Hello friends,
So, after weeks of eating and drinking whatever I like and exerting myself as little as possible and the inevitable weight gain, it is time to get down to business! This past Monday, Sept. 21st, I started the Weight Management and Exercise Program at my place of employment, St. John Westshore Hospital. It is sponsored by our Wellness Committee. Frankly, I wish the hospital would do more to promote wellness for their employees but that is another subject all together.
The program works like this: It is 8 weeks long. We meet every Monday at 4:30pm. It starts out with the weigh-in (cue impending doom music) and some nutrition/diet education given by a dietitian. After that, we have 45 minutes of low impact aerobic/strength training given by a certified exercise instructor. The cool part is that you pay $100 up front but have a chance to "earn" back some of your initial investment. 100% attendance earns $20 refund, each pound lost earns $2 refund, and each pound lost and maintained through January 4th, earns an additional $2 refund. So, I figure if I play my cards right and stick to it, I can potentially end up paying $16 out of pocket. We'll see.
I will give you my initial numbers so that we can track my progress together. At the first class they took our weight, body fat percentage, BMI (Body Mass Index), and waist measurement. Here is the painful truth:
As of 9/21/09:
Weight: 155.6 lbs
Body Fat: 34.7%
Waist: 36.5 inches
BMI: 29.4
Ouch, I know. Here is my ultimate goal and the optimal levels:
Weight: 115-120 lbs. (although I would love to get down to 110, that may be slightly unrealistic)
Body Fat: 21-24%
Waist circumference: Less than 34 inches
*BMI: 19-25
*For those of you unfamiliar with the BMI measurement it is simply a height to weight ratio and in my opinion, is not an accurate measurement because it does not take into account any variables, but can still be a useful marker.
As you can see, I have a loooong way to go but I am determined to forge my way ahead! After our exercise class on Monday, I decided I still had enough endorphins flowing through my veins to take a jog (just one measly lap; 1/2 mile) around the pathway in front of the building. Wow!! About halfway around, I was comforted by the fact that I was mere steps away from the emergency room because I thought I was going to collapse! I was so surprised at how out of shape I have gotten!
Come Tuesday morning, I was so sore I could not make it down steps without a firm grip on the railing or walls! Bending over to pick something up was a huge feat! I was happy to be sore because that meant my muscles had been challenged, or tortured whichever way you want to look at it!
The other thing we have to do is to keep a food diary. Which means writing down and tracking everything that goes into your mouth. I've never been a big fan of these things because of the hassle. However, I am going to do it this time the best I can. I vow to write down the good, the bad, and the fattening!!!
Wish me luck and tune in next week!
In good health,
Mary Lou
About Me
- Mary Lou
- I try to get the most out of life. I think of myself as happy and upbeat and I love to make people laugh. I laugh at myself, a lot. I am engaged to be married to my best friend and soulmate. That sounds cliche, but it's true. I have three wonderful kids, two cats and a golden retriever who is like another kid. I have two stepkids whom one day I hope will come to accept me as a person who loves their dad very very much.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sometimes life gets in the way.....
Dear Friends,
This blog entry is unrelated to weight loss but it is a major happening in my life that effects my ability to get in shape as well as every other aspect of my life.
Rich and I just received news yesterday that our 3yr old Golden Retriever, Lexi probably has terminal cancer. We are still in shock and trying to process this awful turn of events. I was just going through pictures of her today when she was a puppy and I swear, it seems like yesterday. She is such a dear, sweet dog and she loves us dearly and we love her right back. I've had pets throughout my life but never really "owned" my own dog. She is just like one of my kids and I can barely stand the thought of losing her.
We took her to the vet cause she hasn't been eating her food and has been sort of lethargic. We thought it was repercussions of eating a dead rabbit two weeks ago. They just happened to see an abnormality on lungs on the x-rays of her abdomen so they decided to do full chest x-rays. The vet showed us the films and we couldn't believe it. There were masses all throughout her lungs. He said there was a possibility that it could be a very bad fungal infection but we got the impression that isn't very likely. He did send blood out to test for it though. He said if it is cancer there is nothing they can do. Wow. Rich made a very true statement when he said we always know eventually you'll lose your pet (since we generally out live them), we just were not expecting this to happen so soon.
This was also bad timing because today is my daughter's 17th birthday so I did my best to try to make the day special for her while dealing with this news. I think I (and her dad) did a fairly good job of that. I'm hoping so anyway.
It was a beautiful day today and I was off work, and kept wanting to go for a walk with Lexi, but she wasn't there. She was at the vets overnight last night and didn't come home untill tonight. I could have gone by myself but it didn't seem right. Sigh. We are going to make the very best of the time we have left with her.
Take care of the ones you love (even your animals), you never know how much time you'll have with them.
Until next time,
Mary Lou
This blog entry is unrelated to weight loss but it is a major happening in my life that effects my ability to get in shape as well as every other aspect of my life.
Rich and I just received news yesterday that our 3yr old Golden Retriever, Lexi probably has terminal cancer. We are still in shock and trying to process this awful turn of events. I was just going through pictures of her today when she was a puppy and I swear, it seems like yesterday. She is such a dear, sweet dog and she loves us dearly and we love her right back. I've had pets throughout my life but never really "owned" my own dog. She is just like one of my kids and I can barely stand the thought of losing her.
We took her to the vet cause she hasn't been eating her food and has been sort of lethargic. We thought it was repercussions of eating a dead rabbit two weeks ago. They just happened to see an abnormality on lungs on the x-rays of her abdomen so they decided to do full chest x-rays. The vet showed us the films and we couldn't believe it. There were masses all throughout her lungs. He said there was a possibility that it could be a very bad fungal infection but we got the impression that isn't very likely. He did send blood out to test for it though. He said if it is cancer there is nothing they can do. Wow. Rich made a very true statement when he said we always know eventually you'll lose your pet (since we generally out live them), we just were not expecting this to happen so soon.
This was also bad timing because today is my daughter's 17th birthday so I did my best to try to make the day special for her while dealing with this news. I think I (and her dad) did a fairly good job of that. I'm hoping so anyway.
It was a beautiful day today and I was off work, and kept wanting to go for a walk with Lexi, but she wasn't there. She was at the vets overnight last night and didn't come home untill tonight. I could have gone by myself but it didn't seem right. Sigh. We are going to make the very best of the time we have left with her.
Take care of the ones you love (even your animals), you never know how much time you'll have with them.
Until next time,
Mary Lou
Monday, September 7, 2009
Back from my wedding hiatus!
Hello friends,
No, I did not disappear off the face of the earth. I merely took some time off to go to Maine and get married. If you've been following this blog, you can safely assume that I did NOT reach my goal weight for my nuptials. Mainly because I was enjoying summer a little too much and was not able to remain focused. When it became clear that I was not going to succeed in time for the July 25th ceremony, I sort of totally threw in the towel and tried to focus on the happiness and excitement of going away and getting married. I'm happy to say, that I DID succeed at that!
The trip was fantastic and our wedding was exactly what Rich and I had dreamed of. We took a ton of pictures (some of which are on my Facebook page), and still need to get them printed for an album, frames, etc. Anyway, in looking at the pics, I can't help but cringe at how heavy I look. Which is EXACTLY why I was trying to slim down in the first place. Obviously, I can't do a thing about that now, however, I am still determined to get back in shape for some very definite and important reasons.
Recently, I had my yearly check up at my OB/GYN for Pap test, mammogram, etc. My doctor ordered some routine blood work which I had done at my lab. Because I work there, I added some "extra" tests on to see how I'm doing. My doctor ordered a CBC (blood count, check for anemia), Thyroid test, fasting glucose, and Vitamin D level. Except for my Vit D being a little low, the others were normal. I ran a Lipid profile to check my cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and HDL. Now, I have always prided myself in the fact that my cholesterol level and other lipids have always been well within normal. I was somewhat distraught and concerned when I compared my results with those I had done 2 yrs ago. My cholesterol went from 193 to 225. Anything over 200 is considered elevated. My triglycerides went from 138 to 186 and my LDL ("bad" cholesterol) went from 113 to 135. All my lipids are now in the "Borderline High" range. Wow. If I keep up at the rate I'm going, I'll be at risk for heart disease, the number 1 killer of women, and have a good chance at becoming a statistic. Obviously, I want to do whatever I can to prevent this from happening. Namely, healthy diet and EXERCISE!!!!
The other thing I've noticed (besides feeling really fat and sluggish), is that my joints and muscles get sore after activities that were previously non-issues. For example, last night, we were out celebrating Labor Day with some friends on their boat/marina and listening to a couple bands and I was doing a lot of dancing. I used to be able to dance all night long and not feel a thing the next day. This morning, it hurt to go down stairs. Holy crap! I'm in bad shape. Well, I suppose if you consider round a shape....that's a joke!
I am 43 years old. My plan is to live much longer and to stay healthy. I work in a hospital and am surrounded by illness all day. I do not want to go down that road. I want to be around to see my kids grow up, graduate, get married, etc. Not to mention looking good and feeling healthy in general. If those aren't compelling reasons to eat right and exercise I don't know what are!
I am going to rededicate myself to getting in shape. Starting with getting enough sleep. I will keep you posted on my progress and I urge all of you to be healthy so you can live a good long life also!
In good health,
Mary Lou
No, I did not disappear off the face of the earth. I merely took some time off to go to Maine and get married. If you've been following this blog, you can safely assume that I did NOT reach my goal weight for my nuptials. Mainly because I was enjoying summer a little too much and was not able to remain focused. When it became clear that I was not going to succeed in time for the July 25th ceremony, I sort of totally threw in the towel and tried to focus on the happiness and excitement of going away and getting married. I'm happy to say, that I DID succeed at that!
The trip was fantastic and our wedding was exactly what Rich and I had dreamed of. We took a ton of pictures (some of which are on my Facebook page), and still need to get them printed for an album, frames, etc. Anyway, in looking at the pics, I can't help but cringe at how heavy I look. Which is EXACTLY why I was trying to slim down in the first place. Obviously, I can't do a thing about that now, however, I am still determined to get back in shape for some very definite and important reasons.
Recently, I had my yearly check up at my OB/GYN for Pap test, mammogram, etc. My doctor ordered some routine blood work which I had done at my lab. Because I work there, I added some "extra" tests on to see how I'm doing. My doctor ordered a CBC (blood count, check for anemia), Thyroid test, fasting glucose, and Vitamin D level. Except for my Vit D being a little low, the others were normal. I ran a Lipid profile to check my cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and HDL. Now, I have always prided myself in the fact that my cholesterol level and other lipids have always been well within normal. I was somewhat distraught and concerned when I compared my results with those I had done 2 yrs ago. My cholesterol went from 193 to 225. Anything over 200 is considered elevated. My triglycerides went from 138 to 186 and my LDL ("bad" cholesterol) went from 113 to 135. All my lipids are now in the "Borderline High" range. Wow. If I keep up at the rate I'm going, I'll be at risk for heart disease, the number 1 killer of women, and have a good chance at becoming a statistic. Obviously, I want to do whatever I can to prevent this from happening. Namely, healthy diet and EXERCISE!!!!
The other thing I've noticed (besides feeling really fat and sluggish), is that my joints and muscles get sore after activities that were previously non-issues. For example, last night, we were out celebrating Labor Day with some friends on their boat/marina and listening to a couple bands and I was doing a lot of dancing. I used to be able to dance all night long and not feel a thing the next day. This morning, it hurt to go down stairs. Holy crap! I'm in bad shape. Well, I suppose if you consider round a shape....that's a joke!
I am 43 years old. My plan is to live much longer and to stay healthy. I work in a hospital and am surrounded by illness all day. I do not want to go down that road. I want to be around to see my kids grow up, graduate, get married, etc. Not to mention looking good and feeling healthy in general. If those aren't compelling reasons to eat right and exercise I don't know what are!
I am going to rededicate myself to getting in shape. Starting with getting enough sleep. I will keep you posted on my progress and I urge all of you to be healthy so you can live a good long life also!
In good health,
Mary Lou
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
