It's good to know in the midst of this new journey and the unbelievable pain that I haven't lost my sense of humor. Laughing at myself through all of this may be the only thing that keeps me going some days. On day one we did this exercise called a dolphin (I think) where you lay on your stomach and lift your head back and lift your legs up and back. It's almost as if you're doing a reverse crunch...to strenthen your lower back. While laying in the middle of the football field doing this "dolphin" all I kept thinking is that I must look like a beached whale trying to do dolphin tricks. One day this whale will be a lean mean dolphin machine. Today is not that day.
For day 2 of workouts we went to the pool. This workout consisted of swimming laps, stretches, running in the water, crunches...which are so much easier on the back when you're in the water. It was a great workout and felt great on my pour aching muscles...until it was time to get out of the pool and then as I slowly climbed out of the water I magically felt like I weighed 800lbs. How does that happen?
I look forward to the day that everyone has told me is coming when I don't hurt like this. One friend even commented on my facebook that I would even crave working out. Time will tell and I hope she is right.
Here is my funny but necessary antic for the day. Hayden text messaged me yesterday and asked me how sore I was on a scale from 1-10. I wasn't really sure how to answer that knowing that day 2 is always worse than day 1...but I was certain I had to be at a 10 anyway. So out of necessity I have come up with a soreness scale to be able to answer his question more accurately. So here goes....
1-4 are all managable numbers....even numbers that I have felt without working out!
5 "ooh I am feeling muscles I didn't know I had"
6 when walking past my treadmill I long for the "good ole days"
7 I dropped something on the floor and say "screw it" and leave it there. If it was food the dog will eat it...if it was a piece of clothing I will wear something else!
8 I have had repeated thoughts throughout the day that "the human body was not made to do this!"
9 I strongly considered sleeping on the couch to avoid walking up the stairs or even worse...considered letting Matti use the bathroom in the house and clean it up later to avoid walking back down the stair (but then again see #7..bad idea)
10 Not being able to perform basic necessities of life without major pain or shedding tears. For example sitting down or getting up from the toilet. Moving your head instead of your arm when brushing your teeth. Or literally rolling out of the bed because you physically cannot sit up or stand up first thing in the morning.
And just so you know...today is a 10!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Workout Day One: "barely survived"
Well yesterday at 6:30pm was my first official workout with my trainer Hayden. After working out for almost three weeks by myself on the treadmill and simply making smart choices I lost 9lbs so I was anxiously awaiting taking my workouts to take it to the next level. I think I far surpassed the next level and maybe the 10 levels that followed that yesterday...but I survived. Honestly I don't remember what all we did because after the first ten minutes I was dizzy and gasping for air and trying not to pass out the rest of the workout. Let me just go ahead and get it out there that YES I did throw up during the workout. I might be ruined on bananas for a while...they just aren't the same the second time around. Here are just some of the things we did that I vaguely remember doing...
We started with a brisk run around the football field to get our heart rate up. Shamefully I only ran half way before I started walking and then picked back up running. One day I will be running that thing like a champ but that day was not today!
After our warm up run we moved on to stretches and I was already feeling light headed...not a good sign.
At some point there were 10 yard sprints...lunges, squats, kicks, punching some bag that Hayden was holding. We ran something called a death square. The point at which I threw up was after doing squat to jumps as seen in the picture below....
We also ran these sprints called yo yos or suicides where you run 5 yards and then run backwards, run 10 yards and then run it backwards, run 15 yards and then run it backwards and then run 20 yards and run it backwards. UGH!!
I'll say this for my first workout. I am sore. I am tired. I am dehydrated. BUT I feel accomplished. I know I probably wasn't able to go as fast or as hard at most things as Hayden would like but I at least did everything he asked even through the vomit. I DID IT...I survived day one.
Day two is now underway on the schedule is swimming laps if I can still move at 6:30 tonight.
We started with a brisk run around the football field to get our heart rate up. Shamefully I only ran half way before I started walking and then picked back up running. One day I will be running that thing like a champ but that day was not today!
After our warm up run we moved on to stretches and I was already feeling light headed...not a good sign.
At some point there were 10 yard sprints...lunges, squats, kicks, punching some bag that Hayden was holding. We ran something called a death square. The point at which I threw up was after doing squat to jumps as seen in the picture below....
We also ran these sprints called yo yos or suicides where you run 5 yards and then run backwards, run 10 yards and then run it backwards, run 15 yards and then run it backwards and then run 20 yards and run it backwards. UGH!!
I'll say this for my first workout. I am sore. I am tired. I am dehydrated. BUT I feel accomplished. I know I probably wasn't able to go as fast or as hard at most things as Hayden would like but I at least did everything he asked even through the vomit. I DID IT...I survived day one.
Day two is now underway on the schedule is swimming laps if I can still move at 6:30 tonight.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cochon de Lait
So today was Cochon de Lait...one of my favorite events at LC. We host a family day for students and their parents and boil 3000lbs of crawfish. I have wholeheartedly embraced life in Louisiana when it comes to eating crawfish. I look forward to this event every year and could eat my weight in these little mudbugs!
The air is filled with great smells of crawfish boiling, roasted pig and dirty rice...so there is bound to be something for everyone. I don't waste room in my tummy with anything but those glorious crawfish but the pork did look yummy.
It's always entertaining to watch people eat crawfish because you have the people who have been eating them since they were born and can peel them super fast. I'm getting there but still jealous of these people. Then there are people like my friend Angie, who peel them slowly and then have to clean "everything" off of them and then smother them in ketchup to cover up the taste. Either way you see enjoyment on every face! Okay, so maybe not on Cory's face because he had just put a whole crawfish in his mouth, shell, claws and all to prove that he could eat them just as fast as the cajun folks at the table. For the extreme crawfish eater like my friend Austin, you must suck all the juices out of the head. I've tried it but it's too salty for my liking.
Aside from the food there was live entertainment, baggo...which Amy beat me at. How do you get beat by a pregnant woman in a game? After the festivities we headed to the softball game to see the Lady Wildcats take on and beat ETBU.
After taking in some of the game it was nap time in my world...chalk this up to a great Saturday!! Pictured below is Parker Robin who shares my thoughts on an afternoon nap!
The air is filled with great smells of crawfish boiling, roasted pig and dirty rice...so there is bound to be something for everyone. I don't waste room in my tummy with anything but those glorious crawfish but the pork did look yummy.
It's always entertaining to watch people eat crawfish because you have the people who have been eating them since they were born and can peel them super fast. I'm getting there but still jealous of these people. Then there are people like my friend Angie, who peel them slowly and then have to clean "everything" off of them and then smother them in ketchup to cover up the taste. Either way you see enjoyment on every face! Okay, so maybe not on Cory's face because he had just put a whole crawfish in his mouth, shell, claws and all to prove that he could eat them just as fast as the cajun folks at the table. For the extreme crawfish eater like my friend Austin, you must suck all the juices out of the head. I've tried it but it's too salty for my liking.
Aside from the food there was live entertainment, baggo...which Amy beat me at. How do you get beat by a pregnant woman in a game? After the festivities we headed to the softball game to see the Lady Wildcats take on and beat ETBU.
After taking in some of the game it was nap time in my world...chalk this up to a great Saturday!! Pictured below is Parker Robin who shares my thoughts on an afternoon nap!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Beside Himself
So for those of you who have been around to experience me falling down the stairs in my own apartment or dislocating my hips playing softball, you're about to get a small glimpse into where my luck comes from. I have mentioned in several blog posts how much of a spitting image I am of my dad...the good, the bad, the misfortune!
Dad...I'm sorry but I can't resist sharing this story.
So my dad was heading on a camping adventure yesterday and while driving down the interstate in his RV with his truck in tow noticed in the side mirror that his truck was coming up beside him on the shoulder. I'm not sure there is ever a time where being "beside yourself" is a good scenario...but I am 100% positive that this is NOT GOOD! Luckily dad was driving through a construction zone so his speed wasn't that high and he had a safety chain on that kept the truck from getting away from him completely. Praise the Lord for quick thinking under pressure. Dad slowed down and pulled over and let the truck collide into the back of the RV. Thank goodness for low mounted spare tires that buffer the collision. Fortunately no damage was done to the RV or the truck.
Dad and Scotty were being followed by some friends who were in their own RV and I am not sure which is worse....being in dad's position realizing your vehicle is loose or being the vehicle following behind them watching all this happen. Never a dull a moment in the Thomas family!
I only wish I could attach a video of this whole incident...I could win money!!
Dad...I'm sorry but I can't resist sharing this story.
So my dad was heading on a camping adventure yesterday and while driving down the interstate in his RV with his truck in tow noticed in the side mirror that his truck was coming up beside him on the shoulder. I'm not sure there is ever a time where being "beside yourself" is a good scenario...but I am 100% positive that this is NOT GOOD! Luckily dad was driving through a construction zone so his speed wasn't that high and he had a safety chain on that kept the truck from getting away from him completely. Praise the Lord for quick thinking under pressure. Dad slowed down and pulled over and let the truck collide into the back of the RV. Thank goodness for low mounted spare tires that buffer the collision. Fortunately no damage was done to the RV or the truck.
Dad and Scotty were being followed by some friends who were in their own RV and I am not sure which is worse....being in dad's position realizing your vehicle is loose or being the vehicle following behind them watching all this happen. Never a dull a moment in the Thomas family!
I only wish I could attach a video of this whole incident...I could win money!!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
the flowers aren't all that are in BLOOM
I finally got to take a picture with Amy Sue and Baby Noah. I don't think that Amy reads my blog so I am safe to post this picture...if I'm wrong then Amy forgive me. I know she will hate this picture when in all honesty Amy has made an adorable mommy to be! I am fortunate to be Aunt Kabes to nieces and nephews all over the continental US...however, I have never gotten to experience the joys of the whole pregnancy with any of my closest girlfriends. I've never gotten to be there to see their babies born or go through those newborn days...so I am a little beside myself with anticipation with Noah's arrival just around the corner. I love sitting on the couch with Amy and feeling him kick and sorting through his little clothes. I think he is a go getter like his mom and dad both because he thought about coming a little early last week. Amy is now on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. She is now in week 34 and we are crossing our fingers to make it to week 36 until we see sweet Noah. Crazy thing is that Noah's baby shower isn't until May 2nd so he may be here in time to be the guest of honor at his party! Last week at 33 weeks he was already measuring 5lbs and 11ounces so if Amy makes it full term now that she is not teaching and taking it easy...this kid is gonna be huge...atta boy!
Here is a picture of Amy and I at Megan Berry's lingerie shower and the other is of the diaper cake that I made for Noah's shower...I was pretty proud of my creation!
Here is a picture of Amy and I at Megan Berry's lingerie shower and the other is of the diaper cake that I made for Noah's shower...I was pretty proud of my creation!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
NOW WHAT?
As promised here is the follow up to the Biggest Loser three part adventure blog entries. After starting the application process I watched the show with wide eyes every week thinking to myself "could I really do this? could I handle what they get put through on this show in order to lose weight?" To be honest what was scarier to me was not getting cast and having to answer the NOW WHAT? Obviously for 32 years nothing that I have tried on my own has been successful. In part because I have very little self-discipline and self-control when it comes to food and excercise...lets just be honest. When it comes to school, work, excellence in just about anything else I am a perfectionist but not so much in this particular area.
The sobering reality on the drive home from New Orleans was that with every hour that past our chances of getting a call back were dwindling away. Something in me, probably the prompting of the Lord and my own overshare personality...led me to share with numerous people the process I was going through and at this point I now felt accountable to them to figure out how to lose this weight without the show. So how?
Probably the greatest thing that I learned about myself through the application process is that I am an emotional eater. I'm happy and there is something to celebrate...LET'S EAT. I've had a rough day and I'm stressed...LET'S EAT. I'm bored..LET'S EAT. Regardless the emotion and how quickly the emotion changes my chosen way of dealing with the emotion has been food. First step is identifying the problem and the second is choosing a new release. Blogging has turned into a great stress release for me, hopefully exercise will turn into a great release that will have a health benefit. I've learned the importance of making ONE SMART CHOICE AT A TIME. Every time I fix a drink I have a choice...water or something with calories/caffiene. Sometimes I make a good choice and sometimes I don't. Every meal is a choice to eat something healthy or to eat something not so healthy....to eat enough to be full or to overeat. Taking my day once choice at a time is managable and when I mess up it doesn't give me an excuse to blow the rest of the day. I've even set goals at the start of every day to make "X" number of good choices that day and then try to exceed my goal.
So far we are taking this one day and once choice at a time. Within two weeks of the casting call just by making smart choices I have lost 5lbs. The next step was to be realistic about adding exercise into my daily routine. So I now officially look like a dork at work but I have replaced my office chair with an exercise ball. Constantly having to tighten your core abdominal muscles to balance on the ball all day is a great workout. Replacing my chair with the ball has also helped my posture tremendously...we'll see how the ball goes. I feel like a midget sitting at my desk though because it is considerably lower than my chair, oh well. The ball is quite the conversation piece because everyone who walks by stops to comment.
The other addition to my daily routine is walking on a treadmill. I am not a gym girl. I don't feel like a fit in at the gym. I am constantly self-conscious the entire time I am there because I am not walking as fast as the person next to me or I am out of breath or my butt keeps eating my shorts (a wardrobe malfunction for the overweight). I don't mind walking and even trying to run on a treadmill I just don't like being in the gym. Praise the Lord for craig's list and my dad who is a pro at finding good deals. I am now the proud owner of a treadmill that will be replacing my oversize chair in my living room when I get back to Pineville. So my living room will lose some of it's cozy feel but I will lose some of my big butt...a win lose situation. I love to watch TV at night, especially Criminal Minds so now I will watch my favorite shows while my body is in motion. That's change I can live with. And in the privacy of my own home I can leave my shorts in my crack, fart while I run, pant because I am out of breath and even walk in my PJs if I want to.
All of the above were settled upon solutions and then came the last addition. Like I said...I had shared with several people about applying for the show, including my RA staff. After not getting a call back I received a text from one of my RAs saying that if I was serious about losing weight that his brother was a personal trainer and amateur body builder and he would get him to come up with a plan for me. Who needs Jillian and Bob...I have Hayden and his brother?! Famous last words of a fat chick. Hayden is home this week for spring break working with his brother to put together a diet and workout plan for me that I am sure will be brutal. Not quite the leisure exercise my treadmill is going to be...but as Hayden so graciously put it...you can lose a 150lbs the easy way but its going to take you 45 years. So if I live to tell about my training adventures I will keep my blog updated with stories and pics of my progress. MY GOAL....to not be eligible for the Biggest Loser when casting calls come around next year...how wonderful would that be?
The sobering reality on the drive home from New Orleans was that with every hour that past our chances of getting a call back were dwindling away. Something in me, probably the prompting of the Lord and my own overshare personality...led me to share with numerous people the process I was going through and at this point I now felt accountable to them to figure out how to lose this weight without the show. So how?
Probably the greatest thing that I learned about myself through the application process is that I am an emotional eater. I'm happy and there is something to celebrate...LET'S EAT. I've had a rough day and I'm stressed...LET'S EAT. I'm bored..LET'S EAT. Regardless the emotion and how quickly the emotion changes my chosen way of dealing with the emotion has been food. First step is identifying the problem and the second is choosing a new release. Blogging has turned into a great stress release for me, hopefully exercise will turn into a great release that will have a health benefit. I've learned the importance of making ONE SMART CHOICE AT A TIME. Every time I fix a drink I have a choice...water or something with calories/caffiene. Sometimes I make a good choice and sometimes I don't. Every meal is a choice to eat something healthy or to eat something not so healthy....to eat enough to be full or to overeat. Taking my day once choice at a time is managable and when I mess up it doesn't give me an excuse to blow the rest of the day. I've even set goals at the start of every day to make "X" number of good choices that day and then try to exceed my goal.
So far we are taking this one day and once choice at a time. Within two weeks of the casting call just by making smart choices I have lost 5lbs. The next step was to be realistic about adding exercise into my daily routine. So I now officially look like a dork at work but I have replaced my office chair with an exercise ball. Constantly having to tighten your core abdominal muscles to balance on the ball all day is a great workout. Replacing my chair with the ball has also helped my posture tremendously...we'll see how the ball goes. I feel like a midget sitting at my desk though because it is considerably lower than my chair, oh well. The ball is quite the conversation piece because everyone who walks by stops to comment.
The other addition to my daily routine is walking on a treadmill. I am not a gym girl. I don't feel like a fit in at the gym. I am constantly self-conscious the entire time I am there because I am not walking as fast as the person next to me or I am out of breath or my butt keeps eating my shorts (a wardrobe malfunction for the overweight). I don't mind walking and even trying to run on a treadmill I just don't like being in the gym. Praise the Lord for craig's list and my dad who is a pro at finding good deals. I am now the proud owner of a treadmill that will be replacing my oversize chair in my living room when I get back to Pineville. So my living room will lose some of it's cozy feel but I will lose some of my big butt...a win lose situation. I love to watch TV at night, especially Criminal Minds so now I will watch my favorite shows while my body is in motion. That's change I can live with. And in the privacy of my own home I can leave my shorts in my crack, fart while I run, pant because I am out of breath and even walk in my PJs if I want to.
All of the above were settled upon solutions and then came the last addition. Like I said...I had shared with several people about applying for the show, including my RA staff. After not getting a call back I received a text from one of my RAs saying that if I was serious about losing weight that his brother was a personal trainer and amateur body builder and he would get him to come up with a plan for me. Who needs Jillian and Bob...I have Hayden and his brother?! Famous last words of a fat chick. Hayden is home this week for spring break working with his brother to put together a diet and workout plan for me that I am sure will be brutal. Not quite the leisure exercise my treadmill is going to be...but as Hayden so graciously put it...you can lose a 150lbs the easy way but its going to take you 45 years. So if I live to tell about my training adventures I will keep my blog updated with stories and pics of my progress. MY GOAL....to not be eligible for the Biggest Loser when casting calls come around next year...how wonderful would that be?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Beauty of Give and Take
One of the many things I have inherited from my father is my love of plants and flowers. I realize that in order for the flowers to be beautiful in the spring they have to be pollenated...thus the title of this entry "the beauty of give and take." In order to enjoy the beauty of flowers in bloom I have to give up a week or two of absolute sinus/allergy misery. It's one give and take relationship that pays off in the long run! Thanks to my allergy shots this season hasn't been near as bad as in the past.
I am currently in Alabama visiting my family and these are just a few pictures I have taken of the flowers in full bloom in my dad's yard. Between my love of flowers and my love for photography the picture taking has been a bit ridiculous since I got home. Enjoy!
I am currently in Alabama visiting my family and these are just a few pictures I have taken of the flowers in full bloom in my dad's yard. Between my love of flowers and my love for photography the picture taking has been a bit ridiculous since I got home. Enjoy!
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