Project Me:

Okay, so I know you have read this before - if you have been following me the past 5 years...

But...

Here we go again.

I joined Weight Watchers last night and I'm rejoining the gym this afternoon.

Yep.

But I have a partner in crime, so perhaps I will stick with it.

My Sweet Guy and I both decided to go on this healthier lifestyle kick. Of course, I try to do a few things naturally: I drink plenty of water, I always take the stairs, and I tend to eat organic, whole foods. But.. I do like my condiments, and sometimes I need something to dip into those condiments (fried food.) I also love my chips...

Now it is time to see what I can do.

Again.

I know, I know.

The deal is this - I will do Weight Watchers and gym, and he will do South Beach diet and gym. We will check in each night with each other. No real pressure, just encouragement. We are both in our 40s and we know we could stand to lose a few (eh hem..) pounds. Sooo... let's see what happens!

There you go - a new project for the new year. Me.

The end.

Excuses... Excuses...

This week has been a tough one as far as my new "lifestyle" change is going. I'm trying the whole Weight Watchers thing (which, btw - this is my fourth time signing up with them.) Each time it works - it's just that I get sidetracked, impatient and some how, some way, finances get in the way. WW can add up quick, but this time seems to be different. I'm only doing the online version and I don't have to make plans to attend a meeting. You see, I would not weigh in at home - you had to do it at a meeting. So if I skipped one meeting, then ended up skipping another - eventually, I would just quit.

Not this time. 9 pounds down...

However, I am sooo lacking in one specific area - EXERCISE. The ONE thing I actually enjoy. I am not sure WHY I am slacking here, but I am.

Again, I turned to my friends at Everyday Health and found this great video:


WOW. Bingo.

I need to get to the bottom of why I am standing in my own way! Why do I get so lazy when it comes to success? It's right in front of me...

Hmmm..

What about you? What is your trick for scheduling time for exercise? Or what keeps you from moving?

Would love to hear!

Scheduling

As I was debating how to keep myself on track, I realized there has to be a more organized way (besides using my brain) to get everything I need to do - done.

Then I realized something: when it comes to work, I live by Outlook's calendar. Why don't I try scheduling my personal life there also?

For example, I need to get back into my exercise routine. I was doing so good for a while there, and I have sort of played hooky for a week. Part of my Happiness Project involves adding even MORE exercise to the routine of the week. It is supposed to bring me more energy, release endorphins, reduce stress, help me shed pounds, and over-all - feel great. I even actually ENJOY exercise - it's the motivation to actually do it I lack.

Which brought me back to one of my rules - I need to just DO IT. I am NOT naturally motivated. I have to push myself to do anything. I (truly) would rather lay around. I KNOW how to be lazy.. just not really how to relax.

I went for a short massage yesterday, with my Chinese Holistic folks. They tried to pound out a knot in my shoulder. When I went to leave, the little guy said (in broken english), "You have tense in shoulder. You relax more." I just smiled.

Yesterday went really well. Work was great - I got to visit with one of my radio partners, COX Radio here in Birmingham. They have moved to another location, and honestly, it helps me because the entire radio group is located in one building now, versus different studios. The main Promotions Director I work with gave me a little tour of the new studios. It's nice.

I even had lunch with the egyptian. I took him to FLIP Burger Boutique. The food there is awesome. I actually tried it for the first time last Friday, and as soon as I bit into the Butcher's Cut burger, I said, 'The egyptian will love this.' So he and I had lunch together yesterday. He loved it. Please click on the link above and check out the menu. Then scroll down to the milkshake selection. WOW.

Here are some pics from the egyptian's burger... then some pics from my Friday lunch. (Taken with my mobile phone.. sorry for the quality)

Friday I ordered the Butcher's cut (with frisee, blue cheese, redwine jam/sauce, vidalia onions, and then a side of fried bread & butter pickles.

This picture is hilarious. My Krispy Kreme Milkshake is smoking!!!

My friends - Jamie and Laura

In this picture, Laura was exactly 6 days from her due date - NOW she is two days!!!

The egyptian ordered the regular burger - and it has heirloom tomatoes, cheese, onions, lettuce and coca cola ketchup. He had a side order of french fries with smoky mayo

You can kind of see the decor behind me. Really cool white boothes.

Friday we went to celebrate our co-worker, Lisa's last day. She is moving back to Nebraska. (Lucky duck!)

Finally - Laura and her super large burger. BUT - she IS eating for two. :-)

Over all, yesterday was good. I fell asleep at 9:45pm, and woke up naturally at 6:46am. So far, the plan is working. I stayed pleasent, I prayed, I smiled, I planned, I accomplished..

I was happy.

Why Lord? WHY??

There are some things in this world I would prefer not to experience.

One of those "things" happens to be a trip to the Ladies' Locker Room.

Dear Sweet Jesus, why oh WHY do I have to go through that room to get to the toilet at the gym?

Is it too much to set aside a separate room for toilets, or at least put them at the front??

Why must I walk past the area with the lockers and benches?

I know that men are accustomed to standing in bathrooms and urinating next to someone, and I know that they have no problem showering out in the open or changing clothes, or stalls with no doors. I, on the other hand, the more delicate gender - AM NOT.

My Zumba and Body Jam class happen to take place in the evening, around 6:45pm. I am usually tired from work, and hungry (since I learned a few weeks ago to NOT eat before bouncing around for one hour at crack-head speed.) So my mood is not exactly in "perky happy girl" mode. Apparently, right before I pop in to grab a small towel to wipe my sweaty brow and use the toilet (just once before I bounce around for an hour) - there is a Warm Water/Therapeutic class for.. well.. people with limited mobility. Not disabled - limited mobility. I think this is a wonderful class to offer and I am so glad something like this exists.

Majority of this class happen to be senior citizens. Perhaps 65 +. Many have probably not exercised in many, many years. I am so happy to see them at the gym.

What I am NOT happy to see - is one of these sweet ladies standing butt naked in the locker room. Just chatting it up.

What tops it all - is when they ask me whether or not I have a hair dryer.

Clearly I am not "packing" a hair dryer - one hand has a towel, the other has a water bottle with a key chain draped on one finger. I am in a hurry - making a beeline for the toilet - and trying sooooo hard not to make eye contact.

Damn it - if not every single time, someone stops me - NAKED.

You know, there are just some things one is not prepared for. It's kind of like when you were a kid and you were not sure how different your body would one day look, this too is quite the education and something I am not looking forward to.

There will always be people like HER.

Today is your typical Monday- hard to get motivated, hard to keep the positive attitude and hard to stay awake. However, I think all of the hard work from last week (at work) ended up paying off. Looks like I got a new TV partner and I am just one more conversation away from a new radio partner. This is GREAT news, professionally.

THEN - I came home. T-I-R-E-D. No doubt. Not sure why, but the eyes were wanting to close. The egyptian and I sat and laughed for about an hour or so - then we started cooking dinner. Sooo... I decided that the eggplant he made was too "oily" and since I had to go to my Body Jam class, it might make me sick. In brilliant form, I opt for some mac & cheese. (Uh huh.) Finally I drag myself to the gym, and my brilliant idea almost took me out. Seriously. Stomach was sooooooo full and I felt like I weighed 500 pounds and could not lift my legs. LOL.

Needless to say, I made it through without running for the door. We had three instructors tonight, an african american girl from the Bronx, a latina from Columbia and a typical white, southern instructor (there is a reason I am sharing this. I want you to get a mental picture.) We started off with some cool moves from the chick from NYC... moved on to the fast past of the Latina.. then skinny white biotch comes in. (Sorry.. I HAVE to go there. You will see why in a sec.)

The attitude and atmosphere was super fun and quirky with the first two instructors. THEN the annoying, no-rhythm instructor starts up. Showing us some seriously outdated techno-esque moves.. then.. as we are getting into and doing these arm moves as if we are in a rave rolling on Ecstasy - she started screaming into her head microphone, "Come ON! You know what we WANT? DISCIPLINE. THAT'S RIGHT. REMEMBER, THIS IS AN AEROBICS CLASS - NOT JUST A DANCE CLASS. THEY DON'T CALL IT BODY JAM (EMPHASIS ON BODY) FOR NOTHING. YOU KNOW YOU ALL WANT TO BE A SIZE FOUR."

Hold up a hot minute.
.........

Did I EVER say I wanted to be a size 4? What woman, besides perhaps someone shorter than me and with a tiny bone structure SHOULD be a size 4.

It was as if someone sucked the oxygen right out of the room. I wanted to punch skinny biotch in her rock hard abs and tell her to go sell crazy somewhere else. The majority of people in my class are averaging ages around 28 - 48, and more like a size 10 - 16, versus super tiny. (Uh.. that would be the ZUMBA class.. the HIP HOP class has more of an ethnically diverse group, who generally may carry a little more in the hips, thighs and butt area.)

I only remember one other time actually walking out of a Body Jam class - and it was when SHE was teaching.. and it was only b/c the moves were so lame and I got bored. I faked like I had to be somewhere. Should have known.

Yuck.

The Pain of Health

Lord knows I am trying my best (well, as good as I want to try) to get healthier. But why does it have to hurt so bad?

When did I let myself get to this point? More importantly, how did I do it?

I was a very active, healthy kid. From the age of 6 I took ballet, tap and jazz classes all the way through my formative years. I spent summers swimming for hours a day. I took tennis lessons, skating lessons, and went hiking as a child at summer camp. I rode my bike everyday. I walked around a lake path most days to see friends.

My parents did not allow me to eat junk food. Seriously, no chips or ice cream in the house. No soda. Basic three square meals a day. What the hell happened?

I know that when I started dating this boy in High School, he would give in and buy me my absolute favorite treat - Krystal Cheeseburgars. I think I began eating those my senior year in high school. (Which might I add, is when I started gaining a little weight - like 5 to 10 pounds.)

I went off to college and walked everywhere. I ended up losing those pounds. But something happened by the age of 20. I began drinking lots and lots of beer with my friends. We would drink Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat nights. Party Party at the college bars.

By 23 I had put on about 20 pounds. PLUS - I was living on my own, not exercising and eating crap. Ramen noodles, mac n cheese, baked potatoes, bags of chips, fried concoctions at the bar we all went to. Basically Crap.

By 24 - my weight jumped even higher. My blood pressure was high. I started taking meds for it - which slooooowed me down. Made me sleepy, sluggish. Which I wonder- how much of that slowed my metabolism down? Is that possible? If it is slowing my heart... why would it not slow the rest of me down??

By 27 - I was in a super committed relationship to a man who loved good old fashioned southern cooking. Plus marriage. BOOM - more pounds. I guess I am either happy to say or disappointed to say that I have remained the same exact weight for 10 years. At least there has not been an increase. I guess this is my "heaviest" without even trying to do anything about it.

I have gone through stents of exercise, and I even gave Weight Watchers a try once. I was not so serious about it. It is rare I follow through on "life style" change.

However, this time has been a little different. I began making a change with my diet back in November. Not diet as in I am on a diet - but I am making healthier choices. Not always. But more often than not. As for exercise - well.. most of you know that I am now using a personal trainer. It's good for me. Because they are forcing me to really work hard. I woke up this morning and my body aches. That to me says several things - 1. I had a good work out  2. I am out of shape 3. I can't believe I am going back for my abuse tonight. ;-)

I am not a fan of traditional exercise. Nope. I prefer dance classes or something fun and with music. This is yucky to me. But soooo necessary.

I was blessed to live most of my young life at a normal if not optimal weight. I did let my body slip in my late 20s to late 30s. But 10 years is completely reversable. I don't have the excuse of I had a child or two, or that I am too busy because I have kids. I don't have the excuse that I have a pet, or aging parents to get home to. This is it. It's me. I have got to make the change.

I don't think it will come off over night. I did not gain it over night. So, I need to stay focused on that. I am also 37 - the old metabolism is not what it used to be. Also I am 5'1. That's a small frame - time to see that frame!

I have to lose 20% body fat. I can do. I know I can.