Wedding Weight.....

I promised to “weigh in” on my own challenge with the pounds and fitness as a whole. The last 6 months have been wild and wonderful- just like West Virginia, the state I got married in. I ran in a marathon. I assembled a world-class team of nutrition experts and exercise physiologists. I logged my food and tracked my exercise. I learned about my body and what it can and “has a harder time” doing via metabolic testing.

I lost pounds and inches. The wedding came and I looked and felt great!

Now, the honeymoon is in the distant past (more than 6 weeks in the past) and you ask, “How are you doing?” Great! I’m doing great!

I don’t have the numbers to tell you about- because I don’t own a scale. But my clothes continue to feel loose and comfortable on me.

The Pros: I still eat really well. I am 90% vegetarian. (Full disclosure here folks, where else can you get that today?) I graze. I eat every 2-3 hours. My meals are smaller, very healthful (for the most part) and fill me up. I love my new style of eating. We visit the farmers markets twice a week for fresh ingredients to cook with. We now eat at home 95% of the week. We used to eat out 75% of the time!

The Cons: I picked up a new client which has really challenged my schedule. Given I shut down at 5 PM to have my “honey time” with my new husband- my gym time has been cut out. I was going to the gym 4-5 times a week for at least 45 minutes and now I don’t go.

The beauty of this dilemma is that it mirrors that of what I hear from others who are challenging their unfit ways.

Here is my advice for how to manage without the gym:

Ø Are you taking 1 hour a day for yourself? (Reading, exercising, meditating, painting, …) Make sure you do. You will not be helpful to anyone if you aren’t good to yourself first.
Ø Walk more. I have now added two hours of walking into my weekly schedule. I walk to and from errands, clients, etc… Plus, I still walk the dogs (perhaps a little more diligently now).
Ø Log your food. Each bite. Make sure you know how much you are eating (fat grams, cholesterol, calories, servings, etc…)
Ø Eat better. Choose fresh ingredients you feel good about.
Ø Cook more. Don’t allow anyone to put your pounds on for you. Choose your guilty pleasures carefully- yourself. Limit salt. Limit quantities. You see where I’m going.
Ø Educate those you love. Make this a lifestyle everyone wants to be a part of. Celebrate every pound lost and every inch that’s disappeared! Enjoy tasting your food for once, not just swallowing it!
Ø Work on your home. Gardening and home chores are good exercise. Learn to love going up and down the steps- carrying things!
Ø Keep a journal. Note how you feel, what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Ø Commit to yourself! Look at photos of you then and now. Describe how you feel/felt. Imagine how you want to describe yourself and how you feel. Do it now. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.

I hope this helps you. I’m not proud of not getting to the gym. But, I’m not allowing that to be an excuse to override my hard work either. I’m not going to be over 200 pounds ever again. I’ve committed that to me!

Fitness Update

In two months recording time, February to April. Here are the differences in my body measurements.

Measurement: Start Date of February 26, 2009 to April 22, 2009 = Change
Body Weight 178 lbs to 171 lbs =- 7 lbs
Fat Weight 73.6 lbs to 64.7 lbs = - 8.9 lbs
Lean Body Weight 104.4 lbs to 106.3 lbs = + 1.9 lbs
Neck 13" to 12 1/2" = - 1/2"
Biceps 12 7/8" to 12 1/8" = - 3/4"
Forearm 9 7/8" to 9 5/8" = - 1/4"
Wrist 5 7/8" to 5 7/8" = 0
Waist 36" to 34 3/4" = - 1 1/4"
Hips 44 1/2" to 42 1/2" = - 2"
Top-Thigh 26 3/4" to 26 1/4" = - 1/2"
Mid-Thigh 22 1/2" to 22 1/4" = - 1/4"
Calf 15 7/8" to 16 3/8" = + 1/2"
Ankle 8 3/4" to 9 1/8" = + 1/4"
Shoulder Width 16 3/8" to 16 3/4" = + 3/8"
Hips Width 15 7/8" to 14 3/8" = - 1 1/2"

You can see that these measurements are often the ones that keep you going- not just the numbers on the scale. Don't be discouraged. I wasn't. I was sometimes disappointed but never discouraged. I knew I was working hard and doing the right things. The numbers will eventually follow with their ups and downs.

Now that my marathon is over. I'll continue running for 1/2 hour when I work out but now focus on weights so my arms look the best they can in that special dress I get to wear in two weeks.

Happy health to you.

172.4 and feeling great

OK, last week the scale said 171.0. GREAT! This week 172.4. Well, there is a good reason for that- and I'll spare all of our male readers but you can guess what it is. We, women, have a few pound fluctuation each month during a particular week.

I had a killer shin splint on Friday from my fast-paced walking (for an hour) on Thursday. Funny, my body prefers to run vs. walk fast as measured by how I get shin splints from walking and not running! Weird but true. But, I worked through the pain- working out for a full 1 hour on Friday, Sunday and Monday. I took Saturday off. (I am allotted one day per week to not work out.) This morning I went back to running for a minute in between walking. My body has really adjusted nicely to that. I find that I can run for more minutes than before. GREAT!

The marathon is just a few weeks away. The wedding a few more than that. I feel wonderful. I know the numbers haven't budged much but my confidence and strength sure have! My trainers tell me not to worry about the weight as much because I'm really putting on great muscle in my legs from the workouts. And, my nutritionist is mostly happy with my eating plan. Yes, I can do better!

So, its off to another great week. I've got a few exciting events this week but plan to remain vigilant to my health plan (with Friday being my exception!).

If you are in Pittsburgh, and female, join me and my fitness team for a workshop on Thursday. See my website for details. RSVP today if you want to attend.

Health, happiness and prosperity to each of you. Keep up the good fight to gain your health back!

172 and running

What has happened since my last blog posting on weight?

Well, (1) I picked up my wedding dress. The women at the shop screamed when I said I was determined to lose weight. "Don't! It fits perfectly as it is!" Sorry to disappoint sisters, but this girl is on a mission. It reaches much further than the fit of a wedding dress. My weight management and challenges may have a wedding milestone (May 23) in sight- but they are far more life-long than that. This is about healthy lifestyles and reaching a level of fitness I haven't seen in years!

(2) I met with a nutritionist. She's part of my plan. I learned that my diet (defined as what I eat) is better than most and right in line with what they want you to be eating. Great! However, I need to be more of a grazer, eating smaller meals throughout the day and not eating the large portions we've all become accustomed to.

(3) I've signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon- a relay (May 3). So, I've continued getting my body in the mood to run (which isn't easy). Remember, this body was built for comfort not speed. :) I run/walk in 3 or 1 minute intervals- depends upon my energy that day.

This week the scale went back and forth between 172 and 174- so no great news on numbers. However, as I lay in bed I still get this great feeling if one hand brushes over my arm or my leg as I stretch- yes, there are newer, bigger muscles there - and I love that. Strength is very sexy. And, I'm getting stronger every day.

Here's to your health!

Guessing 172 -174. New Program on Board.

I haven’t replaced my scale. Remember, the one I threw out because it was malfunctioning. So, I’ll weigh myself at the gym later today. However, I don’t expect the numbers have budged. My clothes feel the same. I don’t feel any differently either.

Since I couldn’t post my number this morning, I opted to give you a photo instead. I know so many of you check this blog with great anticipation (and I appreciate that very much!). Yes, that is me. I figure if they can do it on the Biggest Loser so can I! So many people gasped when I told them I was going to post it. Why? It’s me! Just minus a blouse! This is my shape, size, what I look like… This photo will also serve as my reminder of where I am and where I want to go. As a bonus, I have a dress that I WILL be wearing on May 22nd at I greet guests on the night before my wedding. Its tight now, but I assure you it will be fitting beautifully in a little more than 2 months.

My vegetarian lifestyle is running smooth. I have added a few vitamins to help me balance while I learn the healthiest vegetarian balance of meals for optimal benefit. I know that I still need to master portion control, smaller meals, more snacking times, and better choices all around (remember cheese is vegetarian- and who doesn’t love a fried zucchini?!). I’ve cut way back on my beloved daily glass of wine. I only have it once or twice a week.

I’ve added Metafitness. Metafitness is a science based program that is individualized to measure what calories you need each day for your level of fitness and goals; and what energy you expend each day in your own lifestyle. I wore the monitor you can see in the picture for 4 days. I learned which workouts I do that give me the most bang for the buck and got to see how sedentary really means sedentary! I’ve got to get a treadmill desk in the coming months! As I sit here and write this I realize how little movement means little payoff. Yikes!

I’m so wowed by Metafitness that I’m going to start to offer it to my clients. And, I’m going to host a workshop on it in the coming weeks. Let me know if you are interested. I’ll keep you in the loop.

I’ll get there. I’m learning every step of the way. And, I feel good about it. Those numbers will catch on soon. I know they will.

172.4 and still counting

I must confess I cringed when knowing my weigh in was this morning. I knew the numbers wouldn't be what I wanted. Not because I haven't been working hard- but because I can feel there hasn't been a budge in the numbers. My clothes feel the same and my muscle structure has felt steady too.

I have followed a mostly vegetarian diet. There were two occasions when I had meat. Those choices were made because of where I was dining at, it was their specialty. And, I'm still a foodie no matter what. So, I sampled and made no gripes about it. I still feel 1000% better following a vegetable based diet than a meat one. Its hard to explain to people. They just have to try it for themselves.

I still go to the gym 5 days a week. I added Tai-Chi and Zumba classes to the mix for a little variety. I enjoyed both for very different reasons. My exercise physiologist said that you have to change your gym routine every 6 weeks or so to keep your body working optimally. Oh, and I've started to run. Now, don't get me wrong. One of my girlfriends has a saying that I've also adopted, years ago. "This body was built for comfort not for speed!" But, I know that running is a challenge for me and it helps to speed up the metabolism. So, I run in 3 minute or 1/4 mile bursts in between exercises and weight lifting. Its super hard but does feel good when I finish.

After weighing myself this morning I threw out the scale. Not a symbolic gesture I assure you (although the thought crossed my mind). The scale gave me 5 error messages as I tried to get my measurements this morning. So I am unsure how accurate the body fat analyzer component was/is. I decided to toss it rather than rely on a faulty machine. I'll pick up a new one or just rely on the scale at the gym.

I am disappointed that the numbers haven't come down more. The other month I went into the 160's much more easily. Perhaps its my one vice- wine. I really enjoy a glass of red wine with my evening meal or afterwards. So, as a little experiment I'll stop drinking it for the next three weeks- with a few exceptions, when I'm at cocktail parties. But, I'll limit it to one glass and no more than once per week.

Now, let's check the schedule at the gym today. ..

174 and 3% body fat down

So, the scale isn't playing as nicely as I'd like. :) I'm only down a few pounds. Not the 10 my body is telling me I've shed from all of the exercise I've been doing. :) I say that with a joking smile.

It continues to be a really enjoyable journey, no matter what the scale says. The great news is that my body fat is decreasing. I have a scale that tells me how much I have- along with other measurements. I've dropped my body fat into an acceptable range according to body fat charts. Great!

I've adopted a new diet and am really enjoying it. I have a lot to learn to maintain healthy eating habits- and incorporate the variety the body calls for. When I was a vegetarian years ago I did it all wrong. Can anyone say pizza? Vegetarians can be fat too you know. But this time I am incorporating foods I've not experimented with before. I'm staying away from dairy (for the most part) which was often my fattest intake of the week. I really love cheese. :) Now, I eat vegetarian out (with only two slips in the last two weeks) and vegan when I cook at home. I feel great about that.

This morning, as I came back from the gym, (Yes, I got up at my usual 6 AM and hit the gym right away), I passed McDonald's. The drive through was packed! I felt great knowing I wasn't in that line! One of those meals would have erased my gym work for a few days! I recall the days of working mostly out of my car, as a mobile therapist and again as a researcher, when multiple daily meals came from fast food! Yikes. Those days are long gone!

I am very proud of my gym routine- the fact that I make it a priority every day. In fact, its about making ME a priority every day. That feels great. I was in DC for 4 full days and two of them we made it to the gym! Two out of four isn't bad. Four out of four would have been better but I won't beat myself up. It was a mini-vacation.

My exercise physiologist has given me a new program after modifying the last one to my and my gyms needs. I started that this morning. I work hard when I'm at the gym. Can I work a little harder, yes.

So, in a nutshell, the past 3 weeks have been full of proud moments and a few small failures. I think I have to work ten times harder to reduce my portions. I haven't paid enough attention to this. I really love food! But, I know what I have to do.

Oh, and breakfast.... while that line at McDonald's was busy with morning commuters... I have come to enjoy a 1/2 grapefruit broiled with honey on top for my breakfasts! Today, I switched up for a little variety... bran cereal with almond milk (non dairy).

I know so many of you are monitoring this blog to cheer me on and to find your own inspirations- welcome and enjoy! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. It feels good to reclaim yourself!

Women and Goals

72% of women say happiness lies in making progress on their goals, even if they never achieve them. Wow. (This was just another nugget I found packed into January's Real Simple.)

As women, we love to feel productive, accomplished, moving forward. Therefore, this headline should not be surprising. However, as a coach, I'd like to see more goal achievement. Imagine how happy she'd be then!

There are several keys to goal achievement:

1. Write out a measurable goal (i.e., I will lose 10 lbs in 3 months -April 2009.)
2. Plan the goal on a daily or weekly scale. (I will lose 3.5 lbs a month, less than 1 lb each week.)
3. Enlist the help of friends, family, and a coach.
4. Start each day reminding yourself of your goal and what you can do that day to work toward it (exercise, plan meals, eat healthier, cut out bad foods....).
5. Dedicate time each week to think seriously about your goal, document your progress, and prepare for the following week with your goal at the top of your mind.
6. Celebrate each win along the way. And, don't beat yourself up for small mistakes along the way. No one is perfect.
7. Prepare for your goal achievement (in this example, buy something new for your new figure.)
8. Finally, Achieve!

Wishing you all happiness.

I host the Champions Series which is an ideal program for men and women who want to grow and develop in their personal and professional selves. The series has a monthly topic and related seminar delivered on MP3 file or CD through the mail. The program includes a private, monthly coaching call where we focus on your specific goals. Join today at http://www.spahrconsulting.com Membership is only $39 a month.

173.2...177...175 ???

There is truth to numbers. Yet, don't let the numbers run you. If no one famous said that yet, let it be said by me now.

Let's talk numbers first.
The other day, perhaps Friday, I weighed myself out of curiosity. The digital scale said 173. Fabulous. This morning it said 177. Not so fabulous. I went back to the scale a little while ago to get my water weight and other measurements via the digital scale. It said 175 and then gave me an error code for the other measurements. So, I will weigh myself at the gym and get new batteries for my scale. What ever the numbers say, I feel awesome!

Why do I feel awesome when the numbers aren't budging?
Its simple. I've reclaimed my life. I'm still hitting the gym at least 5 days a week for one hour each time. I do cardio and strength training. I'm hoping to add some yoga in there this week. And, I've severely modified my eating habits. I'm finally taking full responsibility for everything that goes in my mouth, thus into my body.

Since I last blogged about my weight...
The first week I was good about going to the gym but my food intake was still in need of serious overhaul. The second week I was plagued with a slight injury but very motivated to get back in the gym and get my nutrition on board.

Near the end of the second week I read Skinny Bitch, the book. (Which I recommend with a few caveats. Its not for the faint of heart. It promotes a strictly vegan lifestyle and tells you a million reasons why you should do so. Its for those who are serious about reclaiming their lives and willing to make equally serious changes to their lifestyle.) For me, that book revolutionized my eating habits and thoughts about food. I've been a vegetarian before so it wasn't that far off from what I was used to, although it was years ago. Since reading it, I have maintained a vegan diet with only a few episodes of feta cheese on two of my meals outside the house. I am not opposed to having fish at least once per week- so I doubt I'll stick to a strict vegan diet but I like many of the other vegan choices and believe it will make up at least 75% of my eating habits.

I considered Nutrisystem until I read Skinny Bitch. And, my partner wasn't on board with Nutrisystem- which I would have wanted had I gone with it. He convinced me that we should just make better choices and prepare for meals to cook at home. In hindsight, I wouldn't have been satisfied with Nutrisystem after reading Skinny Bitch. I'm much happier with my current choices.

I added a food log to my outlook notes. I note everything that I eat or drink (outside water- which I drink plenty of anyhow).

I enlisted the help of a professional, Patty Dietz, an exercise physiologist, to give me a FREE one month membership of online health guidance and advice based on my personal needs. If you want to reach Patty please email me.

I can't tell you how good I feel. I think making the food choices that I've made have allowed me to feel better instantly. I was grocery shopping for my new lifestyle last night and enjoying so much of it. I read each label and put it down if it had too much sodium (I had high blood pressure years ago when my weight was higher), too many calories, too much fat in proportion to the calories, not enough nutrition, and if I didn't like any of the ingredients. I feel great about what what went in my cart, my car, my home and ultimately will go into my body.

And, I love going to the gym. The best feeling is when you are in bed and you stretch and you feel a muscle you haven't felt so prominently in ages!

I'm optimistic that the numbers will catch up with how I feel in the weeks to come. I'm not worried. I'm just going to stick to my new food lifestyle and my gym routines. And, I'm going to keep feeling great!

Let me know how you are doing!

176.2

Luckily, I'm not one to discourage easily. In three weeks since my last post not one ounce has budged. I am thankful to not have added one however.

Why has my weight stayed the same?
I haven't worked as hard as I should have on the food front. I only made better choices a handful of times and allowed my cravings to dictate my eating schedule and menu.

What have I done well these last three weeks?
I have hit the gym 5 days each week for at least an hour. Its a habit I'm enjoying. I enjoy it most because it represent my taking ownership of my choices and my body. It feels good to work out. And, it feels great to turn off the phone to do so. No one interrupts my gym time. Not even me.

What do I have to focus on in the next three weeks?
1. Consistently hitting the gym
2. Adding an online training partner and coach to do the best I can with my fitness routine
3. Dedicate myself to eating well (healthful) each day for this next three week period to prove the power of doing so

I'm feeling better already. Although the weight hasn't budged I am seeing benefits of taking the control for my figure and health back.

And, I have another incentive. I'll be at the Inaugural Ball on January 20th. I'll be seeing all of my friends from the DC area. I want to look good for that event too.

Here's to your health!

Lisa

176.2

"What on earth is 176.2," you ask? My weight.

I am doing something wild and brazen- as is often the case with me in case you don't know. I am planning to blog every third Monday about my battle with weight- which I intend to win (another thing about me you might not know- I hate to lose).

So, here is our starting point. I say "our" because I am often asked by people how I managed weight loss in the past. So many people, women and men, are on that journey to better health and self-esteem. I encourage you to join me. Comment on your own journey as we go or just check in and use me as your partner on the journey. I'm here to win. I'm also here to help you win.

First, a little history. I was always a fat little girl. My mom was always the slender gal she is today. People often commented on how we didn't appear to share the same genes even though our faces look the same. She put me on diet after diet during my pre-teen years. Nothing worked. Maybe it was the candy she'd give me as she found it hard to deny her only child the sweets other children were getting. (Ironically, I don't like desserts. I'm not a chocolate fan. And, sweets are far from my caloric problem areas.) I recall many a day crying at home on my bed after school because of people making fun of me at school. But, those days are far over. Let's move on.

At the age of 12 I lost 50 pounds in 3 months. I played tennis everyday, however badly. I ate junk (you can do that at 12) and took up other bad habits (which I won't mention here). I entered high school with high self-esteem (although I still felt fat at 130) and tons of positive attention (not sure that was what I needed, but it was the case nonetheless).

As I grew into my 20's the weight slowly came back. In college I was probably 180 or so- but I still felt great and didn't have any self-esteem issues.

It wasn't until 32 my weight became a crisis again. My new doctor alerted me that I had high blood pressure. What? Me? No! My weight was now at 213 (according to his scale) and 209 according to mine. :) I had a big problem, pardon the pun.

So, over the next two years I dropped 62 pounds. I was down to 151 and felt fabulous. Blood pressure was no longer an issue.

Since that time, the pounds have snuck back on. I dropped the ball. I started to eat badly, often. I ignored the gym pass I pay a fortune for. And, I was convinced my fiance was just washing our clothes in hot water. :)

Today's Renewed Determination. I have toyed with renewing my determination to loose weight for a few weeks now - probably more like a few months. But, the kick in the pants you need sometimes comes at odd times that do or do not correspond with your desires. It's here now.

My clothes don't fit the way I want them to. I am feeling bad about my body (which hasn't been the case since I was 12). And, I have a wedding in almost 6 months. So, here goes....

Goal: I will lose 30 pounds (146.2) in 6 months (May 24, 2008).

I will chart my progress on this blog.

I will achieve this goal by hitting the gym 5 days per week for at least 45 minutes per workout (not counting arriving, parking, changing, chatting....). I will make better food and beverage choices starting today: nothing fried, more fish, more veggies, more raw food, less sugar, less bread.....

Join me friends. Let's make this holiday season about our health and well being. Its not going to be easy but its going to be one of the most rewarding things we can do for ourselves.

Yours truly at 176.2
Lisa