Obesity–A Disease

First of all I want to apologize for not keeping up the updates. I have gotten a bit lazy lately with my writing (which I know is not a good excuse, but it’s the truth).

I am here to present a brief observation and give a few thoughts on it, but hopefully I will be able to write more in depth on this subject throughout the week. It is one thing that I think DESPERATELY needs to be addressed in my country and around the world in countries that use processed food.

OUR FOOD IS KILLING US.

I get ridiculously hungry on days when I work out because my body needs nutrients. I start eating with good intentions, and it would be fine if I dove right into a hearty helping of lean meat and veggies. However, ironically, my cravings kick in the most on these days and oftentimes my workout days also become binge days.

Why?

Short answer, I’m addicted to junk food. I want SO badly to eat right, but I get a craving for chips or a corn dog and the pull is almost too great to resist.

Notice people rarely get an irresistible craving for broccoli or asparagus. Why is that? Well for one thing, they are painted by entertainment as being gross and detestable, which needs to change. Secondly, they’re just real, honest-to-goodness foods. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese is not a real food. Neither is a Twinkie or a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Our food is not pure, and therefore it is making us sick. The sicknesses that most often result from a “fake food” diet are obesity, stomach problems, diabetes, cancer, heart disease… and the list could go on and on.

So let me ask everyone a question, myself included–WHY are we still doing this to ourselves??

This is my challenge to all of us this week–substitute a vegetable or fruit for ONE junk food indulgence every day this week. Just one. I’m not a fan of the cold turkey approach and I’m not asking anyone else to take that, either. I’m just saying that if you’re craving a french fry, substitute an apple. (or even sweet potato fries. They’re awesome and have 50% of your daily Vitamin A!)

Obesity is the one of the few diseases that you can actually cure yourself of. Don’t you want to do it? Even if you’re not sick yet, but not eating healthy, you need to cure yourself of these addictive eating habits. They will come back to haunt you later.

I’m taking the N.L. fitness challenge this week! Are you?

~N.L.

Transforming

The change in my body since 2 weeks ago is truly amazing. I am now almost back to my former level of fitness. I breezed through the workout today and was even jogging when everybody else was walking. “Youth is wasted on the young” does not apply to me. I’m transforming my life right now while I can still reap the full benefits.

I got weighed in today; they said I lost a pound, 1/2 an inch around my waist, and an inch around my hips. Not bad, but the best result I’ve had so far is DEFINITELY the return of my physical abilities. I would rather be able to run a mile than wear a size 6. (granted, wearing a size 6 would be nice, but…)

Once I get my diet under control, I’m hoping those numbers will go down a bit more quickly. I must say, I have had a VERY difficult time getting on the diet, mostly because of financial issues. It ain’t easy eating clean!

Fitness tips–

1. Don’t get discouraged if the numbers don’t go down as fast as you want them to. What’s really important is getting healthy and changing your life. If your physical abilities are returning, you’ve already won a battle. Keep fighting the war.

2. Listen to the experts and EAT CLEAN. It seriously will make you feel so much better. When I eat crap, I feel like crap. When I eat right, I feel right. It really does matter.

Happy Weekend! I will be posting “before” pics very soon, hopefully, so stay tuned.

~N.L.

 

Just Do It.

I did not want to go work out this morning. My ears have been in a lot of pain lately and I just wanted to stay home and rest, but I went because people were expecting me. Plus I’m paying for these workouts, so I should use them, right?

It was so worth it. I’ve found that I work out better on an empty stomach (please don’t shoot me… I know it’s bad for me to say this, but some people do work out better on an empty stomach). When I don’t have food sloshing around in my tummy, I can focus a lot better on the task at hand.

I’m halfway considering moving up to the advanced level workout time slot. HALFWAY CONSIDERING. I’m waiting until I have 3 straight workouts like today, where I didn’t feel like I was dying and was even doing pretty well compared to my workout buddies. (my lunges were definitely the best out of my group, and they would testify to that)

I also found out today that I may need new workout pants soon. Mine don’t have a drawstring and were constantly slipping down during my burpees. Not a pleasant feeling.

Fitness tips–

1. This one is where I got the title for today’s entry–the Nike slogan: “Just do it.” It really is what you have to do sometimes. Shut off your brain, channel your energy, and JUST DO IT. Silence the “Negative Nellie” inside, ignore what so-and-so’s doing, and JUST DO IT. Stop complaining, get off your keister, and… well, you get the point, right?

2. Don’t worry about anyone “beating” you. I know what it’s like to view working out with others as a “competition.” You don’t have to go super fast to achieve your goals, and you don’t have to be at the front of the pack to reach your goals. Work at your own best pace.

3. Whatever you do, KEEP MOVING. It’s tough, but uber important. There are a couple ladies in my group that do totally different exercises from the rest of us (which most of us would consider “light”) but they’ve lost a lot of weight because they KEEP MOVING. “Eat less, move more” is how a lot of people lose weight, and it works.

Last Friday I thought they were going to weigh/measure me, but they didn’t because it was my first week. This week I know they’re going to weigh me in, so I will definitely update on Friday with my progress.

~N.L.

Stan-1, Me-0

I got my butt kicked today. Like, severely. Like, I was about to SCREAM, severely.

It didn’t help that I was tired and lethargic to begin with. I had eaten horribly on Sunday and let me tell you, it came back to bite me today. My energy was at level zero and I ended up almost puking up my breakfast (I know, lovely information right?).

We did pretty much the same exercises we always do today, so I’ll jump right into my fitness tips–

1. Pick your splurges wisely. Yesterday I ate practically nothing but junk and called it a “splurge.” What it really was was giving my body the finger (sorry if anyone’s offended by that, but there’s no other way to describe it). Splurges are cheat MEALS, not cheat DAYS, especially the day before a workout.

2. Don’t be afraid to sweat. I have a distaste for sweat just like every other red-blooded female on the planet, but sweating is the only pathway to freedom from obesity.

3. Don’t think you can lose weight AND LOOK GOOD by just dieting. Diet is (supposedly) 80% of weight loss, but that other 20% is crucial if you want a bod like that model on your favorite workout video. Muscle is sexy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Will be back with more on Wednesday 🙂

~N.L.

Week 1 Recap

Sorry I haven’t been posting regularly, my computer screen has been screwing up and it’s been very difficult to blog.

Yesterday was workout number 2 and I can already feel my muscles tightening. They feel hard enough to be strong and sculpted, yet soft enough to be feminine. I’m not exactly sure how Stan did this. I’m convinced he’s super-human.

Seriously, this trainer is THE BEST. He doesn’t yell, he doesn’t cuss us out, but he gets results. He apparently is 7 pounds away from the world record in weight-lifting, yet it’s hard to find a man on the planet half as sweet and understanding. He is the reason I’m still in this program right now. In fact, after this program is over, I’m probably still going to want him to train me on a regular basis. His methods basically consist of circuit training with body-weight exercises and a little running/walking. I’m guessing we’ll be adding more and more exercises as we go along, but he’s taking it semi-easy on us right now, and that I appreciate.

Stan is not the only great person I’ve come in contact with at Total Nutrition, though. The ladies I work out with in the 10 AM class are amazingly kind and supportive (although they taunt me if they think I’m not sweating enough, which gets me riled up… which is probably a good thing). If anyone falls behind or feels like they can’t make it they’re right there to pick you back up. Also, yesterday I walked in and found some friends from church there, one of which has been doing the program for a couple months and I didn’t even know it! It was fun working out alongside them, and probably motivated me even more to do my best.

I have had the rather frightening experience since Friday of running into the store’s owner. Once again, a mountain of a man, but this one has the ego to match. He’s probably a great trainer, but honestly he scares the crap out of me. I can’t WAIT to show him my food diaries… [/sarcasm]

All this to say, I love the exercise portion of the program so far. The diet portion does not begin until Saturday when I am required attend a nutrition seminar at 9 AM. To be quite frank, I am dreading starting this diet with every fiber of my being right now, but at least the strictest part is only for the first 30 days (or at least that’s what they said…heh).

Fitness Tips for the day–

1. Don’t avoid working out just because it’s raining. There’s always something to do inside, plus a cool-down in the rain after a hard workout feels glorious.

2. If you can, find yourself a trainer or a workout buddy like Stan who gently motivates you. I have had a trainer before that basically told me I had a TON of fat on my body and if I wanted to attract male attention, I had to lose it. I tried following his routine but I just couldn’t do it. He didn’t motivate me, he crushed my spirit. If at all possible, get far away from people who crush your spirit. It is so worth it!

Workout #3 and my first official weigh-in are tomorrow, so I will try to post again after that.

Happy Thursday!

~N.L.

P.S.~My home scale says I lost a pound this week. Here’s hoping the TN scale says the same!

“What have I gotten myself into?!”

I looked forward to my meeting with Stan from Total Nutrition all morning. In fact I woke up this morning thinking, “I’m meeting my personal trainer today!!! In…4 and a half hours?? Greeeat…”

I drove up to the Total Nutrition store at exactly 11:25 AM, and in front of the store I saw a mountain of muscle that I knew could only be one thing–my trainer. He had a woman out there doing lunges. ALREADY. I was instantly terrified. What had I gotten myself into?!

I walked into the store with a lot of fear and trepidation, not knowing what to expect next. The lady I had talked to yesterday, Marti, was as nice and friendly as always, and introduced me to another woman (which I’m assuming is the nutritionist) named Alexandra. They took my weight and measurements and gushed over my haircut (although Alexandra thinks I should lighten it up, and I agree), and then proceeded to tell me I’m not that overweight, so this should be a breeze. Compared to the skinny woman he’s training outside?? Really??

Stan and Skinny Lady (don’t remember her name) came inside and started doing their practice routine in there (she’s just joining the program, too). He had Skinny Lady huffing and puffing and I started getting really nervous at that point. If she’s that out of breath, what’s going to happen to me…?

At last it was my turn, and to my surprise, he didn’t say, “Drop and give me 20!” He joked around that I was his next “date” and took me outside to a nice table with 2 chairs.Okay, this isn’t so bad so far…

Long story short (I know, too late for that) we had a good talk about why I’m doing this and what I will get out of this program. He was actually really nice about my physical issues and says he wants me to push myself, but not too hard. I made it through the fitness test without an issue (I got a little out of breath and felt some actual muscle tightness for once, but other than that, I’m good!). We basically did some of the stuff I’ve been doing at home (lunges, squats, jumping jacks) and some extra things that I can’t do at home, but here’s the kicker: someone else was MAKING me do it. And that’s exactly what I need.

My fitness tips for the day:

Before you start ANY fitness program, you need to do these things–

1. Assess yourself. Are you healthy, but just looking to get in shape? Are you trying to lose those last few pounds? Are you severely overweight and in need of some serious help? All of these situations will have different needs and different results, and it’s something you need to consider before signing up for anything, and I mean ANYTHING.

2. Consult a doctor. My doctor recommended I lose weight, which is one of the main reasons I’m doing anything and everything to lose it. If your doctor says you DON’T need to lose a significant amount of weight, please don’t start taking the diet pills. Please please please. It will NOT benefit you in the long run.

3. GET ACCOUNTABLE. Find a friend, co-worker, family member, or local group that you can meet FACE-TO-FACE with and exercise with. Make sure it’s someone who won’t let you off the hook.

4. Find a fitness plan that will WORK for you. Something you can stick to. Something you won’t quit in 3 months because you love your morning doughnut so much you can’t live without it, so you decide to just chuck the whole thing.

More tips and updates to come, my first workout is Monday! 🙂

Peace,

N.L.

Welcome to my “Biggest Loser Fitness Challenge” Journey!

I received a flyer in the mail earlier this week that looked like this-

I am a savvy consumer and realized this was probably just another gimmick that didn’t apply to me and would waste my time, and I should probably just throw it away. But since it said “Biggest Loser,” my interest was piqued, because I’ve been a fan of the show for a while. I read through the qualifications: “Age 18-75, check. Needs to lose 15-100 pounds, check. Agree to weekly weigh-in, check…” I met every requirement on the list, and it didn’t seem like a scam, so I called the place that was conducting this study just for kicks, to see if it might be something I’d be interested in.

Turns out, I’m a perfect fit for their program, it’s NOT a gimmick, AND they’re willing to work with my odd physical quirks!

This is basically the chance of a lifetime (and I almost tossed it in the recycling bin!). Now before everyone gets all excited, I WILL NOT be working with Bob Harper or Dolvett Quince at all during this program (unfortunately…Dolvett is a stud), but I will have a personal trainer and nutritionist, and they will work me up from my current fitness level and help me with my diet. Most importantly, I will be accountable, which is huge. I have been needing face-to-face accountability for quite some time now.

I’m a college student on a nanny’s salary and poor as a church mouse, so believe me, I wouldn’t have signed up for this if it were out-of-this-world expensive. It costs about $20 more than my current gym membership and I get way more for the money. I make my health a priority but could never shell out hundreds of dollars for a PT and nutritionist, so like I said, this is the chance of a lifetime. I could really change my life for the better through this. Permanently.

I am a writer/musician and people in my professions (especially music) can often get sedentary and forget to take care of their bodies. This is why I titled this blog “Speaking FIT-ly.” I do a lot of “speaking” in my everyday life, and I want to be fit so I can keep doing that for many years to come.

Follow along with me on this adventure as I will be keeping a brutally honest diary of my experiences and also sharing fitness tips and advice that I learn from my time with “The Biggest Loser Fitness Challenge.” Tomorrow at 11:30 AM is my first meeting with my new trainer, so I will post my first update as soon as I get back.

I am so glad God has blessed me with this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see what He’ll do with it. I hope this experience turns out to be everything they say it is and I get really, truly healthy for the first time in my life.

~N.L.