I'm at the dentist today, and for some strange reason my new(er) dentist takes your temperature and blood pressure. Anyway, I'm pretty much ignoring the chick as she does her business, my mind is off somewhere else, calculating and re-calculating my days calories or some stupid OCD crap like that.
She spouts off my temperature, 98.3 or something, and then a little later I hear her say, "123/88". Wait, what? "123/88." Oh my gosh.
"What's wrong?" she asks, "Do I need to take it again, is that high for you?"
"No," I say, "Its just the first time the blood pressure montior fit around my arm and managed to take a reading!"
She laughs.
My arms & hips have always been larger than the rest of my body, and the rest of my body was big as it was. Seriously, the blood pressure monitor was a NORMAL SIZE ARM BAND, FIT AROUND MY ARM, and READ SOMETHING! It is a miracle. I am happy.
It is crap like this that reassures me that this is worth it. I can become normal.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Weigh-In Monday
Only... it is not a weigh-in Monday! I woke up this morning feeling so bloated & heavy (yes, the dreaded tom..) that I decided not to weigh in. I don't want to be disappointed if I don't see 275, and I'm sure I would be there were it not for the fact my tom is causing my wedding ring to leave imprints, ha ha. Anyway, next week, no excuse, hitting 275, taking pictures.
I am in such a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I hate the heat, I can't stand it. However, it is this time of year that all my family & co-workers bring these lovely little gifts to help me on my diet. Today, I picked up a side salad from Chick-Fil-A and turned it into a monster salad with the help of home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers from various gardens. I love home-grown veggies. Yesterday for lunch, I had cottage cheese & home-grown tomatoes. I love this time of year for fresh veggies.
I am heading to Vegas for a small vacation in September, and I'm excited that I'll be able to fit into the seat better than last time. It's the little things in life that make me happy, ha ha.
I am in such a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I hate the heat, I can't stand it. However, it is this time of year that all my family & co-workers bring these lovely little gifts to help me on my diet. Today, I picked up a side salad from Chick-Fil-A and turned it into a monster salad with the help of home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers from various gardens. I love home-grown veggies. Yesterday for lunch, I had cottage cheese & home-grown tomatoes. I love this time of year for fresh veggies.
I am heading to Vegas for a small vacation in September, and I'm excited that I'll be able to fit into the seat better than last time. It's the little things in life that make me happy, ha ha.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Morning or Evening Workouts?
I've been fighting with myself lately. I have the on-going debate about my exercise schedule. You see - naturally, I am a night owl. I do not enjoy waking up early in the morning, and generally my alarm that goes off at 6:30AM still has me zombie-walking around my house.
But - I had in my head that the only good time to exercise is morning. You get the most burn, the most energy, and the best results in the morning. So, I've been forcing myself up at 5:45AM. Let me just tell you - after a few weeks of this only a few times a week, this is not working for me.
Reading around, I found this great article that gives me hope about exercising in the evenings.
Late Afternoon is Best for Exercise
Research shows that the optimal time to exercise is when our body temperature is at its highest, which, for most people is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (body temperature is at its lowest just before waking).
Strength is Greater in the Afternoon
Dr. Hill reported that strength output is 5% higher at around mid-day; anaerobic performance, such as sprinting, improves by 5% in the late afternoon.
Endurance is Greater in the Afternoon
Aerobic capacity (endurance) is approximately 4percent higher in the afternoon.
Injuries Are Less Likely in the Afternoon
Afternoon exercise is the best if you want to avoid injuries for many reasons. We are most alert; our body temperature is the highest so our muscles are warm and flexible; and our muscle strength is at its greatest. These three factors make it less likely that we will get injured.
Morning Exercisers Are More Consistent
Even though afternoon exercise might be optimal from a physiological standpoint, research also shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick to it that late-day athletes.
Evening Exercise and Sleep
Most research supports the idea that exercise can improve sleep quality. But does exercising too late in the evening keep you up? Studies have shown improvements in sleep from both morning and afternoon exercise, so it's not yet clear if evening exercise keeps you up. One study even showed that vigorous exercise half an hour before bedtime did not affect sleep.
I've decided - does it really matter when I exercise? If I don't stick with it, any prime time is useless. It doesn't matter if I exercise at 6AM or 10PM, just exercising regularly is probably good enough. I need to stop wasting energy debating with myself and start using it to exercise more consistently - at night!
But - I had in my head that the only good time to exercise is morning. You get the most burn, the most energy, and the best results in the morning. So, I've been forcing myself up at 5:45AM. Let me just tell you - after a few weeks of this only a few times a week, this is not working for me.
Reading around, I found this great article that gives me hope about exercising in the evenings.
Research shows that the optimal time to exercise is when our body temperature is at its highest, which, for most people is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (body temperature is at its lowest just before waking).
Dr. Hill reported that strength output is 5% higher at around mid-day; anaerobic performance, such as sprinting, improves by 5% in the late afternoon.
Aerobic capacity (endurance) is approximately 4percent higher in the afternoon.
Afternoon exercise is the best if you want to avoid injuries for many reasons. We are most alert; our body temperature is the highest so our muscles are warm and flexible; and our muscle strength is at its greatest. These three factors make it less likely that we will get injured.
Even though afternoon exercise might be optimal from a physiological standpoint, research also shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick to it that late-day athletes.
Most research supports the idea that exercise can improve sleep quality. But does exercising too late in the evening keep you up? Studies have shown improvements in sleep from both morning and afternoon exercise, so it's not yet clear if evening exercise keeps you up. One study even showed that vigorous exercise half an hour before bedtime did not affect sleep.
I've decided - does it really matter when I exercise? If I don't stick with it, any prime time is useless. It doesn't matter if I exercise at 6AM or 10PM, just exercising regularly is probably good enough. I need to stop wasting energy debating with myself and start using it to exercise more consistently - at night!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Weigh In Monday
Today's Weight: 277.9
Starting Blog Weight: 302.00
Starting Weight: 335.00
For my guilty shenanigans this weekend, I had a piece of lasagna & a pieces of garlic bread. But - I planned to have those, so I took it light on breakfast & lunch. ;)
It's hot. Crazy stupid hot. I am not a fan of summer. I wonder if that will change when I get the weight off?
Starting Blog Weight: 302.00
Starting Weight: 335.00
For my guilty shenanigans this weekend, I had a piece of lasagna & a pieces of garlic bread. But - I planned to have those, so I took it light on breakfast & lunch. ;)
It's hot. Crazy stupid hot. I am not a fan of summer. I wonder if that will change when I get the weight off?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Rewards
I’m not big on rewarding myself for losing weight. I mean – I got this way because I was lazy, and I shouldn’t reward myself for doing what I should be doing, in my opinion. So, while I see people that reward themselves anywhere from every 10 pounds to every 25 pounds, I haven’t been big on that.
I am big, however, on tattoos. I only have one, but I love them. I think, correctly done, they can be beautiful works of art on the body. I’m rather limited in what I can get – my work deems that you can’t visibly see them – so I’m focusing more on quality than quality.
Therefore, I have decided on two specific rewards for myself. When I’ve lost half the weight I am aiming to lose all together (80 pounds), I will let myself get the upper ear piercing I have been eyeing for a while. I’ve had my ears pierced here twice – it grows over so fast, though, that the moment you take them out they are grown over. (This time I swear I’ll leave them in, ha ha!)
The second, once I completely reach my goal weight (175), I will get my 2nd tattoo. I’ve found what I want and everything – (see below) – now I just have to get there. And I really want to get there and get my 2nd tattoo! I think I’ll actually have the tattoo completed in color (reds, yellows, & oranges) instead of black.
Update: Husband says the above tattoo is not only cliche, but trashy, ha ha. I'm second guessing this particular tattoo, but not the tattoo in general! He's trying to get me together with an artist that can create an original design.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sagging
Recently I was told by my 8-year-old nephew that I most certainly must be at least 40. "Why is that? I don't have wrinkles!" I asked.
“No,” he continues, “but I see bags.”
Other than really putting me in the mood to grab some cucumbers and schedule a face lift, it really started my thinking about my weight loss. For a long time I was complacent with losing a little at a time, not in a real hurry to get to my goal weight as long as it was trending down. But really – I want to be able to enjoy my weight loss and still be relatively young!
Men & women take this whole aging thing in totally different directions, and that is so frustrating. I saw a man this morning who was probably in his mid-forties, maybe early 50’s, and he was hot. I mean I took a double-take hot. That doesn’t happen for us women very often – it is all downhill after 30. We have to worry about face sagging, boobs sagging, and general all-over sagging. If you add in the weight loss, which produces skin sagging, I’m fighting a losing battle!
I want to be able to go into a store, buy a smokin’ hot normal-size outfit, and be noticed in it. And for that I am willing to double my efforts from trying to lose 1 pound a week to 2 pounds a week. That small effort is the difference between 240’s at the end of the year vs. 210’s at the end of the year.
Just as a note, when I hit 30 I decided to start my anti-aging campaign. Thank you, daily retinol & SPF 15!
Monday, July 4, 2011
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