you wish you were THIS cool!

Oh yeah, check out my supah-cool bodybugg tanline...

lol!

Facing fitness fears.

Fitness fears. I don't have many of 'em. I welcomed the P90X 90-day challenge. I kicked the crap out of Turbo Jam. I've also taken step aerobics, spinning, BOSU, bootcamp cardio, and various strength training classes- I've even been running a little this summer! With all of this being said, there is one area of fitness that has equally intrigued *and* scared the crap out of me. This particular area is... dance. It's a tricky thing for me, because I sincerely admire/envy those with rhythm and I get really addicted to any dancing show on TV. Sadly, I severely lack rhythm and grace. Well, I have decided enough is enough and I am going to give it a shot and not care if I look the fool. :) The first series I am doing is a fusion style dance fitness class- hip hop belly it's called. Should be verrry interesting! After this series, I may tackle ballroom. Again, something I'm totally intrigued by but have been too scared to try. It sounds like so much fun, and will be great exercise too!

My first hip hop belly class is next Tuesday (September 8th.) I'm pumped and I will NOT back out. Will not back out.... will NOT back out...

Right. I won't back out. :)

More later!

I'm deficient... (yet again!!!)

So, I went to the doctor last week because I have just really been feeling out of sorts. The weather has been gorgeous lately, and what do I come home and do after work? Sleep. I've also been getting the "you look tired" from others. My concentration has been crappy and I haven't even really felt motivated to work out as much as I used to. Yeah, that's SO not like me. Another really super-annoying thing is that no matter what I do my weight is not changing. I was very religiously body-bugging, recording every calorie I took in and uploading all of my info at night for my calories burned. My average daily deficit for my first 30 days of using the bugg was 500 calories (I ate about 1400 a day and burned about 1900.) I gained weight. I should have been losing about a pound a week with that deficit. Makes NO F'ing SENSE!! So I went to the Cleveland Clinic to discuss this with a doctor.

Anyway, the doc ran some blood tests on me for stuff she suspected... and one result was vitamin D deficiency. It's not really a huge shock, because a big source of vitamin D is from sunlight. This is bad for us Ohioans who don't see a whole lot of sunshine... I am also somewhat of a sun-avoider, even when it's out (have to preserve the skin!!) So anyway, Vitamin D deficiency is just added to the list of other crap that can make me tired and mess with my weight (hypothyroid and b12 deficiency.) My body is dumb.

I just got this result today and filled my prescription for my vitamin D supplement- and decided to poke around online to see what I could see concerning symptoms of D deficiency. Then I decided to type in "Vitamin D deficiency + weight gain." I found some interesting results. Here's a snippet:

Moreover, people who have a reduced capacity to mobilize vitamin D often weigh more and have more body fat than those with full capacity. In the past 20 years multiple studies have shown a correlation between higher blood levels of vitamin D and leaner body mass.

there seems to be a correlation between rising rates of obesity and vitamin D deficiency. If you are having difficulty with insulin resistance or weight gain — or can’t keep the pounds off once you lose them — you may want to have your vitamin D levels checked by your healthcare practitioner.

Interesting indeed. I'm curious to see if the D will help me at all with losing the pounds and keeping them off. I'm not hanging all of my hopes on it, but dang- it sure would be nice to see all of my hard work pay off by actually losing fat and keeping it off!

Bodybugg calorie breakdown

I find the bodybugg absolutely fascinating. I am constantly keeping tabs of individual activities to see how many calories I burn and how many steps I take. Here are some breakdowns of workouts:

Powerwalk/Jog
1hr 13mins | Calories Out: 461 | Steps: 5894

Turbo Jam Cardio Mix 1 with weighted gloves
44 mins | Calories Out: 344 | Steps: 4653

Ab Jam (Turbo Jam Ab workout)
20 mins | Calories Out: 64 | Steps: 734 (standing ab portion)

TJ Punch Kick & Jam with weighted gloves
50 mins | Calories Out: 358 | (Forgot to record steps)

Cardio Jam Live with weighted gloves
30 mins | Calories Out: 250 | (Forgot to record steps)

Walk/Jog with weighted gloves
1hr 40mins | Calories Out: 645 | Steps: 9204

I've been working late the past few days (and over the weekend), so I've missed a few workouts. Can't wait to get back to my routine!

I'm amazed.

The bodybugg is worth every penny. I am amazed by it and I love it. The website where you log everything is incredibly comprehensive and fantastic. When you upload the data from your armband, it even graphs your movement hour by hour throughout the day. Everything is concise and easy to understand. If I have any complaint, I would say entering the calories consumed can be mildly aggravating. It's not always the easiest to find the full nutrition breakdown for every item consumed, and the program won't allow you to just enter calories. I tried to do that with a piece of fruit I ate... it forced me to put the carbs and protein in before I could save the info. I think it may be because there is a pie chart with a breakdown of how many fats, protein and carbs you should consume based on your goals and preferences. It requires that info to give you accurate feedback.

I definitely recommend the digital display along with the armband. I love being able to glance down and see the amount of calories I've burned throughout the day, the steps I've taken, etc. If you don't have the digital display, you can't see anything in real time... you have to wait until you upload from the armband to the web site. Another nice thing is that you can gauge how many calories you burn for specific activities. Out of curiosity, I compared to see how accurate the workout mode on Dance Dance Revolution is when I play my Wii. It was 50 calories off. :P I track everything and I am constantly looking at the display. It makes calorie management so much more fun- AND I've had at least a 500 calorie deficit every day that I've worn the bugg. It makes me so much more conscious of my choices. I just love it. I'm very happy. :D

Here's a sample page from the web site. You can see in the graph exactly where I took my Spinning class in the evening. lol :)

SPLURGE!

Ok, I seriously need to stop splurging on weight loss stuff. For real.

What is this time, you ask?

A bodybugg.

Yes, the insanely expensive little device they use on The Biggest Loser to track calorie burn throughout the day. I felt almost pushed into it, because there was a sale that ended at midnight today- and I just found out at like 9pm! The sale saved me about $70, so it was pretty much now or never. My finger hovered over the "process" button for a while. It was still a pretty good chunk of money to spend and I was indecisive. But ultimately I clicked... and I know I'll be excited when it arrives. I just wrote someone back earlier today who was inquiring about my weight loss and my struggles. I specifically said I struggle mostly with finding the right balance between nutrition (calories) and exercise. The very words I typed just an hour or so prior to being on the bodybugg site played back through my mind... maybe this little device will be the answer to that very problem.

We'll see.

I ended up getting the armband, digital display, and 6 months of online access to their web site. You upload all the info from the device (calories burned, steps walked etc.) to the website, and you also enter the calories you eat. It's a basic calories-in calories-out approach, but in a high-tech, highly accurate way.

Once I get it and start using it, I'll definitely post a blog with my thoughts. :)

gripes.

Gripe Number One (non-weight related.) You know what I hate? People who constantly check their cell phone or text when they are with me. *Especially* if I don't know the person very well or it is a "first date/meeting" type situation. If the other person who is texting is THAT interesting- go hang out with them and stop wasting my time. It just seems like advancing technology has made people increasingly rude, and there's no excuse for it. If you would rather be alone in a room with your phone, go for it. Just leave me out of the mix.

Gripe Number Two (weight related.) I followed my diet plan perfectly and exercised like a beast since my last update on here and I gained. Maybe my diet plan isn't enough calories to support all of the cardio. I don't know. But I have this problem all of the time and it is beyond aggravating.

Almost there...

I'm almost back down into the 120's... yay! 2 pounds away. That's my first mini-goal. It has been a struggle for sure, but I'm doing it! :) When I started P90X I was at 123... getting back down to that weight will be my next little goal. Then it's the home stretch to ultimate goal. It's the home stretch that is the hardest part of all- that's where I plateaued last time and then gained. I sooOOOooo want to get there this time. I must!

The past 2 weekends I have had a day that has thrown me off track (my nephew's bday- CAKE, and memorial day- BBQ!) But this weekend is pretty much free and clear, besides seeing Star Trek with one of my friends. I kinda got shanghaied into that. lol But anyway, my nutrition will remain strong this weekend and those 2 lbs shall be shed soon. I may start doing video weigh-ins (like my pal Triple Q on YouTube)... I'm not sure though. It would be a good way to stay accountable since my Weight Watchers weigh ins will be done in a few weeks, but then again I don't know if I want all of YouTube seeing my weight every week. lol I'll have to think on that.

Anyway. Here's a recipe for a low-cal dessert item (I made this on Memorial Day.) It is called Orange Fluff... but affectionately got renamed "Orange Crap" at my Memorial Day party. "Hey Ang- that Orange Crap is pretty good!" lol

(1) 8 oz fat free sour cream
(1) .35 oz box sugar free orange gelatin dessert
(1) 8 oz container fat free cool whip
(1) 11 oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained

Stir the sour cream, gelatin, and cool whip together until well mixed. Fold in the orange segments. Serve chilled.

Calories: 149 Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 7mg Fiber: 0g Protein: 4g

I used this as a topping for angel food cake and it tasted really good. The Orange Crap was a hit!

Well ain't that a kick in the pants.

Sooo... I was super excited to try out my new nutrition plan. I did a major splurge and started an at-home delivery service with chef prepared calorie-controlled meals. It's really expensive, but I thought I would give it a go, at least for a few weeks (or till I can't afford it anymore.) I received my first shipment yesterday. The box was HUGE and everything was packed and organized so nicely. I dove into the box and looked at all of my lovely meals and snacks and placed them ever-so-neatly in my fridge.

The pisser of the situation is that I've had a nasty cold for the last week. I ordered this food well before my cold hit. I was so excited to try out the meals (not to mention the amount of money I invested) and I CAN'T TASTE. I had this really delicious looking oatmeal this morning with apples and almonds. I can't even tell you if it was good or not. This angers me.

My body better kick this cold, and SOON!!!

Discoveries.

Hi all.

I know it's been a while. I suck. :P I really go through cycles where I don't check or update anything online.

So anyway... everything is going pretty well, and I made a few discoveries recently.

One of said discoveries is that I found out I *really* like to power walk. Never in a million did I think I would enjoy fitness walking so much, but I really, really do! I'll admit, I always scoffed a bit at the idea of walking for exercise because I love high-impact crazy workouts (kickboxing, P90X, step aerobics etc) or going out and riding my bike. I didn't think I would get the calorie burn I wanted with walking, but I totally do! I get a good sweat on! I've done some 2 hour walks (walking quickly), some interval (mostly fast walking, with some jogging for 90 second to 2 minute intervals), and power walking along to a program with a walking coach that I put on my ipod. I got the walking kit for free when I signed up for Weight Watchers and I never thought I'd use it. And yes, the coach you listen to is a bit dorky... but she tells you when to increase the pace, when to pump your arms, etc. I always do better with fitness programs when I have someone telling me exactly what to do... I push harder than when I work out by myself. After I did all the walking, I was surprised to find I was sore the next day or two. With all the working out I do, I didn't think a measly walk would affect my muscles so much. It totally did. So I'll be working in walks/running with Turbo Jam over the next few weeks.

Another discovery is that I may have found part of the culprit of my mystery weight gains over the past 3 weeks. One of my medications changed, and it correlates exactly with when my weight started to increase. I was on this different brand of medication for three weeks, and was done with it on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see if my weight goes back down now, since I've been doing everything else right.

I'm starting a little something-something new at the end of this week with my nutrition too. More on that later! I'm excited!

I've got the illnesses!!

So, I've been sick since Sunday night. Not the "feel like I'm gonna die" sick, but the annoying "I'm incredibly tired/achy/clammy" sick. I've felt too weak to work out the past couple of days and it feels strange to not have broken an exercise-induced sweat lately. The exercise variety is much more satisfying than a sickness-induced sweat. That's just gross.

I hope I don't get too off track during this week. I fell asleep after work yesterday so I missed Weight Watchers- I plan to go tomorrow to make it up. This weekend (Fri-Sun) I'm supposed to be going with several girlfriends to southern Ohio for a spa-treatment getaway. It will be fun (provided I feel better), but won't really allow much time to work out. I just need to be sure I keep my nutrition in check since I won't be able to burn the amount of calories I normally do. I seem to be having a very hard time losing the pounds lately anyhow- I do have hypothyroidism, and I haven't had my levels checked in over a year. I'm going to go to the doc to be sure everything is still ok with that- sometimes dosages need to be increased or tweaked. I don't try to blame my slow weight loss on my thyroid at all... but it can definitely be detrimental if my thyroid hormone levels aren't where they should be.

I'm so happy spring is around the corner. Like, really happy. It really gets me down when winter weather extends all the way through April- and I truly hope that's not the case this year. I want to get going with this running thing. Mother Nature just needs to cooperate with me so I can hit the trails! *shakes fist*

That's all for now. Hope you all are well, and thanks as always for your endless support.

Ready for a great week.

Ok, so I know I haven't been on here much lately- and I see I have some blog reading to catch up on! I haven't forgotten about those I've subscribed to (promise).

Just a quickie post- I went back to my first WW meeting last Thursday and did my initial weigh-in (which was kind of a "yikes" moment.) I decided I wanted to switch back to Tuesdays, so I weighed in today. I lost .5 lb. I know that's not fantastic, but it WAS less than a week since my first weigh in and I know I am not going to pull huge numbers this time around with WW. I am not making drastic lifestyle changes to cause a dramatic loss of any sort. I was already eating well and working out like a mad-woman!! I know WW will keep my eating more steadily on track though- That's just what weighing in on their scale does for me. Accountability, baby!

Anyway, I'm ready for a great week. I want to be sure to track my little heart out and see what I can achieve by next Tuesday.

Hope everyone out there is doing well with P90X, or whichever fitness plan you're following!

Got my tickets!

So I ordered my Weight Watchers coupons a few days ago... they should be here any day. It's nice because my health insurance offers a reimbursement program for WW. I ordered an 18 week session for about $165, and I'll get $75 back when it's completed. Not too bad! I'm looking forward to going back to meetings... everyone in the room is going through the same struggles together and it's also motivating to hear their successes and tips. Plus I don't do much that gets me out of my apartment lately (since I quit the gym) so it'll be nice to do something that involves other people outside of family and co-workers!

This past week has not been a great one with workouts and eating. Several reasons: I worked late getting ready for a trade show several days this week... and since I'm starting WW next week, I gave myself a few eating freedoms before I start attending meetings. I know that's probably not the best thing to do (and I didn't go crazy or anything) but I just wanted to get it out of my system and start fresh with WW.

The weather warmed up briefly and quickly got cold again. It really made me want spring to get here. I can't wait to be able to ride my bike outside, and also try to get into a jogging/running regimen. It gets old being stuck in an apartment day in and day out.

I want to go out and buy some frozen fruit this weekend. Frozen mango is delish. I like to eat it with a little frozen Cool Whip Free. If you leave Cool Whip frozen, it's a reasonable ice cream substitute. It's cold and sweet, and kinda vanilla-ey. Works for me. :P

That's all for now! I'm excited to go back to meetings! Yay!!!

Me vs. the scale.

I haven't stepped on it in weeks again. I don't know why I get so scared anymore to do it. I used to be OBSESSED with stepping on the scale when I was doing Weight Watchers. I weighed myself in the morning, after I ate, after I worked out... countless times a day. Granted, that's not healthy and I realize it. However, it's funny how I've done a complete 180 and the thought of the scale (and the number on it) kind of freaks me out. I'm so afraid of what I'll see and that I will get depressed and non-motivated if the number is higher than I think it should be. I need to get over it and just step on the stupid thing. Besides, I'm rejoining WW within the next 2 weeks- so I'll be *forced* to get up close and personal with my little nemesis.

Workouts have been good this week. The Biggest Loser Bootcamp DVD is NO JOKE!! I am dripping sweat by the end... actually more than I ever did in P90X. Crazy.

Oooo I have another Food I LOVE!!

Oatmeal.

I loooove oatmeal. I personally prefer original/plain oats with just a little fruit or honey. I eat oatmeal or cream of wheat almost every morning. Anyway, here's just a quickie tip- not necessarily a recipe but something I like. I take an individual packet of original plain oatmeal and prepare it as directed (with about 1/3 C. of water or so.) After it's heated, add a small cup of ready-to-eat fat free or sugar free vanilla pudding. Pop it back in the micro for 15-20 more seconds, give it a stir and enjoy! It makes that little pack of oatmeal seem to go a lot further and adds only about 60-80 cals. You can also get creative and vary the flavors of oatmeal and pudding you use to suit your tastes. Guess I'm a plain Jane since I like plain oatmeal with vanilla pudding... but this keeps that cals down and tastes awesome. Yum!

stupid knees...

My right knee has really been bothering me lately. To the point where when I stand up after sitting for a while a pain shoots through the outer part of my knee and usually my knee buckles. I've had crunching/creaking noises in my knees since I was about 23 years old, but they've never pained me a lot. I think some of the exercises I've been doing have stressed that area out (particularly some of the Biggest Loser workouts). Luckily KenpoX and Kenpo Cardio Plus don't bother my knees too much, so I've been focusing on those workouts. I had a good day nutrition-wise... recovering from that bad weekend! It's a new week and a better attitude.

Now for the first FOODS I LOVE entry!! Yay!!

Food I love: Couscous

I seriously love the stuff. I don't eat a ton of rice (or potatoes for that matter), so I often will have couscous or quinoa as my grain. Couscous alone does not have a ton of flavor, but I enjoy dressing it up in different ways. One of my very favorite ways to eat it is just with salsa on top. Simple, but good.

Here is a recipe I found online and modified a bit, using couscous in a dessert. Yum! This is simple and tasty (and of course, low cal/low fat)

Lemon Cream Couscous Dessert
3/4 C. Almond Breeze, unsweetened vanilla (or skim milk)
1 dash salt
1/3 C. couscous
1/2 C. lemon low-fat yogurt (I used yoplait light)
1/2 C. FF sour cream (I used Breakstones)
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 C. desired fruit (I used peaches and blueberries.)

Bring Almond Breeze and salt to boiling in a medium saucepan; stir in couscous.
Cover and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir with a fork till fluffy. Cool.

Combine yogurt, sour cream, honey, and lemon peel; stir into couscous.
Combine desired fruits.

To serve, divide half of fruit mixture among six parfait glasses. Spoon
couscous mixture over fruit; top with remaining fruit.

Makes 6 servings.

If you divide this up into 6 servings, they are very, very small (about 1/4 C. of couscous mixture.) If you portion it out into larger servings, the nutritional info will obviously change. :)

Couscous mixture only (per serving) 85 calories / .3 g Fat / .5 g Fiber
(fruit extra)

I have tons of awesome recipes. I'll be sure to share more of them, along with more Foods I LOVE in the future!

not the best weekend...

So, I haven't done the best this weekend with my nutrition. I had done SO well all through January, even avoiding the inevitable treats at work (including donuts and several bday cakes.) I was so proud of abstaining from those things, then I go and blow 2 days straight. I'm not even saying I pigged out on a ton of greasy fried foods- but I know between yesterday and today I have gone way over my acceptable calorie intake. I've been under a little stress- and I'm realizing I respond differently in regards to food with different types of stress. When I'm going through romantic struggles, I can't eat at all. My stomach is usually tied in knots and the thought of food repels me. This weekend it's more financial stress (found out I need a lot of work done on my car) and I have not stopped putting things in my mouth. I wish I could find healthier ways to deal with my issues. I never feel good about myself when I respond to life problems in this way.

Anyhow... I was supposed to take my weight and stats this weekend, but there's no way I can bring myself to step on that scale right now. It will have to wait till next weekend.

On a brighter note, I have certainly kept up with working out. I bought P90X+ Kenpo Cardio and did it for the first time today. It's pretty good! It integrates many of the moves Tony Horton introduces in KenpoX, but uses them in different combinations (lots of variations on sword/hammer!) In the last sequence he throws in some new high intensity moves to help break that final sweat. The segments are performed in sets... you do an entire set 2 times through, then have a short cardio break before moving on to the next duo of sets. The little cardio blasts between aren't as intense as KenpoX (at least to me), but overall I thought this was an effective workout. I used my wristweights (which I LOVE) and I was pretty darn sweaty by the end, which always pleases me. I look forward to doing it again.

I've been doing a nice array of workout DVDs lately, I'll probably do little mini reviews here. Overall I'm pleased with them as a whole.

That's all for now...

Hello, fitness fans!

So I guess this is my introductory blog. I'm just going to explain a little bit about myself, why I'm here, and what I hope to share through my writings and ramblings.

Quick stats:
My name is Angelee. I'm 32 years old, I live in Ohio, and I've never been slim a day in my life.

Why I'm here:
I'm a (somewhat) regular video blogger on YouTube, and the support from that community has helped me tremendously in my weight loss efforts. I know several people from YT who post here, and they say writing out the blogs can help with accountability, plus it's easier than recording/editing/uploading a video every week. I think it will be a good way for those who want to keep closer track of me and my goings-on to check here. :) I plan to more closely document my nutrition and activity... my ups, downs, successes and failures. Any feedback I receive from others will be highly appreciated, and maybe something I do or say will help someone else along the way too. Nothing makes me happier!

A little background:
As I mentioned above, I've never been slim in my life. Granted, I am not an obese person... but I so want a flat stomach and thin thighs! I joined Weight Watchers in May 2007, and lost about 30 pounds in a year, getting me 8 pounds away from my goal. I plateaued for several months and was very frustrated. I quit WW in May 2008, and did the at-home fitness program, P90X. I loved doing P90X, and this is the program that introduced me to the wonders of video blogging and the AWESOME YouTube fitness support community. I definitely lost some fat and firmed up from P90X, but I put on about 10 pounds in the process. I had a rough 2 or so months with nutrition through the holidays... but since January '09 I've been completely back on the wagon! I'm sure throughout the course of my writings, I will detail more closely the workout programs I've done and my thoughts/results with these programs.

Another thing I hope to do through these blogs is to share some of my hints, tips, and favorite foods/recipes. These are things I can't really do on videos. I pick up a lot of great ideas through email subscriptions and from WW meetings that I would love to share! When it comes to weight loss, it's all about helping each other out.

What I'm doing now:
I am not on a specific workout regimen, I've basically been doing my own mix of cardio and weight workouts using my fitness DVD collection (which is becoming expansive!) I have been counting WW points again since the beginning of January, but have not yet rejoined meetings. I'd really like to though. I enjoyed the meetings and attending seemed to push me to take off pounds like nothing else does.

I am going to do an official weigh-in at the beginning of February, and I think I'll start recording my weight loss stats here. That might help keep me in line!

That's all for now. I'll return next week to update. :)

Angelee