Smoothies, soreness, and self-confidence - Oh my!

Hello there peeps!

Smoothies:
First, thank you SO much for your comments and suggestions on what you do to make the most out of your breakfast smoothies.  Two great sites that I've heard about (in case you're interested) are: Pimp My Protein Shake (although her recipes can be a bit complicated) and Green Monster Movement.

I have to say that I am super excited to try all of the things that I've found.  The thing that would make my life easier is to not have to blend the ice...mostly because we only have cubes available, not crushed ice.  My bullet is doing okay with it, it just takes awhile to blend, especially because I only blend for a minute at a time, so as to not overheat the motor.

I'm SO excited to tell you about my newest love.  I used about two cups of spinach, a cup of low fat organic chocolate milk, and a scoop of some whey protein powder (french vanilla creme) that Joe has.  I blended all the ingredients and then kept adding ice cubes as needed until I got this:

[Side note?  We totally need to get more light in our place.  It's like a cave which doesn't work well when taking pictures with my phone.]



Anyway, it was FABULOUS.  It was just under 300 calories and had a TON of protein in it.  Also?  It tasted like a chocolatey vanillaish milkshake. 

I know what you may be thinking - 300 calories is a lot.  And it is - or at least, it can be.  Someone could use a cup of fat free milk (at 90 calories a cup versus 190 in the chocolate milk for a cup) to reduce the calories to around 200.  But I enjoyed this yummy shake in the evening, after my 30 Day Shred workout, as a meal.  I wasn't super hungry after my workout, and I really didn't feel like fixing something intricate. So 300 calories chalk full of good stuff for me?  It was great and it fit my needs at the time.  I won't be having this often - or as a breakfast smoothie.  If something is chocolatey in the morning, I tend to crave sweets all day long after that. 

My next idea is to incorporate some sort of fiber into it to make it 1) even more filling and 2) even more deserving of the category "The Green Movement." 

Soreness:

Y'all... I'm not going to lie to you.   Doing the 30 Day Shred video every day so far has pretty much been horrible.  For the last three days, I wanted to grunt and moan in pain pretty much all the time.  I can't believe a) how sore I am - my quads ache from just walking! and b) how out of shape I am (hello!  My quads ache from just walking??). 

In fact, Joe commented on my pain yesterday morning when I got up to shred and grunted in pain.  He asked, "Why are you doing this again?"  I explained my pledge to myself and you guys - to do this Godforsaken video every day for 30 days.

And I meant it - a promise is a promise. 

This morning, I woke up and I was less sore than I have been - which means that I'm making progress.  Which means that I'm less likely to complain about my sore muscles (note: I said less complaining, I'm not a robot, people!) :) 

I'm proud that I've decided to jump into this plan wholeheartedly.  I'm accomplishing something - even if I have to switch to just one weight sometimes, even if end each workout with some not-very-happy-pants words directed at her.

Self-confidence:

I had my second interview with a company yesterday.  I woke up a bit nervous, but after finishing the workout yesterday morning, I had gotten rid of some of my nervous energy.  I love how exercise can do that for a person.

The interview went pretty well.  To be honest, I'm not quite sure if I'll like the job or not...it's pretty much like the same stuff I do now.  Only instead of working with dirty piece of metal, I'll be working with another.  It is more pay and I hope if I'm given the job, I can negotiate more time off too.

I had a moment of panic when I realized that movement, in general, causes me to grimace slightly due to the soreness (we're out of ibuprofen and I never remember this until I realize I'm walking like a zombie).  How will that play to an interview board?

But then I remembered that by doing the shred, I've had a new found confidence in me - I've done something so far that few even attempt.  And I know I will be successful.

So when I walked in, I had confidence in myself.  I remembered that I don't need that job (which is a different situation than a lot of other people I know).  I have a job that most days I don't mind.  I like my life the way it is, for the most part.  So I don't need to sell myself desperately to them.  I just need to show them me.  They'll either recognize the quality or not.  We'll either click, or we won't.

Funny, but that was the same attitude I had when I met Joe at the speed dating event over a year and a half ago.

Confidence is pretty amazing stuff, no?

A Wii bit of a review

For my birthday this past year, Joe gifted me a Wii.  At first, I thought this gift was really for him that doubled as obligatory present for me.  But I have to say that other than ON my birthday (where he beat me soundly at each game we played), he hasn't touched the thing. 

I knew that I wanted to do something more active with it - I wanted some fitness games that would be fun to do on the Wii but still provide a good workout.  That's when I bought Dance Dance Revolution (and no...you still can't watch me dancing to such hits as "Never Gonna' Give You Up" and "Ice Ice Baby").  While it IS fun, the songs aren't long enough for me to really break a sweat before moving on to a different impossible dance combination for my clearly uncoordinated self.  Each "song" is just an excerpt and seems to last just a minute or so.

So I did what anybody else would do - I Googled the crap out of Wii Fitness Games including tags like "Top Rated" and "Best Workout Games for Wii".  And then I read eleventy hundred reviews and blog posts of these games which meant that I was thoroughly confused.  The thing is, comments like "Best Workout Ever!" are helpful...but only if you know what fitness level the reviewer is already at. 

So, I emailed Krissie at Questions for Dessert - I knew that she had just run a half marathon AND that she had a Wii Fit.  She was awesome and answered back immediately...and basically said that the Wii Fit is more fun, but the Biggest Loser Wii game is better a workout.

I took that knowledge and did NOTHING with it for months, as I am wont to do.  You may call it procrastination, I call it "letting thoughts marinate."  Truthfully, it's because I didn't want to waste a lot of money on a game that wouldn't be a good workout.  I learned my lesson with the DDR game.

Recently, I decided to invest in the Wii Fit Plus program.  I wanted the balance board, the games, and the goal setting.  I also secretly hoped that inside the box would be a fairy that would make me want to lose weight and do the exercise. 

Sadly, no fairy was in the box.  Looks like it'll just have to be me in charge of my weight loss and fitness program.  Bummer.

Katy asked a question in yesterday's post about if the Wii Fit was worth it - which made me remember that every review is subjective to the person doing it AND dependant on the person's beginning fitness level.  I figured that there must be some of you in the same boat, so I'm willing to let it all hang out...just to benefit you.
Here is my current fitness level:
I'm a 33 year old female.  I can run 3 miles easily without stopping to walk.  If I take one quick break (walking about 1-2 minutes in the middle), I can run 4-5 miles.  My longest run was 6 miles.  When I was running regularly, my pace was under 10 minutes a mile.  Now it's up to around 11 minutes (yes, if you don't use it, you lose it).  On any given day, I weigh between 225 and 230 pounds (UGH) and wear a large top and a size 16 bottoms. I'm between 5'9" and 5'10" (doctor's offices have measured differently).  I used to do the 30 day Shred DVD every day.  Climbing stairs or hopping up and down (hello jumping jacks!) hurts my knees, but running doesn't (I know.  I'm weird.).  Other than my weight, I'm pretty healthy (seriously, did I JUST write that?  I know...it's preposterous).

There you go - that's how healthy I am now.

Having said all of that, here is my review (not compensated in any way - just trying to share information):

Wii Fit Plus:
The Wii Fit games ARE fun - even if I am apparently as uncoordinated as a bowl full of jelly.  They have several different types of games but aerobic and balance games are the only ones I've tried.  I've heard that balance is good to work on - and judging from my scores on these games, I have a LOT to work on.  I usually score the lowest in this area...and only burn about one calorie per activity.  Better than sitting on the couch, I'm sure...but I might burn more calories when I'm eating chips and sitting on the couch (due to the hand movement from the bag to my mouth).

The aerobic parts have been fun too - I've tried the step class, the boxing, and the running.  Here I'm better, but you can't speed up the pace or music - so it's not a great workout.  I've done the freestyle running program and have definitely broken a sweat.  The jogging program is fine, but because you have to use the Wii balance board (for other games within the Wii Fit game) without socks or shoes, I found myself running barefoot on our wood floors, which is not how I choose to run.  Even if it's all in my head, I feel better about running in place with the support of my shoes.

Incidentally, I think it's cool that when you play the Wii Fit, it brings the other little characters you've already created to help you.  Joe and I created "Klaus" on my birthday who looks like an older male transvestite - with a full white beard, pink beanie cap, and wonderful make up.  He even has a beauty mole on his face.  He's a total train wreck and seeing him as my coach in soccer or in my step class cracks me up.

Biggest Loser Wii Game:
Yesterday I tried the Biggest Loser Wii game - and this was a whole different ball o' wax.  Granted, I've only tried it once, but in the 30 minute circuit work out I did (on the medium intensity setting), I had sweat dripping off my face.  I picked Bob Harper as my trainer (swoon!) and the circuits were long enough that I wasn't jumping all around and changing positions like crazy, but short enough that I really gave each my all because I knew I didn't have to do a ton of reps. My workout last night had one circuit (of many different activities that equaled 10 minutes) that I repeated three times.

Things I am not a fan of:  when you're on the ground doing hip raises, planks, and push ups, he switches moves on the screen - and since you're not looking, it can be hard to realize that he's switched.  I just went with the flow because so far it wasn't a big deal to me...only slightly annoying.

What I really didn't like is that apparently it must be hard for the Wii to figure out my movements - I would do them perfectly (or so I thought) and wouldn't be scored appropriately.  The game has little icons that flash on the screen when you're doing them right - and you're supposed to try to get five in each activity.  There would be some (like ladder climbers) that I would do perfectly and get NO icons (and therefore no calorie credit).  Because I'm a person driven by awards, I found this a bit discouraging.  I thought about screaming how it wasn't fair, but Bob doesn't like excuses so I saved my breath. 

At the end of my 30 minute work out, the game said I had burned 82 calories.  Umm...NO WAY is that correct.  I wouldn't say that this game is FUN per se, but it did what I wanted it to do - gave me a good workout and knowing that I have signed on for a 12 week program makes me want to keep coming back.  I don't understand how I can get kicked off yet (which I hear is a possibility) so if you're interested I'll write more later after I've had more experiences with it. Hit me up in the comments if you want me to expound more about it later.

So there you have it - my review of my games on the Wii.  Basically, exactly what Krissie said. 

Things I'm thinking about adding to make my workouts even better: weights, a stair riser, and some sort of padding.  Thanks to Jessica for letting me know that some of these are possibilities.

There are a few styles of weights that you can either add to your Wii remote (and they look like barbells!) or velcro on your wrists.  When I worked out regularly, I used 5-10 pound weights in each hand...the Wii remote ones are only 2 pounds each.  So I might start out with those and then graduate to the weights you just strap on your wrists/ankles.

The stair riser would raise the Wii balance board to a full 4" off the ground - which would be about the same height as most risers at a step class in a gym.  To me, that would make the stair stepper on the Wii Fit much more challenging.

The padding would be used for when I'm running in place or when I'm having to be on my knees to do planks or push ups.  I don't have great knees to begin with and having them on hardwood floors doesn't feel great.

Do you have any questions or comments about these or other games?  I'd love to know your opinion.   Tina mentioned Wii Active (I think by EA Sports?)...has anyone tried that?  And Tina - if you're still reading, what do you love about it?

Today

It's so very hot outside that running - even in the morning isn't a viable option.  My worklife means that running at night isn't much of an option either.

We DO have one treadmill in our building, but that's usually taken.

So, what's a fat girl to do?

Today at lunch, I bought "The Biggest Loser" Wii game.

Joe is working late tonight so I get to try it...and muddle my weigh (ha!) through it.

I tried the Wii Fit last week before I played hostess to my friends all weekend long.  The games didn't really allow me to break a sweat...although I think that has more to do with the short time duration of each "game."  To all the Wii Fit experts, does the time eventually lengthen?  And where can you get a riser for the Wii Fit board to make the step class more challenging?

I SWEAR I wanted to punch something when I stepped on the "scale" and the little Wii thing said, "That's obese!"  The next category down is "overweight."

Strange, but I can't remember ever wanting to hear something tell me I was overweight before as much as I am now.

No, I won't videotape it

Let's just get this said right off the bat: No, I won't ever let you see me doing it.

On my birthday, my wonderful boyfriend got me a Wii. He bought the Wii for me because he thought that I would like it. I was debating getting one last winter for the Wii Fit sales that were going on before Christmas. The thing was, at the time, I couldn't figure out which "games" would help me get the best work out...so like many other situations, I just didn't make a decision and didn't buy one.

But make no mistake, I think that he also got it because he wanted to play some games. Although in fairness to him, he hasn't yet played anything on it (other than the first night when we bowled and golfed and played tennis with it).

So a few weeks ago, I decided that playing Super Mario Brothers probably wasn't the best use of my time (but OH WOW is it fun - it brings back memories!). So I decided to get a workout "game."

I've seen a lot about the Wii Fit, EA Active, and The Biggest Loser games...but I didn't know which would work the best. So I asked my virtual workout buddy, Krissie, and she recommended The Biggest Loser games. Only from some of the reviews, it appears that some things are hard to do without a pocket in your workout clothes and that you can't use your real weight or name when you're "competing."

And I clicked from review to review until I finally found myself SERIOUSLY considering something that I swore I would never participate in:

Dance Dance Revolution.

I'm sure where you can see this going...I bought the game. Again, I'll just tell you right now: No, you still can't watch me.

For those that aren't familiar with this game, it started out in arcades where tweens hang out. The machine, at the arcades, look like this.

Kids hop on this thing, put in their allowance, and music starts. The object of the game is to follow the instructions on screen to know which arrow to step on at the right beat. You may have noticed from the picture that there are two little pads - which means that some other kid (who might have stolen the money from his parents) can also put in money and challenge the first kid.

The screen looks like this: So basically the arrows float up and you have to step on the correct arrow on the pad underneath you at the exact time that it lines up with the area up top. In the screen shot shows two people competing and the "PERFECT!" written in the middle of the screen indicates that both players stepped at the perfect time.

To be clear, I don't see that message often. And no, I won't videotape it and send it to you.

So the game came to my house (I ordered it online)... it has a disc and a mat that kind of looks like this:

And when you plug it in, it has a set up like this:

Only at my house, as far as I know, we don't have teenage boys. And we have a huge TV that is not on a wooden stand. And I'm trying to peek above my dog's GIANT head (she is a HUGE Great Dane that even when she's laying down can somehow manage to block the TV).

I tried it out during Memorial Day weekend for the first time and since I couldn't bribe Joe to leave our place, I tried to pretend that he wasn't there. On the couch. Watching my every move. Remembering that he is the stereotypically whitest boy on the planet (and thus has ZERO ability to shake his groove thing to any music without looking like he's getting hit with a taser gun) also helped.

The first time, I didn't use the instructional video. I figured that I was relatively talented, so I should be able to just pick a song and KNOW how to do it.

Turns out, that's not so much true.

So I'm hopping, jumping, and trying to keep up with some beats and I'm laughing - hysterically - because I look like one of those marionettes where the human controlling them is just bouncing them up and down.

And really, please stop asking: I won't videotape this and post it.

Eventually, I have gotten the hang of it and can even "dance" to a few songs without too much difficulty.

But the best part? The songs.

That's right, I'm dancing to such hits as "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross and "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice. Rhianna's "Disturbia" and Duran Duran's "Hungry Like a Wolf" is also on there. There are a lot of popular songs on this version (names that I'm too old to remember) that are fun to dance to.

And I'm not even kidding you - Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna' Give You Up" cracks my shizzle up as I'm dancing on this.

But you know what? It's fun.

I don't break a huge sweat (at least at the level I'm at) and there are some longer pauses in between songs than what I'd like...but it's better than the couch and it's more fun than I thought I would have.

I decided that as much as I love running, I wanted something to do to exercise-wise when I don't feel like running. This fits the bill.

Now it's your turn:

What kind of non-traditional exercise things do you do? And if you have a Wii, I would LOVE to know what your take is on exercise games that you have tried. I'm looking for things to break a sweat but will still be fun.

I'd LOVE to hear your opinions!

Up a little, down a lot

My Weight Watchers meeting was last night...and I gained 1.6 pounds.

I hate going to the meetings when I gain. I hate walking into the facility knowing that I am heavier and knowing that I'm farther back in my goals than I'd like to admit.

But something happens EVERY TIME I get off the scale after I've gained.

The world keeps spinning. People laugh. Babies are born.

And no one, excluding myself, cares that I gained.

I know why I gained - it's easy. My week was filled with good foods and next to no exercise. I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, but I'm pretty sure that eating more than you should and moving less means that you end up gaining.

This past week I've had a lot of ups and downs. I've ridden this rollercoaster of emotions tied to my facility being shut down and us not knowing anything. At one point last week, I was fully prepared to take any job they offered me.

And then?

Well, then I spent the weekend with my boyfriend. My sweet, wonderful, loving, fantastic, and supportive boyfriend. And then? Well, then I didn't want to leave at all.

He and I went snowshoeing for the first time this weekend and it was a bunch of fun and a good work out. It's kind of a pain in the butt to go so far away (four hour round trip) but we were so blessed to have friends that lent us the snowshoes, poles, and even a pack to put our water and granola bars in. We got to try the sport for free and although it's not something I can see us doing often, it was a bunch of fun and something neat to mix up our exercise.

And because I can't possibly be the only person who wonders what people out there in the blog-o-sphere look like, here is a picture of us outside snowshoeing (you'll have to trust me on that one) while it was snowing.
Today marks one week from when we found out that the facility is closing...and I've mourned and worried enough for now. I've been down a lot this past week...but today I'm taking my life back.
Sure, I'm still a little worried about what is to come. I am applying for jobs here in Denver daily - hoping that something will turn up where it is a job I'd like, that it pays more than what I'm making now, and that it is here in Denver.

I'm not so naive to think that there are oodles of those jobs out there, but it just takes one, right?

And today, I've gotten back on track exercise and eating wise. I've packed my sensible lunch. I've packed snacks. I've brought my running gear so that I can run in 40 degree weather at lunch. Will I be cold? Probably. I know that after taking two weeks off, I won't run as fast or as far.

But it will feel SO good to get back into the swing of things.

My ah-ha moment this week...

Roni asked her question of the week - and it was "Why do you exercise?"

And in my response, I started to realize something.

A year and a half ago, I looked forward to my time with MY food...whatever it was. I obsessed about food. I continually thought about how it would taste and feel in my mouth. The creamy, crunchy, sweet, or salty tastes would have me salivating before I even got to the restaurant. I would leave work and after a particularly stressful day (read: any day that ended in 'y'), couldn't wait to have my time with my food.

And oh the special time that I would have with my food! No matter who was calling, I couldn't and wouldn't put my food down to answer the call. I had to be alone - focusing on the good feelings that I got from it. In the time with my food, I felt loved. I felt pampered. I felt important. Until, of course, the eating stopped. And then I'd feel bloated and guilty.

So when I started Weight Watchers and focused on what I *could* focus on at that point. And that was just trying to stay within my points levels for the day or week. At that point, with 112 pounds to lose, I didn't think about the healthy guidelines...or at least not much. I didn't focus on getting my fruits and veggies in - and healthy oils? Please! They were the last thing from my mind.

Then, after a few months, I realized that I wanted to eat more. I didn't want to give up my time with my food but the slower weight loss that I was experiencing wasn't cutting it. I wanted to lose weight faster. So I started exercising. Health and healthy behaviors really weren't my focus. Getting to eat more was.

And then, slowly (sometimes ever so slowly) I morphed into being the person that I am today. I no longer exercise to overeat. Primarily, I run to feel better. I feel the day to day stress build up in my body and I run or take a class to relieve it.

I exercise because it is MY time to concentrate on me. To shut out the rest of the world. It's my time to do something that I like...something that shows love to myself.

And that's when it hit me.

I exercise for the same exact reasons that I used to overeat.

Now, when I run, it's because the stress that I have gets worked through. I get highs - but they're different than the sugar highs I used to get. The chemical reaction that happens in my body when I exercise helps me feel energized and more optimistic.

When I run, I work through the issues that I'm facing. When I run, I listen to the music and I think about where I've been and where I'm going. I feel more focused when I'm done. And unlike the carb coma that followed binges, I feel like I can tackle the day.

My anxieties lessen, my spirits lift, and I feel good. And there is no phone call that I would even consider taking during that time.

I still look forward to good food. It's just that I no longer look there to soothe my feelings. I no longer feel the itch to go through three separate drive thrus to eat the "perfect" comforting meal.

I don't know when that switch happened, but it did.

My core identity is changing. I am no longer a person who eats to numb. I'm a person who feels emotions and then works through them.

Not being numb *is* more painful sometimes...but when I overcome some hurdle, it also feels much better too.