Mulligan Monday

Sound familiar? Last week just one of those weeks all around that I wish never happened!  My eating habits stunk, I didn’t get the gym, my daughter hurt her hand cheerleading (nothing serious), the person whole drives her home from practice had her car totaled by her brother thus no rides, there was family drama (Housewives worthy), and the list goes on and on!!

SO I am declaring today Mulligan Monday and I get a complete do-over!!!

Some good news…  I am now back in my office upstairs.  While the renovation work isn’t done yet at least I am out of the kitchen.  Tomorrow my new desk, credenza, and filing cabinets arrive and then later this week I will be buying a sofa.  I have to say that it all looks nice, I have enough space now to workout in here, and it is just a warmer more relaxing environment.  Did I mention I can now workout in here?  Later I will post some pictures.

While my diet today wasn’t the greatest nutritionally, calorie wise I did great.  Starting the week off good has me optimistic for the rest of the week.

I see some familiar faces.  Golden Girl, you really should write about your accomplishments as you are AMAZING.!! Please considering writing about it.

I’ve got to run as I am watching the LSU Alabama game.  Plus my son Garrett is sitting on my lap as I mam typing and he keeps wanting to play with the keyboard.  Time to make some Smart Pop!

I hope everyone’s week last week was better than mine, and we all have a great week this week.

Not the Greatest Start

Ok, confession time…  I am not off to the greatest start and I am not sure why.

First, clearly moving my workspace into the kitchen while my office is undergoing renovation was not the brightest idea I’ve ever had.    I find myself grabbing little snacks way too frequently throughout the day.  Getting back into my office and out of the kitchen is a high priority for this weekend.

On the Today Show this morning they had some really neat fitness related “tech” products.  Here is a link to the segment:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041426/ns/today-today_health/

I am going to do some additional research on the Body Media Fit that appears to track your movement (thus calories burned) and your food intact and then graphs where one is vs. the other. 

As for the other items in my “I Will” list, changing my behavior and general “thinking” about things will take some time.  I will work towards every item on the list, but I will refuse to feel guilty about not achieving them all right away.  Hell, the last thing I need to feel like I’ve failed at something… that is not what this list should be about.

I will be breaking down my desire to eat better and work out more into more defined goals this week.  I am getting my whole family on board with this one.  I got my whole family a membership to the gym for Christmas.  Now it is just an issue of coordinating who can go when.  While it would be great if we could all go together; that may not be an option.  My boyfriend and I both have full time jobs and a 3-year old son to take care of.  While our gym does have a Children’s center he is not necessarily the most adaptable.  Hopefully we can take him there and he will be happy while we are working out.  My daughter is a competitive cheerleader who cheers on three teams.  Her schedule is crazy with about 8 practices a week, plus competitions on the weekends.   Her schedule means a lot of time in the car driving her.  Finding a way to incorporate time for fitness will be difficult but not impossible. 

 

Happy New Year! Happy New You?

2011 was a good year for me and I anticipate 2012 will be even better.  I am starting this year weighing 10 lbs less then I started last year and I hope that trend will continue. 

Last year my weight loss and fitness motivation started out strong but as the year progressed my motivation declined and I found myself getting back into my same old bad habits.   I really am not even sure how I let that happen, but I am going to try harder this year.  

I decided to make a list of some basic things I plan on doing this year.   As a daily reminder I have changed my computer password to “Good 2012” and my list is the wall paper of my computer.  Ok, that is not entirely true…  I removed the “Have More Sex” item as I have a 15 year old daughter and I just assume her and her friends not see that.

That’s it for now…  it is a busy today getting the Christmas stuff down and packed up.  Today is the day to clear out the old and get ready for the new.   It will be a very productive day. 

 I Will…

Eat better, not just to lose weight but for over all better health and more energy

Play more and work less

Travel more

Be more patient with my kids

Have more sex

Wear my jewelry and not feel guilty about it

Take better care of my skin

Not stress over the small stuff

Treat myself better

Donate more time and money

Be a little more selfish

Say “I love you” more often

Be present in the moment

New year, new blog

Hello Healthy Girls :-).
2012 brings new goals and a new blog. Check me out at DivaWorld http://truelifediva.wordpress.com/ where the journey continues…

Rut Roh!

Rut Roh!  Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition in trouble

An article from Diets in Review landed in my inbox this weekend.

“Anyone who watches reality television knows that it isn’t all real, after all, whether it’s Loser, Housewives, or Hills, they still have a story to tell and a show to produce. But it’s one of those things that no one talks about.  Until now. James Garrison, a participant in Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition‘s first season earlier this year, is calling himself a whistle blower and exposing what he describes as mistreatment of the shows participants.

“You read it here first… The Biggest Extreme Makeover Loser WhistleBlower,” said Garrison at the end of a nearly 2000-word diatribe against Extreme Makeover’s producers and cast, calling out by name JD Roth (the man also behind Biggest Loser) and the show’s trainer Chris Powell.

In our interview with James after his episode aired he described health problems he was having as, he says, a result of his rapid weight loss, which meant losing 313 pounds in 365 days. This month he had another rush to the hospital which resulted in the removal of his gall bladder. It got him thinking.

“Well it took another near death stay in the hospital, my second in a year, to realize exactly what I was promoting. Yes, I lost 313lbs in one year on ABC’s Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition, but should you? The answer is no. No one should lose that much weight that fast and if anything I am proof positive as to why its not a good idea. Those are unrealistic expectations that in reality are more harmful than good,” is the statement Garrison wrote in the blog post that started it all.

He says that post was also followed up by personal emails to Roth and Powell, explaining his health problems, the $50,000 in hospital bills from the past year, and asking for help with it all, which he says were ignored.

“I guess what is hard to understand is, after emailing JD. Roth and Chris Powell asking for assistance with my medical and over $50,000 in hospital bills I was ignored.”

The only response he got was a cease and desist from show attorneys, which he posts a copy of on his blog.

“I write a blog about my health and why I don’t think its a good idea to lose 313lbs in one year on a Saturday night because to be honest it was weighing on my conscious that America believes that this is okay and by Sunday morning I have a cease and desist letter and phone calls from show producers and attorneys. They were all threatening calls, and none of which was about helping me. The attorney asked me to take the blog down out of good faith and to see if we can get this resolved but Its been 10 days and still no word back from him other than he is looking into it?”

All of this comes from a blog post Garrison published on October 12, 2011, where he’s also posted images of emails between him and show producers. One such email is from Chris Powell to the show’s participants encouraging them and outlining for them how to do a flush to help them lose up to an extra 30 pounds of water weight before their weigh ins.

Garrison says that the flushes Powell encouraged them to do goes against everything that Powell has taught in his fitness career. He also calls out that they never followed the diet described on the show.

“None of us were on that 2,000 calorie diet that CHLI designed [the Extreme Makeover Diet]. We pretty much were told to eat less and less in email and later just verbally as in their words “your body is fighting back, we need these numbers”. Or what was better “there going to cancel the show, we wont be able to inspire anyone”. We even went without carbs 2-3 days a week,  at their suggestion to get better numbers and better results.”

Other things about the show that Garrison “outs” in his blog post include:

• “We were made to take diet pills 2-3 times a day
• “Chris Powell did not live with us for three months each. The fact is I maybe saw him 5 days last year…”
• “We were made to dehydrate ourselves every single week beginning on Thursday and ending on Saturday morning.”
• Garrison is certainly not the first weight loss reality star to reveal his experience. Kai Hibbard, a member of Biggest Loser season 3, famously spoke out against that show citing similar unhealthy weight loss tactics to help the contestants lose weight.

  We have reached out to ABC publicity and James Garrison for comment and will update as those are available.

  UPDATED 10/14/11 at 10:20pm:

  We spoke with James by phone and he told his actions are an attempt to right a wrong. “By participating in that show I was wrong.” He also responded to critics saying “If I was out for fortune I wouldn’t be hanging myself right now.” He says some of his fellow castmates have “turned their backs on me” but others have voiced support.

  October 14th, 2011″

When I recaped the show, the question kept popping up about how much time was REALLY spent with each client.  Also, the lack of nutritional information given on the show.  Now it all makes sense…..  What are your thoughts concerning this new revelation?  They are already taping/taped season 2, should they cancel the show?  And by the way, Chris Powell has a book coming out any day now.  Would you buy it?

Rock Bottom

TrueLifeDiva Thursday

Rock Bottom

     I’ve been missing in action lately.  There seems to be quite a bit of that going around.  While enjoying the thrill of getting near my goal weight, I was rudely reminded of the real reason why we need to stay in shape.  In some of my blog posts I’ve made mention of a friend.  This friend is lovingly refered to as my chinese buffet buddy and gay husband.  I’ve known him for over  20 yrs.  He is morbidly obese.  While applauding my weight loss efforts, he has at times also sabotaged them.  He struggles with his weight issues.  I’ve seen him do every shake/meal replacement system out there, no carbs, Maple syrup cleanse, fad diet out there.  He has spent thousands on personal trainers, gym memberships, and colonics.  He initially loses weight.  As much as  50 lbs in one month once.  But as soon as the big numbers slow down or things get hard, he quits.  Then he gets depressed and piles the weight back on.

Well, 2 1/2 weeks ago my friend had a big scare.  While at work (we work together too) he began having difficulty breathing, and could not move.  Co-workers drove him home with what was originally assumed to be the flu.  I was very alarmed because earlier this year he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. When I called to check up on him, he laughed it off and claimed he just needed a few days off from work. Things have been very stressful at the job and this made perfect sense to me.  However, after spending two weeks in bed he made a confession to me.  He wasn’t in bed with the flu.  He was in fact in bed with pads spread underneath him to capture the fluids leaking from his legs.  My dear obese friend now suffers from Edema and several other weight related ailments.  He has been in denial about his extreme weight because he still gets around without aid.  But while very mobile, he cannot stand for too long.  He cannot sit in one position for too long.  He cannot walk for more than a few minutes at a time. He experiences sharp pains that he pretends are from working out.  But while he has been smiling and pretending to be a jolly fat guy, his body is secretly falling apart.  He is only 40 yrs old and he is thisclose to becoming disabled due to his weight.  Like an alcoholic or drug addict, my dear friend had to have an extreme event occur in order to wake up.  He hit rock bottom and I’m praying we can help him climb his way back up.

Working out and eating sensibly  to maintain your ideal weight might seem vain to some people.  I get teased at work by a few who think taking pills is the answer to everything.  Working out to keep my body strong and eating good food is way more practical than being on a million meds or having surgery to unclog arteries.  If I get hit by a bus, there’s nothing I can do about it.  But I can do something about having strong bones, a healthy heart, and a (somewhat) tight butt ;-).  Remember, there is a reason why we try to live healthy.  My dear friend just reminded me by almost dying.  Have you ever had a weight related  “situation”?  What was the event that made you decide to take charge of your life?  Share your stories with the group :-D.                                       Peace and Blessings, TrueLifeDiva 😀

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Finding Motivation in the Strangest Things

Wow, it has been almost 9 months now since we have been meeting here…  Sometimes we have been good about doing updated blogs and sometimes we (OK me) have slacked off and not posted routinely.   The amazing news though is that is some form or another we are still here!!! 

Over the past 9 months many things have changed for me.  First and foremost I am 11 lbs lighter.  While that may not seem like a lot of weight I am still happy with it.  I really think my biggest achievement was not initially losing the weight (which I did by March) but the fact that I haven’t gain a single lbs back over the past six months.  Historically I have been good at losing weight and bad at keeping it off; at least so far I have broken that pattern.  I’ve admitted here that I got content at my 149 weight and haven’t really stepped it up to start losing again.   How about you guys?  What are some of your changes over the past nine months?

I have finally found some new motivation, and yet again it is from my dog!  How stupid is that when you really think about it?  Then again, anything that gets us motivated is a good thing.  I took Jake to the vet yesterday, and guess what?  He also lost 11 lbs.  He is now down to 139 lbs.  It is a conspiracy I tell you!  So sadly, I clearly no longer weigh less than my dog.

What are your motivating factors?  GoldenGirl has that last 4 lbs and then her surgery.  Wow, that can be a real motivator.  What about you Diva?  What really gets you to “shake what your mother gave you” for hours at a time?  Anyone else?  Please share!

Party in Pink Zumba-thon

TrueLifeDiva ThursdayParty in Pink Zumba-thon for Breast Cancer Event

     Last Saturday 200+ men and women (mostly women) took over Mission Bay and Grooved For A Cure.  Fortified with superhuman amounts of caffeine, I Salsa’d, Samba’d, shimmied, and shook what my mother gave me for 2 hrs along with fellow Zumba enthusiasts.  As you can tell from the photo’s, we were all drenched in sweat afterwards.  A good time was had by all. 75% of the proceeds were donated to the Susan G. Kommen foundation.  In the photo’s below are myself, my two favorite Zumba instructors David and Roushel, fellow students Sherinda, and a unidientified chick.  Peace and Blessings, TrueLifeDiva 😀

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The light at the end of the tunnel

TrueLifeDiva ThursdayThe light at the end of the tunnel

     As the seasons change, we sometimes find ourselves at a loss for motivation.  As we near our weight loss goals, we find it hard not to resort back to old habits. How do we keep steady along the right path?  In the past it felt like we were stumbling around in the dark.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  The hard work does pay off! 😀

     Think back to when we first got together here.  We’ve all made progress.  Give yourself credit for a job well done.  We are all healthier, fitter, and more knowledgeable from our time spent together here. This blog is a blessing to all who participate.  Whether we comment or just lurk (I’m looking at you Dee) we give each other support.  I’m getting very close to my secondary goal but I can’t see myself achieving my primary goal without you guys :-).

     This post is kind of short but I just wanted to come and leave a positive thought for the week.  Check out my Biggest Loser recaps on TvTime101.com.  Next week I’ll post pics from this weekend’s Zumba-thon for Breast Cancer. I got a bling-ed out outfit and everything! 😀  Peace and blessings, TrueLifeDiva

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Adventures in plateau busting…pt2 The Remix

TrueLifeDiva ThursdayAdventures in plateau busting…pt2 The Remix

 Last time on “Plateau busting”:

A few weeks ago I received a phone call in the middle of the day.  It was a cousin of mine who I am very close to.  She sounded upset and I thought for sure she was going to tell me some bad news.  She stuttered a bit and then blurted out, “I’ve gained 12 lbs and I don’t know what to do!” Whew!  Is that all?  Okay, I’ve got your back :-).  She told me how the weight had slowly crept on and despite doing what has always worked in the past, the weight was not budging.  We had a nice long talk and I gave her some suggestions.  I followed up with daily texts of encouraging words, links to fitness articles, and the gift of a beautiful journal to log her diet/fitness daily.  Renewed hope inspired her to speak about her wanting to get back on track and she found out a few co-workers were in the same boat unbeknownst to her.  She reported back to me that others in her group were “forcing” her to take Zumba and Yoga classes with them :-).  The weight is starting to come off and I couldn’t be more proud of her and her efforts.

Of course this got me to thinking about my own situation.  I had started to get into a rut my damn self.  As I was researching articles for my cousin I realized I could take the same advice as well.  Around this same time, GoldenGirl mention I.F or fasting.  I googled it and from what I read determined that it wasn’t compatible with my lifestyle.  But this did remind me that I should/could be tweaking my diet.  So I began an experiment.  According to most online calculators, I need to consume 2200-2300 calories a day to maintain my current weight.  I usually take in 2000 calories which explains why I am losing at a snails pace.  In the past I was finding my body had become acclimated to dropping down to 1200 calories so doing this only worked for a week or two.  I decided to rotate my intake and hopefully shock my system into losing weight.

Experiment details:

• Two weeks on a 1200-1500 calorie a day budget
• Two weeks rest at 2000 calories a day
• Try to burn approximately 1000 calories a day exercising
• Increase intensity level during workouts, increase # of crunches/sit ups performed each workout session
• Add Jillian Michaels  30 Day Shred to daily routine. I fit this into my day by doing a section while my dinner cooks.  Works most days 😉
• Began following a group on Twitter called #plankaday.  The two leaders tweet fitness articles, make bad puns, and call you out if you do not report in daily that you have performed at least one plank.  Periodically they do a 12 hr plank session called #plankanhour.  I’m not up to that level yet, but I committed to doing an Am and Pm plank each day.  Plan to extend plank time (60 seconds) and add side planks as I get stronger.

My plan is to weigh myself at the end of six weeks.  I am on week four but decided to fill you guys in so you can chime in with suggestions.  I have peeked at the scale but will wait until the experiment is over to determine if my efforts produced any REAL weight loss.

Follow up:

     Hello boys and girls!  The experiment worked :-D.  I lost a solid  5 lbs with this experiment.  And with that bump on the scale I feel renewed and invigorated.  I’m 4/5 of the way to my goal weight (don’t judge me for doing the math!!!) and will definitely get there before the end of the year.  At this point in the game every pound lost is hard-earned so I am doing my  happy dance.  It looks a lot like Snoopy doing his signature move if you need a visual ;-).

     I started taking Spin classes once a week.  I really enjoy them and feel they are a part of my plateau busting.  There is a lot of debate on whether or not you can burn a lot of calories Spinning.  Some people claim you can burn 1,000 calories, others say more like 200 calories per 1 hour class.  I like to give myself the default number of 5 calories a minute if I am really sweating it out in a class.  So my math says I’m burning approximately 300 calories per class.  This also matches what the digital screen on the bikes in the cardio room tell me.  While not a big calorie burner, it is an intense leg and butt workout and I do notice an improvement in those areas so the trade-off is worth it.  I’m still getting used to the abuse my crotch area gets from the seat.  I literally cried during my first class from the pain.  I still had residual bruising a week later when I took my second class.  I purchased a padded gel seat cover and that helped for the first 20 minutes.  I asked several of the regulars for pointers and they basically told me you get used to it over time.  I’m still experiencing bruising but it is getting better.  Plus I discovered they make special biker shorts with padding in that area :-P.  I will be ordering two pairs this weekend…

     While most of the country has been experiencing shitty weather, sunny San Diego has been great.  Once a week I have made the 4.95 mile walk to the newest Pinkberry yogurt shop in my area and enjoyed the fresh air.  I only get a medium and rarely get toppings.  The calorie count is usually around 300 calories, so it’s all good.  A visit to the shops next door and my total round trip is exactly 10 miles. These nature walks, Spin classes, planking, and the calorie rotating all contributed to my progress.  Cross your fingers for me in hopes that I can cross the finish line using these tactics!

What has worked for you in the past when you hit a plateau?  Any suggestions for future input?  Tell me what you think 🙂                       Peace and blessings, TrueLifeDiva

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