Losing the Baby Weight

My two girls

It is a rare woman who can go through 10 months of pregnancy cravings, give birth, and fit into her pre-pregnancy jeans soon after.  Some women can gain 60 or more pounds while pregnant!  Do the math.  If you have 3 children, and gain 60 pounds with each pregnancy, you might need bariatric surgery by the end your child-bearing years.

Gym Myths

I don’t hate gyms.  Nor do I hate the people who spend the majority of their free time in gyms.  I admire these fitness “freaks” for their amazing passion and unwavering dedication.

What I hate is the myth that fitness can only happen inside of a gym.  I lost 100 pounds by moving more.  Not by joining a gym.

Let’s examine two myths around gym fitness.

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Don’t Want to Be Seen in a GYM?

I met Brenda Booth, Chief Inspiration Officer of Body One Wellness, at a Free Friday Fitness class she held in the Lake Nokomis area.  I was struck by her obvious passion for helping others to enjoy fitness.  I was also surprised that she operates her business mostly out of clients’ homes.  At-home fitness appeals to me, as I mostly lost weight without a gym membership or fancy equipment.

In her own words, “When Jennifer asked me to write this blog I instantly agreed. You see Jennifer and I share the same belief that you don’t need all the fancy gadgets, club dues and pricy programs to get fit.”

Here’s what you need!:

Photo credit: womensforum.com

Wonder Woman

When was the last time a work-out made you feel like Wonder Woman?

Last week, I joined Megan K Fitness.  I was intrigued by Megan K. when I met her at a networking luncheon.  Instead of talking about weight loss, she talked about fat loss.

The difference between the two is HUGE.  Weight loss is for those with “more to love”.  Fat loss is for those who want to look lean.  I need to tighten up some parts of my body (hello, arms!), so I joined.

The first week, I was done after a mere half an hour of training.  I was sore for days.  I’m on the second week, and have bumped it up to an hour of training.  I’m still sore, but for shorter periods of time.

Hence, the feeling of being Wonder Woman.  Wonder Woman is strong in so many ways.  The intensity of Megan K.’s Fitness makes me feel like I have muscles in places I shouldn’t.  Like I’m a warrior.

I’m in for four more weeks of training.  Perhaps, by the end of that time, I will look as strong as I feel.

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Running Nowhere

Do you love to run?  Neither do I.

Sure, it’s one of the best workouts you can do.  After squeezing your excess flab into a tight bustier of breathable exercise clothing, lacing up the Nike running shoes, and turning up the iPod, you are ready to burn some serious calories.  This is about the time I usually lose my motivation.

When I first set out to lose weight, I believed in the myth that I needed to run to achieve my goals.  Running gets your heart rate up, and tones your body.  Plus, there are many resources available for novice runners, such as gadgets that measure your heart rate and oxygen, fun, colorful athletic clothing, magazines dedicated solely to the runner, and marathon events.  My own husband firmly believes that running is the only way to lose weight.  Too bad he only met me after I lost 90 pounds!

I have done one or two 5Ks in my life, and I have hit the treadmill at the local gym.  But, running just does not stir my passion.  And, if my passion is not stirred, I won’t commit to it.  As I live in Minneapolis, the running season is somewhat shorter than for those who live in more temperate climates.  I’m too much of a wimp to go running when there’s ice and snow waiting to see me hit the pavement- FACE-first.

Did you know that Shape published a list of 20 fabulous, fit women who HATE running?

One of them happens to be my fitness role model, Jennifer Galardi.  Galardi has a fabulous line of exercise videos that focus on dancing and toning.  Check out her website for her products.

Just as there is no one-size fits all approach to dieting for weight loss, there is no one-size-fits-all exercise program.  However, as someone who has maintained my weight loss for 10 years, I can say that you need to find an activity that you can do indefinitely.  I am not saying that running is a bad way to lose weight, but it was bad for me.  Dance is another story.

I never have any problem getting motivated to dance.  I don’t need any special clothing or environment to do it, and I can share it with my family and friends.  Who says you have to drink to dance?  I prefer turning up the music while in the privacy of my own home.  And, don’t forget that there are many ways to learn dance moves.  In addition to Galardi’s wonderful videos, there is the Just Dance for Wii.  If that is not your style, check out a local community education center or college. They offer many types of dance class, for reasonable prices.

If running is something that you have to endure, then don’t do it!  As you look ahead to your goals for 2013, make sure to include an exercise program that inspires and motivates you.

Going from fat to F.A.T.

Ladies and gents, I am fat.

 Don’t get me wrong- I don’t mean fat as in large and in charge.  And I certainly don’t mean phat as in Pretty, Hot and Tempting.  I mean fat as in capital F.A.T.  Fit & Toned!

 I know what some of you may be thinking.  If she’s so fit and toned, why isn’t she a personal trainer, or a fitness model?  You are absolutely right!  I don’t look amazing in a bikini.  So why should you listen to me about being Fit and Toned?

 One of the best things I love about being an American is we love success stories.  We cherish and crave stories of ordinary people who overcame all odds to achieve success.  I went from being morbidly obese to the average-sized American woman.  My former self would have died to have a body like I do today.

Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is all about being F.A.T.  My idea of Fitness has changed over the years.  I was always active.  In elementary school, I ran track, in junior high, I played on the volleyball team, and my family often took day-long biking or hiking trips.  Fitness was being able to physically do what everyone around me could do.  As you can imagine, I didn’t hang out with fitness models.

 Now my idea of Fitness is being able to do whatever I want to do.  As the weight melted off, I realized that I could do so much more.  I’m a huge fitness class buff.  I’ve taken everything from boot camp to Tabata to hooping.  My absolute favorite is dance!  Turn on some music and I’ll be dancing.

 Toning is the next element of being F.A.T.  I never used to pay attention to building muscle.  It wasn’t until I started using a pair of free weights I had lying around my house that I found my true strength.  I love to feel my muscles work when I lift, and the soreness afterwards.  I know I got a good workout when I’m sore.  Strength comes in many forms.  When you can look in a mirror and see your muscles moving, it’s easier to find other forms of strength.  I may have always been a strong, confident woman, but now everyone can see that!

 So, there you have my story of being F.A.T.  Jean Claude Van Damme once claimed that he could crack a walnut with his butt.  Sorry, folks, I’m no magician.  I may not be a fitness model, but I went from being fat to F.A.T.  Fit and Toned!

Biggest Holiday Challenges

NEAT Beat

Flashback:

In a burst of sudden and foolhardy motivation, I decided to do the famous Cindy Crawford workout.  After all, she was THE model of my times, and how hard could a model workout be?  Three days later, I still found it difficult to move without pain.  Ms. Crawford had me doing lunges, push-ups, and odd concoctions of yoga-like poses that looked physically impossible.  Ms. Crawford was only the beginning of my infatuation with workouts that personified my mantra of “no pain, no gain”.  There’s no such thing as fitness without sweat and pain, right?

Think again.  I just finished reading the game-changing book written by Dr. James Levine called Move a Little, Lose A Lot.  Dr. Levine introduces the idea of NEAT, which stands for Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis.  Basically, you don’t need to sweat or feel pain in order to be fit.  Instead, you have to identify moments in your life where you can incorporate more movement.  The idea is to avoid the creep of sitting disease.  Everyone has a natural inclination to move, which he describes as the NEAT beat.

I had heard of NEAT before, and have always been a skeptic.  I considered it fairly ridiculous to rate a few extra steps each day as more important than a sweaty, fatiguing session pounding iron at the gym.  However, I did try it several years ago.  My health insurance offered free pedometers to members, which included use of a website to track daily step goals.  I had fun with my pedometer, and even passed it along to my daughter and husband.  I lasted for about a month or so.  It was a novelty, which soon became a shelf trinket in our home.  Perhaps I was too much a victim of sitting disease.

Earlier this year, I lost my job.  It was a very emotional time for me.  As I am an emotional eater, I thought it would mean that the scale would reflect the soaring numbers of weight gain.  But, it didn’t.  According to Dr. Levine, a homemaker has standing work which results in a NEAT expenditure of approximately 1,400 kcal a day.  I can testify that I almost never sit down, and I am rarely still.  I have not gone to the extent of making my office space a walking area like Dr. Levine has, but I am constantly on the go.  Even though I don’t belong to a gym and only occasionally complete one of the many exercise videos I have at home, I have not gained any weight since I lost my job.

Not only has my NEAT beat prevented me from gaining weight, but it helped me lose those stubborn 10 pounds from my last pregnancy.  My daughter is well into toddlerhood, so there is no good explanation for why I haven’t lost the weight earlier.  The only conclusion I can draw from the loss of those 10 pounds, without a disciplined diet or exercise plan, is that my NEAT beat has been set free.  I now have permission to move!  And, I love to move!

What is your NEAT beat?  Maybe there is something to all this science that Dr. Levine has spent his life researching.  As for my old mantra of “no pain, no gain”, I would instead say, “move to the beat of your own drum”.

 

 

 

Active Traditions

Flashback:

The small orange ball named “Spongy Fun” sailed across the room with two pursuers hot on the trail.  One, a young girl of about 10, dove low to pop it from underneath, while the other, an elderly gentlemen with a beard, tapped the top of the ball to propel it away.  A couple of enthusiastic spectators cheered on their respective team.  Both the girl and man stopped short to prevent a collision, and burst into laughter while the rest of the crowd cheered.  This was Thanksgiving at my house, and we were doing what we did every year.  Being active and having fun.

At this time of year, it’s easy to think of traditions.  It wasn’t until I was older that I came to realize that my friends didn’t seem to share the same traditions as my family.  Most people I know have traditions that begin and end with food.  While my family has traditions around food too, we also have a tradition of being active together.  In a world that is increasingly obese, being active is important for a healthy lifestyle.

I was always obese as a child.  However, I consoled myself with the fact that being obese didn’t stop me from doing what I wanted.  Along with my family, I went on long bike rides across the border to a mini-golf course in Illinois and took day-long hiking trips through the nearby woods.  So long as I was able to keep up, I considered myself fit.  Keeping up is not easy for the baby of the family to do, but I never stopped due to my size.

In addition to being able to bike and hike, our family encouraged mingling of all generations in team sports.  As is common in larger families, we always had a friendly competition.  Our favorite was volleyball, but we also played basketball, badminton, tennis and touch football.  From five years old to 80 years old, we expected everyone to have a chance to play.  Of course, sometimes the adults preferred to chat or mingle with the other adults, but some were more into the games than the kids. We weren’t big on rules or restrictions, but we were big on fun!

When I married, I realized that not everyone is as interested in activity as my family.  My husband’s family is more likely to send the kids off to play while they have intellectual or political discussions.  Exercise is very important to his family, but social interaction usually happens over a dinner plate or beverage, not a net or ball.  Therefore, my opportunities for being active in the family are less.  Exercise is done on personal time, not family time.

Today, the types of activities that families might do together are slightly different than my childhood.  Today, the family might gather around the Wii, and play a game of bowling or Just Dance.  In some ways, the Wii levels the playing field, so that older folks can compete with younger folks.  But, how many people can really gather around a TV and play Wii?  The Wii might be a great method of maintaining fitness, but it doesn’t provide the same type of bonding as I had growing up.

As Thanksgiving approaches, think of what your own active family traditions are.  Do you put up Christmas decorations together, rake the leaves before the snow flies, or go for a long walk after eating dinner?  If you don’t have any active traditions, what are some that you would like to start?  The great thing about any tradition is that it first started with an idea.  Whether it’s a game of “Spongy Fun” catch in your living room or pick-up football in your yard, why not start your own active tradition this holiday?

No Apologies

Flashback:

I collapsed to the cold, hard floor, thighs trembling and tears tracking down my reddened face.  “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.  I can’t, I just can’t” I whispered desperately over and over.  It was my high school volleyball team tryouts.  For the first time, my body simply did not have the strength I needed to keep up with my friends.  Only later did I realize that I wasn’t apologizing to the volleyball coach; I was actually apologizing to myself.  For failing.

Today, I don’t need to apologize to myself.  I have found a new strength.  Several years ago, I discovered the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program developed by natural body-builder Tom Venuto.  BFFM requires you to lift weights in order to increase lean muscle mass and decrease fat.  I had never lifted weights regularly prior to that.  Not only is lifting weights critical to increasing muscle, but it also helps with the slower metabolism that comes with the third decade of life.  I used to believe I was strong despite being one hundred pounds overweight.  Now, I am just strong.  I’m no body-builder, but I can actually see muscle definition in my arms and legs.  The beauty of lifting weights is that you burn fat, even while you’re resting!  Who can say no to that?

For those of you who are wondering, I don’t have a gym membership.  I haven’t had one in several years.  In fact, the majority of the weight I lost happened in my own home!  You don’t need to buy fancy weight-lifting equipment, convert your garage to a lifting space, or get the newest gadgets.  I used a set of free weights that my husband bought before we were married.  I also use a resistance band several times a week for overall toning and core exercises.  There are also many body weight exercises that don’t require any apparatus at all.  In general, it’s a good idea to focus on major muscle groups every other day.  For example, work you arms/upper body on Monday, and your legs/lower body on Tuesday.  Resting is also important in between your weight-lifting sessions.  Remember, you are building muscle even while resting!

What about technique?  You might have the equipment and the desire, but have no idea where to begin.  There are numerous Youtube videos that can show you proper technique, if you prefer not to get a personal trainer.  I am also a frequent consumer of exercise videos, many of which offer solid toning techniques.  I’m a big fan of the 10 Minute Solution series.  As a busy mother of two, sometimes 10 minutes is all I have to spare.  Plus, studies have shown little difference between getting your daily exercise in 10-minute segments or a continuous 30-minute stretch.

The great thing about realizing your weakness is you can always get stronger.  When I was in high school, I struggled to physically keep up with my team.  I was weak.  Not anymore.  Now, I can reach new levels of strength.  All it takes is a little bit of effort, and a lot of belief.  No apologies needed.