I Don't Want a Cookie, Thank you.

I faced down temptation today - a sunny flower shaped cookie from one of the best bakeries in Des Moines - Highland Park Bakery.  Why are they so good?  Perhaps the mounds of creamy yellow butter?  Anyway, when my friend Chandler opened the famous white bag and offered me that sugary delight, I smiled and said, "No thank you, I am being good."  And amazingly, it wasn't that hard.

In fact, I haven't had a brownie, cookie, candy, anything of that ilk since Sunday.  But I haven't been missing it.  I have no idea why, other than I am ready for change.  I am ready for sweat, aches and fresh foods.  I am ready to be me again - energetic, smiling and determined.  So, that's exactly how I am taking this challenge on.  I may grunt, I may whine, but I will do it.  Trainer Gwyn experienced a bit of that today.

I met up with Gwyn at 1 p.m. at the Mercy/YMCA Healthy Living Center, it was our first training session together, after our initial meeting yesterday.  She immediately put me through my paces, which thrilled me.  I do not want to dance around, I want results.  Gwyn had me walk to warm up, then do this seated stair step machine called the NuStep.  Then it was on to working my shoulders until my arms felt like jelly.  Gwyn asked if it was the exercises that made me grimace and whine a little.  I assured her, no, it was just my body trying to remember the moves and getting a bit cranky.  We added in some balance moves and some stretching and called it good.  90-minutes of pure sweat.  Only thing I really need to do is remember to breath, I'm bad at that. 

After training I bounced back here and found my food plan from Nutritionist Katie.  She had done exactly what I asked, she concentrated on calories and how they should be put together.  I will be meeting up with her for 5 minutes tomorrow after my workout for her to answer a couple of questions and give me a booklet that is a cheat sheet of foods that are the best options. 

As far as food, so far I have been doing my own thing.  Trying to cut the fat and keep the calories at 1,400 or less.  Katie's plan will be a much scientific and help my body lose fat in the healthiest way possible.  It also will create better habits and long-term success.  Along time for now when I am ready for maintenance, I will have Katie revise the plan to account for my life going forward. 

Well, I better go for now.  FYI - Tomorrow's plan - Water therapy with PT Kristi at 6:30 a.m., Workout at 1 p.m. (Gwyn is out but she will have someone else check in on me) and a brief meet-up with Katie to go over nutrition plan at 2:45.  Until then...

Yours in Health,
Kate

Working on an "Alternative"

I am just not feeling it today. I didn't fall asleep until 9 last night, so maybe that is why. I mean I do get up around 2:45 a.m. every day.

I just walked with my friend Chandler. I really need to run. Then go home and do core and some body weight work. My one real fitness accomplishment for the day seems to be sending out an e-mail to see if anyone has heavier hand weights I can buy off them.

I currently have 2 pound and 8 pound. The 2 collect dust kitties and the 8 pound present little if any challenge. I need some 15 and 20, especially since gas has kept me home working out more often. Plus, this winter, when we're butt high in snow - if it looks dangerous I do not want to be wandering across town. If I have weights I can dance some salsa for cardio and lift at home.

It's not perfect, but it's a nice start. If my roomie and I get a house, I want to get one of those things that holds your regular bike stationary. That way I can use it for cardio in the winter. Chandler says he has a weight bench I can buy cheap, I asked him to bring a picture later in the week. That's a handy accidental find.

To quote a great character, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Yours in Fitness, Kate

Will someone please bring in 'da noise?

The funk was here this morning, so no need for that. Yes, that's an obscure reference to Broadway. It's also a description of my morning.

I was traveling along just fine and then, BAM! Something went wrong at work. Then I made the mistake of looking through all of the pictures on the KIOA website - I look fat and sickly/pale. It shattered the image I have created of myself in my head.

I picture a happy, healthy woman. What I saw was a badly dressed, kinda dumpy, scary looking aberration. A half formed version of the self I hoped to be. It drove me to the floor mentally.

I wanted to throw up.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to cry.
I wanted to curl up in a ball.
I wanted to eat a giant chocolate bar.
I wanted to go home and get on the couch and not move.
I wanted to let go and hold on.
I wanted anything but what was happening in my head.

I went for a walk with Joe and Chandler, AKA - the walking club. I felt better afterward. Exercise helps. But if it hadn't been for Chandler suggesting the skywalk, I would have bagged due to the weather. I wouldn't have felt any better and chances are I would have gone home found my way to several of the suggested options above.

I will say this - I am not a vain person, but for the first time in my life my appearance matters. That is unfamiliar territory for me. I am going to have to be more careful about what I wear. I am going to have to consider the hair situation. I may even need to cave and wear make-up. None of this makes me happy.

I like to be my true self, my authentic self. I know for a fact that woman doesn't 'doll-up' for anyone. Yet, maybe I don't get to be that woman any more.

Yours in (mental) health, Kate

Here is an example from the website:

It's seriously painful to look at.

Exercise as Therapy

I had my friend Chandler along for walking club at noon. It was nice that someone was with me because my tummy was bothering me and I knew it would pass with a little workout and good conversation. It worked.

That brought me to two ways that exercise works as therapy:

1. The physical - I find that if I get moving, a lot of the time whatever ails me slips away as my lungs breathe deeper and I start to sweat. This isn't always the case, but often.

It's why when people say they feel tired or have gout or are diagnosed with arthritis, the first thing they are told is to get moving. Doctors are super fast to prescribe walking. That's because almost everyone can do it, it's low impact, it's free and frankly it is WAY easy. Any form of exercise will have a similar affect.

2. The mental - Half way through a 30 minute walk today with Chandler we both found ourselves letting go of chit-chat and having a real talk. We vented about office politics and what it's like to be in a building that communicates as a building, but not always with each other. It felt great.

That's when I reiterated something I had forgotten, because I really haven't worked out with anyone since last fall - once the endorphins start flowing, so does the talk. It's cathartic, it's a release and it moves the stress out of the picture. Or at the very least, helps put it in perspective.

I've said before when I am working out on my own, about 15 minutes into the sweat and the crap falls away. Guy problems, work problems, they come out of my pores and I am one with the music. Since I release endorphins in the workout, when the issues come back to my mind after, I feel better and think clearer, so it's easier to deal.

So, forget taking to the couch for therapeutic rest or discussion. Hit the streets and get the physical and mental dealt with all in one shot.

Your in mental and physical health, Kate

Where did the week go?

I just looked at the blog, I haven't posted since Monday. I had every intention, but it just didn't happen, so here's a recap:

Monday - Worked out hard - did an impromptu cross-training session. Fast walk, weights & abs, bike, weights & abs, crossrobics (reclined star-stepper), weights & abs, stairs, weights & abs, run, weights & abs, elliptical, weights & abs. Yep, got kind of crazy and my glutes taunted me for it both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday - The first day of Walking Club at my office. I am the ring leader. Last year it was just me and two or three guys on a regular basis. But people kept saying, "If only you were doing it during the day". So this year I am having outings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Noon and 5:30 p.m. There should be fewer excuses. Tuesday at Noon, just Joe joined me. At 5:30 Chandler was going to join me, but I got stuck in traffic in Urbandale/West Des Moines, so I didn't make it back. It's raining today, so no walking with the Club. I am hoping for a better turn-out on Tuesday, we will see.

Wednesday - A forced day off. Lori's best-friend Jodee's mom died late last week. Yesterday was her funeral. It was awful. She was feisty, funny, athletic and full-of-life until diabetes began to rob her of so much of her health and abilities.

Today - Back to the gym. In fact, I need to eat something, edit something and then head to the gym in about an hour. So, I better stop posting and get it in gear. I don't want to let today get away from me as well.

Yours in fitness, Kate