First, this public service announcement: when you're setting your alarm clock, just do a quick check to make sure the AM/PM thing is set correctly. :)
I'm at another of my part-time jobs today, hosting Weekend Edition Sunday on my local NPR news station. I got here in enough time to be prepared for my first newscast, but it wasn't the best start to the day. I managed to throw some fruit and a granola bar (not ideal but it was what I could bring) in my bag on my way out the door, since I'll be in this studio until 11am.
I've learned -- or maybe should say, RE-learned -- a couple of things already this week, and I'm feeling so grateful. If I were to go no farther with the PCP than this point (don't worry, folks, I'm in for the long haul), I would have these things to take with me.
First, the half-diet has been revelatory. I do not need nearly as much food as I think I do, and I've been eating way too much, just out of habit. Look, I love food, and I think it's one of life's great pleasures -- but really, the first few bites taste the best, and the awareness I've had to summon this week has made me realize that I don't need as *much* food in order to enjoy it.
Last night, my husband and I went to a Palestianian restaurant for dinner, one of those places that isn't much to look at but has fantastic food. We split their sampler platter with baba ganoush, falafel, chicken kebab, lamb shawarma, a couple of different kinds of salads, and pita bread. (The only problem was they were out of hummus -- what kind of Mediterranean restaurant runs out of hummus??) I tasted everything and it was all great. But I STOPPED eating much earlier than I would have had I not been paying attention. At the point I stopped, I felt like I could eat more, but I really wasn't hungry anymore. It was probably still more calories than I should be having at this point but I'm proud of myself that I made such a big change. I understand that much bigger food changes are ahead for us, but this has been terrific all on its own.
The other thing I've relearned is how good exercise makes me feel, both physically and mentally. Whenever I've gotten into a regular exercise habit, I've been able to maintain it by reminding myself that exercise is as much for my mental health as for my physical health. When I'm getting enough exercise, my state of mind is sunnier and I feel more capable of taking on difficult things. I believe there are very real biochemical effects from exercise that can be as good or better than any antidepressant medication. Even though our workouts have been short this week, just the act of getting my heart rate up and getting all sweaty has done wonders for my state of mind.
I'm super-inspired by what's gone on so far. I know things are going to get harder, so I'm happy that I already have some things to take away even before I see any physical results. And it's a pleasure to be on this journey with my PCP teammates -- you guys are terrific!
Happy Sunday!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Rev your engines!
I just have to share -- here's the general horoscope for all signs for this week, courtesy of AstroStyle.com. I'm not a big believer in astrology but I think it can be helpful sometimes. I'm choosing to see this as VERY helpful for all of us PCP-ers. :)
General Astrology Overview for All 12 Signs:
Rev up your engines. Mighty Jupiter leaps forward from Pisces into Aries from June 6 until September 8. This is a rare cosmic occurrence, as Jupiter generally stays in one sign for a full year. Since January 17, 2010 we’ve had the planet of luck, expansion and higher consciousness in Pisces. For better or for worse, life has been but a dream. Going with the flow was a better answer than forcing the issue. Sure, we longed for results, but it’s been all about trusting the universe and waiting for divine timing to give us the green light. Now, the switch has been flipped to “go!” With Jupiter thundering into Aries for three months, it’s time to summon forth the warrior princesses, queens and kings within us, and do battle with the resistant forces that are standing in our way. Uranus, the planet of social change, already made a similar leap from Pisces into Aries last month. Through September, the two cosmic forces unite to help us move mountains in the name of progress. The revolution has begun, and yes, it will be televised. This may be a sneak preview of a full-length feature that’s set to air in 2011, but one thing is for certain. Embracing change and taking the initiative is the only way to stay on top of your game now.
Day 4: Jump Rope Breakthrough!
(Coming to you live today from one of my many part-time jobs, in addition to being a mostly stay-at-home mom -- I'm playing classical music on the radio today! 11am to 3pm Eastern today, listen here if you want!)
It's so nice to feel a little bit of progress, like I'm getting just a hair better and stronger. I had a jump rope moment this morning that really made me happy.
I've been struggling a bit with finding the right rope and figuring out my technique. The first rope I got was vinyl, so-called "EZ Jump" made by Reebok. The middle section is thicker so it's weighted, and theoretically will be easier to jump with. Two problems with this rope: it was all folded up in the box and those bends from folding are still in the rope, and the handles don't really rotate. So after about 15 jumps or so, the rope starts to get kinked and twisted and shorter and then I bonk myself in the head. I have to stop and unwind the stupid thing.
I bought another rope, a better one with handles that rotate well, but I had a hard time figuring out the right length. It was way too long at first, I shortened it but still thought it was too long, so shortened it again, then feared it was too short because I kept hitting myself in the head anyway. I looked up a couple of jump rope videos online to learn more about good form (as Patrick says, we're living in the Matrix and you can find almost anything online) and that really helped. Today, during the last 20 jumps of my last set, everything aligned: my hands were in the right place, I was swishing the rope just right, the rhythm was perfect and it felt great. I'll probably trip again tomorrow, but having just a hint of doing it right was really fun and encouraging.
The food is going okay. I still get a little anxious when I look at what I'm about to eat -- the little voice inside is yelling, "Not enough! Not enough!" But then I eat and everything's okay, it really is enough. Breaking habits takes a lot of repetition. I think about how many times I've eaten more than I needed and I know it'll take many times of eating less to get used to it.
Boy, who knew that a simple comment about laundry would spark so much conversation! But these are the hidden "costs" of getting fit. It's not only the time you actually spend exercising but the time around it. In my case, with a little kid at home, having enough time to shower every day can be a little challenging. (I know, gross, right? But it's true.) I get so sweaty during these PCP workouts that I absolutely have to hose off afterwards, so I have to build that into my workout time. I'm sure that next week when we get our "real" PCP diets, there will be plenty of food prep time. (This is something I see other PCP-ers mentioning a lot, so I expect it to be time-consuming.) I have to remind myself to build in the time to do all those things to keep myself healthy.
After all, every morning at about 8:00 my daughter (who's almost 2) goes to the basement door and says very expectantly, "Dance party?" This is our post-breakfast thing these days: we go downstairs where we have a stereo and lots of space, and we put on very loud music and jump up and down and spin until we get dizzy and bounce on the bed in the guest room. There's a lot of laughing and a lot of shrieking and I'm tired within about 15 minutes. My daughter just runs everywhere by default so keeping up with her is no easy feat. This is why her picture is with me at the top of my blog -- I want to be able to do things with her and provide a good example for her, instead of always just saying, "Mommy's too tired." I was not an athletic kid but maybe she'll have the chance to be one.
It's so nice to feel a little bit of progress, like I'm getting just a hair better and stronger. I had a jump rope moment this morning that really made me happy.
I've been struggling a bit with finding the right rope and figuring out my technique. The first rope I got was vinyl, so-called "EZ Jump" made by Reebok. The middle section is thicker so it's weighted, and theoretically will be easier to jump with. Two problems with this rope: it was all folded up in the box and those bends from folding are still in the rope, and the handles don't really rotate. So after about 15 jumps or so, the rope starts to get kinked and twisted and shorter and then I bonk myself in the head. I have to stop and unwind the stupid thing.
I bought another rope, a better one with handles that rotate well, but I had a hard time figuring out the right length. It was way too long at first, I shortened it but still thought it was too long, so shortened it again, then feared it was too short because I kept hitting myself in the head anyway. I looked up a couple of jump rope videos online to learn more about good form (as Patrick says, we're living in the Matrix and you can find almost anything online) and that really helped. Today, during the last 20 jumps of my last set, everything aligned: my hands were in the right place, I was swishing the rope just right, the rhythm was perfect and it felt great. I'll probably trip again tomorrow, but having just a hint of doing it right was really fun and encouraging.
The food is going okay. I still get a little anxious when I look at what I'm about to eat -- the little voice inside is yelling, "Not enough! Not enough!" But then I eat and everything's okay, it really is enough. Breaking habits takes a lot of repetition. I think about how many times I've eaten more than I needed and I know it'll take many times of eating less to get used to it.
Boy, who knew that a simple comment about laundry would spark so much conversation! But these are the hidden "costs" of getting fit. It's not only the time you actually spend exercising but the time around it. In my case, with a little kid at home, having enough time to shower every day can be a little challenging. (I know, gross, right? But it's true.) I get so sweaty during these PCP workouts that I absolutely have to hose off afterwards, so I have to build that into my workout time. I'm sure that next week when we get our "real" PCP diets, there will be plenty of food prep time. (This is something I see other PCP-ers mentioning a lot, so I expect it to be time-consuming.) I have to remind myself to build in the time to do all those things to keep myself healthy.
After all, every morning at about 8:00 my daughter (who's almost 2) goes to the basement door and says very expectantly, "Dance party?" This is our post-breakfast thing these days: we go downstairs where we have a stereo and lots of space, and we put on very loud music and jump up and down and spin until we get dizzy and bounce on the bed in the guest room. There's a lot of laughing and a lot of shrieking and I'm tired within about 15 minutes. My daughter just runs everywhere by default so keeping up with her is no easy feat. This is why her picture is with me at the top of my blog -- I want to be able to do things with her and provide a good example for her, instead of always just saying, "Mommy's too tired." I was not an athletic kid but maybe she'll have the chance to be one.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
After Day 3 workout
I'm glad to hear that my PCP teammates are all feeling sore -- not because I want them to be in pain, but because it tells me that all the soreness I'm feeling is normal! I'm actually liking it, though, because it feels like my muscles are waking up. It's not so bad that I can't do my normal activities, but just a little reminder throughout the day that I'm actually using my body and pushing it a little bit.
I find my mind jumping ahead to the workouts we'll do in a few weeks and wondering how I'll ever get through them. Then I bring myself back to today's workout and try not to think about the future. I have faith that I'll be prepared when I get there.
PCP = lots of laundry! When I was going for a (half-hearted) run three days a week, I only needed three sports bras. Jumping rope is super-sweaty, though, so more workout clothes needed per week. I always remember some old Nike ad that said "a good running week is a bad laundry week." May we all have bad laundry weeks!
This is fun.
I find my mind jumping ahead to the workouts we'll do in a few weeks and wondering how I'll ever get through them. Then I bring myself back to today's workout and try not to think about the future. I have faith that I'll be prepared when I get there.
PCP = lots of laundry! When I was going for a (half-hearted) run three days a week, I only needed three sports bras. Jumping rope is super-sweaty, though, so more workout clothes needed per week. I always remember some old Nike ad that said "a good running week is a bad laundry week." May we all have bad laundry weeks!
This is fun.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
This is interesting
The thought process that goes on as I'm preparing a meal during this half-eating week...
"OK, I really want a [whatever] but I'll have [something else healthy]. But I can only have half of this salmon burger? But it's so small already!"
Now I'm so dispirited that I barely want to make anything to eat, but my stomach is grumbling so I know I need to eat something.
Talk myself into it: "It'll be fine, I don't need as much food as I think, it's just for a few days, I'm not going to starve to death, just suck it up and be strong, transitions are hard but this will be worthwhile..."
I sit down and eat. It's definitely less than I'm used to -- that's the point! -- but it's okay. When I'm finished, I know I could eat more, but I don't. (That is a weird feeling. The fact that that is a weird feeling is really important and good to be aware of.)
And then here's the most surprising thing: I managed to not be obsessed with food all day, even though I ate much less than I normally do. I was hungry, but I was busy so I wasn't thinking about food so much.
Once in college I lost a lot of weight because I basically stopped eating for a while. I knew it was unhealthy behavior but the social rewards were so great that I continued doing it. Two of my best girlfriends sat me down one evening and told me that I was on the verge of a serious problem, and that woke me up enough to change my path. Since then, I've tried to focus on being sane in my eating and not doing anything too extreme, so this "eat half what you normally do and ignore your rumbling stomach" rang some warning bells for me. But it really has been okay so far. I'm happily surprised.
"OK, I really want a [whatever] but I'll have [something else healthy]. But I can only have half of this salmon burger? But it's so small already!"
Now I'm so dispirited that I barely want to make anything to eat, but my stomach is grumbling so I know I need to eat something.
Talk myself into it: "It'll be fine, I don't need as much food as I think, it's just for a few days, I'm not going to starve to death, just suck it up and be strong, transitions are hard but this will be worthwhile..."
I sit down and eat. It's definitely less than I'm used to -- that's the point! -- but it's okay. When I'm finished, I know I could eat more, but I don't. (That is a weird feeling. The fact that that is a weird feeling is really important and good to be aware of.)
And then here's the most surprising thing: I managed to not be obsessed with food all day, even though I ate much less than I normally do. I was hungry, but I was busy so I wasn't thinking about food so much.
Once in college I lost a lot of weight because I basically stopped eating for a while. I knew it was unhealthy behavior but the social rewards were so great that I continued doing it. Two of my best girlfriends sat me down one evening and told me that I was on the verge of a serious problem, and that woke me up enough to change my path. Since then, I've tried to focus on being sane in my eating and not doing anything too extreme, so this "eat half what you normally do and ignore your rumbling stomach" rang some warning bells for me. But it really has been okay so far. I'm happily surprised.
A word about leg-ups
They're HARD! Wow. I had to talk myself through every rep of that last set.
This is one reason I'm glad I'm not working out in a gym: nobody else around to hear me talking to myself, sweating, panting. I'm all for transparency and accountability -- that's why I'm glad to keep a blog, and why I emailed all my friends this morning and told them about it. But the actual WORK of the working out -- I'm happy to do that in private, at least for now.
This is one reason I'm glad I'm not working out in a gym: nobody else around to hear me talking to myself, sweating, panting. I'm all for transparency and accountability -- that's why I'm glad to keep a blog, and why I emailed all my friends this morning and told them about it. But the actual WORK of the working out -- I'm happy to do that in private, at least for now.
Day 1 & Day 2: Liftoff!
The starting date for my PCP was a little inauspicious: I was out of town for the holiday weekend, visiting my husband's family. We had a 3-hour drive back home so I didn't get to do my workout until the early evening, which is definitely not my favorite time of day to exercise. But because I'm not letting any excuses get in my way this time, I put on my shoes and did it just after putting my daughter to bed. A friend gave me some good jump-rope tips and it wasn't too bad! I tripped a fair number of times but it was fun anyway. I haven't jumped rope since elementary school so I expect it'll take a few days to get the feel of it. I felt very virtuous sitting down to dinner after doing the workout.
I think I need to develop a good sense of the difference between "difficult" and "requires effort." Patrick says the Week 1 workouts are pretty easy, and I think he's right. But they do require effort. I was sweating before the end of the first set of jumps, and I felt tired afterwards. In my mind, that has often been a marker that something is wrong -- if I'm tired, sore, sweaty, shaky, then I must have been doing something that was too hard for me. But I'm trying to remind myself that all of those signs are indications that I have been challenged, and that whatever I'm doing is going to help me grow. (And I also know that dizzy, passing out, can't stand up, etc., are definitely signs of too much.) I've had a problem with fear while exercising, and I want to take that fear on, look at the roots of it, dismantle it, and not allow it to stop me anymore.
The halfsies diet is going fine, although I was a little hungry yesterday. I reminded myself that people all over the world are way hungrier than that every day. I felt a little absurd leaving half an apple on the breakfast table this morning -- I didn't get to where I am now because I ate an entire apple. But I know that it's not just about calories. In order to eat "about half of my usual diet," I have to think about what my usual diet is, and it's good to see that I can eat much less than normal and the world doesn't collapse.
I currently weigh more than I would like, but I'm mostly okay with it. Sure, I'd like to be in better shape, but if I were at this current weight forever, I think I could deal. The problem is that in order to just stay at this current weight as I get older, I'm going to have to work harder. I don't want to have to work hard just to be at this weight -- if I'm going to work hard, I want to weigh less. I recently moved from New York City to Louisville, KY, where the average person is heavier, so I feel skinnier in comparison. That factor makes it even easier to coast and just say, oh, I'm fine. But I'm not where I want to be, and I know that unless I change my current habits, I'm not going to have the energy and confidence to do the things I want to do.
Grateful for this program, grateful for my team members, grateful for my family who are supporting me, and grateful that my body can at least do this much. Keeping my expectations quiet and focusing on the process!
I think I need to develop a good sense of the difference between "difficult" and "requires effort." Patrick says the Week 1 workouts are pretty easy, and I think he's right. But they do require effort. I was sweating before the end of the first set of jumps, and I felt tired afterwards. In my mind, that has often been a marker that something is wrong -- if I'm tired, sore, sweaty, shaky, then I must have been doing something that was too hard for me. But I'm trying to remind myself that all of those signs are indications that I have been challenged, and that whatever I'm doing is going to help me grow. (And I also know that dizzy, passing out, can't stand up, etc., are definitely signs of too much.) I've had a problem with fear while exercising, and I want to take that fear on, look at the roots of it, dismantle it, and not allow it to stop me anymore.
The halfsies diet is going fine, although I was a little hungry yesterday. I reminded myself that people all over the world are way hungrier than that every day. I felt a little absurd leaving half an apple on the breakfast table this morning -- I didn't get to where I am now because I ate an entire apple. But I know that it's not just about calories. In order to eat "about half of my usual diet," I have to think about what my usual diet is, and it's good to see that I can eat much less than normal and the world doesn't collapse.
I currently weigh more than I would like, but I'm mostly okay with it. Sure, I'd like to be in better shape, but if I were at this current weight forever, I think I could deal. The problem is that in order to just stay at this current weight as I get older, I'm going to have to work harder. I don't want to have to work hard just to be at this weight -- if I'm going to work hard, I want to weigh less. I recently moved from New York City to Louisville, KY, where the average person is heavier, so I feel skinnier in comparison. That factor makes it even easier to coast and just say, oh, I'm fine. But I'm not where I want to be, and I know that unless I change my current habits, I'm not going to have the energy and confidence to do the things I want to do.
Grateful for this program, grateful for my team members, grateful for my family who are supporting me, and grateful that my body can at least do this much. Keeping my expectations quiet and focusing on the process!
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