Bodies in Motion

Newton was really on to something. It turns out that the whole "bodies in motion stay in motion" idea actually applies to HUMAN bodies, as well as just random, ordinary, bodies of anything with mass. 

I am loving my new active body, and I want to keep it in motion.  When I take a mandatory day off for recovery, I get a little itchy to move around.  Here are a few examples of my body in motion now that all that "potential energy" that I was storing away -fat - has been converted to "kinetic energy" - exercise (it's a metaphor, scientists, relax!):

• The March for Babies was held in Gainesville recently.  It's an 8.6 mile walk to support the March of Dimes (a huge THANK YOU to all of my sponsors).  Try walking 8.6 miles some day...you will want a nap afterwards, and you will feel it for days.  Still, about half-way through, several witnesses actually overheard me expressing my frustration at the crowd, exclaiming, "but I want to RUN!"  Yep, that was me.
  
• Spring break found my family up in the mountains of North Carolina.  Several of my fellow competitors were still in Gainesville working out with Dan, our amazing trainer, but I was on my own.  Turns out, that was ok, because I worked out every day.  I ran up and down the mountain side.  I did burpees voluntarily (if you don't know what a burpee is, click here)...and squats, and situps, and pushups, and lunges.  I even did curls, overhead presses, and woodchops with a big ol' rock the kids found.  The need to just keep moving was powerful.  And so to avoid undoing all the effort of the exercise, I kept my diet clean, too.  Do you want to know the best feeling in the whole wide world?  Coming home from vacation to find that you have LOST 2 pounds.  Yep, that was me.
  
• Last Tuesday I did my interval training, and I ran for 16 out of 21 minutes, for a total of 1.6 miles, not including the warm up and cool down  I'm using the Run Double Couch to 5K (C25K) program and I'm really, really close to reaching my goal of running one mile without stopping.  Did I mention that last Tuesday was my birthday?  I ran on my birthday, the one day that is reserved for doing whatever I want and only what I want.  Yep, that was me.

It feels really good to be moving.  Granted, I sweat a lot more now. A lot more.  Especially, it seems, when I'm dancing with a bunch of elementary school kids in the cafeteria, in front of all of their parents who have just approved my nomination to the PTA board. *awkward*

(Speaking of sweating, check out this video of a little post-workout race between the BWLC4 contestants a few weeks ago.  By the way...my son asked if that was a bowling ball we are slamming down...nope, it's a medicine ball and it weighs THIRTY pounds.)

What's on the Menu

As a follow up to my post about the food plan I am following, I thought I'd share this video about the changes featuring the Big Weight Loss Challenge #4 contestants:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jegKc05F4Mk .  It includes a clip of me jumping rope and running on the treadmill (I TOLD you I was running).  This is serious entertainment!  Enjoy!

Also, here's a little snapshot from my food log.  You'll notice that I'm eating  five to seven times each day.  As a result, when I sit down for a "big meal," I can only eat about a third of what I could chow down before the challenge began.  Yesterday, after our workout, I was sooooooo hungry, so I had a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, a 1/2 cup of quinoa, and a grapefruit for lunch - I thought my stomach was going to rupture.  The following shows about 6 days on the clean eating/fibrous carb/lean protein/healthy fat routine:

Sunday  – 80 oz water

10am  Greek yogurt, banana

11:30  Hot Ezekiel cereal w/almond milk, coconut oil, honey

1:30   Green smoothie, deli turkey, walnuts

5:30  Turkey soup  (carrots, celery, onion, turkey, chicken stock, navy beans, cale), steamed broccoli

7:30  Banana and Perky Jerky (nitrite free, no preservatives, no msg, etc.)

Monday  – 100 oz water

7am  Banana, pecans

8:40  Cottage cheese, apple

10:00  Hot Ezekiel cereal

1:00  Carrots, hummus, deli turkey, spaghetti squash, Marinara with lean ground beef (homemade meat sauce), strawberries

6:00 Greek yogurt, grilled fish, steamed green beans

Tuesday – 120 oz water

7am  Apple, cottage cheese

10:00 Banana, walnuts, leftover fish

12:40  Green smoothie w/protein powder (spinach, mango, pineapple, almond milk, Greek yogurt)

2:30  Perky Jerky, apple

4:00 Hard boiled egg, grapefruit

6:00 Pork chop, green beans, quinoa w/carrots, onions, celery

Wednesday – 80 oz water

8am  2 Hard boiled eggs, grapefruit

11:00  Green smoothie w/protein powder

12:30  Dale’s Bar

2:00 Turkey soup

4:00 Perky Jerky, apple

5:30  Roasted chicken, asparagus, salad w/balsamic vinegar and EVOO

Dessert: bananas w/sunflower seed butter

Thursday – 120 oz water

8am  Steel cut oats w/apples, raisins, cinnamon, drizzle of honey, 1 tsp. coconut oil

10:00  Cottage cheese, grapefruit

12:45 Turkey soup

3:00 Dale’s bar

6:00  Black beans, orange

Friday – (lost track of water)

7am  Green smoothie w/protein powder

9:30  Hard boiled egg, orange

12:30 Dale’s bar

2:30  Perky Jerky, orange

6:00  Roasted chicken, turkey soup, steamed broccoli

If you are not familiar with Ezekiel brand, check them out: http://www.foodforlife.com/.  I'm trying to avoid wheat, but the Ezekiel cereal is my one exception, only because it has so many other great grains, and it beats oatmeal for fiber AND protein.  They also make a bread, which is kept in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  Both the cereal and the bread are made from sprouted grains (i.e.: live, not dead, dried, and stored in a silo for who knows how long) and it will spoil.  That is also one of our criteria for choosing good food:  real food will spoil.  If food can sit on a shelf for an indefinite period, it's got more preservatives than I'm willing to eat. 

Another item that stays in the fridge and has a limited shelf-life that you may not be familiar with:  Dale's bars.  They are protein bars and, although I would not exactly call them yummy, when you consider what great ingredients they contain, and that they are made fresh upon order, they are pretty good.  This is one of my go-to items when I'm REALLY hungry, especially after a workout.  With a bunch of water, they are so filling, and a little bit sweet.  You can find more info here:  http://www.dalesrawfoods.com/

Both of the above products do break the "no more than 5 ingredients" and the "no pre-packaged foods" rules.  However, I'm willing to make an exception when ALL of the ingredients are whole, healthy, and nutritious.  No hydrogenated fats, preservatives, colors, or sugars.

 I really expected the changes in my eating to be the hardest part of the challenge, but I was completely mistaken.  I am needing to stretch a little to come up with new options for healthy dinners, but even that is not really so difficult.  I FEEL good eating this way and I'm not hungry.  It's actually easier than fighting the mental battle over sugar cravings all day long.  But the real surprise is that every time I've made quinoa (QUEEN-OH!), my hubby has eaten it all and asked for more.  Amazing!

Love It/Hate It

Love/hate relationships are complicated.  I hate running; I think I've been pretty clear about that.  It feels awkward to me, it hurts, and I feel like a complete failure each time I try and can't go more than a few yards (this is not hyperbole).  However, those people who know me best know I have a considerable stubborn streak. And so I have been running.  A little, not a lot, but more than ever before.  And I have to say, I kind of love it.  Not while I'm doing it...I definitely don't love running while I'm running.  But I love that I am running on a fairly regular basis.  And I most definitely love the feeling I have after a run.  Vanquishing demons comes with an amazing sense of accomplishment.

So I've learned that I really prefer to run on a treadmill with great music and people around to distract me.  The treadmill also eliminates the concern about uneven pavement or roots sticking up on a wooded path.  I feel much more sure-footed and somewhat less likely to face-plant on a treadmill. I've also learned that I feel better when I stretch out my stride.  Tiny little slow shuffling steps seem like they would require less effort, but to me that feels awkward and seems to use fewer muscles so they become fatigued sooner.  It feels good to use the muscles in the front of my leg to stretch my foot forward, and then give them a rest while the muscles in the back of my leg push the road behind me.  Small steps also make it seem like I'm not getting anywhere.  I want to move, get it done, get it over with!  When I'm outside, it's motivating to see the earth move below my feet. 

Probably the greatest discovery, which has really helped me to get over the initial hump, has been that I need a good warm up, and then a period to catch my breath, before I can really go very far at all.  During our regular BWLC workouts, we start out with a routine warm up that usually includes a short run.  By the time that is over, I'm barely breathing.  Gasping!  Wheezing!  Ugh!  But then I have a few minutes to learn about our workout plan, and during that time, my breathing slows down so that I'm pretty sure I'm not going to die.  After that, I'm good to go.  We do cardio as part of our circuit training, and frankly I'm sucking wind during a lot of the strength exercises, too, but it's nothing like that initial shock to my system during the warm up.  Applying this pattern to my running at home, I realized that I need to give myself some time to regulate my breathing and calm down before I really make an effort at continuous exertion.  Instead of hitting the wall and stopping, I'm able to continue on and build some endurance.

To learn more about the mechanics of running and building endurance, I've been reading the book Running With Curves by Jill Angie.  I also downloaded an app on my phone to help train for a 5K.  The BWLC gals will be participating in the Run for Haven to benefit Haven Hospice here in Gainesville, which is coming up in a little less than a month, and I hope to be able to run at least a mile of it.  Right after that is the March of Dimes March for Babies, which has been a focus of mine for several years, since my kiddos were born 9 weeks early.  I have set a goal to finish the 8.6 miles in less than 4 hours.  You can find sponsorship info here, if you care to show your support in a monetary way (*ahem*): http://www.marchforbabies.org/aksibiski .

You will still hear me mumble (or scream), "I hate this, I hate this, I hate running!" if you ever join me for a quick jog around the neighborhood.  My BWLC4 homies can attest to this every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  From what I understand, most runners chant that same mantra for at least the first mile.  Well, since I'm only up to actually running for about a half-mile total, I don't expect to overcome that loathing anytime soon.  But it certainly helps to keep me moving forward, knowing that it's a perfectly normal - almost universal - feeling, and that it's not just a sign of how out of shape or weak I am.  Actually, I take it as a sign of how strong I am; despite the anguish and difficulty I'm still doing it.  I'm vanquishing demons, in my running shoes.

To Market, To Market

The contestants gathered at a local grocery store to get the low-down from our trainer about what to eat, and some about what not to eat. But mainly we tried to stay focused on what IS good, whole, healthy food, the stuff we CAN eat.

Recognizing what to eat is really pretty simple. Breaking old habits, not so much.  I have about 8 meals that I make on a regular basis for my family.  I'm pretty sure pancakes and tacos are not going to qualify as "real" or "clean," at least not when the key ingredients come out of a box.  Smoked sausage and white rice?  Spaghetti with meat sauce?  Strike those, too.  With the exception of the occasional roasted chicken or grilled pork chop, I'm pretty much starting with a blank canvas.

Our guidelines are simple: eat real food. Here are some of the principles I'm following:

• If it comes in a package, it shouldn't have more than 5 ingredients, and you should know what all of them are.
• Only eat it if the ingredients would have been found in your great-grandmother's pantry.
• Pair complex/fibrous carbs (fruits and veggies) with healthy fats (nuts, nut butters, avocado, EVOO, etc.) or lean protein.
• Eat small "meals" or "snacks" every two to three hours.
• Drink enough water every day to equal half your body weight in ounces.
• Avoid white foods: white rice, white flour, sugar, pasta, potatoes.
• Choose whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley.

Easy enough, right? Well the surprising part, at least it was surprising to me, is that it is a lot easier than I expected. I haven't really been hungry, and when I am I eat. I've even been to a restaurant or two. Quinoa is something I'm still learning to appreciate, but I keep trying. 

Probably the most remarkable change that I've noticed is that my sugar cravings, which have haunted me for ever, are reduced significantly. A little honey and some raisins in my oatmeal are more than enough to quench that particular desire. For this sugar addict, that is a HUGE step. 

Work It!

The workouts have begun, and oh my aching body. 

They made me run.  I knew they would, and I know I said I really want to learn how to be a runner, but there's a reason I'm not.  I hate it.  I'm pretty sure I don't know how to do it right - my body just feels so awkward. And the fact that I was completely traumatized by a run of about a hundred yards should tell you exactly how much I am NOT a runner. But I ran.  I did it.  And then the next day, while taking the kiddos to school, I ran again.  Of my own volition.  I nearly can't believe it myself.

We did a lot more than a tiny little run at our first workout.  Circuit training definitely hit all the major muscle groups, and got my heart rate and respiration to a place I haven't experienced in a long time.  I can't say I enjoyed it - I'm still so dismayed that this should be so difficult - but I LOVE being able to say that I did it.

And now I'm headed out to do it again.

Weights and Measures

In my mind, Thursday was the first day of the challenge.  We'd met as a group before. We'd asked questions and discussed food.  We have all thought and talked and written.  But Thursday was the day for our initial measurements; the day when our baseline was established.  It was the high-water mark, so to speak. 

Standing nearly naked (well, in a sports bra and shorts, but there was a lot of exposure) being measured, photographed, and weighed by people you barely know was not as uncomfortable as I expected. My 13-day stay in the hospital before my twins were born, unable to even bathe myself, really did a lot to diminish whatever small amount of modesty I ever had, so this was not a biggie.  However, hearing the measurements, seeing the numbers on the scale...ouch.  Suppressing the mental battle turned out to be the hardest part.  It was difficult to keep the self-deprecation to a minimum, but I was determined not to beat myself up over my weight or waistline.  The measurements only confirmed what I already knew: it's time for a change.

Once the physical measurements were complete, we had a little surprise.  I'm glad I didn't know about it ahead of time, because I would have built up a good bit of anxiety if I had.  Sure size matters, but fitness is a key component of this challenge, and so we needed to establish a fitness baseline, too.  That meant completing as many reps as possible in a minute on four different exercises.  I was so frustrated by the lack of strength in my body.  I was really disappointed in my results.  But the mental battle rages on, so I told my "inner  mean girl" to shove it - I didn't want to hear it, I'm only going to focus on where I go from here.  And from here, everything is only going to get better.

My Decree

As one of my first assignments, I was asked to write a decree, in first-person PAST tense, as if the competition has already ended and I'm looking back on what I accomplished.  It will be an interesting exercise to see how closely expectations meet reality.

My Decree:

My life has shifted in such a permanent, tangible way, it's hard to believe I ever lived differently.  The strength and energy that has returned to my body, missing for so long, has allowed me to accomplish so much.  Now I feel unstoppable, due to the confidence I have gained from each accomplishment. The last four months have shown me that I am capable of doing the hard work and making the tough choices which, in the past, seemed beyond me. 

First and foremost, I am a runner.  I can run a mile.  No, seriously.  Never before, not even when I was a teenager, have a run so far.  I completed the March of Dimes March for Babies in less than 4 hours, and I'm training for my first mini-triathlon.  I've gained a great cohort of "action-buddies" who propel me forward, and allow me to feel needed and useful when I am able to return their encouragement.

Tackling workouts and boot camp have made me realize that getting the mundane stuff of life done and out of the way is a piece of cake.  Gone are the days when I was just so tired all the time that even the thought of laundry or doing the dishes was exhausting.  I'm up and at 'em each day, staying organized, planning meals, and getting things checked off the "to do" list, so my time is free for taking care of me: exercising regularly and making healthy meals for my family.  After lifting, grunting, and sweating for weeks and weeks, saying "no" to a cookie while I'm baking for my customers is easy.

One of the most rewarding results of participating in the BWLC4 is seeing the changes in my children and husband.  My "picky eaters" are trying new things, eating a wide variety of vegetables, and are making healthy food choices on their own.  They no longer pester me for treats, desserts, and sweet snacks.  They appreciate the treats they do receive, because it is truly something special.  Also, I love being able to run, bike, play tennis, and be active with them.  Knowing that I have set an example of fitness for them to reflect throughout their lives, gives me great satisfaction.

Finally, I am so grateful for the support of my husband.  He encouraged me with not only his words but also his actions throughout the competition.  He ran with me, listened to me, and shared his confidence in me.  Amazingly, he agreed to improving our entire family's way of eating, adopting a "clean-er" diet, and joining me in making healthier choices. His investment gives me confidence that we can move forward, maintain the changes, and continue to improve.