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Beware the Resolution Crowd

1 Jan

After this morning’s hangover comes the sea of people making a fresh start at the gym. Once again, here are a few things to look out for with the resolution crowd.

cicelyd's avatarI'm Skinny, Now What?

new_yearsThe new year is only two days away, and we all know what happens at midnight: champagne, kisses and promises likely to be broken.

I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. It’s just a vow to do something that you should have been doing in the first place. I stopped making them a long time ago. The few resolutions I’ve made in years past haven’t stuck (like to stop swearing, dammit).

Everyone has a list of goals that they want to achieve, and the new year brings about a fresh start. I get it. What better time than at midnight on the first day of new year than to wipe the slate clean?

The problem I have is with a certain sect of revelers who need a new beginning. I’m talking about the resolution fitness crowd. As a person who is supposed to support those going through their…

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Lil Something Extra

15 Dec
Yummers!

I never expected to like this stuff. Surprise!

Surprises are the spice of life. They’re what keep us looking forward to the next day. You expect to get to work and go through your routine. But isn’t it nice when someone surprises your group with cupcakes? You get to the store with list in hand. It’s an added bonus when you find out your eight-pack of toilet paper is buy one, get one free.

The same can be said for your weight-loss journey. You set a goal and a plan of action to accomplish it. But you’ll surprise yourself along the way with what you enjoy about the process or the changes to your body that you weren’t expecting.

Talk to any trainer and they’ll tell you the same story: A new client comes in and is asked what their goals are. Usually it’s to lose a couple pounds or to “boost their energy level.” A client who has never had a strict workout regimen rarely admits to wanting a six pack and quads of steel. A good trainer will stifle their laughter because they’ve heard it all before. As professionals, they know that in order to boost their client’s energy and help them lose weight, they’re going to build muscle—the cost benefit the client wasn’t expecting.

For me, it was my love of running. I began my weight-loss journey in much the same way. I had no idea how to shape my body, but I knew I wanted to lose weight. I started by walking, doing about three miles in an hour. Then my pace picked up, but I wanted to fill the hour. So I began running to fill out the time. In the beginning I hated running. I was an asthmatic as a child and it brought back memories of constricted airways. But I learned how to pace my breathing, how to slow down when things got to hard, but still how to keep challenging myself.

Now, running is my main form of exercise. It was, and still is, a surprise to me how much I love it. In the beginning running wasn’t even on the radar. Now I’m scoping out half-marathon opportunities.

I started out just wanting to fit into my clothes, pride keeping me from wanting to go up another dress size. Now my 10s are loose, my 12s are falling off of me and my 14s are hopefully on the body of someone who needs those clothes more than I do.

It wasn’t just the exercise that surprised me. I’m a decent cook, but pastries are my specialty. Anyone who’s seen “Top Chef” knows that pastry chefs tend not to do well when it comes to meals. But a few good cookbooks and some tweaks to family favorites have me itching to get into the kitchen.

Even the foods I don’t prepare myself are a shock. Once upon a time, you couldn’t pay me to eat Greek yogurt. And the non-fat variety? Psssh! Now I can’t get enough of that creamy goodness. Add in some granola and honey, and you’ve got a happy camper.

It’s the things that will surprise you about yourself that push you to see what else you can do. If you like running, experiment with different versions of it. You could run a hiking trail or try sprints. If you’ve just discovered kale, try kale chips or even a warm kale salad.

Use your journey to get to your destination, but also to learn even more about yourself.

What surprised you most about your weight-loss journey?

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Outfitting Your Exercise

7 Nov

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At this point in my life, I’ve accumulated enough clothes for every occasion. I have my work clothes. I have my clothes that work well after work. I’ve got my bar clothes, not to be confused with my club clothes. I’ve got Sunday brunch clothes that can lead to the day party later. And, best of all, I’ve got my gym clothes.

I’ve been working out so much over the years that my gym-clothes drawer is spilling into other drawers. I’ve got a decent amount of running pants, more than enough running shirts, quite a few bras with a few pairs of shorts sprinkled in. I’ve learned how to dress for every workout. What I’ll wear on a summer run may not be suitable for working out at the gym at my job. The running jacket I have for the fall and winter serves as just a jacket when I’m going to a class or the gym. And I’ve got plenty of items to keep me happy.

But I like shopping. So…I’m gonna buy more stuff if there’s a sale or I see something I like.

Which brings us to two completely different incidences where choosing the wrong item could have wreaked havoc on my bank account.

Fashion designer Alexander Wang released his new collection in collaboration with H&M yesterday. He previewed the collection a few weeks ago, which was where we saw the newly slimmed down Missy Elliot. I looked at the clothes online, and some of them seemed really cool. I liked the crop tops, though I’m not ready to expose my stomach to the world outside the beach. Some of the pants and shorts were nice, too, and they looked like they’d function during one of my many high-intensity workouts.

Um…not so much.

I went to the launch yesterday—twice. During my lunch break, I walked up the block to H&M only to find there was a barricaded line outside the store. Then the line went inside where it snaked around another barricade. I hadn’t planned on a two hour lunch, so I decided to browse the store. I’ve always liked H&M, even though it’s Old Navy with better looking clothes. There were some cute coats and dresses I saw, but what really intrigued me were all the people walking around with Alexander Wang bags. Many customers went through the long line, bought their stuff and continued to shop. One woman I talked to had gone through the line and seemed unscathed. “How was it?” I asked.

“That shit was ridiculous,” she said. “They kicked me out after 15 minutes.”

The store I went to was allowing customers to peruse the items in 15-minute increments. They even had a guy with a bullhorn announcing when time would be up. Still, I got a pretty good look at the items from the second floor. Just about everything is black, which makes them useless during the cloudy, dark days ahead. Some items had reflective fabric, but most were just for show.

In fact, just about everything was for show. When I came back that evening after the crowd had died down, I got a chance to look at all the clothes. None of them really seemed able to withstand a vigorous workout. Some of the capris seemed OK, but who wears a crop top on a run in the middle of winter? Not this gal.

Then there were the prices. Like I said, I like H&M, but making high-quality clothing isn’t their thing. That’s why most of their clothes are so inexpensive. Even though Alexander Wang is a top designer, the prices for his branded material was outrageous. Tank tops for $35, non-functioning sports bras for $40.

Where he failed in performance wear that you can perform in, he excelled in some dresses. They were designed to fall in line with Wang’s collection, but they had a “we’re gonna kick it hard” kind of vibe. Still, those dresses were about $200, way more than I planned to spend. So, I bought the one piece of sports equipment I could afford: a water bottle.

This experience was different from the last time I went sportswear shopping, which was a couple of weeks ago. I went to the Under Armour sample sale. This, too, was a bit overpriced. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as Alexander Wang, mostly because the clothes have better functionality. It wasn’t nearly as crowded as H&M. Plus, if you’re looking for stuff you can sweat in, the sample is your best bet, not the Alexander Wang collection.

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Recipe: Bourbon Street Red Beans and Rice

18 Dec

Bourbon Street Red Beans and Rice

Time: 30 minutes prep; a little less than 2.5 hours (but well worth it)

redbeansandriceIngredients

  • 1 cup dried red beans
  • 2-3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 finely chopped jalapeno chili
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4-6 drops liquid smoke
  • salt, to taste
  • 4 cups cooked rice, warm

Preparation

  1. Cover beans with 2 inches of water in large saucepan; heat to boiling and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour; drain and return to saucepan.
  2. Add two cups broth to beans and heat to boiling; simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
  3. Add vegetables and herbs; simmer covered, until beans are tender, 30-45 minutes, adding more broth if necessary (beans should be moist but without excess liquid). Discard bay leaves.
  4. Stir in red pepper sauce, cayenne pepper and liquid smoke; season to taste with salt.
  5. Serve over rice.

Courtesy of 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, Fourth Edition

Verdict

I’ve always made my red beans and rice the quick way: from the directions on a side of a can of Goya beans. I have to say that this way, while a little more complicated and with a longer cook time, is so much better. The flavors are so full. I used a bullion cube to make my broth, but I made it while the beans were soaking, so as not to add to my cook time. Also, while the beans are soaking, you can make other things. There’s no sense in watching beans soak when you could be adding to your meal. I never wanted to cook with dried beans before because it just takes so long, but I understand why now. Good things take time. I highly recommend this one, especially in these frigid temps.

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Pain Is Not an Option

13 Dec
someecards.com - Best of luck finishing a marathon that doesn't involve episodes of Law & Order

How I felt when my knee tightened up.

I am not a teenager anymore. My body doesn’t heal like it used to. But when the one exercise I enjoy doing was taken from me, I was pissed.

I’ve been running since I began my weight-loss journey over five years ago. As I’ve said before on this blog, it appealed to my frugal nature. Plus it was something I could do that I didn’t have to learn. You run as a kid, you walk as an adult. There wasn’t much to it but to do it.

Eventually got pretty good at it. My speed increased every few months. My stamina increased with each extra half mile. My endurance was great; I could hang for a well over an hour of flat-out running.

Then somewhere along the way I started to feel tightness below my left knee. It didn’t worry me much because I could continue on my trek at the same speed. Then I started to slow down. Eventually I had to come to a stop and limp my way back home.

Who was this person I’d become? The open air of the trail, the people watching, the feeling of freedom that came with having the wind at my back all came to a halt. Now I was conking out after about two miles, eventually conking out at one. My pride hurt more than the physical pain of not being able to complete my journey anymore.

There’s almost a sense of invincibility that comes with running. Once you’ve hit your stride, you go on auto-pilot. Now my auto-pilot was malfunctioning.

I consulted my general practitioner, and she suggested changing my shoes. I can’t stress this enough: you have to replace your shoes! Just like the tires on your car, your running shoes are not meant to last forever. Your feet and legs are your mode of transportation. You can’t get very far without them. They must be cared for.

I ordered new sneakers which helped for a few months. But the pain returned, and with it my sense of defeat. I really thought it was over for me as a runner. Any dreams I had of completing a marathon were kaput. If I can’t get through mile three without conking out, what good am I on a 26.2-mile course?

On another visit to my doc, she followed up on my knee. I told her I hadn’t been out in months because of the pain. A runner herself, she wouldn’t stand for my defeatist attitude. “We’ve got to get you back out running,” she said. She referred me to a sports medicine doctor who, she said, consulted professional athletes. After doing an x-ray, he said there was no joint or ligament damage. It was something I’d have to work through in physical therapy, which was a relief.

My therapist first had me walk down the corridor and then run for about two minutes on the treadmill. He pulled me off after about 30 seconds having identified the problem whip-fast. As a woman, especially one with “child-bearing hips,” my body isn’t designed for long runs. What happens is my hips get out of whack and my knees and ankles pick up the slack, causing pressure on my IT band. The best way to remedy this would be weeks of therapy to strengthen my hips.

Here’s a few things I learned:

Bridge

Lunge stretch

Hip hikes

Side leg raises

I knew I lacked a lot of physical strength because of my focus on cardio as exercise. I’ve neglected the strengthening aspect because cardio is a faster way to lose weight, which was my goal. But being forced to sit out running made me realize that I need to be more well-rounded by incorporating strength training. It’s not enough to be smaller if I can’t move my body.

After a couple of months, I was able to do three, then four and eventually seven miles. I have to do these stretches, which take about 15 minutes, at least three times a week to keep the strength up in my hips. I’m okay with that, because I love running. It’s what I do to make me happy

What do you do to keep up your strength? And how do you deal with injury when it keeps you from doing something you love?

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