Finally Getting Fit

Today JM and I went for a walk. It dawned as one of those special days Melbourne can put on in the middle of winter, clear blue sky, slightly chilled breeze and a pleasant 14º - in short, a great day to be out and about.

A few years back, when JM first came to Australia, we had to renew her visa so we headed to New Zealand for a holiday. Among other places we visited during a lovely time touring around, was Tauranga a seaside town near Rotorua, a place of sulphur springs (think fart smells) and geysers.

At Tauranga there is a hill out on a point sticking out into the ocean – it’s maybe 350 metres high with a walking track that winds around one side to the top. JM struggled her way to the top, resting when things got too tough, but showing amazing determination – a number of times I assured her she had shown her willingness to strive and that we could head back down knowing she had done a very good thing in getting as far as she did. As usual she was concerned about what I would think of her but I assured her I was already impressed at what she had achieved.

We got to the top; I don’t think I’ve seen anyone ever so proud of themselves. (which brought up a childhood religious issue about being chastised for being proud of things she had done – I explained that pride in achievement is NOT what the bible was talking about)

So, today we set off on a casual walk, no plans for power walk or anything special, just out and about to enjoy the day.

I was quite astonished at how easily she was able to walk at a decent pace. Mind you, she has been improving steadily in pace and stamina over the years we’ve spent together – the gym work and exercises she has been doing have worked wonders. But the difference that’s come from carrying 36lbs less than her normal weight was pretty startling.

Soon I will have to start getting fitter to be able to maintain her pace – up till now, an exercise walk with her has been little more than a stroll for me.

JM is amazing!

Hello all!

This past week I have been feeling like I’ve been off track. I was still doing the meal replacement for most meals and eating healthy food for other meals, but I still had that sense of ‘betraying’ myself and not sticking to the course. While I made good choices, I could feel myself getting closer and closer to stepping over a line that would lead me back to unhealthy eating.

The husband and I had a heart to heart about my eating that really helped me to refocus on what I want. I recognized that I haven’t been reigning myself in as much lately as I should have.

Sometimes all you need to re-inspire yourself and get going again is to say your goals out loud.

Telling my husband all about my next goal and how I’m feeling has really gotten me going this week. I’m back on the elliptical every morning, I have my kick ass attitude back and much more.

The goal I am focusing on right now is getting to the 220 mark by my next doctor’s appointment in August. 220 just so happens to be the 100 kilo mark and I’m all about the even numbers and such.

Not to mention how much I would love to walk into that office three months after my last appointment – the appointment where she said I’d have to go on metformin if I didn’t lose at least a little weight by the next appointment – having lost thirty kilos.

It’s going to be tough, but I think I can do it. And if I don’t get there? I’ve still done an amazing job so far.

How are you going?

In my line of work – internet work from home consisting of much stress and much ass-in-chair time – I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t get a lot of exercise. It’s one more thing that I have to work into my schedule during the day, and I would be lying if I said that some days I don’t think it’s too much of a bother and skip formal stuff.

Ew. I hate confessions, but there you go. Exercise is one of those things I struggle with. However, I’ve found something that makes the struggle a little less difficult.

I have discovered my new favourite exercise: Chair Dancing

Yes, my friends, I have been converted to the way of chair dancing. Undoubtedly something that will thoroughly embarrass my future children in years to come.

Because of too many things going on, I worked most of this weekend. Usually on weekends my husband I and get out and about to do stuff. Be active. Spend time together outside our dingy little flat. When I have to work, this doesn’t happen in the least and I lose what exercise I have.

This past weekend, though, chair dancing has saved me, if only a little bit.

Without really realizing what I was doing for a while, I had my headphones on as I was working and be-bopped around to the music. Twisting around, bouncing around, moving my head and shoulders… Even a little head banging. I was doing it all! And for hours!

Sure, it might not be the best cardio, but it’s exercise that I can do while working. And when I get busy, it doesn’t get much better than that.

I just want to start this post by saying that I mean no insult towards people who have disabilities. It’s just a term I’ve heard that gave me a laugh because I’m politically incorrect like that.

After I dropped my gym membership because of the long term costs in comparison to getting an exercise machine for home, we saved up and bought my lovely elliptical. Unfortunately, it’s been a bit of a love/like relationship because I keep building myself up only to have something happen. Then I have to build myself up again.

That’s all fine and well, but now the husband wants to lose some weight. He’s spent all of fifteen minutes (that I know of) on the thing and I don’t see him getting enthused about more time on it.

As his self-appointed fitness cheerleader, I’ve been thinking about ways to help him get fit that he’ll actually be interested in. We go for lovely nature walks on the weekends, but once a week treks aren’t going to make a heck of lot of difference in his (or my) weight.

This is where the Wii comes in.

The prices in Australia have finally fallen enough for us to talk (very lightly) about getting a Wii and Wii Fit.

For me, I don’t think there will be too much of a problem. I’m a gamer at heart and this sounds like a lot of fun. Not to mention TV exercise time is a step up from even computer time.

Yes, I know, I should just go out for a walk, but I’m looking for something that my husband and I can do together that doesn’t involve wandering around in the cold at night.

(FYI: I’m in Australia, it’s winter, it gets fracking cold at night, plus hubsy just wants to be home after work most nights.)

Any Wii Fit fans out there? Is it fun? Would it be fun to do with my husband? Does it actually give you a workout? Is it worth the cost (keeping in mind we’d have to buy the Wii AND the Wii Fit)?

SW: 264
LW: 238
CW: 236

Total Squats: 199
Total Push Ups: 147
Total Sit-Ups: 223

Today I saw a gain of two pounds on the scale. One of the nicest things on the planet? Seeing a gain and not freaking out. I went up by about two pounds, but that is still less than I was at last week, so obviously I’m happy. Even despite all that, I think the best part isn’t being less than last week but being okay with the gain I saw this morning.

Sure, I want to do something about it, but it didn’t ruin my day. I just thought about all the things I did yesterday (including not drinking enough water), other factors that could contribute (week before TOM) and that was that. I’m going to do better today. And there you have it.

I guess I’m just stunned over the fact that I can take that sort of thing now. Granted I may have felt differently about a four pound gain, but the best thing about this diet is that my weight doesn’t instantly shoot up huge amount by just thinking about ‘naughty’ things.

Other things are going well. I started the second week (I’m a week behind Cammy *waves*) of the challenge this morning, and I must say that I’m not fond of squats. Hehe. However, I am recovering better and faster than I did in the very beginning, so that is a plus.

I’m having a hard time imagining being any thinner than I am at the moment. I’ve tightened up a bit on my stomach and definitely around my face and neck, but it has been so incredibly long since I was in my 220s (almost there!) that I’m wondering what it (and beyond) will be like.

Wonderful, I’m sure.

I hope you all are doing very well.

I have had a few people ask me lately about the Tibetan Rites, as I have mentioned that I am combining them with three challenges: 200 Squats, 100 Push Ups, 200 Sit-Ups

If you’re curious about the Five Tibetan Rites, there is an easy print version you can take a look at and print off. It’s not that many pages, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.

You can read about the background of the Rites, but most people want to know the benefits…

“Potential Benefits of the Five Rites

The authors provide many examples of the benefits of the “Five Tibetan Rites” including the following: looking much younger; sleeping soundly; waking up feeling refreshed and energetic; release from serious medical problems including difficulties with spines; relief from problems with joints; release from pain; better memory; arthritis relief; weight loss; improved vision; youthing instead of aging; greatly improved physical strength, endurance and vigor; improved emotional and mental health; enhanced sense of well being and harmony; and very high overall energy.”

Personally, the first thing I noticed when I started doing the Tibetan Rites was the fact I wasn’t cracking and popping so much. My back, my right wrist and my right knee seem to pop all the time and sometimes get sore to the point I need to ‘pop’ them. Not anymore. The Tibetan Rites took care of that within a few days.

I’m not sure about some of those claims, but I do feel more peaceful and better in a general way when I am doing the exercises. It feels like they are ‘just right’ for starting my day off well.

Whether it’s helping me with the weight loss, it probably is. I use muscles I probably wouldn’t use all that much doing them. And keep in mind that all this is happening for me, and I’m still on the alternate techniques because I don’t quite feel up to the full techniques yet.

If you start using the Tibetan Rites, please let me know. I’d love to get other people’s opinions on it.

Day two of the triple threat challenge has me moaning, groaning and even pouting a little bit. But it certainly hasn’t been even close enough to deter me from keeping on with the challenge.

Out of the three exercises – squats, push ups, sit ups – and the Tibetan Rites, I’ve found squats the thing that gives me the sorest parts. I didn’t see it coming. With the walking, elliptical, etc I do and have done, I didn’t think it would be that bad.

Think again.

Though the thought of quitting didn’t even enter my mind until about three seconds ago, I decided this morning that extra motivation is always a good thing. So what I did was set up a way to keep track of the total number of each exercise I do by day and overall.

Sure, it’ll be cool to do 200 of each when I complete the program, but there are a lot more that go into getting up to that number. Being the Excel spreadsheet addict that I am, I couldn’t resist creating another page now could I?

And my stats look like this:

Total Squats = 77
Total Push Ups = 58
Total Sit Ups = 87

Now, if you had ever told me growing up that I would do that many of those three exercises, even spread over days, I would have called you crazy. And here that’s the total in two days.

Kudos to the ultimate goal and all, but watching those numbers rise is definitely a great ‘here and now’ boost.

As I mentioned before, I’m combining the triple-threat challenge (hehe, I kind of like that) along with the Tibetan Rites (which I will post about soon, Foodie!). Along with getting out when the sunshine was available, this combination was exactly what I needed (and I knew it would be).

Take a look…

Ah, look at that beauty. And, for my friends who interpret things in pounds…

I am just one pound away from my next reward – new pajama pants! – but I’m not thinking about that very much at the moment. I’m thinking more about how I’m at my lowest weight in years, I feel great and exercise is more than proving itself to be a useful thing!

(Of course, exercise is always useful, but now it’s actually helping the scale to move.)

Things have been a bit weird for me, to be honest, and I’ve been spending a lot of time examining how I feel about things like the weight loss, my life, my work, etc. I’ve been quite stuck in my own head for a while now, but I think that’s okay for the moment. I’m figuring a lot of self-stuff out.

I sincerely hope everyone is doing well.

On Monday Mailbag I mentioned how Cammy has set up her own personal challenge combining the two hundred squats program, two hundred sit ups program and one hundred pushups program. Not quite genius enough to think of these sorts of things on my own, I decided that I would quietly tag along for a bit.

The program dictates you do the exercises three days a week, which unfortunately means I have to start on a Monday. But given it’s a matter of convenience rather that psychological urge to start on Monday, I think it’s fine.

I did the initial testing and found that I didn’t do too shabbily. The past two years of power walks, off and on gym time, and off and on exercise of other sorts has apparently had a good effect, as I am starting all three plans on the middle ‘level of difficulty’.

The programs are all six weeks long, but I have no qualms about sticking it out for longer because I’m doing them all at the same time. I’ll also be combining them with the Tibetan Rites (which I will do every day), so that should help me keep up my flexibility and help with any soreness that occurs.

I’m not putting pressure on myself with this one. I’ve only printed off the first week of directions because I just want to see if I’ll enjoy it and be able to keep it up without killing myself. Starting next Monday lands me ending the program (if I keep it to six weeks) just before my next doctor appointment, so it would be nice to be able to do this.

I am one pound shy of being fifteen pounds down, so I’ll just have to use the 10 pounds gone graphic.

Mind you, I’m proud as peaches over that as well.

Things have been going very well on the diet so far, and not just in the pounds lost. With doing something that takes me away from all food except small servings of fruit and veggies, I feel like I’m finally getting control on the things that eluded me on the ‘eat regular food, just the healthy kind’ sort of diets.

It’s well enough for me to eat healthier. I have been. Heck, I reversed my prediabetes. But – and I think it’s due to PCOS – that wasn’t enough to get me to lose weight. This? Well, this might just be the winner I have been searching for the past two and some years.

I had my first test to my diet this past weekend when the husband and I went away on a mini-holiday. I packed plenty of bars to see me through, trusting that I would know if eating ‘real’ food would mess with me psychologically. But it didn’t.

I indulged myself in small portions of beautifully grilled fish, and I didn’t regret a moment of it. I didn’t feel naughty or even like I was deviating from the diet, really. I paid attention to the first feelings of fullness (which happen just in my stomach now instead of that bloated, all-over feeling of full) and stopped when I needed to without problem. We had seafood the second night, too, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

And yes, I had dessert, too. I had chocolate torte. I know, I know, but if you are going to do it, you should do it with something truly decadent. And to be honest, I gave myself generous spoonfuls to share because it was too big for just me.

Without fuss or anything else, I’m back on the diet. Just like that. Amazingly, no pounds heavier, either. I credit that to the exercise we got while out and about, the high quality of food (everything made from scratch), and listening to my body so I stayed with appropriate portion sizes.

I feel so incredible. I’m hoping to be able to get to the 230s (which I haven’t been in since…at least six years ago, maybe more) by my birthday in August, but I’m not putting pressure on myself to do so. I just hope and work towards it. Woohoo!

How is everyone else doing?

I decided to be brave today and post my weight statistics.

Starting Weight: 264
Current Weight: 254

Ten pounds gone! I should be happy, shouldn’t I…

Maybe because I’m doing work on some diet guru’s blog or maybe I’m still extra vulnerable right now, but I’m really not feeling the joy over my loss right now.

My weight keeps bouncing around in increments of two pounds, which is completely fine when you’re still in the beginning of a diet and your body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

I just feel like a failure for some reason. Don’t ask me why. My logical mind says I should be thrilled – I’m well on my way! My emotional mind is still a scared little girl afraid of disappointing anyone for any sort of perceived slight. I don’t feel like ten pounds is good enough.

I’m in such an emotionally sensitive place right now, and I’m not sure why. I’m just going to deal with things as they come and take care of myself as best I can.

There is a shining light in all this, though.

When Mr. JM came home, he immediately noticed I was in a down mood. We talked a bit and he asked me if I had done anything to compromise my diet. I was almost confused for a moment.

The old me would have used this as a perfect excuse to go off the diet. The new me? Well, I didn’t even think of going off the diet. Truly. It didn’t even occur to me.

So progress is happening – even on the psychological front.

I’m running late with everything today. Posts, work, things I promised to mail, craft projects… Even dinner is being served late tonight – but at least that one isn’t entirely my fault. Either way, it’s late and husband is enjoying his meat loaf (my first try at making one and apparently a success – he asked for seconds) and veggies, and I am enjoying my daily portion of veggies.

Have I mentioned how much I like mushrooms?

Switching over to the intense phase of this program – meaning three meal replacements, one serve of fruit, one serve of veggies in a small amount of oil – has been interesting, and certainly not without its little dramas. Thankfully, though, I seemed to have passed the hump of physical adjustment which, in my case, came in the form of a little bit of fatigue and a pounding headache.

My body has adjusted surprisingly fast to the new schedule. Though I have some trouble at night (psychologically, likely because that’s usually when we have our biggest meal), my stomach now grumbles like clockwork; it only gets impatient when I start pushing past the times when I am supposed to eat.

Somewhere in me there was this fear that I would be criticized for taking this route, despite knowing that this is the kind of thing I need right now. However, I’ve been pleased to find people are supportive. Once they understand how insulin resistance works and how difficult it is for women with PCOS to lose weight, they seem more impressed with my dedication to my health than anything else.

My husband even ran into a woman who had done meal replacement before, but she gained the weight back by returning to her old habits.

I’m not ready to go back to posting my statistics just yet, but I can say without a doubt that this is working well for me. I’m in a great place right now.

PS. Yes, I’m still planning on having a virtual party when I get past my 244 sabotage point.

May I just say that I enjoy seeing my dietician much, much more than I like going to see the doctor’s I have seen otherwise. My dietician is very nice and pleasant to talk to.

I wasn’t originally planning to go back to the dietician, but an appointment practically fell in my lap so I took it. Given how unsatisfying my doctor was in answering my questions, I hoped I would have better luck with my dietician.

Have I mentioned how nice Dr. E is?

I had all sorts of questions about specific foods, GI, exercises, portion sizes, and more. Dr. E handled them all with care and dismissed nothing until I fully understood what she was saying.

Given my lack of weight change, she suggested I examine my exercise first. I’m now putting in the time, but the intensity is just as important. I think I’m doing okay, but I’m adding in some extra time as well as making sure that I’m puffing a bit while exercising.

Because I have a hard time eating breakfast in the morning, I asked her about the possibility of meal replacement. She seemed stunned that I would bring that up as an alternative voluntarily, but she also thought it would be a great idea – and not just for breakfast.

They had just had a shipment of meal replacement stuff in, so she gave me some soups and shakes from a specific line of meal replacement stuff as well as a brochure to introduce me to the program.

I’ve been looking at the program, but that’s for another post.

All in all, it was an excellent appointment where I got all my questions answered.

I go back in August to check in again. Hopefully I’ll be a good amount lighter by then!

It’s a brand new month as of some days ago, and I realized that I haven’t done a monthly goals post in quite a while. I don’t know how many months it has been, but it seems like a few at least.

I bet you can guess what I have decided to do.

I am quite proud for having made it twelve days straight without skipping a single day of exercise and I did not skip a single rep of exercise. Day thirteen saw me with a fairly nasty shoulder/neck strain that took hot baths, pain pills and multiple massages to get out, but that’s just the name of the game.

Mr. JM and I are currently shopping around for some proper office chairs so that sort of thing doesn’t happen again. Setting my back and hips right with exercise and then sitting in a chair that encourages me to slouch is not a good combination. Until we find a nice chair, it’s back to the exercise ball seating for me.

I will confess that part of my prompting for May goals is that I have a doctor’s appointment next week and I’m a bit freaked out. I haven’t lost any weight and the doc is a bit… intense. I know I’ve had glandular fever, stress and all that stuff since the last appointment, but I would at least like to show her that I have some good habits in place.

On to the goals, which I have written on a notecard that is propped against my monitor right now…

1. Keep a food diary. This slipped off when I got glandular fever and could barely keep my eyes open when doing nothing.

2. Drink at least two litres of water per day. I always have trouble with sticking to drinking, but at least now I have a one litre bottle which will make things easier.

3. Weigh in daily. I’m just doing this for right now to keep myself on the right track.

4. (Continue to) Exercise daily. I had a few days off with the anniversary getaway, but I still got a bit of exercise in, so I don’t feel they’re lost days. Plus, my shoulder and neck probably needed the time off anyway.

There they are. Simple, yet the foundation for wonderful things to come.

What are your goals for this month?

It just figures that a ‘snap, crackle, pop’ day would hit me on Friday.

As part of my new exercise regime, I do the Tibetan Rites every morning. They consist of five warm-ups and five exercises. There are also alternative exercises for those – like me – who aren’t yet fit enough to tackle the full on exercises. You start with two or three reps of each exercise and then add a rep per week.

Sounds good, right? Well, it is.

One of the first things I noticed after incorporating the rites is that my need to crack joints has disappeared. Yeah, I’m one of ‘those’ people who cracks joints. I mostly do my knuckles and my right wrist, but occasionally my knee will scream for a good pop.

No, I don’t do it out of habit. I only crack my joints when they’re so painful that I have to do something. Cracking them takes care of the pain.

However, after just a short time of doing the rites, not only do I not need to crack my joints, I *can’t* crack some of them. The need and ability to crack my wrist is completely gone. I can still do my knuckles (I did one on accident) but I no longer need to do so to relieve pain – because there is no pain!

I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed with the results of a specific type of exercise.

All that doesn’t mean I’m immune from the ‘snap, crackle, pop’ days. I’m cracking all over the place today, but that’s one day out of about a dozen. I’ll take that any day over joint pain.