't have Netflix, get it. 

New goals? 
--Dog walking, still.  It's new because I'm still horrible at initiating it. 
--Yoga once a day.
--Maintain high water intake and healthy eating habits.
--Post pregnancy progress photos for you all.  I don't think I'm the type to post the size of my belly on Facebook for the world to see, but I would like to post some for you all if I don't get too self-conscious about it.  It seems like they might fit in here. For now, I just look bloated, so I'll wait a month or so.

Thanks everybody for the motivation and the accountability!  Let's keep it up!

Disappearing

Where is everyone??  I include myself in that appeal.  I've neglected this poor blog, but I pledge to do so no longer.

Goals for the winter/spring:

1. Increase readership of this blog.
2. Increase publication to this blog (let's go, ladies. Marissa has been carrying it solo recently!).
3. Strengthen my core muscles and legs.

My arms also need strengthening, but I feel like it's harder to get my legs where I want them to be.  I'm not sure why.  So I want to focus more on core and lower body and incorporate upper body but not as intensively.  Tennis will give me work in all those areas, so I will be playing once per week at minimum.

I also really, REALLY, want to train for a 5k this spring.  I did one last year but I ended up walking/running (mostly walking).  This year, I'd like to reverse the ratio.  I think I can do it. Do you?

Tips? Advice? Encouragement?

Swim!

I see that some of my co-contributors are missing in action. That's cool. The holidays happened and we're starting a new year of shenanigans. I can only assume that all the other ladies are hitting the gym so hard that they scarcely have time to write about it. Right?

I've added a new element to my workouts: water. I used to be a very strong swimmer (and I think I'm still pretty great at it, even if the technical aspects of my strokes and my lung capacity have suffered over the years). My mom bought me a cute competitive swimsuit as an early birthday gift. I've wanted to start swimming laps again since I bought my YMCA membership, but I only had a bikini, and doing kick turns in a bikini is no fun (well, it might be fun for male lifeguards or any straight man with an aerial view, but not for the topless girl in the pool).

So far it's going well. I swam for an hour on Sunday and did two half-hour sessions yesterday, which were broken up by a lifeguard break. I hope to swim two or three days a week and supplement my routine with some weights and core work. Swimming is a sufficient aerobic workout for me, and it doesn't put any strain on my joints, which proved a problem for me on the treadmill and climbing machine.

I'm yammering on. What I really meant to do in this entry was post an awesome workout mix to revitalize and bring even more energy to your routine. As with all of the mixes that I meticulously craft, this is meant to be played in order. If you don't, it may affect warmup, cooldown, and the middle part of your workout, which is ass-kicking time:

1. Spoon "Don't You Evah" (3:39)
2. Spank Rock "Backyard Betty" (3:29)
3. Heartless Bastards "Out At Sea" (3:24)
4. LCD Soundsystem "Daft Punk is Playing At My House" (5:17)
5. Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi "Tightrope" (4:23)
6. Freeway & Jake One "Throw Your Hands Up" (3:43)
7. Los Campesinos! "Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats" (3:33)
8. Raphael Saadiq "Keep Marchin'" (2:38)
9. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears "Boogie" (3:43)
10. Gogol Bordello "Think Locally, Fuck Globally" (4:23)
11. The Hold Steady "Massive Nights" (2:57)
12. The Wombats "Let's Dance to Joy Division" (3:11)
13. The Thermals "Now We Can See" (3:30)
14. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists "Walking To Do" (3:37)
15. The Roots "Adrenaline" (4:28)
16. Passion Pit "Little Secrets" (3:59)
17. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll" (3:42)

Total: 1 Hour. I know that's how long I usually keep my workouts.