He’s a Metabolic Machine | I Hate Him
Why Can HE Eat So Much Crap and I Can’t?
He’s Eating. AGAIN. Really?
My Pooch Is Back and It’s All His Fault

So we’re settling in at the farm and enjoying our new co-borrower-shacking-up relationship.

I always sorta knew that he ate a lot (there would never be leftovers when he came over to my house). And I sorta knew that he liked to snack (he would devour the boxes of cereal bars that I had for him).

But I didn’t REALLY know how much he ate ALL THE TIME until I observed first hand – all day, every day, repeat.

For breakfast, he eats a big bowl of oatmeal, 2 bananas, and a yogurt. For lunch he eats 2 sandwiches, tamales, yogurts and cereal bars.  For dinner, he has two BIG plates of meat, rice, & beans. He sometimes humors me with veggies. Then, about 15 minutes later, he eats 2 fruit flavored chobanis and 3 crappy cereal bars. And he snacks. All the time.

Really?

Veggies - She Likes Them! She Likes Them!

OK – back to the point of all this.

My clothes are getting tighter, and the scale confirmed my suspicion. (Note: I am not an obsessive weigher.)

Now it USED to be that I could stop eating out, stop drinking diet sodas, lay off the bread, drink some more water, get off the couch, and I could “lose” the pooch.

Well…. I’m already doing those things. {SHRIEK!!!!!}

• I’ve only been eating out maybe once a week, and when I do, it’s a salad (granted, a big yummy salad, but still, not a crappy/carb loaded meal).
• I’ve been very good with my water.
• I’m eating a healthy breakfast every day (plain greek Chobani yogurt, berries nuts)
• I can’t remember the last time I had a soda.
• I’ve been very good about the bread and grains thing – I’m enjoying our spaghetti over a nice big bowl of spinach rather than pasta.
• AND, I’ve been very consistent with the workouts – I’m loving our new gym!

Don’t get me wrong – the nutrition side hasn’t been PERFECT – but the strays were just incidents and did not evolve to be a habit.

Geesh – I’ve even been eating VEGETABLES!!!! And a lot of them!

But the pants are tighter, the pooch is poochier, and the scale is indicating that my body might be settling in at a different point.

So I had to do a little inventory. What is different now? I realized that a lot of it has to do with food and my changed eating habits because of HIM. {Sorta Kidding}

• I’m snacking a bit – good snacks (mmmmm nuts and dried fruit) – but still snacking more than before
• I’m eating on the regular sized dinner plates instead of my moderately sized pretty restaurant plates
• I’m enjoying a healthy dessert at night – plain Chobani, chocolate chips, and nuts – mmm!
• With the time change, we’re eating later
• Overall, I’ve been eating more nuts, cheese, and chocolate. Not a LOT, but still more than before.

Remember, I’m not a calorie counter. I prefer to be a mindful label reader and eater. That said, my earlier research showed that 1600 – 1800 calories/day should be my target. (I know… that’s totally depressing… When I told HIM, he looked absolutely horrified!)

I’ve realized that it isn’t any ONE thing that’s getting me into trouble. It’s the cumulative effect of lots of little things.

More importantly, it wasn’t about eliminating anything bad, but rather watching my portions of the good.

Did I just allude to portion control?

Sigh…. Really? There was a time that the Power of More of the Good was an effective strategy for me!

So here’s my plan for some little portion control tips:

• Dig out my pretty white restaurant plates and bowls that are a bit smaller – fill them up and feel indulgent!
• Eat dinner earlier
• Sub some toasted flax seed for nuts on my yogurt/berry/crunchy breakfast and on my salads
• Pass on topping every meal with cheese and nuts <winks>
• Rather than prepping a small bowl of nuts and dried fruits, put them in my hand instead
• Pass on dessert some nights – consider some other options….

I’m trying to not be discouraged, because there are a lot of bright sides to my consistency and current wellness level:

• I’m sleeping great!
• My 10 lb medicine ball is feeling light…. And I remember when I gave my 6 pounder to my dad and thought, “Geesh, that was a BIG mistake.”
• I can do more pullups. I’m loving my Rubberbanditz and have been alternating light/reps, heavy/less reps, no assistance – I LOVE pullups!
• I’ve been doing very well with my water.
• Considering I haven’t been “lifting” for a while, I’m quite pleased with my quick progress on bench presses and deadlifts.
• My core is stronger, and my endurance is better.
• I tried on my shorts from last year, and they fit!
• We’re eating a lot of veggies & sitting down for meals together.
• My jumprope is getting much better!

So as much as I’d like to blame HIM for this chapter, I know it’s not true. {Sorta believe that….}

So here’s what the title should be:

I Even Have to Watch the Good Foods…. Go Figure!

Do you have a “Him” or “Her” in your life? How do you manage your food habits around others?

It was not an easy fix — moving gas lines, cutting cabinets, cutting counters. It was messy! Plus the newfangled models are pretty darn pricey. cha CHING

But here she is – our Frigidaire Professional.

Cue Music <You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate>

I Believe in Miracles... There You Are - You Sexy Thing!

Isn’t she beautiful? And to think I didn’t even know what a continuous grate was before I met her.

And a bread warmer? I haven’t used it yet, but I  sleep better knowing that I can.

It also has this fancy burner with a gazillion BTU’s of heat. It allows me to boil water in about the amount of time it takes to send a few tweets (which is always a good thing because it seems I’m always behind in the kitchen).

Fancy SCHMANCY!

So you all know I’m a nervous wreck in the kitchen, but I’m feeling a bit more confident with this grownup range. Between the range and some new knives, I think I’m approaching nearly competent.

I’ve made my first risotto, fried my first polenta, baked my first flourless brownies, roasted my first brussel sprouts (mmmm), tried and succeeded with tempeh, and sauteed lots of veggies.

My First Risotto <stir baby stir>

AMAZING flourless (aka black bean) brownies - Recipe Courtesy @Spabettie

That’s not to say there hasn’t been some kitchen conflict. There has. But those juicy details will have to wait for another day.

For now I will say that I’m digging our sexy little stove – I’m almost feeling ready to don my cool apron from The Hip Hostess.

How about you? Are you confident or hesitant in the kitchen?

Breathe... On Purpose

It’s not unusual for me to feel a bit overwhelmed with deadlines, projects, and life in general. After all, I’m well practiced at handling being ridiculously over committed. Over the years, I’ve honed a few skills and habits that help ease the stress:

• Conquering email clutter
• Taking breaks
• Delegating
• Saying no to noise and needless interruptions
• Taking care of myself

But I’ve been simmering with pressure & anxiety lately.

I’m cranky. I’m having a hard time focusing. I’m easily frustrated.

The full boil feels very near, and it does not feel good.

But I’m not sure why it caught up to me right now. Sure I have several  major projects due. And yes, we are a few weeks away from our big party. But, it really isn’t that different than other times. This is what my work life looks like, and I typically cruise right through.

Plus I’ve been taking VERY good care of myself — thank goodness – I’d be a total wreck if I weren’t.

To my dismay, the exercise and good food weren’t taking the edge off, and proper rest wasn’t helping. Checking tasks off the list didn’t ease the tension, and chocolate brought no relief.

I knew I was in big trouble when planting herbs didn’t even ease the tension!

And then The Universe sent me a little present.

I went downstairs to sorta-work-out-sorta-putter in the garage. And in the course of the puttering, I found an old tape. Yep, a cassette tape. It was not the Go-Go’s, but rather a spiritual sort of tape that meant so much to me a very long time ago. I won’t go into the details, because my god-mother-nature-buddha-quiet-voice kind of spirituality is very personal and difficult to describe with words.

But I will say that I believe in something big, and it does not involve Kris as the Captain.

I plopped the tape into an old tape recorder that was conveniently located on the workbench. (I know… that is a miracle all by itself, right?)

The words came out, and I immediately felt a sense of calm and surrender.

That fast.

Warm. Safe. Relaxed.

A back-in-the-womb sort of comfort.

I remembered immediately the root of my stress and anxiety was that I had been forgetting to nurture my SOUL.

Sure I had been nurturing my body through wonderful self care, but my path of health and wellness demands proper soul medicine too.

For many, soul medicine may take various forms and involve special places or rituals. For me, it involves pausing, being quiet, stilling the mind, and remembering…

• that I am not alone
• that my shoulders do not have to be so broad
• that guidance and courage are available at any moment
• that I am grateful

I soaked in this tape for over an hour – breathing fully and letting go.

I was reminded that rediscovering this tape was not a coincidence, and that my whole life wellness requires me to create more of these moments throughout each day.

How do you feed your soul? What’s your soul medicine?

Firework (Courtesy KatyPerry.com)

I can always count on my friends to nudge me towards this millennium in terms of music.

I’m always looking for new tunes – music is my ULTIMATE moodbooster – along with coffee, rest, and flowers.

It is what nudges this reluctant exerciser to actually sweat.

It is what reminds me to breathe.

Music is medicine for me.

So I was happy to get this recommendation from Heather (@smashfit). If this tune makes her feel like an AMAZING SUPER HERO, then I will try that cape on for size.

Katy Perry has a great voice, and I’ve liked every song of hers that I’ve heard.

But alas, I don’t have her tunes on said digital music device.

This is a fun, catchy tune, complete with a lovely message.

Firework | Katy Perry

Care to school me in tunes from this millennium?

My Nemesis

When I first bought my jumprope (a while back), it was ugly.

Picture Lucy with a jumprope. That was me. But it was more pathetic than funny.

I tried. I showed the BF+ my attempts.

He tried to be kind and hide his astonishment, but I know THAT look in his eyes. Just like his horror with my learning how to ride a bike, he couldn’t imagine how such a capable person could be so bad at something so simple.

He picked up the jumprope and busted out some moves – the double thingies, crossovers, one footed, alternating foot….

I hated him. He hadn’t picked up a jumprope in 20 years and he could do THAT?!

It is soooooo unfair!

But I still thought this jumprope thing was a good idea. I could pack it in my suitcase for business trips. It’s quick and easy. It mixes things up. What’s not to love about jumprope, right?

But I couldn’t get it – there was no love here.

So the jumprope eventually buried itself in the “basket” – going deeper and deeper, only to be forgotten….

Until recently.

I found the jumprope in the move while setting up the new home gym, and that old thought of incorporating jumping rope into my workouts resurfaced. After a few tweets and realizing that there were others out there who wanted to improve, I recommitted.

I came to the rocket science realization that I probably needed to practice.

Enter the #7dayjumprope

Here’s what I focused on:

• Practice a little every day for 7 days #7dayjumprope
• Quiet the arms, focus on rotating the rope from the wrists
• Quiet the feet, focus on teeny, tiny hops

I gotta say, when I started, my calves HURT, even though I couldn’t really get past 15-20 hops.  And in the past, I would always quit. But I found with practicing a couple of minutes a day that by day 4 my calves didn’t hurt. It reminds me of riding a bike – the saddle sore thing always passes, right?

The consistency thing was really important. I had to keep trying, even though it was ugly. And borrowing Carla’s mantra of “setting ourselves up to succeed”, I made mini milestones.

Remember, I was REALLY bad… I had to ignore all of those people out there that talked about working in 2-3 minute sets. Uh…. I was NOT watching a clock – that would be VERY discouraging. Rather, I counted my rotations, focused on timing and concentration. (Yes, this is very much a mental exercise for me.)

Milestone 1: 30 continuous rotations (I achieved this after the 1st week and it was BIG!)

Milestone 2: Improve the tempo (My tempo is a LOT better, I “think”, I’m getting about 2 rotations/second)

Milestone 3: 45 continuous rotations at the better tempo (I’ve done this several times, but am not completely consistent with this – I even did 60 rotations once)

Milestone 4: 30 seconds at better tempo… consistently <Note: Up until now, the practice did NOT include a clock >

I’m sort of hovering around  3 & 4 right now, but I’m definitely getting better. In fact, I’m good enough to LOOK FORWARD to picking up the jumprope in between sets and practicing. YAY!

Now the beauty of the #7dayjumprope is that everyone is in a different place. Heather (@smashfit) wants to jump like Rocky. (For those of you that know her, that will not be a surprise! I adore Heather!) And she has informed me that her side to side movement is pretty awesome now!

Me? Well, I just want to be able to jump well enough to raise my heartrate and not feel like such a klutz.

Now nothing beats PRACTICE, but I found some great tips on this Jumprope Tips Video for people in all stages of their jumprope career.

And it should not be a surprise that my friends Lisa (110pounds.com) and Josie (yumyucky.com) also like to skip – so a-skipping-we-will-go!

Jumprope: Love it? Hate it? Wanna join us in getting better?

And it is.

A lovely laundry room indeed.

The Laundry Room

But turn around 180 degrees…. and shaZAM!

The New Home Gym

Yep, one of the coolest things about the farm is that we have this REALLY big room downstairs that works great for a well equipped home gym. Yep, grandpa doesn’t have to share space with the elliptical when he visits.

And I mean, this space is AMAZING!

Room for HIS wicked cool bowflex dumbells, big boy bars, weight plates, Pro-Form spin bike, and tired bench.

And yes, room for MY girly weights, kettlebells, roller, my favorite squishy medicine ball from Target and rollers.

Oh yeah, did I mention the pull up bar?

Super Stoked About the Pull Up Bar

There’s a LOT of room in here, and there is PLENTY of room in each area/station that we can each comfortably do our own thing without being in the other person’s way. Mind you… we don’t talk when we work out. But we’re LEARNING how to workout in the same space at the same time. (I think we’re over the hard part.)

And… did I mention the name of the carpet? I could have SWORN he said it was called The Beast. Can that be any more perfect?

Plus – the views are beautiful and inspiring.

This is my view when I’m warming up on the bike. Did I mention how much I’m loving his our spin bike? I go downstairs to warm up on the bike (yes, mentally employing my 20 minute trickery strategy), and I inevitably stay on for a WHILE, feeling so good, that I bust out several more exercises.

Home Gyme View - Yep... This Clock Has a Second Hand :)

And the view from the “lifting” area.. (Side note: this was the first thing I ever gave the BF+ – waaaaaaaaaay back in the beginning of our courtship… Think what you will.)

Another View in the Home Gym

I had lost my groove a bit from the move. But with kind tweets, suggested moves, and jumprope encouragement from Carla (Mizfit Online), Suzanne (Workout Nirvana), & Heather (Smashfit), I have FOUND MY GROOVE! (And it feels darn good.)

Granted, we have some stuff. He had stuff, I had stuff, and together we had more stuff.

But I think it’s the SPACE that has been so amazing for us. I know that this will be a well used room at the farm… probably even more than the kitchen.

I gotta give a big shout out to the Sports Authority – I was pining for a new swiss ball, pull up bar, and some racks – great prices, great service, and uber fast shipping!

And to anyone who might care… we’ve paid for every single thing in this room.

So – do you workout at home? Prefer it? Hate it? Do Tell!

Courtesy Pinkspage.com

Well, it seems that you all have nudged me forward a couple of decades in terms of music – and I thank you….

I do love Pink, although I’ve never had any of her music on my iPod.

The fact is, I don’t think I’ve updated my music since the spawn moved out. I really did rely on him to help me with music and tech gadgets. And without a young person in the house, I’m really not exposed to “new” music.

OK back to Pink…

She is a seriously talented, strong, woman. I’ve got a thing for strong but HUMAN female artists – Joni, Tina, Ella, Mary – their music always touches me and reminds me that I am not alone in life’s stuff.

So today I troll Pink’s Page to explore her great tunes (and procrastinate a bit on the day ahead).

But when I get back tonight, I WILL be playing this while I get my sweat on.

So head on over to Pink’s official website, and check out this great tune.

Who Knew | Pink | Official Video

How do you discover new music?

The Wait | The Pretenders (Source Pretenders FB Page)

Sometimes we just gotta turn it up and pick up the tempo.

This is one of those days.

I like to sing along to this, but I don’t really know what she says.

“I say, blah blah blah, blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah, something something hurt.”

<guttural sound>

<Repeat & Enter Kick Ass Bass Line>

I’m a slow tempo kinda workout girl, but this song is on my playlist, and when The Wait comes on, I smile and bust it out for 3 minutes of sweaty bliss. And if the bridge doesn’t make you want to kick up in high gear for a great 20 second interval, well, then… I just don’t get you.

The Wait | The Pretenders

Actually, this song DOES have real lyrics – and WOW!

Check them out > The Wait

Do you have a song that comes on and makes you feel like a superhero?

The Stranger :: Who ARE You?

I’ve been breaking a sweat in the new home gym and have surprised myself. I CAN workout sorta hard on my own. Gotta say, it feels good! The BF+ and I haven’t really worked out together…. We’ve sorta crossed paths working out, but I’m careful to not get in his way. He is very focused on his routine and does not stray from it. Me? Well, I have no problem picking up a jump rope or kettlebell and getting out of the way, but… I’m staying clear of him for now.

Sooooo – back to Music Monday.

I hopped on the spin bike for a warm up and turned on my short song playlist – a favorite of mine – since I have a SHORT attention span. As a reluctant exerciser, short songs are one of my trickery tactics.

And this song came on….

The Stranger by Billy Joel

Well we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?

So I LOVE this for a workout song – strange I know….

Love the easing into it – the time to breathe in, breathe out, and prepare… for the climb.

But the timeliness of this song was not lost upon me.

After 15 years of being with the BF+, we are now shacking up. And believe it or not, we are learning new things about eachother.

What I’ve learned about the stranger….

• He likes David Bowie (I had NO idea!)
• His favorite flower is a hydrangea (we have a lovely one in our kitchen)
• He eats even more than I could have ever possibly imagined
• He relaxes by vacuuming (how lucky am I?)
• He showers a lot
• He really loves my kitty

Now if he blogged, he could tell you what he’s learned about me. But since he doesn’t…. I’m guessing one thing is that he could never imagine how completely satisfied I am lying in bed with a cup of coffee, my ipad, and the Sopranos. Seriously, I am very easy roomate….

That said, I don’t think there’s anything about our TRUE NATURE that would surprise the other – at least I hope not. I actually think that’s the main reason we are both so comfortable starting our new chapter together.

So here’s to The Stranger

Have you ever learned something new about someone you thought you knew really well?

Train For Life = The House On the Hill - At the Farm - From About HALF Way Up the Hill

I’m not a runner.

I do not race.

I’m not training for tough mudder.

I’m not trying to lose weight. <I always pine for 5 pounds lighter, but not enough to give up half-and-half, nuts, or chocolate.>

I will never be a fitness model.

So what’s the point?

I was reminded of the point during the big move to the “Farm”.

I loaded and unloaded carloads of boxes up and down stairs.

Twisting. Lifting. Carrying. Lowering.

Engage the core. Weight on the heels.

“Pressing” these boxes above my head onto shelves.

“Squatting” with these boxes.

“Stepping” with these boxes.

“Deadlifting” these boxes.

Repeat.

For days.

And then there’s the hill.

Yes the house is on a hill. A pretty steep hill.

I am up and down this hill several times each day.

<I’ve thought about doing mini sissy slow sprints up the hill… but I haven’t actually tried it.>

I schlep the full trash cans down the hill each week.

Stabilize with the legs. Weight on the heels. Strong core. Strong lats. Strong butt.

I have to be strong, or the cans would gain momentum.

And THAT would be very scary….

I did not hurt myself during the move. And I am strong enough to maintain control of the beastly trash cans down the hill.

THAT is the point.

There was one day that my legs were tired. I KNEW that I could not safely continue moving heavy boxes.

The memory of my freak lower back injury is fresh, and I never want to hurt myself like that again.

When I was tired, I either stopped or asked for help.

And I knew my body well enough to know when that time came.

These are my gifts from doing a few Cindy’s, pulling out the kettlebell during football, squeezing in some pushups at work, and trying to be CONSISTENT about getting 20 minutes of movement and functional strength moves into my daily routine.

Train for Life. That is the point. For me anyway.

<Plus… I’m a nicer person when I exercise….>

What do you train for?