Trying to achieve balance

This drawing is hilarious. Many people who exercise  also party hard. Don't we all think there's a conversion chart for working off potato chips and Sierra Nevada pale ales? I know we all have vices. The goal is to find that balance between falling off the wagon, rolling down a hill, and landing in a mound of bacon and Guiness versus depriving yourself of sleep to run a marathon every week. But even if you do end up in a hole of nachos with shredded cheese and cheap beer, it's good to remember that you don't have to stay there. Maybe I didn't have the healthiest dinner last night. Truthfully, it probably wasn't the most unhealthy choice I could have made either.  Should I sleep in past my alarm and beat myself up while skipping my morning workout? Of course not.

Life is meant to be lived. I want to drink beer and have my snacks on occasion. I like my smoothies spiked with coconut rum on a weekend evening. I'm gonna order pizza at times and eat too many pieces. We all do this. Right? But I'm also gonna walk my dog when I don't feel up for it and take the stairs up to the fourth floor when I have to use the bathroom at work. I'm never parking in the closest parking spot to the door wherever I go. These are little things I do to keep myself in check.

I do big things too. Like, I got up again at 5:30 and did an hourlong DVD before work. This time I did Jillian's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism. I did plenty of lifting with weights yesterday, so today was going to be my cardio burn. Burn, it did, indeed! I think tomorrow I'll even hit the gym before work. I haven't done that in ages. Seriously, maybe even years? But then I get my exercise out of the way before the holiday weekend. Bring on the fireworks, the beer, and the sweet joy of sleeping in! 

Talk dirty to me Bob

Kickin ass and taking names! I was up and sweating at 5:30 a.m. today. Jason was snoozing and Quixote was grunting in his sleep. Occasionally I wonder what the hell I'm doing. An extra hour of sleep every day is a luxury most people wouldn't pass on. Oh well, I'm not most people, I'm kicking ass at the butt crack of dawn. If you don't believe me, check out Bob Harper's ferocious kicking on the cover of the DVD. Now, picture my face on that threatening pose!
This marks four mornings now that I have stuck to my plan. It's easier to get up when I have something new to try. I never know if I'll love a DVD or dread it. The not-knowing really carries me to a good place. After I punched, squatted, lunged, and planked my way to a drippy, soggy mess, I leashed up the pooch and took him for a quick stroll down the dirt roads. Ahhh, that lucky little guy.

I am still taking Jillian's advice to heart. I'm writing in my journal at night about my accomplishments and about my goals. Really, most people wouldn't notice if I gained 10 lbs. Some people probably think I should. The truth is I can't afford to buy new pants. I want  my old jeans to fit me! When I'm pregnant one day and my clothes don't fit — that's a transformation I'll make peace with. However, I'm not making peace with laziness or clothes that deceive me. My sister gave me a pair of stylish jeans that her friend outgrew. They were a bit too big on me and I seriously think this went to my head. I was like, "Oh, gosh, I am skinny. Get in my face, frosting. Get in my face, potato chips."  I was misled because I wasn't wearing my jeans for these bouts of frenetic eating and sloth moments. I don't want to be that freaky woman who eats in a bikini to stay on track. That is just whack! However, there are different feelings when you're sporting clothes that are too small, too big, or just right for us.

I intend to keep kicking ass at the break of dawn. I want my jeans to fit, not someone else's. And let's face it: those were designer jeans.  I'll stick to my unstylish style and my buns of steel!

On the wagon still!

Full steam ahead with my workout goals. A hangover can't even stop me now! On Saturday morning I went to the gym right away. I am  realizing that working out first thing in the day is the best choice for me. I have heard that people who work out in the morning are more likely to stick with their workouts. (They're also more likely to fall asleep in the parking lot when they get to work, but that's another issue.) The reason you stick with a.m. exercise is because nothing derails you: not the grocery store, not your dog's sad eyes that scream I've been alone all day, walk me now!, not the hundred other things that enter your brain as soon as you come home and drop your keys down. If you can get up with that alarm, that's 90 percent of the battle.

I'll be truthful here and admit that I hit snooze too long this morning. By the time I dragged my pillow-smushed face from my perfect cocoon, it was after 6:00. I only had time for a 30-minute Jillian Yoga Meltdown DVD but that's OK. I didn't chuck the whole plan since there wasn't time for an hour of exercise. I still got up. I did something. My body and my psyche were better for it.

It's true that morning workouts can energize you but they can also deplete you. I drove to work, parked in the lot, then promptly reclined my seat and took a quick snooze ... before I even went into the office! I really think I'm immune to coffee.  Oh well it was a party hardy weekend with lots of socializing and little sleep. The old me would have done nothing this morning. I would've figured that if I can't go whole hog, why bother? Not so anymore. I'm sticking with my plan!

2 Down, 5 Ahead

 I have now woke up with my alarm at 5:30 a.m. two days in a row.I finished a Jillian DVD and then took Quixote for a short walk that turned into a 45-minute walk. It was longer than I planned but Fridays are his long days at home, so it was worth it. He needs to get out and unleash his pee sprinkler everywhere and see how high he can lift his leg to do so. That's his morning exercise routine.

In keeping with my spirit of goal setting and recording progress, I wrote in my little journal last night. I talked about how proud of myself I was for getting up early and sticking to my plan. I said I felt great throughout the day having that energy carry me. Well I did fall asleep on my couch for about 20 minutes when I got home, but at least it wasn't at my desk at work! I even took the little squirt machine for another walk after dinner. Don't ever tell me he's not living the dream life! I wrote in my journal that I was going to stick to my plan and get up early once again. When my alarm went off this morning, as the sky was changing from the color of a bruise to the color or a robin's egg and the birds were chirping, my first instinct was to hit snooze. After I did, I laid awake, thinking about my journal and this blog and the need to follow through. That's all it took: a few gentle reminders about  life and healthy body that I want to have. My feet hit the floor before I even heard snooze start squawking once again.

Today I sweated huffed puffed flailed around did Jillian's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism DVD. I was a little sore this morning and thought that dynamic stretching through cardio was the best choice. The cardio in this video is not for wimps! I was flinging beads of sweat off my hair and around the room before the clock even said 6:00! The DVD included a warm-up and a 40-minute circuit of high intensity moves: mountain climbers, up-down planks, burpees, side kicks, butt kicks, back kicks, roundhouse kicks, kick kick kickin' my buns into high gear. Mama! I was feeling it in every muscle from my lower back to my big toe. So many of the moves are actually full-body moves, so even my obliques and washboard abs were feeling the burn.

Sure at times I half-assed a few moves. The climbing, standing mountain climbers were the worst. If someone peeped in my window and saw me they would've snickered at my lack of gusto. But then I would've nailed them right in the snot locker with one of my many side or back or butt kicks! Hiiii-yah!

I feel like a champ having kicked myself all the way through another workout. I will exercise again on Saturday even though it will be a busy day. I might walk up to the gym and then throw myself on a few machines and hope for the best. Then I'll be beating my chest Tarzan-style and saying HOOT HOOT THREE DAYS! SUCK ON THAT!

Unlimited

For the last two weeks, I have been listening to Jillian Michaels' Unlimited book-on-CD in my car. Jillian reads the book, which is probably most of the reason that I enjoy listening to it! She talks about finding your true potential and living your best life, in regards to your profession, your health and other aspects.

The last section I heard was about setting goals. She discussed longer term and immediate goals and how you break things down into sections that you can deal with. Maybe you want to lose 100 pounds in a year, so that's 12 pounds a month, or 3 pounds a week. You break it down into manageable segments.

She talked about the power of getting organized, looking at your time table, and then writing stuff down. I know this isn't rocket science here but gosh, I used to always write goals down and record my workout stats in a little notebook. I keep saying I can't find time to exercise, but clearly I'm simply not prioritizing it!

Last night  before I went to bed I found an old notebook and wrote down a very short entry. I reminded myself how I like to work out regularly and consistently. I want my original size jeans to fit, because I don't have enough money to fluctuate in weight and buy varying wardrobes. I need to prioritize my exercise as much as I do for Quixote. I know if I take him for a walk that that's great for him and decent for me. However, a walk isn't the satisfying, vigorous workout that going to the gym or doing a DVD can be for me. The solution seems to me that I simply have to force myself out of bed early in the morning. That is the one time of day where I can't get derailed. Quixote can still get his evening walk. I can still do house stuff after work. I just have to hear that alarm and follow through.

I know it's possible. Duh. It totally is. How many 5:30 a.m. bootcamps did I go to last summer? Do I have to pay money and be accountable or get a new outfit or buy a $150 DVD box set to get my ass in motion? The answer is NO. I don't! I am the key to my success or failure. I can hold myself accountable.

So I'm telling the Internet that I will fit in SEVEN hour-long workouts by next Friday. I accomplished the first one today. Only six more to go. Thank you, Jillian!

Trying to find the right fit

Remember how a few days ago I was excited for the eight-week Body Challenge Groupon that I bought for $89? Well I asked for a refund and Groupon granted it. It is an amazing company. Whenever I have had an issue, I have received a response within one day and it always meets or exceeds my expectations. I am glad I wasn't hassled about this one because I feel that what it turned out to be wasn't exactly what was detailed when I bought it. This was my email to Groupon:

This is in regards to #90102-1000034-MM. I am writing to ask for a refund of this Groupon. I feel like there was a big difference between the information posted on the day it was available versus what it turned out to be. I simply thought I was purchasing a deal for a block of exercise classes.  Then I received an email from the company stating that participants had to attend a 2.5 hour orientation section, had to have our bodies measured, had to take before and after pictures in a sports bra, and had to be put on a team with strangers in the hopes of winning rewards, and had to listen to a bunch of nutrition advice. I'm a little frustrated because that is way more information than was ever specified on the Groupon.  I simply thought I could work out as much as I wanted. I didn't know there was a team element or that we had to take pictures or that we had to sit through a long registration process.   Because of the disparity in what was in the Groupon versus what I found out later, I feel let down. I simply didn't sign on for all of those extra requirements. It didn't seem like that was part of the initial deal. Plus none of that information was available on the company's website either. For these reasons, I would like my $89 refunded to me.  Gosh, usually I am not this picky! I love Groupon and I have participated in some great deals because of your service. I will continue to do so in the future. I just like it when there's a lot of information available to us before buying the deal, and this one lacked that.  You can contact me at my email address. Thanks in advance for your help.

Now I have $89 back in my account and a new opportunity to come up with a different plan. I am strongly considering buying the P90X DVDs. I have been thinking about it for a long time. I only know one person to use the program and that's our neighbor. This guy was admittedly overweight. He played tennis and went to the gym. Although, I don't think he was incredibly energetic in any of those pursuits. Jason and  I saw him in the winter when he was starting a weight loss kick. Then spring came and he was outside in sleeveless shirts. He looked so much fitter and more toned. His calves are amazing! Even Jason who's not so observant of these things told our neighbor that he looked great and he asked how he did it. He told us that he bought the P90X set and did the program six days a week.  He said it was one of the hardest things he did in his life and that he'll never do it again. However, he stuck with it and was proud of the results. He said he felt stronger and more active. I think the program is about 12 weeks long. You can choose to do it five or six days a week. Either way, it's an intense commitment. You also need to get resistance bands and a pull-up bar. I have been trolling Craigslist and if I find a good, legitimate deal, I'm gonna buy that.

I have been talking about lacking in consistency and I just can't get over this hump. I'll walk a lot. In fact last week I walked 22 miles! I'll do DVDs here and there. But for some reason, I can't stick to a regular routine.  I miss those 5:30 a.m. bootcamp classes from last summer. They held me accountable. That Groupon would have probably held me accountable but something didn't feel right. I know myself well enough to know that when I find the right fit, I'll stick with it. Maybe that will be P90X. We'll see!

Oooh, other bloggers are recording their progress! I have to read these stories!

"It's time for the soul of the nation to rise."

Sometimes I can't believe I have a job that requires me to sit at a desk all day. It feels absolutely antithetical to my state of living in the world. Some days I'm not even sure how I ended up in this situation. After all when I think back on all those career questions that you ask yourself to explore your job potential, I would never have answered "yes" to the ones that keep my ass glued to this seat.

Would you rather work in a corporate environment or somewhere less structured?
Less structured.
Would you prefer to sit behind a desk all day or be constantly moving around?
Constantly moving around.
Would you balk at the idea of saying you work in a place with cubicles or not?
I'm balking right now.
Does the idea of sitting on your butt all day as a prerequisite for your job seem relaxing or horrifying?
Horrifying.

Oh, it's times like this when I have to reflect deeply on where I am and how I got here. My mom recently told me that of my 18 or so maternal and paternal cousins that I was the one who was the most active. If there was a magazine rack in a waiting room, I'd be the kid throwing every magazine to the ground. Apparently  I was that kid standing in a checkout line bouncing up and down, moving throughout the line always distracted by something new, shiny or loud. I was probably ADD before the term was so trendy. Although my mom would have never diagnosed me like that. She said I was active and I was always looking for (imitating Cookie Monster here) inpuuuut.  I think it was frustrating for her but she also saw me as a little explorer ready to take on the world. She said my her saving grace was when I learned to read. Once I could read, I could finally sit still. In fact I read so much that she actually had to ground me from reading. She actually took my books away and forced me to socialize and play outside.

Hmmm, maybe this does explain my current position a bit. I do love to read and explore. However, now I'm exploring the world through the Internet instead of from a captain's chair on a boat. Oh, how I wish I was on a boat right now, or at the gym, or traveling. There is so much world to see, smell, taste, and touch.

It's just that when you sit, I think you atrophy. At least your butt does! Have you heard the term "bus driver's butt"? It exists for a reason. Jason told me he started driving a bus in Alaska with another young girl. He said after a few months she was still skinny but her butt just expanded. How many hours a day do most people spend sitting in their car, sitting at their desk, sitting in the bathroom, sitting while watching TV or eating. We are becoming a nation of butt place mats!

New research has recently confirmed how detrimental sitting is for your health. I'm not talking about its pernicious affects on your looks but on your actual body chemistry. A New York Times article asked the question, Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?

The posture of sitting itself probably isn’t worse than any other type of daytime physical inactivity, like lying on the couch watching “Wheel of Fortune.” But for most of us, when we’re awake and not moving, we’re sitting. This is your body on chairs: Electrical activity in the muscles drops — “the muscles go as silent as those of a dead horse,” Hamilton says — leading to a cascade of harmful metabolic effects. Your calorie-burning rate immediately plunges to about one per minute, a third of what it would be if you got up and walked. Insulin effectiveness drops within a single day, and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes rises. So does the risk of being obese. The enzymes responsible for breaking down lipids and triglycerides — for “vacuuming up fat out of the bloodstream,” as Hamilton puts it — plunge, which in turn causes the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol to fall.

There are so many health-related problems that arise from inactivity. There are measurements for obesity, earlier death, diabetes, etc. The worst though is probably how sitting has a pejorative effect on your outlook. Read this last paragraph and try not to cringe. Then get up and and stay up for the rest of the day.

Dr. Levine was in a philosophical mood as we left the temp agency. For all of the hard science against sitting, he admits that his campaign against what he calls “the chair-based lifestyle” is not limited to simply a quest for better physical health. His is a war against inertia itself, which he believes sickens more than just our body. “Go into cubeland in a tightly controlled corporate environment and you immediately sense that there is a malaise about being tied behind a computer screen seated all day,” he said. “The soul of the nation is sapped, and now it’s time for the soul of the nation to rise.”

In the garden of Eden

In case you thought that last post made me sound like Grumpy McGrumperson, here's proof that I do find enjoyment in some home projects. Jason and I engaged in landscaping madness on Sunday. This picture doesn't even include everything we bought. I'll take another candid shot when everythng is planted. Too much excitment, you say? I know, but do try and contain yourself.  We bought herbs which I am excited about: basil, rosemary, cilantro and oregano. We also found lemon-scented citronella geraniums. It's surprising how strongly these smell like citronella. Supposedly, you can rub the leaves on your body to protect against the mosquitoes. This will be easy at our house since Jason and I walk around covered in leaves on Sunday mornings, reenacting the Adam and Eve story. He wasn't brought up with religion so we sometimes engage in Old Testament role-playing.

The coleus covers the lady parts, a la Eve.

Scrub-a-dub-dub, I'd rather be with 3 men in a tub

This blog, for now, isn't called "start exercising" but rather "start moving." The idea that action is better than nonaction. And action can be anything: dancing, sex, water skiing, breaking in a wild horse, cleaning your bathroom floor when you've neglected it for a month. Not that I would know anything about that.  For me this past weekend it meant power washing the house. I know initially that doesn't evoke an image of a strenuous workout but throw in some hard-to-remove hard water stains on painted aluminum siding and then the heart rate starts rising.

This picture gives you an idea of how nasty the hard water stains were on a portion of the house. Granted, this section was probably one of the worst two. Notice the two clean panels in the middle of the rust stains? I did those to give a comparison for the picture. Each panel probably took five minutes of scrubbing, which doesn't sound like much, but please. PUH-LEEZE! If you think that sounds like a picnic, suck it. Take five minutes and times it by the width of those sections and the amount of house we've got and let me tell you ... I'm surprised my arms even work anymore!

I know power washing isn't done by the elite. Have you seen the people who do this for a living? Yes, average people. They aren't body builders or or scientists in lab coats.  Eventually I sort of figured out a system. I'd drench the siding in the cleaning solution, let it sit and scrub that solution in, rinse, scrub, rinse again. One 36-inch board probably took a solid 25 minutes of vigorous determination and lots of cussing. Not to mention all the tripping and kicking I did as I tried to maneuver around the power washer. This machine is like a small alien. There's the water supply that connects to the house on one side of the house. There's the cord that connects to the power supply on the other side of the house, of course it's on the other side of the house. There's the  "lance" with the tubing that connects to the gun and into the bottle of cleaning solution. You have to alternate between the lance and the gun depending on if you're spraying pure water or the cleaning solution. Are you annoyed about the process while you only have to read about the details?

I guess I didn't know what  I was getting into. I thought it would require a sense of "work" but I didn't realize it'd require a sense of mind numbing tediousness with a lack of an astonishing, completed visual component. I hate the color of our house. In fact Jason and I both do. Unfortunately I think I was disappointed in my labors because I thought once it was cleaned, I'd feel like I had a shiny, new house. Nope. Not so. I have a house with clean siding but it's still the same lackluster paint color it always was. It's just less dirty. Wow. The joy.

In three hours I only managed to wash the back side of the house. The other sides are going to be just as cumbersome since the power cord and the hose are going to have to stretch halfway around the world to bring that alien machine out of the backyard. However, I am going to have to suck it up and finish this job. I don't want to battle the machine any longer than I have to. Plus I'm tired of tripping over it in the dining room where it sits mocking me to drag it out into the sunshine and rev it up.

But hey, at least I'm burning calories, right? At least I am moving, after all. Bah humbug. The joy doesn't go that deep.

Currently loving

this shirt. Yes, this blog is supposed to be about exercise, but let's be realistic. Exercise isn't my whole life. And as long as I'm being honest with the Internet, I enjoy a cold one now and then. I'd appreciate it even more in this shirt that succinctly captures the punctiliousness nature of drinking an adult beverage or three.

Quixote was deprived of his morning walk because his parents are old

On Wednesday night Jason asked me if I wanted to go to a rap show with him. I really don't have much of an opinion on Del the Funky Homosapien. However, I really liked the idea of going into Detroit and being part of the nightlife. Before we left for the show, Jason took a couple of ibuprofen because his back was bothering him. We made sure Quixote had treats and cold water.

It was great going to the Magic Stick and its new rooftop bar. It was refreshing to be in a sea of diverse humanity. Dready hippies with loud pants and smelly pits that reminded me of a Rainbow Gathering in 1996. Young girls with black frilly dresses paired with brown harness boots. A guy with a blonde mullet and black tennis shoes, white ankle socks and a t-shirt that says "Fuck your opinion."  I really didn't know so many trashy people were fans of rap. Guess something blows your mind every day.

Jason and I are having a good time staring at everyone and wondering about their stories. Then we notice there are people not wearing wristbands, signalling that they're not even 21. Not like I thought they were anyways. They looked like they were 13. I told Jason he was probably old enough to be the father of some of these youngsters. He says, "Isn't that so weird? We're out in this crowd and I'm old enough to be their parent but I can still rock as hard as them."

To which I counter, "Uhh, babe, I don't think any of these kids took ibuprofen before the show."
 
Yep, that's my hubby. While these underage kids were popping qualudes and getting smashed on illegally aquired booze, Jason was downing a few pain meds to make it through standing on his feet all night long. When I say all night long, yikes, it was such a long night. We weren't home and in bed until 2:30 in the morning. When did we become so old that going to bed at that hour felt literally painful.  Poor Quixote didn't get his walk the next morning. Then I was so thrown off by one night of bad sleep that I had to try and recoup the lost hours for a second night in a row. Poor Quixote missed two morning walks. I'll try and make it up to him tonight.

What is it with before and after pictures?

I signed up for an eight-week body challenge offered through Groupon for a club in Novi. I did some sleuthing and it looks like you have to show up on day 1 for pictures! I'm thinking before and after pictures from the challenge. Yes, really. This begs the question of what to wear.

Hmmm ... I think I might wear Jason's mullet wig and his Carhartt overalls for the before picture and then bleach my teeth and hair for the after picture. Why are they always like that? I mean nothing says "I'm proud of my new buff body" like a spray tan, or a face makeover.

According to this site, it looks like there are scripts for your body parts to follow in each picture. Day 1's pose of your white gut hanging free and a  facial expression of teenage boredom craftily morphs into a striking after picture with flexed abs, taut pecs (you were doing 10 push-ups seconds before the flash went off), and a hip-jutting stance.


The other part that concerns me is where I read this is a biggest loser-type challenge on teams (the horror).  Everyone is going to look at me and groan inwardly as they think I'm some "skinny bitch." Because we all know when you're skinnier life is perfect. You never feel ugly. You have the job of your dreams. You always think you look great in the mirror. Yeah, right. People do think this though. My hair stylist asked if I have a six pack. Uh, not last time I checked. Just because I don't have cankles doesn't mean I feel comfortable in midriff baring clothes. She wondered if I walked around naked all the time. Do thinner people have some predilection for that and I'm not aware of it?  Hopefully it's not a dramatic competition with a weigh-in while you're wearing spandex. That's the worst part of Biggest Loser. No one wants to wear spandex. In public. No one.

Maybe I'll just ace all the challenges and the instructors will invite me to teach! Wouldn't that be a dream come true?! There are cardio, plyometric, and strength training classes. I'm pretty excited about getting into a studio, meeting new people, trying some new exercises and seeing how my efforts will lead to a dramatic after picture. Because it's all about what's on the outside. Everyone knows that.

What frustrates me

What frustrates me is the ability to get into and stay in a routine of working out while having a commute, a job, a husband, a house, and a dog. Yeah, I know there are plenty of glorious martyrs who can wake up at 4:30 in the morning or hit the gym at 10:00. I am not one of those people.

It doesn't take exercise to always make me feel happy

Time spent exercising is indeed time well spent. Although, if you are lucky, time spent with people you love and care deeply about is a wonderful thing that can trump the stats of  a hearty workout.

On Monday the fam had a great walk to Hiller's and back to pick up supplies for a delicious stir-fry dinner. The weather was warm. We were all in good spirits. Sure, I could have been at the gym, sweating and breathing a little harder, but I would have been by myself.

Then on Tuesday, I saw a friend in Ann Arbor whom I've not seen in months. I thought I might pop in for an hour or two then get back home in time to watch Biggest Loser while on the treadmill at the gym. Turns out that when you haven't seen someone in months, you have plenty to talk about.  When you're lucky to have a good friend who cares about the developments in your life and you about theirs, you don't book out after an hour and say, "Man, I gotta get my lazy bones to the gym." It's so true that I run around and I want to pay down debt for a future  and I want to be healthy for my future and I want to do house improvements for our future, but some times, just being lucky enough to have the present that is today is a pretty damn powerful thing.

I thought for sure Wednesday would finally be my day to really hit the gym after being occupied Monday and Tuesday. Again, it didn't happen. And I rolled with it. I have a friend who's been studying very hard to pass a licensing exam for her job. She finally passed on the third try. I had always promised her that I would celebrate that accomplishment with her. She came to my house. We ate pizza. We drank wine. We caught up on life since it had been a long time since we had one-on-one time to chat. I stayed up way too late. I drink too much during the week. I ate a crappy dinner. But you know what? I had a great time that was totally spontaneous.

Now, we're at the point where you are thinking that surely this girl who is obsessed with working out finally got to the gym on Thursday night. The funny thing is that I didn't. I had actually made plans in advance to see another friend. It was awesome to just wander around on a gorgeous day, to stroll through a downtown with an iced latte, to catch up on her life and she on mine, to talk about vacation plans for the summer and who will watch who's dog when. It was deeply satisfying.

I'll admit I did walk Quixote some of those nights and even one morning before work. I wasn't a total sloth. However, I wasn't in the running to replace Jillian Michaels in her career either. And you know what? That's OK with me. I don't want my exercise plans to run off the rails every week like they did this week but I also want to be flexible enough to seize good opportunities with true friends when they crop up. Life is an amazing, beautiful, wondrous place. I don't want to ever leave.

Tortoises unite!



A picture of my fast traveling speed

This picture illustrates my running speed. Hopefully, my face isn't distorted in that much of a scaly grimace. And hopefully, my overall demeanor isn't this off putting. This guy a tortoise, of the famed tortoise and hare fable, represents the slow and steady approach I have to running. I told you recently I was ramping it up slowly. This is so true.

Monday I decided to stretch beyond the one-mile mark. I had a great weights session on Saturday. Then Sunday was a pork fest with eating at a family gathering. Monday was destined to offer me a budding dash of gusto!

I ran two miles straight. I realize this might seem laughable when I've previously participated in 5K's, 10K's and the half marathon. However, I am easing back in. I'm trying to enjoy it. I don't want to feel pressured to adhere to a schedule when I'm not in the mood or my knees are crying for mercy. Right, tortoise, are you with me? That's why he is my emblem. I managed to run two miles straight, probably the longest distance I have run since last year. I felt comfortable. I felt loose. Afterward, I felt accomplished and happy. That's the right attitude with which to leave the gym!

I could work on the leg press all day

I am thrilled when I can make it to the gym on the weekends. The mob has usually died down and there's a more relaxed feel about the place. I have come to realize that Monday is the busiest day at Planet Fitness. Each day that goes by brings fewer people in. I didn't have any big plans for my Saturday other than to get in a good workout before the family festivities on Sunday. I hadn't gone on Friday either so this was my chance to give my best effort and make the day count. I decided to skip cardio. I walked on the elliptical for a light workout, then decided to take advantage of the mostly empty circuit express area.

Users of the circuit express area are supposed to follow a certain pattern. There are 20 stations comprised of 10 weight machines and 10 steps. A light that turns green (for 60 seconds) and red (for 30 seconds) tells you how long to stay at a station and when to move and adjust. The idea is that you can complete the circuit in 30 minutes, hence the "express" portion of the area's name. If you adhere to the rules of this area, you're not supposed to sit at one machine and complete multiple sets. Nor are you supposed to skip machines. I try to be respectful of that when the area's crowded. However, on a weekend, when there aren't so many other people using the space, I'm a little lax on the rules.

Of the 10 weight machines, only three are for your legs. There is the traditional leg press, the seated hamstring curl and the knee extension. After going through the gauntlet of physical therapy when I had tendinitis, I learned how to do a few variations of exercises using only the leg press machine. Four years later I still love those exercises because I can feel them.

One variation is the common one that people use this machine for. You put both feet on the platform, about hip distance apart, squat down to an approximate 90-degree angle, and push up, using all the muscles in your legs. Most people can easily lift their entire body weight and more. A second variation is only using one leg, mimicking one-legged squats. Just like with two legs, you come all the way down and push all the way up. I am doing this one with a weight that's about 60 percent of my full body weight. The third variation is to push up from the platform with both legs but then only lower down with one leg. For this exercise, I use a weight that's about 72 percent of my body weight. You feel this one at the very bottom of your buns.

As you can tell, I'm the hog who would prefer to use this machine for multiple sets. However, I try to be respectful of other people in this are who use this machine for their circuits. On Saturday I did all of the above-mentioned exercises two times each and then I did all the upper body exercises for two times each. Each set is 60 seconds, the duration of the green light. In that time, I manage to do anywhere from 15-18 repetitions.

The amazing thing is that I was at the gym for only an hour and yet I still achieved a very satisfactory all-over body workout. That is what I consider success at the gym. By the time I was finished, it was 11:00 a.m. and I still had the rest of the day to accomplish a zillion other things! Of course friends stopped by, the sun was shining, the temperature was beautiful ... It was easy to throw down a beer in the middle of the afternoon. And after that, well, there weren't too many accomplishments on the agenda. However, it was a great day at the house with friends and dogs! Summer is in the air.

The giant ball

On Thursday the hubby and the pooch went to romp at the dog park. That left me with one of life's glorious jewels: free time after work to decide on whatever exercise I wanted. I thought about doing one of Jillian's hour-long DVD workouts, but figured I was better off going to the gym and continuing my streak. I started with 15 minutes on the elliptical at level 8, moving to level 10 in the last few minutes. Then I moved to the treadmill for 25 minutes. I did run one slow mile.

This is my theory on getting back to running. I have to start slowly. This is in reference to days a week that I do it, pace at which I run, and distance that I cover. Unfortunately too many times, I have charged at a plan with overzealous gusto only to get burned when my knee starts throbbing after the third day. Or my spine. Or my other knee. You get the idea. Some people are born runners. I was born to ramp it up modestly. Nice to know that at 34, I've learned how to do a few things better. So far I have run exactly one mile about four different times. One time I even added on a half-mile. I know I'm not breaking any records. What's important is incremental advances where I can feel satisfied with my progress and how my body is responding. So far, all systems go.

After that I took myself to the top floor of the gym to alternate 30 seconds of free weights, squats, ball exercises, and ab work until I started to feel fatigued. This wasn't my most impressive workout of the month, but I'm glad I went. That is the big secret. Something is always better than nothing.

Ahhh Jillian, the respect I have for you is deep

I rarely buy magazines. And when I say rarely, I mean just about never. It's true that I usually feel worse about myself after flipping through the glossy images. My skin isn't that clear. My hair's not silky and wavy. My boobs aren't that big. I can't afford those $500 shoes. Yeah, it's a poor-me party waiting to start within those pages, so I usually don't even let myself get suckered in. Then don't even get me started on those ads! 5 Products You Have To Try! All Your Gym Essentials In One Bag! Gag me. These aren't tried and true products that have been tested to the extreme and that now shine on their own merits. It's pure product placement propaganda. I like to think I'm too objective and skeptical to fall for a $25 miracle cream. However, you stare at the "real life" testimonial long enough and begin to believe you can experience the same miracle. *swoosh* That's the sound of your checking account drying up as you meekly try and convince yourself that this item's gonna be the real deal. At 34 am I really this jaded?

Yep, I'm jaded. I'm also human and not immune to advertising. Splash Jillian's face on a carton of ice cream and I'd probably have to have that too. So, there I was at Meijer plunking down $5 on this glossy flipbook that usually I abhor. Now I want to try her workout plan. Oh! The! Joy! There's also a workout plan in there from Bob on the Biggest Loser too. And there's a full four-page spread on new abs moves. Okay, I'm running after the carrot with my tongue hanging out the side of my mouth. Sure you need fancy home equipment that I don't have. But hey, I'm inspired. Isn't that what these mags are supposed to do to us anyways? Pishaw, you think it's the mag inspiring me? It's totally Jillian.

Let's begin

It's time to start updating this blog on a consistent basis. I've been exercising regularly and that gives me most of my inspiration. As any one who knows me knows by now, I fall in and out of love with workout methods all the time. One month I love Bikram yoga. The next month I'm pumped about bootcamp. This variety is a tremendous way to keep myself excited about my workouts. However, it does get old and it makes me wonder: What do I really enjoy? I think I'm starting to realize that I am one of those people who happens to love going to the gym.

There's a saying in accounting that you can't improve what you can't measure. This is true for many other areas. In the gym, there are so many numbers. I love numbers! I love keeping track of my accomplishments and this is a tangible way to do that. I love striving to increase the number of pounds I can lift, the number of reps that I can do. I love challenging myself to increase my pace on the treadmill, or my level on the elliptical, or the time spent pushing myself to exhaustion. I am in touch with my inner nerd. I think if I can harness the enjoyment of numbers and put a strategy into my plan, I could accomplish so much.

I have said continually that the hardest part is getting out of bed, getting out of the house, changing into my workout clothes, strapping the leash on my dog, etc. The hardest part isn't staying at the gym, it's geting there. In the past two weeks, I have reunited with the gym and it's like the sappy, lame story of the excitement you feel when you see an old friend. (I said this was sappy and lame, didn't I?) I'm remembering the 2-up/1-down squats I did on the leg press while in physical therapy. I loved what those exercises did for my buns. I'm remembering to switch up the sets of cardio and weights like I've done in bootcamps so that my heart rate never slows down. I'm remembering how excited I felt to increase my pace while running on the treadmill.

It's so satisfying to know that every single day I can go into that gym and I can give a little bit more effort than I did the previous time. And that satisfaction begets a positive cycle where I want to go back and trump myself again. I think I will start to use this blog to track my progress and to chart a forward direction for continual, constant self-improvement!

Set your alarm earlier

What are the most common excuses for not taking the early morning class? Well, first and most obvious, the classes happen to be that early, and it’s cold out—very, very cold and dark. Second, we think our bodies aren’t trained to function optimally at those hours. Third, it’s quite easy to hit snooze, roll over, curl our bodies into the warm blankets, and tell ourselves we’ll hit the gym or the studio later in the day.

However, we also know that our most lofty goals get sidelined when life’s other plans come sweeping up behind us. Kids get sick. Our boss keeps us late at the office. We have to get groceries because there’s no food for dinner. Subsequently, our vision of making it to the later class becomes the reality of sitting on the couch, watching TV. Then we might overeat. Then we might berate ourselves for not working out. Then we scrutinize ourselves with a more negative focus.

Research suggests that people who work out early in the day are more likely to stay consistent with a program. What’s also fascinating is that people who work out earlier in the day seem to burn calories more efficiently. This theory was investigated in Belgium. Researchers recruited three groups of physically fit and active men. They fed them a similar diet that was composed of 50 percent fat, and contained 30 percent more calories than their average diets. One group didn’t exercise at all. (You can easily imagine what happened to their waistlines.) The other two groups exercised strenuously under supervision four times a week. The difference in the groups was that one ate a carbohydrate-rich breakfast before exercising and also drank sports drinks during their sessions. The other group started on an empty stomach, only drank water throughout the workout, and then ate breakfast afterward. This breakfast was also high in carbohydrates and about the same amount of calories.

This study took place over the course of six weeks. The men who chowed down on the fattening foods and didn’t exercise at all gained about six pounds each. The men who ate the rich breakfasts before working out gained about three pounds each. It was the members of the third group who didn’t gain any weight. The researchers believe exercising in a fasted state allows the body to burn fat more efficiently. These results are illuminating but they do leave some questions open. First, your performance will probably improve with some type of carbohydrates before working out, so is no fuel realistic? Second, how would these results compare if the participants were women or if the exercise wasn’t that strenuous? The answer to this last question is my favorite line from this article:

according to Leonie Heilbronn, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, who has extensively studied the effects of high-fat diets and wrote a commentary about the Belgian study, “I would predict low intensity is better than nothing.”

An old adage that remains true: more exercise is better than some, and some is better than none at all. So, chew on this information next time you’re plotting your upcoming fitness regimen. We’re all facing holiday parties, extra sweets in the office kitchen, and more baked goods around the house. How fantastic would you feel if you began your day with a sweaty workout? It might be rough when the alarm squawks and the sky is still dark, but your feelings of being a champ will last all day long. Go get ‘em tiger!

Spring is coming

This is a good time of year to check in with your work out goals. Perhaps, you didn’t exercise as much as you said you would at the start of the year. Maybe you said you’d cut down the desserts after Christmas but somehow they keep showing up on your plate. Or, if you’re like me, you think about your pale, unshaved legs and just can’t imagine that you’ll be baring more skin in the recent future. You will though. Spring is inevitable, and summer is close on its heels.

Let’s keep in mind that working out isn’t solely about vanity. We love when our legs look toned as they peak from under a skirt. It’s confidence boosting when we slip on that halter top and feel happy about our triceps. But the big picture to focus on is health. It’s quality of life. It’s being able to keep up with your kids. Walking two flights of stairs when you’re 60. Being able to tie your shoes without having to sit on a bench.

Fitbarre is a terrific way to work on your muscle toning and your flexibility. Planks tone your abs so you feel sassy in a two-piece bathing suit. They also help whittle your middle. Research says that excess belly fat can contribute to more health problems for women, even when they are of normal weight. This is something to consider when you’re cursing the next plank moves as your shoulders and stomach muscles are shuddering. We exercise because we need to. We want to push the idea of an early death as far away as possible. This is your life. Claim it with fierce determination. Sure, looking good in a bikini is a wonderful achievement, but nothing beats the immeasurable value of a body that functions like a well-oiled machine. If spring break is your motivation, that’s a great start. But stick with it!

If you’ve been putting off a class lately, come tonight. If you only made it once last week, aim for two classes this week. If you want to change up your routine, sign up for a month of bootcamp. If you’re wondering what boot camp is all about, stay tuned for the next post. I’ll be talking with Bev. She is a fitness dynamo and she’s got some great ideas to keep you healthy and keep you moving!