My 100 Day Dress Challenge

 

I’m on day 24 of my 100 Day Dress Challenge. The challenge is a marketing strategy that asks women to wear a Wool& dress for 100 days straight. Upon completion and submission of photographic evidence you are rewarded with a $100 coupon to use on your next Wool& dress. Fortunately, I find myself at a time in life when monetary reward is not as important as other outcomes associated with the challenge:

·       Removing decision fatigue from my mornings. Every day there are so many decisions that begin in the morning with “what should I wear today?” During the challenge, I no longer need to answer that question – the decision has been made.

    ·      Moving towards minimalism. I will never be a true minimalist but am very attracted to the idea. After years of following Flylady and decluttering daily I’m ready to pare down what I own even further. Fewer things magically create more time. In this case it is straightforward: I am doing much less laundry.* (see below for explanation)

    ·      Enjoying indulgence in both quality and comfort. Wearing natural, well-constructed fibers feels incredibly good. In the heat of summer I’m cool and in the chill of cold air-conditioning I’m warm. Wool breathes and regulates your body temperature. It releases odors, debris and stains.

Before I began the challenge, I read blogs of wearers’ experiences, so I knew to expect a mental challenge to join me. I’ve had days that I thought I would just give up,” I’m tired of wearing this potato sack!” And I’ve had many more days I would comb the Wool& website planning my next dress. Most days I’m grateful that I can be ready for the day in such short time. Yesterday I had a revelation while planning my work wardrobe. Initially I thought I would buy 2 more dresses and begin a 3 day rotation. As for the challenge: 1 – I’m really not in it for the money and 2- putting the original dress on after work and wearing it for about 6-8 hours still counts. However, buying more is antithetical to my lofty “being a better person, kind to the environment” ego. I realized that wearing the clothing I have is even better than buying more, so there’s no need to purge my closet. I still like the minimalist idea of the 3-outfit rotation though and will try that as I use up my current clothing.

Many reviewers report that no one notices when you wear the same dress daily, but I’m still vain enough to think maybe people do. I’m more concerned with other teachers noticing than with my students. I considered a little announcement at our department meeting, but didn’t want the attention. Hopefully I’m close enough with everyone, that if gossip start flying “why is Carol wearing the same 3 outfits?!?!” someone will clue me in and I can then explain.

Finally, for those who are intrigued or still have questions here is the practical application:

• The dress must be worn daily and the company recommends 8 hours of wear. Many days I wear the dress for 12 hours, so a few days of 4 hours balances out.
• Every night I put the dress on a felt hanger between a doorway so it can air out. Even if it looks wrinkled or bunched up (perhaps after wearing it belted) by morning it looks as if the night fairies came and ironed it.
• *Yes, you can wash your dress during the challenge, but you will find that wool is a naturally forgiving fiber. I’ve been washing the dress once a week, but even on day seven the dress looks and smells clean. Dog hair releases and falls away, spots are easily treated by rubbing a cloth with warm water over the spot.
• Styling is encouraged. Scarves, belts, sweaters, jackets, leggings, can all be used to change your look. Some women even scrunch up the dress to look like a top and wear jeans. Apparently a “hijab clip” may be in my future to help alter the dress temporarily.
• There are different wool blends. I am wearing the Sierra dress which feels like French terry or a light sweatshirt material. The weight allows it to drape well.
• My dress is the Sierra in XXL/Long. When ordering, the sizing changes based on regular or long. At the time I ordered not every size was available in Black. I think I would prefer the 1X/regular length.

    My day 30 (there is a smaller 30 day/$30 challenge that I can do instead) falls on the day I go back to work for the school year. My day 100 falls on Halloween.

This is not a paid promotion/sponsorship and if you choose to give it a try, all I get is another buddy to join me on this quest.

Post Pandemic NYC Revives

 Over April break I spent an overnight in NYC with my youngest daughter - this was on her request. Although I have loved the vibrancy of the city from my teen years forward, the pull it used to have is no longer there for me. But my rebel soul enjoyed the challenge: NYC post pandemic - when many people around me are still in awe that they step inside a restaurant - I’m there!

Overall: the city will survive and predictions of it becoming a "ghost town" are wildly condescending. In Grand Central Station most of the lower level restaurants have closed. However walking the streets (we were mostly downtown) there are tons of restaurants that have been allowed (probably for a lot of $) to expand outdoor dining onto the street; so the streets look quite different with all of these restaurants. While in an Uber I felt like we were going through a tunnel with these dining huts on both sides. They take up former parking spaces right on the street. Many are decorated with flowers so it's quite pretty. 

There were noticeably fewer yellow taxis. Twice when trying to hail one, we gave up and ordered Ubers. Some of the large tourist area stores were closed such as the flagships Gap and Old Navy in Times Square. But down in SoHo all the regular designer, mall brand and boutique stores were open and had shoppers, although dressing rooms were closed. Many kept count of patrons allowed indoors but being a mid week in April we never had to wait to enter.

Mask usage is similar to what I see in Connecticut: 95-99 % usage while those eating, drinking, smoking, running  or biking are unmasked with no complaints.

Citibikes were everywhere and my daughter would've been happy to rent one if old mom wasn't so hesitant. There are many bike lanes so my safety concern was quickly tamped down. But I haven't even ridden a bike in years and didn't want to pay the $30 ($15 each per day) and then discover it killed my back after 5 minutes. They even have electric ones that I would choose for myself.

Carol 2.O Renewal: Pandemic, New Job, Still Getting Healthy

Wow! It's been a while, but I love writing and it's time I stop monopolizing my MFP Group discussions and return to my blog. 

2019: renovated my new home; moved there; son was married; graduations (commissioning) and just an all around crazy year. My weight increased but not as heavy as when I began this journey in October of 2016.

On Jan 1 I created a small group on MFP of 10 women. We are now down to 3 of us but continue to provide weekly, sometimes daily, support to each other. This is when I donned the "Carol 2.0" moniker.

2020: From Jan 1 to early December I dropped 40 lbs.! However I've fluffed up a bit by the end of January 2021. After a scheduled break over Christmas I haven't been able to get back on the losing train but I'm not quitting at all. This is my lifestyle and if I'm "practicing maintenance" for a while, that is OK.

After years of primarily raising my children with a few part-time stints, August 2020 brought me a full-time job as a High School Building Sub. Everyday I work school hours and fill in where needed, often in the front office or library. Miraculously this school has been full in person all year 7 school days that were remote. The students are respectful, the faculty & staff are friendly and I truly feel like I have a work family. 

Diet: I'm using My Fitness Pal and counting calories. Naturally I can get more quantity when I go low carb and fill up on vegetables and fruit. But I'm not restricting anything as a rule; just keeping my calories around 1560/day keeps me losing, albeit slowly.

Exercise: I'm walking and playing outside. I usually have 1-2 walks with my old dog of about 1 mile each and then most of the past year I take daily walks of 2-3 miles alone. This has decreased since December also and I keep trying to get back up to 5-7 days/week.

At 55 years old I have a lot to offer: I've lived a great life thus far, I'm looking forward to my new career (I'll be working as a part-time teacher next year) and I'm determined to get and stay as healthy as possible. Most of all I enjoy writing and need an outlet. 

(P.S. - I've ignored the P word....some days I felt like I was living at the start of a dystopian novel...working and being with people has been my salvation...I have lots to write about this experience we've all been through over the past year but, not today)

10 months off: Book Review and Substitute Teaching...still Heart Health Centered

Quick update to the blog world!

Weight Loss - last year was kind of a "wash" - I lost some, gained some and basically maintained. Being the optimist I am that is OK! I'm not giving up and I've cemented some very good habits. For example at some point this fall I filled our candy dish with candy corn...it became old and hard and I threw it away! First time in 52 years I threw away a candy I would normally have craved.

Exercise - again I'm holding the course. A couple minor injuries (shoulder then knee) caused quite a delay in my progress. I made the hard decision to sell my skis (😢) which brought me so much joy. But I just don't want to risk an injury that would cause such a great interruption in my health goals. Five years from now when I've lost more weight and am feeling fantastic, I can rent some skis and try it out again.

I'm actively substitute teaching this year, just a few days a week but I'm really enjoying it!

Finally I was writing a quick book review and when I finished on Goodreads they provided a link for my blog...hmmmm, ok then, I'll put that here:

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20439509-carol-davis">View all my reviews</a>

--->Well, that doesn't even work!  Ha ha...if you're interested look me up on Goodreads under Carol Davis (homemakercarol@yahoo.com)...I'm blonde in the picture ;)

My Mom-Brain stays Vigilant on Vacation

Standing in the warm California sun my daughters and I watch for a red Toyota Corolla.  Although we are technically at CBX airport, we are the only ones on this side street with our luggage at the curb.  After dropping off our rental car I thought it would be easier for our Lyft driver to find us here than walking back to the terminal where so many shuttles and taxis jockeyed for position at the curb.

“Eduardo?”

“Carol?”

And so another Lyft/Uber/”Transportation in the the year 2018” ride begins.  Since the car is small, I sit in front noting the driver using 2 cell phones and both are in Spanish.  I’m worried he will take us to the wrong hotel. He fiddles with both phones and I complement that his car is a manual transmission attempting a connection which seems usual when opting for a personal driver vs. a taxi. Yes, he only drives manual. I don’t feel like volunteering that both of my adult children also drive manual and it is a theft deterrent. Feeling a bit ‘off’ I cannot sustain anymore small talk.  

What if his wave to some men on the street is a signal that he has a couple young gringas to sell…and this old lady they’ll need to dispose of. I try to convince myself I watch too much Law & Order and try to decide how this abduction could occur. We are literally within 1/10 mile of the Mexican border. Maybe there is a secret tunnel – Mexicans come into the country through it, but also unsuspecting Americans are smuggled out. If we get into the tunnel by driving into a warehouse and I protest, what could I do? They open the doors and make us get out – we have nothing, no luggage, no purse, no id, no money.  Shouting in Spanish they start to push my girls to another vehicle.  I scream and plead…but will I just be shot?  Does my story end?

Although the road seemed unfamiliar, I’m starting to see San Diego come into view. Maybe we really are moving away from the border and toward our hotel. My heart rate slowly decreases. He’s handling the shifting well, it’s smooth but still a little jerky. We’re definitely in San Diego now and I suppose I definitely watch too much Law & Order. As we pull up to the hotel Eduardo helps us with our bags and we say good bye.  When my notification pops up at the conclusion of the ride I give him the highest suggested tip, after all, we weren’t smuggled to Mexico.

Maybe the Sexism Glass is Half Full

As a product of post-feminist America, I’ve enjoyed a life of limited sexism. After working over a decade, I chose to stay home with my kids and unfortunately felt more reverse sexism for that choice from females than I had ever experienced blatantly from men in the workforce. My children now range in age from 12-21 and during their upbringing I’ve been acutely attuned to how they will perceive sexism and their place in the world as women and men.  At home my husband and I decided and agreed on many traditional roles: he fixes the cars, I do the laundry, he takes the garbage down to the curb, I prepare the dinners.  My children know that this is a lifestyle their parents discussed and agreed upon prior to marriage.  Over the years I’ve taken part time jobs and even went back to school to become a teacher.  My husband thoroughly supported me and has said many times (in front of the children) that he will support whatever choice I make: back to work full-time or home pursuing volunteer activities and my writing. I’ve chosen the latter as full-time work was fun and fulfilling, but definitely impacted a sense of peace in my home that I cherish.

Our Girls Are Being Raised to Dream Big: Let’s Not Insult them with Trite Slogans

On weekends I meet up with a couple of other families at a ski resort where our children ski and snowboard. Prior to a “Girls Rock the Park” event which coincided with “International Woman’s Day” the women’s bathroom shelf was supplied with stacks of post-in notes and pens.  The mirror became covered with positive slogans to encourage girls.  “#Girls Rock,” “Be your best you!,” “Be Brave!,” Clearly anyone could add a note. It was fun to read but I couldn’t think of anything new to add. I walked out wondering what it would look like if the men’s room had the post-it notes for self-encouragement. Obviously, they don’t need that type of superficial encouragement. If boys are being raised with confidence, then why do girls need these reminders?  Fortunately, the girls (ages 11-14) in our group supplied my answer. When I asked if they saw “what was in the bathroom,” they abandoned their hot cocoas and scurried to see. Upon their return they were somewhat deflated and obviously not enthused or encouraged by the signage. They added to the remarks but the oldest pointed out that some of the notes were backhanded insults to boys and it’s wrong to put others down to make yourself feel better. This group of girls clearly doesn’t need little notes of encouragement to try their best and achieve their goals. And it just seems important to me that the girl who eloquently found that putting down boys should not be accepted is being raised by two moms. (so toss out some stereotypes, please)

Plenty of Adult Men are Slayers of Sexism Too!

Today I had my own tiny sexist experience. But the response from several men is what really blew me away. I belong to a FB group for a certain type of electric car. I’m a bit of a gearhead myself with an interest in cars and worked for many years installing computer systems and training others how to use them which at the time was a field with more males than females. I’ve maintained my technical expertise to a degree. Here’s the post which I couldn’t resist responding to:

I’m the only one from the US, the others are from Europe, Canada, Asia, and Australia so I literally had men around the world standing up for me to that one ignoramus. I accept that ignoramuses like Hal exist for every social, political and cultural idea and belief. As long as they are the minority and not hurting anyone they can stay in their holes and coexist with others. I realize I’m not going to change Hal’s belief system but hopefully he realizes that in a public forum his view will not be accepted. (the next morning even more men & women responded with their dislike of Hal's comment - he has since been removed from the group.)

My Daughter Can Disarm a Sexist

Last summer my college student daughter found herself hired as a kitchen worker in a large touristy restaurant by a female manager. When the male owner met her, he clearly looked her up and down and told his manager that they’d have to see if they could find a job for her “out front” (as a waitress or hostess). Insulted but undeterred my daughter showed up for work and in her usual style fulfilled and exceeded all expectations of the job!  She later learned from the other staff that she was the first female to last more than a couple of days in the kitchen.  So she has her own story of handling sexism and she didn’t shrink, she didn’t leave, she didn’t report the jerk, she SHOWED him what she was made of and just maybe he will view his next female employee with a little more respect.

What does this all say about American today? It says we need to be grateful for where we are as women. We need to use these types of stories to demonstrate the positive examples that can be emulated. Rather than covering our news feeds with every bad sexist comment anyone ever said, let’s show our sons and daughters examples of how to identify and overcome sexism.

Why I Don't Watch Daytime TV

I had already finished a morning appointment and walked Otis so I sat down to enjoy my 2nd cuppa of the day. Hoping to catch some Olympics/South Korean lifestyle info I tuned in to NBC's Kathie & Hoda (but it's Jenna)...I'm listening to their idle chit-chat, which is fine for my downtime, then they introduce their bi-weekly diet & exercise tips called "One Small Thing."  My ears perk up, I’m always interested in new reasonable ideas to help my health and weight loss journey. Sweet little Joy the nutritionist offers up melting chocolate chips and pouring them over rice krispies (made from brown rice) as a healthy snack. Joy honey, chocolate chips and cereal eaten dry during the day is how I got to be this size in the first place!

One Small Thing - that will NOT help you lose weight or get healthy

When Dr. Oz seemed to speak so logically on Oprah, I tuned in to one of his first shows.  He was reviewing the book “Eat This, Not That.”  An example he gave was that when you go to Burger King (….whoa! Wait a minute, Burger King for healthy food? Ok, I’ll listen, maybe they have salads) instead of getting the Whooper whatever you can substitute a veggie burger.  That was the last Dr. Oz episode I watched. Fast food is quick, cheap and unhealthy. And for some people there are times when “quick & cheap” trumps unhealthy and a fast food meal once a month may happen. But if you are trying to be healthy, here’s an idea: don’t go Burger King!

There’s also a nationwide health club that purports to be for regular people (not weightlifters). I’ve seen their commercials and they serve Pizza!  That’ll make sure you keep coming back (double meaning there, get it?).

My weight loss journey (I’m 17 months in) is incredibly slow, really, really slow,  but it is working and my doctor is happy with my progress and lifestyle changes.  I feel happier, healthier and know I am cementing knew habits.  Occasionally I do grab some of those chocolate chips out of the cabinet, Joy. Fast food is a twice a year emergency meal and I go to a gym that offers water bottles for sale (and protein shakes for those weightlifters I hang out with).

Americans are already the fattest people in the world. Even our average birth weight is higher than other Western countries. The only way I can hope to effect any change to our society is through awareness. Please be aware of what you are putting in your body. Be aware of the motivations of big food corporations, which is primarily profit, not health. If you are tiny and fit, like Joy, don't discover a food that us fatties have been bingeing on all along!  If you want to indulge on the weekend, have a chocolate croissant or something else that is in a portion size. 

What will I be Kind Cleaning in 2018?

Not mine!  Just an example

As I near the end of my first year using my Passion Planner (PP) and my thoughts are naturally turning to the promise of New Year Resolutions I’m reflecting on how to better make use of the planner as I strive to make the world a better place.  Whew!  That sounds rather lofty!  But I will explain: my PP has been a wonderful tool to organize various areas of my life from fitness goals to dentist appointments.  It allows me a creative outlet to decorate the pages and setup inspiring spreads for tracking progress toward my goals. The “Passion” facet encourages creating a roadmap to my future.  There are steps for creating your future “wishlist” and your main “gamechanger.” Areas for “Space of Infinite Possibility” allow the visual learner in me to create a cluster chart including all the different areas of my life and then detailing what changes in those areas I want to make this year.  Laying out a graphic organizer helps me decide where my priorities should lie and how to best align my time with those priorities.

Writing continues to be one of my main goals for 2018. In 2017 I transitioned from “KindCleaning” my home of toxins to “KindCleaning” my body of toxins. This year I will seek “KindCleaning” of my digital/quasi-monopoly toxins – primarily the shopping aspect. Many people I know (me included) complain of the loss of small shops and a downtown area to mingle with neighbors and friends. But then add to our Amazon carts and hitup the local big box discount retailer weekly (WalMart, Target, etc.). My “gamechanger” for 2018 will be to drastically REDUCE reliance on mega-retail and spend my money supporting local businesses without grossly overpaying for daily items. Meanwhile I will take steps to reduce the personal data I passively allow social media to record.

Upcoming posts:

• ·         How does “Shop Locally” benefit the economy and strengthen communities
• ·         Graphic tracking of expenses: how much is going to the mega-stores? Where can changes be made?
• ·         Community Supported Agriculture – the key to healthy local food
• ·         What about the products that are just overpriced by the local small grocer?  Ie.) Tide and Pet Food
• ·         Which local businesses are successful and why?  Personal services?
• ·         Disentangling from the consumer/social media “Big Brother”

November ~ My FAVORITE Month

Since I’m long overdue for an update I’ll spend 10 minutes on this breezy November morning to post my progress!

• Exercise = A+
• Diet = C+
• Motivation = A-

In September I started focusing on posting about my diet rather than exercise, thus I haven’t been recording my exercise on line. But I HAVE BEEN EXERCISING.  It’s really just a part of my lifestyle now.  I walk/run 4-5 days a week for a minimum of 2 miles and usually not more than 3.5 miles.  I practice Yoga 1-2 days a week and hit the gym about 3 days a week.  \So in total I’m getting in a minimum of 7 exercise sessions a week.The weeks I really push and exercise at the max end of my range, I have 1 day that I am almost immobilized with exhaustion (still get my 13,000 steps but really slowly)

My Diet remains my most difficult aspect.  Although I use S Health to track my calories, I still tend to track for about 2 weeks then take 4-5 days off.  I cured my old habits: binging, treating hunger as an emergency, giving up, etc. So whether tracking or not I tend to stick in the 1650 – 2300 range, possibly exceeding that 1 day out of 90.  However I need to stay closer to the 1650 number more of the time for consistent weight loss and therein lies my challenge! 

It’s hard to believe that after a solid year of my healthy lifestyle I’m still learning new things about myself.  But each revelation results in an increased awareness of how to overcome a challenge.  I realized last month that when all my kids are home (I have 2 away at college) I quickly give up the exercise and start making family favorite comfort foods.  My oldest daughter requested stuffed peppers and my oldest son requested tuna-noodle-casserole (“not the healthy one you make, Mom, the one with cream of mushroom soup!”)   On the verge of Thanksgiving I am committed to planning out my exercise and meals so this doesn’t happen. My motivation is solid – not absolutely consistent day to day (ya know those 2300 calorie days aren’t the result of super high motivation) but overall I’m focused on lowing my blood pressure and getting my heart as healthy as it can be.  The weight loss is so slow that it gets frustrating at times, but my real goal is being healthy and I know that as a healthy person the weight decreases (but just so slowly).

NSV’s (Non-Scale Victories)

• -          All my pants are getting baggy (again!). Last Spring I happily removed all of my size 20 pants from my wardrobe and now all of my size 18 pants are getting super long and roomy.  Yippee!  I actually only own 1 pair of size 16 so I’ll be doing some shopping soon. Even my stretchy exercise pants are getting loose, but they’re not falling off yet.
• -          After months of “nothing to eat” (from my kids) I acquiesced and agreed to make chocolate chip cookies this week – but I used chopped Snickers (from the Halloween collection) which prevents me from eating them! (I’m not allergic to nuts, I just don’t like nuts paired with sweets at all).

Scale Victory: a slow and steady ½ lb a week which looks more like 4 lbs. down one week then 7 weeks of a little up, a little down.

May everyone reading this enjoy the nice cold weather November brings and remember to make soup instead of your other cold weather go-to dishes.  Today I’m making a lovely Squash Soup with this beautiful Kabocha squash.

September Struggles

I'm so happy to return to a routine as my youngest finally headed back to school the day after Labor Day.

This months focus is to remember the 80/20 rule and really work on healthy meals.

Tuesday:
80% Food:  I ate the following plus too many apple cinnamon rice cakes and a dinner of 1 cup spaghetti w/homemade veggie sauce and a salad.
20% Exercise: Arms workout

Wednesday:
80% Food: started out with a mimic of the day before but stumbled a bit in the afternoon.  I need to plan some better high protein lunches!  Full Disclosure:  breakfast was eggs & toast (as on Tuesday) but about 11am I started cruising for something sweet and settled on Honey-Nut Cheerios w/ a few choc. chips sprinkled in.  Then I felt so bloated I skipped lunch unitl 2:00 when I was out and about CRAVING some warm meat.  I ate some chicken and then had my planned dinner: Hamburger, swiss chard and a few tater tots w/ketchup.
20% Exercise: HIIT Treadmill as shown

A Healthy Summer Wrap-up: Old Me vs. New Me

Summer was wonderful!  (although I enjoyed beautiful walks almost daily and composed multiple blog posts in my head, I never decided to sit at the laptop and type them up. I made some scrawls on the back of an old envelope so I may use that for inspiration in the next few weeks)

On the positive side, I finally jumped off my weight loss plateau and my new total weight loss is 33 lbs. I’ve spent the past 10 days flirting between 31# - 33# so I’m hoping I’m not on another plateau.   Also, I’ve discovered that since I’m losing weight SOOO SLOWLY my body can handle a couple days off.  Now don’t think “oh, here we go, this is the beginning of the end for Carol!” When I say “days off” I mean eating a meal at a restaurant, skipping 2 days in a row of exercise, or indulging in pizza night or 1 sensible serving of dessert.  I eat and exercise so differently than the old me did, that I’d like to take a look (reflection time!) at the differences:

Old: Follow strict diet & lose 8-10 lbs in 2-3 weeks

                 ~ New:  Exercise & eat healthfully & lose 1.5 lbs. in 2-3 weeks

Old: Take a break from diet & gain 50% of my loss back in 1 day

                ~ New: take a break and maintain my weight

Old: Binge eat out of sugar craving desperation.

                 ~ New: Sugar cravings are gone; eat some sweets in moderation but always know that after 1-2 days I will go back to very low sugar.

Old: Exercise but try not to sweat or change my clothing more than 2x/day

                 ~ New: Get totally sweaty and enjoy it!  Have as many “exercise” clothes as regular clothes and change back & forth all day.

Old: after 2 months be right back at my starting weight, spend 2 more months gaining a few extra pounds.

                ~ New:  for each 5 pounds down I gain 1 back, then just keep going and it leaves again and takes another pound with it, Yay!

Old: Reads the latest “lose 30 lbs. in 8 weeks!” and is tempted to see what it’s all about

                 ~ New:  I’ve got this, I know what I need to do and how to do it.  I also know that the person who loses 30 lbs. in 8 weeks, gains 15 back in week 9. (at least when that person is ME)

On the negative side I’ve realized that all the exercise in the world cannot make up for a poor diet. My summer is over so no more off days with ice cream.  Fair season brings its own challenges but my tastes have changed enough that I’m really not tempted by that stuff.  Well, maybe the big doughnut…errrhhhh, I can resist and take just 1 bite out of someone else’s.  So my September Goal is NUTRITION Mindfulness. 

=> Protein at every meal

  

=> Increase Veggies & Fruits

  

=> Decrease Breads & Pasta

I’m also going to post on FB my food pictures with motivation instead of my workouts.

How to Exercise & Eat Healthfully over Summer Vacation

I haven’t blogged in over a week because I’ve been cementing my healthy goals into my summer routine. Many of us moms with school-age children operate on an entirely different schedule in the summer. Those bits of time we’ve carved for ourselves when the kids are in school have vanished and now new challenges threaten to sidetrack our health program.

For me summer means moving to a shoreline cottage with habits of ice cream runs and fried clam dinners. This year I knew I had to change those habits. 

Preparation:  Mental preparation is a tool that should never be underestimated.  I began planning for my new routine by identifing my challenges:

• ·         No Gym nearby
• ·         My usual walk/run spots would be unavailable and I have yet to find comparable parks nearby (specifically ones where I can let my dog run off-leash on trails with me).
• ·         How to break the cycle of eating more because “I’m on vacation” and because “every year we eat…”

Create Solutions:

• ·         No Gym? My husband foraged through our sons’ weight sets and created 2 dumbbells for me (they are now 12# each, and I have four 5# rings I can add.  In addition I brought with me a Kettlebell that adjusts to various weights and my yoga mat.
• ·         Walk/Run?  I need to get out every day to a State Park which I have easy access to; I’ve realized it’s time to separate dog walks from my runs.
• ·         Eating more on “vacation mode?” Setup a kitchen full of healthy food and stay committed. I’ve finally (at age 51) realized that I can buy sweets that I don’t crave for my children.  I always took pleasure in sharing special treats with them that we both enjoyed. 
  

Practice:

As soon as I unpacked on my first Saturday I ran through my arms strength training routine with my weights.  I’ve done it 3 times in the past week and I’m committed to making it a habit.

My location is set on the CT shoreline with beautiful views! I need to be out running and enjoying my setting. It’s become habit to walk my dog first (warm-up), then bring him home and leave for my walk/run. Although I hope his endurance returns in the cooler weather, for now 1 mile in the morning and another in the evening are enough for him.

I’ve researched some local gyms and may be using a “trial week” at a few if I feel that will help my goals. For now I feel the weights and runs are giving me what I need in exercise.  I’ve also participated in a weekly outdoor yoga class.

Healthy nutrition is the toughest challenge for me. I’ve setup a good routine but will continue to focus on creating healthy meals. My difficulty lies in those extra events that crop up: Lobsterfest this weekend! So I just take it one day at a time and be the best I can be. Since I want my 11 year old to enjoy vacation mode, the house is loaded up with a bag of Gummy Bears and Ice Cream treats (frozen cones, popsicles) neither of which tempts me in the least.  If I’m desperate, I’ll take a spoonful of Peanut Butter over Gummy bears or a popsicle.

And did I mention?  I don’t have a SCALE here!!!  Yes, I brought down a food scale (I’m not crazy) but no scale to weigh myself. I’m not sure how that will work, but on Thursday I’ll be where there is a scale and be able to tell if I’ve finally jumped off the plateau that has been frustrating me.

What If....I'm the Last Fatty Standing

You know that feeling of seeing someone you haven’t seen in a long time and they’ve lost tons of weight but you haven’t.  You’re happy for them and want to know how they did it, but part of you feels a rock in your stomach as you realize you’re the last one in this group of friends who is shopping in the plus sized section.  Days like today I like to look for that rock and remember the feeling.  I don’t want to be the last one.  I saw a photo of someone I haven’t seen in a while and that was my thought – she’s lost all the weight, we’re no longer the chubby buddies complaining together about ill-fitting bras and worrying about having to get on a scale before getting on an airplane.  Turns out it was just a very complimentary photo, but I still look to embrace that feeling because it motivates me.

As I pounded away on the Elliptical Crosstrainer today I imagined going to a party, reunion, etc. and everyone is normal weight but me.  That’s scary stuff.  What if…school resumes and I’m the last plus-size mom at pickup in September?

(I realize this is a very shallow post – no, I don’t dwell on comparisons of myself to others!  But sometimes these thoughts enter my mind and if I can use them for motivation, what’s the harm?)

(and don’t get on me because I used the term “fatty” – everyone has their words of preference for unpleasant things; I have absolutely no problem with the word fat and I’m using it to describe MYSELF.  I would never use it to describe another person – then I go for the gentler adjectives or just describe th

e person as being “my size”). 

Wearing Shorts and other Mini Motivators

Celebrate the small victories because the big ones are few and far between. I'm on a VERY LONG journey to a healthy weight, if I didn't take time to recognize my small steps of progress I would quit.  Who's making 2017 a journey to fitness year and what are your victories?  These are mine:

Mini-Motivator #1: White Shorts

I’m sitting here comfortably wearing a pair of white shorts that last summer were impossible to zip up and the summer before (when I bought them) were “stuffed sausage” tight. The scale didn’t bring me a broken plateau yet but I know the inches are decreasing.  Everyone said to measure my inches when I began, I didn’t – did NOT want to know how high that tape measure would go.  Kind of wish I did, but I can tell by the way my clothing feels.

Mini-Motivator #2: Five Minute Pause

Today, once again, I found myself gladly making that turn into the gym parking lot, but then just sitting in my vehicle.  I pulled my phone out and took my first look of the day at email and Facebook.  Once I saw a post from the #GoRedGetFit group I clicked on the group and read lots of motivation.  Then I proceeded into the gym wondering if it was wrong that I took a few minutes in the car.  I’ve actually noticed other people in the gym parking lot that seem to do the same.  I concluded that as long as my pause doesn’t last more than 5 minutes, reading motivation helps me continue and it would be an OK habit to continue.

Mini-Motivator #3: Rediscovered Abs

For those reading who haven’t tipped the scales as much as I have, let me inform you that there comes a time when you can no longer “hold in” your stomach.  You make the crunch motion but nothing really changes externally or internally.  And the middle & upper abs?  I’m not sure how long its been since I felt those babies.  In the past few months I noticed while running that I could effectively contract my stomach (lower abs)! That was enlightening for me.  This week I’ve located my middle & upper abs!  I can feel all 3 sections contract as I work them.  It’s thrilling!  Feeling that really motivates me to continue ab work, which luckily I can do every day at the gym!

Today I completed my arms/hips workout + 20 mins on the Elliptical. Between sets I did various ab work on the exercise ball or floor.  Thanks to the other lady in the room doing her routine, she gave me lots of ideas. 

Later I took Otis on a 2 mile walk.  

P.S. yesterday I DID take the walk (it was drizzly but I took these nice photos)  and ended the day with over 18,000 steps!

Back in the Game, Baby! Mini Blog Post ~ 6 June 2017

Hit the gym this morning with nothing but my phone’s access to limitless exercise suggestions.  Queried some balance ball exercises and tried a bunch out. The following 2 images were the most helpful.  Some proved impossible for me, but I tried out about a dozen. 

Then found 2 abdominal resistance machines to do (the basic ab cruncher and the twister one). Finally headed upstairs for 35 mins on the Elliptical crosstrainer.  While at the gym, I had a friend cancel our scheduled 9:30 walk, but I hope to get out there a little later (it’s raining) for at least 2 miles.

Came home and made my standard Quaker quick steel cut oatmeal w/1 diced apple & cinnamon, but forgot my almond slivers so I’ll add them to my salad at lunch.

Below is my standard Monday/Wednesday/Friday routine:

My strength training routine: everything is 20 reps, beginning at 10 lbs. weights (transitioning to 150

·         Biceps

o   Trad. Curls

o   Hammer Curls

o   Wide Curls

·         Triceps

o   Standing Kickbacks

o   DB Close Grip Press

o   Lying Extensions

During my 90 sec. breaks I fill in with Lunges, Yoga Warrior Poses, abdominal crunches on an exercise ball and other stretches.

·         Hips

o   Hip Adductor resistance machine @ 140 lbs.

o   Hip Abductor resistance machine @ 140 lbs.

I run through the entire workout twice and then do the Biceps & Triceps a 3^rd time.

Reward at the end is a CandleStick pose on the foam roller.

Mini-Blog Post ~ 5 June 2017 (This one’s not “mini” but they will be the rest of the week)

In an effort to overcome my now 3 MONTH  plateau weight I’m going to be posting on FB daily and blogging more.  My posts may be annoying to some (you can hide them) but many have told me they are inspiring to them.  Most of all they must be inspiring to ME because as I posted a bit less, my plateau set in.

Of course I can rationalize it all: I’ve spent these 3 months cementing my new weight, which is still 25 lbs less than when I began. Muscle weighs more than fat. I have been exercising and adding new routines.  In addition to my walk/runs which still are usually between 2-3 miles a day, I’ve added Yoga a couple times a week and strength training my arms at the gym 3 times a week.Blah, blah, blah - I need to step it up!  My goal is to become a person who easily has 2-3 exercise “events” per day rather than my old philosophy of “one and done.” At this point 3 events leave me exhausted and useless; 2 events I still feel spent, but can recover and show a little productivity.

(Isn't that image below cute?  It's not me, but could be: the chubby chick with the weights! The other morning at the gym I was probably the only chubby one there which honestly doesn't bother me. But another chubby lady came in for the tour and sales pitch about the gym. I bet she was really happy to see me there! Maybe I should get a kickback if she joins.  Despite the motivation inherent seeing fit people exercising it's just so nice to see someone who is in your same struggle).

Also, after giving away 7 pair of pants that were too big (WOO! HOO!), the size I’m wearing now tend to be a little baggy in the butt and incredibly long. It sounds strange because I haven’t decreased in height or weight but as I’m toning; my pants aren’t all stretched around me so tightly they hike up. At home I’ll just roll up my jeans so I don’t trip over them. The problem is the waist fits nicely, but they’re just too long and I don’t have any more to downsize into. So I’m definitely adding a couple new pairs of pants on my “Mission Slim” weight loss/reward tracker.

So I’m determined that this week will set me in the right direction! I know how to maintain, but I MUST increase exercise and STICK to my diet goals so the scale begins to decrease again.

Stresses:

• Daughter home from college - she is totally a health nut, but I’ve indulged in lunches with her and other not-so-healthy choices. She’s young & fit, one diner lunch won’t affect her, but that one lunch derails my whole week.

• Summer Free for All – I’ve built a nice structure/schedule which helps me stay on track. I’m home with my youngest this summer while 2 other kids will be in and out working various jobs and basically making sure every day is an entirely  unpredictable. I have a hard time with this type of flux.

Challenge:

My challenge this month is to really get my diet in line with my goals. I know that eating between 1650-1850 calories works for me to lose weight at my activity level.  I recently saw that weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% diet....hmmmm....I need to meditate on THAT when the leftovers are calling to me.

Today I hit the gym this morning for arms/hips then grabbed a protein shake breakfast and went to yoga.  Maya’s Monday/Friday classes are always a good challenge for me. I’ve been working on getting into my lunges more quickly, but Pigeon is still too scary for my knees.

Came home at 11 and ate a big salad and a leftover veggie eggroll (only 100 calories according to my tracker)…but the leftover lo mein kept calling to me until I had some!  We had Chinese Take-Out for my son’s birthday on Saturday, so it’s not a usual dinner. I’m over it – moving on and eating better is all I can do.  Scallops and Broccoli Noodles are for dinner. I’ll go very light on the noodles for my plate.

(If I had the expertise or time, I'd put an arrow just slightly in front of the first girl, showing where I am in the journey).