Tag Archives: exercise

Turning a Mini Corner of Sorts

20 Sunday Oct 2013

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The last couple of weeks something has really clicked inside me…and the first time it happened it kind of freaked me out.

I was at work, having a really good day, and then smiled to myself and thought: “Wow!  After this I get to go work out!”  What the hell??  Did I REALLY just think that??  What’s going on here?

This was a teeny-weeny sign bubbling up in me that my new exercise habits are starting to gel.  I’m in the gym 5-6 nights a week (and trying to get active outside one night a week but it’s getting a little too cold and dark for that now, despite having virtually zero rain in a couple of weeks – how rare is THAT?).  And when I can’t work out after work, I miss it.  I’m getting more and more comfortable with the workouts provided in this Lean Eating for Women program I’m now about 3 months into – it’s a year-long program actually, and I can’t wait to learn what’s next as we’re only 1/4 of the way done!

Just in these last few months I’ve noticed changes.  I’m making exercise and planning  meals ahead of time a habit.  That still requires a lot of practice, but just like learning a dance step…it gets a little easier every time.  Don’t get me wrong – the workouts are challenging and continue to build upon themselves gradually.  A great combo of weight resistance training, core work and cardio.  When I’m done I FEEL GREAT.  Well, I’ll admit the first couple of weeks were brutal, but not in a really bad way.  I hadn’t done any regular weight training in years (hockey does NOT increase your upper body strength, at least not at the intermediate/novice level I played at for 9 years).

After the first few workouts in the gym I woke up so sore I couldn’t hardly get out of bed the next day (whoops, there ARE core muscles deep in my belly, ha ha).  But I stayed with the program and I didn’t give up.  I knew every time I went back to the gym I would practice the workouts yet again and gradually I’d get more comfortable with them.  Only to have them change right at that time…by design, I’m sure!  Never want those muscles to get too comfy…the constant change and gradual increasing of resistance (without compromising form) is the key.  Gotta love variety.  And I never feel like I’ve overworked a certain part of my body with any of these workouts.

Does exercise actually DECREASE appetite?  In my case, the answer is a shocking YES!  WOW. I’m down about 12 lbs and 11 inches (a combo of neck, shoulder girth, bust, hips measurements etc. all totaled up).  And I DO notice my clothes starting to fit and hang a little better, and I even had to adjust my bra straps because they were getting too loose and slipping off of my shoulders during the day!  Some button front shirts I’ve had for a few years had become too tight and gape-y in the bustline (ugh, so tacky)…and now are starting to fit like they used to!  I have a ton of clothes to sort through to get ready for a big purge and run to Goodwill, and I’m trying to restrain from buying a lot of new clothes right now because they may (I hope) become too big again in the near future.  Now, I have purchased a few new items to give my wardrobe a little boost (I love my cashmere sweaters but after 6-7 years some are starting to look a little worn).  Soooo, I’m sticking with knits wherever possible, as they will forgive through changing sizes (I hope).  A short-sleeved shell for work, a motorcycle-style zip front black jacket and some knit black pants.  OH and a pair of dark denim jeans with a little stretch that fit like a dream and are super flattering.

Know what else I’ve noticed, er…not noticed?  Far fewer (if any) PMS cravings! And less tenderness and bloat, if that makes any sense to my female readers in here.  In fact, when (ahem) Aunt Flo arrived this month (right on schedule and I count my blessings for that at age 46), I was a bit surprised!  I didn’t have any of the normal food cravings, breast tenderness, puffy/irritated feeling that gave me all the signals my period was right around the corner.  Rather, the only ‘symptoms’ I had were midcycle – a flu-like feeling – which thankfully didn’t trigger food cravings.  Is this all the benefit of regular exercise and/or working on improving nutrition?  If so, I’m starting to ‘get it’!

My posture is better and I’m feeling radiant inside.  I continue to gain more confidence in the weight room, navigating through the macho grunts and the regulars.  I can deal with the crowds Monday nights…and on Friday nights it can be pretty much a library it’s so empty!

An 80-something man is one of the regulars, and he walked by me one night while I was doing push ups and joked ‘ya gotta SMILE when you do those.’  HA HA HA.

Random Tuesday Ramblings

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Surprise!  It’s fivenineteen here rambling away on a Tuesday night, not Sunday afternoon!  One of my followers (who is a dear friend, check’s in the mail) teased me a little that it’s been awhile since I last posted!  Yikes, she’s right!

I had probably one of the most blissful weekends I’ve had in probably a year.  Just basking in the glow of a glorious sunny weekend in October (yes, even in Seattle), which is as rare as white tigers.

What a wonderful surprise last Friday to hear from J…typically we each just chill out separately on Friday nights as we’re pretty pooped from the workweek.  I go to the gym, come home, shower and cook a light dinner.  Wow, what a far cry from my hard partying college years…am I turning into ‘that person’ we all swore as 21-year-olds we’d NEVER be?  Yep, I guess so.  So for a very cool change of pace, he offered to come over and cook us dinner after I got home from the gym!  WOW!  Color me happy!

And what did he bring?  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts he’d been marinating all day, a sweet potato to make fries with, and some frozen peppers for a side dish!  I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t ever even dropped a hint as to what I’d like to try eating, and he nailed it!  This is EXACTLY an example of a meal we would be encouraged to try in the Lean Eating for Women program I’m nearly 90 days into.  No meal plans, no calorie counting, no forbidden foods…rather, food can be plotted on a spectrum from Better to Worse.  And we’re encouraged to add things to our food, not take away.  As in adding more veggies and trying other alternate sources of carbs, for example.  Voila…here it was!  We peeled the sweet potato, sliced it up into French fry-shaped pieces, sprinkled some spices on top and baked until crispy!  And grilled the chicken and sautéed the pepper medley!  YUM!

On Saturday we headed over to an Oktoberfest party.  The consulting agency I was with prior to the one I’m currently with has a food palooza of sorts every year, and all of the staff cook incredible meals from scratch and serve up to their current and alum consultants!  One of the big advantages of working with a boutique agency for sure!  Normally it’s a summertime seafood theme, but this year they changed it up and did Oktoberfest. They had tons of brauts, streudel, salads, sauerkraut, handmade pretzels, mustards made from scratch, desserts and of course lots of beer for tasting in custom-made steins we got to take home as party favors!  Even some quinoa-stuffed mushrooms for a veggie/vegan option and a kale salad – I need these recipes!

Then we went home, changed our clothes and tackled more of my Garage.  Which is now the most organized room in my house thanks to J’s help.  Yes, the popcorn ceiling scraping continues in the master bedroom/vanity next week…after a major delay which is fodder for another post.  Most of my garage is below ground level and there are some problems with drainage….whenever it rains water seeps through small cracks in the concrete.  Lots of fun being at the bottom of a super steep hill.  J mixed up some concrete (we used a spoon I sacrificed and some plastic keg cups as you have to do it in small batches) and patched up a few of the cracks, after first drilling out the loose concrete where the leaks are coming from.  We’ve got more to do, but it’s a great start and has provided HUGE peace of mind for me…I’m worried about the water seepage and the damage it might be causing elsewhere.  We’ll check and see how it’s working and continue with the rest of the wall later.  This concrete mix is so powerful you can even use it under water!

Tough football weekend here…U of W Huskies lost a hard fight against Stanford, and the Seahawks’ 4-0 winning streak got snapped in Indianapolis last Sunday.  UGH.  The boys were playing the refs as well as their opponents much of each of these games, I swear!  The chitter chatter in the gym locker room tonight was still going strong!

And hockey season is underway…yes! Go Canucks!  A FULL length season this year with no Lockout!  I’m still enjoying my own personal hockey sabbatical, which could definitely become permanent but that’s OK – 9 years was a great run.

And I have other fitness goals now which have my full focus…and they’re working!

So, How’s that Lean Eating Program Going?

12 Thursday Sep 2013

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A few people have asked me how things are going with the Lean Eating for Women program I started back in late July.  WOW!  I did this through the entire month of August and now all of a sudden it’s mid September!  YES!  I’m still doing this…I’m not giving up!  This is a year-long journey, and I am so happy to have tons of support all around me.  People like J, my family and my friends.  And a few co-workers who I trust to share what I’m doing.

Ironically, my work environment, the place I spend the most of my hours, is not conducive to this life changing journey of mine.  Work is an all-out Food Palooza every day.  I’ve probably blogged about this before.  Someone is always bringing in donuts or pastries and passing them around to everyone.  The DBAs in the cube farm near me love to bring in ice cream for themselves every week and since I sit near them they always offer me some too.  We’re always chatting about what we’re doing for lunch – who’s going out to lunch and where – or who volunteers to go pick up takeout Chinese.  People sometimes get offended when I politely decline the donuts they’re passing out.  That’s OK – that’s their stuff to deal with, not mine.

We even had an ice cream social at work this week as a nice thank you for all that we’ve been doing these past couple of months.  200 people descended on the large meeting room near our cafeteria and it was a make your own sundae set up with our Directors and VPs scooping up ice cream for us.  Fun!  I did have one scoop of chocolate ice cream and ate it slowly.  Interestingly enough, it didn’t taste that great.  Kind of metallic and yucky!

Now wait a second, why the heck am I blogging on a Thursday afternoon, you might be wondering?  Well, I woke up not feeling that great this morning with a slightly sore throat.  So I knew I didn’t have a lot of meetings today and just stayed at home and slept.  I am feeling a lot better now.  I probably slept with my mouth open and it got all dry and irritated!  Too funny.  What a relief!  I simply don’t have time to get sick!

Lean Eating is a habit-based coaching program.  Who wants to get overwhelmed having to learn everything they need to do all at once when starting something new, right?  That’s a guaranteed formula for failure.  Rather, this program has you start out small, just doing one or two things every day, repeating them.  And you track your progress on a private site to show whether or not you did your habits that particular day.  As time goes by, exercise programs are introduced, and now we’re just starting to practice some food-based habits.  Every habit builds upon the other one.  Get off track for a bit?  No problem…tomorrow is a clean slate!

We also are provided some reading material online every day and a short assignment to reflect on how you can apply the lesson content into your own life.  And, you track your progress online to show you’ve completed that day’s lesson.  If you get behind, it’s easy to catch up and see which ones you still need to do!  This was perfect for me, as I was in Kansas City in late July for Silpada National Conference right when the Lean Eating program kicked off so I missed the first few days of the program.  In retrospect that wasn’t a big deal at all, but I remember at the time I was a little worried as I had no idea what to expect!

The Precision Nutrition coaching team is very grounded.  Each of us in the program is assigned a coach, and there are online forums and private Facebook groups to hook up with to share ideas and ask questions.  My coach sends her group a short video message every week and we can book appointments with her to chat over the phone or Skype.  I would bet there isn’t one scenario they haven’t been through with the thousands of clients they’ve worked with!  So, no excuses!  Practice your habits, do your workouts and complete your assignments!  And it’s all with a sense of humor too – I don’t feel like I’m in a military boot camp at all!  And did I mention how easy it is?  Meaning, I just read what I’m supposed to do that day, do it and note online I completed it.  They include short videos showing how to do the exercises and I just print out the exercise list for that day and take it with me to the gym!

Getting exercise is becoming a habit with me again. I remember now how great I feel after a workout and how it helps me unwind mentally.  I’m at the gym 5 nights a week, I do something active outdoors once a week and have one day off.  I looked at my stats and I’ve been 93% compliant with getting my workouts done over the past two weeks!  YES!  High Five!  I feel great and have noticed some subtle changes in my muscle tone.  I’m down 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg) and can see the double chin slowly going away. Some of the exercises that were super hard at first are now getting slightly easier.  This has been a huge wakeup call for me.  I turned 46 in May and have never had a naturally thin, fit build.  After losing 35 lbs 10 years ago I gained about 60 lbs back!  This is not healthy!  So that’s why I’m doing this.  Regular exercise is essential for me to be the best me…YES!

I am a ‘peeker.’  I want to peek ahead and see what the program content will be toward the end.  I want to know exactly how we’ll shift into maintenance mode once the program wraps up next year. I want to know how to manage things like life that will conflict with the time I’ve budgeted to exercise every day. Hell, when I cook I like to open the oven door and peek at what’s cooking and inhale the aroma!  Peek peek peek!

Well, the Lean Eating website must have been designed with peekers like me in mind.  There is new content posted each day….and we can only peek ahead two days!  Ha ha!!  If you try to peek ahead further you’ll get redirected back to today’s info.  Well done, PN!

Lake Serene…Almost

02 Monday Sep 2013

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WP_000471Yep, 80% Lake Serene.  I got schooled yesterday – got a big ol’ in-your-face reminder that I probably still have a White Belt in hiking.  Well, no, I’m not a total novice…right?  I don’t remember what the next belt level is up from that. Hmmmm.

J and I were sooooo excited to get a change of scenery and get in a hike on this holiday weekend! We’ve both been working so hard – weekends too sometimes.  And this is that time of year in the Seattle area where you hold on for dear life to summer and you cherish each and every single sunny day. Now, normally September (and even parts of October sort of) are dry and sunny, but starting today (Labor Day) the forecast for the rest of the week doesn’t look too good.

When we were talking about what to do I suddenly remembered a hike I did with a former co-worker about 10 or 11 years ago:  Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls.  So, that was our plan!  J had never been on that hike before and I told him how cool it is, because Lake Serene just suddenly pops up at the end of the trail.  I’ve never seen anything like it!  And it’s so worth it.  I told him how, yeah, there’s a bit of a climb at the end but the lake is stunning!

So, yesterday we hit the road and headed east on Highway 2.  We stopped for a late breakfast at a little café in Gold Bar.  And we’d packed some snacks for lunch and some water.  The turnoff for the trailhead is on Mount Index Road, about 7 miles east of Gold Bar, and it’s very clearly marked.  We were absolutely surprised to find a parking spot in the early afternoon, especially on a holiday weekend!

This hike is just over 7 miles round trip.  There’s a cool fork in the trail after a little ways where you can peel off for a half mile and go get up close with Bridal Veil Falls (and cool off!) or you can just stay on the main trail to Lake Serene, which was another two miles away.  We decided to just get to Lake Serene first.  And the trail does not disappoint.  Check out that pic up top of the gorgeous rock wall and falls trickling down.  I don’t know what kind of rock that is, but I just can’t get enough of that rich, charcoal grey color! We’re hiking up Mount Index here!

The first part of the trail climbs, but it’s mostly dirt with a few rocks and some muddy places and isn’t too difficult.  Once you cross the huge wooden bridge over the falls runoff it starts getting interesting.

As in ‘steep, rocky switchbacks’ interesting.WP_000468  Picture this shot at right but with a much steeper angle uphill.  That’s what the rest of the trek is up to the lake, and there are a few places where they put stairs in the trail.  In fact, it’s a 2000-foot elevation gain in about 3.5 miles!  YOW.  Lots of heavy breathing on this trail, including the adorable dogs we saw along the way.  And a couple of whining moaning kids too.  We were expecting it to be super crowded but amazingly it was not!  And the weather was perfect – 80 degrees and sunny.

I took in the wonderful scenery all around.  The lush green moss on the trees – some trees tipped over, some reaching tall into the sky.  The craggy, rocky pointy peak of Mount Index and so many others jabbing into the sky and the steep drops down below.  The beautiful streams which are probably runoffs from glaciers much higher up.  I love the sounds of streams gurgling along.  It just sounds like…love.

After a few stops to catch our breath and gulp some water we asked people coming back down the trail how far we had to go.  “About an hour,” one couple told us.  OMG.  Another hour of rocky, steep seemingly endless switchbacks…going uphill.  The rocks are pretty stable so I never felt unsafe like I was going to trip and fall, but the incline is steep.  I pictured the stair climbing machine in the gym and can see where hours working out would make this hike a lot easier.

Then I started to feel a little woozy and light headed.  I’d been drinking enough water (I thought)…but I had that feeling just like when J and I went in the steamroom and saunas at the gym.  After the steam and sauna I felt faint and it took me awhile to get back to center.  Flash forward back to us catching our breath on the trail and I waited for that same lightheadedness to pass.  I’m glad I’d felt it once before so I didn’t panic.  I just breathed through it.  But then I wondered…if I’m already starting to feel a little out of it and we’ve got tons more rocky climbing ahead…am I really up for this?  I don’t do enough hiking to feel like taking big risks.  I didn’t want to get even more winded and risk getting injured if I was not feeling 100% and not able to pay close attention to each and every step I took up the rocks.  And we were going through our water a lot more quickly than we realized.   I’d brought a couple liters and J had an extra one already in his pack along with our food.  Hmmmm.  I told him how excited I was for us to see the lake and all…but also that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we turned back.

So…he agreed and we did.  We knew going down the steep rocky trail would be hard on knees too, and I’m still not 100% healed from the fall I took at work in August.  I was relieved he wasn’t upset about turning back at all.  In fact, we talked about doing that hike again with better preparation.  Things like getting an earlier start in the day (we didn’t get on the trail until about 12:30pm), and bringing a lot more water and food.

I also might rethink what I wear.  I wore a sports bra, a tank top and a long-sleeved lightweight Dri-Fit mesh top over that…and my old J. Crew cotton shorts.  Dang I have a lot of synthetic workout/hiking clothing which is a much better choice than wearing cotton, but I can’t fit into a lot of it right now (not yet!).  And next time I’ll choose a more breathable baseball hat.  I’d doused myself both in sunscreen and in bug repellant because I’d read there were a lot of bugs on the trail.  How awesome…zero bug problems!  The bugs must have been from earlier in the year.  And the portion of the trail we did was mostly shady with some sunlight rippling through the trees, so I’ll ditch the long-sleeved top I brought for extra sun protection and just pack it along just in case.

Hiking boots are an absolute MUST on this trail.  Just sayin’.  What a relief my good ol’ Merrells with Gore-Tex are still trooping along.

And I had to laugh…I seriously blocked out how steep that climb was up to the lake!  And then I remembered…the last time I did that hike I was 11 years younger…and 40 lbs. lighter.

Lake Serene, we’re comin’ back!

Splat!!

18 Sunday Aug 2013

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ShoeHave I ever mentioned how I have a teeny bit of a klutzy streak?  Well, not all the time, but from time to time I’ve had some funny ‘hitches in my giddyup’ as that expression goes.  I’ve stumbled on carpet while walking in flats…right in front of my co-workers.  “We’ll have to move that next time,” I joke, after stumbling over nothing but air, ha ha.  I once tripped walking UP the stairs in my townhouse…slipping in my awesome zebra-striped fuzzy slippers holding a nice big glass of Merlot.  [Salt is AMAZING at absorbing red wine stains on brand new tan-colored carpet, just saying.]  The fuzzy slippers ended up in the Goodwill pile…turns out they’re no good on stairs.

Playing hockey definitely can be humbling too…slips and falls are pretty typical when learning how to skate, pass and shoot that puck!  And to avoid colliding with your teammates and opponents out on the ice!  In fact, when I took that beginner hockey clinic nearly 10 (!) years ago this fall (no pun intended), one of the very first things we learned to do was how to get up after we fell.  ‘Cause believe me, we fell.  A LOT.  We were suited up in our gear but didn’t skate with our sticks or practice puck handing.  Nope, we started out just learning basic skating skills.  I learned very quickly to appreciate the investment I made in the protective gear we’re required to wear.

After completing the 8-week clinic we got split into two equally matched teams and we joined the novice division of our local hockey league…and we were on our way!  And while I wouldn’t count myself as a super great player, I got to be fairly decent and really pushed myself far beyond what I ever thought I was capable of, both physically and mentally.

And I learned that it’s actually a lot less treacherous playing hockey in the more intermediate levels than the novice levels.  Why?  Because more skilled players know how to skate.  They know how to control themselves and how to avoid collisions.  We were taught how to skate with our head up, using peripheral vision when moving the puck.  It’s not easy!  But it’s absolutely essential.  Skating head down, charging forward at high speed leads to all kinds of problems. That’s kind of like driving and only looking at the hood of your car, rather than at the horizon as you’re supposed to. Another thing we learned?  “Keep your head on a swivel.”  Ahhh, so so so so true.  Many unintended collisions with teammates and opponents drove that lesson home for sure.

These days I’ve traded my hockey skates for my new shoe BFFs…my Asics from my favorite running store, Run 26!

Now, what’s going on with the shoes in this picture?  Well, I have a weakness for really awesome shoes with heels.  Or platforms.  These are Jessica Simpson’s brand and I just love ’em….they’re so different from all of my other shoes!  And they’re cut wide too; normally I can’t wear sandals with straps near the toes because they’re too narrow and they dig into the sides of my feet.  Ouch.  When your feet hurt, nothing else matters!

I do have fun in those shoes.  I don’t wear them for long events like a day of shopping, but I do wear them to work occasionally.  What’s the key to walking in high platforms?  Walk carefully but confidently…and keep your vision tilted very slightly downward so you can see exactly where you are stepping.

So on last Tuesday at work that didn’t happen.  Here I was in white denim jeans and those shoes walking around in our break room.  I had an open small Tupperware full of cut up tomatoes and cucumbers in olive oil and a little salt…a perfect mid afternoon snack!  And as I was leaving the break room my foot suddenly started to wobble.  You know that feeling when you think you’re going to fall but you then try to mentally ‘correct’ the feeling so you don’t fall?  You think oh man, I’m OK I’m OK I’m OK, no…I’m not going to fall, no wait…I AM going to fall oh SHIT…no, no, I’ve got this…all in a few split seconds.

SPLAT!  I fell down hard uttering some sort of yelp.  Onto a concrete floor, taking the brunt of it on my right knee, so I thought.  I was in a crumpled sort of sideways hands and knees position and in shock.  I tried getting up but my head was spinning.  Luckily two of my co-workers were there and grabbed me under each arm to get me back on my feet.  Oh man, I felt like such a turd!  What the hell happened?  My veggies went flying, and they cleaned it up for me.  I kept offering to help and they kept saying no.  They even had to scrub the concrete floor with soap, because there now was a puddle of slippery olive oil on it.  Amazingly, nothing spilled on my clothes!

Somehow I hobbled back to my desk, stopping by my Manager’s office to tell her what happened.  Another co-worker ran to the break room, filled a large plastic bag with ice and brought it back to me at my desk.

Through all of this I feel really damn lucky.  Turns out I landed on my upper shin and not my kneecap when I fell.  I didn’t break my wrist when I landed on the concrete.  I didn’t hit my head on the counter nearby and didn’t knock out any teeth.  See what I mean here?  I feel very fortunate.   And the ice really helped…these past few days there was not much swelling at all.  Painful, yes, but no sharp shooting pains.

I later realized my foot had wobbled on the border between the carpeted area of the break room and the concrete.  There was a small rubber lip at the edge of the carpeting.  I stepped halfway onto carpet and halfway onto concrete and there was the wobble.  I felt relieved that was the cause, rather than wobbling on a completely flat surface.  Guess my ego got the most bruising of all!

I did skip a couple of my workouts this week – I spent the evening with an ice pack on my shin and just rested.  And when I did get back in the gym I started out slowly on the treadmill.  My shin was feeling stiff, and a little movement really helped.  And I modified my weight training workouts so I wouldn’t need to do any kneeling on my right side.  It worked!

And now I have a colorful bruise that’s on the mend.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to post pictures of it (it’s about the size of a chicken breast).  Just imagine swirls of yellow, green and a little purple on top of a neon-white leg.  You get the idea!

Spontaneous Sauna!

11 Sunday Aug 2013

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saunaWhen I started typing in here today I didn’t have a catchy title in mind (well, catchy in my mind, at least).  Usually that’s what inspires me to start writing.  But today, I’m doing the opposite.

I’m looking back on the 3 (!) weeks since starting the Lean Eating for Women program at Precision Nutrition.  I remember how I was a little frustrated that I would be out-of-town the first few days we started in late July…I didn’t want to miss the boat right off the bat and feel behind. How frustrating, especially not really knowing what to expect!  Well, on the other hand I was at Silpada National Conference, and my life was gloriously not my own for 4 days of jewelry sisterhood in Kansas City!

Now, dare I say, I’m kindasorta getting used to the habit of working out at the gym after work (and also on the weekends too, when we do have a workout scheduled in our daily plan).  It’s nice going in and feeling good and familiar with the gym surroundings, seeing the regulars there and hoping I’ll soon seem like a regular as well!  And feeling confident about just doing the workouts I need to do, no matter how good I’m doing or how much I might suck.  Man, I’m so glad I started this new health and fitness journey in July, not January!  January is such a cliché for things like that (and the gym – as I’m sure most of them are – is completely bursting at the seams that month).  Then, it thins out a bit.

As far as eating goes, I’m practicing the habit of eating food slowly (with a heavy emphasis on practicing), and having a small meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours.  This REALLY helps me get through that late afternoon ‘crash’ I used to feel at work during the week, and it was that feeling that made me tired and unmotivated to get some exercise after work, whether it was going for a walk or getting in the gym.  I’d get home and plop down on the couch with a big bowl of pasta and pesto or whatever, eat too fast and then feel bloated and miserable the rest of the evening.  Wow, just a few small changes make such a huge difference in my energy level!  And I don’t feel nearly as hungry or wiped out at the end of the workday!  And so refreshed and happy after completing my workout!  WOW!!

J’s been very supportive as well.  On Friday he came over to help me take my body measurements.  We have to post our weight and measurements online every week…now, personally I find taking my measurements every week a bit much, but this is the process we need to follow and I’m trusting it.  On the other hand, I don’t like just posting my weight weekly – I know, I’m rebellious.  I find it much more accurate to weigh myself daily and then take that weekly average.  Our weight fluctuates all the time for numerous reasons…so I do follow the process and post my weight for the date I need to upload it, but I mentally track daily weigh-ins to see my overall trend.  For example, yesterday my weigh-in weight looks like I dropped half a pound from the previous week.  But, my weight was a full pound lower for 3 days  in a row prior to my weigh-in date weight.  Weighing myself daily helps me not freak out when it looks like – according to the weekly weigh-ins – that I’m not making any progress or even gaining weight.  AND, of course, muscle weighs more than fat, so I’m not going to freak out if I don’t steadily drop weight week after week.  This is a lifestyle change getting back in the habit of regular exercise, and I can’t possibly correct years of gradual weight gain in just 3 weeks.  Nor would I want to!

Anyway, on Friday I made us dinner – General Chang’s chicken – a fun twist on chicken with Asian-style spices…and gluten free.  J and I have both been super busy.  Man, there’s so much more I want to do together before the summer slips away and the weather turns.  But, I try not to stress about it too much.  August is flying by, but September is usually good weather too.  Anyway, as we were finishing dinner, he was talking about how he’s thinking about joining my gym too…mainly so he can take saunas, which he loves to do!  (He’s Swedish, by the way…OK, yes, those stereotypes start from something, right?).   And he thought, why not go check out the gym right now?  Man, that sounded good to me…those dirty dishes can wait!

We hopped down the street to the gym and I gave him the 25-cent tour.  It was a pretty light crowd inside – 9:00pm on a Friday night with beautiful weather and all.  I had to laugh as I’d not set foot in the steam/sauna section of the gym in years.  I couldn’t even remember if it was a co-ed area or if there were separate, private areas for men and women.  The locker room for me is to keep my clothes and purse secure while I work out and nothing more.  I live so close to the gym so I typically shower at home…driving 5 minutes in sweaty clothes isn’t really a big deal to me.  So I’d not been through the windy, twisty hallways in the back of the women’s locker room past the showers since the gym remodel a few years ago.  Then, suddenly, there was the big hot tub and the steam and sauna rooms…and there was J on the opposite side of the room!  HA!  Too funny…so the steam/sauna area IS co-ed!

As we were driving back home, J said he really wanted to take a sauna…and was happy he had some extra shorts with him.  I quickly changed into some synthetic workout shorts, a sports bra and a light t-shirt and we headed back to the gym yet again!  I don’t have a bathing suit that fits me any longer – yikes – and have been completely reluctant to even think about shopping for one given the size I am right now.

We did both the sauna and the steam rooms…ah, complete with a little eucalyptus aromatherapy too!  I need to do these in short stints until I get more used to the feeling…and make sure to drink plenty of water before and after.

What a great way to wrap up a busy week!  And now it’s time for a little shopping…I’m going to need more than one sports bra that fits, and while I love my bootleg-cut black yoga pants I’m getting a little sick of them too.  How funny that my closet is full of workout clothes from my size 6 years (OK, year) in 2004!  Hopefully I can find some stuff on clearance that hopefully will be too loose in good time!

Pardon My (Personal) Dust!

05 Monday Aug 2013

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95closeupWell dang…it’s been awhile since I posted in here, eh?  The last part of July literally went *poof* before my eyes…and now it’s August!!  So much going on lately!

What, you might ask?  Well, I spent 5 days in Kansas City (Missouri) last week at Silpada Designs National Conference (jewelry!), and it was even more fun than last year if that’s even possible!  It’s fun going as a first-timer, but just as fun having been once before.  I felt much more oriented and grounded in the mix of all the whirlwind excitement!

Take a look at those gorgeous babies in the picture…that’s hematite, pyrite and pearl mixed in with .925 sterling silver, the highest quality silver available in jewelry.  Same grade that Tiffany uses, but nowhere NEAR Tiffany prices!  What’s not to love?  Please message me if you’d like to learn more or would like me to personally send you a new catalogue with my compliments!

And on a more personal note, I’ve jumped on a glorious new journey to get back in shape and drop those extra pounds that have crept up slowly over the last decade.  I’ve joined a coaching program through Precision Nutrition – it’s their Lean Eating for Women program.  This is week 3 and I’m off to a pretty good start! [Guys, there’s a Men’s program too if you were wondering.]

Now, I was a little skeptical about signing up.  Some of you who tune in here regularly might recall my dip into Intuitive Eating.  How refreshing…intuitive eating is not dieting!  So I was worried that the LE program might in fact be a diet.  And I’m very relieved to discover that it’s not.  In fact, it embraces lots of Intuitive Eating principles such as paying attention to your internal cues and noting when you’re starting to feel full.  It’s habit-based coaching, meaning you start out small by learning and practicing a couple of new habits, rather than getting everything WHOOOSH all at once.  It’s too overwhelming otherwise!

So the initial habits have nothing to do with what to eat or what not to eat.  Rather, just getting good nutritional supplements and some exercise (the routines are provided, along with short video clips to demonstrate).  Then we’ll build on those going forward!  Oh man, I have been so sore – but in a glorious way – so much that I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning (damn those planks!!).  But I’m getting the discipline back in my brain, and frankly it’s nice spending some time in the gym rather than flushing $100 a month down the toilet for dues without ever setting foot inside.  I’m getting in the habit of having my workout clothes in a pile ready to throw into my car on my way to work so I can get in the gym right afterwards.  As much as it would be great to do early morning workouts (my gym opens daily at 5:00am), that’s just not in my DNA.  So, early evening workouts it is.

I also had to take some pictures and do some body measurements for a baseline (this is a year-long program).  THAT was a little painful.  Thankfully, J was a champ as always, getting my pictures taken and helping me measure my biceps, waist, hips, neck, etc.  I cried a little as I weighed in on the scales at 204.5 lbs (about 95 kg).  And I’m only 5’4″ (1.6m).  How the fuck did this happen?? 10 years ago I was 138 lbs (63 kg) and a svelte size 6!  I’m grateful J finds me attractive…believe me, I’m doing this for ME and my personal health first and foremost.  I don’t want to be gripped by high blood pressure or the possible danger of diabetes looming in my future (thankfully I’m not diabetic).

So that’s what’s going on these days.  I’ll definitely have more to post as I get more underway in this journey.  I know I’ll get frustrated at times…that’s where the “excellence, not perfection” motto has to kick in.  I’m a little scared too, but excited.

That’s when I remember the words of Dr. Tom Barrett, our keynote speaker at Silpada convention this year:  “Sometimes you have to do it afraid.”

Suburban Surprise

26 Sunday May 2013

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DeerI’ve been feeling a little out of shape recently.  I haven’t been getting a lot of exercise, and yet I’m feeling like I’m in a spot where I really NEED it.  My work is fantastic – I love the team and what we’re working on together.  It’s just mentally exhausting.  I come home happy and fried.  Tapped out.  I remember part of the workshop I took last fall where we learned what our unique needs are.  What are our main ‘tanks’ and how do we keep them filled?  When they’re filled we’re at our optimum…at our best!  When they’re depleted, it’s a mess.

Apparently I need 7 hours of exercise a week to be at my best.  SEVEN!  That’s one freakin’ hour a day!  And I can assure you I’m nowhere near doing that right now.  I’m taking a sabbatical from hockey – man, when I first started playing I skated 4 nights a week!  And prior to taking up hockey I walked about 5 miles a day (with hills) every day for about 6 months…every day without fail.  That was the summer of 2003 when the weather was super hot and sunny.  I remember losing about 30-35 lbs in the process and getting in the best shape of my life cardio-wise as well.  OK wait…an hour and a half of walking every day and I morphed gradually into a svelte size 6.  Hmmm…and I needed ‘just’ an hour a day but didn’t know it at the time?  I do remember how energized I felt and how happy I was with my new figure…and so happy in general.  Maybe I really DO need an hour of exercise a day!

Well, they say there’s no better time to start (or restart) than NOW.  This is a lazy Memorial Day Weekend…no plans except for a super fun lunch and shopping date with my Mom yesterday (a belated birthday celebration).  I’m still grinning about the daytrip J and I took to Mount St. Helens last Sunday…on my birthday!  What an incredible trip it was.  The only thing that was a wee bit of a bummer was that there was too much snow on the trails to hike.  We were looking forward to getting some exercise outdoors after a 3 hour car ride but that will happen next time!  Still, an amazing experience.

So today I put on my walking gear and grabbed my iPod…time to explore my neighborhood once again on foot!  I live at the bottom of a very steep hill and yes, that was a part of my daily walking routine 10 years ago.  That hill is a butt (and lung) kicker…today I opted for a flatter route.  The drizzle was starting to morph into rain and I wondered if it would continue to get worse or clear up.  Thankfully it cleared up…I got so warm I had to ditch my windbreaker.

Here in the Seattle suburbs, so much open, vacant land has been gobbled up by subdivisions.  Call it thriving progress or call it sad…it’s our reality.  Frankly, I love the growth here in the region.  I’ve lived here all my life and am passionate about the Northwest…and proud that so many major businesses call this region home headquarters too.

I headed north up the main road near my townhouse and into the next town’s city limits.  Walking alongside a 4-lane road isn’t the most relaxing thing to do, but wide sidewalks and little traffic (not much on a Sunday holiday weekend) make it decent.  Once you get onto side streets there are a ton of windy roads and cul-de-sacs to get wonderfully lost in.  As I was deciding which side street to explore, I suddenly spotted a couple off to my right walking their dog.  They were on a gravelly trail just off the main road!  Dang, how many times have I walked right past that trail and never saw it?  Probably hundreds.  Certainly it wouldn’t be visible whizzing by in your car.  I smiled and walked up to them…where does the trail go, I asked?  They said oh, it “just goes back a ways.”  Ok, that’s a funny, vague answer!  They didn’t even know if it was public or private.  OK, so if I’m trespassing I’ll just laugh and say hey, what’s for dinner?

I looked down the trail…lots of trees were surrounding it and there were benches every so often. Looked public to me, but I didn’t see any signs posted.  So, I started down the trail, feeling a little giddy.  Here was a trail right in my neighborhood I was exploring for the first time!  After about a quarter of a mile the trail ran between houses in a suburban development and dumped me out into a cul-de-sac.  OK, that was somewhat interesting!  But I remembered further back there was a fork in the trail.  I retraced my steps back and took it.  There was one last bench and I was surrounded by thick trees again.

Then, I turned a corner…and look at the welcoming committee in the picture!  Do you know that feeling when you’re alone but you suddenly feel like you’re not alone?  That’s a jolt I felt right before looking to my left and spotting the two deer!  Wow, I was surprised!  Surprised not only that there is undeveloped land in this part of our suburbs, but that deer are here too!  We really don’t see much wildlife around here…maybe a raccoon or coyote late at night, but certainly not deer!  I wonder if that land is even develop-able (is that a word)?  Is it too marshy?  Who knows.

I’m going to go back tomorrow and see if they are still there!

Staying Healthy in 2013…Part Two!

13 Sunday Jan 2013

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Seems like new years always start off with a bang…a burst of change on top of renewed activity…exciting!  I woke up this morning just feeling happy. Content. Invigorated, and full of smiles. 

My current work engagement got extended through the end of February and I couldn’t be happier!  And wheels are in motion with interviewing and networking.  I had a phone screen on Friday and have another one at a different company later this week.  Even if nothing pans out from a phone screen, they’re still invaluable to me.  Why?  I call them Practice. 

And it’s icy, sunny and sparkly outside.  Magical.  I wish I’d snapped a pic of the blue and peach sunset across the street a few minutes ago – the sky is now fading to a waning pink shot through with grey.  And soon…blackness – with tons of stars.  If we can keep to this and not get socked in with a ton of rain this will be an ideal winter!

Gotta hand it to our Seattle Seahawks for a helluva comeback today against Atlanta…just shy of heading to the NFC conference championship.  We were down 27-14 at start of the 4th quarter…and scored two touchdowns!  But that last Atlanta field goal ended it.  Phenonmenal job, gentlemen.  We’ve got a young team and lots more on tap next season!

So, with all that’s whirling around so far this year, I’m remembering to relax and breathe.  To create space – an aura of calmness and serenity that’s joyfully, blissfully all mine while I passionately soak up the excitement all around me.

And to follow-up on last week’s post which was mostly about staying healthy with my favorite nutritional supplements and sunscreens, one other commitment I’m re-making (is that a word?) to better health is with exercise.  I’m still blown away that I need 7 hours of exercise a week to be at my very best based on a workshop I took last fall.  And a little overwhelmed figuring out how to cram that into a busy week!  If I could walk to work or get outside for a walk or light run during the day while I’m at work that would really help me get that time in.  But that hasn’t been a reality in over two decades.  When I worked in downtown Seattle and had a full, genuine lunch hour early on in my career I would bring walking shoes and do ‘urban hiking’ at lunch, exploring all the buildings around me, going up and down elevators, discovering good “rainy-day routes” by finding underground pedestrian tunnels, the best delis, etc.

Here are my current favorite forms of exercise!

Rowing.  As in the rowing machine at the gym.  I fell in love with this last fall thanks to getting inspired by my trainer B, who took the time to show me how to use the equipment and the proper form.  I can’t say enough how much I love it…it’s such a great alternative to the treadmill and is a more all-around overall body workout too.  I carry tension and the weight of the world in my neck and upper shoulders, and rowing melts it all away.  And I can now row 5000m in under 30 minutes!!  28:35 was my personal best so far!

But I make a point to avoid my gym the first part of January.  It’s too overcrowded with the new years crowd for a few weeks and hard to get on equipment right away.  So in the meantime I’m spicing up my routine with other things such as…

Walking. As in outside, bundled up.  Bring on the glorious icy air and sunshine!  Thankfully it’s been relatively dry, so getting outside for a walk doesn’t mean a lot of ice.  There have been a few problems but nothing major.  On Saturday I met up with my friend L who I had not seen in probably 10 months or so.  How fabulous to reconnect with her in the sunshine and get caught up! I swear walking outside in colder weather burns more calories…well, that’s my theory at least.

Workout DVDs.  I blew the dust off my Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred DVD, found my 5 and 8 lb handweights and got back to it.  Sadly it’s been a couple of years since I worked out to this DVD, but check out my old post in the link for the scoop.  These are 20 minute workouts, no bullshit.  You move the entire time and do not stop.  It seems deceptively easy, but by the time you’re into the second of the three 6-minute circuits your lungs and/or muscles will be burnin’.  And that’s good – that’s where the changes happen!  The 30-day shred DVD is currently on Amazon.com for $8.99 – an absolute steal.  It has 3 levels of circuit training.  And I think I’m going to alternate between levels 1, 2 and 3 to keep the variety going.  You’re supposed to do level 1 for 10 days, then level 2 for 10 days, etc, but for me that will get boring.  Holy shit, I did level 3 today for the first time and will be on fire tomorrow.  Maybe that will make level 1 seem not quite so tough the next time I try it.

What are YOUR surefire hits for staying fit, long after the New Years resolutions have faded?  I’d love to hear from you!

Staying Healthy in 2013!

07 Monday Jan 2013

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healthyHappy New Year, everyone!  I’m super-duper excited about this year and the promise of what’s ahead.  Can you feel the energy with me?  Everyone I’ve talked with and whom I’ve had the opportunity to see in person and hug with a New Year welcome so far feels it too!  I love it.  The hope and potential is boundless. Always…not only in early January but also on our ho-hum days in April and September, long after new year’s resolutions have likely faded grey.

Now, as some of you might already know, typically for the last decade or so I write off the first week of January health-wise.  Because I’m usually sick as a dog…down for the count with some sort of cold and/or flu.  With zero energy and zero appetite.  It doesn’t matter whether I’ve had a flu shot or not. Some years I get the flu even after getting a flu shot, and sometimes I don’t even without a shot.  What a crapshoot!  [For the record, I did not get a flu shot this year…and crossing fingers it’s January 7-8 and all is well.]

If I recall correctly, January 2012 was fairly healthy.  Take a look at last year’s posts and let me know what you think!  I remember getting snowed in for a week and having to work from home.  Oh boy, bring on the cabin fever!  This week we might get a little snow as well.  If it’s going to snow at all and stick around here in the Seattle area, it’s January and February for sure.

2013 is focused on my passion for increased health, fitness and wellness.  That might sound a bit overly cliché and cheesy for New Year’s goals, but I’m OK with that.  I know way deep down it will be my reality.  I had already gotten many wheels in motion (no pun intended) last fall with overall fitness.  Such as working out with a personal trainer and rowing at the gym.  I’ve worked hard on my goal of rowing 5000m in under 30 minutes and I’ve finally done it TWICE!  28:35 was my most recent time back in December – woot woot!  I can’t run a 5K anywhere near that pace (yet!) but it sure feels good to row it on a medium-weight resistance setting.  It’s a great alternative to the treadmill – which doesn’t take care of any work-related tension in my neck, shoulders and upper back, much less do any upper body muscle toning.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about health and beauty products…so here we go (again!)  I’ll go left to right in the picture up top:

Nutritional Supplements:  they say eating right is ideal, but I think we can all use a boost.  How many of us truly eat balanced meals every single day?  With our busy, on-the-go lifestyles?  I suppose many of you out there do, and my hat is off.  I just know that supplements can go a long way in keeping the immune system boosted year ’round.  At far left in the picture is the Ocean Essentials capsules from NutriLite.  These are Omega-3 softgels, 90 per bottle.  Great for heart health, blood flow and lipid levels!  I really like these because the capsules are small to medium-sized and easy to swallow.  There is a very faint fish smell and aftertaste (not surprising) but I think that’s only noticeable to me (or so I hope!).  After about an hour (and maybe a stick of chewing gum) it goes away. NutriLite offers other supplements containing concentrated nutrients from fruits and vegetables, plus others with anti-oxidants.  I don’t have any of those in the picture right now, as refills are on the way!  But both are highly recommended.  Each are also very easy to swallow…not too large and well-shaped.

Green Coffee Bean extract:  Who hasn’t heard about this craze?  With no caffeine buzz?  I admit I got swept up with quite a few friends’ raves about this product last fall and how they were able to lose up to 3 lbs a week.  That has not been my record to date, but I don’t think they could hurt.  Plus, I have not taken them on a consistent basis as recommended. Actually, the only thing that hurt was ordering them through Evolution Slimming, and I only say that because I’m on this side of the pond.  The fantastically helpful and nice people at Evolution Slimming are based out of the UK, so the shipping was slow and tedious given this is a food/supplement type of product so I’m sure the customs clearance process took awhile.  And I had to go physically drive to my post office to pick up the package as it was sent registered mail.  No problem overall, but a little time-consuming. 

Next up we’re back with NutriLite’s Slimmetry supplements.  This supplement is designed to suppress your appetite in a healthy way if you take a few prior to each meal.  Again, I don’t do this on a routine basis, but I do notice a difference when I consciously take 2-3 pills prior to breakfast or lunch.  I don’t feel the cravings quite as much between meals!  And they are also very easy to swallow, shaped well to go down easily. 

Moisturizer!  With sunscreen!  People, I can’t stress enough how essential daily sunscreen is! I don’t care if it’s cloudy or dark out…if you’re fair-skinned like me (or even if you’re not), you will thank me for this later.  And it’s never too late to start.  I wear a moisturizer with SPF every single day under my makeup (which also, usually, has sunscreen depending upon which brand I’m wearing).  I’ve used Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Alpha Hydroxy lotion with SPF 15 for several years (on and off – switching between brands sometimes) and I always come back to it.  It disappears into my skin quickly, meaning it doesn’t leave my skin feeling oily and leaves it ready for liquid foundation and primer.  Note that alpha hydroxy lotions can sting a little at first until your skin gets used to them, especially on your face, so definitely avoid the eye area and alternate it with other lotions every few days at first.  You’ll also want to try this lotion on your arms, hands and elbows – expect amazing results!  I find it easily at my local Bartell’s or Rite Aid drugstores, but I see it’s no longer on Neutrogena’s website (which is why the link above is on Amazon.com).  I hope it doesn’t get discontinued any time soon!

Next up is my first official beauty splurge of 2013:  La Roche-Posay Anthelios sunscreen fluid with SPF 50.  I happened to be browsing an issue of Allure magazine and this popped up as a favorite product of 2012.  So I ordered it on a total random whim and so far I’m super happy with it.  Lightweight AND SPF 50? Sign me up!  I wear it under my makeup primer and liquid foundation and it doesn’t feel heavy at all.  It’s pricey ($32.95 for 1.7 oz compared with approx. $14 for Neutrogena’s 2.5 oz alpha hydroxy), but I’m very happy so far.  The true test will be how much “a little goes a long way” or not, just like with any other more costly beauty product.

Fragrance?  Well I have a large stash of them, but my newest favorite is L’Occitane’s The Vert (green tea) solid perfume.  I can’t find this scent in solid perfume anywhere on their official website any longer, but if you can find it elsewhere it’s well worth it.  It comes in a tin like a lip balm, and the scent is clean and fresh.  It’s impossible to overdo it!  This scent DOES keep me healthy.  The green tea aroma is powerful (yet gentle), soothing, healing and builds strength within me.

What else beyond products?  Well, the magenta scarf wrapped around the picture is another essential.  Keeping my neck and throat area protected and warm while commuting and walking between buildings for meetings at work during the rainy/cold seasons is essential to staying healthy.  Us Taureans’ throats are especially vulnerable and should always be protected from cold weather to ensure our health!  I enjoy my small but fabulous wardrobe of colorful pashmina scarves and wraps…a nice pop of color to punch up my typical wardrobe of grey, dark denim and black.

Sleep?  Exercise?  Yes and Yes!  After last fall’s workshop, I learned what the contents of my own personal operating manual are!  Right down to how much sleep and how much exercise I need!  7 hours a night and 7 hours per week, respectively…to be at my optimum self.  I can try going to bed a little earlier (as hard as it can be) to get more sleep, but how the hell can I get in an hour of exercise a day, every day these days?  I used to walk 5 miles a day, every day 9 years ago around my neighborhood (which was about 90 minutes, including hills).  How can I recreate that?  I truly was in the best shape of my life after 6 months of that (35 lbs dropped off)…and that was before joining the gym I currently belong to. 

So that’s what’s on tap for now.  Getting to bed an hour earlier AND squeezing in daily exercise (rather than 3-4 times a week) will be challenging, but I am determined!  Stay tuned for more!