Did I Just Say I Enjoy Exercise???

I've really been working to fit exercise into my days.  I have those last 10 pounds to lose, the same 10 pounds I've needed to lose for two years.  {ahem!}  I've been accustomed to walking 2 or 3 days a week, but I've added *The Biggest Loserfor Wii game into the mix. 

I never imagined what kind of workout I could get with a game, but wow!  It can be as light or as intense as you want it to be.  Thank goodness, the game actually sensed the routines they chose for me were a little too much for my fitness level, and it lowered my routine intensity. 

Although the game has a couple quirks that I have to work around, I rave about this program.  I enjoy doing the exercises.  (Except for the 30 minute full body workout at the Challenging level.  Ow-chi-wa-wa!)  They mix up the exercises, of which there are many, and I haven't done the same routine twice in several weeks.  One day it's upper body, and another day it's yoga.  It might be core, or it could be full body.  You "compete" in challenges once a week, and then there is a weigh-in. 

So far I haven't been eliminated and sent home from the ranch.  Ya know, I'm starting to think it's rigged.  If they send me home, I won't be able to play the game anymore.  {wink}

So if you are a Biggest Loser fan and want to get in shape, I really recommend it.  You get an excellent workout with Bob and Jillian talking you through (minus all the screaming).  Truly, I have the sore muscles to prove it.

*This is an affiliate link to Amazon.

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Is That Bengay I Smell?

Tonight is our last night before summer vacation for Word of Life Olympians club at church.  I get to teach the lesson, so I'm going to be giving the kids a challenge to continue on with their daily devotions.  Just because they won't be turning in their books every week, doesn't mean their relationship with Jesus ends for the summer. 

I'm planning a really fun attention-grabber right at the start of the lesson.  Let's just say I'll be acting a little silly -- in public -- which is out of my comfort zone.  But I'm excited about the lesson I'm preparing, so I actually want to be silly with the intention that the kids will remember the visual through the summer months.

In other news...

I've been trying to kick up the fitness intensity in my life over the last week and a half.  Part of that involves The Biggest Loser game for Wii.  I've only used it a few times, but I like the workout I get from it.  I honestly didn't believe I would do well with push-ups, but I did them... and lived to tell about it.

I ran into trouble Monday, though.  I accidentally opted out of the warm-up and went directly into the workout.  (It really was an accident.)  Big no-no!  Now my left calf hurts like the dickens when I walk.  (Is it old-fashioned to use the term "dickens"?  If so, I will never use it again.)  I believe the sore muscle is due to the lack of a warm-up.  Won't do that again.

Hey, but the positive side to it is that it only hurts when I walk on it.  It doesn't hurt when I'm just sitting.

I walked laps yesterday, hoping it would help work that muscle out.  Not happenin'.  But I'm going to attempt walking again today.

So that's what's new in my little corner of the world.  Hope you have a lovely Wednesday.

Oh, and if you smell Bengay.  That's just me.  Sorry.

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Still Determined to Lose

I slept like a baby last night.  Went to bed at 9:30 and didn't get up until 5:45.  I knew I was in need of some serious pillow time after exercising yesterday. 

I sure was glad when I was able to get out of bed this morning without too much effort.  My legs seem to have taken the brunt of the work because they are sorer than my upper body.  I can walk alright, but standing up, sitting down, and walking down the stairs makes me groan just a bit.

My program gave me a day off today, but I'll be back at it tomorrow.  I really, really want to lose the rest of this weight, so I'm ready to go again.

I think this time I'll schedule a nap shortly afterward, since I'm gonna need to be at church for Word of Life.  After the way I felt last night, I can't afford a repeat of that, or my kids are gonna be looking at a zombie.

Determined To Lose

I started a new workout plan today.  Honestly, I've only got about 7 pounds to lose in order to reach my goal, but I keep going up and down on the same 3 pounds.  I'm determined to get to my goal!  So anyway.  New workout today.  And I am feelin' the burn now. 

Did someone say "nap"?  I could sure use one about now.  {yawn}

I have a feeling it's going to be hard to get out of bed tomorrow morning.  Oy.

This Weight Loss Thing... It's a Process

The week has flown.  So much going on that there's hardly been time to think about a blog.  So we're finally together again.  Would it be okay if I talked a little about my weight loss process?  Thanks.

Today completes four weeks of filling out my food fact sheet, exercising 3-4 times a week, and reining in my calorie consumption.  Tomorrow I face another weigh-in, and I'm slightly nervous.

Last week I maintained.  Honestly, that was a disappointment.  (I'm just being real.)  I had to repeat over and over to myself, "It's not about the number.  It's not about the number.  It's not about the number!"  Oooh, such hard words to believe.

It's a battle to keep the focus on getting healthy to please the Lord and for becoming self-controlled, rather than focusing entirely on making the number on the scale go down week by week.  I know sometime in the middle of last week I began to lose my focus and found myself wanting to creep onto the scale a few times during the week... just to see what the number was looking like.  This week the desire for a shrinking number grew even more.

Another fight has gotten harder this week, and that was with the treadmill.  Although I have found that a good audiobook really helps keep me distracted (I'm listening to a book by Terri Blackstock), getting motivated to even step onto the treadmill has started to become an uphill battle.

I just couldn't get on it Wednesday, but Thursday I was able to talk myself into it.  Probably because that weigh-in is looming in the distance.  Would you laugh if I told you I yawned for about the first 15 minutes?  Uh... something is wrong with this picture.

And then what's with the whole renewed energy thing?  Where is it?  Rather than feeling energized after walking, I am pooped.  Seriously.  Should I be concerned?  Is my body chemistry in correct working order?  This one still has me puzzled.  It's been a month, and I'm still waiting for the extra energy to kick in.

So this is life as I know it right now, or at least a part of it.  I'll have to let you know my results on Saturday.

One more thing before I go.  I want to testify that God does care about our food choices and our desires to stay within boundaries, and He has been very faithful during these four weeks to help me stay on track.  The other day I was invited to eat a lovely meal with friends, but I knew I did not want to compromise my boundaries.  So I talked to the Lord about it that morning and asked Him to provide some sort of dessert that I could enjoy at that meal.  Much to my joy, there were some no sugar added desserts, and I ate my banana cream pie with thankfulness.  I know it was a gift from Him.

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Treadmill Boredom

I'm sure most of my readers are aware now that I'm working on getting healthy with diet and exercise.  The exercise that's easiest for me is walking on the treadmill.  That's where I'm at right now.  My activity will move outside once the weather turns warm.  For now, I remain inside.

At least one reader had commented that they get bored on the treadmill, so they'd rather not use it.  I used to feel that way too, which means there are probably others who fall into that camp as well.  So I thought I'd tell you how I keep myself occupied while I'm walking for 30-40 minutes.

To preface my suggestions, I need to mention that having a CD player, mp3 player, or a laptop is necessary in order to use my tips.  If you only have a CD player or mp3 player, you won't be able to implement all these ideas, but a couple of options is better than none.

My first choice of diversion is found at Hulu.com.  They have a variety of TV programs, both new and old, that can be watched on the internet for free.  FREE!  You'd be surprised what's available.  They continue to add new shows all the time, too.

The next diversion option is listening to sermons.  There are websites like OnePlace.com that have streaming audio of a variety of well-known teachers and pastors that can be downloaded onto your computer and put onto an mp3 player, if you choose.  These are free as well.

Another option would be to read.  I would choose this activity, if it didn't make me nauseous.  I've tried a couple times, but it isn't compatible with my oddball vertigo issues.  The reason I like this idea is because you can kill two birds with one stone.  Some people may find it difficult to fit reading into their schedule, so you could make your 30-minute walk a great time to read a book and increase productivity.

The last suggestion I have is to listen to audiobooks.  There are monthly club plans available online for a fee, but it's just as easy to borrow them from your local public library for free.  I am currently trying out this idea to see if it works for me.

Are there any treadmill walkers/runners who have ideas for the readers?  You may have thought of something to do that hasn't crossed my mind yet.  Feel free to share in the comments section.

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Just Do It

I just finished 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill, and I think I'm getting back in my stride.  I think I'll be bumping it up to 30 minutes the next time.  Thank goodness my body is responding to activity.

The comments I received on Tuesday seemed to be varied.  I had a few that thought I sounded motivated and encouraged me to stick with it.  Some readers felt de-motivated, which wasn't the direction I intended to sway you, and still others were even inspired to get their bodies active again.  I can't believe I did all that with just a post.

Here's the moral of the story.  If you are currently active in some sort of exercise, DON'T STOP.  If you want to get back into exercise after a prolonged break because you know it's good for your body, DO IT.  Just know that it's going to hurt the first few times, but your body will acclimate to it again.  Aren't the results worth it in the end?

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What I Learned This Week: Edition #4

Did you know that if you choose not to exercise for... oh... 5 months, it's going to hurt when you decide it's finally time to exercise again?  Yeah.  I bet you didn't know that.

I hopped on my treadmill Saturday to walk for 10 minutes, knowing this was going to be a process.  (Remember now, I used to run.  So this is definitely going to be a process.)  After 10 minutes was up, I knew I could push it to another 10 minutes and continued on.  My hip joints were sore later.

Yesterday's walk on the treadmill was even worse.  I set the timer for 20 minutes, and it was a hard 20 minutes.  I felt the burn, baby!  When I got off I felt like I used to feel after a run. 

Aw, man!  This is not good!

I was so exhausted last night I went to bed early.  Early like 8:45, when I usually go to bed about 10:30 or 11:00.  Yes, that early.  I guess that could be a good thing, though.  Getting lots of rest is probably good for a body.  Right?

So I've learned two things from this experience:

1. It's high time I whip this body into shape.
2. It's painful to whip your body back into shape, especially when you know what you used to be capable of doing.

(Now I'm wondering about my golf swing.  I never touched a club last summer.  Aiy-aiy-aiy!  Guess it's a rebuilding year for Liz.)

As always, you can check out Jo-Lynne's blog for more What I Learned This Week entries.

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Accountability: 5 days done!

I did it!  Today I completed the last day of my personal 5-day treadmill challenge.  After not feeling so well yesterday I wasn't sure what would happen this afternoon.  No problem, though.  I walked for 16 minutes and ran for 14. 

Tomorrow, bright and early, is First Place and the weigh-in.  I'm always nervous about it when I know I've put in extra effort or successfully escaped many food temptations through the week, unsure as to whether it will result in a loss.  I really want a loss.  BADLY.  I always have to keep my feelings in check, though, because I've been told numerous times it's not about the number.  It's about your heart.  Eventually, I'll "get it."

You're welcome to keep track of my progress here on my blog, over there in the sidebar to the right.  I have a Traineo button up that tells how much weight I have left to lose.  {But if you thought it would display my actual weight, you must be out of your mind!}  I'll be updating it tomorrow afternoon when I learn what my weight is.

Oh...by the way...guess I'll be heading over to Sephora to pick up the lip gloss that I perspired my little heart out for.  I'll bet you thought I forgot.  {wink}

Accountability Check-In

I was back on the treadmill this afternoon.  I decided I would only walk for 30 minutes, rather than doing any running.  I also chose to read a book while I walked. 

It worked out pretty well for about 20 minutes.  I was distracted by the book, which made the time pass quickly.  Only problem was, once I was 20 minutes into it, I started feeling ucky.  I tossed the book down and walked the last 10 minutes without distraction.

(I'm not sure you're aware of this, but I have dizziness/motion issues and have to be careful with things that can set it off.) 

I never did recover from the ucky feeling.  When I walk I feel a little dizzy and just *bleccckkk!*.  It even makes me want to eat a little crazy, too, but I'm not falling to that temptation.  I've worked too hard this week to succumb to a silly craving that is basically "smoke and mirrors". 

It seems this feeling should subside overnight.  I don't even know that I'm feeling it completely now.  We shall see what happens tomorrow and whether I will get back on that treadmill or not.

My husband has reminded me repeatedly today that if I don't get on the treadmill tomorrow...NO PHILOSOPHY LIP GLOSS.  It's funny how perspective changes.  I'm not even sure that would bother me.  I know the work I've put in this week by exercising, sticking to my food boundaries, and drinking 8 glasses of water a day.  All of that success is confidence-building.  I doubt I need the lip gloss incentive now.

I'll let you know how it all works out.

Accountability

I thought it would be good to stay accountable here and let you know I'm still on track with my fitness goal this week.  I spent 25 minutes on the treadmill today, and I've stuck to my food boundaries and water intake.  Things are looking good.

A Small Incentive

I've been trying to lose weight since last November (at least officially), but it hasn't happened very fast.   Obviously, since this is October.  I still have the last 10 pounds to go, which will at least get me into my healthy weight bracket. 

But that little birthday I had?  Kinda got me off track.  I basically started excusing myself from eating well for the rest of the week, and I ended up gaining weight, or so that rotten-good-for-nothing scale told me this morning.  {sigh}

Saturday is gonna come quick, and I'd really like to avoid crying my eyes out when I have to weigh in at First Place.  I decided to kick it into gear and get back to work on this thing.  I've recorded all my foods today, I've already had 8 glasses of water, and I did the treadmill thing this afternoon - 15 minutes of running and 20 minutes of walking.  Would you believe I even got out my weights and did some upper body training?  Oh yes I did!

Since I know I am about as disciplined as a 5 year old, I thought maybe a small incentive might be in order.  I set a goal to exercise Monday through Friday this week, which I have never done before.  If I achieve the aforementioned goal, I will be getting my cute, little self right on over to the mall to buy myself a present.

Are you familiar with Philosophy?  I had heard of it but never experienced it in person, until I was at Sephora this weekend.  Their bath gels, lotions, and lip shines smell out of this world.  I found this Not the Pits Cherry Cola lip shine and started yearning for it.  It smells EXACTLY like cherry cola.  EXACTLY.

I just couldn't justify spending $12 for lip gloss.  I'm just not that hip and trendy and all makeup-y.  Ya know?  But I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I fell madly in love right there in Sephora.

So...

If I keep my exercise commitment, I will be rewarding myself with this fabulous lip shine, even if I don't lose any weight.  (Although, a loss of 2 pounds would just be icing on the cake.)

Uh... maybe I shouldn't use food metaphors. {ahem}

I Do Not Run Aimlessly

A week ago a friend gave me her old bike because I had mentioned I was interested in getting one.  She's getting ready to move and is trying to downsize.  So my other good friends decided that since I had a bike to ride, they would take me with them to a local state park to ride the trail and go fishing afterward.  Pretty relaxing, you think?  Well...not entirely.  Do you know how long it's been since I've ridden a bike?  I'm guessing it has been 20 years.  Granted, I feel like I'm fit enough, as fit as a girl can be who can run .7 mile.  Thank you very much.  But running and biking use different muscles.  Muscles I haven't used in 20 years.

As we got ready to start the bike ride, I was told that the trail was 3.3 miles, and we would have to ride to the end and back.  They were just saving that little tidbit of information until it was absolutely necessary to inform me.  That means I would be riding a total of 6.6 miles.  I was thinking, Uh yeah...I'm game!?!  The ride was grueling!  There were lots of hills and some steep ones, at that.  There were moments I thought I would die because of the searing pain in my knees and quads, but I just kept going.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt like I was sick.  My body ached, my head was cloudy, and I was so tired.  But it was Sunday, and there surely is no rest for the weary when you're in ministry.  I was finally functioning by the time I got to Sunday school, so I was glad of that.

Despite the discomfort of the challenge, I found myself wanting to ride my bike again.  I kept thinking about when the next time might be when I could do that.  That puzzled me.  Why wouldn't I dread it?  It was hard!  As I was out for my run on Monday, though, the thought came to me.  I like being physical.  I enjoy pushing my body hard, exerting energy, and striving for a goal to see just how far I can reach.  It brings me a satisfaction I don't get from other things in my life.  Suddenly, everything clicked in my mind, and I understood why I like playing tennis, golfing, biking and running.  It's because God made us to be physically active people.  He gave us muscles that we might be bodies in motion.  He puts it within us to do the grueling thing that we might learn to be disciplined.  Of course I find satisfaction in being physical.  I'm using my body the way God intended it to be used.

This is the last thing I ever thought would come out of my mouth.  I have always hated exercise.  That's why it confounded me when I started to crave going out to run.  I learned to be disciplined in my running, hoping that it would flow over into my spiritual life.  So I kept working at it.  Today I guess I feel like it's come full circle.  The spiritual is now effecting the physical.  I finally see God's purpose in the physical, and I believe they work hand in hand.

If you're not a physically active person, find a friend to help you get there.  It doesn't have to be like gym class when they made you do what the teacher planned and then gave you a grade.  Pick an activity that you're curious about or that you've always wanted to try.  Ask a friend to teach you how to play, or just ask them to take a walk with you.  That's where it started for me, and I can testify that a pushy friend is even better at helping you do the hard thing.  Just get out there, and do something.  You just might love it after all.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27a

25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control....

Hot Dog, Anyone?

I'm still plugging away at that running thing.  I'm working on the 3 minutes run/3 minutes walk interval.  Maybe just one more time out at that, and then I'll move up to 5 minutes of running.  I'm not quite there yet.

When I ran on Monday, though, something concerned me.  Somewhere around the beginning of the third lap, I started thinking Dairy Queen.  Seriously.  Dairy Queen!  I thought how refreshing it would be to drive over there as soon as I finished my laps and get a yummy, frozen treat.  How can a person be thinking about indulging in a Fudge Brownie Temptation served in a waffle dish while they're running?  The sundae would cancel out the running, probably 3 days worth of running.  And then a few days before that, I was at the park in the evening while softball games were going on, and a hot dog vendor was pushing a cart down the street toward me.  All I could think about was stopping and eating a hot dog.  Right in the middle of my run.  The only thing stopping me was that I wasn't carrying any cash.

Does anybody else get cravings while they're exercising?

I Am a Runner

Well, it's after 10:00 p.m., and I just realized I didn't prepare a blog post for today.  So here we are, and I'm too tired to be entertaining.  That would probably be because I did a walk/run today for 35 minutes. 

I've walked a couple times since the weather started warming up, but this is the first time I did 3 laps around the park and added some running.  I didn't do too badly for the first day.  A really good sign is that I didn't ask myself, Now why am I doing this again?  Yep, that's a really good sign.  I think maybe that means I'm really a runner now.  Granted I'm a slow and sporadic runner, but a runner none the less.  I didn't entertain any thoughts of quitting, so I'd say I'm on pretty firm ground here. 

I can't begin to tell you how significant this is in my life and what a milestone I have just passed.  About a year ago I heard two Starbucks employees conversing behind the counter about running.  The one told the other the only way she would ever run was if she was running AWAY from something, and they laughed about it.  In my head I laughed to myself and thought, I hear ya, sister!  I wouldn't run either, unless I was running away from something...ya know, like if there was a rabid bat in my house or something. 

Anyway, I hardly recognize myself today.  I run to be healthy.  I run to lose weight.  I run because sometimes I just want to scream and I need an emotional release.  I run because I just want to.

Hi. I'm Liz, and I am a runner.

Still Running

So this is what I did today. It's Friday, so I kept another commitment to a day I've chosen to run. I thought I'd just give an update on how things are going.

It has still been tough. I'm working on starting to run at the same spot at different intervals around the park. On my second and third laps I like to see if I can push past the set landmark to increase my distance. Sometimes I make it, and other times I don't. But it's a matter of perseverance. I just keep going now, instead of asking myself things like, "Why am I doing this anyway?" I feel like I'm in training. Not for a marathon. Not to beat some time record. Not to be the best runner ever. I'm training for life...spiritual life. It's that self-discipline thing that God has been trying to drive home with me for months. This is such a practical way for it to play out in my life.

Looking at running with spiritual eyes gives great perspective. It's so comparable to our spiritual battle. Sometimes I feel like I could run hard because I feel physically strong. Other days I feel lonely and couldn't hardly go on. At times I'd rather be alone, and there are times when I couldn't make it without a friend beside me. Isn't that how it is spiritually? We have mountain-top experiences with the Lord and feel like we could take on anything because we're so zealous. Then there are those days where we feel heavy oppression and cry because everything feels so hard. We go through alone times where God is the only one with us. And sometimes he sends a friend to walk alongside to keep us accountable and remind us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. I enjoy considering the comparisons.

Today seemed to be a day to push hard. I could feel it. My legs wanted to give out many times, but I just kept pushing. Now I'm feeling it, though. My calves hurt within an hour of arriving home, to the point it was uncomfortable to walk. So I have to share this funny moment...

I emailed my best buddy and told her my legs were really sore, and she gave me some suggestions. It was pretty hysterical when I read them. Not that SHE was funny, but how I read it was funny. The first bit of advice she gave me was "ice cream". What?!? I read it again. "ice cream will help..." Huh? Finally, after the third time of reading it I saw what was really written - "ice THEM" Duuuuh!!! Yes, of course. Ice my calves, and it will help with the discomfort. That makes total sense. Ice cream? That does not make sense at all. Just goes to show you what I dwell on - FOOD. But I still think ice cream couldn't hurt...

Reason Enough to Run

It's no secret that I've struggled to embrace my running program. I have whined and complained and skipped out on days I just didn't feel like going, only because I wasn't progressing the way I wanted to or thought I should be. I'm very good at comparing myself to others, which is the number one contributor to discouragement.

I was so ready to quit last Monday, but I came across an article on the internet that changed my mind. It was dealing with self-discipline. I thought hard about this, and I must say I felt that familiar stab of guilt to my heart.

I began to consider that even if I don't lose weight, I still need to learn self-discipline. What is the Christian life about? Daily dying to self. I need to learn to do hard things, just so as to condition myself to be disciplined in other areas. Hey, I'm a pretty disciplined person when it comes to devotional time, but my eating habits are attrocious. This shouldn't be.

I looked up some verses dealing with self-discipline. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says,

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Just as I would discipline myself to be godly, I recognize I need to physically discipline my body. I need to push through when I just don't feel like it. Somehow the physical carries over into the spiritual. I think bringing my body into submission is all part of developing godliness.

So as I'm out there running and want to give up because it seems too hard, I will remember that this is a picture of what it is to deny my flesh of all its desires and to live in the Spirit.

And I think that's reason enough to run...