Jane's Fitness Success Blog

Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:07:00 +0000

As I have written about since the beginning of this blog, I have been in a sprint/walk/stroll/backslide to the finish for the entire year of 2008. Well, finally, the day I never thought would arrive has done so! I have reached my goal weight of 160 pounds. That means I have lost half of my original body weight and my body mass index is below 25 (healthy), I think for the first time ever. Whew! Along the trek of the sprint/walk/stroll/backslide, I have also reached some other goals and have learned some valuable lessons.

It has not been easy. In fact, losing the last 20ish pounds was "WEIGH" (pun intended just for you, Dad!) more difficult than losing the original 140! I have heard people say that before but I had never experienced it. The mathematical side of my brain knows that makes perfect sense. At the beginning when I had a lot to lose, it went quite quickly. Well, the less body weight you have, the harder it is to reduce. But no matter how convincing the mathematical side of my brain was, the rest of my brain couldn't grasp that concept. I have not posted in a while and I think that was why. I didn't know what to say.

This summer, I took my annual trek to San Diego for the Cyndi/Tom/Camille visit. More than ever before, I felt renewed and refreshed upon my return. My cousin took such good care of me--I can't even describe it. Cyn and I spent an outrageous amount of time talking about absolutely everything (which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me...or who reads this! I love to talk and I come from people who also love to talk). In addition to the wonderful time spent with my cousins, I did a workout at the studio where Cyndi works part time. It was the pure barre workout and was the most difficult thing I have ever done (please don't read that, Darren--I can't take it if you "ramp it up" on me!). The best way for me to describe it is that it is a combination of ballet, pilates, yoga and strength training. The workout involves choosing various body muscles to target and then working them to fatigue in small, isolated movements. And what made it so meaningful was that I could do it! Now, I could not do it well, but I could do it. I realized that all of the work I have done over the last three and a half years, both on my own and with Darren, has put me in good shape. I actually feel fit. WOW! That was my real, original goal from the beginning...even more important than the weight loss (although obviously related).

Another important goal from the summer happened last week while visiting my family in Pennsylvania. I absolutely adore them all and we always have a terrific time together. This year, I decided that it was time to go to the fancy jeans store to shop for jeans. Now, my midwestern roots (and common sense) think it is RIDICULOUS to spend $150 or more on a pair of jeans. BUT I wanted to try to see what all the fuss was about. In talking about the exorbidant prices, my cousin, Meredith, said, "When you see how good they make you look, you'll pay $500!" Not likely for this girl, but I still wanted to try.

One afternoon, Cyndi, Meredith, Robin, Steve and I headed to N V, a store in Boalsburg, PA with a fabulous jeans selection and a jeans "magician" fitter--Chase. I told Chase and his mom (they own the store) my story and that I was ready to try on the fancy jeans. Chase started giving me the rundown of the huge selection of brands, fits and styles. Honestly, he lost me after the first pair. Then he said that the best thing to do was to just try a bunch on and see.

I got into the fitting room and immediately began to sweat. Not just a bit, but profusely. In fact, I began to sweat like I was working out. I was having an anxiety attack, something that has never happened to me before. What was the deal? Why was I so anxious? I started trying on the jeans a pair at a time. Some fit and looked terrible, some didn't fit at all and some fit and actually looked good (it turns out my brand is Seven for All Mankind--low rise. Go figure!). My dear cousin, Cyn, bought a pair for me that are unlike anything I have ever owned. They are trouser jeans with a wide, flared leg. And--really--they look pretty darned good.

Despite the anxiety attack, it was really quite fun. And after a lot of reflection, I realized what happened. I was terrified I was still the fat girl! After 160 pounds and all of this work, I was totally afraid that I wouldn't be able to fit into any of those jeans. Now, I have tried on lots of clothes (it has become my new hobby of late) and they have all fit. Even sizes that seem ridiculously small to me. But for some reason, I was afraid of being too fat for the fancy jeans and embarrassing myself in front of my cousins and husband (who certainly would love me anyway). Another example of how ingrained those thought patterns are. And another goal reached...I own a pair of fancy jeans that fit me!

After that, I began to think about how much easier life is as a smaller person. In every way, but especially logistically. I have traveled a lot this summer (more on that in a later post) and airplane seats are a piece of cake. So are bus seats, train seats, subway seats and restaurant booths. I can literally go anywhere and do anything. And that's the greatest goal achievement of all.

The Wrinkle In My Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:25:00 +0000

As the "Fat Girl," another characteristic I have realized I had was a need to be perfect. I think that I knew on some level most of the world was not going to respond positively to me based on my outward appearance alone. At 320 pounds, I did not exactly fit the "socially acceptable" image. Sad, but true. Because of that, I spent the vast majority of my life trying to be perfect. And it was all unconscious. If I was perfectly dressed, perfectly pressed, perfectly styled and perfectly behaved, people would like me in spite of my appearance. This need for perfection stretched from my house to my office to my purse! Steve even used to tease me about my need to win the (nonexistent) award for "Best Hotel Guest" or "Best Restaurant Patron."

Now I have a story to tell you. As I have mentioned before, my cousin, Cyndi, is my role model in so many ways...and she is my treasured friend, too. Well, she gave me some incredible wisdom that I want to share with you. It is slowly helping me to let go of my need for perfection.

Last summer, I was visiting Cyn, Tom and Camille in San Diego. They and their house are my sanctuary and place of renewal. They are such fun and take such good care of me. And who doesn't love San Diego??!! I am so lucky!

One day during my visit, Cyn and I were going to a lovely luncheon. When I got into Cyn's car, I looked down to buckle my seat belt. There was a giant wrinkle across my freshly-pressed skirt! AHHHH! When I told Cyndi about it, I commented that I thought I was going to have to take a minute to go inside and press out the wrinkle. It would drive me crazy during the luncheon and make me self conscious. Cyndi replied with the best lesson ever--she told me to leave the wrinkle. She said that people need to see me with a wrinkle in my skirt. I was puzzled, but she went on to explain. She said that I was always perfect--and had a need to be so. It was intimidating for others...and worse--it seemed fake. A wrinkle in my skirt made me real. Cyndi knew the "real" Jane and most of my dear friends, did, too. But Cyndi's point was that the rest of the world needed to know the "real" Jane.

Even then, the idea really struck me, but I have reflected on it often within the last year. It has become an even more meaningful lesson for me. Now a year later, the "wrinkle in my skirt" has come to represent taking the risk to show people the "real" Jane. It's been so liberating. I no longer feel the conscious or unconscious need to hide myself behind the facade of being perfect. I have realized that it doesn't matter if I weigh 320 pounds or 166 pounds. People are going to like me--or not--for all sorts of reasons that I cannot control. What I can control is myself. Turns out people in general like the "real" Jane MUCH BETTER than they liked the "perfect" Jane. And you know what? I like myself a whole lot, better, too. Turns out that wrinkles are signs of character....no matter where they are.

The "Fat Girl"

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:05:00 +0000

I have not posted for a while because I have been walking in place during my Sprint to the Finish! That hasn't given me much to say about my progress, because I haven't really made any. BUT I am not beating myself up about it or feeling bad. I haven't lost any ground, either, which I think is good. I am thinner than I have ever been, I am in better shape than I have ever been and I feel terrific! Who cares that my body mass index (BMI) is not below 25?? Well, truthfully, I do. I'll get back on track, I just really needed this "walking" interlude.

My next fitness test is coming up on Saturday. That is a powerful motivator! Steve had his yesterday and did marvelously--of course. He had lost several pounds in a week to be sure that he had lost weight since his last test. Amazing. And worth it for him. We were with our dear friends, Chad and Rustin, last night...both of whom are incredibly thin and fit. BOTH of them told Steve he needed to stop losing weight and that he is approaching "scary skinny." I think Steve was totally uncomfortable with the impromptu intervention, but he took it to heart. The four of us then had a conversation similar to one I had with Darren on Friday during my workout. When you've been overweight for a long time (or forever!), when do you stop feeling like that inside? In other words, when am I no longer the "fat girl?"

Since I initially lost a lot of weight in 2005, I have had a difficult time in re-programming my thinking about my own body image. I have become increasingly aware of all of the subconscious mechanisms I had in place as a fat person that helped me navigate the world. For example, I would visit certain classrooms in my school and never sit down...because I couldn't fit in the desks. There were certain paths I had to take through some restaurants...because the chairs were in the way and the aisles were not wide enough to accomodate my girth. Once I was thinner, that was no longer an issue, but I still navigated through my life as a fat person. I would often see someone and ask Steve, "How do I compare in size to her?" I knew I could trust him to tell me the truth. Often, I was LOTS smaller than the people in question. I could never believe it because I simply could not believe my own reflection in the mirror. I had adjusted relatively quickly to my new face, but my new body was a different story.

A few weeks ago, I was in a picture with my dear friend, Julia. We were both sitting on a couch. When I saw the picture, I absolutely could not believe that was my body sitting next to Julia. I seriously thought that someone had taken my face and super-imposed it on someone else's body! Julia is a cute and tiny little thing and I didn't look all that much bigger. Wow.

A couple of months ago, I started running on the treadmill during my cardio workouts. It started because I heard "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Wave on my iPod and I couldn't help it...I bumped up the speed and started to run. Absolutely spontaneously!! I have always hated running (I tried it two summers ago) and have always sworn I would never do it. Well, I should know better than to ever say never. I decided that for our 17th wedding anniversary, that's what I would give Steve (the runner in the family)--I would run a 5K with him. Now, I still don't love running, but I have gotten to the point where I can run a little over 2 miles without stopping (and without dying!), so I'm getting closer to the 5K goal.

I say all this because it is the most recent example of how I still see myself as the "fat girl." I am somewhat self-conscious when I run on the treadmill at the gym. I am not a pretty sight. All I can think of is that people are looking at me saying, "Awwww. Look at that fat girl lumbering away over there!" See how much those body images are ingrained in me? Probably in all of us? How scary is that? It takes an incredible amount of time and energy to make a change in your thinking (since I have a Master's degree in Counseling, you would think I would know this), but Oh, is it worth it!

I do think I "lumber" when I run, but I am no longer the "marshmellow girl" when I do it. I just have to convince myself once and for all of that.

"Athletic"

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:02:00 +0000

This week was my fitness test again. I have to admit, I was extremely nervous based on my slower progress this month. If I had only lost a couple of pounds, could I have dropped much in my measurements and/or have increased my performance on the fitness tasks? Time to see.

When I weighed in that morning, I had reached 168, a new all-time low...SEVEN pounds from my goal! Then as Darren took my new measurements during the test, he compared each one to the last test at the beginning of February. Each one had stayed the same or dropped...yahoo! When I took the VO2 max test, my number had skyrocketed. I'm sure that is as a result of Darren increasing my target heart rate zones last month. While I have been an absolute sweaty mess during workouts (not that that is new...I've always been a sweaty mess, but now I'm an even SWEATIER mess!), it has obviously paid off. I was able to do 42 push ups this time (one more than last time), 51 sit ups (one more than last time) and reach farther during the sit and reach. As a result, I felt like my fitness test was already a success. And I didn't even know the body fat/lean muscle mass results yet!

After the test, Darren did my calculations and my body fat was now 21.11%...in the "Athletic" category! Now, people who know me would tell you how absolutely hilarious that is. I've NEVER been what you would call "Athletic" in any way. Now I am. How cool. I continue to be amazed at all the ways in which my life has changed.

This week, I talked with a class at our school about weight, body image and fitness. I challenged each of them to think of something they felt like they needed to change about themselves and develop a plan to change it. I encourage anyone reading this to do the same. If a 320 pound woman can get to the "Athletic" range of body fat percentage, you can do anything!

Today, I weighed in at 167. I cannot believe how close I am to my goal. Who knows? Maybe now that I'm "Athletic," I'll become a runner like Steve. I'll let you know!

Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:20:00 +0000

169! 169! 169! 169!

This morning, I finally broke the barrier to the 160s. I literally danced a jig and made Steve come at look at the scale (he was thrilled I woke him up for that. Actually, he really was!). That means only EIGHT more pounds to reach my goal. I've got to stay focused.

I have really been struggling to get there. I've hovered around 170 for about a month now, and I've been so frustrated with myself (as you know from my previous posts). Well, during my Thursday afternoon workout with Darren, I realized something in talking with him. What I have been doing for the last month (and what Steve has been doing for the last several months) is learning how to eat for my new life. All of my binge eating (by the way...I remembered several food items I did not include in the long list of foods I consumed...including doughnuts!) was for a purpose. I am now figuring out what I can eat and still lose weight, what I cannot eat and still lose weight and what I can eat and still maintain my weight. There are some general guidelines, of course (NO ONE will lose weight in a healthy fashion by eating copious quantities of cookie dough, no matter how good it is!), but each person is different and his/her food triggers differ, too.

Darren and I talked about the resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn just by being alive in a resting state. It does not include any movement whatsoever, so if you are active and exercise, the number increases significantly. The way to estimate this rate (according to Darren's blog!) is to multiply your body weight number by 10. For me, that would now mean that I burn roughly 1690 calories a day without doing anything. Factor in movement and exercise and I think I burn about 2500 calories in an average day. That explains why I lose weight so easily if I stick to calorie counting (of about 1200 or 1300) and the nutrition plan. It really is a simple formula...in theory, anyway. And who knew how much math was involved in losing weight??

Binge Week

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:35:00 +0000

Oh, my goodness! I thought giving in to my french fry craving would be the end of it. Not so, I'm sad to report! I have had quite a week of absolute binge eating. Sometimes I get so "snacky," as my dear friend, Beth, would say, that I just can't stand it and have to give in. Well, I've done NOTHING but give in this week.

Here is the good news, though. This morning, I was back to 170. Still not 169, but after all I've eaten this week, it's pretty remarkable to me.

As you know, I had the delicious french fries last Friday. Later that afternoon, I went to a happy hour, where I had nacho dip and chips, spinach dip and chips and mozzarella sticks. Now admittedly, I shared them all with Steve and our good friend, Jim, but still. Quite a snack fest. Then we went to a terrific fun card party at Jim and Don's house, where I had more snacks and a bowl of chili...with tiaramisu for dessert. I thought, "That will do it. One day of terrible eating. Back on track tomorrow." Not so!

Saturday, Steve and I went to see two movies. I DID take my own popcorn, so that helped. BUT then...we had to hit Hong's Buffet and Mongolian Grill for lunch. Spectacular food, but not great for you and NOT on Darren's nutrition plan! For dinner, we had Mexican food. Again, I thought, "That will do it. Two days of terrible eating. Back on track tomorrow." Not so!

Sunday, I was back on track for the most part. Steve and I get totally into the Oscars every year, so we made a delicious chicken crock pot recipe for dinner. Actually, quite healthy. I was feeling smug. I should have known better. After the delicious and healthy dinner, I was absolutely struck with the most overwhelming desire for cookie dough and cookies. I hesitated to tell Steve, because cookie dough is his absolute weakness. I didn't want him to think I was sabatoging his efforts. Finally, I couldn't resist any longer and I told him I wanted to make cookie dough. He was quite supportive of the idea. I went to the pantry, got a bag of double chocolate chunk cookie mix, added pecans and went to town. We did manage to bake about a dozen, but I think I probably ATE a dozen if you count the actual cookies and the dough. Once again, I thought, "That will do it. Three days of terrible eating. Back on track tomorrow." Not so!

Monday, I weighed in at 172.8 pounds, almost three pounds more than my Friday 170. Now, you'd think that remembering my Aunt Judy's mantra that it's a whole lot easier to take off five pounds than it is to take off 50, I'd be back on track. Not so!

The rest of the week I continued to snack like crazy. We made another batch of cookie dough and cookies (walnut chocolate chip this time), I had a McSkillet burrito from McDonald's (actually, I only ate about a fourth of it), greasy pizza from Sam's Club (which is actually delicious if you haven't tried it...and quite the bargain!) and half a blue cheese burger. I hit 175.0 as my high of the week. Oh, my. Not the direction I'm trying to head at all.

Well, I am proud to report that yesterday and today my snacking seems to have calmed down. I think I'm writing all this to say that even with all of the horrible eating, I didn't beat myself up about it. I continued to do my regular workouts at the gym, which I think really helped. Also, I realized that I was not going to make my goal weight by the end of February. I think that's part of why I was so out of control. Well, guess what? It's not really that big a deal to me. I'm going to sprint through March, or until I reach my goal. I know in my heart if I had diligently followed Darren's nutrition plan for the entire two months, I would be at my goal right now. BUT I enjoyed the HECK out of every bite of cookie dough! After all...who said the sprint had to be two months anyway??

Turns out ONE WEEK of terrible eating really did do it!

9 More--Help!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:13:00 +0000

170...and I can't for the life of me crack the 169 barrier! Now, admittedly, I have not been following the nutrition plan as much I should, but upon reflection, I have realized something else about that. You HAVE to give yourself a break sometimes!!!

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love food--of all kinds--and always have (might be sort of obvious when you see my 320 pound picture). I love to cook, I love to bake, I love to eat. Fitness and health have not changed that. While I love and appreciate the plan Darren created for us, after seven weeks, I have had to deviate a bit. If that means that it takes me three months to Sprint to the Finish, so be it. I'm on my own time table anyway, right? And losing 18 pounds since January 1st is quite fine.

All this week I have been thinking about french fries from Paul and Jack's, a local restaurant. I had scheduled lunch with my dear friend, Lynda, for today and we were meeting at Paul and Jack's...hence the obsession with their french fries. Now, periodically throughout my Sprint to the Finish, I have talked to myself about regular foods that I crave. For example, every time I go to Chili's, I have to have the chicken club tacos. The talking to myself has come in the form of thoughts like this, "Will it KILL you to go to Chili's a couple of times in your life and not have the chicken club tacos? NO! You're sprinting to the finish! You can do it!" I have been able to resist those cravings. Well, today I had the french fries at Paul and Jack's...and they were heavenly. That means I'll need to hit the gym a little harder or cut back a bit over the weekend, but they were worth it. That's what I'm trying to say today. You have to give yourself a break sometimes and give in to those temptations. If I had not had the french fries, I guarantee that I would have eaten WAY more calories trying to satisfy my french fry craving than I did by eating the actual thing.

Fitness Test

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 20:51:00 +0000

This morning, I weighed 171 pounds, which is a new low for me...less than I think I've weighed since middle school. Only 10 more pounds to go to reach my "normal" rating on the BMI charts. Yahoo!

Steve and I have been talking a lot about how important it was for us to find someone with whom to work who will push us and keep us motivated. It's also critical that the motivator be knowledgeable about health, fitness and exercise. Steve and I were not motivated or knowledgeable. We needed Darren to help us. For other people, that motivator could be a spouse, friend, colleague or personal trainer. You have to find somebody.

One thing that I have come to love (and hate) about Darren is his monthly "fitness testing." Steve LOVES them, too...ha! Because Darren is such an extraordinary trainer, he holds his clients accountable for their monthly progress. I also think it's a way for him to check on himself. My latest fitness test was this morning.

Here's the fitness test deal...first, he takes all of my measurements using this CRAZY, pincher tool. If you have never had this done, it's quite an experience. He grabs what seem to be random folds of skin and squeezes them in the pincher. Then he writes down the number. He takes measurements from my arms, chest, waist, abdomen, thigh and calf (and maybe other places, too. I'm usually concentrating on getting the pinching to stop!). The purpose is to assess lean muscle mass and body fat.

After the measurements, Darren has me rest for five minutes while my heart monitor watch measures my VO2 max level (how well your blood stream utilizes oxygen). At the end of the five minutes, the watch displays a number and a rating. Then it's time for the sit and reach test, which measures how flexible I am (how far I can reach from a sitting position). After that--the real torture. PUSH UPS!!! Then sit ups. Then we're done...until next month.

Darren utilizes a computer program that assesses all of the data he enters from the tests. Then he explains the results.

Since the fitness tests began, I have consistently improved my numbers, which feels great. I remember that the first time I took the test I did six push ups, which was firmly in the "poor" category. This morning, I did 41. Darren even said, "I think you can stop working on push ups. You've reached the maximum level!"

The real shock to me is how important the fitness tests have become in my life. I want to do well...extremely well. Now, I've taken lots of tests in my life and have probably always wanted to do well, but this is a whole new realm for me. With each fitness test, I see Darren's wisdom even more. He is so knowledgeable about all things health and fitness related and he is a natural teacher...he inspires me. I must say getting good results encourages me to move forward and keep it up.

I had an interesting question this week from a friend at work. She asked if I was going to continue to work with Darren after reaching my "normal" goal in the Sprint to the Finish. I didn't even hesitate. Heck, yeah, I'm still going to work with him...and all of you should, too! If you can't work with Darren, find a partner for yourself. Your body will thank you.

Traveling Success

darren@fitnessrxs.com (Fitness Prescriptions Blog) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:01:00 +0000

I’m feeling terrific right now because I just returned from a business trip to Toronto…and I had lost another pound!! I made a conscious effort to eat well and in moderation this time, unlike my wild abandon of two weeks ago. It paid off, in my opinion. I am now 11 pounds from “Normal” on the BMI chart. Wow. Hope I can keep it up.
I want to share another thought I’ve had recently. I saw a good friend on Sunday evening who has lost her own significant amount of weight. She looks great. We were at a pizza restaurant and she said she was “cheating.” Steve told her that she couldn’t look at it that way. He is SOO right! If you look at eating pizza (or cookie dough or whatever your weakness is) as “cheating,” you are going to generate feelings of guilt and inadequacy, which are not exactly wonderful tools to aid in fitness and weight loss, in my opinion. Instead, if you really want pizza (or cookie dough), just eat a small portion of it to satisfy your craving…and don’t call it cheating!
Sprinting is exhausting.

The Beginning

darren@fitnessrxs.com (Fitness Prescriptions Blog) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:12:00 +0000

Obese. Heavy. Overweight. Stout. Portly. Rotund. Chubby. Big-Boned. Large. Generously Proportioned. Plus-sized. Solid. Plump. Fat. These words (and the countless others like them) described me…at least on the outside. Not any more! This is the story of my journey to good health, fitness and “normalcy.” By the summer of 2004, I had become incredibly aware of my own level of inactivity and my increasingly-sedentary lifestyle. The school where I worked was a campus and I could tell that more and more often, I was avoiding climbing the stairs and walking among the different buildings. I began to think it might be time to do something about it. During that summer, I saw a segment on “The Today Show.” The teaser line was, “Lose weight playing a video game.” I was intrigued. The segment had two high-school age kids who demonstrated Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) on PlayStation 2. Both of them had lost significant amounts of weight…but that was secondary to me. They seemed to have so much fun while exercising! I thought maybe that was just what I needed to get fit. I called my husband, Steve, and told him we had to get PlayStation 2 and DDR immediately! As soon as I hung up, I wondered, “How many wives call their husbands to buy a PlayStation? God, he’s lucky.” That weekend, we got the game and the game system. We went to make all the connections and realized we needed another cord. We bought the cord and that was it. It sat unconnected on top of our TV for the next six months. BUT during that six month period, I had reached an important place within myself. I turned 38 that October and decided that I wanted to prevent any potential health problems before they arose. I had been overweight/obese virtually since childhood. I had never been “normal” in terms of weight. My blood pressure and cholesterol had always been good, but I knew my grandfather had been diabetic and I was at risk for that, as well as a variety of other weight-related issues. I decided I had to change my life. I spent that six months thinking about how to change my habits. I had heard lots of “diet” stories over the years and none appealed to me. I wanted to eat bread. I wanted to eat pasta. I wanted to eat dessert. I decided that only I could make my plan. So I developed the “Jane Reed” plan, which was to make a conscious decision to eat better (more fruits, vegetables and whole grains) every day. I also decided that I would eat whatever I wanted (basically), but eat half of what I would have eaten previously. I was also going to do DDR at least one hour a day. I started on January 1, 2005. I weighed 320 pounds.

DDR to fitness

darren@fitnessrxs.com (Fitness Prescriptions Blog) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:11:00 +0000

From the beginning, fitness was my goal, but weight loss was a wonderful side benefit. My first time on the DDR mat I wanted to cry after about three minutes, but I MADE myself keep going for an hour. I thought I would die. But I didn’t. The next day…another hour. The next day…another hour. And so on. I rarely took a day off, but would if I felt like my body needed rest. Within a month, I was totally into it and actually looked forward to my hour on the mat. Many days my competitive spirit would kick in and I’d go for an hour and a half and not even realize it. The pounds began to disappear and I began to realize that I could climb stairs and do other physical activity more easily…but was I “fit?” In October of 2005 I got my answer. I went to New York City with my friends, Eileen and Jennifer. As part of our whirlwind tour of the city, we visited the Empire State Building. To reach the top, we took one elevator up most of the way and then had an option: to switch to a different elevator or to take the stairs the rest of the way (I think eight stories). The line for the elevator was extremely long and we had a lunch reservation to make! We looked at each other and collectively said, “Let’s take the stairs.” I had a rush of adrenalin and—if I’m totally honest—a jolt of fear. What if I couldn’t make it to the top? What if all of my hours on the DDR mat didn’t translate to real life? I had to try to find out. We started the climb and by about half way, people all around us were panting and stopping to rest…but not Eileen, Jen and me! We kept hoofing it up those flights. When we got to the top, I was more energized that I could ever remember being in my entire life. Not only had I effortlessly climbed the stories, but I was also breathing completely normally! Wow. Kudos to my buddies, Eileen and Jen, too, for making the climb without much effort. By January 1, 2006, I had lost 120 pounds and—for the first time ever—weighed in at what my driver’s license said I weighed…200 pounds! I had also improved my cardio health and was able to do virtually anything physical that I wanted. As the Empire State Building had proven, I was no longer out of breath after a climb up multiple flights of stairs. What a difference a year makes. In reflection, I realized that my weight loss and fitness went hand in hand and were of equal importance. I don’t think I could have had success in meeting my goals without both.

Now What?

darren@fitnessrxs.com (Fitness Prescriptions Blog) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:10:00 +0000

Well, now what? I was fit. I had lost weight. It was time to do the critical piece of the equation—maintain it. I spent 2006 following my workout and eating plans and ended the year at 212 pounds. Not bad, in my opinion. Now I was statistically much more likely to keep the weight off forever. A challenge presented itself along the way, though. I still worked out regularly with DDR and I still got EXTREMELY sweaty while doing it, but it began to lose its effectiveness. I now know (thanks to Darren Anderson!) that I had developed muscle memory and my body had adjusted itself to the rigors of DDR. I had to shake up the workout if I wanted to continue to improve. I began to look for something else to do. I had developed a bit of a crush on Bob Harper, the trainer on the TV show, The Biggest Loser, and I found out the show had exercise DVDs for sale. There was my answer! I spent the last four months of 2006 working out every morning with Bob. But was I doing the exercises correctly? What about my specific issues? My skin had been remarkably elastic as I lost the 120 pounds, but I still had some sagging folds on my arms, legs and abdomen. How could I address that? By January 1, 2007, Steve had decided he needed to change his lifestyle, too. I like to think it was in part due to me. As he often says, he was about to turn 40 and he wanted to make sure there was a 50. I was delighted to hear it. He knew that he had to have someone to push him and, as much as we like and love each other, I was not the one to do the pushing! He researched personal trainers in all of Kansas City and found Darren, who turned out to be the answer to our prayers…and a magician! Steve got us a gym membership and started working out with Darren twice a week. Now, I will admit I had always been terrified of gyms. I knew it was because I didn’t know the rules—written and unwritten. Who would teach me those? It turns out Darren would. Through Steve, I learned what to do and what not to do at the gym. I started going to walk on the treadmill whenever I could so I could support Steve in his workout regimen. By May of 2007, I was totally comfortable with the “code” of the gym, but I had only walked on the treadmills. I was still totally ignorant of the weights and machines. Then I had my initial consultation of my own with Darren. He took all of my measurements and analyzed my needs and goals. I started working out with him once a week. Additionally, I did a strength training workout that he developed for me two times a week and some kind of cardio five times a week. He took time to ensure that I understood each exercise and its purpose. He also taught me about the weights and machines. Wow…did I get results! I’m now fond of saying that I lost the initial weight, but Darren helped me put my parts where they belong.

Sprint to the Finish

darren@fitnessrxs.com (Fitness Prescriptions Blog) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:09:00 +0000

By the end of 2007, I had dramatically increased my lean muscle mass and had dramatically decreased my body fat percentage. I had also significantly reduced the sagging skin…and I’d actually built some muscles. I’d lost some weight, too. And here was the really interesting part—I had enjoyed the heck out of my workouts with Darren! He has a natural way of pushing me without being bossy or overbearing. And more importantly, he knows SO MUCH about health, fitness and nutrition that I was much smarter about them after spending several months with him. I had a physical in October of 2007, where my doctor wrote “great” and “super” next to several of the tested categories. Wow. Talk about hard work paying off. BUT I was still overweight according to my body mass index. In fact, by the beginning of 2008, I needed to lose about 26 more pounds to be in the “healthy” category. As ridiculous as it sounds (and as crazy as many of my incredible and supportive friends thought it was), I wanted to be “normal” for the first time in my life in terms of weight. I realized that I had never really “been on a diet.” Maybe that was the answer for the last 20+ pounds. I talked with Darren and he thought it was a great idea. We developed my “Sprint to the Finish” plan, which was a low-glycemic, low-calorie diet (about 1200-1300 calories a day) and my usual workout routine. I committed to the “Sprint” for two months (January and February) or “normal” on the BMI charts…whichever came first. Steve decided he would sprint, too, given that he still had about 20 pounds to lose to reach his ideal weight. Darren worked with both of us to develop a relatively painless nutrition plan that we could live with…at least for two months. January 1, 2008 we started the “Sprint.” When I was ready for breakfast on that first morning, I carefully measured my ½ cup of All Bran cereal and my ¾ cup of skim milk to go with it. Wow. Not much food at all!!! I ate it as slowly as I possibly could (I think it took about five minutes for about five bites) and decided that I would see if I was still hungry in 15 minutes. If so, I would have a piece of fruit or something else. Shockingly, I wasn’t hungry in 15 minutes! The breakfast on the meal plan was actually satisfying. Lunch, dinner and the snacks were, too. Maybe this wasn’t going to be too hard after all. In a week, I had lost seven pounds. And more importantly, it wasn’t that difficult. As with any “eating right” plan, the real difficulty came in life interfering with the nutrition plan. I went out of town to attend a training workshop from January 17-21. Before I left, I had lost 12 pounds. But now what? How could I keep my plan when someone else had control of the menus and food? As I began to think about how I was going to manage to keep up with my progress and still eat a menu decided by someone else, I realized something that was significant to me. I didn’t know any of the people who were going to be in my training class (except for my dear friend, Martha, who loved me both before and after). That meant they didn’t know “Fat Jane.” You know what? I decided that I didn’t want to be that girl…the girl who was always on a diet. I didn’t want to need to request special meals or preparation. Instead, I decided that I would revert back to the “Jane Reed” plan of portion control and choosing correctly. It may sound crazy to you, but it wasn’t to me. I ate with total abandon (not exactly the “Jane Reed” plan after all!) and I gained four pounds back over that weekend, but it was totally worth it to me. And upon my return, I was able to slip right back into the new nutrition plan. The four pounds came right back off. How many times have I heard people talk about gaining and losing the same weight over and over again? I get what they were talking about! Now in my fifth week of the sprint, I weigh less than I think I have weighed since middle school. I am not finished yet, but I am well on my way to my goal of a “healthy” BMI. I know I can reach it by the end of February. I bought some new clothes over the weekend–regular sizes in regular stores–and that feels terrific.

Tips

darren@fitnessrxs.com (Fitness Prescriptions Blog) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:04:00 +0000

You know, the hard part really is in getting started. At every step along the way, I have lost weight. Every pound off gives me the motivation to stick with it and lose another. Here are some of my “tricks” that I have developed to stay motivated and on task:

Weigh every day. As my Aunt Judy is fond of saying, “It’s a whole lot easier to lose five pounds than it is to lose 50 pounds!” If I go a few days and my weight creeps up a bit, I back off and follow the nutrition plan again.
Watch portion size. In a restaurant, I often ask for a to-go container as soon as my meal is served. I physically draw a line at the halfway point and put half in the to-go container for tomorrow. Then I can clean my plate if I want to and not worry about overeating.
The three-bite rule. From the beginning, I didn’t want to deprive myself. I knew I could never really change my life and stick with my new habits if I couldn’t eat bread, pasta and dessert. I follow my three-bite rule for things that are not particularly healthy or nutritious: I take three bites (and they are three regular-sized bites!). One bite still leaves me wanting more, two is working toward satisfied and three seems to do the trick for me.
Exercise, exercise, exercise. This really is the key. My cousin, Cyndi, who has always been my role model in lots of ways–including exercise and fitness–says that working out lets her eat whatever she wants. How great does that sound??
Do a combination workout regimen of both strength training AND cardio. If I have one regret at this point, it’s that I didn’t start with Darren soon after I began doing DDR (January of 2005). He has helped me sculpt my muscles and reduce much of my sagging skin, but I know that it would be even better if I have built lean muscle mass at the same time that I lost weight.
Don’t deprive yourself. It only makes you hungrier for whatever you are denying. It’s really true.