Running Beyond Myself

A few weeks ago I weighed in over here about my ongoing, seemingly endless and somewhat embarrassing battle/journey/longing to lose weight. At that time I had downloaded to my phone the Couch to 5K app, which tracks and encourages my walk/running time. The plan requires about 30 minutes a day – 3 times a week. I had completed week 1 – which was pretty simple, walk for 5 minutes, then alternate jogging for 1 minute and walking for a 1/2 minutes for 20 minutes, then walk for 5 minutes and you’re done. That seemed simple enough and I did it. I not only did it 3 times that first week, I did it 5 times that first week.

The second week only stretched me to 1 1/2 minutes of jogging and 2 minutes of walking for a total of 21 minutes with a 5 minute walk on the front and back end of that. Not bad. I also did that workout 5 times that week. I was so proud of myself – because at week 2 I was not motivated at all. I would do ANYTHING to avoid getting on the treadmill – including the dishes, cleaning the fridge, cleaning up dog poop.

I’m gonna be honest – the 3rd week scared me. After a 5 minute walk to warm up, it was to jog for 1 1/2 minutes, walk for 1 1/2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes and then repeat that whole thing. I had to jog for 3 minutes – twice!! Double what I had been doing! What the heck! What happened to jogging 2 minutes? Straight to 3, really?! I doubted my ability to keep my legs moving and continue breathing for 3 minutes at a jogging pace. I was beyond amazed when I did it. It wasn’t pretty, I was so out of breath when I finished that first 3 minute jog, but I had done it! And then I did it again. And I did that workout 5 times on week 3.

At this point I was still very, very unmotivated, but I was determined. It was my resolve to do this that eventually got me on that treadmill for those 5 days – 2 days more than required by the plan.

Then I saw week 4’s plan – walk for 5 minutes, jog for 3, walk for 1 1/2, jog for 5 minutes, walk for 2 1/2 minutes, and repeat. Jog for 5 minutes – twice. Oh my goodness. This I was sure I was incapable of doing. No way. Maybe I should stay on week 3 for one more week. But I didn’t. On Monday of this week I moved on to week 4. It was amazing to me that 3 minutes of jogging suddenly wasn’t the wall in front of me – it was that 5 minute mountain. The 5 minutes were really taxing me – so I slowed down my speed by 1/10 of a mile and it made all the difference. I was still winded, but I was doing it. And I did it 4 times this week.

In one week, 3 minutes was no longer the challenge – in fact I’ve upped my speed by 1/10 of a mile per hour for those 3 minutes, and I’ve left my 5 minute job at the slower pace. (3 minutes = 4.9 mph, 5 minutes = 4.8 mph. I’m certainly not claiming to be fast, I just put this on there in case I have any local friends who may find themselves compatible for an outside run/walk as it warms up here…IF it warms up here!)

Next week starts me off with 3 five minute jogs separated by 3 minute walks (after the 5 minute warm up of course). I’m not afraid of that. Although the work out on day 2 of next week I see is 2 eight minute jogs – that scares me. Once again I am not confident of myself – just being honest. (I’ll need some really great music blasting in my ears, that is for sure!) Day 3 of week five brings a 20 minute jog. 20 MINUTES. Oh. my. goodness. I should not have looked ahead. I sit here shaking my head, confident that won’t happen. (I should probably believe in myself more – have more of The Little Engine that Could mentality – but for right now – as I look to next week’s workout plan, I truly do not feel confident, or have a belief that my body will go for 20 minutes. Just being real.

I’ll check in at the end of next week and write about how I did. Even if no one cares, that’s the beauty of a blog, I do write for others, but sometimes I also just write to record a snippet in my journey that I want to remember.

The point of this post was to claim that I am stronger than I think  I am.
That will be my motto next week as I attempt an 8 and then 20 minute jog.

Getting Older is a Pain

After not going to my family doctor for six years, I thought it was time to stop in and say hello. Did you know if you haven’t been to the doctor for six years they make you fill out new patient paperwork? They also give you an extra long appointment time so the doctor can get to know you – or in my case get reacquainted. (Yes, I do see my OB/GYN for my yearly pap and mammogram, and although that appointment is very physical, it’s not a physical, so off to my doctor I finally went.)

I was grateful for the extra “new patient” time, as I had so much to catch him up on! There was the pain in my foot, my knee, my shoulder and even my neck. He asked if I was experiencing any menopause symptoms, so I told him about the power surges as well as how I’m also having a hard time losing weight, but no problems gaining it. (I may have suggested he check my thyroid – you know, just in case it’s that and not the ice-cream runs.)

Due to tendinitis in my shoulder and plantar fasciitis in my foot, exercise is going to be tricky over the next several months. I need to be on an anti-inflammatory and take it easy on that shoulder and foot. So today I ordered this to ensure that my activity level doesn’t suffer. Being told I can’t run or lift any weights for 3 – 6 months quite honestly made me a little giddy!  (‘So to be clear, you are medically ordering me to not run or lift weights?!’ I had to hold myself back from hugging him!)

Getting older is a pain…but I’m grateful to be getting older. When I was younger I would have taken the medication given and kept moving. This time I asked what else I could do to help my body age as well as possible. He gave me some printouts of some exercises I could do that would help my back (which put me in the hospital last July), as well as my foot. I told him he would find me to be more compliant in my late forties than I was in my late thirties.

He also told me smaller portions might help with the weight gain. Well, now he knows why I only come in every 6 years! I’m just kidding. Well, he really did say that, but I do really like my doctor a lot and I promised not to wait six years to see him again. We’ll see what the labs say about that thyroid.

 

50 to 50

In the last 18 months, I’ve put on 17 net pounds. Those of you who lose and gain weight understand what I’m talking about when I say net: I’ve gained more than 17 pounds, but I do keep losing some of it. (Brilliant strategy, right?!)

One thing I know about myself is that I can’t seem to lose, and keep off, weight without the exercise component. So, last week after a few months of basically zero exercise and lots of rich eating, (damn you, Food Network Magazine and holiday eating!) it was time to drag myself to the YMCA.

When I have gone to the Y over the last few years I have mostly gone to the same class with the same trainer — but that class and trainer aren’t at the Y anymore … which means any comfort zone I had at my local Y is gone. I’ve decided to try out a few different classes to see which ones fit. So far I have attended a 15 minute abdominal class with my 20-year-old daughter — I don’t see me going back to that anytime soon. Then we tried a Power Yoga class — I think I liked it. I’m going to try it again tomorrow for clarity. I also went to a kickboxing class on Monday. I liked that class a lot.

Today I went to a Step-Fit class. Oh. My. Gosh. My favorite part (besides the fact that I didn’t pass out) was the older ladies helping me when they heard it was my first time taking a step class. They checked my risers to make sure they had the little black sticky pads on the bottom — one was missing, so one of the ladies went to fetch me a different riser. Then another older lady came to clean my little black sticky pads — they told me this would help the whole contraption not to slide around. They must have been quite worried about me!

This class kicked my butt. I had to stand at the back of the room a few times to alleviate the dizziness I was experiencing — while the older ladies kept step-step-stepping away. When the class was over, they asked if I liked it and if I would come back. I said I would likely come back and they assured me it would get easier, almost patting me on the back for my efforts. I will come back — if only for their friendliness and encouragement.

I can, and do, find many arguments not to go to the gym: I don’t have time, I don’t want to, I don’t feel like it, I’m too tired. But I am making a conscious effort to change what I tell myself. I will be 50 in two years and six weeks and I want to be strong, I want to be flexible, I want to have energy, I want my skin to glow, I want my pants to fit, I want to be healthy. I want to feel good every day when I go to my closet to get dressed

Today I had this idea, what if I lost 50 pounds by my 50th birthday? This would put me right in the middle of the medical recommendation for my age and height (thank you, Google). If I only lose 28 pounds by the time I’m 50 I will be at the top of that range — which would be perfectly wonderful for me and I will be thrilled. But for now I will set my sights on 50 by 50. I’ve done the math, it means .45 pounds per week, which is only 1.8 pounds per month. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, which makes this seem doable. In 18 months, I’ve gained almost 18 pounds, what if in 25 months, I lost 50 pounds?

Maybe someday I will be the older lady helping the younger woman rise up so she doesn’t slide all over. Until then I will set my sights on getting to the gym 3 times a week,  logging my Weight Watchers points and hopefully not getting so dizzy!

This post first appeared at Moms.FortWayne.com ~ over here.

Going back to move forward

After weeks of holiday treats, rich desserts, zero exercise and a 7 pound weight gain, it was time to go back to the Y. After paying the monthly fee for weeks and weeks…and weeks, and not going it was beginning to cross my mind that cancelling the membership might be a good idea, and less guilt inducing. But this week I made it through those door once more – well, twice more to be accurate.

It feels good…well, actually it’s very sore, but that feels good. Courtney dragged me to a 20 minute ab class the other night. I could hardly do most of what we did, but I tried. Then I did a combo walk/run routine on the treadmill for just about a half hour. This morning we tried Power Yoga and then ran/walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes.

Power Yoga was interesting. I am so not flexible. When everyone else appeared to be lying flat on their legs, I was sitting rather straight up. I also tipped over a little when we were doing balance exercises. But I would go back. I would like to gain a greater flexibility, and because it was all very new, I was not bored.

It’s constantly amazing to me how much better I feel when I am exercising. I am also constantly amazed at what a discipline it is. With all the knowledge I have about how good it is, how good I feel, how much better I naturally eat, and even sleep, I am frustrated by what a struggle it seems to be to maintain this piece of my health. I will be fifty years old in two years and fifty days and I want this struggle to be behind me by then.

But…I’m grateful that I don’t give up. I’m proud of myself for losing fifty pounds ten years ago and keeping at least that off. I’m pleased that I got rid of my “big girl clothes” – because when my pants quit fitting, I can’t go to the back of the closet, I have to go to the Y.

I have some very inspiring women around me – my friend Janna went on Weight Watchers a few years ago, lost her weight and has never put it back on. She did it, and she inspires me. My friend Cari also did Weight Watchers, lost her weight, began running and now runs marathons. I know this can be done.

Well, anyway. I’m back to the Y this week, which means I will move forward in my quest for health, strength and fitness. Happy New Year to me.

 

Not Born to Run

I hate to run.

I use the word “run” super liberally, most of you could walk faster than I run. Unfortunately for me though, running is what my body is responding to, so I run. The truth is there are 2 responses from my body – smaller hip fat (win!) but greater knee and foot aches (lose). Why can’t this be a win-win?! Possibly because I’m getting older…sigh.

This summer I was introduced to the Couch to 5K Running Plan and it’s been a program I’ve been able to stick with. I’ve gone from huffing and puffing after 60 seconds of running (not kidding) to last week running 30 minutes straight for the first time in my life! (Though the plan would have me at 3 miles in 30 minutes, I am not there yet – my pace is too slow for a 10 minute mile, I’m more like a 13 minute mile – which I’m proud of.)

Whether running or going to an exercise class at the Y, I know this is true – my body, my mind and even my spirit just work better when I’m exercising. I’m happier, (maybe because my clothes are no longer digging into my waist!) more confident, stronger, less tired and more alert. My complexion seems to be a little brighter, I naturally eat less junky stuff and drink more water.

I’ve never been one of those women who could eat anything they wanted and not gain weight – instead I’ve been one of those women who gain weight while smelling brownies baking in the oven. (OK, so the brownies in the oven might also have something to do with it.) About ten years ago I shed fifty of the pounds I accumulated while producing 3 children over 7 1/2 years – and since I still have twenty more pounds to get rid of, coupled with the fact that I’m forty-seven (and let’s not forget about those brownies!), I will keep running until it’s too cold and then I will go back to the Y.

I’m really, really not a fan of exercise, maybe I’ll never be someone who enjoys it. But I will stay disciplined because exercise, though painful, is really, really good for me in many ways. (And, even if I never lose the last twenty pounds, at least I won’t put on twenty more pounds!)

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

Holiday Weight Plan

I’ve been struggling with losing weight, eating, and enjoying, too much food, for awhile now. (just calling it as I really know it to be.) I’ve had solid success with the on-line Weight Watchers program for the last few years, and I continue to log points…sometimes…but mostly not. I enjoyed my summer and put my typical summer weight on, knowing I would lose it in the fall – but something has not gone according to plan this year.

I’m back at the Y again (I take the summers off), but I was only making it once or twice a week, thinking that would be enough. (It wasn’t.) So now I’m getting there more like three times a week. I feel better, a little stronger, but the weight just isn’t coming off like it has in the past. Some have wondered if it’s because I’ve reached that “magical” age (I’m 46) where the weight is just harder to lose….well, thanks for that.

And now…we’re heading into the holiday season.

We’re going to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving, where there will be a lot of family along with a lot of amazing food and wine. (I see a good three to four pound gain there) And then before we know it I will be baking Christmas cookies, as well as gathering with many friends and eating more wonderful food. (prediction: another three to four pounds.)

So here is my plan…back to strict point counting – and staying within my points (because if I keep busting through my point limit this counting really doesn’t matter!) My goal is to lose a few pounds before we leave for my sister’s. This weekend she sent me a picture of a homemade doughnut with maple glaze and bacon ~ and told me to pack my stretchy pants ~ so seriously I will need to help myself on the front end of this one! Then I will come back home and lose what I gained over Thanksgiving, to give myself that room again over Christmas.

I know, I know…this isn’t optimal, but it’s better than just continuing to add to ranks of my middle. I’m going to indulge, I just am. Maybe someday I won’t, but that’s not going to be this year. I enjoyed a black bean burger for dinner tonight so I could have pie at a friend’s house tonight and now…well, I need to go to bed, because I’m out of points.