When you lose weight it kind of takes over your life. Not only is it a big time commitment because you’re at the gym all the time, making healthy meals in your downtime or backing out of plans that include calorie-heavy activities like trips to bars and going for pizza with friends, but it’s all you can think about. I know I obsess about my diet and workout plan constantly. Right now, my life is all about this change.
It’s only natural that the one thing that rules your life is a major topic of conversation amongst friends, family and colleagues. I was on the phone with one of my brokers named Mike a few weeks ago and he asked what was new with me after we had discussed business. I told Mike I’d been on a huge diet and exercise kick and had lost 60 lbs. He was totally floored, especially since he’s hot to lose about 20 lbs. When he asked what I was doing to lose all the weight I honestly told him it was diet and exercise. He wanted to know what I was eating, so I forwarded him the diet plan Rob gave me when we started working out together. I was skeptical Mike would follow the plan. Hell, I’ve known this guy for years and I know all about relationship with whiskey and pizza. But I sent along the diet anyway and wished him the best.
Today I got a call from Mike (business related) and when we’d sorted things out on the insurance end I asked him how the diet was going. He’s already lost 10 lbs and feels great! I’m so happy for him. He’s really excited and can’t wait to drop the rest of the weight. Go Mike!!
My friend Stephanie has also been looking for some at-home things she can do for her arms and abs. I was like, “Girl. I gotcha covered,” so I bought her 10 lbs hand weights for her birthday this month. I gave her a tutorial on how to use them so she can do some of the things I do at the gym on her own at home. She’s really pumped to start pumping the iron. Go Stephanie!!
I think it’s awesome that my life change is helping change other people’s lives, too. Really… I should be on Tyra or Oprah or something. :)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
The inevitable slow down.
There comes a time in every dieter’s life where they hit a plateau. I think I’m hitting mine now. After a monstrous weight loss (60 lbs!) since October, I’m slowing down a bit. I think my body is catching up to me and is fighting the rapid lose of fat. Now, I’m still dropping pounds, in fact, a recent bout with bronchitis and strep throat helped bump me up to the 60 lb mark since I was pretty much on a diet of tomato soup, dry toast and hot tea, but I’m not losing weight as quickly as I was in prior months. It’s frustrating!
It’s frustrating because not only have I been extremely focused on my diet and exercise plan since the new year (I gave myself a bit of leeway in December) but because everyone is expecting great things from me. I have Rob kicking my ass at the gym. I have my parents so proud of me for getting in shape and trying to lead a healthy life. I have my friends excited to see me in cute clothes and trimming up. I have my co-workers who have been supportive by not pressuring me into going out for fatty lunches and eating the goodies people bring into the office. I have a dream team of folks rooting for me to succeed.
I know I’m going to get over this hump. I just need to stay completely on task with the diet and pick up the exercise even more.
Rob does an informal kettlebell class on Saturday afternoons where he’ll teach people how to swing and do getups and allow folks to work out with his bells. He suggested I stop by and work out during these informal classes and I’m going to do it. Rob says that kettlebells are a perfect workout because they combine a strength AND cardiovascular workout. Not to mention, they’re a highly efficient way to work out, to boot. Right now I need all the cardio and strength training I can get! I think if I up my kettlebell workouts to three times a week I should start seeing more results.
While the numbers on the scale haven’t been dropping as fast as I’d like right now, I think I’m still whittling away. My clothes keep getting looser, so perhaps there is something to be said about muscle weighing more than fat. I’m thinking that my weight may be shifting so I’m not seeing the results on the scale as much as how my clothes fit. Funny story: All the new clothes I bought, i.e. a suit to wear to work meetings, are WAY too big now. I almost lost my pants at a recent meeting in Ohio. I’m not kidding. But it’s a small price to pay to the weight loss gods, eh?
It’s frustrating because not only have I been extremely focused on my diet and exercise plan since the new year (I gave myself a bit of leeway in December) but because everyone is expecting great things from me. I have Rob kicking my ass at the gym. I have my parents so proud of me for getting in shape and trying to lead a healthy life. I have my friends excited to see me in cute clothes and trimming up. I have my co-workers who have been supportive by not pressuring me into going out for fatty lunches and eating the goodies people bring into the office. I have a dream team of folks rooting for me to succeed.
I know I’m going to get over this hump. I just need to stay completely on task with the diet and pick up the exercise even more.
Rob does an informal kettlebell class on Saturday afternoons where he’ll teach people how to swing and do getups and allow folks to work out with his bells. He suggested I stop by and work out during these informal classes and I’m going to do it. Rob says that kettlebells are a perfect workout because they combine a strength AND cardiovascular workout. Not to mention, they’re a highly efficient way to work out, to boot. Right now I need all the cardio and strength training I can get! I think if I up my kettlebell workouts to three times a week I should start seeing more results.
While the numbers on the scale haven’t been dropping as fast as I’d like right now, I think I’m still whittling away. My clothes keep getting looser, so perhaps there is something to be said about muscle weighing more than fat. I’m thinking that my weight may be shifting so I’m not seeing the results on the scale as much as how my clothes fit. Funny story: All the new clothes I bought, i.e. a suit to wear to work meetings, are WAY too big now. I almost lost my pants at a recent meeting in Ohio. I’m not kidding. But it’s a small price to pay to the weight loss gods, eh?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Snatching It Up
And the workouts just keep getting tougher.
I’ve incorporated snatches into my workouts with Rob. It’s basically a kettlebell swing where instead of ending with the bell out in front of me, I bring it all the way up above my head. Then, I roll it back down and go into a swing and then bring the bell back up above my head. I’m sure I’m not explaining this well, but the bottom line is that they’re hard! I feel crazy muscle fatigue in my arms and shoulders and I get a good butt and leg workout when I’m doing the swing portion of the exercise.
The problem with snatches is that when you go through the motion of bringing the bell above your head, you kind of have to flip it so the bell ends up resting on your forearm. When I was learning (and let’s be honest, I’m still learning) how to do snatches I kept banging the bell against my forearm with, um, a lot of force. So much so that even though I was wearing dorky sweatbands on my wrists to protect them, I was still puffy and bruised the next day. Rob apologized in advance because he knew I’d get a little banged up when I was learning how to do snatches. I’m glad I was prepared, but at the same time it’s tough to willingly slam kettlebells into your forearms during training sessions.
Now that I’ve been doing snatches for about a week and a half, I’m getting much, much better at it. No more bruises and my flow is improving. Rob told me he’s proud of my effort. I’m proud of myself, too.
The other thing that’s changed is that I no longer work out with special tools. You know… dumbbells, weighted bars, medicine balls. That was equipment we needed to get in a decent workout because I was too weak to do an entire kettlebell workout. Now I exclusively use kettlebells in my workouts with Rob. It’s cool. I like that Rob is so happy to have Mandi and me working out at the level that makes it fun for him to train us, since kettlebells are his specialty. Never once did I feel like Rob was annoyed with my pathetic fitness level when I first started working out with him, but I know he’s happy to just have me working out with the bells the entire hour.
Lots of good things happening on the training front, everyone!
I’ve incorporated snatches into my workouts with Rob. It’s basically a kettlebell swing where instead of ending with the bell out in front of me, I bring it all the way up above my head. Then, I roll it back down and go into a swing and then bring the bell back up above my head. I’m sure I’m not explaining this well, but the bottom line is that they’re hard! I feel crazy muscle fatigue in my arms and shoulders and I get a good butt and leg workout when I’m doing the swing portion of the exercise.
The problem with snatches is that when you go through the motion of bringing the bell above your head, you kind of have to flip it so the bell ends up resting on your forearm. When I was learning (and let’s be honest, I’m still learning) how to do snatches I kept banging the bell against my forearm with, um, a lot of force. So much so that even though I was wearing dorky sweatbands on my wrists to protect them, I was still puffy and bruised the next day. Rob apologized in advance because he knew I’d get a little banged up when I was learning how to do snatches. I’m glad I was prepared, but at the same time it’s tough to willingly slam kettlebells into your forearms during training sessions.
Now that I’ve been doing snatches for about a week and a half, I’m getting much, much better at it. No more bruises and my flow is improving. Rob told me he’s proud of my effort. I’m proud of myself, too.
The other thing that’s changed is that I no longer work out with special tools. You know… dumbbells, weighted bars, medicine balls. That was equipment we needed to get in a decent workout because I was too weak to do an entire kettlebell workout. Now I exclusively use kettlebells in my workouts with Rob. It’s cool. I like that Rob is so happy to have Mandi and me working out at the level that makes it fun for him to train us, since kettlebells are his specialty. Never once did I feel like Rob was annoyed with my pathetic fitness level when I first started working out with him, but I know he’s happy to just have me working out with the bells the entire hour.
Lots of good things happening on the training front, everyone!
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