Total Weight Lost: 14 lbs
Last week I asked you for recommendations about adding toning exercises to my routine. I was especially flattered by the suggestion to alternate a minute of walking with a minute of push-ups, because you implied that I am capable of doing a full minute of push-ups. I am, in fact, capable of doing two. Not two minutes. Two push-ups. And not real push-ups either--the kind where you put your knees down.
I think interval training would be a great step up for me in the workout world: I’ve heard it brings fantastic results. But for now, I’ve decided to ease myself into strength training by using a workout video twice a week. The one I chose is called “Self: Bikini Ready Fast,” and it is available on Netflix for anybody who wants to check it out. The picture on the cover is of a tanned and toned woman in a little yellow bikini standing on the beach, and it promises results in just four weeks. I know, I know. The skeptic inside of me was shaking her head and laughing, while the rest of my naive self was busy picturing me tanned and toned in a little yellow bikini on the beach. But I actually do have some level-headed reasons for choosing this particular video.
For starters, it was recommended to me by a friend of mine who actually did see results in even less than four weeks. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, it is one of the few full body work out videos that does not require me to lie down on my back. This is beneficial because A. Our floors are hard wood and wildly uncomfortable, and B. Every time I lie down, Allison finds it necessary to come and perform elbow drops and other various wrestling maneuvers on me until I get up.
“Bikini Ready Fast” is made even more attractive in that there is only about a minute of any kind of floor work. You are supposed to do about 12 push-ups total, but you get to rest a little in between. Actually, I tend to rest a lot in between: I do my two girly push-ups (okay--one and a half) and then spend the duration of ‘floor work’ lying on my stomach waiting for the peppy instructor to congratulate me on a job well done and tell me it’s time to stretch.
The final perk of my video of choice? It does not require all that much coordination. Some of you may remember me at middle school dances. The rest of you will have to take my word for it: I am not remotely coordinated. I couldn’t even tie my shoes until I was 8 or 9, and some might argue there is still room for improvement. Fortunately, this video is simple enough that by the second or third time I tried it, I felt like I was getting most of the moves down.
Which means that in just four short weeks I will be posting pictures of my bikini ready self.
Kidding, kidding. I am not expecting to look like the woman on the cover of a magazine in four weeks, or ever (though if I do, you can bet I will be posting pictures). What I am hoping for is a little more definition in my arms and a metabolism boost. And who knows, maybe it’s already working. I did lose a pound and a half this week. Of course, that could be because I was too sore from working out to get off the couch and open the refrigerator...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Week 12: 12 weeks down, 12 weeks to go!
Total Weight Lost: 12 lbs
Total Waist Lost: 2.75 inches
Some of my more faithful readers may have noticed that I failed to blog last Saturday. I don’t have much of an excuse. Mostly it was because I woke up cranky and spent so much of my day stomping around, yelling at people, slamming doors and muttering under my breath that I had no time left to sit down and write. Which just goes to show that time can fly whether you are having fun or not.
But today the sun is shining, the kids are napping, and I am back to the wonderful world of blogging. And that ghastly scale of mine has not budged for 3 weeks. It’s not even the batteries. I checked. It’s just that I seem to have mastered the fine art of maintenance. I’m not really complaining--I’d much rather maintain than gain. However, I am not nearly as close to my goal weight as I am to my 30th birthday.
I have a couple of theories about my stunted weight loss. One of those theories involves the batch of snickerdoodles I made (and almost single handedly polished off) last week. Another is that my doctor’s prediction was right, and my weight loss has indeed tapered off to about 2 or 3 pounds a month. Finally, there is a general consensus among baby books that a nursing mother often cannot lose the last ten or so pounds until the baby is weaned. Whatever the reason, I’ve decided to not let it bother me. I will just focus on eating healthy whole foods (most of the time) and see where it gets me.
Speaking of whole foods, my first trip to Whole Foods was an enormous success. As suggested by my dear friend, Colleen, it is truly the Nordstrom of grocery stores. We have now been enjoying only grass fed, humanely raised beef. It is more expensive, but it doesn’t affect our budget much since we only eat it about once a week. For the time being, I am still buying all of our chicken in bulk at BJ’s. You have to crawl before you can walk, right?
And speaking of walking, that is still the entirety of my exercise plan. I always thought I would switch to jogging at some point, but I’m beginning to agree with my wise (not to mention good-looking) husband: there is simply no need to run unless someone is chasing you. Happily, I am rarely chased.
I’m sticking with walking as my cardio exercise of choice, but I do feel the need to amp up my workouts. With the arrival of warm weather came the necessity of short sleeved shirts and skirts, and my problem areas have become a bit more apparent. I’d like to start a toning program, but I am having a hard time committing to more than 30 minutes of structured exercise a day. A question for my readers that know a thing or two about exercise (and I know you are out there--I’ve seen your ridiculously toned arms and flat abs in your Facebook pictures): Would it be beneficial to give up two of my cardio days in exchange for resistance training? Readers who have naturally toned arms and flat abs: please keep your comments to yourself.
Total Waist Lost: 2.75 inches
Some of my more faithful readers may have noticed that I failed to blog last Saturday. I don’t have much of an excuse. Mostly it was because I woke up cranky and spent so much of my day stomping around, yelling at people, slamming doors and muttering under my breath that I had no time left to sit down and write. Which just goes to show that time can fly whether you are having fun or not.
But today the sun is shining, the kids are napping, and I am back to the wonderful world of blogging. And that ghastly scale of mine has not budged for 3 weeks. It’s not even the batteries. I checked. It’s just that I seem to have mastered the fine art of maintenance. I’m not really complaining--I’d much rather maintain than gain. However, I am not nearly as close to my goal weight as I am to my 30th birthday.
I have a couple of theories about my stunted weight loss. One of those theories involves the batch of snickerdoodles I made (and almost single handedly polished off) last week. Another is that my doctor’s prediction was right, and my weight loss has indeed tapered off to about 2 or 3 pounds a month. Finally, there is a general consensus among baby books that a nursing mother often cannot lose the last ten or so pounds until the baby is weaned. Whatever the reason, I’ve decided to not let it bother me. I will just focus on eating healthy whole foods (most of the time) and see where it gets me.
Speaking of whole foods, my first trip to Whole Foods was an enormous success. As suggested by my dear friend, Colleen, it is truly the Nordstrom of grocery stores. We have now been enjoying only grass fed, humanely raised beef. It is more expensive, but it doesn’t affect our budget much since we only eat it about once a week. For the time being, I am still buying all of our chicken in bulk at BJ’s. You have to crawl before you can walk, right?
And speaking of walking, that is still the entirety of my exercise plan. I always thought I would switch to jogging at some point, but I’m beginning to agree with my wise (not to mention good-looking) husband: there is simply no need to run unless someone is chasing you. Happily, I am rarely chased.
I’m sticking with walking as my cardio exercise of choice, but I do feel the need to amp up my workouts. With the arrival of warm weather came the necessity of short sleeved shirts and skirts, and my problem areas have become a bit more apparent. I’d like to start a toning program, but I am having a hard time committing to more than 30 minutes of structured exercise a day. A question for my readers that know a thing or two about exercise (and I know you are out there--I’ve seen your ridiculously toned arms and flat abs in your Facebook pictures): Would it be beneficial to give up two of my cardio days in exchange for resistance training? Readers who have naturally toned arms and flat abs: please keep your comments to yourself.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Week 10: Hitch up the wagon, Pa. We’re goin’ to town!
Total Weight Lost: 12 lbs
I’ve only been grocery shopping once since deciding to ‘eat clean’ whenever possible, but it seems it will be harder than I thought. I have vague recollections of grocery shopping in Washington state and seeing entire walls full of organic produce and aisles devoted to organic and natural snack foods, and I naively expected a similar experience here in southern Maryland. Instead, I went to three separate stores and left with just a few organic finds: carrots, green bananas, and a bag of apples.
I think a CSA or a farmer’s market is going to be the way to go for organic produce in our area, at least in the summer. I’ve also found an organic berry farm nearby, and I hope to take Allison to pick strawberries there soon. On the way to the airport I passed a ‘farm fresh eggs’ sign, so it may be possible to get cage free eggs here as well. Finding humanely raised meat and poultry is going to be the biggest obstacle.
A good friend of mine, Marg, has been vegan for over 20 years, and she is very careful about what her family eats. Her husband and daughter eat meat, and I asked her where she shops. It turns out that the closest place to get humanely raised meat is, well, not very close. Once a month Marg’s family drives two hours to Annapolis, home of the nearest “Whole Foods” store. I don’t know if this monthly trek will be doable for Chris and me, but I intend to make my inaugural trip to Whole Foods tomorrow to find out.
In the 11 months that we have been here we have made it into Annapolis, Baltimore, and DC a handful of times. They are all about two hours away, so it’s a bit of an occasion when we decide to ‘go to town’. We make sure the girls get baths the night before, and we all put on our best clothes. Sometimes, I even do my hair and makeup. We always plan to get an early start, so I have plenty of time to tromp around the house hiking up my pants and speaking in my best country hick accent: “Git the young-uns, Pa, and hitch up the wagon. We’s goin’ to TOWN!” It may not be funny to everyone, but as an avid “Little House on the Prairie” fan, I think it’s a riot.
Anyway, tomorrow will not feel like quite such an ordeal because Allison is staying at home with Chris. My sister, Laura, is visiting and we are not only going to Whole Foods, but to an actual mall. I can barely contain my excitement. Going to malls with my sister (and/or my mom) are my third most missed thing about Washington, right behind 1. family and friends, and 2. the weather. I’m especially thrilled because this mall has a Nordstrom, and the only thing I love more than malls are malls with Nordstroms.
I know some of you, maybe many of you, are thinking, “Nordstrom’s is ridiculously expensive.” Which is absolutely true. But I am more than willing to pay a higher price for what I consider to be a truly enjoyable experience. I am not the kind of girl who delights in flipping through racks crammed with clothes, looking for that spectacular bargain while elbowing away the millions of others looking for that same spectacular bargain. No, I am the kind of girl who likes to browse elegantly displayed, spacious racks of clothes that are neatly ordered by size and style. I like to have my clothes whisked off to a luxurious dressing room by a well dressed, polite sales associate the moment I pick them up. I like getting constructive criticism and thoughtful recommendations while trying things on. I even like having someone tell me exactly what size bra I should buy and then waiting in the dressing room for well-fitting bras to appear as if by magic. And perhaps most of all, I like the Nordstrom’s Cafe, where I can get a grilled cheese sandwich, french fries with fancy seasoning, a side of fresh fruit, and a notoriously great tasting coke all for five dollars. Honestly people, what’s not to love?
But I digress. Sadly, Nordstrom has not yet offered to sponsor my blog (nor, oddly, has coca-cola), so I will return to the topic at hand: my weight. I am now down 12 pounds, and I’m just 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Which means I can put on my ‘skinny’ jeans without stopping to rest, and there is just a mini-muffin top instead of the costco sized one that was present last time I put them on. I am feeling good about my decreased intake of processed foods, and when I do eat them, I find that they usually don’t taste quite as good as I remember. Except for Skinny Cow chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. I had one two days ago, and it was every bit as good as I remember.
I’ve only been grocery shopping once since deciding to ‘eat clean’ whenever possible, but it seems it will be harder than I thought. I have vague recollections of grocery shopping in Washington state and seeing entire walls full of organic produce and aisles devoted to organic and natural snack foods, and I naively expected a similar experience here in southern Maryland. Instead, I went to three separate stores and left with just a few organic finds: carrots, green bananas, and a bag of apples.
I think a CSA or a farmer’s market is going to be the way to go for organic produce in our area, at least in the summer. I’ve also found an organic berry farm nearby, and I hope to take Allison to pick strawberries there soon. On the way to the airport I passed a ‘farm fresh eggs’ sign, so it may be possible to get cage free eggs here as well. Finding humanely raised meat and poultry is going to be the biggest obstacle.
A good friend of mine, Marg, has been vegan for over 20 years, and she is very careful about what her family eats. Her husband and daughter eat meat, and I asked her where she shops. It turns out that the closest place to get humanely raised meat is, well, not very close. Once a month Marg’s family drives two hours to Annapolis, home of the nearest “Whole Foods” store. I don’t know if this monthly trek will be doable for Chris and me, but I intend to make my inaugural trip to Whole Foods tomorrow to find out.
 |
| Laura and Allie in 'town' |
In the 11 months that we have been here we have made it into Annapolis, Baltimore, and DC a handful of times. They are all about two hours away, so it’s a bit of an occasion when we decide to ‘go to town’. We make sure the girls get baths the night before, and we all put on our best clothes. Sometimes, I even do my hair and makeup. We always plan to get an early start, so I have plenty of time to tromp around the house hiking up my pants and speaking in my best country hick accent: “Git the young-uns, Pa, and hitch up the wagon. We’s goin’ to TOWN!” It may not be funny to everyone, but as an avid “Little House on the Prairie” fan, I think it’s a riot.
Anyway, tomorrow will not feel like quite such an ordeal because Allison is staying at home with Chris. My sister, Laura, is visiting and we are not only going to Whole Foods, but to an actual mall. I can barely contain my excitement. Going to malls with my sister (and/or my mom) are my third most missed thing about Washington, right behind 1. family and friends, and 2. the weather. I’m especially thrilled because this mall has a Nordstrom, and the only thing I love more than malls are malls with Nordstroms.
I know some of you, maybe many of you, are thinking, “Nordstrom’s is ridiculously expensive.” Which is absolutely true. But I am more than willing to pay a higher price for what I consider to be a truly enjoyable experience. I am not the kind of girl who delights in flipping through racks crammed with clothes, looking for that spectacular bargain while elbowing away the millions of others looking for that same spectacular bargain. No, I am the kind of girl who likes to browse elegantly displayed, spacious racks of clothes that are neatly ordered by size and style. I like to have my clothes whisked off to a luxurious dressing room by a well dressed, polite sales associate the moment I pick them up. I like getting constructive criticism and thoughtful recommendations while trying things on. I even like having someone tell me exactly what size bra I should buy and then waiting in the dressing room for well-fitting bras to appear as if by magic. And perhaps most of all, I like the Nordstrom’s Cafe, where I can get a grilled cheese sandwich, french fries with fancy seasoning, a side of fresh fruit, and a notoriously great tasting coke all for five dollars. Honestly people, what’s not to love?
But I digress. Sadly, Nordstrom has not yet offered to sponsor my blog (nor, oddly, has coca-cola), so I will return to the topic at hand: my weight. I am now down 12 pounds, and I’m just 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Which means I can put on my ‘skinny’ jeans without stopping to rest, and there is just a mini-muffin top instead of the costco sized one that was present last time I put them on. I am feeling good about my decreased intake of processed foods, and when I do eat them, I find that they usually don’t taste quite as good as I remember. Except for Skinny Cow chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. I had one two days ago, and it was every bit as good as I remember.
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