Karen R.
Where Things Stand
Aug 15, 2013
I realized this morning that August is half over and I hadn't posted anything in my blog. Bad Karen! I think it's because I've established a kind of routine, so I don't feel like there's anything noteworthy to report. Still, I want to record what's going on. So here goes:
As people who frequent the forums may recall, last week I started working out with a personal trainer named Mark. He's a lovely guy, a former police officer from Scotland. When we did our consult several weeks back, he told me he wanted to see me consume more calories. For the past several months, I'd been average 600 to 700 calories a day, and had felt really good.
He'd like to see me at 1000 to 1200. I've managed to get up to the 800-900. I think I'm going to stay around there for awhile. I'm not comfortable stuffing myself and I don't want to be chugging 2-3 protein shakes a day just to do it.
Mark's workouts are tough. We do a lot of squats and lunges and big muscle engaging exercises. At last night's session, we added boxing. That was really kind of a good time. I enjoyed it. I don't like the battling rope that we've tried now a couple of times. I feel like I'm straining my neck when we work with it and it's just not...fun. Mark, God bless him, isn't pushing that as a tool. We spent a little time with the rope, but when I turned to him and said, "You know, this one just isn't working for me," we switched gears and moved on to another exercise.
The good news is that even though we've only gotten together three times, I can already tell I'm doing better on some of the exercises. Mark is very encouraging. I like working with him. He pushes me, but never makes me feel like I'm an idiot or that I'm in danger of hurting myself.
In addition to my two sessions with Mark, I'm going to start doing yoga in September. My employer will be holding free classes after work on Monday nights, so that works out well for me. I'll do a session in my apartment building's gym on Saturdays (last week I was up there for two hours doing a mix of cardio and weights). I will probably also walk on Fridays (on the treadmill in this weather--we're still routinely over 100 degrees and the humidity has been crippling for the last several weeks) or potentially take another class of some kind (there is a yoga studio near me that does a Friday morning class [Friday being like my Saturday because of our work schedule], as well as a Zumba class at one of the local hotels--so those are other options). That leaves me with fives days of exercise (of one flavor or another) and two days off (Sunday--which is like my Monday, and Wednesday--which is my day between personal training sessions). That seems ambitious without being outrageous. Mark had said he'd like to see me work out three to four times a week. He was thinking more in terms of the kinds of exercises we do during our sessions. I'm not sure what he'll think of yoga. I know he feels as if my walking isn't going to get the job done for me.
Food-wise, I know I'm not getting enough vegetables. I've never been a big veggie eater, so once I get in my protein (which is usually in the form of some kind of meat or dairy) and the occasional bit of carbs, I tend to be full. I need to get better about this. I know a lot of people steer clear of "white" carbs, but I've been including some since early in my journey. Recently, under Mark's urging, I've been focusing on whole grains. My intake, overall, is low--I never go above 100 grams a day and am often more around 50-80. This usually translates to half an English muffin once a day or a sandwich thin for lunch.
I bought a latte machine and have turned into a skinny latte junkie. I really enjoy making them (I'm becoming quite the barista!). They add 15 grams of carbs alone, but I don't care (neither does Mark). They're a treat for me and I think it's important to feel happy and well-treated while trying to lose weight.
The one thing I have proudly not done is give in to sweets. I don't really want them currently and my body doesn't have that physical craving for sugar that I struggled with for years. Things like chocolate, cookies, cake, etc. are real trigger foods for me. So I need to take care. It's easy when I'm at home, making my own meals. What will be more challenging is the holiday season, when I'm in the States with family (particularly my sugar craving teenage nieces).
But I don't have to worry about that for four months. By that time, I hope to be down another 40-50 lbs., which will bring me very close to goal weight. My plan is to surprise the heck out of my loved ones, who won't have seen me since June. That's motivation enough to keep on task.
