When To Rest

December 18, 2009 By

As I’m sitting here writing this post I have a terrible cold. I don’t feel horrible, but my throat hurts a lot. It started with one of the boys and he happily coughed all over me and everyone else. So now we’ve all had it/gotten it. It made me think about resting, exercise, and how the two intersect.

I’m sure all of you are sitting on pins and needles wondering whether or not I exercised this morning in spite of having a bad head cold!! The answer is yes. But, I didn’t exercise yesterday at all. Today I donned my winter walking gear and took a slow, leisurely walk for about 20 minutes. I tucked my headphones inside my hat and off I went. I purposefully went slow and stopped early. And after I came inside I was glad I had taken a few minutes for exercise because I actually felt a little better.

There have been other times when I started to exercise and found that I truly was miserable. Not just miserable in my mind wishing I could stop, but miserable physically. I usually ascribe to a five-minute rule. If after five minutes I feel worse than I did before I went out, I stop and go back inside. There have been times where I stopped, but more times where I realized I actually felt better outside walking then I had just a few minutes before lounging around.

I’ve known people who have pushed themselves when they had the flu, had a stomach virus, and had a terrible cold. I always think, “Why can’t you just take a rest?” But I don’t say that to them. Instead I just tell them to take it easy on themselves, because a few days of rest is good for the body not bad. If you’ve ever examined a training schedule for runners, there are specific periods of rest incorporated in the schedule. Our bodies need a break, our muscles benefit from a rest day, and sometimes our minds need a rest as well.

Unfortunately, when I was morbidly obese I rested all the time, mistakenly assuming that I would be even more tired if I exercised. Of course I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was doing myself a disservice by resting abundantly instead of exercising abundantly. I hope that you are of the “exercise is beneficial” mindset and not of the “exercise is draining mindset.”  I rested myself all the way to 300 pounds.

When I first started exercising all those years ago I didn’t want to take a break. I tried to go for a walk every day, but quickly realized that I needed to be reasonable. So I settled on six days a week. It’s something I still do today – unless I don’t feel well like today!

I think it’s really important to listen to your bodies signals in all instances. Not only with regards to your food choices, but also in regards to how you physically feel. What are you thoughts on the subject?  Diane

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: , ,

Turkey Love & Turkey Hate

November 27, 2009 By

We had a great day yesterday. We decorated the yard for Christmas, we had a nice meal, and I ran a 5K! YAY! This particular 5K benefited a charity organization that provides food to underprivileged folks that live here.  The morning was cold as you can see from my posture walking up to the start line. (I’m the one with the ponytail!) There were about 400 people there which was much better than my last 5K in which about 30 people participated! I felt like I could get lost in the crowd and would definitely not be last! We got started at 8:03 a.m. and as I turned the first corner a woman right up ahead of me fell flat on her face! The girl next to me stopped as did I. That poor woman just laid there for a few seconds and then immediately started bawling like a baby! I felt so bad for her. We helped her up and after a little bit of time she said she was fine. So I went off again.

I’ve done this 5K before so THOUGHT I knew the route. But no. They changed it and added in two gigantic hills. Gigantic. As in, whenever we drove those hills heading to the mall the kids and I would say, “Aren’t you glad we don’t have to ride our bikes up this hill.” That’s how big it was. And it was at the end! But I had a strategy just in case. I walked up the hill. And since, as you all know, walking is my favorite exercise, I am FAST. On that hill I passed 8 people who were trying to run/walk up that hill. And it felt like I was getting a break while I walked fast up the hill. Win-Win!

Getting Ready to Run 5K
So I moseyed my way around the course, up and down the hills. Last time I really thought I wasn’t going to make it. I had some panic thoughts at the beginning of the last race, but in between that race and this one I trained much smarter and really worked on my endurance rather than worrying so much about speed. So at the end I passed a bunch of people who had petered out, including this very beautiful blonde lady with her hair done and a full face of make up on! Who does that?

I finished in 30:52 seconds. This was an improvement over my last time by over a minute. If I hadn’t stopped to help the lady then I might have come in under 30:00 which is my goal for next race. I’m very happy with my time and my experience, but the competitor in me says, “You can do better!” So that’s the Turkey Love part of my post.
At the Finish 5K

Now for the Turkey Hate. I do like to cook but I have decided if I never have to wrestle another turkey into the oven again I will be a happy woman. I’ve always hated messing with the bigness, the messiness, and the lengthy cooking times! Also, since I’m a bit of a germ-o-phobe, I am like a crazy woman with the cleaner after I’ve had the turkey around the kitchen! Yuck. So, if you are still with me this time next year, please remind me to order a turkey from a store and be done with it!

Other than the cooking turkey part of my day, the rest of it was great! How about you?  Diane

Filed Under: Exercise, Holidays, Weight Loss Tagged With: ,

Don’t Get Up

November 18, 2009 By

I tried never to get up. It was hard to move my 300 pound body from the comfy couch cushions. I had to brace myself against the arm of the chair, get my legs just right, and haul myself up. It wasn’t easy. And if I happened to be on the floor, well, just don’t try and watch me get up.

The bigger I got the less I moved. It’s such a shame that that’s what happens to many of us who struggle with our weight. I got bigger, my physical activity became smaller and could be measured in 100′s of steps a day rather than the 1000′s of steps I can measure it in now.

As I moved from average sized to morbidly obese I made real, concerted efforts to move less. In fact, I planned my day around moving less. Instead of embracing those rare moments where I had the opportunity to move, I avoided them. I remember one day, when my oldest was in Kindergarten, and her teacher asked me to supervise a field trip. (This was before we started homeschooling.) I declined, making up an excuse about a conflict. Okay, I didn’t just decline, I lied. Why? I didn’t want to go to the outdoor museum and walk around. I was worried I would be too tired so I stayed home and heard all about her trip when I picked her up from school. I still remember feeling sorry for myself that I couldn’t go.

Looking back I see that yes, I should have felt sorry. Not sorry for myself because I couldn’t physically go, but sorry that I didn’t try. I stopped trying to move around and stayed down as much as I could. And by doing so I missed out on some really wonderful opportunities to make memories with my family. I wish things had been different.

I remember sitting at a social event. And that’s all I did was sit. Other moms and dads were up and about, interacting with each other and their children, but I just sat. And I’m embarrassed to say it, but I often had a plate of food balanced on my lap. The girls would come running over, “Mommy, come watch me go down the slide.” I’d say, “I can see you from here.” I didn’t want to get up.

At home I carefully planned my morning chores. I did what needed to be done in the morning, so when the girls took their naps I could sit on the couch with some chocolate, chips, and crackers watching television shows. I loved my remote control and cordless phone. Two more easy to sit conveniences I embraced. From the time they napped to the time they woke up I only got up if I needed some more food or had to use the restroom. No extra energy expended.

I honestly thought that if I moved more I’d be more tired. Guess what? I was 100% wrong.

When I started down the healthy path I did start to exercise, get up off the couch, and move my body. And you know what happened? Even at a morbidly obese 275 pounds I had more energy. Sure I was tired, but I no longer experienced the kind of tiredness I had in the past. I had finally learned to get up and get moving. Even though I couldn’t move fast or far, just moving at all was a victory.

What got you up and moving? Was it a sudden realization that you were sitting too much, or was there a gradual change in your attitude? Oh, and if you are still sitting?! Try getting up – you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel!!  Diane

Filed Under: Choices, emotions, Exercise Tagged With: , , ,

It’s All Too Much

October 14, 2009 By

Have you ever felt like it’s just all too much? The meal planning. The exercise. The eating good foods. The talking about it. The self examination. The ups. The downs. The gains. The losses.

Is it too much? Is it all too much trouble?

I felt that way sometimes during my journey to lose 150 pounds. It all felt overwhelming at times. I’d get tired of saying no to well meaning friends and relatives. I’d be tired of eating good food and long for an entire bag of peanut M&M’s. I’d get bored with exercising six days a week and long to sit on the couch and stuff my face with tortilla chips smothered in cheddar cheese. I had days like that where I felt like it was just all too much work.

But in spite of all the work and effort losing weight and getting healthy took, I never once gave up. Why not? Because it wasn’t too much work when I compared the work I was putting into getting healthy to the work it took to be obese. Here’s what I mean.

It was work to:

  • climb stairs
  • walk to my mailbox
  • find clothes that fit (not even flattering, just fit)
  • keep up with my personal hygiene
  • get out of bed
  • keep up with my children
  • climb in and out of the car
  • tie my shoes
  • put on pantyhose
  • complete tasks on time
  • lift heavy objects
  • feel good about myself
  • look people in the eye
  • go into new situations
  • visit old friends
  • take long car trips
  • fly on airplanes

Those things were work. Weight loss was easy compared to that list. I realized when I got burned out from the effort of getting healthy that this little bit of effort to plan my meals was a lot easier than walking up stairs. I understood that choosing not to eat the M&M’s was easier than reuniting with old friends who didn’t know I had gotten fat. And I knew that exercising now would be easier than having to use a wheelchair if I kept getting fatter and fatter.

Do you see where I’m going with this? It’s not all too much. It’s just enough.

All your hard work and effort is just right. It’s the perfect way to put the work it takes being overweight behind you, shed your fat suit, and move into the place of health and healing.  So I’d encourage you that if you start to get frustrated and fed up with counting points, or planning healthy meals, or exercising every day to remember how much work it takes to be overweight. What’s really harder?  Diane

Filed Under: Choices, emotions, excuses, Exercise Tagged With: , , , ,

I Ran the Pink Ribbon 5K

October 3, 2009 By

Pink Ribbon Run

As many of you know, I’ve been fighting a knee issue on and off for a few months.  I waited until the last minute to decide if I would be able to run the Pink Ribbon 5K, and decided I could do it! So my sweet husband got up early with me this morning and we drove 30 minutes to the next little town up from ours. I was expecting a big crowd of people like we used to have in Florida, but NO! There were only about 40 or so. And 90% of them looked like serious runners.

You know the type. They are jumping up and down, doing little sprints across the parking lot, stretching, and wearing fancy watches. I started to get nervous. Then I got even more nervous when the woman at the registration table told me the route and mentioned several big hills. Where we live there are just a couple of hills, and none near me, so I didn’t train for hills. (Oops.)

We started out (with me almost in the back) and immediately went down a hill, and then up a huge hill that went on forever. I persevered through the whole race and finished in 32:08 seconds. Definitely slower than I normally do a 5K. I guess I learned my lesson about not training for the hills!

I also learned that thin does not mean fit. There was this beautiful young girl, who was thin and fit looking. She started off running at a good clip, and promptly stopped and began walking. Later, I  saw her finishing up the course as John and I were driving away. I think it’s great that she finished, but I learned not to judge a book by its cover. The lady who finished right in front of me was about my age, but was only about 5’2″ and probably outweighed me by 50 pounds. But she and I kept pace together, and finished together. If I saw that woman in the mall, I’d never think she could run a 5K at all.

Running little races like this makes me appreciate how far I’ve come, and keeps me committed to maintaining a healthy weight. When I weighed 300 pounds, I couldn’t have walked this course, but now, I can run it – albeit slowly. Yet another reason to stay commited to your plan – you can run races, help a good cause, and get some really cute t-shirts!

As I was writing this post I was wondering if any of you have done a race like this? If not, it’s a great goal to set for yourself. Look online for races in your area, and commit to doing one. You will be glad that you did! And me?  Before I do my next 5K in two weeks, I will head to the one hill in my town and practice!  Diane

Filed Under: Exercise, self esteem, Weight Loss Tagged With: ,

How Far Can You Go?

September 28, 2009 By

I was reading some blogs this weekend and came across this post from 266. In it she describes her experience pushing herself to walk 25 km in one day. For those of us who are metrically challenged, that’s approximately 15 miles. And no, 266 is not a super athlete, training for an iron man triathlon. She is a weight loss blogger, who is pushing herself beyond where she ever thought possible.

As I thought about her post, I looked back and reflected upon my own weight loss journey. I realized that although I didn’t walk 15 miles in one day, there were many, many times where I pushed myself far beyond where I would have thought possible. Initially just getting up early was hard for me. And getting up early to attempt some exercise at 300 pounds was even more incredible. Walking down the dark neighborhood roads for 10 minutes seemed impossible, and when I got home those first few days you would have thought that I had walked 15 miles as drenched in sweat as I was.

Every day, when I got up and exercised I was pushing myself beyond where I would have thought possible. I still remember the first time I walked for 30 minutes at one time. When I got back to the house John said, “I was starting to get worried about you.” I looked at him and smiled, thinking, “I was a little bit worried I wasn’t going to make it back home.” But I did.

I eventually worked up to jogging a bit and ran a 5K during that year of my weight loss. I still remember the triumphant feeling when I crossed the finish line at about 34:00. I never dreamed that I would be able to walk a 5K, much less run one. But I pushed myself, and realized that I could go a lot farther than I had ever thought possible.

Pushing myself farther didn’t just relate to exercise. As I reflected on my journey, and what made this time different than some of the other attempts I had, I realized that I pushed myself in every area of my life. I pushed myself to try new foods, including things like asparagus, artichokes, and squash. I pushed myself emotionally, by taking the time and effort to examine why I was making food choices that were harmful to me. And I pushed myself socially, by opening myself up to new experiences and relationships.

It was a year of reaching for something new. It was a rediscovery of myself and of the abilities that had been hidden under layers of fat.

Sometimes, it can be scary to push yourself. Why? Because, if you are like me, you may be afraid of failure. Or, you may be worried that you just can’t do it. Or, you may lack the self confidence to just try.

This week, as you go about your life, I want you to think about pushing yourself. It doesn’t have to be weight related, but rather can be anything. It may be something that you’ve set as a goal for yourself if you are participating in Steve’s challenge, or it could be a private goal. Something you’ve always wanted to do.  Take the next seven days and do something to make that goal a reality. Even better if you have to push yourself to do it. 

I’m going to push myself out of my comfort zone and make some contacts with people that I’ve been a little nervous to call. What can you push yourself to accomplish this week?  Diane

Filed Under: emotions, Exercise, goal setting Tagged With: , , ,

Say Yes When You Want To Say No

September 17, 2009 By

So often in weight loss circles you hear the phrase, “Just Say No.”  Say no to treats. Say no to excess food. Say no to social occasions you can’t control yourself in. Just say no. And for a lot of situations involving food and weight loss, you do have to learn to just say no.

But for this post, I wanted to talk about saying “yes” when you want to say “no.” It seems a bit counter-intuitive doesn’t it? But let me give you an example:

It’s Sunday night, and you are thinking about your week ahead. You are super busy at work or have a lot going on at home. You know you should set your alarm to get up early and exercise but you are just overwhelmed when looking at your to-do list. So you don’t. You don’t set your alarm, you don’t get up and exercise, and then regret it later.

Here’s a case when it would be great to say, “Yes, I’m going to commit to exercising this week even though I don’t want to.” You’ve just told yourself “yes.” It’s not easy to do this, because often times our reasons for not working out seem valid.

We are busy. We are overwhelmed. We are tired. We don’t always feel like working out.  (Note that I’m not saying to over-exert yourself when you are feeling poorly, or that you have to exercise every single day!)

But by telling yourself “yes” during those busy times, you are actually teaching yourself a valuable life lesson. Because as you finish up your weight loss journey, life still happens, and the lesson you learned will serve you well into maintenance. In fact, it’s probably already a lesson you know. I say “yes” all the time when I want to say no. When my child has asked me the same question for the 100th time in one day, I want to lose my mind sometimes. But I tell him the answer to the question again, usually with a smile on my face.

You probably do this all the time at work. Your boss asks you to do something you’d rather not, but you say “yes” because you know it’s good for your career. Sometimes my husband will ask me to make some phone calls (which I hate) because he is absolutely swamped at work. I really want to say no, but instead I agree.

Can you apply the same principle to exercising? Even if you are exercising with some consistency now, there are often opportunities to increase your intensity or try something new. I remember the first time I rode a bike for exercise after I had lost all my 150 pounds. A friend of mine was an avid cyclist, and my Mom had just given me her old (nice) bike. So when my cyclist friend asked me if I’d like to ride with her I wanted to say no, because I was afraid I couldn’t keep up with her. But I said yes.

And guess what? I couldn’t keep up with her – but she was gracious enough to slow down for me! The feelings of accomplishment I had were huge. Twelve years later, still cycle fairly regularly, and enjoy it greatly. Imagine if I hadn’t tried that form of exercise. I might still be looking at the nice bike in my garage just wishing I could ride it fast.

What are you tempted to say no to when you could say yes? Has there been a time when you said “yes” and are glad you did? I’d love to hear your experiences.  Diane

Filed Under: Choices, excuses, Exercise, Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,
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