I'm starting to really love the Y. I didn't realize how much responsibility I felt for trying to figure out or remember everything when I was trying to get healthy by myself at home. Most of the information from the Y is common-sense fare, but I love being able to ask an expert if I'm unsure or want current information. And I love that the classes are carefully designed to work on core, cardio, flexibility/balance, and strength training in one easy package. The last time I did group exercise was back in college. Things have come an awful long way since then! (More about this soon.)
The Y membership comes with three free personal trainer sessions, so I met with a lady named Tracy on the day after Thanksgiving. First we talked about my goals and pitfalls, which was very helpful. Ultimately, we'll create a plan that suits my needs and preferences, which makes it a lot more likely that I'll stick with it. I have another session with her this week to actually learn the plan, but here are the main aspects she asked me to keep in mind:
1. Core strength. This is the most important aspect to begin with because it will keep you from getting injured and makes the other aspects easier. Building the core includes exercises like bridges, planks, swimmer's kicks, and crunches but also classics like sit ups and push ups. It also means better posture, standing up straight and pulling in your belly button when you walk. Tracy says, "You can only be as strong as your core muscles."
2. Cardio. Three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes. If you exercise for a shorter time, pick something that raises your target heart rate higher than you would for a longer time.
3. Flexibility and balance. Do five to ten minutes of stretches to warm up your major muscle groups before exercising and then again after you're done. Flexibility and balance prevents injuries and makes all types of activities easier to do from team sports to simply getting out of bed.
4. Diet. Eat quality fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Be aware of portion sizes. Eat five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits a day that are a variety of colors. As much as possible, reduce processed foods in your diet. I haven't peeked at it yet, but she said there is a free website that you can use to track your eating at www.sparkpeople.com.
5. Strength training. Do two to three times a week. Work on all major muscle groups, doing 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. This can be free weights, exercise machines, or group exercise work.
One of the things Tracy stresses is that these five aspects really work together and feed into each other. Doing just one makes it hard to get a positive, healthy spiral going. On the other hand, chipping away at all of them does enough good that people are likely to love how they feel and continue.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Personal Trainer
The Y membership came with three free sessions with a personal trainer. I'll post more soon, but I did meet with a trainer last week and really loved it. I feel a little foolish now. I was trying to figure out so much all by myself when there are people who love to do that for a living. I have another appointment soon and will share.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
It's Fun to Go to the...
YMCA!
So I joined.
I started Persistent Elephant in the middle of the summer. Winter is almost here and I'm not where I want to be. I've made some real progress -- walking regularly again, eating more vegetables, cutting waaaaay back on diet sodas and artificial sweeteners, and meditating regularly. I've read some great books that have helped me understand pieces to the puzzle. But I keep wobbling up and down the same five pounds.
As the mom of a toddler, I often hear, "No, I want to do it!" Sometimes my little guy tackles big things and amazes me with his abilities. At other times, I watch him struggle to open a gigantic door by himself (completely unaware he's about to get smooshed) or carry an object twice his size up a hill. Sometimes a little help goes a long way.
Weight loss is so simple.... You've got to expend more calories than you take in. I already know that cutting back on food alone doesn't work for me. I get grumpy. By sheer willpower, I can hold on for about six weeks, but then I get fed up and relax into old habits...after a period of overeating to make up for my frustrations. Besides, I feel better and my body functions much better with regular exercise. I've seen that speed walking with hills helps me maintain my weight beautifully. But I want to lose. I also want to gain flexibility and build some muscle mass.
A few of my mama friends go to the gym and they rave about it. I did the same thing for about six months during my Savannah years. I looked and felt great, but as soon as nice weather and bright mornings returned with spring, I gave it up. I'm not one for treadmills. BUT the YMCA offers a lot of classes and I've been curious about Pilates and Zumba. They also have yoga, which I really want to try.
Last week I toured the Y and another gym. Both have pools and classes, so they already offer a lot more than the cardio and weight areas my old Savannah gym had. But the Y was not only more sunny and cheerful, it was cheaper too. With support from my hubby, I signed up and I decided November 16 was going to be my first time. Turns out, I didn't sleep well last night. On the way to the Y, I realized I didn't have a good enough exercise bra and I forgot to bring a scrunchie for my hair. I started to turn the car around. But I didn't. I'm so glad. I did a "high, low" exercise class and truly loved it. It was quite the workout, but for hours later my body felt light and cool and clean and alive. Yeah, I had to modify some. I was a little awkward out there. Everybody was really nice, though. The instructor was encouraging and funny.
I did it!
So I joined.
I started Persistent Elephant in the middle of the summer. Winter is almost here and I'm not where I want to be. I've made some real progress -- walking regularly again, eating more vegetables, cutting waaaaay back on diet sodas and artificial sweeteners, and meditating regularly. I've read some great books that have helped me understand pieces to the puzzle. But I keep wobbling up and down the same five pounds.
As the mom of a toddler, I often hear, "No, I want to do it!" Sometimes my little guy tackles big things and amazes me with his abilities. At other times, I watch him struggle to open a gigantic door by himself (completely unaware he's about to get smooshed) or carry an object twice his size up a hill. Sometimes a little help goes a long way.
Weight loss is so simple.... You've got to expend more calories than you take in. I already know that cutting back on food alone doesn't work for me. I get grumpy. By sheer willpower, I can hold on for about six weeks, but then I get fed up and relax into old habits...after a period of overeating to make up for my frustrations. Besides, I feel better and my body functions much better with regular exercise. I've seen that speed walking with hills helps me maintain my weight beautifully. But I want to lose. I also want to gain flexibility and build some muscle mass.
A few of my mama friends go to the gym and they rave about it. I did the same thing for about six months during my Savannah years. I looked and felt great, but as soon as nice weather and bright mornings returned with spring, I gave it up. I'm not one for treadmills. BUT the YMCA offers a lot of classes and I've been curious about Pilates and Zumba. They also have yoga, which I really want to try.
Last week I toured the Y and another gym. Both have pools and classes, so they already offer a lot more than the cardio and weight areas my old Savannah gym had. But the Y was not only more sunny and cheerful, it was cheaper too. With support from my hubby, I signed up and I decided November 16 was going to be my first time. Turns out, I didn't sleep well last night. On the way to the Y, I realized I didn't have a good enough exercise bra and I forgot to bring a scrunchie for my hair. I started to turn the car around. But I didn't. I'm so glad. I did a "high, low" exercise class and truly loved it. It was quite the workout, but for hours later my body felt light and cool and clean and alive. Yeah, I had to modify some. I was a little awkward out there. Everybody was really nice, though. The instructor was encouraging and funny.
I did it!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Born Round
It's been a while since I posted. But the good news is that things feel back on track at home -- Little Guy napping well and no longer sick. My conference is over and went well. I've been exercising a lot and doing some helpful reading...
Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater.
Frank Bruni (NY: Penguin, 2009).
I was walking past a display in Barnes & Noble and the cover of Born Round caught my eye. It was on sale, so I swooped it up. I'm glad I did. I'll be honest that this autobiography/memoir moved a little slow sometimes, but it gave me a lot of food for thought (pun intended).
Frank Bruni was overweight from childhood and spent most of his young adult years chunky and consumed by yo-yo dieting. He tipped the scales as morbidly obese while following the George W. Bush campaign as a journalist. But by 2004, he was a restaurant critic for the New York Times (which often meant multiple gourmet dinners in one night) yet now maintained a healthy, steady weight. I was intrigued.
Warning. Plot spoilers ahead.
I read the book for fun, but of course I was looking for clues and hints too. There were several things that seemed to help Bruni turn his life around:
1. A Habit for Exercise -- In childhood Bruni swam competitively. Although there were years without exercise, it seemed that when he was ready to shed the weight for good, the discipline and love of (or at least peace with) exercise was there for him. Whether acquired early or late, a habit for exercise seems to be a crucial piece for a healthy life and steady weight.
2. A Helping Hand at the Right Time -- After a particularly hurtful experience related to his out-of-control weight, a friend wrote a check for the cost of two sessions with her personal trainer. Bruni's friend took the weight of deciding a particular course of action and researching a trainer off Bruni's shoulders. It was enough to hook him on getting healthy. It is inspiring to remember that a little help from outside can make such a difference. (Friends who are cheering me on and/or sharing their journeys via comments or emails, I truly appreciate it! In particular, thanks to AM for nudging me to post!)
3. A Moderate Environment -- Bruni moved to Italy not long after starting to get his life on a healthy track. He found the Italians ate well and enjoyed their food, but they ate slowly and put quality over quantity. They didn't eat when they were bored, they rarely snacked, and they ate small portions. After watching and fumbling along with their lifestyle for a time, it eventually became second nature for Bruni. I can't move to Italy, yet I have friends who eat this way and I'm going to watch, practice, and learn!
4. A True Absorption with Food -- Bruni grew up obsessing about food, yet he usually wolfed his food down. As he began spending long evenings lingering over European meals and then later writing about food, he started to see food in the light of "investigation, education, and discovery." (Pg. 265) Food for food's sake. Food as an art form to share with friends. It opened up new worlds of enjoyment.
Those first four really ring true to me. I experienced much the same when I lost sixty pounds and kept it off for many years. But there are two more points I gleaned from Bruni's book. And they are the ones that hit home the most right now....
5. Steady and Sensible -- Bruni realized that his new job as a food critic meant constant contact with food...and lots of it....so the "black magic" of fad diets and quick reducing schemes weren't going to work. Tomorrow was going to be just as food-filled and temptation ridden as today, so portion control and exercise was the only way to avoid weight gain. "The postponements -- the lies -- couldn't be justified. I'd have to be steady, and I'd have to be sensible." (pg. 273) This idea touched a nerve with me. I'm not one of those people who doesn't know how to start getting healthy. I'm not one of those people who knows nothing about nutrition or exercise. I'm just really, really bad about putting it off until tomorrow. "I'm too tired right now." "I just want to relax." "It was a hard day because ____." If I'm honest with myself, though, I know that conditions are not going to be more perfect tomorrow. If I just keep scrapping today in the hopes that tomorrow something will magically "click," I'm really fooling myself.
6. Honesty -- Speaking of honesty, that concept is one of Bruni's conclusions. He learned to be honest to himself about how miserable he was when he was unhealthy and self-conscious all the time. Bruni also says, "The main difference between then and now wasn't determination. It was honesty. I didn't lie to myself the way I had in the past. I especially didn't lie to myself about food." (pg. 347) I have to admit that I'm often dishonest about food in my own mind. Spoonfuls eaten standing at the fridge don't count and neither do nibbles while preparing or putting away food. I choose to forget how many "just a little bit" snacks I eat in a row. I eat based on how I feel rather than on the basis of how much nutrition and fuel I need. I put the blinders on to how many other ways there are to relax and de-stress besides food.
Comments? Thoughts?
Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater.
Frank Bruni (NY: Penguin, 2009).
I was walking past a display in Barnes & Noble and the cover of Born Round caught my eye. It was on sale, so I swooped it up. I'm glad I did. I'll be honest that this autobiography/memoir moved a little slow sometimes, but it gave me a lot of food for thought (pun intended).
Frank Bruni was overweight from childhood and spent most of his young adult years chunky and consumed by yo-yo dieting. He tipped the scales as morbidly obese while following the George W. Bush campaign as a journalist. But by 2004, he was a restaurant critic for the New York Times (which often meant multiple gourmet dinners in one night) yet now maintained a healthy, steady weight. I was intrigued.
Warning. Plot spoilers ahead.
I read the book for fun, but of course I was looking for clues and hints too. There were several things that seemed to help Bruni turn his life around:
1. A Habit for Exercise -- In childhood Bruni swam competitively. Although there were years without exercise, it seemed that when he was ready to shed the weight for good, the discipline and love of (or at least peace with) exercise was there for him. Whether acquired early or late, a habit for exercise seems to be a crucial piece for a healthy life and steady weight.
2. A Helping Hand at the Right Time -- After a particularly hurtful experience related to his out-of-control weight, a friend wrote a check for the cost of two sessions with her personal trainer. Bruni's friend took the weight of deciding a particular course of action and researching a trainer off Bruni's shoulders. It was enough to hook him on getting healthy. It is inspiring to remember that a little help from outside can make such a difference. (Friends who are cheering me on and/or sharing their journeys via comments or emails, I truly appreciate it! In particular, thanks to AM for nudging me to post!)
3. A Moderate Environment -- Bruni moved to Italy not long after starting to get his life on a healthy track. He found the Italians ate well and enjoyed their food, but they ate slowly and put quality over quantity. They didn't eat when they were bored, they rarely snacked, and they ate small portions. After watching and fumbling along with their lifestyle for a time, it eventually became second nature for Bruni. I can't move to Italy, yet I have friends who eat this way and I'm going to watch, practice, and learn!
4. A True Absorption with Food -- Bruni grew up obsessing about food, yet he usually wolfed his food down. As he began spending long evenings lingering over European meals and then later writing about food, he started to see food in the light of "investigation, education, and discovery." (Pg. 265) Food for food's sake. Food as an art form to share with friends. It opened up new worlds of enjoyment.
Those first four really ring true to me. I experienced much the same when I lost sixty pounds and kept it off for many years. But there are two more points I gleaned from Bruni's book. And they are the ones that hit home the most right now....
5. Steady and Sensible -- Bruni realized that his new job as a food critic meant constant contact with food...and lots of it....so the "black magic" of fad diets and quick reducing schemes weren't going to work. Tomorrow was going to be just as food-filled and temptation ridden as today, so portion control and exercise was the only way to avoid weight gain. "The postponements -- the lies -- couldn't be justified. I'd have to be steady, and I'd have to be sensible." (pg. 273) This idea touched a nerve with me. I'm not one of those people who doesn't know how to start getting healthy. I'm not one of those people who knows nothing about nutrition or exercise. I'm just really, really bad about putting it off until tomorrow. "I'm too tired right now." "I just want to relax." "It was a hard day because ____." If I'm honest with myself, though, I know that conditions are not going to be more perfect tomorrow. If I just keep scrapping today in the hopes that tomorrow something will magically "click," I'm really fooling myself.
6. Honesty -- Speaking of honesty, that concept is one of Bruni's conclusions. He learned to be honest to himself about how miserable he was when he was unhealthy and self-conscious all the time. Bruni also says, "The main difference between then and now wasn't determination. It was honesty. I didn't lie to myself the way I had in the past. I especially didn't lie to myself about food." (pg. 347) I have to admit that I'm often dishonest about food in my own mind. Spoonfuls eaten standing at the fridge don't count and neither do nibbles while preparing or putting away food. I choose to forget how many "just a little bit" snacks I eat in a row. I eat based on how I feel rather than on the basis of how much nutrition and fuel I need. I put the blinders on to how many other ways there are to relax and de-stress besides food.
Comments? Thoughts?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)