Thursday, September 30, 2010
October Challenge
Don't Snicker, but the Two Buff Chicks have a sweet trick-or-treat for you. This is no Twix! You might think we're Goobers, but we think you'll have Mounds of fun. Starting tomorrow, check the blog every day to see what new trick or treat we suggest for you. These tricks and treats are Good and Plenty! You won't win 100 Grand, but you'll find plenty of Almond Joy in our workouts. We're not Airheads! We really do want you to have some fun with your fitness this month. Think of each workout as a Payday to better fitness. Some days you get to Take 5, but other days you have to Score. We don't want to hear you say, "Oh Henry, I can't do it." For one thing, our names aren't Henry. Don't call us Nerds either. We'll make you walk over to the Whatchamacallit machine and do 15 reps. So don't be a Zero. Check the blog every day.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Another Small Change
I really like food. Like to grow food, like to shop for food, like to cook food, and most definitely like to eat food. So one of my favorite suggestions for a small change in your life is this: eat all day long! If you will eat 5 small meals instead of 3 larger meals, you get to eat more often, which is awesome! Plus you will end up eating less at each meal because you aren’t starting out quite as hungry. Eat breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner. Or as Hobbits would say: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, and so on. Try to make each meal healthy and balanced.
When you eat only three meals per day, you can get famished in between. Then you will end up eating too fast and too much and ignoring your body as it desperately tries to signal you that you are full. Not that this would ever happen to me. No voice of experience here, no sirree.
When you eat only three meals per day, you can get famished in between. Then you will end up eating too fast and too much and ignoring your body as it desperately tries to signal you that you are full. Not that this would ever happen to me. No voice of experience here, no sirree.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Cleaning out the junk
It was heavy trash pick up today. The sidewalks along my block were crowded with piles of discarded stuff. All kinds of stuff. Strangers to the neighborhood were cruising by with their pick ups ready to snatch up the discarded stuff. You know, one person's trash is another person's treasure.
I almost missed heavy trash pick up because I had to be at work early and I knew I would have to get rid of the junk after my husband was gone. You see, he didn't see the junk that filled the garage. I did. So, with a gleeful grin I rushed home for lunch and went straight to the overstuffed garage. My time was limited. I could hear the rumble of the garbage truck on the next block. I loaded up and made several trips out to the curb. In five short minutes I had amassed quite a collection. I was pleased. I was even more pleased when I looked out at the street a few minutes later and the pile had vanished. How simple was that!
We deal with a lot of stuff in the course of a day--some of it's junk, some of it's treasure. The trick is knowing how to eliminate (or best deal with) the junk and how to make the most of the treasure. How nice it would be if we could just pile up all the stuff that bogged us down and have some magic truck pick it up and haul it away. How much more we would get out of life if we could toss out the stuff that really wasn't important so that we could focus on the stuff that really mattered.
My "magic truck" is often a workout. More times than I can count I have felt overburdened and overwhelmed, like the load I was hauling was almost more than I could bear. Often, all it took was a chance to exercise, to move around, work up a sweat, feel my muscles challenged, and the load lightened. I'm not saying that all my problems were no more, but I felt much more confident that I could deal with them. I was able to focus on the treasures more and not worry quite so much about the tough stuff.
Over the years exercise has been a real help in dealing with life's less than pleasant aspects, and the best part is I don't have to wait for heavy trash pick up day!
I almost missed heavy trash pick up because I had to be at work early and I knew I would have to get rid of the junk after my husband was gone. You see, he didn't see the junk that filled the garage. I did. So, with a gleeful grin I rushed home for lunch and went straight to the overstuffed garage. My time was limited. I could hear the rumble of the garbage truck on the next block. I loaded up and made several trips out to the curb. In five short minutes I had amassed quite a collection. I was pleased. I was even more pleased when I looked out at the street a few minutes later and the pile had vanished. How simple was that!
We deal with a lot of stuff in the course of a day--some of it's junk, some of it's treasure. The trick is knowing how to eliminate (or best deal with) the junk and how to make the most of the treasure. How nice it would be if we could just pile up all the stuff that bogged us down and have some magic truck pick it up and haul it away. How much more we would get out of life if we could toss out the stuff that really wasn't important so that we could focus on the stuff that really mattered.
My "magic truck" is often a workout. More times than I can count I have felt overburdened and overwhelmed, like the load I was hauling was almost more than I could bear. Often, all it took was a chance to exercise, to move around, work up a sweat, feel my muscles challenged, and the load lightened. I'm not saying that all my problems were no more, but I felt much more confident that I could deal with them. I was able to focus on the treasures more and not worry quite so much about the tough stuff.
Over the years exercise has been a real help in dealing with life's less than pleasant aspects, and the best part is I don't have to wait for heavy trash pick up day!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Choices
My mother and I went to Little Rock, Arkansas, this weekend. One of the things we did while we were there was to go to Little Rock Central High School. My parents both graduated from there in 1949 (but didn’t meet until college; it was a pretty big school) and my husband’s father was a member of the 101st Airborne who was sent there to enforce desegregation in 1957. Without realizing it until we arrived, we were there on the 53th anniversary of the day the Little Rock Nine were escorted into the school.
The State of Arkansas has built a museum and visitor’s center kitty-corner across the street. If you ever get a chance you should go. It doesn’t take long to go through it but it is so moving and so important to remember.
We take so much for granted. Of course I’m allowed to go to school wherever I want! Of course I’m allowed to worship however I want! Of course I can vote for whoever I want for a leader! But we should never forget what others went through before us so that we have those rights.
Those rights are the big ones. But it got me thinking about the other things we take for granted. You get one body. That’s it. You can fill it with junk food and sit it on the couch while you watch “Biggest Loser” or you can make the choice to eat right and get moving.
Once early on when I started losing weight, I came home late after a long, stressful day at work. A big wreck had slowed down my commute even more. By the time I got home I was crabby and starving. I did not want to take the time to prepare the healthful dinner I knew I should have. I wanted junk food. My husband said, “You can have whatever you want. It is up to you.” He wasn’t judging me or trying to make me feel bad. He was just stating a fact. And that has stuck with me all this time. Nobody else was going to make me eat right. Nobody else was going to make me exercise.
It is entirely up to you. What are you going to do?
The State of Arkansas has built a museum and visitor’s center kitty-corner across the street. If you ever get a chance you should go. It doesn’t take long to go through it but it is so moving and so important to remember.
We take so much for granted. Of course I’m allowed to go to school wherever I want! Of course I’m allowed to worship however I want! Of course I can vote for whoever I want for a leader! But we should never forget what others went through before us so that we have those rights.
Those rights are the big ones. But it got me thinking about the other things we take for granted. You get one body. That’s it. You can fill it with junk food and sit it on the couch while you watch “Biggest Loser” or you can make the choice to eat right and get moving.
Once early on when I started losing weight, I came home late after a long, stressful day at work. A big wreck had slowed down my commute even more. By the time I got home I was crabby and starving. I did not want to take the time to prepare the healthful dinner I knew I should have. I wanted junk food. My husband said, “You can have whatever you want. It is up to you.” He wasn’t judging me or trying to make me feel bad. He was just stating a fact. And that has stuck with me all this time. Nobody else was going to make me eat right. Nobody else was going to make me exercise.
It is entirely up to you. What are you going to do?
Saturday, September 25, 2010
10 Simple Things
It really isn't the big things that make for a good day, but rather the small things that create feelings of serenity and a sense of joy.
Here are my 10 simple things that made my yesterday a truly good day:
1. A sweaty Cycle class with a nice swim afterwards.
2. Wearing something fun.
3. Finding a bargain at the first and only garage sale I visited that day.
4. Getting a required training finished with minimal pain and many laughs.
5. Yoga in the middle of the day.
6. A truly decadent brownie. Yum.
7. Getting to see my son coach--even though the game was HORRIBLE.
8. Kettle corn.
9. Getting a new puzzle magazine.
10. Being around people who are upbeat and find joy in life.
What would your list look like?
Here are my 10 simple things that made my yesterday a truly good day:
1. A sweaty Cycle class with a nice swim afterwards.
2. Wearing something fun.
3. Finding a bargain at the first and only garage sale I visited that day.
4. Getting a required training finished with minimal pain and many laughs.
5. Yoga in the middle of the day.
6. A truly decadent brownie. Yum.
7. Getting to see my son coach--even though the game was HORRIBLE.
8. Kettle corn.
9. Getting a new puzzle magazine.
10. Being around people who are upbeat and find joy in life.
What would your list look like?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Exercising My Parental Rights
Nancy’s son turned 22 this week. How did she get old enough to have a son who is 22?
He was a challenging child. So smart and so funny…but not easy, especially as a teenager. How did we get this boy to the age of 22 without killing him? What saved us? The YMCA. We started going to the Y when he was about 14. He was interested in gaining muscles and I was interested in losing weight. We kept each other motivated. On days when one of us didn’t feel like going, we could usually count on the other one to say, “Come on, please?” and we would end up working out and being glad of it. I wouldn’t be where I am now on my path to fitness without his encouragement – there were a lot of days I wouldn’t have gone if he hadn’t made me.
For all you parents out there who are having a hard time finding a way to connect with your kids during the teenage years, this did it for us. No matter how angry he was at me or I was at him, no matter if he was grounded or I had gotten a phone call from the school or he was just in a bad mood and “didn’t want to talk about it,” something happened when we got to the Y. We would get that first set or two in on the bench press and some small comment or praise would break the ice and we would be talking. It never failed. What a motivator for working out! Keep in mind that once we left the gym for the day we were right back where we started. But at least for that one hour he would talk to me, and that kept us connected all through those rough teenage years.
Now here we are, eight years later, and he’s no longer a challenging teen. He has turned out to be someone who gives me a lot of joy and makes me laugh. We still meet at the gym several times a week. He doesn’t let me spot him anymore, because he can now lift weights that are heavier than my body weight. That job goes to his buddies at the gym. But I will be forever thankful that we found the YMCA when we did!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Our Little Corner of the Gym
Unintentionally, a little corner of the gym has turned into “our” corner. We use the corner so much that people comment on it. One day we had a new person lifting with us. As we headed over to set up our corner, another of the gym regulars told her, “Don’t let them take you in the corner! They took someone in there once before and they were never seen again!”
We like to use this corner because it’s out of the way. We can set up all kinds of equipment and leave it out for our workouts without getting in anyone’s way. We can do our push-ups without anyone having to walk around us. It’s also a really great place to stall for a minute if we get tired – not that we would ever do that.
Last Friday we did our “Multiple Choice Test” workout. This workout is set up so that you can do it as a beginner, intermediate or advanced lifter. We chose to do the advanced test, and it was harder than either of us remembered. Several complaints were lodged during the course of the workout, including, “Was it this hard last time?”, “Seriously, do you remember this being so hard?”, and “I’m really getting tired.”
The last thing we had to do was a one minute plank. There is a nice sweet lady who is often there when we work out. She sits and waits for her friend and we “allow” her to wait in our corner. But Friday we put her to work. We asked if she had a second hand on her watch. She did, and she agreed to time us for one minute. As soon as we started, we told her she had to tell us a joke to keep us entertained, because a minute is a long, long time when you’re doing a plank. And she, this nice, sweet lady, said, “Well, I don’t think I know any jokes that are clean enough to tell!” That was better than any joke she could have told.
If you come to our gym, be sure to look for us in the corner. We will probably be there.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Call me Crazy
Often, when I tell people I get up most days before 5:00 to exercise they look at me and ask, "Are you crazy?" I just smile and think to myself, no I am not crazy, but I would be if I didn't get to exercise regularly.
It's pretty obvious what exercise does for a person physically--less body fat, firmed middle, toned legs, defined arms. Looking better is definitely a motivator, but I contend that exercise is just as important--if not more so--for mental health.
I am not exaggerating when I claim that at my lowest moments it was exercise that changed things. Alone in California years ago I had some days when loneliness and the distance from family weighed heavy on my heart and I was down. What helped me most was tying up my running shoes and hitting the road. It didn't take long for my mood to brighten and my outlook to improve.
More recently, when we were going through the nightmare with my sister and her new life as an amputee the ONLY time I felt like life might ever be normal again was when I was in the water swimming lap after lap or riding hard in a cycling class. Pushing myself that way allowed a brief escape from the emotion, pain, and fear that we all were experiencing. Working out was not only a distraction, but I felt better able to cope with all the stuff life was throwing at us.
And even more recently--today. I was forced to deal with some heavy, emotional personal stuff on little sleep. I knew I needed to exercise if there was any way I was going to be able to handle it. So I headed to the Y and worked up a great sweat and the day improved significantly.
Call me crazy, but I wouldn't want to face my day without a chance to exercise!
It's pretty obvious what exercise does for a person physically--less body fat, firmed middle, toned legs, defined arms. Looking better is definitely a motivator, but I contend that exercise is just as important--if not more so--for mental health.
I am not exaggerating when I claim that at my lowest moments it was exercise that changed things. Alone in California years ago I had some days when loneliness and the distance from family weighed heavy on my heart and I was down. What helped me most was tying up my running shoes and hitting the road. It didn't take long for my mood to brighten and my outlook to improve.
More recently, when we were going through the nightmare with my sister and her new life as an amputee the ONLY time I felt like life might ever be normal again was when I was in the water swimming lap after lap or riding hard in a cycling class. Pushing myself that way allowed a brief escape from the emotion, pain, and fear that we all were experiencing. Working out was not only a distraction, but I felt better able to cope with all the stuff life was throwing at us.
And even more recently--today. I was forced to deal with some heavy, emotional personal stuff on little sleep. I knew I needed to exercise if there was any way I was going to be able to handle it. So I headed to the Y and worked up a great sweat and the day improved significantly.
Call me crazy, but I wouldn't want to face my day without a chance to exercise!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Happy Friday!
You’re know you're having a bad day when you arrive 30 minutes early for your doctor’s appointment, as instructed, because you are a good person and try to do as others ask (within reason), and the woman next to you in the packed waiting room says she’s been waiting for an hour and a half.
And you know you’re having a REALLY bad day when, two and a half hours later, you finally leave the doctor’s office and head for the lunch spot you know stocks ice-cold Diet Cokes, and they are OUT! It’s Friday and they haven’t restocked! How could this be happening? What in karma’s name have you done to deserve this?
Take a deep breath. Remember how you made yourself feel better the other day? You were in a really bad mood. You have been doing so much running in preparation for the half marathon that you haven’t had much time for your true love, weight-lifting, and it was making you really grumpy. So that day you went to the gym and lifted hard for an hour. Remember how much better you felt? Even though your triceps are still a little sore three days later from the torture you put them through?
Now remember what you are doing this afternoon. Your true blue friend Becky is going to lift with you. You only thought you were sore on Tuesday. Wait until Becky gets through with you. You will no longer be having a bad day. Your muscles will be tired and sore but it will be a good tired and sore. You and she will talk and laugh and carry on and possibly devise some sort of entertaining mischief for someone else in the gym. When you leave, as always, you will be so glad you went and will feel so much better about your day.
And you know you’re having a REALLY bad day when, two and a half hours later, you finally leave the doctor’s office and head for the lunch spot you know stocks ice-cold Diet Cokes, and they are OUT! It’s Friday and they haven’t restocked! How could this be happening? What in karma’s name have you done to deserve this?
Take a deep breath. Remember how you made yourself feel better the other day? You were in a really bad mood. You have been doing so much running in preparation for the half marathon that you haven’t had much time for your true love, weight-lifting, and it was making you really grumpy. So that day you went to the gym and lifted hard for an hour. Remember how much better you felt? Even though your triceps are still a little sore three days later from the torture you put them through?
Now remember what you are doing this afternoon. Your true blue friend Becky is going to lift with you. You only thought you were sore on Tuesday. Wait until Becky gets through with you. You will no longer be having a bad day. Your muscles will be tired and sore but it will be a good tired and sore. You and she will talk and laugh and carry on and possibly devise some sort of entertaining mischief for someone else in the gym. When you leave, as always, you will be so glad you went and will feel so much better about your day.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Workout Advice: Always Have A Plan B
You are psyched. Your bag is packed. You've got your favorite workout t-shirt and shorts. Your water bottle is full and your IPOD is charged. You are ready to tackle that stair mill. Your goal: 30 sweaty minutes. Nothing, nobody is going to stop you today.
You walk into the workout area and... Someone. Has. Your. Machine!
And someone else has its twin. No, it can't be. This could ruin everything. Your "lets-get-to-it" attitude has gone. This was not what you had planned. You might as well go home. Right?
NO WAY, JOSE!
A lesser person would throw in the towel and admit defeat, but that's not you. Because early on in your commitment to exercise some wise gym rat advised you to always come with a Plan B. And what sound advice that was. Whether that means exchanging your goggles for bike shorts because the pool is way too crowded or hopping onto the treadmill because of the torrential rain, always come prepared with a backup plan. Never, and I mean never, use not getting to carry out your original plan as an excuse not to exercise.
That very thing happened to me today. I had planned to swim, but my workout time and the pool time didn't gel. I was a little grumpy at first, but then I noticed all the empty treadmills and I knew I had packed my running shoes. I was forced to go with my Plan B, and I was pleasantly surprised. Halfway through my run I switched over to a hill program (the first time I tried a program and not just punched the quick start button) and challenged myself to charge up those hills. It felt great, and I ended up discovering that I really enjoyed tackling those hills. If I had given up after my first plan was foiled I would never have experienced this option. Talk about a silver lining!
Moral of the story: Plan B can be just a great as Plan A--maybe even better.
You walk into the workout area and... Someone. Has. Your. Machine!
And someone else has its twin. No, it can't be. This could ruin everything. Your "lets-get-to-it" attitude has gone. This was not what you had planned. You might as well go home. Right?
NO WAY, JOSE!
A lesser person would throw in the towel and admit defeat, but that's not you. Because early on in your commitment to exercise some wise gym rat advised you to always come with a Plan B. And what sound advice that was. Whether that means exchanging your goggles for bike shorts because the pool is way too crowded or hopping onto the treadmill because of the torrential rain, always come prepared with a backup plan. Never, and I mean never, use not getting to carry out your original plan as an excuse not to exercise.
That very thing happened to me today. I had planned to swim, but my workout time and the pool time didn't gel. I was a little grumpy at first, but then I noticed all the empty treadmills and I knew I had packed my running shoes. I was forced to go with my Plan B, and I was pleasantly surprised. Halfway through my run I switched over to a hill program (the first time I tried a program and not just punched the quick start button) and challenged myself to charge up those hills. It felt great, and I ended up discovering that I really enjoyed tackling those hills. If I had given up after my first plan was foiled I would never have experienced this option. Talk about a silver lining!
Moral of the story: Plan B can be just a great as Plan A--maybe even better.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
How to Have a Cardio Workout Without Exercise
1. Enter your office building at your usual time.
2. Realize by the beeping of the security system that you are the first one on the premises.
3. Realize that in twelve years at this office you have never been the first one on the premises and have never had to disarm the security system.
4. Dump the entire contents of your purse on the table in an effort to find your security code.
5. Fail.
6. Pick up the phone to call the security provider.
7. Remember that the phones are immediately shut off when the security system is activated.
8. Get your cell phone.
9. Realize you do not have the phone number for the security provider.
10. Try to find a phone book.
11. Fail.
12. Search the entire building for a phone book.
13. Succeed.
14. Call the security provider, who has apparently heard this sob story more than once before, and tiredly tells you to call someone who knows the code.
15. Beg him not to send the police.
16. Call the supervisor you thought would be most sympathetic.
17. Wait patiently while she laughs hysterically at your predicament.
18. Get the code.
19. Enter the code.
20. Start your day.
2. Realize by the beeping of the security system that you are the first one on the premises.
3. Realize that in twelve years at this office you have never been the first one on the premises and have never had to disarm the security system.
4. Dump the entire contents of your purse on the table in an effort to find your security code.
5. Fail.
6. Pick up the phone to call the security provider.
7. Remember that the phones are immediately shut off when the security system is activated.
8. Get your cell phone.
9. Realize you do not have the phone number for the security provider.
10. Try to find a phone book.
11. Fail.
12. Search the entire building for a phone book.
13. Succeed.
14. Call the security provider, who has apparently heard this sob story more than once before, and tiredly tells you to call someone who knows the code.
15. Beg him not to send the police.
16. Call the supervisor you thought would be most sympathetic.
17. Wait patiently while she laughs hysterically at your predicament.
18. Get the code.
19. Enter the code.
20. Start your day.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
More Mischief in the Gym
"Psst!" said Becky to Nancy one day in the gym.
"I see a way we can cause trouble again!"
"Trouble?" said Nancy, "I couldn't do that!"
But Becky knew Nancy could be quite a brat.
Laura's bucket of soap they spied on the floor.
This was their chance to wreak havoc once more.
Remember before when they left Laura a mess?
Now something new they would have to confess.
When Laura's head turned they quickly did hide
Her bucket of soap off to one side.
The bucket was missing when Laura returned.
A glare from Laura was immediately earned!
They looked as innocent as they possibly could
(for they knew in their hearts they hadn't been good)
Confess? No way, not with Floyd around!
Lucky for them, a scapegoat they found!
They pointed at Floyd; let him take the blame.
After all, it was only a game.
But Laura's no fool and Floyd had an excuse
He had the bench press, obviously in use.
Laura gave them the look and the finger shake.
In their tennies their feet did quake.
She warned them not to cause trouble again.
But she knows it's not a matter of if, but when.
DEDICATED TO OUR FRIEND LAURA!
"I see a way we can cause trouble again!"
"Trouble?" said Nancy, "I couldn't do that!"
But Becky knew Nancy could be quite a brat.
Laura's bucket of soap they spied on the floor.
This was their chance to wreak havoc once more.
Remember before when they left Laura a mess?
Now something new they would have to confess.
When Laura's head turned they quickly did hide
Her bucket of soap off to one side.
The bucket was missing when Laura returned.
A glare from Laura was immediately earned!
They looked as innocent as they possibly could
(for they knew in their hearts they hadn't been good)
Confess? No way, not with Floyd around!
Lucky for them, a scapegoat they found!
They pointed at Floyd; let him take the blame.
After all, it was only a game.
But Laura's no fool and Floyd had an excuse
He had the bench press, obviously in use.
Laura gave them the look and the finger shake.
In their tennies their feet did quake.
She warned them not to cause trouble again.
But she knows it's not a matter of if, but when.
DEDICATED TO OUR FRIEND LAURA!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Race Results
A year ago – no, more like six months ago – Nancy would have said there was no way she could ever do a half-marathon. But now, thanks to the YMCA training program, it feels like it might actually be a goal she can reach. Each Saturday they add a mile to the long training runs. During the week there are shorter runs which have also increased in distance over the training period. Once a month for the two months leading up to the half-marathon they have a race. Last month was a 5K and this past Saturday was a 10K.
Nancy ran the 10K in 1:01:25. A side stitch tried to get her at about mile 3, but slowing down a little and changing her breathing pattern made it go away. The funny thing about the 10K was that a month ago the 5K felt challenging; now it felt almost easy to reach that halfway point. Who knew? You keep at this and gradually you get better! Nancy will never set the world on fire with her land speed records but there is definitely improvement.
All you would-be runners out there who think you can’t do it – take it from Nancy: if she can do it, you can do it. She used to think she was going to die if she ran for 5 minutes; now she can run for an hour and a half. See if you can find a training program – that will help both mentally and physically. It’s harder to let yourself stop when everyone around you is continuing to run. Plus they set goals you can reach if you stick with it. This Saturday Nancy will be doing a 10 mile training run. She never thought that the word “runner” would apply to her but with determination, anything is possible.
What next? Learn to swim?
Nancy ran the 10K in 1:01:25. A side stitch tried to get her at about mile 3, but slowing down a little and changing her breathing pattern made it go away. The funny thing about the 10K was that a month ago the 5K felt challenging; now it felt almost easy to reach that halfway point. Who knew? You keep at this and gradually you get better! Nancy will never set the world on fire with her land speed records but there is definitely improvement.
All you would-be runners out there who think you can’t do it – take it from Nancy: if she can do it, you can do it. She used to think she was going to die if she ran for 5 minutes; now she can run for an hour and a half. See if you can find a training program – that will help both mentally and physically. It’s harder to let yourself stop when everyone around you is continuing to run. Plus they set goals you can reach if you stick with it. This Saturday Nancy will be doing a 10 mile training run. She never thought that the word “runner” would apply to her but with determination, anything is possible.
What next? Learn to swim?
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Struggling
While Nancy struggled with side cramps and dissolving tissues, I found myself struggling with eating. To clarify--I was not having trouble eating, that I did quite well and quite regularly. My struggles had to do with WHAT and WHY I ate. I am keenly aware of the rules for healthy eating, but this weekend I was the queen of breaking rules.
Rule #1 Only eat when you're hungry. Sounds simple enough. It is, yet I found myself eating when I was bored, when I was irritated and when I needed the comfort of something that tasted good. Not good.
Rule #2 Stop eating when you're full. That didn't happen. I kept eating because it all tasted so good--especially those sweet potato fries!
Rule #3 Let fruits satisfy your sweet tooth. Ha. No way could I convince my taste buds that a fresh peach would taste better than a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and nuts. And I didn't even have the strength to try.
Rule #4 Try drinking water when you first feel hunger. I don't think I drank any water all day yesterday, but I did have a diet soda and a couple beers.
Rule #5 Don't let one bad food choice dictate the rest of your day. Midway through my eating yesterday, I threw up my hands in surrender and decided that this was just going to be my day(s) to eat badly.
Ok, so now it's Sunday and I am feeling wiser and stronger. My struggles are under control today, and I have confidence that I can (and will) commit to not breaking the rules.
Something to always remember: When the sun rises on a new day we have new opportunities to make better choices and to re-commit to healthy lifestyles. Focus on turning daily struggles into daily triumphs.
Rule #1 Only eat when you're hungry. Sounds simple enough. It is, yet I found myself eating when I was bored, when I was irritated and when I needed the comfort of something that tasted good. Not good.
Rule #2 Stop eating when you're full. That didn't happen. I kept eating because it all tasted so good--especially those sweet potato fries!
Rule #3 Let fruits satisfy your sweet tooth. Ha. No way could I convince my taste buds that a fresh peach would taste better than a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and nuts. And I didn't even have the strength to try.
Rule #4 Try drinking water when you first feel hunger. I don't think I drank any water all day yesterday, but I did have a diet soda and a couple beers.
Rule #5 Don't let one bad food choice dictate the rest of your day. Midway through my eating yesterday, I threw up my hands in surrender and decided that this was just going to be my day(s) to eat badly.
Ok, so now it's Sunday and I am feeling wiser and stronger. My struggles are under control today, and I have confidence that I can (and will) commit to not breaking the rules.
Something to always remember: When the sun rises on a new day we have new opportunities to make better choices and to re-commit to healthy lifestyles. Focus on turning daily struggles into daily triumphs.
Friday, September 10, 2010
No Competition
Remember last month when you were up all night worrying how Nancy would do in the 5K race? Well, we just needed to let you know that tomorrow is the 10K race. I know, I know, we should have let you get a good night’s sleep, but it just didn’t feel right to keep you out of the loop. Step Two on the road to the half-marathon will take place in the morning.
Last weekend Nancy’s husband’s cousin (got all that?) ran a half marathon in 59 minutes and 44 seconds. Hold on - let’s check that on the calculator – yes, that’s approximately 4.56 minutes per mile. Take a moment to process that; we had to.
Now, Nancy could do that if she wanted to. Really! She just chooses not to! That’s right, it’s not because she can’t. He completed a half marathon in less time than it will take Nancy to complete the 10K. But that’s okay. She wouldn’t want to show anyone up.
Last weekend Nancy’s husband’s cousin (got all that?) ran a half marathon in 59 minutes and 44 seconds. Hold on - let’s check that on the calculator – yes, that’s approximately 4.56 minutes per mile. Take a moment to process that; we had to.
Now, Nancy could do that if she wanted to. Really! She just chooses not to! That’s right, it’s not because she can’t. He completed a half marathon in less time than it will take Nancy to complete the 10K. But that’s okay. She wouldn’t want to show anyone up.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Small Change #1
Seven and a half years ago, Nancy made the decision to lose 60 pounds. She knew that just losing the weight wouldn’t be enough. She had done that before and as soon as she was off “the diet” the weight came right back. She had to get into some new habits but she had to start slowly. You can’t realistically say you are going to change immediately all the habits you have spent your whole life developing. It took a year to lose the weight. She used that time to relearn her eating habits and now all this time later the weight is still off.
Let’s just start with one of the habits she learned or this blog will take you four hours to read. It would be fascinating reading, of course, but who’s got four hours?
Nancy completely and totally loves Diet Coke. It’s a bit of an addiction, and it cannot and will not ever be given up completely. If you expect her to give it up, you will be disappointed. And we do not want you to have disappointment in your life so don’t ask. However, even though Diet Cokes don’t have any calories, they aren’t exactly what you would call “good for you.” Nancy decided to replace them gradually with water, eventually getting down to just one in the morning. Occasionally she has one in the afternoon, but not every day.
If you drink regular sodas, this switch will really help you kick-start any weight loss goals. Think of all the calories you will save just switching out one soda a day for water.
Try having a bottle of water in the morning (in a reusable water bottle, for anyone out there who worries about landfills) and another in the afternoon, especially if exercising. You want to shoot eventually for six to eight 8-oz glasses of water per day. Yes, that sounds like a lot of water! But move to it gradually, stay within sight of a bathroom until you adjust, and soon you won’t feel right if you DON’T have it.
So today’s small change is: if you are drinking a bunch of sodas every day, think about cutting down. Don’t say you are going to give them all up tomorrow and never drink another one. That will last about a day and a half. Just start switching them out for water, one at a time.
Let’s just start with one of the habits she learned or this blog will take you four hours to read. It would be fascinating reading, of course, but who’s got four hours?
Nancy completely and totally loves Diet Coke. It’s a bit of an addiction, and it cannot and will not ever be given up completely. If you expect her to give it up, you will be disappointed. And we do not want you to have disappointment in your life so don’t ask. However, even though Diet Cokes don’t have any calories, they aren’t exactly what you would call “good for you.” Nancy decided to replace them gradually with water, eventually getting down to just one in the morning. Occasionally she has one in the afternoon, but not every day.
If you drink regular sodas, this switch will really help you kick-start any weight loss goals. Think of all the calories you will save just switching out one soda a day for water.
Try having a bottle of water in the morning (in a reusable water bottle, for anyone out there who worries about landfills) and another in the afternoon, especially if exercising. You want to shoot eventually for six to eight 8-oz glasses of water per day. Yes, that sounds like a lot of water! But move to it gradually, stay within sight of a bathroom until you adjust, and soon you won’t feel right if you DON’T have it.
So today’s small change is: if you are drinking a bunch of sodas every day, think about cutting down. Don’t say you are going to give them all up tomorrow and never drink another one. That will last about a day and a half. Just start switching them out for water, one at a time.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
No Excuses Today
Ordinarily, I might be inclined to cut you some slack if you weren't quite feeling like exercising. Take Nancy's Saturday--I truly don't think less of my friend because she chose staying in bed to getting in her workout. But that was three days ago when I was feeling more charitable. Today, my friends, is a no excuse day.
Feeling a little sleepy this morning? Too bad. Another stressful day at work? Tough. Got laundry to fold and dinner to fix? That can wait. I don't mean to sound harsh, but today there ARE no excuses! Simple as that. Why the tough tone you ask?
I'll tell you why. My sister, Jenny. Reader's Digest condensed version: My healthy, active younger sister went into the hospital with pneumonia and nine days later had to have both her legs amputated because an aggressive, often fatal bacteria had invaded her body. At the time doctors feared she would lose her hands as well. Fortunately, they were able to save her hands, but Jenny has limited use of them. That was over five years ago. Jenny's journey to this moment has been long and hard, and I share with you just the briefest of glimpses of a typical day in an attempt to motivate you to remain faithful to your workout plan. (Obviously, I am not adversed to using guilt as a motivator.)
Here is Jenny's day yesterday: She gets up at 6, put on her legs, gets dressed, fixes breakfast, packs up her laptop, makes sure her daughter's permission slip is signed, feeds the dogs, loads up her wheelchair and heads off to work. Jenny is a special education teacher at a Wisconsin elementary school. To get to her classroom she must unload her wheelchair, push through heavy non-handicap accessible doors, maneuver through crowded hallways, and go up the elevator that thankfully is back in working order. Jenny spends her day working with special needs kids, teaching, disciplining, nurturing, even having a special group "The Lunch Bunch" during her break time.
When her work day is done she once again packs up, pushes through crowded halls and heavy doors to load up her wheelchair and head back home. By this point Jenny is indeed feeling tired, hungry and stressed, and she is very much aware of the laundry waiting to be folded and the fact that someone (She drew the short straw) will need to fix supper for her and her daughter. She really should get home, but instead she heads to the pool for her workout.
Once she arrives she must again unload her wheelchair. She then checks in, secures a locker and begins the process of taking off her legs and putting on her swim suit. Jenny carefully locks her legs up and then realizes her concern for their safe-keeping is rather funny because she couldn't really picture anyone coveting those artificial legs for their own. But you never know I guess.
Next step is wheeling out to the pool where she make a series of transfers--from the wheelchair to the stack of towels to the edge of the pool and finally into the water. Jenny then spends 30 wonderful minutes swimming laps and doing other strengthening exercises. Then it is back out of the water repeating in reverse the series of transfers.
Once back in the locker room she begins the arduous process of putting her legs back on. This involves putting on special socks and liners and making sure each leg is lined up properly. One of her legs is titanium and attaches above the knee and the other leg is synthetic and attaches below the knee. It is not nearly as easy as slipping on a pair of dry sweats and heading out the door to go home. A-hem.
NOW Jenny will head back home, where there are still chores to be done and life continues moving forward. When I was on the phone with her at 8 she was hoping she'd stay awake long enough to see her daughter return from her tennis match.
Excuses? Yeah, Jenny has plenty. Pretty darn legitimate ones. But she chooses not to give in to them because she has learned that exercise helps her meet her daily challenges with more energy, less pain and a sense of true accomplishment. Jenny would be the first to tell you it's not easy, but it is so worth it.
Our dear friend Scarlet may proclaim that tomorrow is another day, but I am talking about today and today I want NO EXCUSES!
Feeling a little sleepy this morning? Too bad. Another stressful day at work? Tough. Got laundry to fold and dinner to fix? That can wait. I don't mean to sound harsh, but today there ARE no excuses! Simple as that. Why the tough tone you ask?
I'll tell you why. My sister, Jenny. Reader's Digest condensed version: My healthy, active younger sister went into the hospital with pneumonia and nine days later had to have both her legs amputated because an aggressive, often fatal bacteria had invaded her body. At the time doctors feared she would lose her hands as well. Fortunately, they were able to save her hands, but Jenny has limited use of them. That was over five years ago. Jenny's journey to this moment has been long and hard, and I share with you just the briefest of glimpses of a typical day in an attempt to motivate you to remain faithful to your workout plan. (Obviously, I am not adversed to using guilt as a motivator.)
Here is Jenny's day yesterday: She gets up at 6, put on her legs, gets dressed, fixes breakfast, packs up her laptop, makes sure her daughter's permission slip is signed, feeds the dogs, loads up her wheelchair and heads off to work. Jenny is a special education teacher at a Wisconsin elementary school. To get to her classroom she must unload her wheelchair, push through heavy non-handicap accessible doors, maneuver through crowded hallways, and go up the elevator that thankfully is back in working order. Jenny spends her day working with special needs kids, teaching, disciplining, nurturing, even having a special group "The Lunch Bunch" during her break time.
When her work day is done she once again packs up, pushes through crowded halls and heavy doors to load up her wheelchair and head back home. By this point Jenny is indeed feeling tired, hungry and stressed, and she is very much aware of the laundry waiting to be folded and the fact that someone (She drew the short straw) will need to fix supper for her and her daughter. She really should get home, but instead she heads to the pool for her workout.
Once she arrives she must again unload her wheelchair. She then checks in, secures a locker and begins the process of taking off her legs and putting on her swim suit. Jenny carefully locks her legs up and then realizes her concern for their safe-keeping is rather funny because she couldn't really picture anyone coveting those artificial legs for their own. But you never know I guess.
Next step is wheeling out to the pool where she make a series of transfers--from the wheelchair to the stack of towels to the edge of the pool and finally into the water. Jenny then spends 30 wonderful minutes swimming laps and doing other strengthening exercises. Then it is back out of the water repeating in reverse the series of transfers.
Once back in the locker room she begins the arduous process of putting her legs back on. This involves putting on special socks and liners and making sure each leg is lined up properly. One of her legs is titanium and attaches above the knee and the other leg is synthetic and attaches below the knee. It is not nearly as easy as slipping on a pair of dry sweats and heading out the door to go home. A-hem.
NOW Jenny will head back home, where there are still chores to be done and life continues moving forward. When I was on the phone with her at 8 she was hoping she'd stay awake long enough to see her daughter return from her tennis match.
Excuses? Yeah, Jenny has plenty. Pretty darn legitimate ones. But she chooses not to give in to them because she has learned that exercise helps her meet her daily challenges with more energy, less pain and a sense of true accomplishment. Jenny would be the first to tell you it's not easy, but it is so worth it.
Our dear friend Scarlet may proclaim that tomorrow is another day, but I am talking about today and today I want NO EXCUSES!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Bad Bad Nancy
Just as a matter of principle, just so you know the Two Buff Chicks sometimes make choices that don't go along with a healthy lifestyle, you need to know that after all her big talk about prepping for Saturday morning's 9-mile training run, Nancy simply could not convince herself to get out of bed when the time came.
The attitude started Friday evening. She went to dinner with her husband and she just really wanted to have a beer. Or two. It was Labor Day weekend, for Pete's sake. Then Saturday morning it felt so good to lie in bed with the windows open to the cool air...well, it really was almost impossible to get up. So she didn't.
Payback came on Sunday, when, feeling extremely guilty about blowing off her responsibility to herself on Saturday, she went out after church to run 9 miles. It was hotter on Sunday than it was on Saturday and it was later in the day when she went. Not knowing the route the training group used on Saturday, she ran from home, telling herself that surely the route from home was much hillier than the training route. Because she wants you to know, that run was tough. In fact she only was able to run the first half of it and had to walk the rest. So she did complete 9 miles, which is good, but she did not do as well as she had hoped.
The good part of the whole story is that today is another day! With renewed determination, she will be back at it again. Keep your fingers crossed.
The attitude started Friday evening. She went to dinner with her husband and she just really wanted to have a beer. Or two. It was Labor Day weekend, for Pete's sake. Then Saturday morning it felt so good to lie in bed with the windows open to the cool air...well, it really was almost impossible to get up. So she didn't.
Payback came on Sunday, when, feeling extremely guilty about blowing off her responsibility to herself on Saturday, she went out after church to run 9 miles. It was hotter on Sunday than it was on Saturday and it was later in the day when she went. Not knowing the route the training group used on Saturday, she ran from home, telling herself that surely the route from home was much hillier than the training route. Because she wants you to know, that run was tough. In fact she only was able to run the first half of it and had to walk the rest. So she did complete 9 miles, which is good, but she did not do as well as she had hoped.
The good part of the whole story is that today is another day! With renewed determination, she will be back at it again. Keep your fingers crossed.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Prep for Saturday
Last Saturday, as part of the training for the Half Marathon coming up in October, Nancy ran 8 miles! A lot of runners out there might say - pish posh– I could run 8 miles backwards with both hands tied behind my back. And blindfolded! But for Nancy, who did not do anything remotely athletic until the 5th decade of her life, this was pretty big. Now Saturday looms again. Here is Nancy’s checklist for tomorrow’s 9 mile training run:
Hat? Check.
Towel? Check.
Try to forget they said “hills are your friend” on the training update this week? Not check.
Water bottle? Check.
Alarm clock set? Check.
Handkerchief? Double Check.
Now what did Laura say to do today for a really good run tomorrow? Oh, yeah, hydrate all day. 8 ounces, 16 ounces, think Nancy can get to 64 ounces if she remains within sight of a bathroom all day? Wait a minute, alcohol dehydrates you! That means no Smithwick’s at the Irish pub tonight! Not even one? Doesn’t she need to replace her electrolytes? Well, sacrifices must be made. What else did Laura say? Load up on protein and don’t forget the healthy carbs. Remember that the nuts in a chocolate chip cookie don’t really count as protein. That all sounds doable. Except for the cookie part.
Last week at the 8-mile run they gave out a very helpful tip, which Nancy used and believes enabled her to go the entire distance without a side stitch. Yes, she is willing to share it with you! They said a side stitch is actually a cramp in your diaphragm. If you start to feel one coming on, slow down a little bit and then breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose. It really works!
Tomorrow if you want to look for Nancy on the training route, she is the one with the hanky in her hand.
Hat? Check.
Towel? Check.
Try to forget they said “hills are your friend” on the training update this week? Not check.
Water bottle? Check.
Alarm clock set? Check.
Handkerchief? Double Check.
Now what did Laura say to do today for a really good run tomorrow? Oh, yeah, hydrate all day. 8 ounces, 16 ounces, think Nancy can get to 64 ounces if she remains within sight of a bathroom all day? Wait a minute, alcohol dehydrates you! That means no Smithwick’s at the Irish pub tonight! Not even one? Doesn’t she need to replace her electrolytes? Well, sacrifices must be made. What else did Laura say? Load up on protein and don’t forget the healthy carbs. Remember that the nuts in a chocolate chip cookie don’t really count as protein. That all sounds doable. Except for the cookie part.
Last week at the 8-mile run they gave out a very helpful tip, which Nancy used and believes enabled her to go the entire distance without a side stitch. Yes, she is willing to share it with you! They said a side stitch is actually a cramp in your diaphragm. If you start to feel one coming on, slow down a little bit and then breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose. It really works!
Tomorrow if you want to look for Nancy on the training route, she is the one with the hanky in her hand.
The Bosu Ball Has Landed
Three springs ago Nancy and Becky traveled to Cocoa Beach, Florida, where they spent the week enjoying the surf, sand and key lime pie. For Becky, the highlights of the week were her early morning runs and watching "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" during Happy Hour. The high point of Nancy's vacation is a bit more baffling to this baffled observer. It goes without saying that Nancy thought the beach was nice and the breakfasts at Simply Delicious were obviously simply delicious, and the seafood was quite satisfying. Oh, yes, her traveling companion was beyond compare. But for Nancy the most thrilling moment of all came when the two vacationers heard a deafening BOOM one evening. At first the two thought perhaps the upstairs neighbor had fallen down the stairs, but then the TV announced the re-entry of some space shuttle or whatever up the beach a ways. It's at that moment Nancy insisted they drop everything and run outside to see if anything could be seen. Nothing but dark. Do you not agree that this is a most baffling high point of a vacation?
Perhaps if when Nancy and Becky had ventured out of their condo they had encountered the Bosu ball, the impress-o-meter might've registered.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Bosu ball has landed. There was no loud boom, just a gasp of surprise and delight when Becky discovered it on the gym floor. Now that is something to get excited about!
Almost as quickly as Nancy raced out the door that fateful Florida evening, Becky went to work practicing her Bosu ball push-ups. The fun had begun, and everyone knows that fun is meant to be shared. Becky then introduced Nancy to the Bosu ball in their next workout. Nancy thanked Becky profusely (at least that's what Becky assumed Nancy was muttering). Now a quick lesson on Bosu ball push-ups.
Step 1: Put down your hanky.
Step 2: Locate Bosu ball.
Step 3: Flip located Bosu ball over.
Step 4: Begin push-up in the standard push-up position.
Step 5: Complete the push-up.
Becky dares you to compare the thrill of Bosu ball push-ups to not seeing some booming shuttle. (Now you can retrieve your hanky, Nancy).
Perhaps if when Nancy and Becky had ventured out of their condo they had encountered the Bosu ball, the impress-o-meter might've registered.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Bosu ball has landed. There was no loud boom, just a gasp of surprise and delight when Becky discovered it on the gym floor. Now that is something to get excited about!
Almost as quickly as Nancy raced out the door that fateful Florida evening, Becky went to work practicing her Bosu ball push-ups. The fun had begun, and everyone knows that fun is meant to be shared. Becky then introduced Nancy to the Bosu ball in their next workout. Nancy thanked Becky profusely (at least that's what Becky assumed Nancy was muttering). Now a quick lesson on Bosu ball push-ups.
Step 1: Put down your hanky.
Step 2: Locate Bosu ball.
Step 3: Flip located Bosu ball over.
Step 4: Begin push-up in the standard push-up position.
Step 5: Complete the push-up.
Becky dares you to compare the thrill of Bosu ball push-ups to not seeing some booming shuttle. (Now you can retrieve your hanky, Nancy).
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Faith
Yesterday when Nancy got home from her run, both hummingbird feeders were bone dry. She had filled them at 7 a.m. before leaving for work and they hold a total of 4 cups of sugar water. This is why her husband, at this time of the year, calls them hummingpigs, since it usually takes several days for them to go through that much.
The rest of the season Nancy changes out the feeders long before they are empty, just to keep the food fresh, but now they are trying to stock up for their big trip south. Especially in a dry year like this, when many of their nectar sources have already dried up and withered away, they need all the help they can get.
One little guy refused to accept the fact that the feeder was empty. He sat on the perch determinedly, as if saying to himself, “There was food in here before; there will be food in here again.” That is faith, my friends! His patience was rewarded, as Nancy immediately prepared new sugar water, cleaned, filled, and rehung the feeders.
It’s important to remember to have faith in yourself when you are trying to incorporate fitness into your life. You will not be rewarded immediately for your patience. It will take time for your muscles to tone up and to turn fat into muscle. But if you refuse to accept defeat, if you determinedly say to yourself, “I can do this!” slowly but surely you will be rewarded. Think of that little hummingpig and remember, don’t give up! It will happen!
The rest of the season Nancy changes out the feeders long before they are empty, just to keep the food fresh, but now they are trying to stock up for their big trip south. Especially in a dry year like this, when many of their nectar sources have already dried up and withered away, they need all the help they can get.
One little guy refused to accept the fact that the feeder was empty. He sat on the perch determinedly, as if saying to himself, “There was food in here before; there will be food in here again.” That is faith, my friends! His patience was rewarded, as Nancy immediately prepared new sugar water, cleaned, filled, and rehung the feeders.
It’s important to remember to have faith in yourself when you are trying to incorporate fitness into your life. You will not be rewarded immediately for your patience. It will take time for your muscles to tone up and to turn fat into muscle. But if you refuse to accept defeat, if you determinedly say to yourself, “I can do this!” slowly but surely you will be rewarded. Think of that little hummingpig and remember, don’t give up! It will happen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)