Category Archives: Body Changes

Body Changes, Exercise, Food

A Sure Thing

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“Psst! Hey, buddy! Over here. I gotta tip for you in the third. Starduster. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s a sure thing.” racing form

Uh-huh. Right. Nothing’s a sure thing….except when it is.

I’ve shared with you that for several months I felt very angry that I failed at some things professionally despite doing what I was told would ensure success. Get a degree. Check. Put in more effort than required at work. Check. Well, nothing really ensures success, does it? I’ve spent decades working and doing my very best, believing that professional success and appropriate compensation would follow. Only it didn’t happen that way and I was some seriously ticked off about it.

Yesterday, I was talking to my son and that subject of “if-then” arose – “If I work hard, then I will be rewarded.” We talked about how disappointing it is when you realize that the “then” you want doesn’t necessarily follow every “if.”

Except in MMORPGs, diet and exercise.

If I put in the time and effort on, say, World of Warcraft, my character will level up. It will gain the power I need for it to have to accomplish the goals I have for it….or so I’m told. I don’t know from massive multi-player online role playing games. I don’t have the patience for them; but, given their enormous popularity with a wide range of people, clearly, others do have that patience.

In terms of diet and exercise, the MMORPG king and I discussed the American culture of helplessness and victimhood, and how that shows in our increasing waistlines. “My family are all big-boned.” “It’s my genes. All my family are big; so, I’m going to be big, too.” “I don’t have time to eat healthy. It’s drive-thru or nothing.” “I travel too much and it’s impossible to eat healthy on the road.”

Poppycock.

Unless your family are brontosaurus, you’re not THAT big-boned. Now, okay, so there are some real, physiological reasons for obesity – hypothyroidism for one – that make it extremely difficult for a person to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight. And, while eating healthfully at restaurants isn’t easy, it is possible. So, that list is total crap. Just garbage lies that we tell ourselves – and I say “ourselves” because I told myself many of those very same lies. And, worse, I believed them!

We are not victims of our genes. We are not helpless against circumstances. We have the power to make the changes….if we want to.

Here’s a sure thing: if we change the food we eat to primarily plant-based foods (limiting refined sugars and with only a small percentage of those foods being from grains) we will achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If we exercise regularly, conscientiously, and correctly, we will see changes in our bodies. Period. Those are truths you can take to the bank.

If I stop ordering burgers and fries and, instead, order salads (and use only the tiniest portion of the dressing) at the drive-thru, I will lose weight. If I go to the gym three to four times a week and I lift weights as guided by a knowledgeable personal trainer, I will see results. My muscles will become more defined. I will become stronger. My body will burn energy more effectively. It will happen.

I hear people say all of the time that they “can’t lose weight.” Pardon me, but at the risk of repeating myself, that’s crap. I’ll buy that they haven’t been able to lose weight before – I’ve been on those same diets; but, I will not accept that they are unable to do it…ever. There’s no cosmic jury that points at us and says, “That one. The one with the red hair and the mole by her lip. Let’s make her fat forever. Let’s make her think that she can lose weight when she really can’t.” (insert maniacal laughter) NO! THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN! I’m the redhead with the mole. I’m living proof.

For far too long, I believed that Fat was my only sure reality. Now, three years and 94 pounds later, I know that my only sure reality is the one I chose. In the world of diet and exercise, IF I eat appropriately and exercise committedly, THEN I will see results.

It’s a sure thing.

 

 

 

Body Changes, Food

One of Life’s Great Mysteries

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its-a-mystery-500x325Okay, maybe not a great one, but still…..

Checking in with an update on my modified juicing plan. I climbed on the scales this morning and saw no more weight loss than when I stopped with the full-on juicing plan. Disappointing? Yes. However, the mystery comes in when I say that I see more weight loss. My clothes are far looser, my thighs and forearms are much smaller. I know I have lost more weight than the scales show; so, what’s the deal?

The only answer I can come up with is a fat/muscle exchange. While I am losing fat, I am gaining muscle from my little living room workouts.

Or maybe, because I’m a girl and all, I’m just retaining fluid.

I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t really care. I feel fantastic! I am late publishing today because I was exhausted after work. That, however, was the result of not getting enough sleep over the weekend, not because of the fatigue I experienced when I was consuming only juice. I really do feel better than I have in a very long time.

For breakfast, I usually have some Bob’s Red Mill 8 Grain hot cereal with bananas and cinnamon or with blueberries. (Thanks, Chele, for leaving that here when you visited!) For my first snack, I have a juice – yesterday it was carrot cake juice made with carrots, an apple, sweet potatoes and cinnamon. For lunch, I have steamed or roasted vegetables – yesterday it was green beans, asparagus and onions. For my second snack, I have another juice or a piece of fruit and tea – yesterday it was an orange with lemon tea. And, for dinner, I have more veggies – yesterday it was roasted Portobello mushrooms with spinach, and caramelized onions and peppers.

I haven’t consumed any animal protein at all in several weeks and, much to my complete dismay, I feel great! I had a deviled egg about three weeks ago, but that was the last thing. I would never have expected this! I am not craving meat or eggs. I don’t feel hungry like before. And I feel energized and focused.

So, whatever the reason for static scale numbers co-existing with smaller hips, I’m okay with it!

Body Changes, Exercise, Thought Patterns

Memories of Beast Mode

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I’ve never climbed Mt. Everest and, unless they install escalators and coffee shops the whole way up, it’s unlikely that I ever will. Just watching movies about it makes me feel cold and winded. In spite of my inexperience, I’ve made a couple of assumptions. For instance, I assume that the first climb is the most difficult. Subsequent climbs probably aren’t a cakewalk; but, I assume that, in those climbs, there is both comfort and confidence in the knowledge of a previous successful climb.

Bodhi, my workout, um, partner
Ferocious Jungle Kitty Bodhi, my workout … um … partner

Yesterday, I did my exercises (planks, leg lifts, squats, sit-ups and push-ups) and I struggled with them. Part of the struggle was more with the Ferocious Jungle Kitty Bodhi who was “helping” me plank. (He’s really not as helpful as he thinks he is.) The rest of the struggle was with my muscles that are just weak! As I did my three sets of ten push-ups….with open hands….on my knees, I remembered when I was kickboxing. I was able to do my push-ups on the first two knuckles of my fists and on my toes. I could do sit-ups until I got bored with doing them. I was strong – stronger than I’ve ever been in my life! I was practically G.I. Jane, man! I was a beast!

I was. But that was two years ago.

Rats.

Just thinking about it made my spirits flag and sapped my energy. At that point, I had a couple of choices:

  1. I could continue down that road of thinking about what I lost – what I let go, really – my strength and fitness. I could revert to my old self-defeating thought patterns that end up with me in the freezer section with a spoon, or
  2. I could strengthen my newer, empowering thought patterns that end up with me being a beast.

I chose to feed the right wolf.

Okay, so I’m no beast today. But, like the climber, I know I’ve done it before. It really does give me comfort and confidence that I can do it again. While my schedule and budget don’t allow for kickboxing anymore, I do have a living room floor and can do a great deal of strength training using my own body weight. While I will still be on my open hands, resting on my knees for tomorrow’s push-ups, I know that in a few weeks, I’ll be on my toes again. And, in a few more weeks, I’ll be back on my knuckles.

I am strong. I am determined. I am capable.

And I’ve climbed this mountain before.

Body Changes, Food

Dragging on Day 4

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breville juicer in actionI love this juicer! It is super efficient and really easy to clean. I have a couple of tips for you, though:

  • don’t put new produce in the chute until the blades have completely stopped spinning. It doesn’t make a huge mess or anything, but it does bounce the stuff around a lot.
  • watch the pitcher. I didn’t and ended up with cucumber juice all over the counter.

So, I immediately tried a couple of the recipes from the book: sporty spice and Joe’s mean green. I really like the sporty spice with it’s beets, carrots, basil, celery, oranges and lemons. I will peel the beets next time, though, as it ended up being a little too earthy tasting. I used the rinds of the oranges and lemons, and I’ll do that again. The overall sweetness kept them from being too bitter and I actually liked the flavor. I’m glad to get those extra nutrients, as well. As for the mean green? I’ve got a problem, there. I don’t like it and it’s a huge part of this whole program. I’ll have to find another green juice recipe to substitute for it.

I am really surprised at the amount of pulp created in the process. I had no idea how much insoluble fiber was in vegetables, I guess. Anyway, I saved it – vegetable pulp separate from fruit pulp – and plan to make some vegetable broth and some fruit tea. There’s no way I can use it all like that, though; so, my flower beds are going to be getting some serious compost!

I like the juice and the idea of the program; but, I have to admit that my commitment is wavering. I am so exhausted right now, it’s just unbelievable – that’s why I’m so late publishing today. And, I’m hungry. I don’t know what I’m hungry for, which makes it easier to stay with the program; but, I want to eat.

All of the testimonials I’ve read say that this is normal – and the people I know personally that have done it say the same thing. All the other participants went through these same struggles and they all assure me that they are short-lived and I’ll feel better than every in just a day or two. I certainly hope so!

Check back with me on Monday to see if I’ve broken through!

Body Changes, Food

Warning: Low Battery

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I had SO hoped to avoid this! By transitioning into the juice fast over a span of two weeks, I had hoped to bypass the fatigue Joe warns about in his book Reboot With Joe Juice Diet. Members of the online community report feeling fatigue in the first week, as well. But, since I spent all that time easing my way in, I had really thought I’d avoid it.

low batteryNuh-uh.

I was so tired after I got home from work that I thought I might have to lie down and take a nap in the 20 feet from the car to my front door. Only two things kept me moving: two of my feral kitties letting me know it was time for some groceries and the sight of my new juicer waiting on my doorstep! I’ll be breaking that bad boy out a little later and will give you a full report tomorrow on how it works for me.

In the meantime, I want to share some other changes I’ve already noticed:

  • Since Tuesday, the scales show a weight loss of three pounds. I am hopeful that this is not water weight since I started drinking some juices and a lot of water as I prepared. In addition, I stopped drinking soft drinks, which usually sheds some water weight all on its own.
  • I can see weight loss in my hands, forearms, face and waist. 🙂
  • The acne that arrived to confound me last week is healing much faster than it normally does. Whew! I mean, I want to look young and all, but I don’t want to look 14.

In spite of my fatigue, I am motivated by my progress. I did a few floor exercises after work – some planks, sit ups, squats, push ups and leg lifts. I held the planks (front, left, right and reverse) for 60 seconds each and did three sets of ten of each of the others. I think I’ll do these exercises on alternating days. That’s my plan for now, although we established yesterday that my plans are subject to change.

Just like my body is.

Body Changes, Food

Slightly More Than Half-Cocked

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You know those people who plan and schedule their haircuts on a regular basis and far before they have a follicular crisis? Well, I’m not one of them. Nope. I wait until my hair is making me crazy before I call up Miss Marla to see when she can squeeze me in. Similarly, I decided I was going to do this Reboot before I had everything I needed to do it. And while I still don’t have everything, I’m starting anyway.

Breville RM-JE98XLYesterday, I ordered my juicer from Amazon’s Warehouse Deals. (If you haven’t gone to the site, take a minute when we’re done and go on over there. Okay, you’ll be fascinated and it’ll take more than a minute; but, head on over. If you don’t care about packaging, you can get some phenomenal deals!) I ordered the Breville RM-JE98XL model. Joe Cross has done the research and he really loves the juicers from that company. I was able to get this one (with free shipping) for a little under $100, the same price I would have paid for the NutriBullet, which wasn’t exactly what I wanted. (I bought the last one at that price, though; so, you’ll have to pay a little more if you want one.) I’ve seen the same juicer listed elsewhere priced from $130 to $220. I’m pleased with the deal I got and am TOO excited for it to get here! With the free shipping, though, that may take a whole week.

I’m not waiting that long to get started (see paragraph one); so, this morning, I headed out with my list and my charming little Goodwill Red Riding Hood basket to hit the farmer’s market. I didn’t find everything I needed; so, I also went to Publix and to Aldi. Good grief at the produce! My refrigerator shelves are groaning under the weight of it all! Until my juicer arrives, I’ll use the blender, then strain some of the pulp out to make smoothies. I am really anxious and excited to see how my body responds to this massive infusion of nutrients. Since I have been kind of getting ready for this for several days, I’ve already noticed a few things – some good, some not so good.

In the Giddy-Up column, we have:

  • decreased joint, hand and foot pain
  • increased energy
  • decreased hunger pangs
  • the feeling of more stable blood sugar levels
  • no caffeine jitters

In the Giddy-Gone column, we have:

  • increased acne (This happens anytime I increase my water intake, though. Pimples that were mere possibilities before become immediate realities. I expect this to settle down this week.)
  • (how to put this delicately?) an intestinal system that would make a Formula One racing team jealous of its speed and efficiency
  • sticky mouth (Not that I recall ever having eaten paste, but my mouth feels like I imagine it would if I’d been sucking on a glue stick.)

All-in-all, I’m still really excited about this and am thrilled to be Juicing On!

Body Changes, Thought Patterns

Meanwhile, Back in One-derland…..

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Last year, I reported that for the first time in nearly 20 years, my sister tipped the scales at less than 200 pounds. I am so thrilled to report that she is still a resident of One-derland! In fact, she told me this week that she has moved even further into the neighborhood!

1102404_10151894276038197_945955560_oChele isn’t to her goal, yet; but, she continues to work that direction, which is HUGE for anyone trying to reduce their weight! Am I right? How many times have you lost that same five pounds? I know that I’d weigh about 26 pounds now if I hadn’t kept losing and regaining the same weight – and, truthfully, regaining more than I lost!

And, she is doing it her way. Like I did, she has had some success by increasing her vegetable intake. She is more careful about exactly what fruits and vegetables she eats and sticks more towards those that have been shown to decrease inflammation. She limits her nightshade vegetable (tomatoes, eggplant, white potatoes, and peppers) intake since those have been shown to aggravate arthritis. And, as we’ve discussed, she has removed most wheat from her diet since that makes her joints hurt.

(On a side note, she recently visited me for a week and, for movie night, I made pizza using a gluten-free crust mix that I found at the grocery. It was like eating pizza toppings on a roof shingle. Tough, tough, tough! Not to be defeated, we tried a gluten-free pizza at the Mellow Mushroom in Memphis and it was almost like regular pizza. Very tasty and neither of us experienced the discomforts we have come to associate with wheat ingestion.)

Feeling better and feeling better about herself, she has bought some really nice and feminine clothes to supplement her standard jeans and t-shirt wardrobe. And, in a move that has left me flabbergasted, she’s even started buying cute shoes – although, sadly, we don’t wear the same size. I can’t go closet sniping. Rats.

It’s wonderful to see her healthier and feeling better! As she continues down this path, I celebrate with her. Share your story and let us all celebrate with you, as well!

 

Body Changes, Thought Patterns

Close Enough to Celebrate

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Last night I wore a long-sleeved Mississippi State t-shirt that I’ve had for several years – since just after Katrina, in fact, when my friends Angie and Mike gave it to me. It’s a size Large and when they sent it, it was too small; but, I didn’t have the heart to tell them. I kept it but didn’t really expect to ever wear it.

Fast forward seven years. The t-shirt that was too tight now engulfs me.

I still have some pajamas and a few other t-shirts that I had before. When I put them on, it stuns me that these articles of clothing that are now WAY too big, were too small.  I knew I was overweight; but, the reality is, I had no clue how big I was.  I knew that I had to turn sideways to sit down in the seats at the hockey game, but that still didn’t illustrate it for me. Sitting in the bathtub, my hips touched both sides of the tub….thoroughly.  Now, I can plop into a seat at the arena and I can just right out of it when the need arises (which is often the case. Refs are just blind, dontcha know.) And, when I sit in the tub, neither hip touches the side of the tub.  Because I remember the feeling of before (even if I didn’t really have a visual idea of my size), those tactile experiences really emphasize the differences in my body.

And it’s pretty fantastic, I must say.

I’m sure that the time will come when I don’t notice things like that anymore. I’ll get used to this body eventually. However, right now, I’m still close enough to the memory of before to celebrate the reality of now.

Body Changes

It’s Sort of Like Alien Abduction

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Yesterday, I experienced another weird side-effect of weight loss that I’d forgotten about – periodic, transient numbness.

I spent a lot of the day sitting at my desk with my legs crossed.  My right knee is not a fan of being crossed over the left; so, I spent most of the day with the left over the right.  Last night, the skin on outside of my left calf was numb. This happened throughout the Great Reduction; but, I’d forgotten about it. Funny how quickly I forget some things – like this numbness, how pregnancy wrecked my hair and how much I dislike parades. (I try to like them since it just seems so anti-social not to.  Just can’t do it.) Anyway, as I’ve said over and over: I am not a doctor; so, I can’t give you the scientific reason for this. However, my guess is that while my legs were crossed, I put pressure on the nerves on the outside of the calf and around the knee.  As a result, they are now numb for awhile.

cow abductionDuring the Great Reduction, I experienced this several times in my toes, my lower legs, the middle of my back and sometimes in my fingers.  The numbness never lasted very long, was never accompanied by any tingling and never seemed to do any lasting harm.  It was just disturbing at first and weird afterwards.

As I lose these last few pounds, I expect that I’ll experience this more frequently. Insulating fat is being lost, making nerves more accessible to pressure. There is less fat between the nerves and the hard surfaces of the bones and of, well, hard surfaces. The nerves will get pinched between bones and pressure from the outside.  If it happens like before, eventually, everything will settle down, find a new place without all of the insulation and the instances of numbness decrease and finally disappear.

In the meantime, if you’re experiencing this, try not to be alarmed. I went through it, too.  And, although I’d hardly classify the experience as normal just because I’ve had it, too, at least you know that you’re not alone.  Kind of like all those people who have been abducted.

Body Changes, Exercise

Out, Damned Spot

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The past couple of weeks have found me at the gym about ten days.  My typical workout consists of 15 to 20 minutes of hard cardio, 30 minutes of weightlifting, and 15 minutes on a treadmill. I alternate what I’m working on with weights. One day it’s arms, shoulders, chest and back. The next day it’s legs, hips and core. I’m already seeing some significant results; however, I’m also seeing some other things.

Namely flying squirrel arms.

The reality of having a lot of fat for a long time is that I had all the skin required to cover it.  Now that the fat’s not there, the skin doesn’t know it’s not needed anymore and doesn’t seem to be hitting the road.  So, I’ve got extra skin – particularly on my arms, abdomen and thighs.  And, I’m not going to lie, it bothers me. It bothers me that it’s there and it bothers me that cosmetic surgery is really the only way to totally get rid of it.

pointing fingerWe see articles all the time about losing belly fat or trimming our thighs or getting a smaller posterior.  The truth is (and you already know this) without liposuction. we cannot spot reduce the fat in our bodies.  The body calls up the contents of fat cells for usage in whatever order it decides.  Right now, I’m 13 pounds away from my goal and, if I got a vote, almost all of them would come from between my rib cage and my knees. I have not been issued a voter registration card, though, so I’m fairly certain I will not get any input on this.

So, I can’t determine where the fat comes from; however, I can make certain that I am diligent in exercising the muscles in those areas that I’d like to see decrease.  I can work to firm and condition the underlying muscles.  As those firm up, even with the extra skin, the appearance of the whole area is improved. I’m told that the extra skin will decrease over time, as well; but, that it takes several years.  Oh, well.  I was planning on living them, anyway.  Might as well see if that is true, right?

As I said, I’m 13 pounds away from my goal and I’m confident that (like last time) my bra size will reduce to Why Bother before my thighs are where I’d like for them to be. C’est la vie! I will keep working towards that goal, fitting back in my favorite skirts from last year and I won’t worry about the rest of it.

I don’t like the extra skin, but it’s not going to kill me the way the fat was.  And, I’d like to lose the rest in my hips and thighs, but if I don’t, that won’t kill me either.  What will kill me is living the way I was, eating whatever I wanted, allowing my head trash to get in the way, and never exercising. I might not be able to spot reduce fat; but, I can certainly spot reduce unhealthful habits.

To those, I can be my very own Lady McBeth and command: Out, damned spot!