• I’ll be using the LoseIt! app in conjunction with the website. I’ve read lots of positive reviews on this and actually personally know 3 people who are all losing weight with it. After a very quick initial set up, the app will calculate how long it will take for you to get to your ideal weight and set up a calorie allowance for each day. According to my settings, I should be at my dream weight by April, 2012 – that doesn’t actually seem that far away to me.
• It hasn’t been proven, but there’s a pretty solid theory floating around that drinking soda (even diet soda) my contribute to weight gain. I can’t go cold-turkey, but I’m limiting myself to one soda per day. The rest of my liquid intake will be from low calorie juices and of course, water.
• WATER. 64 ounces a day. Somehow I need to make that happen.
• Late lunches. I’ll be eating lunch between 1:30 and 3:00pm from now on – this way, I won’t be ravenous at 6pm when I get home and snack while making dinner.
• Couch 2 5K. This is another app designed to help total running rookies like me train to run a 5K. Running a 5K is on my bucket list and what’s weird is that I know I can do it, but I’d like to follow this app and see if it will help improve my overall running abilities.
• Snacks. I don’t know why this has become such a dirty world for dieters. Snacks are fine, potato chips and cheez-its are not. I plan on snacking a lot, actually, in between meals to avoid getting super hungry and overeating. Snacks for this week include grapes and carrots & hummus. I’m also a pretty big fan of the Kashi GOLean Crunch bars which are high in fiber and protein, but just 125 calories.

1. I disappeared due to illness. That’s right, I got mono. So bad, in fact, that my doctor questioned whether or not they were going to have to remove my spleen. Thankfully, I still have it. Also, did your body basically becomes immune to the mono virus after age 27, but the later you get it, the more severe it is? I don’t why, but this was (and still is) fascinating to me.
2. Mono = packed on pounds. I put on a lot of weight during the mono thing… this was a combination of the medication, my lack of energy and sheer laziness.
3. I no longer belong to the BSC – it wasn’t making sense to me to pay the monthly fee while coping with illness, so I withdrew. Once I started getting back into the rhythm of things, I decided on something a little closer to home, so now I belong to Planet Fitness, and I can work out at any PF I want, so if you go there, let me know and let’s schedule a gym date.
4. Jen (my personal trainer) moved to Australia. She gave me a lot of knowledge, so I’m fearless in this renewed commitment.

There’s a lot of other stuff that have changed over the past two years, some personal, some not. A bigger change is that I’m in a relationship – which I know you may think has nothing to do with fitness, but an ongoing theme in my posts from two years ago was all about how you couldn’t love someone until you love yourself and I’m happy to report that while I’m not fully enamored, I am proud of the person I am and who I’m becoming, and that’s enough for me. It’s an ongoing journey.

I’m updating this blog, so it should come as no surprise to you that I’m still the fat kid wheezing on the treadmill with a towel draped over his head. I still sneak some Ben and Jerry’s every now and then and I’m still addicted to diet soda.

Is this time any different than the last? I don’t know, but I also wonder if I’d be thin by now had I not gotten sick and out of my routine. And now that I have that experience, maybe I’ll use it as motivation to get back on track should something similar ever happen again. I’ll never know if I don’t try, and I’ll never lose weight if I don’t start somewhere.

“Just take a deep breath – onward and upward, here we go,” I’ll say to myself. Sometimes out loud, but only if there’s no one in earshot of course.

The saying has gotten me through a lot in life, and now, it’s helping me get back on track with the weight loss. The end of this month marks the end of the six month weight loss venture, but the journey is a lifelong commitment. Losing weight isn’t something you can put a time limit on, it’s a part of life, and with the help of a great support system, a motivational trainer, and that little voice in the back of my head telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing, losing weight has also become a part of my life. I’m no longer overwhelmed with 100 calorie packs and whole wheat labels and whatnot at the grocery store. I know what to look for, where to go, and I’m even learning to be a little adventurous in the kitchen (ever tried grilling chicken in pineapple juice? It’s delicious!)

Today’s post isn’t about going to the gym. In fact, it’s about the exact opposite: not going to the gym.

I haven’t been in over a month. In the beginning, it was because I took on a second job to pay for a new car. Then it was because I somehow came down with mono and strep, complete with a swollen spleen. Now that all of that is gone, I don’t really have an excuse, other than what kept me from going in the beginning: intimidation.

I’ve lost a considerable amount of weight. My friends all tell me I can’t refer to myself as “fattie” any more. I have a library of resources and different types of workouts I can do when I do make my return. So what is so intimidating about the gym? I really just do not know. I guess it’s just hard to get into a routine.

Tomorrow I plan on making my return to the gym – hip hop. I expect it will kick my behind into gear, but that’s precisely what I need. I’m excited to go back to the studio and start dancing with some of my old hip hop buddies, but I’m also nervous. I’m back at the beginning – I’m sure my 5k isn’t going to clock in at the time it did more than a month ago. I know I’ll be disappointed with the results.

But, as I like to say…

Onward and upward.

the last time you posted was over 2 weeks ago.
fyi

sincerely,
a concerned reader

My response:

I took last week off – I hate going to the gym in the morning before work and I needed the week for errands, etc. I am making my return tomorrow, so look for a new fancy Nike Plus post and maybe an update to the Push the Tunes for April (Guess I missed March…)

What else do you folks want to read about?

and here’s a link to a little dude representin’ 50in6. Coincidently, his name is Joe and he will be linked to pretty much every post. Say hi to Joe!

As a self-proclaimed white kid, I’m the first to say I don’t know how to dance, but the last to say I won’t try. I know that I don’t do it well, but sometimes great music just can’t keep me from trying to bust a move. So clearly, break dancing will fulfill my dreams of being the center of attention at a packed nightclub, spinning on my head and not because I had one too many to drink. 

So on Saturday afternoon, Drew and I headed out to begin the breakdance journey. We arrived at Life in Synergy, a super nice place on Boylston St. right above Vinny T’s. There are so many things this place got right, I don’t even know where to begin. But of course, I’m going to try. 

First off, they were super organized, and very efficient. This is super important, because I don’t want to give someone my money unless I trust that it’s going to a company that has their act together and knows what they are doing. As soon as Drew and I arrived, we were greeted by a very kind woman who already had our special membership cards (I’m going to talk about these in further detail later) with our names on them laid out. Since we registered online, there were no burning hoops to jump through – just a quick rundown of where everything was (great touch, we felt at home) and we were set to learn to break.

Secondly, they are green! You can tell every last detail was thought out to be environmentally friendly. I know some people may roll their eyes at the green effort, but as a political science major I can tell you that even if you yourself are not a recycler or all that aware of what’s going on with the environment, you should be thankful and support those companies that are putting forth that effort. Life in Synergy has all bamboo floors, our membership cards were made out of corn (so if someone like me loses it somewhere, it is completely biodegradable) – even the spotlights in the studio in the window that looked over Boylston Street and the Pru (amazing view!) had solar panels on them. There’s also no paper – everything is online – you register online, you look at their amazing class schedule online (punk rock yoga?! cheerfit? oh, what about japanimation?!)

Lastly, in terms of public relations, Life in Synergy has everything right. Drew and I arrived and were immediately greeted, the woman at the front desk made an apparent effort to learn our names, took the time to explain where everything was to us so that we would be familiar with the setting, and in general was very friendly and kind. 

But where they really impressed me with their PR was when our breakdance instructor didn’t show up – I can only imagine this is a little nightmare-ish for the staff who has a studio of people waiting to breakdance. The staff couldn’t have handled the situation any better: they offered us a choice – we could either leave and be credited for a future course, or we could do a different workout with one of their instructors. I know this may sound pretty standard, but what was amazing about this was that the instructor had just finished a class and volunteered to stay considering the circumstance. Great move. 

So we had a really great workout in a body conditioning type class, and it was a good workout – I think it’s really great to mix up your routine and try working with new instructors and find new ways to challenge your body. When I first started the 50 in 6, I started to get upset when I felt sore the next day because I knew it meant that my body wasn’t in good shape. Now, I get upset when my body isn’t somewhat sore the next day because it means I wasn’t engaging new muscles. It’s true, sometimes a little pain can be a good thing. 

I think Life in Synergy has it all right – a ton of unique, fun classes that give you a good workout without necessarily putting you through the hell the treadmill sometimes brings, and also a really great atmosphere. Another thing they get right? No pressure – there are no membership fees. It’s a pay-as-you-go deal – $15 bucks a class (totally worth it, in my opinion) but your first class is free (just sign up online) and if you buy the classes in bulk (10 classes) you get a discount.

Hopefully I’ll see you there in one of my upcoming 10 classes I purchased!

So why am I going through this slump of utter “I don’t want to do this right now” feeling? Where did my drive go? Why can’t I have the excitement I used to have about working out when I first started 50in6? Where’d it go, and how can I get it to come back? 

Regardless, I did force myself to the gym today, since I was sick yesterday and managed to skip the gym on Monday AND Tuesday. I’m trying to get myself back into the 5 days a week commitment, which means every day for the rest of this week I need to be at the gym. Tomorrow is Hip Hop. On Saturday I have plans to participate in a break dancing class in downtown Boston that I’m pretty excited about. That only leaves Friday and Sunday to force myself to the gym. I think I can do it.

Today I put in 50 minutes on the treadmill. I did two climbs, all the way up to a 15 incline at a 3.5 pace. I also ran at a 6.5 pace for 3 minutes 3 times at a level 1 incline. It doesn’t sound like much now that I type it out, but having taken so much time off, it’s a good way to break back into things, I think. My total for the workout was 525 calories, which I am very content with.

I will be posting tomorrow night about hip hop. I always try to predict what we’ll learn ahead of time – so far I’ve done the two step, chicken noodle soup, walk it out, g-slide, kid’n'play, MC Hammer, and more that I just can’t seem to recall at the moment. It’s a great class with a great instructor – I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – if you are hesitant about working out, and don’t think you’ll be able to do it alone, really consider group exercise classes. They’re a great workout and a good way to break into going to the gym.

Just because I haven’t been “feeling it” doesn’t mean I’m not putting in the work though. I have a goal and a deadline to meet, so I’m going to try my damnedest to make it, even if it means jumping through burning hoops to get the job done. That’s how I feel about what I went through yesterday just to get to the gym.

Originally, I made plans with some friends to go to lunch, catch a movie, and finally hit the gym. I wanted to be done around 6 so that I could avoid the ridiculousness that is New England weather (read: snowstorm with 8+” of snow) and use the rest of the evening to prepare for the upcoming week – laundry, cooking dinner (and chicken to use for lunch) and finish cleaning the living room. I should have known I was setting myself up for an impossible task.

We did lunch at Not Your Average Joe’s, which has become one of my favorite new eating out establishments. I drank 3 Arnold Palmers because I’ve recently been crazing juice, and not natural juice – KoolAid juice. The blue kind is the best. We all shared buffalo chicken fingers as an appetizer and I had a buffalo chicken salad (I guess I like buffalo!) The food was pretty good, plus it’s always a party when you’re with friends so I couldn’t complain.

Then we went to see Gran Torino, which was a fantastic movie. I really just can’t say enough about it so I’m just going to say it was really good and if you haven’t seen it yet you should make the trip and catch the flick. You won’t be disappointed.

By this point it was already around 6. So much for my 6pm cutoff – we still had to go to the gym! So off we drove to the BSC in Newton, only to find out they were closing at 7, which was in about 20 minutes. No good. The lady at the desk told us about the BSC in Wellesley (a BSC “superclub”), and how they were open until 10. Perfect, except that our memberships do not include access to the fancy BSCs. A phone call from one BSC to another was all it took to get us in for the night – so off we went.

It’s really odd how much you grow attached to a routine, and even your surroundings. At the BSC I go to in Newton, I have a specific set of treadmills I will work out on and different areas of the gym that I gravitate to. I know where things are, usually I recognize a few of the “regulars” and I feel like I belong to the BSC Newton community because I am able to do these things. BSC Wellesley showed me just how much I enjoy that comfort level – I didn’t know where anything was in Wellesley, not even the workout room!

They had weird treadmills too. Nice, because they had fans built in which I appreciated, but I couldn’t really figure out how to work them and get it to do what I wanted. I also couldn’t enter my age or weight, so it wasn’t accurately telling me how many calories I was burning, and that really frustrated me so I got off and tried another. And then another.

I never really found a treadmill I liked, which made it rather difficult to get in the groove. I would run for a few minutes and walk for a few. Climb a little bit and give up. It’s hard to create a routine on a treadmill you don’t really have control over.

So that’s where I’m at with the 50in6. I wouldn’t say giving up, I’d say I’m just having an off week (or two) and I’m actually feeling weaker – like I can’t run for the length of time I could when I was really into a gym groove.

I suppose this is that dreadful plateau level so many people refer to. I think I’m there…

I’m a white kid from the suburbs with absolutely no moves. None.

And every Thursday, at 5:30pm, Elise is there at Hip Hop to remind me that it doesn’t matter where you came from, what you think you can or cannot do. What matters is that if you can move, you can dance. And if you can make a face like it “smells bad in here,” then you can do it well. And that is one of the reasons I love hip-hopping on Thursday nights. 

Tonight I learned the Chicken Noodle Soup dance, and how to Two Step. And it was a good workout – I was winded, taking advantage of every opportunity to grab water, and my clothes were covered in sweat by the end of the hour.

Dancing is a great way to break up the somewhat monotonous treadmill routines I do throughout the week. It’s also a great way to pick up a move or two to bring to the dance floor eventually. 

Also, the class on Tuesday that kicked my ass (sports conditioning) was with a crazy instructor. I didn’t go into detail about her in the first post, but let me tell you this woman was not only jacked and solidly built, she was also incredibly intimidating. Her biceps were rather large and she was almost militant in her teaching style. Although intimidating, it was very effective. She said run and I didn’t think twice about it. 

Well today Elise informed me that crazy-bicep-intimidating-girl is a former American Glaidator.

That explains everything.

After class, Elise has “office hours” where she meets with people who have questions about moves or about anything related to hip hop or the class in general. Today I stayed to ask her about learning to move better (and how to better keep up with her moves). She says I need to be more body aware, which basically means I should try to do mini dance moves no matter where I am or what I’m doing. If I’m cooking, I should be moving my hips. Folding laundry is apparently a good opportunity to pop lock and drop it. Standing at the bus stop tonight on the way home, I attempted a recap of the two-step, until I started getting dirty looks. The bus came shortly after that, so it’s not like I lost out on a lot of time. I’m going to stick with this body aware thing though, because I really would like to be a decent dancer. 

Among other things.

Okay, I’m getting sleepy so it’s time to call this a night and hit the sack. Check back tomorrow for updates, and as always, send in your feedback.