The Formula or "Tales From The Gym"

I've had quite a few people ask me what I'm doing regarding my health, and I've promised to post the formula. Yes, there is a formula. You're not gonna like it, folks. It's rough. It's tough. And I've made the commitment to do it. So, for the brave... here it is.

Nutrition (Notice I did not say DIET.)

I keep my nutrient ratios as close to this as I can:

30% protein (lean meats and NOTHING CURED)
20% fat (olive oil, avocado, peanut butter)
50% complex carbohydrates (you know, the kind found in nature)

Yes, calories DO count. So count them back. There is a great little program out there that you can use online for free. Yes, I said FREE. Free is a magic word to me. The site is www.fitday.com. There you can record all your food and activities. AND your weight. You cannot post your calipers there. If anyone needs help with calipers, I can do it for you. What is a caliper, you ask? It's a bodyfold measurement of your fat. Yeah, it's ugly, I know. But in order to go somewhere, you've got to know where you've been. There is a magic caloric number for every person. Mine is 1667. So I stay below that most days.

Activity

You notice I did not say exercise. People freak out when I use the "E" word. So we're going to call this "activity".

I activate 6 days out of 7. I make myself rest on the 7th day, just usually because I'm sore by then.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays... these are my long gym days. I will spend 2 hours in the gym doing activity.

Five minutes of warmup on the treadmill. This is NOT optional, folks! You have to warm up! Your body will thank you, and I won't have to nag you.

30 to 40 minutes of circuit training. I variate between the two. This is weight training. Yeah yeah, I know... you think you'll look like a muscle man... it hurts... blah blah blah. Don't talk to me about how it hurts. I'M doing it! I work every part of the body I can. And it ain't pretty. I sweat, I grunt like a pig, and I'm exhilarated when I'm done.

15 minutes of core training. Again, not optional. Your core is what holds you in and makes you strong. I use The Bean and run the workout on my laptop while I follow along. Don't laugh. That extra cushioning that The Bean gives me is just enough to keep me from hurting my spine.

30 minutes of cardio. There. I said it. Cardio. Yuck. I hate cardio. So I turn on some tunes and get on my hurricycle. Ever see one of those exercycles with the big fan on the front and the handles that alternate going up and back? That's my cardio demon machine. I do it. So should you.

30 minutes of yoga. The slow, stretching kind, not the power yoga that seems to be so popular. Those people are crazy. Hatha yoga... just stretch every part of the body that you worked. Start with the toes and work your way up. Ladies, we spend money on pedicures. Work the feet! Stretch them out! They're so integral to your life. I know what it was like not to be able to walk for 6 months. Treat your feet special.

Now... for those of you who are still following me...

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays... Okay, most Saturdays...

Cardio and yoga. Sometimes I will use my Saturday for outside work in the yard. That's okay, as long as you're not pulling a couple of weeds and then looking for someone to mercifully save you from the rest. DO IT! I did. This weekend, we put down mulch and I weeded 2 flower beds. Then I transplanted a lot of plants in one of those beds now that it was nice and clean. I spent at least 3 hours out there and I was still at it long after the rest of my house inhabitants gave up.

Think all of this is tough and I'm just a glutton for punishment? Oh hell yeah, it is... and I'm not. When I was younger, I got up two hours earlier just so I could get in a workout before work. If I don't do it in the morning, I won't do it. So I make this an appointment with myself now. It's an appointment I won't break because I'm worth it. I'm worth all the sweat it takes to get my health back. Aren't you? Did you know that 80% of women over the age of 70 can't lift a bag of groceries? I don't want to be one of those. So who's with me? Take your vitamins, and let's get started.

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta

Chasing the Iron Bunny

For those of you who are following my health and weight loss journey, I have encouraging news. First of all, I was completely cleared by my pulmonologist when my CT scan came up clear. He saw and heard no trace of the infection that has plagued me for so long. That said, I went on a fitness program that I designed from my training knowledge of days gone by.

I first started this journey on October 5 of last year. I had plugged all my numbers in (as ugly as they were) and then had a setback when I was told that my father had passed a couple of weeks later. So now that the setback is over, and after getting off the meds for the lung disease, I am back on track. So let me post what I've done so far.


Starting scale weight was 231 (Ugh) and starting bodyfat % was 44.75%. Lean weight was 127.32 and bodyfat was 103.68.

Today... scale weight was 219 (still ugh) with bodyfat % of 33.93%. Lean weight is 144.69 and bodyfat is 74.31.

The tale of the tape is also encouraging. Waist measurement is down 2 inches since starting last year, with most of that loss coming in the last 11 days since adding intense cardio and core workouts in with weight training. Waist to hip ratio is still not where it needs to be, so there is a lot more work to be done.

Things I've noticed: My energy is coming back. I sleep better most nights. I can breathe better. I can focus my mind better. I get more done around the house and in my life. I can walk better. I still feel like I'm dragging my left leg some days (the leg that had the clot in it), but I push through it and then rest it. I no longer JUST push through. I know that rest is an integral part of my well-being and don't intend to be without it ever again.

Changes I've made:

1. Detoxifying my environment. It's ongoing and it's hard. But I feel it is something worth doing. You have no idea how many foods are packaged using plastics, which are dreadful for the body and the environment.

2. Challenging everything that goes into my mouth. That is also difficult, especially when others in the household are having everything from tortilla chips and cheese dip to ice cream. It's okay. You keep eating that. I'm not.

3. Preparing foods from scratch. I do that a lot more now. I've stopped eating out for the most part, making that the exception instead of the rule.

4. I get active every day. I feel like I'm slacking off when I'm not active. I used to be able to climb a rope to the top of a gymnasium and back down. I used to be on the gymnastics team. I may not be able to do those things again, but I'm gonna get close. REAL close.

5. I take much better care of my grooming now. Sounds silly to most of you, but when you're not feeling well, it reflects in your grooming and when your grooming is bad, you feel worse. It's a vicious cycle and I've stopped it.

6. I take pictures of myself much more often. I want to see this journey in pictures. My body has a story to tell.

7. I don't let anything keep me from my workouts now... not even procrastinating like I'm doing right this minute. Don't worry... I'll be in the gym within the next half hour or so and spend 2 hours workin' it.

8. I open up to other people a little more. I'm still very introspective, but am trying to change that.

I know there are more, but for the sake of the workout I'm trying to ignore, I'll leave them for another time. I've got my music picked out for the gym today, and I've got to get out there. It's not gonna happen by itself.

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta

My Own Marley

I just finished watching Marley and Me, and I ended up in tears. Anyone who doesn't cry at the end of that movie just doesn't have a heart. And it brought up some memories of my own Marley... a black and tan coonhound named Rebel.

Rebel was a beautiful dog. And kind natured. He was the best. He came into our lives when Jason was just about 4 years old and Rhys was a baby. We had just moved into our house, and I immediately said that no house is a home without a dog. We went looking for one.

I saw an ad in the paper for coonhound puppies, and took the long trek out to some God-forsaken place in the country, which I now know to be Shelby Forest. I had really wanted a bluetick, but these were black and tan, with a touch of bluetick. There were several puppies running around in the open on the property, but I took notice of the one off to the side all by himself. I went over to him, and saw the sad look in his eyes. It was clear that his brothers had been taken long ago, and he was the only boy left. I rubbed his head and asked him if he wanted to come home with me. He licked my hand, and stole my heart.

I put him in the cat carrier, which was the only restraint I had at the time, so he could take the long journey home. Once he got out, he was never small enough to get back in. He grew by leaps and bounds, and when all was said and done, he was a whopping 82 pounds of sleek, shiny black and tan. From the outside of the house, he looked like a pitbull to anyone approaching. He was menacing to intruders, but had a heart of gold.

Rebel used to love his weekly outings at the park. They have open leash day on Saturdays and we would put him in the back of the truck, where he would proudly howl his greeting to the people at the park, who would laugh and point at the beautiful black beauty who was so eager to announce his arrival. Once at the park, he was King. King of the Park. He took control of the track and field. He wouldn't venture into the water though. Coonhounds, by nature, do not go near the water, where a raccoon would drag them to drown them. True to form, he wouldn't go there. But oh, how he loved to run and have fun with the other dogs.

Once home, Rebel would eat, drink and lie down on the kitchen floor to rest. That floor must have been nice and cool compared to the summer heat, but I have a very small kitchen, and he took up the whole floor! I tripped over him more than once on many occasions.

Rebel began to have some health problems in his later years. Some cysts grew on him, and we took them off to make him comfortable. His beautiful coat scarred, we got the news that he had cancer. My poor, beautiful baby... and nothing could be done to help him except to keep him comfortable. And I tried. Really I did. He got weaker and weaker, but still he was happy.

The day after Valentine's Day, February 15, I came home to find Rebel out in the cold, wet weather, and called to him. He tried to get up, but sank back down. I ran over to him and called him again. His eyes told me the story. He had had enough. I called the vet immediately to ask if he would perform a euthanasia in a half hour. He agreed, and we took Rebel to the vet for the last time. He was in the back of the truck, where he loved to be, covered with a blanket to keep the rain off him.

On the table, the vet stroked him and said, "this was a good dog". I said "The Best" and gave him the go-ahead to put him down. I petted him and talked to him softly as the vet struggled to find a good vein. They had all collapsed. He slipped quietly away. My life hasn't been the same since.

Godspeed my beautiful, loyal friend. Here's to you. Thank you for all the love you gave me. Save me a spot. I love you.

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta