Designing my resolutions

It's been a few days since I've posted, with the hustle and bustle of the holidays surrounding us. Surprisingly I had a lot of quiet time to myself in the past week and have used it to really start considering my short (2012) and long term health & fitness goals. I plan to fine-tune my thoughts and post on that in my next blog!


But now for a quick holiday review! I did it -- the week prior to Christmas I got in 5 work outs! I've been going to the gym (Fort Sanders Health & Fitness) more than when I started training, and it helps keep me motivated. There's something about being in a group of people who are all sweating to help keep you going. One day I remember glancing over at the gentleman on the bike beside me - he was maybe 60+ years old, had been on the bike longer than I had, but had gone a shorter distance. I thought, "look at me, ahead of this guy," and then I realized he was just in his warm up! Before I knew it he was cycling over 75 rpm! Sheesh. Instead of letting him get the best of me (mentally) I kept up with him, even cycling on the interval setting. It was probably unfair to him that he didn't realize we were competing ... but it gave me the push I needed! lol


My goal for the coming week is to really start some upper body and core strengthening into my workout. I'm really looking forward to our group training sessions that will start in January.


As far as Christmas was concerned, I feel good about what I did and what I ate. Sure there were a few splurges here and there (2 cookies on Christmas to be exact ... but it was homemade rugula and it was worth every carb). I made a really yummy Greek dip with hummus, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes & kalamata olives (finally something productive from pinterest!) that I took to Christmas at my folks house. It was so yummy that I took a 2nd batch back for night 2 of our festivities.


I got some great fitness related holiday gifts, that I'm really excited about! New headphones (that double as blue tooth if needed), and an armband holder thingie for my iphone for when I'm walking/shuffling/running. I also got a great new pair of running gloves -- which will really come in handy tonight since I'm planning on some outside training! And, thankfully, some gift certificates to go buy some new clothes. My pants (even the ones I bought 2 weeks ago) have started to look completely, and ridiculously big. Yesterday at work I had no fewer than 4 people tell me I needed new pants. While I appreciate them noticing ... it's frustrating and exhilarating at the same time! lol 


Well, off to work (my Friday for the week)! Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful week! 

Fa la la la la la la la la

Wow, it's been quite a week. The week before Christmas always seems to be one of the longest and the shortest all at once! Funny how that can happen, isn't it? I both love this time of year and loathe this time of year. My husband works retail so last night was the first time that he and I were both in the same place, both awake, for about an hour or so. Christmas is his only day off this week.


I remember when I was younger how fun Christmastime always seemed! It was usually the one time of year that all of my siblings and I were in the same place at the same time. Despite where school, families, and travels took us, Christmas was when we were all home...even if for just a day. 


As an adult it seems that I spend most of this season stressing about getting my year-end work finished, shopping for the perfect gifts, and what casserole I'm going to bring to Christmas dinner. Usually little things like traffic, rude shoppers, and even my husbands' work schedule stress me out to the max in December ... however, this week I'm really not that stressed. I contribute this low stress holiday week to several things: 

• Exercise! OK, I know that was the obvious one! It's really becoming a habit. Even when I take my coveted "off days," I feel like I should be doing something. Almost guilty for taking a day off (even though I know my body needs a break). I'll admit it -- this week, exercise-wise, has been a tough one. I'm been hurting a lot. My feet don't like me this week...and I've been on them most of the week. So at the gym I've been taking Coach Kane's advice and doing things like the bike that are less impact on my feet. 
• Planning ahead! Planning ahead with my meals has been incredibly helpful! Each night before I get ready for bed I've been planning out what would be for breakfast, and what I would take for lunch, and even my snacks. I've realized that when I'm prepared with the good things that I know I can eat ... I'm less tempted to eat the things I shouldn't. I'll admit it -- I did have 1 piece of chocolate out of the huge box someone brought to work last week. And I did have a delicious macaroon that one of my co-workers made. But, in the grand scheme of things I haven't wanted all of the sweets and tasty treats that are in abundance this time of year! Mind over matter, right?!
• I've also planned ahead with buying holiday gifts this year -- which has been a huge stress reduction!               Working with our budget I have bought things steadily since last month, and will head out shortly to pick up the last few things I need, and do some grocery shopping! One of my biggest personal victories is that I got all of the out-of-town gifts packaged up and send way ahead of time (Arlington, Phoenix, Nashville, Maryland and Kentucky)! Anyone who's stood in line at the post office this time of year knows that is a HUGE win)!
• Thankfulness! I am so thankful for many things. I'm thankful for this amazing opportunity that I've been given to participate in this Biggest Winner program. It's given me the motivation and tools to work on something that I've never been fully prepared to tackle. I'm thankful for my health. Even if I'm not the healthiest person around -- I'm making progress! I'm thankful for my family's health. I have so many friends and co-workers who are struggling right now with personal or familial health issues. Some whose bodies are healing from surgeries, some spending the holiday season battling cancer, and some hospitalized for other maladies. Their struggles make me realize even more clearly that I need to be thankful for what I have and take care of myself. 

Wow, OK, this blog has gotten a little more serious than I'd intended -- but I really wanted to share those things. I'll close this one out with a few more little inspirational tidbits I found on (you guessed it) Pinterest.com. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, or is having a wonderful Hanukkah, Festivus, Kwanza, or whatever you prefer to celebrate. Be thankful for the blessings in your life, even if you've spent years taking them for granted! 

Planning ahead

I feel like my main goal for the week is going to be planning ahead! 


Planning ahead to carve out time for my workouts, and planning ahead to combat yummy holiday foods!


Saturday night we went to a holiday party with friends, and before I went I ate a salad (hoping to fill up a bit). But of course, for the remainder of the evening, while surrounded by wonderful friends, I was surrounded by wonderful tasty morsels. One good side note - this group of friends usually has some very yummy, and healthy treats, and this year proved no different! Hummus, veggies, and my favorite homemade tomatilla salsa! But, b/c it was a party and I drank water (no libations), and graciously sampled the delicious cheesecake dip (several times)! 


Last night was my father-in-law's birthday celebration at Olive Garden (yum!)! Knowing that pasta & bread are two of my weaknesses I searched ahead of time for some nutritional info for Olive Garden. Didn't have to search far -- they have it on their website! OK, are you ready? One of those delicious buttery breadsticks counts as 2 services of carbs. Yes, 2 servings!! Let's not even go into the amount of fat, calories, etc!! 
Even the salad (what heavenly dressing) has carbs and fat! A salad with fat?!!?  I checked out my favorite dish (portabella ravioli). Usually I order this, eat half and bring half home, filling the void with bread sticks and salad! Not last night. Last night I had 1 bread stick (yes, you CAN eat just one), salad, and minestrone soup. It was yummy, and I filled up! 


Skipping back ... Saturday's training walk/shuffle/run was 5 miles! It was a great 5 miles (I have a blister to prove it). I admitted something to myself that I hadn't before. Until now I've said I'm training for the 5K. It's official folks ... the goal is ... cross the line of the half marathon! It might quite possibly be the slowest half marathon EVER...but my goal is to finish. I'm not trying to break any records, except my own. They may be shutting down the lights in Neyland Stadium when I get there ... but I'll get there! 


Thanks, again, to everyone who has been reading and encouraging! I really appreciate your support! 

How many push ups can you do?

Last night I went back to Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center to complete my Fit Test. Last night's portion was what I like to call the "Presidential Fitness Test" portion. Who remembers those days in elementary school -- tortured by sit and reach, sit ups, rope climbing and pull ups?! I do. I can still feel the rust beneath my fingers on the chin up bar at Sequoyah Elementary! Yikes! 

Needless to say the Fit test was a bit more refined (no pull ups)! :) I had to walk on the treadmill wearing a heart monitor for about 10 minutes. The first minute was no incline, and low speed, the next 3 minutes was increased incline and speed, and the remainder was additional increase in incline. The test was measuring my Maximal Oxygen Consumption. I don't really think that maximal is a word...but I'm reading straight from the Fitness Evaluation print out. 

"Maximal VO2 (maximal oxygen consumption) is the maximal rate at which oxygen can be taken up, distributed and utilized by the working muscles during physical activity. It depends on the efficiency of the heart to pump the needed blood, the lungs to oxygenate blood and remove carbon dioxide, and the musculoskeletal system, which utilizes oxygen to help convert circulated and stored carbohydrates (glucose and glycogen) and fast to energy, for muscle contraction."

My VO2 Max was 36.97. I am happy to report that this is one test I pass! I'm actually in the high average/low above average range! The disclaimer is that I have a really high resting heart rate (b/c I'm out of shape), so I didn't have as far to go to reach my target heart rate. Anyway ... that's all symantics...I'm going to take this win and hope to see it in the "Well Above Average" during my next Fit test!

On to flexibility. I have none. This flexibility is measured by the old fashion sit and reach test. My flexibility measured at 13 inches. Average for my age is 18-19 inches. I'm sure when I lose some more weight in my mid region I'll be much more flexible! I'm working on that and my stretching!

On to push ups. Ladies, how long has it been since you've done push ups? The modified, knees bent kind of course? Well, for me, it has to have been at least ten years! Ideally for my age I should've been able to do 21-27 push ups. I know, I'm still laughing, too! Well, I did 14!! Honestly I didn't think I'd make it past 4, but I did! My arms feel like jello-o this morning, but I know strength training will help improve this aspect of my Fit test.

Needless to say the Fit Test has been an eye opening experience, and I look forward to doing an updated Fit Test in a few months to see my progress! 

In other news ... I'm still working on adding more carbs into my diet! I'll actually be able to make it to the grocery store tonight to restock on some healthy items! I haven't been able to shop since I met with the dietitian. I'm very excited about trying some new products she recommended, as well as looking for some new ideas for snacks, etc. 

Also, drinking water continues to be something I have to consciously make an effort to do. Last week I bought 2 (1 liter) water bottles. I keep them both filled up (1 at home, 1 with me). My goal is to finish them both in a day. Yesterday I exceeded that goal! Baby steps, folks.

Thanks to everyone who has been checking out my blog. Since I started documenting my journey I've had over 1000 page views! I appreciate everyone's support, and encourage you to leave comments, and "follow" my blog! 

It's all in the numbers

This morning I had my highly anticipated first meeting with Barbara, the dietitian at Covenant Weight Management Center. I went to the appointment with mixed feelings of nervousness, excitement, fear, and anxiety. My teammates who had already had their initial appointments had come away with varying experiences, so I really had no idea how the visit would go.


The visit was wonderful. It was eye opening, and the perfect refresher course on nutrition that I needed. For a long time I've viewed carbs as the enemy, and have tried to limit them. For the simple fact that I am a carb addict I've always felt that if I kept them under control I would be healthier. Well, today was a big wake up call.


Let's rewind a little back to the summer. I started limiting my calories and my carbs. While I've seen some weight loss from the change, I didn't make any changes when I increased my activity level. So, instead of adjusting my diet appropriately a month ago when we started walking & working out, I kept up my old routine. 


Well, today Barbara explained to me that my body has been trying to protect me from myself. Since I haven't been fueling it properly (kept my diet around 1000 calories a day with only 2-3 carbs), and I have increased my activity by like 500%, my body is thinking that it needs to keep my fat around so that I don't die. The good news is ... I have enough fat to keep me alive for awhile. The bad news is ... I have enough fat around to keep me alive for awhile! :) 


My new food plan ... no counting calories. Really?! Nuh uh!! Yup, when you're reading everything else on the label and eating what you should the calories should fall into place. The only calorie rule is that a meal should have no fewer than 200 calories (my breakfasts and lunches for the past several months have been around 180 calories each). 


My ideal fruit, veggie & protein portions are all pretty much in check with my current eating habits. And Sodium goal 1500 mg or less a day. 


And now for my new carb plan ... 3 for breakfast, 3 for lunch, 1 for afternoon snack, 3-4 for dinner, and 1 for bedtime snack. 12 servings of carbs a day?! I'm still in shock. I'm actually still planning on how to work that all in! 


Barbara's review of food labels with me was absolutely the most helpful part of our appointment. I'm sure I'll carry this handout around with me the next few times I go to the store ... but it's a huge help. 


Some important things to look at when reading food labels:

• How big is the serving size? This can be sneaky! I spot-checked a few things in our pantry when I got home ... and Barbara was right ... some of them are sneaky! I even had my husband reading labels at dinner, when he realized 1 serving of club crackers was only 4 crackers. 4 crackers?! Sheesh.
• Total Fat: Ideally for me with weight loss (and probably a good rule of thumb) 5 grams or less a serving
• Saturated fat: Ideally 2 grams or less
• Trans Fat - 0
• Sodium: Ideally 300 mg or less
• And -- the more fiber, the better!!  More fiber gives you some credit with your carbs. For example If something has 30 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of fiber ... you only have to count the 24 carbs (30-6)!

Today was also my first weigh-in, exactly a month from our intro day when we did our publicity shots and first met each other. The good news is that I'm down 1.5 pounds. The even better news is that with the proper fuel, and new food plan, hopefully next month it'll be a greater weight loss. 

The week that would never end ...

Ever have those weeks that by the time you get to Tuesday you feel like it should already be Friday? I've felt like that since Monday! Tonight I'm exhausted, but it's a "good tired," not a "I'm going to pass out on my face kind of tired." 


Since my last post I had my initial fit test at Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center - although for some reason we didn't finish the entire thing so I'm going back Wednesday to do Part 2. After I met with the exercise physiologist he gave me a brief tour of the cardio-theatre area of the gym. I have to say -- the realm of exercise entertainment has really progressed since I was last a member in a gym! They have a few bikes that you can dock your iphone/ipod into, and watch content on your phone on the screen of the bike...or, if you'd rather, you can play a game from the bike collection, such as solitaire! lol  I know, I know, not what I should be focusing on about the gym ... but, how cool is that! I like any distraction that will take my mind off of how hard I'm working!! 


This afternoon our team was on Live at Five at Four on WBIR. One Fridays the show films live from Market Square, so it was a fun change of pace. I hate that not all of our teammates could be there -- but one, actually had to be at WBIR to produce the show! I'm glad that they got to do a cut in of her during the segment!  I don't think there's a link to today's segment yet, but I'll keep checking to post for you guys to see.


Pretty exciting stuff. In Monday's Knoxville News Sentinel the Covenant Healthwise page will also feature our team. Be sure to check it out. You can also check out some additional info about our team, as well as links to some of my teammate's blogs here: www.covenanthealth.com/biggestwinner. There's also some of our fun publicity shots that we did during our first meeting together over a month ago. 


In other exciting news, after I left Market Square I headed to New Balance to pick up my new shoes. I took them for a little spin once I got home, and they felt great! I even ran a few intervals. Now when I say "ran," I really mean more of a "shuffle." I'm sure if anyone in the neighborhood saw me there would be much laughter. But, hey, who cares! Felt good, and making progress! 


Sorry I'm skipping all over the place, but that's how my brain is working today. Since our meeting with our trainer/life coach Chris earlier this week, I've been thinking a lot about my goals. I've always been very goal oriented when it comes to work. So it's been an interesting thought process to sort through personal goals. My #1 goal is: Cross the finish line on April 1, 2012. 


In June of this year I weighed 265.5 pounds. On the first day of our training I weighed in at 249 pounds. I've come a long way, even though I'm just beginning. This brings me to Goal #2: Be happy with my progress. I want to continue to celebrate my victories, even if they are small. I want to celebrate daily the task I'm undertaking, and be proud of myself. I want to be proud of myself even when I have a bad day, and don't exercise, or eat something I shouldn't. I want to eliminate self doubt. 

My 3rd goal is a little different ... instead of the goal being to lose weight, my goal is to lose my old habits. I'm trying to build new fitness habits that will help me succeed in achieving better health. Building new habits shouldn't be too difficult since there weren't many old ones to get rid of! :)


I'm working on more goals, but thought I'd share these.  I'll leave you with a few inspirational tidbits from, where else, Pinterest! I love these. Thanks for checking out my blog, I appreciate everyone's support! 

I am the author of my own story

Today was a long day, but a good long day. After work I had my runner/walker evaluation with Phil at Parkwest Therapy Services. This was an optional tool for us to take advantage of as part of our team training. I was eager to see what he had to say, given my plethora of orthopedic maladies. I really enjoyed our session, and learned a great deal about body mechanics, and what I can do to strengthen my body core in order to protect my knees and my feet. He had some very helpful suggestions for the ideal shoes I need (good stability), and recommendations for strengthening my left hip & IT band on both sides. 


After my runner evaluation we had our first group goal setting session with our trainer Chris O'Hearn. This was really the first time we've spent with Chris, other than our brief meeting during our kick-off day. Chris is a personal trainer at Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center, and also a life coach. You can check out his website, Strong Within here. I think he's going to be an incredible influence on our team. 


Chris reminds me of Coach Kane, in that he is just a ball of energy! He talks a mile a minute (which is good, b/c that's the speed at which I listen), and you can tell he's really passionate about helping people realize that they are the authors of their own stories. If you can dream it, you can be it. I knew I liked him when he quoted Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try." 


More excitement to come tomorrow night -- my Fit Test at the Fitness Center! I'll keep you posted! 

A great day for 4!

This morning I met up with Coach Missy Kane & most of my teammates for a training walk/run with the Knoxville Track Club! This morning's meet up was at the Runners Market in West Knoxville in its new location next to the Fresh Market in Farragut. Our goal (Biggest Winner team) was to up our longest distance by about half a mile...which took me and some others at 4 miles. Our route took us across Kingston Pike, and further down Campbell Station. 


Observations from today's walk:

• The sidewalk was a much harder (literally) surface on which to walk, and I felt it. 
• Knoxville Track Club members continue to be so supportive of our teams' efforts! They're so encouraging! So many of those I've met have their own amazing weight loss stories! Everyone started somewhere! 
• People who litter suck! I mean, for real, folks. The amount of trash I saw along the sidewalk was just disgusting. 
• My teammates are amazing! Everyone's got their own reason for our journey as part of the Biggest Winner team.
• Sometimes silence is amazing! At one point we'd all set our own pace and I was walking by myself. It was so nice to have that time to think about my day, my weekend, my week.
• We have an awesome coach! Missy Kane has more energy than anyone else I know! I don't know how she does it! But she inspires me! 

Some pics that Missy took from today's meet up.

Keeping warm before heading out! 

The Knoxville Track Club group!

New location of Runners Market! Next to Fresh Market in Farragut - check it out! 

Our team! 

If you haven't figured it out yet, Coach Missy loves to take pics (and I'm glad she does)! She had us pause during our walk to show off the scenery! 

Today was a great day! It felt good to push myself, and know I was OK. Yes, I'm a little sore after the walk (mainly my feet) ... but, for the most part, I feel great!