Let’s Get Physical

That is exactly what I did today.


Mark the date - it’s the first time in my life I ever worked out for 5.5 hours. What have I gotten myself into?

I’m still on East Coast time - woke up at 5am today. Didn’t have to get up until 7. Got to the gym about 7:45 and the assault began.

First I had a VO2 test done. It measures your oxygen and lung capacity. But that entails walking on the treadmill as if doing a stress test. Then I got to eat breakfast. Then a bunch of us piled in the van to go for a walk/run at the beach. I took my shoes and socks off and walked along the water’s edge while boogying to my ipod - a little Kat DeLuna, some Pitbull, a bit of Kumbia Kings, TLC, J-Lo, Justin Timberlake & Snoop Dog, Will Smith…the list goes on. Towards the end I really had to go to the bathroom. So I waited for one of our guys Cedric to catch up with me and I asked him where the bathroom was. He’s pointing to the “green thing” that you have to walk down the steps to get into the bathroom. The only green thing I see looks like a trash barrel. It is.

Okay I admit I asked him, “Do you mean that short round green thing that looks like a barrel?” His reply, “Uh, no, that’s a barrel.” After we get back to the gym I get a look at Cedric without his sunglasses.

Oh shit…it’s Cedric the Entertainer. He must think I’m a real idiot - I thought a barrel was a bathroom. Hey, it’s California…they always do weird shit out here.

Back at the gym there’s no rest for the weary. We immediately participate in an Abs/Core class for 30 minutes. It was hard. I got a 30-minute break then did a group circuit class for 60 minutes during which I fell. Maybe falling will be my new “thing”. Luckily I didn’t get hurt, but Yes…everyone was watching.

If my math is correct, I had already worked out for 2.5 hours by noon.

We ate a hot lunch right there at the gym prepared for us by Chef Seong.

Then it’s right back to work. 1 hour of cardio immediately followed by an hour of personal training. My training partner was Desi another newbie. Our trainer was Jonathan. I had the music in me and proceeded to serenade Desi throughout the workout. I told her, “In my world I have a great voice!” Heh…that’s because I have ear buds in my ears and the music turned up loud - I totally can’t hear myself!

Desi and I had an hour off so we hung out in the lounge and talked to some of the veterans who offered some great advice.

4 pm was boot camp with Jonathan. It was a group of 10 (including Cedric) and we worked our tushes off big time. Exhausting!

I was finally free to head on home, but first I needed to stop by the store for: laundry detergent, dryer sheets, distilled water, decaf green tea, and ibuprofen. I wasn’t looking forward to the half-mile walk back to the apartment Plus going to the shopping area across the street. But my friend Bess saved the day. She drove by and noticed me so she stopped. Turns out, she had to go to the store too. What a relief.

So here I sit, happy that I accomplished what I did today. But my feet are throbbing and my eyes are beginning to close and it’s only 8:30. I’m pretty sure I’ll be a “dud” all week long, but I don’t care. I’m working on something here that’s even bigger than me. So I’m grabbing another bottle of water and heading off to bed.

I’m out!

Hello L.A.

I began today in true style.


After a teary goodbye with hubby I proceeded to check my luggage. I was feeling cute and sassy in my new size 2X (down from 3X) blue day dress with my white shrug, white sandals, white & orange Trina Turk bag, white Michael Kors “boyfriend” watch and Alexis Bittar jewelry - tré chic. As I strutted towards the security checkpoint confident all eyes were on me, my sandal caught on the carpet and SPLAT - I was laid out facedown on the floor. A couple of gentlemen helped me up and I stood there surveying the area.

Yup, all eyes were on me.

Instead of saying “Ta Da” as my sister Dawn would have me do, I maintained eye contact around the room and with a bright size 8 smile said, “Show’s over!”


Whew! Glad I got that out of the way. From here on in my karma will be good. Now if only my knee wasn’t sore…


The flight was uneventful with the exception of the sweet Iranian soon-to-be-grandfather sitting next to me. He was boozing it up as soon as he sat down. An anxious flyer, he was calming his nerves. Dear Lord, hope he doesn’t rely on me to get him to the emergency exit . If it’s between him and me Pops is going down! I just refuse to go to those pearly gates a size 2X!


Upon my arrival I was brought to my condo. I have two roommates: Kathy and Judy. They were out and I had plenty of time to unpack, eat lunch, and unwind.

My first appointment at the gym was 3:00. I was weighed and measured, then I was in the dunk tank a.k.a. the hydrostatic body fat testing tank.


I learned that I am 46.3% fat. Their goal for me is to be between 22-25% body fat.

Then we did cardio movie. It’s exactly what it sounds like: they put on a movie and we do cardio while watching. I did 90 minutes on the treadmill, then walked the half mile to the condo where I ate dinner, showered, and iced my poor, bruised right knee.


Tomorrow I have a full day so I’m ready to get some shuteye. I’ve been awake since 3am EST and right now it’s 9:30 pm West Coast. Time for sleep.


Night all.

Game On! Week 3 Results

Sorry, friends.


I forgot to report the week 3 results.  They are very good!


Wonder Women-- 2353 points (808 points week 3)

Ga Ga Girls --2279 points (749 points week 3)

Sassy Sunrise Divas -- 2255 points (713 points week 3)


Total pounds released: 138.1 (23 women combined total)


Still not too bad for just a game, huh?

Take A Look At My Closet

It’s the only one I’ve got.

Not much of a closet.

Now!

A cache of scarves on the left.  The clothes I’m taking to California on the right.  I left one outfit to wear today and one for tomorrow – to be trashed tomorrow night.

I’ve spent the last couple of days purging…it’s so cathartic.  I guess that’s why we spring clean.  The sun begins to peek its way out from behind the fluffy clouds, the early flowers begin to bloom, and our hormones begin to lighten.  Our brain thinks, “Ahh…it’s a new beginning.  Let’s get everything back in shape!” 

Hence, workouts and diets for the soon-to-be bikini season are underway and closets, nooks & crannies all over the universe are being given a new life.

My closet is smiling.  Not only is it very clean and airy, but also, it’s looking forward to the day it’s filled with beautiful new things.

Basically, I’ve left myself no options.  I’m going away to release many, many pounds.  I refuse to come back to a closet filled with too-large clothes.  That may produce stress and may be a subliminal message to my brain to go back to my old ways.

I’d rather walk around bare-assed than submit to wearing those clothes again.  Of course, that might not be such a bad idea given that my ass will eventually be cute and cellulite free…………….….hmm.

P.S. I’m thinking Michael Kors in Soho.  I may have to pick up a couple of token Givenchy items at the Saks flagship store.  (My cousin is the Pres of Givenchy so now that I’ll be able to fit into their clothes I should support her business!)  Maybe a little Tory Burch, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg…the choices will be limitless! 

My Dirty Little Secret - Revealed

I have a dirty little secret that I have not revealed to you yet.  Since I began this blog I have been looking into health retreats like The Biggest Loser Resort.  I’ve considered applying to be a contestant on the show, but I don’t know when the next season actually begins and while I’m in the moment and very focused on changing my lifestyle I’d like to strike while the iron’s hot.

So, back in the middle of February I called The Biggest Loser Resort and was told they are all booked up until September 26^th.  With all the advertising they did during the Olympics, I can only imagine they are booked until 2011 at this point.  I found a few others, which were very interesting.  The place widely considered #1 is Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ.  I checked it out and the program I’m looking for is about $1000/day.  Ouch! 

Now, don’t get me wrong…I assumed these places would cost some major cash, but not that much cash.  And the way I’m looking at it is:  I can’t afford to go, but I can’t afford not to go.  I know I need to get out of my environment for a long while to get my head back on straight.  What’s the use of going to a gym with a personal trainer all day long, then coming back home to the same stress, worries, kitchen, food, responsibilities, etc.  No wonder why so many obese Americans choose surgery over actual change.  Change takes a lot more work and we are the instant gratification society so the work isn’t very enticing.

Back in the 80’s when I was a 20-something young urban professional in DC, I was in great shape.  I ran 3 miles at 6am on the weekdays then would head to the gym for an aerobics class and some weight training 3 nights a week after work.  On Saturday I’d do a 2-hour aerobics & weights class, then on Sunday I’d do a 7-mile run along all the touristy spots of DC.  But I was single then, casually dating, not even in a serious relationship so it really was “all about me”.

Fast forward to marriage, parenthood, responsibility, the meat-and-potato-loving husband, yada yada yada… and you get the gist.

So, I recognize I want major help to help me change.  I have a friend who went to a place out in L.A. 2 years ago and she had great results.  So I decided to check out her place.  Wow! It’s spectacular!  I must admit The Biggest Loser Ranch is very rustic, located in the mountains of Utah (a big snore for me, but I’m sure that’s a great attraction to others – those outdoorsy types.  Hell, if I was the outdoorsy type I wouldn’t be the size I am!)  But this other place is very L.A.!  I haven’t visited L.A. yet so that’s a big draw for me.  Plus knowing I’ll be in warm, sunny weather every day is icing on the cake – fat-free and gluten free cake, of course!

I leave next week for 8 weeks (that’s right 8 WEEKS) of grueling albeit satisfying work.  I’ll return to the East Coast a new me!  I’ll still have a ways to go to reach my goal weight (and trust me, my goal is not to be a size 2.  In my world that’s a drink minimum!)  But I believe I’ll return a stronger, more empowered woman who has proven to herself that she really is in control of her destiny and she really can make the necessary changes she needs to live a long, happy, healthy, fulfilled life. And to aid me, I have hubby coming out for 1 week.  He’ll learn all the same food shopping & cooking techniques so we can be an even better team than we are now.

I’m trying to get Terri to join me for a week.  She would love it!  I’ll have to work a little harder, but I might just be able to get her to come out.

Don’t worry, I’ll keep you all updated on my progress and let you live an L.A. life vicariously through me. 

Oh yes…almost forgot.  I know you’re just dying to know where I’ll be.  Here’s the link…check them out.

I Have A Dirty Little Secret

I can’t share it with you………yet.

First, I have to see a cardiologist this morning.  He may decide I need a cardiac catheterization.

Apparently, some pictures from my thallium stress test two weeks ago show an issue in my lower left ventricle – not good.  Of course, it could just be breast tissue in the picture.  That’s what I think it is since I have a lot of it.

You should know I have always been afraid to do a stress test.  I’ve always heard too many stories about people dying either right there on the spot or later in the day at home.  I hate when my husband has a stress test.  I just think of Johnny Unitas.  Like I said…scary.

I’ve been working out and not having any issues, certainly I haven’t had chest pains or anything else like that.   So when my doctor told me she would only sign off on my Dirty Little Secret if I agreed to a stress test first I went along with it. 

The stress test was a breeze!  I don’t know what I was so afraid of.  I actually went longer than necessary so they could get really good readings. 

That was two weeks ago and yesterday my doctor called with ambiguous results…ugh!  I only have 1 heart so I guess I better hear what the cardiologist has to say.  I certainly don’t want to drop dead while living my Dirty Little Secret…which begins next week.

IF I get the green light from the cardiologist.

So join me in thinking positive thoughts.  Then I will reveal all.

We’re Number 1

Well, we knew it was coming.  We just completed week 2 of Game On! at our gym.  My team – the Wonder Women – have been talking smack all week warning the other teams that we will place 1^st this week. 

We didn’t lie!

I lost 1 pound this week – not enough to give me my bonus of 130 points, but I’m happy the scale still went down.

Here are the standings at the end of week 2:

Wonder Women: 1545 points

Sassy Sunrise Divas: 1542 points

The Ga Ga Girls: 1530

We are all neck and neck, but let me just chant:

We’re number 1!  We’re number 1!

We’re number 1!  We’re number 1!

Here’s to challenging all the teams to Rock Out week 3!

We encourage you, dear reader, to start your own Game On!  You won’t regret it.

That’s Not A Legal Meal

It's week 2 of Game On!  I'm doing great...now if we could only make hubby go away for a few weeks so I can stay the course.

My husband likes to eat out.  Tomorrow is my "day off" and we are joining fellow Wonder Woman Sharon & her hubby for a night out on the town.  But my honey wants to go out tonight too.  

My response:

“Sorry, I can't.  I'm going to zumba tonight.  If I eat out tonight I'll lose points and my team's determined to come in 1st place this week.”

The look on his face was a "poor me, I get no respect" look.  So, I gave him a kiss, a pat on the butt, and sent him on his way!

Now, that's what I call Girl Power!

Here's some workout music for all you Power Girls...

Call Me John Nash

That’s what Terri calls me whenever I attempt mental math.  Inevitably I screw up a number and my whole calculation is off.  Well I screwed up big time Monday when I calculated my score for Game On!  If you recall, I ate while watching TV one day last week.  That’s a no-no and I deducted my points, but I got confused and deducted an additional 50 points. 

As a result, the Wonder Women placed 2^nd this week – trailing by only 9 points.  In reality, we should have been leading by 41 points. 

Fortunately, my teammates are awesome and figure the daily 3 liters of water went to my brain and caused the mathematical malfunction.  The real kicker is we know we really won and we know our score will be about the same this week…so Sassy Sunrise Divas & Ga Ga Girls, watch your backs because the Wonder Women are taking the lead!

Here’s how last week stacked up (note, these #’s are based on my mistake):

Sassy Sunrise Divas: team average 772 points; released 3.41 pounds each

Wonder Women: team average 763 points; released 3.2 pounds each

The Ga Ga Girls: team average 743 points; released 3.14 pounds each

Total pounds lost for all participants (23 pp) in Week 1: 74.7

Not too bad for a “game”, huh?

Before I sign off, I’m leaving you with the Greek Quinoa Salad recipe Sharona made for our taste testing on Sunday.  Enjoy!

Greek Quinoa Salad  adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

2 cups quinoa

3 cups fat-free, chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 tbl evoo

1 tsp fresh mint, minced

1 tsp lemon zest, grated

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp sherry vinegar

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1/3 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

3 tbl pitted kalamata olives, chopped

Place quinoa in a large bowl; cover with water.  Let stand 5 minutes; rinse well and drain.

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in quinoa.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Uncover; fluff with a fork.  Cool to room temperature.

Combine olive oil, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, shallots & sea salt in a large bowl.  Add cooled quinoa and remaining ingredients.  Toss well.

Serves 10 1-cup portions

Calories: 186;  Protein: 5.9g;  Carb: 25.1g;  Fat: 6.3g

Game On! Food Tasting Soiree

On Sunday we had a little food tasting at the gym.  Many of us made a low-calorie healthy dish and brought it to share along with the recipe.  We had some mighty delicious food.  I had 2 faves: a spicy tuna salad recipe that is out of the book Game On!, and a Greek quinoa salad my girl Sharona made.  Sharona knows I’m gluten free and always takes good care of me.

We all tasted and talked smack about our teams.  Don’t worry, Sharona & I let them all know that the Wonder Women are going to rock their worlds when we win this game!

Clockwise from Top Left:  Spicy Tuna Salad, Curried Chicken Salad, Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato, Greek Quinoa Salad, Taco Soup, Papaya with Chili Powder

Billy’s Spicy Tuna Salad (from The Game On! Diet)

1 can tuna (6 oz packed in water)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

½ onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tbl Dijon or spicy mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1 pinch dill (essential!)

1/4 cup beans your choice, canned

1 tsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Serve on a bed of chopped lettuce of your choice.

Makes 1 serving

Calories: 413.3;  Protein: 51.3g;  Carb: 31.1g;  Fat: 8.9g  

Moving Towards Change

I told you about the competition at my gym – Game On!

Here it is in a nutshell:

Eat the right foods in 5 small meals

Exercise a minimum of 20 minutes

Drink 3 liters of water

Sleep at least 7 hours

Stop one bad habit

Begin one good habit

It’s a solid plan to make positive changes in my life.  And I’m sure enjoying the emails from both my teammates and my opponents. 

Yesterday my pelvis went out of alignment and my chiropractor was closed.  I was planning to go to Zumba, but couldn’t.  I couldn’t get on the treadmill either.  So I lost points.  To top that off, I performed my bad habit and didn’t realize it until a half hour later – they don’t call it a habit for nothing. 

My bad habit is eating while watching TV.  I feel that I consume more calories than I normally would and I’m so focused on the TV that I don’t really even taste the food.  What a waste!  And last night I ate my last meal (non fat ricotta cheese with berries, agave sugar & a sprinkle of walnuts) while watching The Biggest Loser.  Ironic!

I’ve been recording all my food and have noticed that by eating 5 small meals I'm consuming more calories than I have been in the previous two weeks and I was concerned. 

So I broke down and got on the scale.  Oh “me” of little faith…I released 5 pounds since Monday!  I was shocked, but between that good news and the sun shining, I had a new attitude!

So, I’ll continue doing what I’ve been doing and see where it lands me…hopefully in my goal size!

Group 1 Crew:

“Let’s make a change for a better today

Let it begin with me, make it reality, I wanna change.”

Game On!

At my gym we have started a 2-month competition - The Game On! Diet.  It's a fun way to release pounds developed by Krista Vernoff (the executive producer of Grey's Anatomy) and Az Ferguson (million dollar winner of Body for Life contest).

I'm participating because it's FUN!  I'm on a team called the Wonder Women - there are 5 of us.  We are competing against the Sassy Sunrise Divas (a group of women who take the 6 am class at the gym - not me!) and the Ga Ga Girls (a team led by the gym's owner).

We accumulate points daily based on food choices, exercise, amount of sleep, amount of water consumed, breaking an old habit, beginning a new habit and communication with team members and opponents.  I can talk some good smack so aside from helping make positive changes, this competition allows for some major "belly" laughing!

If you want to make some great lifetime changes while having a ball, by all means check it out:  www.thegameondiet.com.

I’ll leave you all with one thought:

Wonder Women Rock

Wonder Women Roll

We are Super Heroes

With a Championship Soul!

FIT

Last week I told you I would have a friend explain about interval training. My friend Sharon (I always call her My Sharona) was a personal trainer in her previous career. She really knows her stuff and agreed to help everyone with their workout knowledge. So without further adieu, here’s her spin on interval training. We’ll be hearing from her on other topics in the future. Take it away, My Sharona!

Interval Training and the FIT Principle for Better Results

How hard and how often do I have to work out to see results? How do I increase my fitness level? How do I move off a plateau?

When working towards weight loss and fitness goals the FIT principle will help you modify your program to continue achieving results. The FIT principle contains the following three components:

F: Frequency: # of times you work out in any given period of time.
I: Intensity: amount of exertion expended during any one workout.
T: Time: duration of any one work out.

Each of the above variables can be manipulated to improve performance and/or weight loss. If you are unable to increase the number of times you work out each week, increase the duration or intensity of the work out. If you just don’t have any additional time, increasing your workout intensity is the way to go to accelerate results.

Interval training is a fantastic way to increase intensity without adding additional time or additional workouts to your schedule. An additional benefit to interval training is increased calories burned.

High intensity workouts are an efficient way to burn a lot of calories is a short period of time. It all comes down to calories in and calories out. In order to lose weight, we need to burn more calories than we take in. Interval training alternates high intensity intervals with lower intensity during one workout.

After a good warm up (about 5 minutes of cardiovascular activity) alternate working at a moderate to moderately high rate. You should be able to sustain the intensity level for about 5 minutes. Then increase your intensity to a high level for about 2-4 minutes. Then alternate back to the moderate intensity for about 2-4 minutes.

Perceived exertion for the moderate should be about 5 – 6 on a scale of 1 – 10. The high intensity interval should be about 7 – 10 on a scale of 1 – 10. Another good indicator for moderate activity is that you should be able to speak, but be a bit out of breath. On the high intensity interval you should be breathing hard, but still able to sustain a conversation.
A great way to keep motivated through an interval workout is to use music. With today’s MP3 players it is easier than ever to program great workouts on your own. Pick out songs that make you want to move. By alternating faster beats-per-minute music with slower songs, you can create your own interval training work out. Be sure to include some music for warm up and cool down.

This is what Dee did the 1st week:
2.5 speed on treadmill for 3 minutes
3.0 speed and 2% incline for 2 minutes
She switched back and forth until she reached her calorie burn goal (300). Then she spent about 5 minutes stretching to loosen up all her muscles that have been so stiff from no exercise.
Week 2 she upped everything just a smidgen:
2.7 speed on treadmill for 3 minutes
3.2 speed and 2% incline for 2 minutes
She increased her calorie burn goal to 350.

My Sharona was generous enough to share one of her fave interval training playlists. Enjoy!