#Whole30??? ME????

If you have known me for any length of time, you know that my weight has always been an issue. If you look in the dictionary next to "yo-yo dieter", you'll see my picture--or at least you should.

However, in 2005 I turned it around for what I felt like was the LAST time. I was incredibly motivated and the weight came off, slowly and surely, and I kept it off, even through my pregnancy with our third child. Sadly, over the course of the last 18 months some of that weight has crept back on, partly due to hypothyroidism (which I am trying to control with medication), partly due to this wonderful "season of life" in which I find myself (I'll hit 50 in 2016), and partly due to horrid cravings (more on this below), and as a result I am absolutely MISERABLE. Our weight should never define us, should not determine our self-worth, or affect our outlook. But it does, without a doubt.


As a person of faith, I know that God has created within us a perfect system to maintain an ideal weight based on the simple concept of eating only when hungry and stopping when satisfied (NOT the same thing as stuffed, by the way!). Knowing this, though, and obeying it can be two entirely different things! I have struggled mightily with not eating past the point of being comfortably full, with terrible cravings, particularly for cheese and bread. One day last month after a particularly bad day, I decided to check out a new "system" being offered by a doctor who promises significant weight loss in a short period of time. The program sounded interesting and he said he could help me lose 20 pounds in two months (a bit more than I actually want to lose, but hey, why not, right??). Then he told me the cost--almost $1600!!! I do not think I need to tell you how my dear hubby reacted to that sales pitch! As fate would have it, a dear neighbor had invited me to come over that same evening, at which time she and her daughter told me about Whole30.

They were 19 days into the Whole30 plan and they were LOVING it. I laughed at the idea at the time--this was right before Thanksgiving and my birthday, and the thought of giving up all my favorite things was more than I could imagine.

But you know how these things go, right? The next day I was Googling Whole30 (and yes, it is as simple as Whole30.com). The following day I was seriously considering it. Two more days and I had ordered the book. That was over a month ago, and now I am 3 days away from embarking on this journey. By the way, my decision NOT to start a Whole30 during December is something that is supported by the Hartwigs, the creators of the program, because starting such a strict plan during the holidays is a recipe for disaster. Therefore, I have enjoyed all of the holiday goodies (perhaps even more than usual because of what is coming up), and now I am READY for this! At least, I think I'm ready. Okay, I'm mostly ready ...

I'll admit, this is a bit daunting. The Whole30 program calls for lean meats, healthy fats and LOTS of veggies (fruits are allowed, too). The problem? Vegetables are not exactly top on my list of favorite things. Well, to be honest, they do not make the list at all. Oh sure, I'll eat salad greens, but primarily just to have a place to put the "good stuff"--you know, cheese, rich dressings, croutons ... My taste buds just never grew up; I mean, seriously, how many middle-aged women do you know who still hide their peas in their mashed potatoes?

(Photo from http://www.personal.psu.edu/afr3/blogs/siowfa13/2013/12/)

So for me to even think twice about a program like this speaks volumes about where I find myself right now. The testimonials on the Whole30 website of the many people who have successfully completed the program have made me want what they have found: freedom from cravings, more energy, greater mental clarity, better sleep, clearer skin--the list of positives is amazing. The negatives? No sugar, no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no alcohol. So for someone whose four basic food groups are bread, cheese, chocolate and wine, this promises to be very interesting!

The Whole30 book outlines what most of the participants experience as they go through these 30 days, and I know the first couple of weeks are going to be rough--sugar cravings, fatigue, crankiness. In fact, I thought about getting the kids flak jackets for Christmas, and they may wish I had before this is all over. Those first 14 or 15 days promise to challenge me in ways that I probably cannot even comprehend right now. But you know something? I can do this. I owe it to myself.

Check back in January, see how it's going!

LOVE MY KANGOOS!!!

So this morning was the road test of my new Kangoo Jumps--and I LOVED THEM!!  I started out walking
just to get my bearings a bit, then started jogging and noticed that my heart rate went up really quickly.  Part of this is, no doubt, due to the fact that I have not run for almost a year now, and even though I have been doing some pretty intense cardio, running requires a certain endurance that can only be gained through ... well, running!

Every time I looked down at my heart rate on my watch it was over 165, at one point hitting 172, so I would slow down to a walk until I was back in the upper 150s, then I would hit it again.  Given my age, my absolute maximum heart rate is supposed to be 174, but clearly that is just a general guide since I was at 172 and not feeling at all like I was about to go down for the count!

The KJs themselves were SO FUN--I cannot begin to describe the feeling.  The website talks about this feeling of euphoria, and while that may be a bit of a stretch, it is definitely hard to feel anything but happy while doing this.  Since I'm not one to like people staring at me, it was a little hard to not feel embarrassed out there on the sidewalk with cars going by (and a transit bus at one point!), but I just tried to focus on the fact that I was out there in the cold (38 when I left the house ... brrr!) doing something good for myself.  In general I tried to avoid eye contact with the folks in their cars, but I caught a couple of stares.  One woman's mouth actually dropped as she turned her head to follow me, and another woman gave me a wonderful smile that made me feel like everything was okay.

Did I burn any calories, you ask?  YOU BET!!  I was only gone for 25 minutes and I took multiple walk breaks, but I still burned 252 calories.  YEP!  252 calories--so about 10 calories a minute.  I am really, REALLY looking forward to my next excursion, when I will go a bit further and stay out longer.  These things are a blast and I highly recommend that you try them.  If you are in a large metro area where they have classes using the KJs, try one if you can, since these things aren't cheap.  But seriously, try them!

HAPPY FITNESS!

Kangoo Starting Video

Kangoo Finishing Video

This is the inaugural post for my new blog.  I was into blogging while training for the Charlottesville 10-Miler Race last year, and when post-race blues hit me right between the eyes and a hip injury side-lined my running, I gave up blogging in a fit of self-pity.

Since the 10-Miler, I have discovered a whole new world of fitness programs that I have come to adore, including strength-training (and no, lifting weights--even HEAVY weights--will NOT bulk you up!!).  If you have not explored the Beachbody programs, I urge you to consider looking through the myriad fitness DVDs that Beachbody offers.  And no, I am NOT a coach--I get nary a dime from your purchase.  I just love the programs.  In fact, I doubt that I will ever become a coach because I never want to have a profit motive for recommending a product.

The first BB program I tried was Chalean Extreme (CLX), with Chalene Johnson.  Having just come off of a series of Jillian Michaels workouts, I was so relieved to find this program.  Don't get me wrong, Jillian is an amazing trainer and I like some of her programs.  However, my life dictates that I work out in the pre-dawn hours before the rest of the family rises, so finding a trainer who is uplifting, motivating, and NOT screaming at me drill-sergeant style was a definite plus for me.  And strength training was quite an ego boost--I saw results from this program almost immediately--just three weeks into it my husband noticed some pretty cool definition in my shoulders, back and arms--enough so that he soon got hooked on CLX as well.

Next came TurboFire, and while I love CLX, I ADORE TurboFire!  I have read reviews in which people complain about not getting the moves right away--okay, so it takes a few times to really feel like you know what you're doing--GET OVER IT!!  Once you get the hang of these moves, these workouts are total calorie burners.  The best part?  There are like a gazillion different workouts so you NEVER get bored (and if you do the CLX program you'll get the "gazillion" reference!).  I haven't counted the workouts, but trust me there are a bundle of them.  And if you do a CLX/TF hybrid, you are mixing the best of these two programs and you will see FANTASTIC results--both strength and cardio.  Do you know what a HIIT workout is?  High Intensity Interval Training.  I'm sure you've heard of this if you have been around fitness in the past 2 years or so.  Amazing stuff.  You really can rev up your metabolism.



After the hybrid my workout buddy (a tremendous friend and fitness partner I met through My Fitness Pal, who keeps me motivated and focused!) and I decided to go to South America ... not really, but we ordered Brazil Butt Lift and once again we were totally awed by the quality of the workout we got with our new friend Leandro!  Ever tried the pencil test?  Okay, this gets a bit personal, but here's how it works.  Take a pencil and place it horizontally under one of your "cheeks" (yeah, THAT cheek).  Does it stay there?  If so, you have FAILED the test.  Your behind is saggy and needs some work.  Put yourself in Leandro's capable hands and within a short time you will soon pass this test.  It took me 4 weeks.  These routines are fun and tough all at the same time, and again BB has found a very uplifting, motivating instructor to get your BUM BUM into top form.  You'll even learn a couple of phrases in Portuguese!!



The most recent acquisition in my Beachbody library is Hip Hop Abs with the super cool Shaun T.  These moves are so fun you won't even realize you've burned so many calories.  And no, you do not need to have any type of dance skills or even a taste for hip hop music.  I'm in my mid-40s, totally uncool (just ask any of my three children), but I have the best time working my abs to this stuff.  Oh yeah, there's Lisa doing the Flava Jam at 5:30 in the morning while everyone else is sound asleep!






So now I'm about to branch out, away from Beachbody.  Not for long--Workout Buddy and I are on our second round of CLX (not counting the hybrid), but for my cardio I'm about to reenter the world of running. Sort of.  More like the world of JUMPING.  Yeah, I've done it now, I've ordered those freaky, fun KANGOO JUMPS!  They arrived at the house yesterday, and my initial jumping around in the basement went well (in other words, no furniture or bones were broken).  Now I'm ready to road test those bad boys, so despite some unseasonably cool temps in the morning, I'm hitting the road with my Kangoos.  The hardest part, besides just remaining vertical, will be facing the stares of passersby.  Never one to seek the spotlight, this will be a test of my newly found resolve of not giving a fig what my neighbors or just random strangers driving by might think of seeing this middle-aged woman hopping down the road on freaky looking boots.



We'll see how it goes ... in the meantime, HAPPY FITNESS, EVERYONE!