Did You Do Something Different with Your Hair?

So, it’s been around 3 months since I started training with Patrick and people want to know what it’s like and what progress I’ve made.

Let’s start with a comparison chart:

Before Patrick	After Patrick
I ate balanced food and was developing better portion control.	I eat balanced food and am much better at portion control, but I don’t eat starchy foods after lunch.
I ate pizza and pasta and potatoes	I still eat them but not at dinner, and I don’t tell Patrick about the pizza unless I want to see that vein in his head start to throb.
I was beginning my exercise program and was devoted to doing “something” two times a week	I exercise daily. The big difference is that I ask myself, “When can I exercise and what do I swap out to do it?” If it’s family time or work time, I don’t do it. If it’s TV time, I do.
I watched a lot of TV	I’m not watching much TV, but my fall shows haven’t yet started. Thank God for the DVR
I talked about books, kids, and the weather.	I talk about books, kids, the weather and exercise. I find so many more people that I can have a conversation with and we quickly develop a bond. Since what I read might not appeal to others and my parenting experience might differ from others’, it’s much easier to connect about fitness.
I ate constantly out of restlessness or boredom.	I can wait to eat if I need to. This one’s a biggie and it’s taken some time to get here. I don’t exactly know what made the change happen. I think it has partly to do with being very organized with my menu. It also has to do with this being a dual effort between Jonathan and me. I still get bored and restless and get tempted to snack. Sometimes I do; most times I ask myself when my next meal is and usually, I can wait.
I snacked after dinner	I rarely eat after dinner. This will be more challenging when I’m watching TV at night. Not sure what my plan will be. Now I go into a different room and read or go up to bed. I’m up for suggestions.

What are my physical changes? Well, of course I’ve lost weight. I’m approaching my 75# mark and I’m very excited about it. I’m wearing the clothes that I put aside when I was gaining weight, but those are getting loose, so I’ll need to get new clothes before too long. I’m still in plus sizes and, any of you ample women who like to shop at thrift stores for bargains will agree with me when I say that my choices at thrift stores are limited and not very appealing. I’ll look there, but I don’t have hope for much. Once I get into “normal sizes” like 12-14, I can most likely find some wearable clothes for cheap. I’ll need to take my oldest daughter, Leona, with me to shop because I have no idea how a think person should dress. I’ve been covering up this big body for so long; I’m not sure what I should wear. Just because I CAN wear it, doesn’t mean I SHOULD.

 Because I’m still in plus sizes, not everyone has noticed my weight loss. Lots of people ask if I’ve done something with my hair. One person insisted that I must have colored my hair. Those of you, who know me personally, know how odd that comment is. I have very short-grey hair. There’s not much I can do differently. But they notice a change.

I fit into theater and I imagine airline seats better. My hips don’t bump the armrests as I get in and out.

My knee and foot pain is lessening.

I can do things like get up and down from the floor easier. I still feel ungainly, but I’m no longer worried that I’ll get stuck midway.

There’s less wobble in my upper arms. It’s still there, but I no longer worry that the rebound will slap me in the head.

What do I do to work out? Well, here’s my current plan and it will change when my job responsibilities change (which happens at each semester and mid-way between each semester and during breaks).

Sunday

: AM Run or Bike ride plus I work out at church. After services, April and Patrick come and lead an exercise class.

Monday: Patrick comes to train

Tuesday: Swim and abdominal class at the Rec Center

Wednesday: It’s a crazy day with me leaving the house at 7 am and I’m not home until 9 PM. I walk the dogs for 30 minutes and I wear a pedometer and get in 10,000 steps.

Thursday: I Bike or Run in the morning and sometimes I swing by the rec center for elliptical, but I think I’ll change that to a swim.

Friday: I go to a circuit training class followed by a Vinyasa Yoga class. In the evening, Jonathan and I have begun a class called “fit camp” it’s a way for us to share a fitness experience with some common goals.

Saturday: Patrick comes at 6AM!!! Rise and shine. I also try to do something active during the day (usually it’s cleaning).

So, what's changed? I have.

Devil on One Shoulder and Angel on Another

The image of a devil on one shoulder and angel on the other is a well-worn one but one I can relate to. Patrick wants to be that angel telling me what I should choose when I’m tempted to listen to the temptations skillfully presented by the one perched on my other shoulder. The truth is I often feel like a pawn played with by God and Satan. In the book of Job, God brags about how Job is a wonderful example of humanity and Satan says, “Of course he is – you’ve provided him with everything. How will he measure up when you take things away from him?”

Here’s how I picture the conversation between God and Satan when it comes to me and my fitness journey.

Satan: I have Karin exactly where I want her: pacified by actions that have no meaning and glued to the TV.

God: I know. She’s sad and lonely and choosing to give up. I love her too much to let her stay this way. I have too many plans that involve her for her to treat herself this way. I know! I’ll have Leona help her to use a fitness and food tracking app.

Satan: How’s that working for you?

God: Not too well. She’s happy for Leona’s progress, but not interested enough to use it for herself. I’m going to have to hit closer to home. I’ll have Jonathan jump on the bandwagon. 

Satan: Hee, hee, hee, that’s a fail if ever I saw one. Now Karin is angry at Jonathan for changing. I might just be able to keep Karin complacent and break up her marriage.

God: Come on, Karin. Can’t you see what’s happening around you? Fight!

Satan: Curses! She’s getting out of her chair, choosing to exercise, and using the app to track her eating. I think giving her a hand problem that needs surgery will slow her down.

God: Hah! No it hasn’t she’s a determined woman and she’s found ways to modify her workout. I’m going to reward her by giving her a trainer for free.

Satan: Drat! I can’t seem to get a hold of her, especially since she decided to hire the trainer. I’ll have to try another thing. I’ll make her tear off her toenail the day of a 5K race. If that doesn’t work, I’ll give her a hamstring injury.

God: I think you’re up for a fight, my friend. She’s not stopping no matter what you throw at her. She has too much of a support group, and she’s doing enough different activities that she has ways to stay active even when things hurt.

Satan: I’m not giving up

God: Neither is she.

Plusses and Minuses of the Bike Path

We are truly blessed in this area to have miles of bike trails that extend from Wisconsin down along the Fox River and Jonathan and I have lived along the Fox River for our entire married life, but you know how it is. Sometimes you don’t explore the beauty in your own back yard.

Well, I’ve decided to change that and spend time riding the path on my bike, and I’ve noticed some plusses and minuses. .

Plusses Shade Deer sightings Foliage Smooth – paved trails The sound of birds The glints of sunlight on the river A charming coffee shop The sense of community when I start to recognize people. Friendly greetings or smiles.

Minuses Grumps – this includes the lady who sports a jaunty scarf, who rides behind the friendly man, and scowls. People who run or bike in groups and don’t move over Bikers with flashing lights – we see you! Dogs without leashes People talking on their cell phones – can’t you disconnect for just a few minutes?

Falling off the Wagon

If I were a dog, I would eat when my owner fed me. I’d beg for food in the hopes of getting a treat, and I would work my best to manipulate the system.  I would be at the mercy of my human or circumstances beyond my control. Since I am a human, I have been empowered with free will. As an adult, I should be able to logically create meal plans and eat what I’ve prepared. I should be able to portion my food, and I should be able to control when, where, and what I eat. It’s only logical, right?

So far in this journey, I have modified a lot of my eating. I no longer have carbs after noon and I’m surviving just fine. I have a protein with each meal and snack and this keeps me from being hungry. If I do get hungry, I remember that my meal will come eventually and I don’t have to eat right away.  I keep a container of chopped, peeled, or sliced vegetables in the refrigerator so that I can easily grab a portion when I need some veggies. I use a scale to weigh portions and pack up leftovers right away so I’m not tempted to help myself to seconds. When my meals are planned I don’t feel deprived because I make a variety of foods, and even in Patrick doesn’t like that I eat Walnuts and Dried Cherries for a snack, I choose to do this and still get the results I want. I AM in CONTROL.

Well – mostly. The above plan is quite logical. Emotions are not logical, and I am an emotional overeater. Every once in a while I just lose control. This last weekend (Labor Day) I was totally alone in the house. The girls are back at their respective colleges, and Jonathan took the weekend to be with friends. I held it together fairly well. I had my menus all planned and plenty of activities to keep me distracted. Logically, there was no reason for me to have any uncontrolled eating.

Let me take a side-trip to filling emotional holes. Here’s what it’s like: you have an emptiness that can’t be filled. Maybe you’re lonely, maybe you’re hurting. Perhaps you don’t want to feel something, perhaps you do. It’s illogical, but the emotional hole needs to be filled. Of course there are healthy ways to deal with this – distraction (exercise, cleaning, gardening, and hobbies) and confrontation (prayer, logic, and talk-therapy) are some of the ways that I’ve found useful. Then there are the unhealthy ways, and for me – right now- that’s eating food that is not on the plan and, trust me, the food is rarely fresh fruit or vegetables.

Saturday night I was feeling lonely, abandoned, de-valued, and purposeless. I wanted to fill the hole. I started with chocolate. I have some in the house. The theory is that I can have one piece of dark chocolate (around 50 calories) as a treat each day if I want it. Having this option helps me to avoid feeling deprived, and I don’t eat this every day, but every now and then I want some. I had 8 pieces. I didn’t stop there. I spread some Laughing Cow Cheese on toasted bread . You might be thinking, gee – if it were me, I’d have ordered a pizza or consumed a container of ice cream. I’ve done that in the past, but, A. We don’t have too much junk food in the house anymore, and B. I didn’t want to fall that far off the wagon. That’s how I know I’m making some real changes.

My fall could really have been a lot worse, but I’m managing my demons a lot better. I’ve certainly come to a different stage of my journey when last year I would have eaten a whole bag of chocolate or slathered ½ a jar of peanut butter onto 3 or 4 sandwiches. This time I consumed around 800 calories (I’d already burned 600 in my exercise that day). I stopped myself and shifted gears.

My emotions will always be there. My demons will always torment me, and I will sometimes loose the battle, but I’m winning the war. I’m winning more battles than I’m losing, and my measurements, my weight, my diminishing pain, and my increased sense of self-worth are not only the evidence of these wins, but some of my weapons.

Okay, so I fell off the wagon. It’s only a big deal if I stay off.