Triathletes Are AMAZING!

Well, I am no longer a Triathlon Virgin (LOL!). I spent two hours on Sunday morning, August 26, writing all over these amazing male triathletes' bodies.

...Yeah, I thought that might get your attention!

In reality, I was writing on women's bodies too, and what I was doing was serving as a volunteer "Body Marker" at the West Kennebunk FireMan Triathlon that was held at Mother's Beach in West Kennebunk, Maine.

For those who don't know (as I didn't), a "Body Marker" is a person who helps out at a triathlon by using permanent markers to write the Bib (or, entry) Number of an athlete directly onto the athlete's skin. This is done to be able to see the athlete's number in the water and when on the course.

This is a picture of us at the WestK FireMan--
I'm in the brown shorts and blue shirt
at the bottom center of the picture!

The Bib Numbers are marked vertically on the left side--at least in West Kennebunk they were. The numbers go on the left arm, the left "quad" (quadricep, or thigh muscle), and for this triathlon, on the left hand as well.

Finally, the athlete also had to have their age marked on the back of their left calf. A "T" went on the back of the right calf if they were part of a team.

The oldest ages I marked that day?

73!!

And they were both amazing men--I would have never guessed either was in his 70s.

Asking people for their age was a little awkward at first. Most of the athletes were aware of the reason--to help ensure they're in the right age group wave for the swim, and to allow other competitors to know what age group they belong to--but the request caught a few by surprise.

One woman was almost stuttering, she was so shocked she'd have to give her age. She finally managed, "Do I have to give you my REAL age?"

I laughed, and explained that the race officials would believe anything I wrote. She happily then told me she was 32.

I marked it! After all, who am I to ask for identification?? Besides, my guess is it was her first triathlon, and her being in the right wave for entry into the water wasn't going to be a big issue.

Her friend, however, was indignant with her. "You mean you made yourself younger than ME?" she squeaked!!

The best part wasn't the act of writing on these absolutely amazing bodies--no, the best part was the friendliness of the competitors.

Remember, my own first Sprint Triathlon is just a few weeks away. I was really nervous about whether I would fit in, how I would feel going to the race, whether I would be welcomed or shunned.

If the Cape Elizabeth Triathlon is anything like the West K, then I have NOTHING to worry about. The athletes, whether they were serious competitors or first-timers, were all fabulously friendly and totally polite. Nobody came across as a prima-donna, and nobody came across as better-than-thou. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I never met such a neat group of people--totally friendly and down-to-earth.

Getting there that morning was even fun. I decided that, to avoid the parking issues, I would simply ride my bike, and call it part of my training!

Clever, eh? The only problem was that the time I needed to be there, 6 a.m., was early enough that I was setting out from home in the dark. I was a bit nervous about this, because although there wouldn't be many cars on the road at 5:30, I knew there would be some, and that I might hit a little traffic from people coming to the triathlon.

I didn't have anything really reflective to wear, so I needed to find some way to distinguish myself in the dark.

Enter the dog light.

This past summer, when out for an evening walk, my niece, Samantha, handed me a flashing red light that you are supposed to put on your dog's collar for nighttime walks. She had me put it on the stroller, to help make us more visible.

When I went to give it back, she told me to keep it. They didn't really need it for their dog, Nurumi.

I thought about the light, and how it was on the stroller even at that moment. So I got the light and hooked it on the underside of my bike seat.

Perfect! I had my own red strobe light, sure to be visible that early in the morning!

The ride itself was wonderful. Although it ended up being wicked muggy that day, the morning ride was fabulous. I had the roads almost totally to myself, so I practiced some high-speed turns and played around with my gears to try to find the optimal gearing for my triathlon--I don't want to push too hard, but I don't want to pedal so fast I get out of breath either.

Later on that morning, after I was done marking bodies, I spent some time picking the brain of a new friend, Rebecca--she knows Kent from school--as she was there marking bodies too. She's also a triathlete, but is on her 4th month of rehab after suffering a stress fracture on her ankle. She has some books she said she'd loan me, but that day she helped me understand how they would do the race, where they'd go, and where I should go to watch the transitions.

For non-triathletes, a "transition" (or T1 and T2) is where you transition from the swim to the bike ride (T1), and from the bike ride to the run (T2). I wanted to watch these transitions because I wanted to know how they did it--how did the athletes set up their stuff, what did they take off/put on, how fast did they go and, most importantly for me, how did the women handle the need for a swimsuit AND a jogbra?

The answer: they wore a special suit that acted as their jogbra, or they wore their bra right under their swimsuit.

To avoid buying extra stuff, especially since it's my first and I don't know if I'll be insane enough to do another, I think I will opt for wearing my jogbra under my swimsuit.

That means I'll need to practice that way too.

Watching those transitions really set me at ease. The transitions really were all over the map, some super fast, some slow, and even one high-speed triathlete took the time to TIE his shoes, which means nobody is going to laugh at me when I take forever.

I even saw a few mistakes, like one athlete who forgot his bib number back at his transition point and hand to run back to get it.

That was so reassuring. If the people who do this a lot make mistakes, then a rookie like me shouldn't worry so much about it.

The best part is the very last guy out of the water got the biggest cheer of everyone!

I watched until the first few people finished the triathlon--the fastest time I saw was one hour and seven minutes--and then I headed for the remainder of my bike ride.

That's when I made my first-ever rookie Triathlon Training Mistake.

Never ride a bike with drawstrings anywhere on your body.

Halfway through a really good ride, I was powering up a hill and feeling really strong when my bike started to shudder and I felt a yank at my waist.

Turns out I caught the drawstring from my jacket (which I'd tied around my waist) stuck in my back gear sproket.

Oops.

I tried to get it undone, but just made it worse. I had to call for rescue via my cellphone, which I'd remembered to tuck into my pocket.

Ten minutes later, Kent, Maddy and baby Kara arrived to bring me to Cape Able Bikes. Thankfully we keep the bike rack on the back of the car all summer, so rescuing me was a breeze.

The guy at Cape Able was a sweetie. He fixed the problem for free--he said it only took him a minute to get that sprocket off and pull the string out, even though it was tightly wound around--and he tactfully didn't even ask me how I managed to do it in the first place!

I left Kent and the girls to get home in the car, while I made my way home the rest of the way on my bike.

It was a good ride, but perhaps it was good that I got stopped when I did. The Triathlon Gods were definitely watching.

It turns out that I was riding in too high a gear, so I was putting too much pressure on my legs.

How do I know this?

My quads are KILLING ME!! My thigh muscles are so sore, I could barely walk down the stairs this morning!

I did get a new book last night at the bookstore: Your First Triathlon by Joe Friel. When I read the part about having my bike gear too high, I had to chuckle. If only I had read that before my bike ride!

The West K FireMan has me completely psyched and ready to race. The book has me relaxed that I am going to do it for the right reason--to finish, not to try to win it (not that I could anyway), but to complete it upright and with a smile on my face.

I start swimming tomorrow. I was able to get a one-month swim membership to a place where I can use the pool. I am pretty confident about my technique, so I just want to get used to the distance. The rest of the training is going to be by the book (Joe Friel's book, that is).

Five weeks and counting!

Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. - Ronald E. Osborn


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Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

Malted Milk Balls and Other Downfalls

It has been a rough week.

Lately, and especially this week, baby Kara has been having a hard time sleeping. She wants to eat constantly.

Somehow, I can relate to that.

Anyway, the problem is that it makes for a short night, sleep-wise. I have been chronically sleep-deprived for over a year, if you count the months I was pregnant as well as the past eight months of breastfeeding. This past week has been so bad, I have had a headache nearly every day.

The problem comes in that I decided this week I'd up my calorie intake to see what happens, as I'm still not sure where my caloric needs lie. I have been going for 2000-2200 calories.

With this policy over the past four days, I have gained over two pounds.

Obviously, that's not likely, because we're actually only talking an extra 200 calories every day, and I'm exercising nearly every day on top of it. I know that part of the added pounds come from the humidity and the salt intake I've had lately, both of which have made me retain water. I know I'm retaining water because I suddenly, after one evening, cannot take off my grandmother's ring!

The real issue is that tonight, after all the tiredness, I ran into my downfall of the day:

Harry & David dark chocolate malted milk balls.

Hard to believe a little malted milk ball, at 20 calories apiece, could mess me up so badly. But somehow, that's exactly what it just did.

The tiredness (which I've discussed in a previous blog) combined with the sight of those little chocolate orbs made me say something I rarely say when it comes to food:

"Oh, what the hell!"

I ate probably 500 calories' worth of those darned little things. When I ate the last one, I dumped the bag and said, "Good, that's done."

That was a nice little diversion in calories, but now I'm annoyed!

Why did I do it?

The problem is, into all lives a little downfall must come. Everyone has an "off" day. I actually had a pretty darned good day. Not counting the malted milk balls, I stayed within my caloric limits, plus I spent 40 minutes on an elliptical trainer running my fanny off, and also spent 45 minutes doing weight machines (with Isaiah's help in ensuring my proper form) combined with two sets each of two different types of situps, where I did both sets "to failure" (read: I did them till I literally couldn't do any more).

But then came the malted milk balls. And I faltered.

The issue is, what now? Do I give up and say, well I blew it, I might as well REALLY blow it? Or do I dust myself off, tell myself "Darn that was dumb," and go back at it starting tomorrow?

Let's consider the options.

If I REALLY blow it, I'm going to have to work harder to make up for it.

If I dust myself off and go back at it starting tomorrow, I have to work a LITTLE harder, but not that much. We're really only talking an extra 200 calories for the whole day!

Which would you choose?

...OK. OK. REALLY blowing it sounds interesting, but frankly, the malted milk balls also made me sick to my stomach, so REALLY blowing it would probably make me REALLY ill. I realize some people would do that on purpose, but I'm not one of them. Bulimia never appealed to me.

Prevention Magazine says this, as one of their 100 smartest diet tips ever:

38. "I am a work in progress."

Notice it does NOT say, "I am perfect."

Being a work in progress means that into every life, a few malted milk balls must fall. Falling off the diet wagon, for one night, doesn't mean the end. It means a tiny bit of a detour, but that in itself is not unexpected, and not unmanageable.

As stated by bodyandhealth.canada.com, "Don't be deterred by gaining an extra pound or two. It was common for [diet] participants to gain an extra pound or two along the way. But those who ensured those pounds didn't add up quickly were the best at keeping the weight off."

So I gained my pound or two this week. It's happened before. It will happen again.

But you can be sure I'm not going to buy those malted milk balls again. Once was enough. I didn't enjoy eating them enough to want to repeat the experience!

Hmm. Maybe I am learning how to be thin, after all.



__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

Having a Plan

Today, I went to the Club, completely psyched. I was finally going to do the new workout that Isaiah gave me last week, when Kent was still at GenCon. It's a combination of some of my old strength exercises with some new ones--Lat Raises, Reverse Flys, Lower Back Extensions, and Leg Extensions.

First, though, before I could do the strength work, I needed to jump on the Elliptical Trainer and do some "running". My new goal: 40 minutes, exercising at 80% of my maximum heart rate which, for a 41-year-old woman, is 143 BPM (beats per minute).

My old goal was 30 minutes on the Elliptical, and I discovered over the summer that the 30 minutes had really ramped up my stamina. In San Francisco, I was able to walk very quickly from Fisherman's Wharf, past Pier 39, and all the way to the Embarcadero Center without being winded OR having my heart pound! It's benefited my heart in other ways too; my resting heart rate has dropped from 80 BPM or higher to just under 60 BPM.

My doctor would love to see this!

Anyway, while I was on the Elliptical, I saw two different women (one older, one younger) moving abound the club, doing some exercise. I watched the two of them for a while, and pretty soon I got really impressed...with one of them.

One of the women was about 80. She was dressed in a pretty blouse, slacks, street shoes, and carried her purse. She was using the strength machines.

The other woman was much younger, probably no more than 15-16, and she was wandering around fully kitted-out in exercise gear, even down to the iPod strapped to her arm. She was also using the strength machines.

I am a firm believer in dressing the part, so at first I just grinned at the sight of the older woman as she went up to a machine, adjusted it for her settings, set her purse down and went to work.

But then I noticed the young woman. She may have been dressed for the part, but her attitude and demeanor were drastically different from the older woman. The younger woman was LITERALLY wandering around.

Whereas the older lady clearly had a goal in mind (you could see it as she purposefully went from one machine to the next and made sure to adjust the settings properly), the younger woman was simply flitting from machine to machine. There was no clear goal apparent, as she literally wandered around the club, "trying" different machines.

I can't say she was exercising on each one, because she'd do four or five reps, get up, and wander off to another.

And her expression during the entire thing was a combination of "really pissed off" and "total boredom".

When I got off the Elliptical, I needed to use one of the machines, and the younger woman was on it. By this time, I'd watched her for five or ten minutes, and I realized that all I needed to do was wait a moment and she'd be off to another machine.

Bingo. It was less than one minute from her getting on the machine until she got back off.

Meanwhile, the older lady continued to plug along!

These two demonstrated what for me has become a central theme for my exercise:

I have to have a plan.

All along I have been saying, "Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Tell me what to eat (well, how many calories anyway) and I'll do it. Tell me how long of which type of exercise, and I'll do that too. Tell me how to get my baby to sleep all night so I don't have to wake up repeatedly to feed her, and I'll be your friend for life.

OK, sorry, I digress.

For me, having a plan means I need to use someone else's expertise to help guide me. I don't know enough about fitness, weights, machines, cardio and whatnot to be able to put into place a self-created plan, so I needed someone who could do it for me. When I found out that my club offered the use of a trainer to assist you in creating a fitness plan, I was completely sold.

When I found out it was Isaiah, the same nice guy who helped me buy some dumbbells at a local sports store, then spent ten minutes giving me tips and pointers, I was even more psyched.

Having Isaiah helping me has been so critical to my improvement. I give him this kind of credit because he's my "planner" guy. That's critical because if planning out my workout was up to me, I wouldn't be so focused, and frankly I might not even be going as consistently as I do now. I know this because I've done it before. I have tried going to a club with a self-created plan, but unfortunately my plan was based on what machines I liked to do and how much I could lift--not on any specific goal of improvement.

Without a plan that would help me reach my specific goals, I would end up flitting from one thing to another, with no real idea of exactly what I wanted or how to get there. Eventually I'd stop going, because I had nothing to work toward, and thus no way to measure my progress.

A study just came out that says much the same thing. If I can find a link to it, I'll post it here. It basically says that people who have a goal and a plan work harder and more consistently, and reach their goals, than people who simply go "work out" without goals in mind.

So back to Isaiah. Having a trainer is a critical part of my success. Granted, I told Isaiah what my goals were and, granted, I also am the one who did the work; however, he, as the trainer, gets the credit for my improvement because had the knowledge of the exercises and machines available, and was able to match up a plan with my goals.

I'm lucky because his expertise comes with my membership at the club. But I've learned enough to know that eventually, if I am no longer at this club or if I no longer have access to Isaiah or another trainer, I'll hire my own.

It's that important.

So here I am. A new routine, and new goals: stronger back, arms and shoulders. More stamina for my upcoming half marathon and SprintTriathlon. Upper body strength to manage the long walks/runs without fading out on proper posture (which apparently kills your ability to run).

Going into a brand-new routine means, of course, working hard all over again to learn new exercises, and then working through the soreness the next one, two and even three days later.

It's feeling like a rank amateur, a rookie, and pushing with all your might to move a 30 pound weight a few inches.

It's feeling like there's never going to be a day when you can say, "OK. I've mastered this and my body's too used to it now. It's time for a new plan."

But it's all worth it, because I've seen what it does for me. The stamina, the strength, the flexibility, and the weight loss have all been tremendous.

You gotta have a plan.

That's why, if you asked me which of the women that I watched today was the most impressive to me, I would say it was the older lady with the street shoes, slacks, pretty blouse and purse.

She came not with the proper workout gear, but with the proper attitude.

More importantly, she obviously had a clear goal in mind.

And THAT makes all the difference.



__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

How Much is Enough, Anyway?

Warning! Today's blog is an obsessive rant into calorie-counting and the ambiguity of knowing how much to eat. It's a little overly-introspective, perhaps, but recovering from obesity causes these sorts of angst-ridden diatribes from time to time. My apologies in advance. I will do better next time. Meanwhile, I need to get this out. Thanks!
--Karina
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So I am sitting here, feeding Kara Cheerio after Cheerio, after having already fed her a good-sized jar of Tender Harvest Organic Pear and Wild Blueberry puree' mixed in a bowl with Earth's Best Organic Whole-grain Oatmeal.

Basically what I'm trying to say here is that she's eating quite well, and she's eating a lot.

This is a good thing for a baby when it's 9 p.m. and her bedtime is about an hour past. That means she's likely to go for a longer time tonight without needing to wake up to eat.

That's always a bonus, when Mommy is the "lunch wagon". (Read: I breastfeed.)

However, it also brings up a great question:

How much food is enough, anyway?

Since getting home from California, I have had a headache nearly every single day. I am trying to track the reasons, but I think it's a combination of lack of sleep (staying up too late and once again being the sole caretaker for Maddy and Kara since Kent went to GenCon), combined with either not eating enough protein, or not eating enough, period.

I aim to take in 1800-2000 calories per day (trying to stay closer to 1800), but sometimes I go a little under because of being busy with the girls. This makes me wonder if lack of food is causing the headaches.

There is a lot of research into this topic. One of my favorite sites, the Calories Per Hour website, gives you a calculator to figure out how many calories you're supposed to eat.

But if you are trying to lose weight, or are breastfeeding (like me), or have a depressed metabolism because of previous dieting or other health issues, then that calculator could be WAY off.

Oh...if you're concerned about my losing weight and breastfeeding, read the "Side note" in purple at the bottom of this blog.

So, to go back to it, right now, I am concerned about how much I'm eating.

I know, I know--don't tamper with success. To have lost about 100 pounds, I obviously must have pegged the right balance of number of calories and exercise, at least for me.

But it still begs the question: have I so screwed up my metabolism from years of yo-yoing and diet nightmares that an extra piece of bread from my favorite bakery, When Pigs Fly, is going to depth-charge my weight-loss efforts for the day?

And for me, for the optimal balance of energy and weight loss, how much is enough, anyway?

When Maddy was born, I saw a clever ad that had a baby with a little booklet attached, and it said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if they came with an instruction manual?"

I couldn't agree more. I wish I had an instruction manual that said, "Feed 1800 calories daily". I could then simply relax. I already make the right food choices--lean proteins, high-quality carbs (whole grains), good healthy unsaturated fats, lots of salmon and walnuts and so forth--but then I would know for sure how much of each of those things I should eat, and whether it would be a good idea to have that extra piece of bread or chocolate after all.

Basically, I could stop obsessing about calories, and just live.

Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, in their book, YOU: On a Diet, say that you shouldn't count calories anyway. They have a basic eating plan that I could follow, that should provide everything I need. But I like to improvise. Sometimes I start out the day planning to have salad for dinner, and end up with a nice little piece of salmon. I do sometimes cook based on what I find fresh at my grocery store.

I also have a deathly fear of letting go of my calorie counts. It's been such a wildly successful tool for me, that I am afraid not logging everything I eat means I will "forget" that piece of See's chocolate I ate after lunch, and will end up going overboard.

And I love chocolate too much to give THAT up, too.

So I continue to obsess about eating enough.

But at the same time, I don't want to eat too little.

As a teenager, I once told my mother-in-law (before I married her son!) that I was on a diet of 1,000 calories. She gently asked me if I thought that was too little. I wish she'd whacked me upside the head and said, "What are you doing, you're going to destroy your metabolism!"

To her credit, she is a very tactful woman and would NEVER whack me upside the head, much as she might like to!

In fact, just tonight at Barnes & Noble, I read something that said that the starvation defense kicks in at just under 1200 calories. So drop to 1199 and your metabolism goes into "sleep" mode, to ensure that you don't starve to death.

Needless to say, that 1,000 calorie foray was a recipe for disaster. I not only couldn't keep it up, but I also put my metabolism to sleep at the same time.

Eating enough is SO not an issue most of the time, at least not when I'm the sole caretaker for both girls. I don't think I could eat only 1200 calories even if someone said I'd be guaranteed to win the lottery. I like food too much.

Forgetting to eat has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever done, but I have done it a few times these past few days.

I know. "Stupidest" isn't a word. But it felt right in that sentence, regardless.

(Sigh)

So yes, this is a lot of obsessing, perhaps, but really, that's part of recovery--the insecurity of whether what I'm doing is in my best health interests, or whether I'm going to be throwing myself into a tailspin when it comes to my recovery.

All of which means that on occasion, I go into a self-serving obsessive rant over whether what I'm doing is the "right" thing, past successes notwithstanding.

If you think this is bad, you should have seen me in April. I had to reread YOU: On a Diet three different times to prove to myself that this is physiological, and that the God of Weighloss did not have me on her Hit List.

Meanwhile, what I would love, love, LOVE to do is what they did for Oprah one day on her show this year, when they took a group of women to the Miraval spa. The women got a metabolism test that told them exactly how many calories they should eat. Each woman was individual--I remember being bummed for Oprah that Gayle King got to eat more than Oprah did!

And I also remember being surprised that the number seemed to be a lot lower than mine, at least based on what I've gotten off the internet. If I remember, Oprah's metabolic rate was around 1400 calories or so. I obviously don't know if that was the basal metabolic rate and needed to be ramped up for her activity level or not, but once again, the calorie count got me wondering how much is enough.

Oh. I would also like to go to Miraval Spa "just because". LOL. The metabolic testing would just be icing on the relaxation cake!

So until I find some way to get the metabolic testing for myself, I will plug along and do the best I can.

And after losing a hundred pounds, I'd say that's not half bad!

Have a good day!

"Never mistake motion for action." - Ernest Hemingway
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Side note:
Before anyone freaks about the breastfeeding, you need to know that I am the "ask for permission" type of person, and I follow orders pretty much to the letter. So you can bet that I definitely asked my doctor's permission to try losing weight while breastfeeding, and he gave me his blessing. He said I needed to be sure not to lose "too fast", because toxins you have taken in over the years (pesticides, mercury, and so forth) are stored in the body's fat, and if you lose too much fat too fast, the baby gets a dose of those toxins. It made sense to me, and I've averaged something like 1.7 pounds per week over the months--a perfect amount.

My doctor also said to eat healthy and take my vitamins, but that I should go ahead and take advantage of the breastfeeding calorie burn. He said the baby is "a lovely little parasite" and that she'd get all she needed from me automatically. He said I wouldn't hurt her by the choices I made in eating, and that the reason I needed to eat healthy was to keep my own body running properly.

Did I tell you that I love my doctor? Or that he loves me because of what my eating and exercise have done to my blood pressure and cholesterol levels--affording him a perfect example of "diet and exercise can change your life"??



__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

The "Century Mark"

I did it!!! :D

Today, I went downstairs and, as per usual, jumped on the scale to check in.

It read 158.6--which means that, as of today, Sunday August 19, 2007, I have lost 101 pounds.

Wooooooooooooo-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Words can't describe how I feel! My written goal (remember: I write every goal down) was to cross the 100 pound threshhold, or the "Century Mark", by September 1. And although I wasn't starving myself or over-exercising to get there artificially, I still managed to do it with over a week to spare.

It has been a long, long time since I last saw this weight. It was 1989, to be exact. I came home from a summer in Italy, got engaged, stopped all my walking and started eating, and I never really stopped.

In fact, for YEARS I lied about my weight on my driver's license. The license said 170, even when I was 259. Now, my weight is a lie again--but this time, on the happy side!

When Kent called in from GenCon to say HI, I told him about having broken the 100 pound mark, and he was so excited and proud for me! He said he had good news too, "But not as good as" mine, that he'd come in 12th overall in the big 7-hour gaming event they had last night. He was really proud of himself, to be up against the best gamers in the country, and come in 12th for the 2nd year running. I was happy for him too, but he was so excited on my behalf.

Now, you'd think I would want to go out and buy new clothes to celebrate. Well, remember, I've been hitting the shops (eBay, consignment, sales) so I am not destitute in the apparel department. However, there's yet another reason I don't need to hit the shops--the shops came to me!

You see, the girls' Godmother, "Auntie Sue", came up for a girls'-only weekend while Kent was gone, and she came up with a ton of clothes for me to borrow from her own closet. She has a LOT of clothes, far more than I think I've ever owned, and best yet, she has great taste.

There are some of the cutest little dresses (sheath-type) that I could have never worn before--I used to be really heavy on bottom and narrow on top, even when I was thinner...somehow my body shape changed! And boy, they look so good. There are suits, sweaters, pants, and this killer pantsuit that is a size 8 that I can't quite wear (yet), but I vow to, it's so pretty.

There's even a Laura-Ashley white sleeveless sheath dress that is a bit tight in the bodice, but after Kara is weaned, I think that'll fit properly. A few more pounds lost will help too. It's SO cute and sexy at the same time. I always wanted to wear Laura Ashley clothes, but I was too heavy.

So far, I've gone through all the non-boxed stuff, and I still have three huge tubs of clothes to go through. It's like my own little personal shopping session in my own home.

Now I need to get a full-length mirror for myself. Pathetically, I had to borrow my 7-year-old's mirror to see how things fit. LOL!

Today's weigh-in is not what I consider "official", only because my "official" weigh-in is always Monday. I'm not sure why I chose Monday. I used to chose Friday because that meant I could eat like mad all weekend and still starve myself up for Friday's weigh-in--cheating, to be sure. But I love Monday weigh-ins, although my Mother-In-Law and best friend (Pam) think I'm nuts because I have to weigh myself wearing blue jeans.

I know, I know. If I wear blue jeans, I'll weigh more. The goal isn't to weigh myself naked--because at my doctor's office, I wouldn't be naked either. I want to weigh myself wearing as close to the clothing I'd wear for an appointment as I can. That usually means jeans and a top; therefore, I wear jeans for my Monday weigh-ins. Otherwise I always add one pound to account for the extra weight when I weigh myself daily at home.

Yes, that means my scale ACTUALLY read 157.6 this morning. I added the pound for the jeans.

And that is why my MIL and Pam think I'm nuts. :D

Why do I weigh myself daily when Weight Watchers says to do it weekly? I learned that the daily weigh-in helps keep me honest. The weight, being front and center, is my motivation to eat well that day.

And being a Recovering Obesian (whatever you call Obese people) means that I really do take things one day at a time, just like a recovering alcoholic. If I screw up one day, well that was one day out of my life. I acknowledge it, and try to figure out what happened (usually stress or tiredness, although occasionally it's a choice to overeat--and I allow that).

Then I move on. That's the critical part.

I also don't think, "Well I screwed up today, I might as well really screw up, I'm such a loser". I used to do that but I've learned that each day is its own opportunity, and I make of that what I can.

So yeah, here I am, 101 pounds lighter, and a ton of clothes waiting for me to try them on. The baby is asleep, Maddy and Auntie Sue are watching "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (because Maddy just finished reading the book--she can watch the movie after she's read the book), and I have NOTHING to do but dishes from last night's lobster fest (lobster, steamer clams, corn and a potato) and try on the clothes.

Oh, and I need to start writing to Oprah. Her show is looking for people who lost a lot of weight. I think I qualify (although I'm still in the process, and am not in "maintenance" yet).

Well, anyway...between the dishes and the clothes, guess which one I'm going to do?? :D

Have a fabulous day!

--Karina

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." - Frank A. Clark



__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

The Freedom to Tri

I know, I know. I misspelled "Try".

Actually I didn't.

What today's blog is about is FREEDOM. We don't think about freedom, other than freedom from worry or freedom from terrorism. But there are other freedoms too, which I didn't enjoy in my previous life as a morbidly obese woman.

The joyful part of this journey into overcoming obesity is that I have gained a new measure of freedom in my life.

I have the freedom to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I do not limit myself, ever, on any foods that I eat. I learned that being free to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, means that I am not afraid of food. I do not demonize it, or put it on a pedestal. Food is food. That's all there is to it. Lettuce is not more virtuous than chocolate, and a Starbuck's Mocha is not more deadly than a cup of decaf tea. To continue to lose weight, if I have these other things, I just fit them into my day by balancing out the calories over the rest of the day or, if necessary, the rest of the week.

Oh, and one more freedom that I have about food is that I can feel comfortable eating anything in front of anyone, without wondering if people around me are judging me on what I eat and thinking unkind thoughts.

That's something that plus-sized women think about. At least, I did.

Another freedom I have is the freedom to wear pretty clothes. I am not relegated to the Women's section of Macy's which, oddly enough, is like being relegated to the back of the bus. If you want to see what I mean, go to the Macy's flagship store in Herald Square in New York. I do not think you can get any higher up or any further back in the store than the Women's section. It's on the 7th floor, and if you enter from Herald Square (as most people seem to), you have to pass through all the other departments on that floor to get to it. I wrote a whole blog yesterday about clothes, so I won't go on. But that freedom to buy clothes anywhere, and on sale, is one of the best and most unanticipated bonuses of this entire journey.

I also have the freedom to exercise without feeling uncomfortable or ungainly. I can go out and run, as I did today, and if I feel like I want to keep going, I can, without a lot of huffing and puffing (unless I'm going uphill, of course). I can push myself to go further and further, and improve, and it doesn't hurt my lungs or hurt my legs or hurt my chest. I don't get headaches and I don't feel like I'm trying to move lead. Of course, after running my first half marathon, I might feel like I'm made of lead, but that's simply because I'll be pushing myself beyond my new limits. The old obese me had such low limits that any exercise at all brought such misery. Even walking a mile with friends on the school track had me puffing so hard I thought I'd have to stop. Yet today, I ran 1.6 miles, then after a .2 mile walk, I ran another mile. Maybe that's not much to some people, but considering that before this summer, the last time I ran a mile was junior high, we have some serious breakthrough here.

Another freedom I have is the Freedom to Tri.

Ah yes. The misspelling that isn't.

"The Freedom to Tri" means that I have such health, I am going to try new adventures.

Like a Triathlon.

You may have read that blog, about my upcoming races. What this blog is about is that recovering from obesity, to me, means that I have been able to get out and do things, like the 5K I jogged and walked back in June, or the kayaking I did last weekend, or the Triathlon I'm going to run in September.

You see, this to me is the most important freedom of all. The freedom to Try (Tri). The freedom to take on new adventures. The freedom to get out and be active in all the fun ways I wanted to be before, but didn't have the health to actually do.

As I mentioned, this past weekend I actually went on a Walk-On Adventure offered by L.L.Bean. These are walk-up-and-go-as-you-are physical activities that cost $15, and run anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. L.L. Bean provides all the equipment you need, and then gives you introductory lessons, so that you can go out and actually do the things you've always wanted to try.

So I decided, in honor of my 97 pounds lost, I was going to go kayaking. Almost two years ago, when I was at my heaviest, I tried to get into a friend's kayak up at Sebago Lake. I fell out twice and never attempted it again. This time, however, I was bound and determined to get out there in a kayak.

I was nervous, sure. I explained my lack of experience, and the guides laughed and told me not to worry, these were more stable "recreational" kayaks, and that they'd get me into the kayak on the dock and then simply slide me into the water anyway--no possibility of falling over trying to get in.

So Kent took the girls to Borders, and off I went. I got my "personal floatation device" (no longer needing the largest they had), paid careful attention as they described the paddle strokes and how to turn, slow down and stop, and then it was time to get in the kayak.

No joke. They literally did slide me backwards down a ramp from the dock right into the water. And aside from a bit of a wiggle when I got in, I was very stable.

I was so excited! It felt a bit unwieldy at first, as I tried to get out of the way of the other dozen kayakers and two guides. I even bumped someone at one point, and the guide just laughed and said the kayaks came equipped with magnets and they attracted each other.

But pretty soon, I got the hang of it. When someone dodged in front of me, I quickly backstroked to stop. When we needed to wait for others, I was able to quickly "turn on a dime" to watch for them. And when the guide told us to head out toward the channel, I was off.

I wish I could convey the excitement of being out on the water in my own kayak. Half the fun was being with other people in their kayaks...sort of like biking, but not having to stick to "our lane of traffic". We meandered, we zig-zagged, some of us went faster and some slower.

Our male guide was fantastic--he knew the history of this part of the Harrasseeket River, and told us stories about the castle turret we saw, and pointed out good restaurants to try. He showed us Osprey and had us watch as one fluttered, hovering in place, before diving for something it saw in the water. He pointed out the flock of Canada Geese--not that we needed pointing, they are unbelievably noisy as they go past overhead. And he looked for but didn't see the resident Bald Eagle.

We chatted with people in boats, hanging out on the River, and ended up going into an area that was too shallow for other boats, very close to the geese. Our paddles hit bottom, but we glided on.

And the gliding was so incredible. Sure, I worked for it, paddling this side and that, but the sensation was so smooth, so sure, and so free, that I didn't mind the work I was doing. The breeze off the surface of the water kept us cool, and I had a bottle of water to drink while we were out.

Who knew that kayaks come equipped with a water bottle holder tucked between the knees?

The hour and a half we spent on the water was over too fast. We glided back to the dock, and I was able to quickly zip over to the far side of the dock and line myself up properly to help them pull us out--again, no ungainly trying to get in and out of the kayak, so no chance I could fall in.

I would love to have a kayak, but I also recognize that, as I mentioned before, half the fun of the kayaking was being out on the water with other people. I think I would enjoy solo kayaking, but if I was going to be out on my own, I think I'd almost rather do some serious rowing, like sculling.

I've always wanted to try that, too. Maybe there's someplace in Boston I can go to give it a tri...er, a try??

Have a great evening. Go out and do something!

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers


__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

SCORE!!!!!!!!! GOALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, I am not referring to the recent appearance of David Beckham, sans shirt, on the LA Galaxy.

I am referring to the nice little suit I bought this weekend.

It's my new Goal.

David Beckham has nothing to do with it. But I know that his wife, Victoria Beckham (formerly Posh Spice) would TOTALLY approve.

Let me digress.

I started this weight-loss journey at 259.6 pounds, as I have mentioned in a previous blog or two. After months and months of moving and eating properly, I have wound my way down to a new low of 162.5.

I am beyond psyched! Not just at the number, but at the ease of movement and the MUSCLES that have come as a direct result!

The other reason I am psyched is that I have discovered that I have moved far, far, and even more far from my former perception of fashion as being "pointless" and "too expensive".

I LOVE CLOTHES.

Oh God. OK. That is probably the single most Paris-Hilton-like statement I have EVER made in my life. But oh my gosh! I have a figure!

(And, as I told Kent...I know how to use it!!)

So I have been having the best time, not just buying new clothes, but finding clothes that are cute AND completely, totally inexpensive.

It started with moving beyond my former "skinny" jeans that were size 16 "Elizabeth" jeans from the Liz Claiborne for Women line.

I became a size 14, and suddenly I needed new jeans. I went to the Elizabeth outlet at Kittery, Maine, where I always bought my jeans, and found to my delight that size 14 was as small as they went.

This became my new goal: move out of Elizabeth clothing. Not only did I want to be a 12, I wanted to wear a size medium as well.

My goals all along have been the next ten pound increment (as measured by breaking into the nines--like 229, 219, 209, 199, and so forth), and the next size down in clothing.

I ALWAYS write my goals down. I found a long time ago that if you write it down, you make it real. I have found that every goal I've written (except the most recent), I have met.

Every one.

So my goal when I hit 14 was to get to a 12, and to move from a Large to a Medium. And when I did, I vowed to find a way to buy some cute clothes, despite being a stay-at-home-mom with little income.

Size 12 occurred this past June, just before we headed to California. To my surprise, the Medium came with it.

So cool!

So I bought some great $19 "Adirondack" jeans from L.L. Bean (which were wicked soft and comfy), and a cute white pima cotton shirt for $16, both of which ended up being free because I had coupons worth $40 for L.L. Bean. I found some new shirts on clearance at Macy's, and I also got a size 12 cute blue-with-white-polka-dots skirt and some khakis when the New York & Co store at my local mall went out of business. Those I got at 75% off, so they were each around $7.

I wore those clothes all summer, and boy I felt great!

But an odd thing happened. Of course, being in 12s and Mediums meant my next written goal was 10s and smalls.

And guess what happened in California?

I may not have budged past 165 the last three weeks I was there, but my size changed. I went from a 12 to a 10, and from a Medium to a small.

I am a small.

Oh.

My.

God.

WHAT a shock!

I celebrated by going to Target and splurging by spending $20 to buy a cute khaki skirt in a size 10, and then I also got a couple shirts (Mossimo striped polo, that was a size Large because that line is very tight, marked down to $2.50 on the sale rack, and a small white short-sleeved sweater marked down to $5 and change, also on the sale rack).

I also had to buy a belt for my 12 Khakis that no longer stayed up on their own. Marked down to $3.50 on the sale rack.

The other surprise about being a smaller size--there are lots of options for sale clothing on those perennial sales racks in stores like Target!

Cool.

I cannot go any further than Small, but I did make a new goal: Size 8.

And my inspiration?

That suit I bought...

I have discovered that not all clothes are available at malls. There is Target, and its sales racks; there are outlet malls (of which we have several in Maine); and, there are secondary sites, like eBay-types and consignment stores, all of which have some really killer deals, especially if you are a size small.

Like the suit I bought.

In a size 8.

So what kind of suit is it?

It's beautiful. Red, I think it's a wool blend because it's a warmer suit. The jacket is so cool, it has a little swishy skirty-like bottom to it, and the skirt is a "pencil" skirt that flows over the hips and hugs the legs and makes you look like a total Diva.

And it's a size 8. I can put it on, but I cannot quite button it up yet, but I vow to.

Because I got it for $10.

And it's a Christian Dior.

Oh.

My.

God.

I got a CHRISTIAN DIOR "The Suit" for $10!!!

I could not believe it when I stumbled across it.

Do NOT ask me where. I won't tell. ;) That's my secret.

But it made me think, perhaps there is another one out there somewhere?

Score #2 this past Tuesday:

A Christian Dior suit jacket (sadly, no skirt), but the jacket is super long, below the hips, and it's a more traditional suit fabric. Black, and beautiful...and I look like I have Sophia Loren's body in it. I mean, I have these beautiful, sexy-as-hell curves that would make J.Lo jealous!

And it's already my size!

It would look totally killer with a long, pleated, wide skirt. I didn't find one of those, at least one that even came close to someday fitting me. I could also wear it witha pair of tan pleated trousers, which I already have. It actually even looked totally awesome with my khaki shorts.

And I got that jacket for less than $7.

I also got another pair of L.L.Bean jeans, a pair of Calvin Klein jeans (OH MY GOD, Calvin Klein??), a United Colors of Benetton suit jacket in a dark slate blue, and a really killer leather cropped jacket that looks all worn in and has a neat brass-buckled belt on it, which looks like something Angelina Jolie would wear (not that I even LIKE her, but it's that type, sexy and feminine but edgy, like I'm about to leap on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14!). The brand name on that jacket is "Compagnie Internationale EXPRESS" (in a size small), not that I even know what that brand is.

Oh and I also got a pair of Aeropostale khaki pants as well.

I got some other stuff but those were the highlights.

The cost? Everything was less than $15 each. Even the jacket.

Beautiful clothes are so much fun, and these consignment shops are such a blast. You can find some amazing things if you spend the time to look. And I am a hunter. I have developed into one after almost two decades as a morbidly obese woman, because if you are that size, you HAVE to hunt to find things that not only fit, but look presentable.

Now, I can look more than presentable.

So watch out, new goal. I have a hot little red Christian Dior that has my name on it.

Have a fabulous evening, and remember:

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe." - Anatole France



__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!

Am I out of my mind???

Well I have done it now.

I haven't written in a while. Boy did I foul this blog up. I meant to write all summer, but something about being 3,000+ miles from home with my two girls (hubby Kent was at home) meant that I did very little writing. I have been working on a book about my experiences, too, and while I did a little work on it, that's about all I did.

The rest of the time, I was walking and jogging and running up hills three times a week, and visiting with family, swimming at the River House (in Willow Creek), eating lots of veggies and fruits and generally moving my way down to a new low of 165.

I then sat at that 165 mark for three weeks. I've since moved lower, 162.5 on my last weigh-in two days ago, but considering my hubby thought I would gain weight while in California (thanks to my Mom's great cooking), I think I did OK.

So back to how I started the blog: Now I've done it. I am out of my mind.

What, pray tell, have I done?

I have signed up for not ONE but TWO big races.

On consecutive weekends.

To be held in just over six weeks.

Yup. I am signed up for the Women's Only Half Marathon in York, Maine on September 23, and I am also signed up for a Sprint Triathlon at Cape Elizabeth, Maine on September 30.

And in a small bid toward mentally preparing for those, I am signed up as a volunteer to mark numbers on triathletes (LEGS and ARMS ONLY, PEOPLE!!!) at the West Kennebunk FireMan Sprint Triathlon on August 26. The idea is that I can mark triathletes, and when they're in the water, I get to go watch how they do the swim-bike and bike-run transitions, and hopefully learn how the heck I'm going to get out of a swimsuit and into my running gear (which is also going to be my biking gear).

Good plan, eh? :D

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, a Half Marathon is just that--13 miles. And it's "walker-friendly" although if you intend to jog at all, you have to sign up as a runner, which is what I've done.

AND, for those who also don't know (as I didn't), a "Sprint Triathlon" is a short, non-Ironman-distance triathlon comprising an approximately 450 yard swim (in my case, in a swimming pool..thank God no wetsuits!), a 15-mile bike ride, and a 5K run.

I have always wanted to do a triathlon. I would LOVE to someday do the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii, but I realize that I have many years to go before I can manage that...and probably it won't happen at least until the baby is in her teens. Or near enough anyway. And by then I'll be in my ... ergh ... 60s!!!!!!

Oh God. I just got depressed.

Anyway, I have always wanted to do a triathlon. When I weighed 259.6 pounds, that was a far-flung dream. But last week, I got a shot of "I-Can-Do-This" when I decided to do my little walk/jog routine from Kennebunkport all the way to my in-law's condo in Kennebunk, and did it in record (for me) time.

How far is it? It's a "nice" little 7.6 mile distance, if you go through Dock Square, which I chose to do.

I was secretly hoping I could manage it in 90 minutes. I did, however, stop several times for about 7-8 minutes to talk to people I knew along the way, and made it in 97 minutes. So if you don't count the stop times, I made it in 90. My actual speed in movement was about 12 minutes per mile...not bad, especially considering that last January, I couldn't even WALK for 30 minutes on a treadmill.

That made me so excited, I started looking around for another race. "Another" because back in June, Maddy and I did the York Hospital 5K run, and we weren't even the last ones in (although an 80-year-old man beat us quite handily).

So now that I can walk and jog with a jogging stroller for 90 minutes, and still have energy when I'm done, I suddenly start thinking "half-marathon", "marathon", and "triathlon"!

I have well and truly lost my ever-loving mind.

Still...you gotta admit. This has truly been an amazing journey.

So now here I am, and I have these two major races coming up. However, I am also actively pursuing employment. No more teaching for me! I am DONE. I turned in two applications today, one for a receptionist job that I really, really want (with an ad agency in Portland), and one for a copy editor for a magazine, which I would also like to do. I think it'd be fun.

The receptionist job looks great...reception's the main duty but I'd be a backup for the clerical, all of which is easily doable. I spent almost 10 years as a secretary so it sounds like a nice, low-stress (in terms of ability) job.

That means that it's likely that I'll be training and working full-time at the same time. At least for the next month or so. But I can do it! I already figured out how I can do my usual routine at the club, of elliptical trainer on cardio setting (143 beats per minute on the heart for 30 minutes just about kills me...but it's done wonders for my stamina) and my weight machine rounds. I can do them separately, instead of all at the same visit, and alternate them most mornings (6x per week). The amount of time I need is 30-45 minutes per day, plus another 15 to shower and dress, so if I left the house at 6ish, I could do my routine and still get to work on time, assuming it starts at 8.

Of course, the running/swimming/biking will have to be done after work, but Kent will support me. He has already said as much and added how proud of me he is.

So I am completely out of my mind. It will be interesting to see how this goes, not just exercise-wise, but time- and weight-loss-wise at the same time.

I have other news to write, but it doesn't belong on this blog. I'll add another one.

Have a great evening. And remember:

“Blessed are the flexible for they shall never be bent out of shape.” – Ancient Xterra Tribe Race Director Proverb



__________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!