weight loss Posts

12Mar
Off

My Workout Routine Is Working For Me!

Staci G. sent an email applauding my recent weight loss. When I wrote back to let her know that I’ve now lost a total of 14 1/2 lbs. in the past 30 days, she fired off an immediate request that I share details about my workout routine on the blog.

I’m happy to do so — especially since I didn’t have anything else in mind to write about today — but keep in mind: (a) I’m not a fitness trainer; (b) I don’t claim that what I’m doing would work for you, it’s simply what’s working for me; and (c) I’m not at all efficient about exercise so doing a 90 minute workout actually requires a 2-hour commitment for me.

And, no, that’s not a typo: I’m setting aside 2 hours out of my day to exercise 6 days per week. Before someone wastes time typing in the comments “Oh, I don’t have that kind of time every day” let me just point out that YES YOU DO. If you’ve got time to read blogs and comment on them, you’ve got time you could be exercising. You’ve simply made a choice not to.

It’s no coincidence that I’ve been blogging less while exercising more. That’s a choice I’ve made for my life, and now that I’m seeing the benefits — losing weight without an outrageously restrictive diet, better sleep, less joint pain, clearer skin and seriously lower stress levels — it’s a choice I intend to stick with. Because, as I mentioned before, it works for me… but you may need to find something else that works for you.

That said, here’s what I’m doing:

    Monday, Wednesday, Friday

  • 10 minutes yoga (usually with Wii Fit) to warm up
  • 30 minutes “Sweat I/II” from Power90 In-Home Boot Camp
  • 10 minutes “free run” on Wii Fit hitting 1.5 miles
  • 15 minutes cardio workout with My Fitness Coach
  • 30 minutes “free step” on Wii Fit at fastest pace

Total minutes: 95 per day

    Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday

  • 25 minutes yoga with Wii Fit to warm up
  • 15 minutes cardio workout with My Fitness Coach
  • 30 minutes “Sculpt I/II” from Power90 In-Home Boot Camp
  • 15 minutes “free step” on Wii Fit at fastest pace
  • 5 minutes balance games on Wii Fit to cool down

Total minutes: 90 per day

Yes, it’s a lot of exercise. Yes, I’m sore in the mornings. Yes, I get tempted every single day to skip my workout. But I won’t, because giving into that temptation is exactly what helped me get fat in the first place. (Okay, that and a hell of a lot of pizza.)

And what’s really strange about it is that I AM LOVING EXERCISE these days. So, okay, seeing the scale dip lower each morning might be part of it. But the majority of it comes from simply knowing that I’m doing what I know, deep down, is the right thing to do if I want to lose weight.

Which reminds me: it’s time for me to get offline. See, I have some shopping to do now that I need yet another pair of smaller-sized jeans.

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Exercise and tagged with , , , , , ,
27Feb
1

ME First!

I’ve had the same excuse to get out of workouts for years: I’m too busy! Initially, I was too busy being a new mommy. Then I was too busy raising a toddler. After that, I was too busy homeschooling my son, and when he began attending public school in 3rd grade, well, I was too busy cleaning house.

Every night, I’d go to bed thinking that tomorrow I’d find time to exercise. And every morning I’d get up intending to work out… just as soon as I cleaned house, did the laundry, blogged a little, and worked on my freelance writing job. But once those things were out of the way it was time to pick my son up from school. Then it was time to help with homework. Then I had to start dinner. Then there were dishes. And then… Wow, bedtime again already? Okay, tomorrow I’ll start working out.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

You may have noticed since I started exercising earlier this month that I haven’t been blogging as much. If you could see through your monitor and mine, you’d also notice that the house — although “clean” in the general sense — isn’t as spotless as it used to be. There’s even a load of laundry piling up near the washer. And, while I’m still doing my freelance work (hey, a girl’s got to pay bills!), I’m pretty much leaving it for the evenings and weekends.

Picking my son up from school? Helping with homework? Making dinner? Dishes? Yes, I still do them — and will probably have to continue doing so until I win the lottery and can afford a nanny, a cook and a maid. (Dream big, I always say.)

In the meantime I’ve made a commitment that everything else has to take a backseat to my morning workout (even on days I don’t feel like it). That felt selfish to me at first — how dare I spend the entire morning not working AND doing something just for myself? — but after a while it began making sense. A lot of sense.

Being overweight is bad for me as well as my family. I’m sick most of the time with conditions that are related to being overweight. My feet and joints hurt from carrying around excess poundage, so I’m not nearly as productive as I could be. I don’t have much energy to play with my son. I hate taking him to the playground because my clothing options are limited to miserably tight jeans or baggy, ugly sweats.

I don’t like meeting new people — even longtime blogging friends — because I am embarrassed about my weight. (There’s nothing worse than being told “you have such a pretty face” and knowing that, because of your weight, that’s the kindest compliment they can think up.)

And don’t even get me started on how it’s affected my sex life.

Then there’s the fact — and it’s indisputable, really — that being overweight increases the risk of diabetes, coronary problems, dementia and arthritis. In short, being fat is life-threatening even when it doesn’t seem life-threatening: not only does it diminish my quality of life, but every day I carry around excess weight means a shorter lifespan, too.

There’s NO bag of chips, slice of pizza, bowl of ice cream, burger or fried what-have-you that’s worth giving up even one day of my life. And, honestly, looking back I can’t say that I’ve eaten anything worth that trade, either.

That’s how I’m looking at things these days: is that pile of laundry more urgent than my improving my health? No. How about the dust on the living room table? Nope, not that either. Do email, reading the news and keeping my blogs contribute more to my health and quality of life than increasing my flexibility, stamina and cardiovascular health? To quote Whitney Houston: Oh hell to the no.

I let myself get fat by putting other things ahead of my fitness. The only way to reverse that? Well, that’s just it: to reverse that by putting ME first.

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Diet Motivation and tagged with , , , , , , ,
17Feb
2

Lessons From The Wii Fit

My back got to feeling better late last week, so I’m back to working out daily with my Wii Fit.

No, wait, let me be even more specific: I’m back to working out an hour per day for five days in a row now, thanks to my Wii Fit. And that doesn’t count the time I spend playing Raving Rabbids, one of the funniest games I’ve ever played, or the time I spend playing hardcore-yes-I’m-grunting tennis on Wii Sports.

You know how exercise is supposed to give you more energy? I’m still waiting for that part to kick in. I’m tired! Every morning when my alarm clock goes off, I am so tempted to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. The only thing stopping me? My arms are too freakin’ sore to move quickly enough to reach the dang thing before that incessant buzzzzzing wakes up everyone else in the house. So, I drag myself out of bed, turn the alarm off, and groan as I shuffle to the bathroom.

Working out barefoot hurts!
First lesson learned — okay, second lesson, since my first one involved not getting too over zealous doing the hula hoop game — Crocs work just fine on the Wii Fit balance board. This was an important one, since my feet were killing me for the first week. Picture a large baking potato bouncing up and down repeatedly on two grains of brown rice and you’ll understand why. So, after weighing in on the balance board, I now slip on my Crocs for my workout. Ah, relief!

Avoid the Wii Wobbles — Wear a good bra!
Next lesson: a good sports bra is worth every penny you pay for it. Seriously. I tried exercising in my regular bra for the first few days and rubbed my right nipple raw in addition to stretching out the elastic on my shoulder straps. Two super-strength sports bras and one tin of Udder Cream later (yes, really, it’s good stuff!) and I’m no longer wincing when I step into cold air, if you know what I mean.

Yoga is NOT a substitute for stretching.
Stretching before the Wii Fit workout is imperative, even if you plan to start off with yoga! Now, despite being overweight, I’m a fairly limber person to start with. I can still do front splits with either leg leading, for instance, and as far as touching my toes… well, I can almost put my elbows on the floor. (Yes, my husband is appreciative of both skills, thanks for asking.)

But I’m also 41 years old, and certain parts of my body are definitely unused to bending, twisting and gyrating, so I’ve taken to stretching for 5 minutes or so before beginning my workout. I have little doubt that the lack of stretching is somewhat to blame for last week’s back injury. I also have little doubt that stretching is the primary reason why I’ve shaved my Wii Fit age from 47 when I first started (ugh) to 34.

Learn to love the jackknife.
My abdominal area is definitely in the most need of help. After 6 years of spending most of the day blogging, I’ve lost whatever abdominal and back strength I used to possess and it shows. Oh, I’ve done crunches and bicycles sporadically over the years, but even when going at them regularly I’ve seldom seen any improvement in the bulge beneath my belly button. Two weeks of doing the jackknife exercise twice daily (20 reps each time) has changed that. Yes, it hurts. But it hurts in a good way… and I am glad to be fitting into a size smaller jeans today because of it.

As an added benefit, the combination of the jackknife and torso twist strength-training exercises and yoga’s triangle pose is great for stimulating the body. (That’s yoga-speak for “you’re finally going to shit out that gum you swallowed in second grade.”) Yes, it’s possible that has something to do with the smaller-size jeans, but who am I to complain?

Don’t have a Wii or Wii Fit? Hurry — Amazon has them in stock!

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Guilty Pleasures, Living With Fat and tagged with , , , ,
09Feb
5

OwWii!

As you know, I was quite excited about my Wii Fitness board and disc finally arriving. Finally, I thought, a fun way to work off those extra pounds and, hopefully, get rid of my saddlebags (which are starting to resemble Delsey luggage).

You know those screens on exercise DVDs that warn you to see a doctor before beginning an exercise program? Yeah, I don’t read those, either, and that goes for the Wii Fitness warning, too.

So, Day One on Wii Fitness went something like this:

  • Weigh in.
  • Groan.
  • Made a fool of myself doing various games for a while.
  • Was stunned to find I’d worked out for almost 90 minutes.
  • Felt proud.

    Day Two on Wii Fitness went something like this:

  • Weigh in.
  • Groan.
  • Did the Super Hula Hoop game for six rounds, huffing and puffing but still having fun.
  • Decided I’d do just one more round before quitting for the day.
  • Threw out my back.
  • Spent the next two days taking pain meds and wimpering.

Tomorrow I plan to get back on the thing again now that my back is done spasming. So, although I don’t have any weight loss to report yet, I do have something to share: the combination of Flexeril and Vicodin is goooood.

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Exercise and tagged with , , ,
21Jan
Off

Still Dieting? Relax, Already!

I’ve always admired those serene, slender women who gracefully saunter through life, their lean legs and contented faces carrying them through even the most turbulent of times.

Until recently, I’d assumed they probably had the same amount of stress as the rest of us, only they were self-disciplined enough to take out their frustrations at the gym instead of in front of the fridge.

Turns out, though, maybe they aren’t as stressed as the rest of us. Maybe that’s their secret to being slender: chilling out by mellow meditation, instead of cooling their heels with a vat of Chunky Monkey.

At the end of a two-year study, women who followed a programme of yoga and meditation had lost weight and kept it off, while those who focused purely on exercise and nutrition had not.

The ‘relaxed’ women were also generally happier and healthier at the end of the study.

Experts believe that reducing stress stops cravings for fatty foods and sweets.

The study suggests that dieting and exercise — although they do bring health improvements — may not actually be the key to weight loss.

All together now: Ommmmm. [Link]

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Dieting Humor, Weight Loss Matters and tagged with , , , , ,
11Jan
3

Win a One-Month Supply Of Sensa!

As promised, I’m going to give away a one-month supply of Sensa, the amazing stuff that helped me lose 16 pounds in one month alone!

If you haven’t read my previous posts on this stuff, let me explain: Sensa is like no other diet I’ve ever been on. That’s because it isn’t a diet; it’s simply a box of flavor crystals that you sprinkle on your food. Based on the impact of tastants — substances which stimulate the taste buds and therefore enhance feelings of satiety — Sensa allows you to eat the food you already like. You simply feel full faster, and that translates into consuming less calories in the long run.

But, hey, I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me. So, either order Sensa yourself (using ROCKETXL as the coupon code to receive 15% off your order and free ground shipping), or enter my contest.

It’s simple, really:

Write a post about this contest and link this entry. (Be sure to use the Trackback URI so I know you’re linking!) In your post, explain the reasons you want to lose weight, and why you think other diets and exercise programs have failed you so far. Finally, explain why a diet based on simply adding extra flavor to your food sounds appealing to you!

I’ll pick a random winner from the entries to receive the one-month supply of Sensa, which includes two boxes of the flavor crystals along with a DVD explaining how Sensa works.

The contest deadline is January 20, with the winner announced sometime that week.

Good luck!

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Sensa and tagged with , , , , , , , ,
06Jan
2

Coming This Saturday: A Contest For All Of You Losers!

Did you resolve to lose weight this year? Then you’ll want to be sure to visit this blog over the weekend, when I’ll be launching a contest with a prize that can help you reach your weight loss goal: a one-month supply of Sensa, the stuff I can’t stop raving about.

Don’t want to wait? Then order yours today and use coupon code ROCKETXL to receive 15% off your order (no minimum) along with free ground shipping!

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Diet Motivation, Sensa and tagged with , , , , ,
05Jan
Off

One Step (and staircase) at a time

I stopped using my upstairs office over the holidays, in part because it was needed as a spare room when we had house guests. While they were in town I kept my laptop on the kitchen table, the place where I most often worked for the past four years until getting my own home office last fall.

Once our house guests left, well, it just seemed convenient to keep my laptop in the kitchen while my husband and son were both home all day over the winter break. I also gained 6 pounds over the holidays, and I am absolutely convinced these two things are related.

Now, to be honest, I’d managed to unexpectedly drop 7 pounds in mid-December in part because I was unbelievably sick. So gaining back 6 of those pounds while disappointing, still means that I ended last month with a net weight loss. For that I have to once again give the credit to Sensa, which is by far the easiest diet I’ve been on.

But a lot of the reason for the gain is obvious: stationed in the kitchen, snacking was all too easy and the fridge was all too close. When I’m in my office on the top floor of the house, it’s just the opposite.

Having to walk up and downstairs from my office to the kitchen definitely reduces the number of snacks I eat throughout the day, as I find myself weighing goodies with the time and effort it takes to get them. Even when I’m not raiding the fridge, I still have to run up- and downstairs to do laundry or answer the phone, even to go outside to the deck for a cigarette.

So as of today I’m back to working at the desk in my office. I’ve managed to do four loads of laundry. I’ve gone downstairs twice to eat meals: sliced fruit and scrambled egg whites for breakfast; a tossed green salad with fat-free dressing for lunch. Oh, and I’ve run down two other times for cigarettes. That makes for 8 round trips with a total of 8 trips with 13 steps each way, or 208 stairs altogether. No, that doesn’t sound like a lot but I guarantee you that my thighs feel the burn. Something else I guarantee: I ain’t leaving my desk until it’s time to go get my son from school!

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Exercise and tagged with , , , , ,
09Oct
5

So Far, So Good With Sensa

Previously I’d written about tastants, substances which stimulate the taste buds and thus lead to greater satiety but lower calorie consumption. Now, thanks to the folks at Sensa, I’m getting to put that theory to the test.

Sensa, for those of you who haven’t heard of it, may very well be the best thing to happen to dieting. (Read on to find how well it’s been working for me!) Starting from the principle that weight loss involves retraining the biological urge to overeat, the tastants in Sensa turn your nose and tongue into diet aids. Simply put, after you sprinkle the stuff on your food you’ll find yourself feeling full faster. Much faster, in my experience.

So what’s my experience been so far? I’ve lost 11 pounds in the past 13 days. Eleven pounds — gone just like that. Yes, I’ve been exercising but not rigorously: I do the treadmill for 20-30 minutes per day and use free weights every other day.

Have I been dieting? Yes, and no. I’ve been making smart food choices: egg white and veggie omelets for breakfast, salads with vinaigrette for lunch, a small dinner eaten early without snacking later. But — and this is the strange part — they’ve been easy choices to make. A salad actually fills me up so I’m not still hungry (and prone to temptation) afterward.

In fact, for the first time in years I can say that I’m not constantly thinking about food. That’s quite an accomplishment for someone whose previous favorite entertainment was coming up with new recipes for my newsletter (and the forthcoming cookbook).

In other words, I am a BIG fan of this stuff (though one who’s getting smaller every day). Since I have a 2-month supply, you can expect to be reading about my progress. Heck, I’ll even post a before/after photo in December so you can see how well it’s worked (and so I can gloat).

Want to try it yourself? Order yours today and use ROCKETXL as the coupon code to receive 15% off your order (no minumum) and free ground shipping.

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Sensa and tagged with , , , , , ,
05Sep
6

My Brain Is Making Me Fat?!!

I used to love the Garfield comic strip which featured the lasagna-loving cat saying “I’m not overweight, I’m under tall.” At 5’1″, I totally relate.

Like many “under tall” people, I keep wondering why the heck I’m not losing weight. No, I don’t exercise fanatically; I don’t like to sweat unless I’m sitting on the beach sipping mai-tais while on one of those Orlando vacations.

But I do walk over 8,000 steps per day according to my pedometer, at least an hour of which involves doing housework sufficiently strenuous enough to raise my pulse to the weight-loss target zone. And still my fat won’t budge.

Turns out, the problem might be all in my mind. Literally.

Researchers split 14 university student volunteers into three groups for a 45-minute session of either relaxing in a sitting position, reading and summarizing a text, or completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer.

The scientists had determined beforehand that the thinking sessions consumed only three calories more than resting. After the sessions, the participants were invited to eat as much as they pleased.

Though the study involved a very small number of participants, the results were stark.

The students who had done the computer tests downed 253 more calories, or 29.4 percent more than the couch potatoes. Those who had summarized a text consumed 203 more calories than the resting group.

Blood tests showed that the participants glucose levels fluctuated more dramatically following intellectual activity, and that may cause the brain to demand more food to balance the glucose levels.

If you think about it, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to support this theory. Consider, for instance, the notorious Freshman 15. Maybe they’re not so much attributable to cafeteria food as the increased intellectual demands of college life? Or bloggers: how many of us can recall being thinner before we joined the blogosphere?

So, with all apologies to Garfield, I have a new explanation for being fat: I’m not overweight, I’m just really freaking smart.

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Dieting Humor and tagged with , , , , , ,
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