The Benefits

I did it! I got in my car after work yesterday, workout bag already in the car, and I just drove to Lifetime Fitness without thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, my brain wanted to think about what I was doing but I just couldn't let that happen. Self-talk all the way baby and when I got there I happily parked a little further away than I usually do and I practically skipped to the front door. I felt like I had a delicious little secret and it felt good to follow through!

Kara was surprised to see me - that was fun. I took to the treadmill just a wee bit easier today - that was fun. I remembered some of the routines I've learned and did as much as I could to work up to pain and sweat - that was fun too!

But the biggest fun and a BENEFIT of working out that will keep me going back - ahhh, he was cute, like a teddy bear, with the deepest dimples, the sweetest smile and a flirty little wink to boot! Now ladies...I did not pretend to get stuck in the leg press machine. I really could not remember how to get in and out. Imagine my delight when this smooth fellow walked over to show me how to properly use the machine. And he doesn't work there so he was not duty bound - I think he thought I was cute - that's my story, my fantasy and I'm going with it! That's all I needed today to walk around my office doing lunges and squats. Seriously! That's all I need tomorrow to hit the treadmill at work and that's just about all I need to keep my training appointment!

Hope he's there! Leg press, here I come! I found a new motivator and it's workin' for me! Find your motivator and meet me at the gym~

That's all for now~

Sweet dreams!!

Climbing Mt. Treadmill...

I climbed a mountain last night. Yeah, I really did. Well, at least that's what Kara - God love her - used to urge me into riding a 15% incline on the treadmill last night. Specifically she said, "if the biggest losers can climb a mountain, surely you can handle this incline, right?" Ok, so what's a girl to say? No? I don't think so. Now the good news is that this delightful surprise happened at the end of the most intense 35 minutes I have ever - ever - spent on a treadmill. I missed the group workout with my girls last Saturday and I didn't really hear any details of the workout, partly because I was jealous that I missed out.

Circuit treadmill training...that's what it's called. I picked a speed I thought I could maintain for a 30 minute workout and that's where the challenge began. Mind you, my head wanted to pick 2.2 to begin with but my PRIDE would not hear of it! "You will NOT wimp out", pride said to me and so I picked a speed of 3.0 to begin with. Well, as we all know, circuit means onward and upward and all over again, right? So that means I spent so many minutes at 3.0, then graduated (whether I wanted to or not) to 3.3 and then on up to 3.6 and begin again. Oh, and we're going to do all of this at a little slight incline of 2 which I shall never complain about again.

Kara brought me some dumbbells and stretchy bands (professional term) and I thought "great, fabulous...I've done that before!" Hmmmf, er, em, nope, hadn't done any of that before. You probably won't be surprised to know that I was a little irritated with the whole process. I even asked if we could just pause and to my utter surprise [Not] my very dedicated trainer said NO.

I won't bore you with all the thoughts that went through my head but I will say this...I am so proud of myself for completing the circuit treadmill training. It really is true that our bodies are made to go much further than we think. I am hurting and the pain is increasing but I will take this pain any day over the consequences if I don't get this weight and physical inactivity under control.

No pain, no gain. Doing the same thing everyday and expecting different results = insanity. I am so in this to win this I can literally taste the victory and it does not taste like chocolate anymore! Woo hoo, victory tastes like fresh fruit as I sit on the sidewalk of a French cafe when I take that long awaited trip to Paris. Victory tastes like my 3 and 4 inch heels. Victory also tastes like me running 3 miles everyday like it's nothin'! So I will be back in the gym tomorrow, kicking my own butt in gear. I hope I'll see you there!

Oh, and 1 more thing. Do the words "plank hold" many anything to you? More about that later.

Night night sweet peas...

Dreamy dreams~

Jessica

In labor NOW

Going to Lifetime Fitness today to meet with trainer Kara Wagner reminded me of being pregnant and in labor. At one time, (to continue the analogy) getting pregnant seemed like a really good, even great, idea --- but then, when I was finally in the hospital pushing that baby out, in hard labor, the thought would hit me: I'd really really really rather be home. Want to go home now. Now. Just get the heck out of here...

That's sort of my experience with working out. I like the idea fine in theory --- for me, it is THE key to weight loss and lower cholesterol and many other good things. But let's face it, ladies, it is a LOT OF WORK. And once you're there in that gym...well, it's tempting to bag it.

Kara, however, is just what the doctor ordered: a gymnast by training, totally dedicated to athletics, a former cheerleader at Cathedral and a graduate of U of Indianapolis, she's been working out her entire life. She is terrific, and I loved it when she challenged me to guess how much she weighs (at 5'3"). I won't tell, but the point is, it's a lot more than you think because, while she's tiny, she's all muscle. Point taken.

The other thing that is impressive is Lifetime itself. It was so big I passed it the first time, thinking it was a hotel. But no, it's a state-of-the-art facility and the first Lifetime Fitness in Indiana. (Headquarters is Minneapolis, where they are thick...)

So the facts: like Kimila and Amy, my VO2 needs to be higher -- that's the maximum rate the body can consumer and process oxygen during exercise. Even tho I've worked out with a trainer in the past, I've never heard of this measurement; way cool. Kara assured me that with good regular cardio workouts, my VO2 will go from the moderate range to a "good" classification.
Other tests were also a baseline -- pushups (excellent), biceps (barely good) and IRM bench (poor). Flexibility is nothing to write home about, either.

The other disappointment: scales showed a heavier me than I anticipated. This is no doubt in part due to a womens' weekend retreat, a beautiful Christian getaway, where the retreatants were all pampered and fed lavishly and I frankly ate too much of the wrong things: cheesy stradas and chicken tetrazzini when I should have stuck to salads, yogurt and fruit. My bad.

With luck, the pounds will come off once labor -- er, exercise -- begins in earnest at Lifetime.
Thank you, Kara and AMA for making it real.

Just say NO!

Hello sweetpeas!

So, it's Sunday evening and I am getting ready to settle in for a few hours rest before going back to work tomorrow. I've been on vacation since Jan. 1 and let me just tell you, there is power in resting. There are also temptations - hence the photo. Did I succumb? Do I have to tell you? Yeah...BUT...I also amped up my water intake, counted calories, exercised while in front of the TV and cooked healthy foods at home this week. Yay me!

Just like Amy and so many others in the community, I had the best workout ever while in my driveway this week. Did you know that if you use your legs, instead of your back, you really will get a great burn - for FREE! The proper technique is actually, squat, scoop, lift, toss and start all over again. Oh, and don't you even worry about the neighbors watching from their windows...you know they're watching, right?

There is a certain satisfaction in knowing that no matter what bad behaviours I did not correct this week, I made some great choices, lost inches - especially in the arms and I am beginning a new week minus 4 lbs. Not bad huh?

I've armed myself with good groceries and will head out tomorrow with breakfast, lunch, and (2) fruits. I will not visit any vending machines or the little store in our building for snacks. I will get up from my chair at least once every 90 minutes...walk a couple of laps around our floor - do a few arm circles, run in place...anything for exercise. And then...drum roll please...I will meet with Kara, our personal trainer.

I'll let you know how things work out but in the meantime, YOU be encouraged. We can do anything through Christ who gives us strength. My motto this year, or at least this month is: "Quit the jaw flappin' and just make it happen!" You can use this too if it helps!

Sleep well~

Jessica

I'm a believer

About a month before my friend handed me the Star article about the Better U challenge, I joined Weight Watchers. I was fed up with my weight, with the multitude of medicine bottles in my cabinet, with running out of breath any time I exerted just a little bit of energy.

My Weight Watchers journey has had plenty of ups and downs. Some weeks I'd have a good loss, some weeks a minor one, some weeks no loss at all -- or worse, a gain. By the time I met with Dr. Branyas in early December, three months after I started Weight Watchers, I'd lost a total of 8 pounds. Now, I'm not turning my nose up at 8 pounds by any means and I take full responsibility for the slow speed at which my weight loss was moving, but losing pounds at a glacial pace wasn't exactly inspiring.

One of the things Dr. Branyas told me was that I need to exercise...every day. Actually, she said plan to exercise daily. Sometimes things come up and the exercise doesn't happen. If you plan to work out 7 days a week, it's likely you'll at least make it 5. Plan to work out 3 days and soon enough you're only hitting the gym or the exercise videos once a week.

So I've been working out on my elliptical anywhere from 4 to 5 days a week and I recently dusted off the Wii Fit. I've also been walking the stairs at work -- up and down 5 times, for a total of 500 stairs. And do you know what? I've been losing weight more consistently. For probably the first time in years, I actually lost weight over the holidays.

When I went to my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday (Melissa Wrin, the registered dietitian at the St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana said if WW works for me and I like it, to keep it up), I stepped on the scale and I was in NEW NUMBERS!

In fact, since my meeting with Dr. Branyas and my commitment to exercising just one month ago, I've lost 8 pounds -- the same amount it took me 3 months to lose without exercising.

While I may not love working out yet, I am a believer.

Progress, not perfection

Today -- for the second day in a row, my alarm clock did not go off at 5:30am. No matter. I said I was going to exercise in the morning and I meant it. So, I headed downstairs, greeted Denzel (my elliptical), popped a DVD into the player (Little Mermaid this morning, must find some new selections) and got started.

I've been consistently using the elliptical for about month now. I'm up to 16 minutes at a time, monumental for me though small potatoes to someone like my skinny sister who can exercise for 60 minutes without needing to call for oxygen.

Then why is it still so hard?! I'm not getting breathless, which is good. But dang! Do my legs hurt! Maybe I'm just wimpy? Could be. But I pushed on, even trying to sing with Ariel once without much success. I've got my sights set on 20 minutes; maybe by this time next week I'll be able to do that. Baby steps, I'm telling myself.

I wonder if I'll ever be one of those people who loves to exercise? Maybe, maybe not. But I'm hoping that I'll love what it's doing for my body.

Did you get some activity in today? Do you love it or just love what it does for you?

59 Minutes...Ready, Set, Go!

Greetings America~

Thinking big and reaching wide...my name is Jessica, I am a work in progress, and YOU are about to become part of my world. Welcome!

The BASICS: Who, What, Where, When & Why?

Me, transforming my life, right before your very eyes, beginning now, because I want to live. Come join me?

FACTS: I love food. Looking at it, reading about it, preparing it, tasting it, and creating fond memories of great dining experiences. Food - glorious food - I'm always anxious to try it.

I do not love exercise (in general). Push-ups, sit-ups, stair climbing, and bike riding are all word combinations I personally believe should be eliminated from everyday language. Ha.

CHALLENGE: To reverse, or at a minimum, to marry the 2 sentiments above until they become a balanced and healthy component of my life.

GOAL: Fantastic Numbers & New Life

Lower weight, lower bad cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and losing the mask...my sleep mask, not the one I wear everyday to make people more comfy around my aching soul. [ouch, must reframe - sometimes truth hurts]

MANTRA: I am standing on the promises of God, yes and Amen. I am standing firm and nothing shall move me. I am giving myself to God as He who began a good work in me shall complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6, Mark 11:24, Jeremiah 29:11

So, here we go...joyful hearts...let's GoRed and let's get well!

p.s. Thank you American Heart Association