My Boot Camp Diary – Day 74

Slow and steady wins the race

Posted by Pam

This morning, as we did Sumos, I was reminded of the first time I had to do that exercise. I think it was my second day of Boot Camp (If this were a TV sitcom, your screen would go all wobbly for a second, then return to focus on a flashback. But it’s the Internet, so here’s a link to My Boot Camp Diary – Day 2).

That first time, doing Sumos, I really struggled. I watched as the Boot Camp veterans seemed to zoom away, as I huffed and puffed and tried to move a few inches at a time. Today, I was the veteran, working out with more resistance and leaving the other campers in my dust. Ok, not exactly, but I am pretty proud of the progress I’ve made since I started working out in May. I haven’t lost a lot of pounds, but I’ve gained muscle. I’ve boosted my metabolism. I’ve increased my energy level. And I’m stronger and leaner than I’ve been in a long time.

During a recent Boot Camp, we started talking about the “reality” show the Biggest Loser and how, based on that show, people now seem to think they should be able to lose 10 pounds a week — just like that. When you’re extremely overweight, you may drop several pounds right away when you start dieting and exercising. Even if you’re not extremely overweight, you may drop more pounds at the beginning than later. A lot of that is probably going to be water weight. But you shouldn’t get discouraged if the pounds don’t come flying off. Research shows it’s best to lose about one pound per week on average. Losing weight much faster than that increases the chances of long term failure by rebound weight gain.

So, stick with it.  There’s no magic pill. There’s no secret to a flat stomach. Exercise and proper nutrition are your keys to weight loss and sustained health.

My Boot Camp Diary – Assessment Day!

Numbers don’t lie

Today is not a Boot Camp day. Instead, I met Joe to do my monthly assessment. (Full disclosure: We haven’t really done this monthly but hope to.)

The assessment consists of taking measurements, with a both a tape measure and body fat calipers. I weighed myself at home before heading out.

While the scale told me I’d only lost three pounds, the tape measure and body fat calipers gave me a much better indication of how far I’ve come. My goal is to lose about 12 pounds overall and get my body fat to 25 percent. After several weeks with family visiting — which meant eating at restaurants more often and indulging in foods I don’t normally eat — I was a little concerned that I totally derailed my goals. However, the numbers look a lot better than I thought they would. It goes to show you how much exercising can do for you. And that eating right goes a long way toward improving your chances of reaching your goals.

Since my initial assessment I have lost 7.5 inches overall, including 2 inches around my waist and one inch off my hips. I have gained 2.8 percent in lean mass, which helps improve my metabolism, which should help me gain even more muscle weight. I also lost 3.6 percent in body fat. And thanks to all those arm blasting exercises, the caliper measurements on my triceps went from 30 to 23.

I’ll admit that I don’t have a lot of weight to lose. My bigger goals are to tone up, to feel better and to be more comfortable in my clothes. I know that I have more energy. I know that my clothes seem to hang a little looser. I know that I’m happier when I look in the mirror. So, do I need the numbers to tell me I’m succeeding? Maybe not. But to have quantifiable proof that my hard work is paying off definitely helps with motivation — not to mention giving the old ego a nice boost.

Posted by Pam

Changing the mind set

It’s not at all surprising to me that in a world where we’re inundated with images of PhotoShopped, half-naked female perfection that an Associated Press/iVillage poll found the following among American women:

Read the whole story here. Some of the disturbing findings:

• Half of women polled don’t like their weight, even 26 percent of those whose body mass index or BMI — a measure of weight for height — is in the normal range.
• But just a third don’t like their physical condition (meaning their health) even though being overweight and sedentary are big risk factors for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other ailments.
• Women put in a median of 80 minutes of exercise a week, meaning half do even less. The average adult is supposed to get 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week for good health.
• Just 8 percent of women ate the minimum recommended servings of fruits and vegetables — five a day. A staggering 28 percent admit they get that recommended serving once a week or less.

Let’s face it, your weight and your physical health are related. The obese are certainly more prone to oft-deadly or debilitating diseases. However, eating 100-calorie snack packs of refined carbs and starving yourself may make you lose weight, but won’t make you healthier in any way. In fact, worrying about weight without taking health into account can make you sicker and unhappier.

The main puzzle piece missing with this perspective is mental health/self-esteem. When you eat right, you feel good. When you exercise, you feel good. When you feel good, you’re more confident, self-assured and happy in your own skin, even if you’re still 10 pounds above your goal weight. You can say, hey, I’ll get there! I can do it!

At a women-only fitness program like boot camp, no one cares if your booty has a little bounce in it. No one will judge you for working your way up to more difficult exercises or taking your own pace. No one will blame you if you admit you have insecurities, cravings, disappointments, weaknesses or challenges.

We’ve all been there.
We all ARE there.
We will all always be there, because we are women living in the same world, facing the same challenges.

Don’t let the negative attitude shown in this poll affect you. Anyone out there: What are your struggles trying to becoming healthy instead of just “dieting” or “losing weight”?

Don’t let lean times make you fat

According to MSNBC, waistbands tend to expand as the economy contracts, proving wrong that old “tightening the belt” metaphor:

Rising unemployment, higher food prices and dwindling savings may exacerbate the nation’s obesity problem, sending already high rates ballooning as consumers turn to cheaper, less healthful choices ranging from boxed mac ‘n’ cheese to fast-food dollar menus.

“All evidence suggests that obesity is the toxic consequence of a failing economic environment,” said Adam Drewnowski, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

As households struggle with falling incomes and with food prices expected to jump 6 percent this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, families are scrimping on groceries. Nearly six in 10 Americans said they’ve cut back on the quality or quantity of the food they buy, according to an annual hunger survey released this week by Hormel Foods Corp.

But that doesn’t mean they’re dieting, noted Drewnowski, whose research has found a consistent link between poverty and obesity, including a recent study that showed that obesity rates were five times higher in lower-value Seattle ZIP code areas than in upscale neighborhoods.

“It is quite possible to spend less and eat more,” said Drewnowski. “The very cheapest foods are calorie-rich and nutrient-poor. Because they contain refined grains, sugars and fats, they also taste good and, of course, are easy to come by.”

Link to full article here.

According to experts, if you follow the USDA’s five-to-nine suggestion for daily fruit and vegetable servings, your the cost of your diet will increase threefold, so they’re not just whistling dixie when they say your body weight is tied to your wallet weight. So what’s a dieting girl (or guy) supposed to do?

Integrate beans and eggs (mostly whites, of course) to your protein supply. Both are still full of muscle-building protein, but don’t cost as much as chicken, fish or beef. Also, try frozen meats instead of fresh.

Buy grains in bulk. Don’t be tempted by white bread and pasta. Stock the cabinets with large bags/boxes of whole-grain pasta, brown rice and barley or bulk quantities of whole-wheat flour. Uncooked, these items are cheap, and if you cook a large amount in advance and save it, it’s also simple to incorporate them into any meal.

Avoid going out! If you eat at home, you save money AND calories.

Avoid TV dinners. You can make the same thing yourself cheaper and healthier. And again, make enough of your favorite lunch dish (black beans and rice or a terriaki chicken bowl) for a few servings and put them in single-serving containers in the fridge to make life even easier.

Go frozen with fruits and veggies. Frozen at the peak of freshness, frozen veggies retain a remarkable amount of vitamins and minerals at a fraction of the cost of fresh produce.

How about you guys? How do you save money on groceries and yet feed yourself (and your family) healthy, satisfying meals?