Steps to Labor Day Challenge

I’ve been meaning to post about this for a few weeks, but I got sidetracked by a few other things.  Scale Warfare posted this great idea about challenging herself to take a certain number of steps between July 1 and Labor Day (Sept. 7th).  I love the idea, and I’m always looking for a new goal/challenge, so I decided to join in on the fun.

Since today is Independence Day, I figure it will be perfect to begin the challenge.  Two major American holidays (4th of July and Labor Day), one that marks our nation’s birth and the other that celebrates labor workers and the end of summer, will be nice “bookends” for this challenge.

I wasn’t really sure how many steps to challenge myself to complete each day.  10,000 per day might be pushing it, and 8,000 seemed like too few, so I split it down the middle and decided on 9,000 steps per day.  So, 9,000 X 66 days = 594,000 steps.  That equals 297 miles!  Wow, that really adds up.

This will also be a great way for me to kick up my walking regimen since I’m finished with the WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge.  I still have the Golden Gate Bridge 5K coming up in a couple of weeks, and I want to keep training for it.  Plus, once my Sketchers Shape-Ups get here, I’m sure I’m going to want to walk even more than usual to get the full benefits of the shoes.

So, why don’t you join me in setting a Steps to Labor Day goal for yourself! (I’m going to get my pedometer out now!)

Skinny Cocktails!

In my WW meeting yesterday, the subject was how to make Summertime Parties healthier.  I thought it was a strange topic, because to me summertime is the easiest time to eat well – all the fresh, homegrown fruits and veggies available.  Plus, when the weather gets warmer, I know I don’t feel like eating as much or as heavily.  But I was surprised by many people in the meeting saying they found it difficult to eat healthy at BBQs.  We started talking about healthier BBQ options, and then our leader mentioned this:

Baja Bob’s Sugar Free Mixers

The mixers are sugar free, calorie free and best of all, guilty free!  I can’t tell you how long I’ve avoided favorite cocktails like cosmos, mojitos, or margaritas because I knew how fattening they were.  This mix makes those drinks point-friendly and available again!

Apparently, the mixers are only sold at one store in our area, and in the liquid version.  Online you can order both liquid or individual powder packets, which are almost like the Crystal Light packets you can mix in your water.  How easy would it be to bring those little packets on vacation or to a party?  All you need is a cup of ice, some vodka/rum/tequila (or whatever alcohol is appropriate) and a packet of Baja Bob’s.

.
With all of the parties and BBQs coming up this weekend to celebrate the 4th of July here in the U.S., I thought this new product would be right on time.  I can see this being used all summer long for many a fun night.

I’m going to order some today, and once they arrive, I’ll let you know.  I can’t wait to make my own Skinny-Girl Cocktails!!!

Birthday Weigh In!

The scale said, “Happy Birthday, Bella!”

This morning I woke up determined to go to my WW meeting, no matter what.  I had gotten in so much activity that I was sure I was going to see great numbers on the scale, despite two very high-point days.  And I did!  I’ve lost 3.6 pounds from last weeks at home weigh-in, which is amazing.  But…last week I had gained, so according to my official WW weigh-in, I only lost 0.3 which is still great.  It’s a loss.

And besides losing weight, the biggest gift I gave myself was going to the meeting today.  Entering into my 38th year on this earth, there are a few things I want to do differently:

• Attend meetings every week, without fail, no matter what the scale is going to say.
• Keep up with the activity, even when I start teaching again.
• Getting back to training with a personal trainer at the gym.  AYearFromNow has really inspired me with this idea. My plan is to buy the training sessions after I buy my new car (to see how much money I’ll end up with, depending on the amount of the down payment).  I’m thinking that starting the training sessions in the fall will be a great way for me to keep up with my workouts and active lifestyle.
• Be more patient – with my friends and family, with my students, and with myself.  I am so extremely impatient, especially with myself, and while I know that my perfectionism is what helped me achieve so many of my goals, I think it can also hinder my progress in other areas, because no one is perfect all of the time.
• Try to really cut back on the processed foods.  I usually eat pretty “clean,” but in my 38th year, I want to make a conscious effort to improve that even more.
• I have a whole list of other things I want to do by the time I’m 40 on my life blog, if you want to read it.

Another interesting thing that happened today after my WW meeting was that I rocked the Wii Fit.  As you know, I’ve been doing it each morning first thing for at least 15-20 minutes.  Well today I hit new records on almost every single activity I did.  And I did it for 30 minutes.  It was really cute, too, because when I was doing the Body Test, the little Wii Board in the screen was wearing a birthday hat.  Too cute.

Today is going to be a fantastic day spent with family, but I also wanted to take a minute to check in with my other family, my fellow weight loss bloggers.

Bella, the Bathing Beauty – Installment #2: Beauty in the small things

Today at the pool I swam about 20 lengths, although I lost count at one point.  I know I did at least that many, although I may have done a few more.

All of this activity is definitely beginning to show – I’ve been feeling a bit of soreness in a few of my muscles, which is great.  Plus, it just feels great to fill my days with movement and exercise, rather than just laying around.  Each day I’ve been trying to do one major workout (bike riding, swimming, EA Sports, etc) besides the 15-20 minutes of Wii Fit that I do first thing every morning.  This week I’ve earned 39 APs, which is the most I’ve ever earned in one week!  Of course, this means that I’m going to try to top it next week, so next week’s activity goal is to get 45 APs.

Today while I was at the pool I really tried to take in all of the beauty around me.  The pool is surrounded on all sides by beautiful, park-like grounds – green grass, lots of trees, and a few flowers.  It’s really such a nice setting.  The pool also has one wall of flowering ivy which is just gorgeous:

It makes me feel so pampered to swim in such a well-maintained area.  Along those lines, today I decided that I’d go “spa style” with my water.  You know how they always put slices of cucumber in the water at spas? Well I figured I could do the same thing, poolside.  My dad’s garden is coming in and he gave me 2 Italian cucumbers, so I decided to put them to good use.  If you haven’t tried it, I really recommend putting a few slices of cucumber into your water bottle/glass.  It adds a really subtle, fresh flavor that isn’t overpowering at all.

Today as I was swimming I really felt lucky to be able to spend the early part of my afternoon that way.  Because of the pool access, I’ve really been able to experience both the physical benefits of swimming, but also the mental ones.  When I swim, I am able to focus on my breathing in a way that’s similar to meditation.  Usually when I’ve tried to meditate, my mind is going a million different directions, and I can never truly quiet it.  When I’m swimming, though, I am focusing on the movements of my arms and legs, the number of seconds I can hold my breath, and the feel of the water on my skin.  It’s been a wonderful way to relax!

One thing that hasn’t been too beautiful about swimming is my hair.  I have very thick, fairly coarse, very curly hair, and all this swimming hasn’t been doing it very well.  The pool isn’t overly chlorinated, and in fact has some salt in it, which is kind of nice when you’re swimming, but does a number on the hair.  So, I’m off to Sephora to see if they have any conditioning treatments with sunscreen.  If that doesn’t work, I just may have to invest in a flowered swim cap!

Making errands fun & getting APs while I’m at it

Yesterday we finally got a break from the 90+ degree weather, and since it was so nice outside, I decided to take Lola, the beach cruiser, out for a spin.  I also needed to get a few local errands done, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone (awful phrase, isn’t it?).

First I headed to the credit union to deposit a rather large chunk into my savings account.  I opened an account there because I’m buying a new car in August and credit unions usually have the best rates on auto loans.  Plus, I figured it would be a good bargaining tool if I went to a car dealer and said, “the credit union gave me this much at this rate, what can you give me?”  The credit union is only .8 miles from my house (one way), so I figured it would be an easy ride.

After the credit union, I headed to the library to pick up a book that was waiting for me and to return one I had finished.  (I’ve been really slacking on my reading this summer, for some reason.  I think I’ve been watching too much t.v./Netflix.  In the coming weeks I really want to get back to some reading).  The library is 1.3 miles from my house, which again, is really close.  The ride to the library is a nice one, although there is one intersection that is always a bit harrowing – my adrenaline is always pumping a bit more when I get close to it because I’m ultra-aware of any possible hazards.

All told, I went 4.2 miles on the bike yesterday, earned 4 APs, and got a couple of errands done.  Afterward I was tired & hot, but I felt great.  I’ve decided that whenever I have to go to these two places, I’m going to ride Lola, because it just makes sense.

I’ve had Lola a year now, and we’ve been on some really fun adventures together.  One of my goals for the summer is to get to Half Moon Bay again, because that was a really fun ride.  I also want to find a few new paved trails to go on.  One of my former co-workers sent me this link, which lists all of the local “bikeways.”  I can’t wait to use it to find some new routes.

HYC Update – Facing down demons

I have a confession to make – last week I didn’t make it to my WW meeting on Thursday.  Regular readers know this is a terrible habit I have – if I see something that I may not like on the scale the morning of my WW mtg, I often skip it.  It’s called DENIAL and AVOIDANCE, and I’m working hard to get over it and not get so caught up on the numbers on the scale, but it’s a process.

So, since I felt so guilty for not going to the meeting, I told myself that this week I was going to be a good Weight Watcher.  I was going to track every single thing I ate, no matter what happened.  And I was going to earn some major Activity Points.  Check and check.

I tracked even on Thursday when I had some sort of monster take over my appetite, and I wanted to have second portions at dinner, totally 50 points that day!  I tracked on Saturday, when our bocce appetizers and my dinner later in the evening made for a 60 point day!  But even though I had some really high point days, I tracked, and for me this week, that was all that mattered.

And I got in some major exercise – 28 points so far this week, and I still have two more full days before weigh-in on Thursday morning (which also happens to be my birthday – I’m hoping the scale will bring me a birthday present).  I swam, I Wii Fit’d, I EA Sport Active’d.  I’m loving unlocking new and more challenging games on the Wii Fit, figuring out a workaround for the EA Sports Active leg band problem, and overcoming major InnerFatGirl negativity when it comes to swimming.

I’ve faced quite a few demons this week, but I stood up to them.  Hell, I looked them square in the eyes and made THEM run the other way.  It’s been an awesome week.  So, no matter what the scale shows on my birthday weigh-in at my WW mtg (yes, I’m going to go, no matter what), I’m proud of myself.  Now I just hope the scale won’t be giving me a gift that I’d rather return.

Bella, the Bathing Beauty – Installment #1: 24 laps

Ok, maybe not quite, but I went to the pool again today and for about 25 minutes (out of the 2 hours I was out there), I was the only one there.  Loved it!  I could almost pretend that I had this fabulous pool in my backyard, surrounded by a huge, park-like expanse of grass.  I should’ve taken some pictures of the surrounding area – I’ll do that on Wednesday, I promise.

So today I set a goal for myself: complete 20 laps.  I was determined to beat my lap total from yesterday, and this time I was going to count.  Also, my dad told me that when I was swimming the width of the pool (rather than the length), I should complete three mini laps to equal one real lap.  When the pool gets busy, I stay to the deep end, and just go back and forth width-wise so that I can still swim laps, but don’t have to worry about the preteens in the other side of the pool.

Being the overachiever that I am, I completed 24 laps today.  Not too shabby.  I did the first 14 lengthwise, combining regular strokes with the backstroke.  At that point I was a bit tired, so I decided to get out, dry off, listen to some Edie Brickell and New Bohemians (I’m on an 80s music kick, what can I say?), and read my magazine.  Just about the time that I was almost completely dry and about to melt from the heat, I decided to get back in the pool and do the rest of my laps.  I ended up feeling like I could push myself past the equivalent of 20 laps, so I ended up with 24.  I wanted to do 3 more mini laps so that it would equal 25 laps, but I was just too spent at that point.

Besides the fact that I got in some great exercise, swimming is really helping me work on my tan.  Now, it may not be popular, but I love laying out and getting a nice, golden tan.  I’m blessed to have olive skin – those Italian genes – and I rarely burn.  Still, I use SPF 15 sunscreen on my body and 25 on my face.  I’m getting progressively darker, but not overdoing it.  I don’t want to end up looking like an old leather handbag later in life, but I can’t think of anything more relaxing than lying in the sun, iPod on, magazine or book at the ready, and just enjoying the moment.  Especially when that moment comes after swimming a lot of laps.  I use it as a reward.

On a side note, my dad said that a lap should be considered going up and back the pool (once up and once back).  I told him I disgreed – one lap up and one lap back.  Who’s right?  I told him, either way, I swam a lot more than I have in years and years, so I’m happy.

I’m looking forward to seeing how much farther I can push myself as the summer continues.  I’m also looking forward to taking an “after” shot of sorts in my bathing suit (who ever thought I’d say THAT!) at the end of summer (the weekend before school starts) to show how much progress I’ve made.

_________________________________

Update 6/30: After numerous comments and looking it up on Wikipedia, I have discovered that my dad was in fact correct (he always is!!), and a lap is the length up the pool AND back.  What I was calling laps were actually lengths.  Either way, I did 12 laps, 24 lengths, and a whole lot more swimming than I’ve done in YEARS!!

Bella 1, InnerFatGirl 0 (mostly)

As you may have guessed from today’s earlier post, I was feeling quite trepidatious about going to the pool by myself.  I was worried that there would be a pool full of people, or worse still, a bunch of people lounging poolside, ready and able to oogle my fat self in a bathing suit.

In order to retain as much dignity as possible, I decided to don a strange get-up for the pool.

Does the shaky picture give away my nerves? :P

Yes, those are my red, capri yoga-ish pants underneath my full-skirted swimsuit.  I had never thought of putting the skirt on the outside of the pants before, but it worked.  And I have to say, it didn’t look too crazy.  It sort of seemed like I had on a long tunic-length top, well sort of.

I drove up to the pool and low and behold, my fears were warrant-less: There was (almost) no one there! There was one girl, who was sitting in the shade reading a magazine, but she seemed friendly, and (I hoped) non-judgmental.

After finding a nice spot in the sun, I got in the pool and started to swim laps.  It was a great thing!  I felt so free and so happy; all my fears were put to the side, and I just enjoyed the moment.  My form sucks, but I can keep myself afloat, which is the most important thing.  I think all in all, I did about 17-20 laps.  I started counting, but lost count after a while.

After I was getting a bit winded from all of the laps (with a bit of power doggy-paddling thrown in for good measure), I got out and started sunning myself poolside, with a magazine and some tunes in my iPod.

I felt so good!  It didn’t seem that warm anymore, after getting out of the pool.  I read and listened to some music and let the rest of the world sink away.

That is, until two perfect-bodied 20-somethings came through the pool gate, and the InnerFatGirl thought that I must look like a beached whale laying there.  She decided to take this picture:

Ugh, fat, white legs looking worse because the fat is spread out as I lay there.  “Well, so what InnerFatGirl,” I said, “this is considered a before shot, and now I’m going to get back in the pool and do some more laps, just to burn a few more calories” (mentally sticks tongue out at InnerFatGirl).

I’ve discovered that nothing motivates me like the image of my thunder thighs in a bathing suit!

I’m not being self-deprecating.  Well, ok, I AM, but I’m not feeling sorry for myself.  (Well, maybe a little).  The thing is, today at the pool was a positive experience overall.  I had to get out of my own head (and shut InnerFatGirl up!) and just do it.  I know no one probably gave me much of a second look.  Sure, they may have thought to themselves, “wow, that girl needs to lose some weight,” but they also probably thought, “good for her for swimming laps and getting some exercise.”  Regardless, I’m not really worried about them and what they think.  Ok, so I did leave once the pool started filling up with little kids and their moms, but that was more about not being able to swim laps and relax in peace and quiet than anything else.

I felt so good today in the water, so carefree, that from now on, I’m going to put all of the negative thoughts out of my head (or at least relegate them to a small corner of my mind) and simply enjoy myself at the pool.

Oh, and for those of you wondering, here’s a rare picture of me in a bathing suit.  Usually I would never allow this kind of evidence to be documented, but I think it’s for the greater good.  This will now be known as the “Before” picture:

"Before shot" 6.28.09

I’m going back out to the pool tomorrow.  So there, InnerFatGirl!!

Trying to Ignore InnerFatGirl

Yesterday was HOT!  Like 96 degrees in the shade, hot.  My sister and I planned to take my dad to a local bocce ball court to spend the day with him for his birthday.  My dad is a master at bocce, and my sister and I are both pretty good, too.  Without knowing the weather was going to be quite so hot, I scheduled an outdoor court for us.  As we played our bocce games and enjoyed some courtside appetizers, we were quickly melting.

So when we got back to my parents’ house after bocce, we decided to take my sister’s daughters (6 and 2) to the pool, along with my dad.  I should mention that my parents have lived in this townhouse community since 1997 and yesterday was the first time I have ever been in the pool there.  Even when moved back home with my parents for two years, I never once used the pool.  Not because I didn’t know how to swim, or because it wasn’t hot, but because it would mean getting in a swimsuit in public, something I have avoided for years.

You’ll all remember that I conquered part of this fear earlier this year when I started doing water aerobics.  That was a baby step in the right direction.  Yes, it did mean I was in a swimsuit in public, but the “public” part was still in my comfort zone.  Most of the people in the Aqua Class were my size or larger, or else they were much older (and perhaps far sighted?).  In any case, it wasn’t too embarrassing to get in a swimsuit in front of your “size peers,” if you will.

Yesterday’s excursion to the pool took a lot more guts.  First of all, it was a Saturday.  A HOT Saturday.  And the complex has hundreds and hundreds of residents.  All of whom had the potential to be at the pool and available to inwardly judge and outwardly cringe when they saw me in my swimsuit.

I tried to keep the fat girl in my head, my negative nemesis, at bay. After all, my Esther Williams suit was really adorable (a black background, with tons of red cherries all over it.  It’s got a full skirt, and looks rather 50’s-esque).  Still, my thighs are ginormous and full of ugly cellulite.  “Well, just wrap a towel around yourself up to the moment until you jump in the pool,” I told myself.

My suit is cute, but it doesn’t hide my thunderous thighs, and when I have it on, I hate my body.  Normally I’m a fairly confident person, and I take pride in my appearance.  Even for a heavy girl, I really try to look my best at all times.  In a swimsuit, that just isn’t possible.  All my confidence goes out the window when there isn’t much fabric to conceal one’s flaws and imperfections.

Luckily, when we got to the pool, there was only one guy there, that was it.  It was a miracle!  Soon after we arrived, more people showed up, but they all had kids and were surely more interested in keeping an eye on them, then worrying about what I looked like.  I had a great time with my sister, the kids, and my dad (my mom doesn’t really swim).  They were my safety net, though, yet again.  It’s a lot easier to go to the pool when you’re fat when you have other people around you who love you.

Going by yourself, as I’m planning on doing today, is a whole nother story.

I want to go because today is going to be hotter than yesterday (projected temps in the 100s), and because of the heat, I know I’m not going to want to do any serious exercise.  I need to keep moving and earning APs because yesterday’s little bocce appetizers really added up, and for the first time in a long time I have used all of my WPAs and even gone into my APs.  That scares me!  I really want to burn off some of the calories I consumed yesterday (even though I did earn 11 APs yesterday).

This is exactly how I feel in a swimsuit.

So, I’m telling the negative fat girl in my head to back off.  I know I’m going to the pool no matter what today, but it isn’t going to be easy.  I know I’m going to feel embarrassed until I get in the water, and again once I have to get out.  I know that as I keep working out and eating well, the way my body looks will improve, but for now, getting in the swimsuit to go out in public at the pool is still a struggle. But I’ll do it anyway, because being active is a promise I’ve made to myself, and I’m not one to break my promises.

So silly that it’s ridiculous

Ok, you guys, I’m not sure what has been going on… call it a senior moment (except I’m only going to be 38 next week), call it a blonde moment (except my hair is black), call it being oblivious and stoopid (yes I know that’s spelled wrong – this mistake warrants misspelling).

For the past 3 weeks, or however long I’ve had the Wii Fit, I’ve been doing it backwards!

How is that possible, you ask? Well, when my dad and I were setting it up, I assumed that the power button on the balance board needed to face the t.v. so that it could “connect” to the Wii system. Seems logical enough, right?

Never did it cross my mind when I was doing step aerobics and it wasn’t registering my feet correctly, unless I missed a step and did the wrong foot.  It didn’t dawn on me when I was trying to do the balance bubble game and I kept having to shift my weight in the opposite direction from the way I wanted my Mii to go (almost like a mirror).  Not even when I was doing the EA Sports inline skating and had to lift the opposite leg whenever I wanted to avoid hay bails.

Ugh!

I’m not sure how or why, but all of a sudden, this morning at 7am, it occurred to me that maybe I had the balance board backwards!

All of this time I never noticed the little “Wii” that was imprinted on the board (and facing the wrong direction). I can’t begin to tell you how much of a fool I feel like.  But I guess I just did, didn’t I?

The good news?  I’m doing WAY better on all of the games now.  My balance wasn’t as bad as the Wii thought, now that I’m facing the right direction.