Zumba!

This morning I finally was able to take my first Zumba class, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Why has it taken me all of this time to go to a class?  Because I was nervous.  I had watched all the ladies, every time I went to work out at the gym, and they all seemed to know each other and were having a good time. Being the shy and quiet type, I was a little worried that I might not fit in....literally...like they all had their places in class and there was no room for one more.
I got to the gym a half hour ahead of time, just like it said to do on the schedule, and there was one girl ahead of me.  I stood next to her and soon there were a dozen or so women, all lined up to get their purple pass.
I actually said hi to the woman next to me and told her that this was my first time.  She was very nice and gave me some pointers.  Then she asked if I had just joined the gym. Uhg!  I was a little embarrassed, or I should say I would have been embarrassed if I had told the truth, that I had been a member for 8 months.  But, I let her believe that I was fairly new.  This just made me feel bad that I have still not gotten into a real fitness routine, nor have a done a very good job changing my eating habits.
You know, life gets in the way.  From bad work schedules to bad colds, it's all happened to me so far this year. But I am not stopping.  As long as you're moving forward, you are moving in the right direction.
Don't quit. Don't stop trying to be better. Don't stop making better food choices.  Keep making the effort to better your health.  Keep looking for new ways to keep your interest....like taking a
ZUMBA class!!!!

A new year, a new me

I am so happy that a new year is upon us. Like most people, I feel like I need to wait for a certain date on the calendar to start making changes.  I know that this does not make alot of sense, but it feels right.
I have been reading some very inspirational stories about women who have lost a ton of weight (ok, not a ton, but hundreds of pounds) and I figure if they can do it, so can I.
I'm way ahead of the game, considering I only have about 20 pounds to lose (but alot of flab to firm up :().
So I have made some New Years Resolutions.
The first one is that I will stop eating fast food for lunch.  Let's face it. Is there really any healthy fast food?
Whatever I bring from home, even leftovers from a not-so-healthy dinner is probably better than a burger, fries and a Pepsi.  I will also carry nuts or a nutrition bar in my purse so that I do not become ravenous before my next meal.
The next change I am making is to go to the gym in the morning and to walk/run in my neighborhood in the evening.  I think that these changes in my workout routine, along with healthier eating will jump start my metabolism and send those pesky pounds packing.
Watch out 2012.  Make way for a brand new me!

Laying a foundation

I see it's been almost 2 months since my latest update. No, that does not mean that I have not been working out. I have. It just means my life is crazy!
You would think that a woman with grown children and only a (very) part-time job would have more time on her hands. Nope. Not me.  I'm as busy as ever.  Mostly I have been providing the day-care of my 3 rambunctious grandsons while my daughter sewed about a hundred bibs, burp clothes and baby blankets for our on-line shop SWEET BABY SPRINKLES. 
I did, however, try to keep up with my workouts during this busy time and I will continue through the holiday season.
I think most people, when they get really busy, tend to put aside taking care of themselves, exercising, eating right and so forth.  That's what happens when you think of getting and staying fit as something you will do "if I have time".
The truth is that we should all think of healthy living as a necessary part of our lives, something that we cannot or should not do without.
I think of my morning workout as laying a foundation.  If I get up early and hit the gym and eat a healthy breakfast, I have laid the foundation for the rest of the day.  I am energized, happy, and I also feel much better about myself.  Whatever comes my way at work or home will be easier for me to handle when I have laid the foundation for my day.
If you consistently eat healthy meals, stay active and get enough sleep at night, you will have more energy to work and play. Even if you still have pounds to lose or you haven't yet fit into your favorite pair of jeans, keeping up on your workouts will provide you with a sense of accomplishment and pride in yourself.
When you eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein, your body functions better, making you less likely to get sick.  Just think of how much better you feel after eating a healthy meal, and how much worse you feel after you've eaten fatty, or highly processed food. There's a reason they call it 'junk food'!
So, no matter how busy I am I will be sure to lay my foundation every day.

You gotta start somewhere

I was at the gym this morning and I kept noticing people who were really strong. You know, the girl lifting free weights along side the guys. Or the young woman on a contraption, doing some sort of backwards sit up, clutching a free weight to her chest. Sheesh, I thought to myself, would I ever be that strong? Were they always strong or did they start out as a weakling like me?
As I went from one machine to the next it was really starting to bug me.  I'm just now starting to feel like a gym regular. I haven't used all of the machines yet and I haven't taken any of the classes, but at least I'm getting up in the morning, putting on my workout clothes and making an appearance, even if it is only for a half hour.
But it seemed wherever I looked, there were people who were toned and strong.
Am I really the type of person who likes to see someone more out of shape than me, so that I can feel better about myself? Maybe.
I love the my gym, mainly because I'm NOT surrounded by muscle.  It is filled with regular people like me, people who look like they are just starting on their journey and they have a long way to go. I'm sure that there were plenty of people like that there today, but all I saw was muscle. It was very discouraging.
Then, on my way to the locker, I noticed a big poster that I had never seen before. It was a picture of free weights of all sizes, lined up on a weight rack. There was a hand, picking up the teensy tinyest weight.
The caption read YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.
Thank You! That poster has probably been up there for a long time, maybe since I joined the gym. I don't know. But today was the day that I saw it. Today was the day that I needed to see it.
We all have to start somewhere. Some of us have a lot of weight to lose. Some of us are just really, REALLY flabby, with no muscle tone.
We all have the choice, for the most part, of what we put in our mouths. Should I buy an orange or a candy bar? Do I really need to put sour cream on my chilli?  We have the choice on whether we want to move our bodies or not. Do I want to sleep in or get up early and hit the gym? Shall I push the button on the elevator or take the stairs? Am I going to drive around and around, searching for a close parking spot or park out in Egypt and walk the extra steps?
So, from now on, when I see people at the gym who have bodies that I envy I will take it, not as discouragement, but as inspiration.  They started somewhere. Maybe someday, someone will look at me and not be discouraged, but be inspired.
You gotta start somewhere. 

All or Nothing?

I haven't exercised since...ummm...I was going to say Friday, but, did I workout on Friday or was it Thursday? Hmm, anyway, Saturday I woke up late, then had to work. Sunday is the Sabbath so I never workout on that day. Then Monday was the surgery date for my two-year old grandson, Brady.  I babysat his younger and older brothers, Josiah, 7 months, and Camron, 4-1/2.  I spent Monday night and Tuesday in the hospital with Brady.
So here it was, Wednesday, half way through another week, and I hadn't done a single thing to get my body moving in the right direction.  I was exhausted and allowed myself to sleep in until 7am.  I knew I had to meet my other daughter, Sam, and her two girls at 9am.
By the time I ate breakfast and cleaned the kitchen it was 8am. I thought, should I just sit around until it is time to leave? Or should I get my workout clothes on and start moving? There was not enough time to go to the gym.
The question: Does it have to be all or nothing?
I used to say "Yes". If I did not have time to get to the gym and have a full hour workout I would just skip it and tell myself I would do better next time.
Well, next time may never come.  There is always an excuse, a reason, a distraction that may keep me from getting my butt out of bed early enough to start my day at the gym.
In the past I have gone weeks, months, without working out because I had the All or Nothing attitude.
Now is the time for changes.  The change I made today is in my attitude.
Even though I only had a half hour before I had to get ready to leave, I put on my workout clothes, including my shoes.  I went out to the living room and just started marching in place. Then I did some jumping jacks.  Then pretended I was jumping rope. (I think I will buy a jump rope!)  Then I pretended I was hula hooping. (I think I'll buy myself a Hula Hoop!)
Before I knew it, 20 minutes had passed and my heart rate was up! Then  I picked up my 5 lb dumbbells and did a workout for my arms and shoulders.
I was sweating, and I felt good.
So, from now on it's not gonna be a question as to whether or not I will work out when time is limited.
I WILL do SOMETHING to move my body, 6 days a week.  No more excuses.
Nike got it right when they said JUST DO IT.  I hope they don't mind if I use that as my motto.

Take a look in the mirror! or Take a picture. It lasts longer!

An interesting thing happens when a woman looks in the mirror.  Either she looks at herself, seeing only 

the best of her features..."Nice, I look good!".  Or, when she sees her reflection, all she sees is her flaws..

"Oh man, look at the size of my butt! Sheesh!".  

A picture can give you a better idea of what you truly look like.  Of course, there are people who are very photogenic and then there are people like me, who couldn't  take a good picture if my life depended on it. Usually I will avoid the camera at all costs. So I was not looking forward to having my BEFORE  pictures taken. But there was no way around it. It had to be done. I put on my tightest workout clothes and had my daughter take pictures.  Uhg! I took a deep breath and let it all hang out.  No sucking it in for these shots.  

I want the worse BEFORE pics I can get so that I can truly see what kind of progress I am making in the coming months.  I am actually looking forward to having pictures taken of my (future) buff arms and my awesomely tight abs. By the way, I'm the type who says "Nice, I look good!" and I overlook all my flaws.

Someday soon I will be able to look in the mirror and stop lying to my reflection.

Crazy bout sugar

When I was a kid my mom made me eat my vegetables (yeah, they were NOT called veggies in those days).  I hated vegetables, probably cause all she did was boil them. Yuck!
By the time I was a teenager she had given up on getting me to eat right. I had discovered fast food.  If I didn't like the dinner she was making she would put a vitamin pill on my plate and not worry about it and I would hit Jack in the Box.
Around that time my blood sugar started acting up, only I didn't know it.  I would get up in the morning and hop in the shower before breakfast.  The hot water would sap all the energy out of me. By the time I was done I would wrap a towel around me, drag myself to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal, then literally lay down on the floor to eat it.  I felt like I was going to faint at any second.  Slowly I would feel better, then get up and get ready for school.  By break time I was starving so I would have a cinnamon roll.  My favorite lunch was a Hostess Berry Pie and Barbeque Chips.
I was in the marching band and we practiced marching every afternoon after school.  So often I would feel faint and have to sit on the curb with my head between my legs until I felt better.  This was 1977 to 1980.  No one suggested I see a doctor.
I got married a year after high school and my eating habits only got worse. I was still very skinny, at 110 lbs, living on protein and sugar and not much else. I was working as a receptionist. Around break time I would be starving so I would eat a candy bar.  Two hours later I would get a terrible headache....EVERY DAY!  The only thing that took away these headaches was 8 hours sleep.
And so the days, weeks, months went on, with me having a major headache every single day.  I went to 3 doctors who told me the headaches were from stress.  Finally, the 4th doctor asked me about my eating habits.  Then he suggested a blood test.
Finally, a diagnosis!
I have hypoglycemia.  Basically this means low blood sugar.  There are many symptoms that can wreak havoc on your daily life and even your health if it is not controlled.  Some of the symptoms, besides headaches, are shaking, weakness, confusion, sweating, nervousness, and feeling out of control if I go too long without eating or if I eat too much sugar.
After I was diagnosed I cut out sugar completely and started eating every two to three hours. My headaches disappeared completely.  After about a year I started experimenting to see if I could add sugar back into my diet.  I have a definite sweet tooth and I do not like living without my treats.  I found that, if I had a full meal, I could eat dessert without getting a headache.
So here I am, 30 years later and I still have trouble controlling my sweet tooth.  If someone brings cake, cookies or donuts into the breakroom at work I've sucked them down before I even have a chance to think about it.
This is my weakness.
I'm crazy bout sugar and sugar makes me crazy.  During my journey to fitness I will try to find substitutes that will satisfy my sweet tooth without wreaking havoc on my new and improved lifestyle.  Wish me luck!