A Slow Paced Saturday (Plus Weekly Weigh in #6)

This week has been a little bit rough. I have some personal (yup too personal for the blog right now) stuff going on and I really wanted to use today to recover from my fast paced week. I packed up the wonderbug bright and early and headed out for the morning. I made sure all of the essentials (purse, yoga bag, yoga mat, water, vitamin water, breakfast, etc) were all good to go since I would not have time to stop back by my house. I am amazed at my ability to be so prepared so early on a Saturday morning!

My first stop was Weight Watchers for my week 6 weigh in. I really busted my booty this week in terms of my workouts. I pushed myself hard, didn’t eat any of the resulting activity points, and made sure to get in tons of fresh veggies and fruits. I had myself all geared up for a stellar result but got this instead…

Week      +/-        Total lost

6               -0.2          21.2

Which makes my overall stats:

Week            +/-          Total Lost

1                   -10.8         10.8

2                   -3.2            14

3                   -3.0             17

4                  -1.0              18

5                  -3.0              21

6                 -0.2              21.2

I normally try (try try try) to take my number in stride. I really do. However, today to say I was disappointed is an understatement. I was pissed. My Weight Watchers leader was really supportive and answered my questions about how this complete injustice occurred. Her explanations made perfect sense but I am still upset. I feel like when you consider calories in versus calories out I should have had a three pound lost at least! I worked so hard this week and truly pushed myself. A 0.2 pound loss feels like a slap in the face. I know I should not be bitching about this. I posted a three pound loss last week and am seeing great changes in my strength and body shape. However, people feel the way they feel and this made me feel like crap. I feel like this early in the process a 0.2 pound loss should not be happening. I wanted to grab a latte and a scone after this less than stellar weigh in but instead I read over my Weight Watchers materials for the week, ate a quick breakfast of organic peanut butter on whole grain, and headed downtown to my Bikram yoga class.

Class was amazing as it usually is. My mind was all over the place when I first went in and I was really dwelling on the weigh-in. However, a few poses into the practice and I felt myself calm down. I worked really hard and even managed to get a little further into some of the poses than I have in the past. This is such a great practice and a wonderful studio. I truly feel at home/ at ease there now which is so unlike me. I have been at my current gym for over two years and still do not feel totally comfortable there. Plus, I can feel and see myself change from week to week with yoga. I am so glad I worked it into my routine. After class I was pretty much famished so I stopped at Subway to grab lunch for the hubs and I. I chose chicken on flatbread with loads of veggies and some Sunchips. I have not had Sunchips in forever and they were really yummy. And of course my gigantic water bottle made an appearance.

After our quick lunch the hubs left for his afternoon bike ride and I decided a bubble bath was in order. After the week (and super hard class) I had it was much needed. I also took in my trusty copy of Rachael Ray to get in some reading. Ya’ll know how much I heart that lady!

The hubs and I had a little date night planned so I got dressed in a super cute sweater I picked up in Dallas last fall and we headed out.

We headed out to an E A R L Y dinner. I am talking Golden Girls early. We were trying to avoid the Valentines weekend crowd. Mission accomplished as we pulled into one of my favorite local places, Neighbor’s Place, around 5:00.

I was totally craving a Spinach salad so I ordered one topped with yummy piping hot grilled chicken. It was pretty fantastic. I love it when restaurants have open kitchens. Its cool to watch how quickly they can get everything cooked up. They are the ultimate multi-taskers!

Since it was Saturday (yay Saturday!!) the hubs and I decided to share this amazing piece of chocolate cake. Even between the two of us we could not finish it.

Let me tell you a little something about said amazing cake- It tasted wonderful but was too much for my tummy to handle. We were barely to the car and I was sick with a capital S. It’s not that I never indulge, because I do. I have a piece of chocolate on Wednesday nights and pretty much an item or two I have been craving on Saturdays. However, I am apparently going to have to be a little more choosey because my body has started to change in terms of what it will tolerate. The hubs and I sort of marveled at what a difference six weeks makes.

The hubs and I ditched our original plan to see a movie and instead watched “The Killers” on DVD with my fave Katherine Hiegel at home. We capped off the night with a trip to Old Navy. The hubs promised me some new yoga pants and I was ready to collect. I somehow ended up with an entire new outfit. Not sure how that happened. 😉 (photos coming soon).

We headed home and are currently bonding with our TIVO. My relaxing Saturday is just what I needed. Check back tomorrow for my re-cap of my Anti-Valentines date with fabulous fave Kristen.

Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend!

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Hot Yoga on a Cold Night

As is true with most cities on this side of the country it is FREEZING cold in my little town today. However, my yoga pal and I did not use this dip in the temperature to derail our Bikram Yoga plans. Siobhan and I braved the ice and headed downtown to get our workout in!

The good news is I felt a lot stronger than even just a week ago and I was really giving it a good try. I need to mention again how understanding and amazing the instructors are here. They are exactly what I was hoping for when I decided to give hot yoga a try. Tonight, I was listening carefully to the instruction, following along as best I could, and really making an effort to do the poses correctly (even those I cannot fully go into yet). The bad news is I overdid it a touch in the beginning and ended up in a child’s pose for the last 10-15 minutes of the 90 minute class. This was a little discouraging and while the spirit was willing, the body simply was not able (at this point). I mostly felt proud of my effort but I could also feel that oh too familiar “you have no business doing this” feeling creeping in.

Here is what I want to say tonight. When you start to feel intimidated, upset, or discouraged it is so important to understand that you have just as much right as ANYONE to be there. If you find a fitness activity you enjoy, start taking a class or join a gym these moments of self-doubt will creep in. Acknowledge them, work though them, and put them away. Tonight I had a random girl in class say to me “Oh you’re just doing once or twice a week? Mmm well I guess you’ve got to start somewhere.” And while I get that she was kind of being a bitch, she was also kind of right. You do have to start somewhere. I am not going to be perfect in two weeks, two months, or even two years but just the act of doing and growing is so important. I wager in two month’s time I will look back at this and smile remembering just how much I have learned and changed in that amount of time. You’re journey is about you and you alone. Tonight, I grew just a little and it felt pretty fantastic!

Namaste~

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Hot Yoga

While weight loss/health is the base for my 2011 goals general physical fitness and well-being is incredibly important as well. That is why I am being careful to start my year with a workout plan, along with the change in diet. While I plan to incorporate a lot of jogging/running into my workout schedule I knew, based on past experience that I needed to find some additional activities to break the monotony and keep me on track. I have always wanted to take a yoga class and ever since my yoga fusion class in Chicago last summer I have been interested in the effects of hot yoga. I was pretty excited to discover a brand new Bikram Yoga studio had opened up in my town.

Bikram yoga

— n
Also called: hot yoga a form of yoga in which traditional exercises
are performed at high temperature and humidity

[C20: named after Bikram Choudhury (born 1946), Indian-born US yoga instructor]

Basically, you go into a very hot room (this studio is 105 degrees and 40% humidity according to their website) and are led through a series of 26 poses that work and strengthen different parts of the body. (It is of course a lot more involved than that but this is the most general idea). I found the thought of doing something like this somewhat intimidating but decided to give it a try anyway. This is, after all, my year of change, and my year to emerge something better.

After emailing the studio with a couple of questions/concerns I was reassured that beginners were welcome and that I did not have to get all of the way into a given pose to get benefits from the workout. I was also reassured that my fitness level was not going to be an issue. However, I had heard all of these crazy stories from friends about people passing out or throwing up during similar classes so I was pretty nervous when I made my first visit Tuesday night. After going in and meeting the owners/instructors I felt more comfortable right away. It was clear both girls are very knowledgeable and very sweet as well (not to mention they are both in crazy good shape). Even though I was still apprehensive I knew I wasn’t going to get injured and I also knew they were not going to make me feel uncomfortable or judge me in any way about my fitness level. The only real barrier I had left to face was my own mental block.

I paid for my class (a touch cheaper with a student ID!) and met up with my friend Siobhan. After stalling for a couple of minutes it was time to go into the hot room and get settled. Generally, I have an issue with heat. I find it
uncomfortable. So I was, in truth, scared at first. There is no other way to describe it. I was worried the sensation would feel suffocating to me. After talking with some friends/bloggers I think that perception is a common one. I went in, found a place for my mat/towel and just sat there for a bit. I had gotten so “worked up” about it that I felt panic for a split second before forcing myself to calm down. Once the class began I was so focused on paying attention to the instruction I never had another moment of panic. We were led through breathing exercises and poses (both standing and on the floor). The 90 minutes actually passed much more quickly than I thought it would.

(source)

I won’t lie to you and say the experience was easy for me because it wasn’t. There were several poses I could barely go into (and a couple I had to just skip altogether). I was sweating like crazy from the minute I got in there, and I felt nauseated from the heat a time or two (I truly think this will be better on my next try. I honestly do). However, I can say 100% without a doubt that while it was not an easy experience it was a great one.  I cannot wait to go back and do it again. I was surprised at how much I could do (even if I wasn’t super far into the pose) and surprised at how “okay” I was with that. Looking around the room there were individuals who were down in these beautiful flawless poses mixed in with beginners like me, and then those at levels in between. Even though it was clear I have a super long way to go, I never once felt uncomfortable or weird. I think this class is going to be an important part of making my body change this year. I truly want to learn and improve.

For now, I am planning to attend weekly. However, starting in February I am going to work bikram yoga into my routine 2-3 days per week. I can’t wait to get back to class next Tuesday and I will keep you all updated on my progress!

The next new class I am planning to try……. Zumba! Any Zumba fans out there?

*Thanks to the hubs for taking all of these photos besides the one borrowed from their website!

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I Survived!

I wanted to take a minute to say “Thank You!” for all of your supportive comments, input, and emails surrounding my trying yoga. I had my first Bikram yoga class tonight and not only did I survive, but I had a great workout. I am pretty beat tonight but will recap my experience for you tomorrow!

Namaste~

 

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Mail Call, A New Recipe, and A Workout Fear

Warning: Tonight’s blog is a mish-mosh of topics. My mind is sort of all over the place today and apparently so is my blog. Please excuse the random thoughts ahead!!

I love getting snail mail (when it’s not a bill that is) and I was really jazzed to have two fabulous things waiting on me when I got home today. First, I need to mention that last week I actually won a giveaway on another blog. (Pretty cool way to start the New Year!) Anywho, I won an awesome new Eat Smart Bathroom Scale from Gina’s blog. (Thanks Again!!) The scale arrived today and I am totally jazzed to have a bathroom scale that works and actually gives a consistent weight reading (basically, you know, a scale’s job!). My current scale is terrible so I am pleased to be moving this little gem in. I will now be able to do mid-week check-ins on my weight to make sure I am making progress toward my “official” Saturday weigh-ins!

Next (and I totally get that you won’t be as excited about this as I am) I was stoked to get my February issue of “Everyday with Rachael Ray” magazine. If you are a reader of the blog (or have ever met me in real life) you know of my love for all things Rachael Ray. I am not a huge magazine fan but I do get all excited about this one!

Moving on, a few months ago I had a blog fail moment when I made a new dish and completely blanked on giving you fab readers the recipe. Tonight I am going to rectify that wrong with my recipe for Balsamic Onion Pasta. This recipe was adapted from a recipe for a vegetarian balsamic onion linguini I found ages ago. However, I have made so many modifications to the original recipe I feel comfortable calling it my own.

• First, roast 2-3 red bell peppers (or cheat and buy them already roasted) then chop them into strips

• Prepare a box of whole grain penne while you brown up 1lb of Italian turkey sausage

• Set aside the browed turkey sausage and allow the excess oil to drain on a plate. In the same skillet add 1 table spoon butter and 3 small onions. Allow them to caramelize for 20 minutes. They will go from stark white to a gooey brown.

• After the onions are caramelized add in the red peppers and browned Italian turkey sausage. Allow this to cook up for approximately 5 minutes

• Next make the “sauce” by adding 1 cup chicken broth or stock, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow it to come to a boil and reduce heat

• Combine with the wheat pasta, add a touch of grated parmesan and enjoy!

The last thing on my agenda tonight is preparing for my yoga class tomorrow tonight. My friend and I are signed up for Bikram Yoga. For those not familiar with this term it is 90 minutes of a series of 26 poses completed in a room that is 105 degrees and 40% humidity! I have heard horror stories of people vomiting or passing out during their first class. To say I am a little nervous is an understatement. Any bikram yoga fans out there? Is it truly as intense as I am thinking it will be? I will be giving a full report tomorrow night if I survive!

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Start With a Weigh-In and End With a Corgi

My very last day of 2010 started with a trip to the Weight Watchers center in town. After last night’s revelation I knew I was ready to face whatever number the scale had in store for me. The truth is it feels very empowering to have my task so neatly placed in front of me. Now comes the mission of figuring out the right combination of food and exercise for my body. This was the last precursor to a very difficult journey but knowing that it only gets better from this day forward is a motivator all on it’s own. 2011 will be my year to emerge something better.

My weigh-in was not exactly what I had anticipated. It turns out I had not gained back all of the weight I lost last year and am starting out 12lbs lighter than I thought. Even though I am not brave enough to share the number (today) I have accepted it and feel 100% ready to take on the challenge. While yesterday was a day filled with emotion today was a day filled with resolve. I talked with my leader (and cousin-in-law) Stephanie about Weight Watchers new “Points Plus” program and I left the center with tons of new material to help me on my quest to a healthier me.

My last day of 2010 could not be all about weight so I traveled to Roanoke to meet up with my pal Kristen and her little girl for lunch. Kristen is very much a part of my support system and we did a lot of talking about my goals and plan to achieve them. We left time for some fun “girl talk” too and we finally exchanged Christmas gifts. There is something so heartwarming about a friend who truly knows you well enough to pick out a perfect gift. Among some super cute gifts was this amazing apron in one of my favorite prints (monogrammed in pink of course) and matching wine goblet. Now I can start “Cooking in Pink” too!

Being back on an eating plan is somewhat daunting at first so I “played it safe” at lunch today and ordered a salad with grilled chicken. At least the roasted pears and almond slivers kept this salad from being 100% boring. However, when in doubt basic is usually better I think. 😉

After a late lunch I made it home in time to plan my meals and workouts for next week. I am all set up at the gym, ready to get back to running, and even signed up to start a Bikram Yoga class on Tuesday night. I contacted the studio about my weight concerns and they were incredibly supportive and positive. I can’t wait to give it a try! Tonight I am ringing in the new year with my hubs by my side, DVDs on the television, and this sweet Corgi in my lap. I cannot think of a better end to 2010 and start to 2011! Happy New Year!

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T-Minus 72 Hours

In less than 72 hours I’ll be weighing in at Weight Watchers and jump-starting my 365 days to a fitter (and happier) me. So what does one do in their last 72 hours of freedom? Some might indulge in favorite treats or “last meals” but I kind of don’t believe in that. I think that is the sort of flawed thinking that gets us into these messes to begin with. (Though I will admit I had full fat milk in my coffee this morning. *gasp!*

I am taking a different kind of approach during these last 72 hours. I am preparing the tools for my success.

1. My Weight Watchers Card. I am signed up for auto-pay and ready to hit the scale Friday morning and my meetings on Monday nights.

2. A Notebook. I can plan meals and work outs a week in advance. I can keep my WW logs in here, save measurements, and brainstorm for future blogs.

3. Water to Go. I am cleaning my trusty pink water bottle and getting her ready for some serious water drinking action.

4. DVDs. I am sorting through workout DVDs to pull out some faves for days I just cannot make it to the gym.

5. Yoga. I am busting out the new yoga mat and block I got for Christmas and looking for some classes to take in town.

6. Gym Schedule. I need to learn the weight machines and maybe take a class or two. The New Year is all about learning full body fitness.

7. Blogs. I am reading YOUR blogs to get some excellent fitness and food ideas.

8. Disney. Yes maybe it seems lame but looking forward to my next trip (and run) at Disney takes me to my happy place! I think its fine to pull inspiration from wherever you can (or wherever you want).

9. Volunteering. I am looking for races or events to volunteer at. Nothing is quite as inspirational as watching amazing athletes push their limits.

10. Friends. I am rallying family and friends to keep me on track. Your loved ones are probably your most valuable resource. They want to see you succeed!

What are some of the tools of YOUR success?

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Healthy Living Summit 201o-Saturday (part 2)

Maybe it was being overtired, maybe it was feeling completely inspired to change everything I have been doing dysfunctionally for so long, maybe it was being stuck at a 35 lb loss for months with no change (and suddenly realizing I’ve been doing a lot of things wrong), or maybe it was being around so many people who seemed to have it all figured out but I had a little breakdown in my room after the day’s sessions were said and done. I cried (sobbed a little if I’m honest) and kind of purged all of those negative feelings I have been carrying with me for so long. It really did feel like moving on. So I was able to put back on my happy face and enjoy the rest of my night.

So even though I was feeling a little weird I decided that some Core Fusion Yoga (sponsored by Subway) was just the thing I needed. A group of us headed out to Exhale Fitness Spa in Chicago where I took my first ever “real” yoga class. I wasn’t great at it. This was a lof different than doing a video in my living room but I loved it. The energy was great. Our instructor was fabulous. We got brand new yoga mats (mine now lives with my HLS roomie Andrea since it wouldn’t fit in my luggage). An awesome workout was just what I needed after my day. I will ignore the fact that my abs were sore for days after. I would do it again in a second! (All following yoga photos are from Hangry Pants as I had no camera with me).

Day two ended at Karen On Green, a vegan place in Chicago. Everyone headed up to the bar area and I ordered my dinner. To be fair, I think if I had been down at a table in the air-conditioning with room to sit my bowl and eat my dinner I might have enjoyed it. However, crammed up in a zillion degree bar area with a rude waiter and I wasn’t that into it. I will just leave it as-It was an experience.

We finally headed back for some very overdue rest. Tomorrow’s recap:  A day of pure fabulousness on Michigan Avenue!

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Spring is Weird.

Hey remember a few hours ago when I gushed about how beautiful today was in Virginia? Just as soon as my little blog was published the sky darkened and the rain started pouring. It’s yet to stop.

Harlow and Carrie made sure to bark every single time there was thunder. You know, so they could scare it off. 😉

When the hubs got home from golf I said that I wished we had our pace from today because “I just feel like it was really really good”. It turns out Bry has an application on his phone that records such things so our run broke down like this:

Moving time: 00:49:21
Distance: 4.47mi
Avg Moving Speed: 5.43mph
Elevation gain: 927ft

Which is an 11 minute mile!!!!! (on average). I am so excited about this. I am normally nowhere near this fast so I was just glowing to get these stats. It really has me excited for the AEP 10K at Roanoke’s Festival in the Park next weekend.

We got ready and headed out for some much needed lunch. I was starved! I chose a 1/2 size chopped chicken cobb salad and 1/2 of a turkey/artichoke/spinach panini. It was excellent although 1/2 way through the meal I decided the hubs plain veggie cafe salad looked better than mine so he switched me. Sweet huh?

After lunch the rain continued to pour and we went from store to store in search of yoga mats with no luck. Either they were really really cheaply made or too expensive for a couple of novice users. We decided to put the yoga on hold for a while and drive over to the dollar movies where the rain continued coming down in buckets.

Post movie I suggested TJ Maxx for yoga mat shopping and SCORE! We both found mats we liked. The hubs started doing yoga as part of the p90x program and found that he really likes it. I got the mat for possibly taking a body flow class plus I think doing yoga together would be a lot of fun. The hubs did mention that he wished he could find a more masculine yoga mat (if such a thing exists!). He picked an army green and I chose Alice blue. 🙂

After our successful shopping spree at TJ Maxx we ran a few more errands (Target, Best Buy, Etc) and finally stopped at the grocery store to pick up some veggies to go with dinner. I was greeted by the oddest produce department ever. All over the fruit and veggies were these creepy adorable “produce people” baloons. I only took one picture as to not look like a crazy lady but I could not stop giggling.

Now I am settling down for a much needed night in. We made a stop by redbox to pick up the entertainment

and we are getting ready to make some of those “fast food swap” organic chicken sandwiches from last weekend.  Have a Happy, Healthy and Snuggly Saturday!

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