My Big Fat Bootcamp

Vegas gluttony

2008-06-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

I was superhuman last weekend.

I ate more than I ever thought I could. Las Vegas buffets brought out a glutton in me that hasn't been seen since I was introduced to Pizza Inn as a child.

The buffet served Asian food, Mexican food, breakfast-for-dinner food, pizza, fruits, desserts - everything my big-eyed, small-stomach could imagine. We also went to a ritzy restaurant, and I just had to have pizza, hot dogs, popcorn and deep-fried Oreos from street vendors. Oh - and free cocktails.

On the plane back from our weekend adventure, I was sure I had put on 10 pounds. I rationalized it - told myself we'd get back on the wagon as soon as we were home. I told myself that you can't be on a diet in Vegas.

Getting on the scale was tough, but I had to do it. I gained 5 pounds. Not bad!

I checked again the next day: I lost 2 pounds. The next day: the last 3 pounds.

Brad was confused. He lost weight, too. We figured the long days of walking the Las Vegas strip must have helped us keep the sticky pounds down.

We're staying on the wagon. The big family vacation is in two weeks and we are in the zone.

I'm back to the food diary, and I'm working out in the mornings before work (before I have excuses to just go home and crash). Brad pledged to go to the gym for six consecutive days this week to make up for all the bad behavior.

I'll keep you posted.

First check-in

2008-05-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Despite what the scales say, I'm apparently in great shape.

I went to the doctor late last week for a pre-prenatal checkup. I asked a ton of questions, including what the doctor thought would be a healthy weight for me to set as a goal before trying to get pregnant.

Yes, I may be 30 pounds heavier than my "ideal" weight, but everything else is just peachy. My blood pressure is great (114/68). I had my cholesterol checked last year and it's great, too. I'll find out how my glucose, potassium and sodium levels are in June when my lab work comes back.

The iVillage Web site is a great tool to help me on my way. Because it's daily nutrition plans are just suggestions, what actually makes it to the food journal is very flexible. I actually eat a lot - it's just more fruit and veggies and less breads and junk.

I'm down two pounds in a week, and I'm 18 pounds away from my goal (which would put me at a BMI healthy by most standards for babies).

iVillage's plan

2008-05-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

There are a zillion different weight loss plans and diets, theories and books. To add to the list of ones I'm trying (or have tried), here's an online tool I found.

iVillage's Healthy Living Online

So far I'm a big fan. You put in your current weight, height and other health indicators (if you know them - things like blood pressure and cholesterol). Then you can take a mental health survey and exercise gauge.

Depending on whether you chose to lose weight, maintain or gain weight, the site spits out day-by-day plans, including grocery lists. Don't like cauliflower or red meat? That's OK - It lets you substitute for other foods that would give you the same benefits.

What sold me is four letters: F R E E.

I'll keep you updated on the progress. My goal is 15 pounds. When I do it I'll be at "baby weight" and one step closer to starting our family.

Today's plan:
Breakfast:
9 grapes
1 cup Cheerios with slivered almonds
1/2 cup skim milk

Midmorning snack:
1 small orange

Lunch:
Tuna salad (lettuce, cucumbers, green beans, pecans, mayo and tuna)
1/2 banana
six whole wheat crackers

Midafternoon snack:
1/2 banana
10 animal crackers

Strength training: 40 minutes with 5 minute warm-up and 5 minute cool-down

Dinner:
mini hamburger with lettuce and mushrooms on whole wheat roll
10 peanuts
1.5 cups green beans

Sleepy time:
1/2 cup skim milk

Podrunner

2008-04-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

For those who run with iPods - or have an iPod and want to start running - I'm finding tremendous success with the eight-week Podrunner series.

It's a free podcast available on iTunes.

The "trainer" comes over music designed to help you keep pace. He says when to begin a jogging interval and when to stop. He also gives great encouragement.

I'm on week three and it remains challenging but achievable.

Wagon?

2008-03-31T04:47:00.001-07:00

Something bad happened to me.

I can't explain it, but I lost all motivation to train for a 5K, all motivation to work out at all. I have plenty of excuses I can lean on, but that's a weak escape from saying I just didn't feel like doing it anymore.

I found a new podcast that should help out, and I'm starting it on Wednesday. I also have new motivation.

I wanted to be ready to run a 5K in Carolina Beach and then Knoxville. When I started training I would have been to the point that I could run it (the runs were over the last few weekends). I can't really go into details, but I had to scrap those plans. My training routine seemed to go with them.

I have new motivation: There is a 5K in Charlotte in August. We can't scrap plans for going if it is right in our back yard.

So this podcast should get me back where I need to be (from coolrunning.com I think). It is a series of nine tracks and you listen to a different one each successive week. There is music and a man telling you when to begin walking and jogging. You're supposed to be ready in two months to run a full 5K.

2x11

2008-03-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

I continue to make progress running.

This weekend I did two miles in 22 minutes. The first mile was just under 10 minutes and the second was just over 12, putting my total at 22.

Not too shabby.

On a separate note, we have a Brad Norman challenge underway. For the entire month of March, there is to be no restaurant or fast food. Brad requested that we have one "cheat" each a week, but other than that we must cook or pack all food we plan to eat.

36 laps

2008-02-25T14:12:00.000-08:00

People tell me that if I can do two miles that I can do three.

Yesterday I put that to the test. Inside the temperature-controlled Statesville Y, I grabbed my iPod (this is relevant later), a water bottle (this too) and a lap counter and commenced on the longest run of my life.

The first mile was a breeze. Jogged the entire thing.

The second mile was a little tougher. I had to alternate between a walking lap and three jogging laps.

The third mile was the toughest. I backed down to two jog laps for every walk lap.

So here's where the iPod and water bottle become relevant.

During the walking laps I grabbed the water bottle. I can't explain why, but I take a big swig of water and let it sit in my mouth for a few steps before I swallow it. That method must make me swallow a lot of air, because when it was time to run again I'd start burping. You can only burp so many times before you feel strange, and I started to worry that the burps would turn more sinister.

I discovered (with the help of my marathon-running ridiculousness family) podcasts from iTunes that were made specifically for running. I subscribed to two podcasts: one was the "Couch to 5K" trainer that tells you when to run and when to walk depending on which week along the 12-week program you happen to fall on.

The one I used yesterday was an hour-long mix by some DJ. The channel had several mixes to choose from based on beats per minute. I went with the slowest, since I run very slowly. It also served as a nice timekeeper. Whenever I'd finish a mile I'd check my progress through the mix for my time.

How did I do? I'm a little embarrassed to say.

What the heck: 36 minutes. That's about a 12-minute mile pace. Not great, but stupendous for someone who when she played varsity soccer in high school couldn't get ONE mile in under 11 minutes.

Run, Jess, run!

2008-02-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

The plague is gone and it didn't completely destroy my base.

I ran last week (sorry I didn't update) and got through a mile before I had to walk a little.

Today I ran and got 18 laps down before I had to start intervals.

I noticed something strange when I stopped. I thought I couldn't run any more when I had to start intervals, but once I started walking something started aching in my side.

When I started running again it went away.

Any runners out there have insight into this?

Starting from scratch?

2008-02-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

I am still in the clutches of a very gross sickness I lovingly call the plague. Although I think I limited exposure, I am afraid I'm back to Square One when it comes to my 5K training.

Just before the sickness, I racked up 18 laps nonstop. Now I can barely scale the steps at my house without wheezing.

Once I can breathe again I plan to take up my running routine. I'll let you know how far back I've fallen.

1.5 and still running

2008-02-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Stupendous news!

First, it needs an introduction. Media General offered $100 for employees who took a health assessment. Who doesn't want free money?

So it was appropriate that I use the health assessment money to get some new running shoes. I've been eyeing Nike Shox (which I call "boing shoes") for at least four years. A trip to Hibbett Sports on Broad Street and I came away the proud new owner of silver and white Shox.

I immediately went to the YMCA for my run around the track in my new shoes. It may have been mental, but it was like the track melted away and I was running on clouds.

Who knew boing shoes could be so effective?

Here's the proof: last night I ran 18 laps non-stop. That means 1.5 miles. I then walked two laps and ran the rest (total of 2 miles). I could have continued, too! It just isn't part of my training.

I'm excited about my progress, and just committed to my first 5K. It's in Knoxville in March.

5K training update

2008-01-13T04:48:00.000-08:00

I am through week 2 of 5K training and I think it has been a success so far.

I wrapped up on Friday by running the track at the YMCA rather than going outside. I did 2 miles in about 22 minutes, which was a huge accomplishment for me.

I'm focusing on the positive of hitting 2 miles (even though there was some walking involved) rather than the negative: I ran inside instead of training my lungs for outdoor running.

Perhaps if the weather stays this mild I'll return to the park. I have 7 weeks pf training left until I should be able to do a 5K with no walking.

As for weight, cardio definitely has a way of taking it off. I refuse to step on a scale until I'm at least halfway through training. Still, I can feel a difference.

Bronchitis?

2008-01-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Running outside is hard for me, which is why I am now doing it.

At least I'll do it outside until someone shows me where I can run my first 5K indoors.

This morning I woke up for day 2 of week 1 of training to subzero temperatures (I know they were subzero because my hubby got a weather station for Christmas and it relays the temperature to my refrigerator).

I delayed running until lunchtime, but it was still way too cold.

I bundled up, put on lots of Chapstick, grabbed the iPod and headed to the park.

Inside I can do a mile. Outside I can now to a half mile, then I have to start intervals. I'm impressed by this, since two days ago I could only do a quarter mile before starting intervals.

That, my friends, is what we call progress.

But today was too cold. Around three-quarters of a mile it felt like something was pressing against my chest. That something reminded me a lot of a polar bear or other Arctic creature.

Mike (the Statesville editor and avid runner) says I should watch running outside when it is that cold or risk bronchitis.

Yikes. Maybe I should train indoors until the weather station says its OK.

In limbo

2007-12-26T15:35:00.001-08:00

Bootcamp ended at the beginning of December. I'm through with holiday eating and ready to hit the gym again.

It's closed today.

I don't make resolutions, but I do have a goal: I want to be able to run a 5K by summer 2008.

Bootcamp starts again in mid-January, and I'm still stoked about the new kickboxing class I've heard tell of.

Bonus: In all that eating frenzy, I gained two pounds. Now it's time to burn it off...

Where'd it go?

2007-12-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

I weighed myself this morning and seem to have lost two pounds.

I don't know how. It just sort of went away.

Cool!

167

Last day

2007-12-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

I came to bootcamp tonight completely prepared to get my butt kicked for missing two nights.

I didn't expect it to be my last. Class was light tonight - only 9 of what used to be 20+. It was the final evaluation.

Here's how I did:

weight: 169 (+/- 0 since midpoint, -2 total)
body fat percentage: 33 % (Seriously? No really. There's no way that can be accurate. Staton says you aren't supposed to eat or drink for five hours prior to using the calculator. We'll throw out this number.)
sit-ups in one minute: 35 (+/-0 since midpoint, +5 total)
push-ups in one minute: 44 (+4 since midpoint, +15 total)
laps in 10 minutes: 13 (+2.5 since midpoint, +1 total)

Something a little scary happened during the run. Around lap 11 I started hyperventilating, much like I used to lose my breath in high school during soccer games. Staton kept pushing me not to quit, and when there was about 30 seconds left my lungs felt clearer and I ran as hard as I could to finish out the 13th lap.

I don't know what caused me to not be able to breathe. I was pacing my breathing the entire time. I felt it come on and I couldn't make it stop.

Oh, bonus: Remember how I was worried about staying on the wagon once bootcamp was over? Another six-week bootcamp begins in mid-January.

Double bonus: Until then there's a kickboxing class. I LOVE kickboxing class.

Personal best

2007-12-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

My husband tends to think of himself as my fitness coach, much in the same way Terry "Hulk" Hogan does for his wife in their hilariously staged show.

So when I came home from the gym one day content with my 10-minute mile, he asked when I was going to try to step up a little. Instead of running faster for shorter periods, why not try running a little slower and longer?

I tried it out yesterday. When I stepped on the treadmill I told myself I would try for 15 minutes at 5.5 mph (about an 11-minute pace) instead of 6 mph (which is a 10-minute mile). It started getting tough around three-quarters of a mile, as it always does, but I pushed through.

As I approached 15 minutes, I thought about my husband. The man gleefully plugging away on a stationary bike watching TV would be impressed if I ran the entire 20 minutes.

I did it.

Let's see if I can do it again...

Yikes!

2007-12-01T04:55:00.001-08:00

Blame it on the sports writers!

I have to miss Tuesday's bootcamp for another game of the week (this time it's girls basketball: Statesville at Lake Norman, if you're interested in watching the highlights afterward).

Other than missing two bootcamps in a row, I think it's safe to say I'm back on the wagon. I dropped all my Thanksgiving weight and am back down to 169 (-2). Next week is a weigh-in for Maintain Don't Gain, so I'm hoping to do "double-time" and drop maybe one pound more before then.

It's hard to lose weight in the winter. Cold weather means hot soups, and my favorites are cream-based. It also means weekends filled with football tailgating (well, hopefully if App keeps chugging in the post-season).

So while I'm on a tiny involuntary vacation from bootcamp, here's how I did yesterday:

cereal with skim: 200
Brookdale's french onion soup: I'm guessing 200, with half of it coming from the cheese on top. It is divine on a cold day.
Brookdale's half chicken salad sandwich: 500
bag of M&Ms: 250 (does it make it better if I say I was walking around the block while I ate them?)
Can of potato, broccoli cheese soup: 360
total: 1,510 calories

exercise:
1 mile on treadmill and 15 minutes of abs: -175
A fast-paced walk around the block with a friend: You didn't think I was really going to count that did you?

Uh oh...

2007-11-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

I'm in trouble. I'm going to miss a bootcamp class.

The Game of the Week is South Iredell at North Iredell basketball. It's at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Guess what else is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday?

What a bad time to be on Fox's radar...

I smell a rat

2007-11-27T16:58:00.001-08:00

I walked into the YMCA gym today thinking it would be like any other day: I would quietly go through the exercises then smile and leave, knowing a cold shower and fat, warm cats awaited my arrival at home.

But HiP guy has an informant. "Jill" I believe.

I've been outed. And now I'm on his radar.

...and he would like me to refer to him as "Fox."

Fox tried to kill me tonight. It seemed like an hour of pure tricep abuse. We ran to warm up, and there were some sprints mixed in, but mostly it was pain.

Fox made us go up two pounds in weights. The Y didn't have 7-pounders, so I had to go to eights. Mistake No. 1.

We did every possible maneuver you could think of to wreak havoc on my poor, underdeveloped triceps. Then when I thought we might be done with weights, we did two different kinds of push-ups.

We wrapped up with abs. I've been practicing the 6-inch leg lifts during my non-bootcamp days, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. The worst part about it was the pain shooting from my thumb (I ripped my fingernail to the quik and it throbs every time I apply pressure).

The good news is if I can make it through a night like tonight's bootcamp, I may just be able to make it through the whole thing. (Staton - er, I mean "Fox" - please don't get any ideas! I think I may have just made Mistake No. 2)

Not going to do it

2007-11-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

I sat at two feasts over the past two days. The first was spaghetti and garlic bread. The second was turkey, potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls, etc.

When I saw the first feast I told myself I would fill up on salad so I could be good over Thanksgiving.

It didn't work. I love food, and this is one of two days out of the year that I get all my favorites in one spread.

I indulged and it was blissful.

Now it's time to get back on the wagon, and until I'm back on track I will not step on a scale.

My best gauge is that I still fit in my blue jeans for the football game Saturday. It couldn't be all that bad if I still fit in my jeans...

Yum!

2007-11-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

I must have looked like a zombie walking around the grocery store last night. I stopped off for some Turkey Day goodies after bootcamp, so patrons were treated by a half dead woman in baggy pants and a baggy shirt, probably reeking of B.O.

Who cares? Clearly I didn't.

So as I'm dragging from aisle to aisle picking out items from our we're-out list, I happened upon these rice side dishes I hadn't seen before.

I've already cheated by chugging V8 Fusion to get veggie servings. Now, apparently, I can eat rice and get some veggies!

They are made by Knorr, and there were two or three flavors. I just ate the "roasted chicken rice." Each packet serves two, and each packet has two servings of vegetables. This one has peas, carrots, leeks and a few mushrooms. Bonus: it tastes just like chicken Rice-a-Roni.

Sure it has a lot of sodium, but if it means I get some veggies, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

The other flavor (I haven't tried yet) is Southwestern rice. I think I saw black beans on the package.

Mid-point evaluation

2007-11-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

Overall I'm doing well, according to the evaluation tonight. Here's the lowdown:

Weight: 169 (-2)
Body fat percentage: 31.8% (-0.3%)
Push-ups in one minute: 40 (+11)
Sit-ups in one minute: 35 (+5)
Laps in 10 minutes: 10.5 (-1.5)

I know I ran slow tonight and I can't explain it. I just didn't have it in me. I'm wondering if it's possible to get worse at running when you do it a lot. I don't go for long distances or long times, but I run several times a week for about 10 minutes then do some intervals before weight training.

It was the last thing we did in the evaluation, so not hitting my previous mark AND having a few bootcampers lap me really hacked at the confidence I had going.

It could be worse, though. Some bootcampers' body fat percentages went up. Yikes.

Pre midpoint evaluation

2007-11-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

I'm worried about bootcamp ending. I guess it's like my mid-bootcamp crisis where I start thinking about the after life.

Will I be able to push myself this hard when there isn't a group of people and an instructor pushing me?

I think I'm on the right track, though. Despite a night of theater and Olive Garden, and despite a day of college football and tailgate grub, I managed to hover at 169. That means I'm down two pounds from the beginning of this adventure. With the two nights of bootcamp and at least two additional gym visits each week, I'm staying active.

But this isn't a sprint this time. If I'm going to take it off and keep it off then I'm going to indulge every once in a while.

Tomorrow I find out if I've improved my weight, body fat percentage, endurance and arm/core strength. Until then, I'm determined to get the recommended amount of water through me.

Where are the results?

2007-11-14T14:15:00.001-08:00

I don't weigh myself.

I should rephrase, I stopped weighing myself. I guess that's part of the reason I slipped back up to 171 pounds. It wasn't until my pants were a little tight that I stepped back on the Confidence Squasher.

I had to weigh myself for the pre-bootcamp measurements. 171.
I had to weigh again for Maintain Don't Gain. 170.

How is it I only lost ONE pound after a week of bootcamp AND supposedly dropping PMS water weight?

My coworker says I've added muscle, then reiterated that I shouldn't weigh myself.

Isn't that a sign of success? I have one tiny, miniscule sign of success.

One. ONE.

This morning I weighed myself: 170.

It's hard work. I know I'm not doing 100 percent. I haven't gotten back in the fruits and veggies groove yet. But shouldn't so much exercise have bigger results?

My pants aren't even getting looser.

It's a good thing we've got this little competition going on between me and Megan (read her blog at http://watchingpoints.blogspot.com). Wanting to see results pushed me to do a mile run and a half-mile of intervals this morning before work.

My goal is 155 pounds. That is how low I got on NutriSystem, and it was a healthy weight for me.

+ + +

cereal with skim: 200
coffee: 40
Wendy's kid's meal (oops): 320 + 280 + 50
butternut ravioli: 320
V8 Fusion: 120

TOTAL CALORIES: 1,330
grains: 4 (I count potatoes as a veggie since they're a starch)
veggies: 3
fruits: 1
dairy: 2
protein: 1

EXERCISE: 30 minutes moderate to high intensity: -250
WEIGHT: 170 (-1)

Slipping

2007-11-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

I slipped today. Work was especially stressful (read: excuse) and I knew I had bootcamp to burn off the calories (read: excuse no. 2). When my coworker craved chocolate, we decided to walk to Farmhouse Bakery, about three blocks away, to get a cookie. Besides (excuse no. 3), we were walking there, right?

Peanut butter chocolate chunk and a chocolate chip. That ended up being my lunch because I completely ruined my apetite for real food. That ended up being even worse because I crashed just before bootcamp.

HiP guy didn't show up to bootcamp, but there was this incredibly taut woman setting up stations. 10 to be exact. 3 minutes each.

We alternated between heavy cardio and ridiculous calesthenics (sp?). I chose to start with leg lifts so I wouldn't dread them through the entire half-class. Three minutes of holding my legs 6 inches off the ground. I held them up longer than I thought! Not 3 minutes, but longer.

I then ran two laps around the track, did suicides, tricep dips, side bends and jump rope. As I was about to die doing push ups without a mat, a bunch of volleyball players edged us out of our gym space.

Salvation!

We had the choice of spending the other 30 minutes running the track or leaving. I slipped again...

+ + +
cereal with skim: 200

veggie chili: 350
cornbread: 140

two cookies: 1,000,000

coffee with splenda/cream: 40

more chili (it's good!): 350
more cornbread (ditto): 140

TOTAL CALORIES: 1,001,220
grain: 5
veggies: 0
fruits: 0
dairy: 1
protein: 2

EXERCISE: 30 minutes moderate to high intensity: -200