Yup, you read it right, folks! I've moved off of the dreaded plateau. You know ... that really awful wasteland of despair where you land when you've stopped making any weight-loss progress for a period of time. Well, after almost a month of TKD classes, I mustered the courage to take my measurements again, and sure enough, I've dropped another couple of inches! Yay me!
It isn't much ... basically an inch or two around my waist and tummy area. Probably from the hundred or so crunches our Master has us do in every class. But, hey, I'll take it! :)
Add to that the increased stamina I've picked up over the past few weeks, and it adds up to some real progress! Sure, I'm still sweating like Homer Simpson at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but at least I'm no longer collapsing in a heap when I get home.
Last Friday's class was a bit of an eye-opener, though. I've been suffering from shin splints since I started this martial journey. Nothing new there. My shins are notorious complainers whenever a new exercise regime comes into play. Just grit your teeth and work through the pain, ice them when you get home. It'll get better once I've built up a little muscle in the area. But, last Friday I made the mother of all rookie mistakes. During a so-called no-contact sparring match with (of all people) a black stripe (meaning he'll be getting his black belt soon), I smashed my shin into his knee. Apparently, we tried to kick at the same time, and neither of us thought to pull back in time to avoid the collision. Being some 20-odd years younger than I am, the black-stripe limped around a bit and went on with his life. He tells me that he recovered that same night. Me? I'm sporting a bruise about the size of a small dog. A very tenacious small dog at that. It refuses to fade, or diminish in the amount of pain it delivers every time I make the mistake of hitting it against something...like the car door, or someone's fist during other no-contact sparring sessions (can you hear the wry laughter whenever I say "no-contact"?). I've learned yet another important lesson about aging. It takes the body a while longer to recover from simple, minor injuries. Fantastic.
Oh, well. Live and learn, right? If I was concerned about a little bruising from time to time, I should have taken up knitting. Who am I kidding? I probably would have impaled myself with the needles. At least with TKD, I can wear padding from time to time.
Now, on to the next challenge. Belt testing this Friday. Am I nervous? You betcha! But, if I wasn't nervous, then I'd really have something to worry about, right? At least, that's what people keep telling me ... I'm not sure what it means. Wish me luck!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Another Step on the Wellness Journey
Hey blog fans. Once again, I have to apologize for not posting in such a long time. The truth of the matter is that there hasn't been much to post about. I can only give you so many "No change, still hanging out on the dreaded plateau" posts before I completely lose motivation and toss the blasted treadmill out the living room window.
Hey, at least that would give my biceps a decent workout.
Anyhow, I'm still doing the hamster routine every morning for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, I bring up the incline a bit. This is an older, lower-model treadmill, though, so I have no idea what the angle is or anything. I basically hold down the little + button for about 2 seconds. Then, when there's about 5 minutes left, I bring it back down to the flat position for a little cool-down.
I've decided that it's time to step things up a little. Break out of my comfort zone ... namely, the living room. I need to regain some of the muscle tone that I've lost after 15 years of inactivity behind a computer and 2 c-sections. I need to get my clothing size into something more manageable, if only so I can shop in the less expensive parts of the store and save us a few bucks every now and then.
So, I did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for Taekwondo at the dojang where my son has been taking lessons since January.
Am I scared? Hell, yeah. This is extra money every month that we don't have. But I figured that it's about time I convinced myself that I'm worth the money, that I need to do this for my health before I end up diabetic or needing bypass surgery before my 45th birthday.
Won't it hurt? Probably. Like I said ... 15 years of inactivity has left me looking like the "before" people in the LA Weightloss commercials. Who am I kidding? I'd love to be the before people! I tried a demo class at the dojang a couple of months ago. Couldn't walk for 5 days. My calf muscles felt like they were trying to snap my shins in half. But it felt so good to push my body that way again! I had completely forgotten how wonderful a good workout could feel! Clearly, I'll need to learn to pace myself a little, remember that I'm not 25 anymore, don't try to keep up with the black belts, etc...
Am I nuts? Most likely. I believe my husband thinks so, although he isn't saying it out loud for fear of retribution once I learn how to land a solid roundhouse kick. My parents probably think the same thing. The only person who has told me this might be a good idea is my oldest brother, but that's only because he's doing Karate with his kids, and so he probably wants someone else to do something just as crazy to take some of the heat off of himself at the family Christmas dinners. Just kidding. Most everyone has been really supportive of the idea ... if somewhat perplexed. I mean, this isn't exactly the typical housewifey thing to do. I guess everyone is wondering why I don't just join a gym, do a little aerobics, maybe some aquafit. Well, that just wouldn't be "me", now, would it? ;)
So, stay tuned boys and girls, as I chronicle my progression through the belt levels. See you next time!
Hey, at least that would give my biceps a decent workout.
Anyhow, I'm still doing the hamster routine every morning for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, I bring up the incline a bit. This is an older, lower-model treadmill, though, so I have no idea what the angle is or anything. I basically hold down the little + button for about 2 seconds. Then, when there's about 5 minutes left, I bring it back down to the flat position for a little cool-down.
I've decided that it's time to step things up a little. Break out of my comfort zone ... namely, the living room. I need to regain some of the muscle tone that I've lost after 15 years of inactivity behind a computer and 2 c-sections. I need to get my clothing size into something more manageable, if only so I can shop in the less expensive parts of the store and save us a few bucks every now and then.
So, I did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for Taekwondo at the dojang where my son has been taking lessons since January.
Am I scared? Hell, yeah. This is extra money every month that we don't have. But I figured that it's about time I convinced myself that I'm worth the money, that I need to do this for my health before I end up diabetic or needing bypass surgery before my 45th birthday.
Won't it hurt? Probably. Like I said ... 15 years of inactivity has left me looking like the "before" people in the LA Weightloss commercials. Who am I kidding? I'd love to be the before people! I tried a demo class at the dojang a couple of months ago. Couldn't walk for 5 days. My calf muscles felt like they were trying to snap my shins in half. But it felt so good to push my body that way again! I had completely forgotten how wonderful a good workout could feel! Clearly, I'll need to learn to pace myself a little, remember that I'm not 25 anymore, don't try to keep up with the black belts, etc...
Am I nuts? Most likely. I believe my husband thinks so, although he isn't saying it out loud for fear of retribution once I learn how to land a solid roundhouse kick. My parents probably think the same thing. The only person who has told me this might be a good idea is my oldest brother, but that's only because he's doing Karate with his kids, and so he probably wants someone else to do something just as crazy to take some of the heat off of himself at the family Christmas dinners. Just kidding. Most everyone has been really supportive of the idea ... if somewhat perplexed. I mean, this isn't exactly the typical housewifey thing to do. I guess everyone is wondering why I don't just join a gym, do a little aerobics, maybe some aquafit. Well, that just wouldn't be "me", now, would it? ;)
So, stay tuned boys and girls, as I chronicle my progression through the belt levels. See you next time!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
All Wired Up With Nowhere To Go
This sucks.
I had decided that I wanted to "officially" start practicing Taekwondo as part of my new fitness regimen. I say "officially" because, to this point, I've been practicing at night with my son. Nothing strenuous. Just making sure he's hitting targets properly, going through the poomsae with him, stuff like that. But not "really" practicing the art and sport of Taekwondo.
So I went to see my family doctor, just as a precaution you understand. After all, I'm no spring chicken any more. Pushing 40 and considerably overweight (I hate to use the term "morbidly obese", because it just sounds gross), I felt it was prudent for me to make sure I won't be going into cardiac arrest during class.
It's been a while since I've seen my family doctor. So long, in fact, that I've only now realized that he has shut down his family practice in favor of a walk-in clinic. The doctor I saw this week is not the man I've been seeing for years, not the man who saved my husband's life when he was diagnosed with colon cancer, not the man who saw me through 2 pregnancies and their subsequent c-sections. No, this was some other schmoe who happened to be manning the shop that particular day. Gotta love the personal touch of a walk-in clinic.
So, I told Schmoe of my plans, and how I wanted to make sure it was OK before I signed up. I also mentioned these funny little flippy feelings in my chest that happen once in a while for a second or so. I presumed these were a direct result of my excess weight, and they'd stop once I got back into some semblance of shape, right?
The mystery doctor listens to my heart, writes a few squiggles in my file, and tells me that there's nothing to worry about (easy for HIM to say), but we're going to get me to wear this thing called a "cardiac loop recorder" for a week. This will record my heart beat for the week, and then it'll be sent out to a cardiologist for review. If I have any more of these "flippy" feeling things, I'm to press the little button on the recorder and write it down in the diary (which is actually a sheet of paper - talk about high-tech).
I'm on day two of wearing this thing, which looks a bit like an iPod, except that it's wired to my ribs and collar bone instead of my ears, and isn't nearly as entertaining. I hate the feeling of being "tethered". I hated it when I was in the hospital for my c-sections, to the point where the nurses had to remove my IV or I'd do it for them. I hate it now, but I'll put up with it because I have to if I intend to get into kick-ass shape (get it? It's a pun on the whole Taekwondo thing). It's just one more step in my wellness journey, right? At least, that's what I keep telling myself every time the stupid connector things get glued to my T-shirt. You'd think they'd at least make the stupid wires long enough to let you pull your pants down when you go to the bathroom.
I've got one week with the iPain, and then another week or so before I get the results. So I won't be joining TKD until some time in May, if at all. Not impressed, people! In the mean time, I've been googling "flippy chest feeling". Turns out they're called "palpitations" and can be caused by any number of things. My fave, though, has got to be "menopause". Because that would just figure. It would add to the whole "old and fat" theme I've got going on these days. Ugh.
I had decided that I wanted to "officially" start practicing Taekwondo as part of my new fitness regimen. I say "officially" because, to this point, I've been practicing at night with my son. Nothing strenuous. Just making sure he's hitting targets properly, going through the poomsae with him, stuff like that. But not "really" practicing the art and sport of Taekwondo.
So I went to see my family doctor, just as a precaution you understand. After all, I'm no spring chicken any more. Pushing 40 and considerably overweight (I hate to use the term "morbidly obese", because it just sounds gross), I felt it was prudent for me to make sure I won't be going into cardiac arrest during class.
It's been a while since I've seen my family doctor. So long, in fact, that I've only now realized that he has shut down his family practice in favor of a walk-in clinic. The doctor I saw this week is not the man I've been seeing for years, not the man who saved my husband's life when he was diagnosed with colon cancer, not the man who saw me through 2 pregnancies and their subsequent c-sections. No, this was some other schmoe who happened to be manning the shop that particular day. Gotta love the personal touch of a walk-in clinic.
So, I told Schmoe of my plans, and how I wanted to make sure it was OK before I signed up. I also mentioned these funny little flippy feelings in my chest that happen once in a while for a second or so. I presumed these were a direct result of my excess weight, and they'd stop once I got back into some semblance of shape, right?
The mystery doctor listens to my heart, writes a few squiggles in my file, and tells me that there's nothing to worry about (easy for HIM to say), but we're going to get me to wear this thing called a "cardiac loop recorder" for a week. This will record my heart beat for the week, and then it'll be sent out to a cardiologist for review. If I have any more of these "flippy" feeling things, I'm to press the little button on the recorder and write it down in the diary (which is actually a sheet of paper - talk about high-tech).
I'm on day two of wearing this thing, which looks a bit like an iPod, except that it's wired to my ribs and collar bone instead of my ears, and isn't nearly as entertaining. I hate the feeling of being "tethered". I hated it when I was in the hospital for my c-sections, to the point where the nurses had to remove my IV or I'd do it for them. I hate it now, but I'll put up with it because I have to if I intend to get into kick-ass shape (get it? It's a pun on the whole Taekwondo thing). It's just one more step in my wellness journey, right? At least, that's what I keep telling myself every time the stupid connector things get glued to my T-shirt. You'd think they'd at least make the stupid wires long enough to let you pull your pants down when you go to the bathroom.
I've got one week with the iPain, and then another week or so before I get the results. So I won't be joining TKD until some time in May, if at all. Not impressed, people! In the mean time, I've been googling "flippy chest feeling". Turns out they're called "palpitations" and can be caused by any number of things. My fave, though, has got to be "menopause". Because that would just figure. It would add to the whole "old and fat" theme I've got going on these days. Ugh.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Derailed
Hi there, folks. It's been a while, so I thought I'd check in.
I'm sorry to say that a rather severe cold has forced me to fall off the "fitness" bandwagon. Well, in all honesty, it wasn't so much a "fall" as it was a running leap with a flawlessly executed swan dive.
It started on Superbowl week-end, when we gathered at my sister's house to watch the spectacle that was the defeat of the undefeatable Patriots. This gathering began with a bowl of pasta with meatballs, and ended with large bowls of chips, peanuts and cashews. I figured, after being so good since November, one night of extreme over-indulgence wouldn't really hurt, would it?
By the time we finished stuffing our faces, I felt a little tickle threatening the back of my throat. Oh, I knew full well what that meant. Sure enough, Monday morning dawned, and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. So, no treadmill for me on Monday. This feeling progressed so that by Wednesday, it felt like my lungs were filled with wet cement. Oh, it was a lovely sight. Kleenex everywhere, a nose to rival Rudolf's during the deepest Christmas Eve storm, and watery eyes reduced to slits the size of a paper cut. Very attractive.
So, I've had one week of inactivity, except for the tremendous effort required to cough or sneeze ... or breathe, for that matter.
I'm feeling much better today, though I'm still coughing a little. I therefore promise to claw my way back onto the fitness bandwagon to reclaim my tenuous perch on Monday. I'm really not looking forward to finding out how much damage my little junk food binge and the following week of phlegm production have caused, but I'll just have to deal with it like a big girl ... otherwise I'll never stop being a "big girl", right?
I'm sorry to say that a rather severe cold has forced me to fall off the "fitness" bandwagon. Well, in all honesty, it wasn't so much a "fall" as it was a running leap with a flawlessly executed swan dive.
It started on Superbowl week-end, when we gathered at my sister's house to watch the spectacle that was the defeat of the undefeatable Patriots. This gathering began with a bowl of pasta with meatballs, and ended with large bowls of chips, peanuts and cashews. I figured, after being so good since November, one night of extreme over-indulgence wouldn't really hurt, would it?
By the time we finished stuffing our faces, I felt a little tickle threatening the back of my throat. Oh, I knew full well what that meant. Sure enough, Monday morning dawned, and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. So, no treadmill for me on Monday. This feeling progressed so that by Wednesday, it felt like my lungs were filled with wet cement. Oh, it was a lovely sight. Kleenex everywhere, a nose to rival Rudolf's during the deepest Christmas Eve storm, and watery eyes reduced to slits the size of a paper cut. Very attractive.
So, I've had one week of inactivity, except for the tremendous effort required to cough or sneeze ... or breathe, for that matter.
I'm feeling much better today, though I'm still coughing a little. I therefore promise to claw my way back onto the fitness bandwagon to reclaim my tenuous perch on Monday. I'm really not looking forward to finding out how much damage my little junk food binge and the following week of phlegm production have caused, but I'll just have to deal with it like a big girl ... otherwise I'll never stop being a "big girl", right?
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