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A Love Affair with Diet Soda

Angela C. — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:53:28 +0000

I fell for you again, Mr. Diet Soda.

You, with your promises of zero calories. I could commit to you without guilt.

Even though I promised to give you up, I went right back to you. But I knew my friends wouldn’t judge me if they saw us together.

I should have known better when I first started hanging out with you again, seeing as I needed to take a shot (or two) with you. My judgment was impaired.

After a while, I started bringing you everywhere. To work. Hanging out with my guy friends. I even snuck you with me on a girl’s night out!

I just love your bubbly coolness and the way you make me feel refreshed after some time together. You mix well with my favorite vices. I mean, I can’t imagine spiced rum without you… or movie popcorn, for that matter.

And your caffeine, ooh, your caffeine. In the middle of an especially horrible work week, just hearing the swish-crack of a can being opened in the office promises me a moment of deliverance. After I’m finished with you, I can face the challenges of another long afternoon.

At the end of the night, as I lie awake, indigestion bubbling to the surface, I wonder if it was all worth it.

In the morning, I do the walk of shame, away from my button down dress shirts hanging lonely in my closet, and towards my roomier peasant blouses. After all these days with you, I feel bloated, but empty; I’m awake, but unclear. I never should have left water for you.

Oh, Mr. Diet Soda! Curse you, and shame on me!

Welcome back to kettleworld!

Angela C. — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:26:11 +0000

Hi, everyone!

Angela C. here. I’m back in the game.

I’m looking forward to engaging in a blog-a-thon this month with my homie Dwayne Perkins. It’s a challenge of sorts, although he is an actual comedian while my trials and tribulations might be classified as just comedy.

Look for a daily post from me about my workouts, whether they are quickies or full-fledged, kettlebell swinging, heavy-rope-jumping sweat fests. I can’t wait to share my progress with you! Thanks for staying on the journey with me.

Using Food to Fill the Void

Angela C. — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:47:29 +0000

Hey, folks!

It’s Sunday, stats day, and I’m behind on the blog. Before I begin, I just want to say thank you to each and every person reading this blog! I know we’re all busy, and I appreciate the time you take to read, comment, Tweet, post, and otherwise engage with me online.

That being said, I could use a little encouragement! Some of you may recall my post in November where I talked about the measuring tape being the most effective way of demonstrating my progress.

Well, today, I barely squeezed my tush into a size 12 bathing suit and went off to a birthday party. Later in the evening, I tried on some size 14 “designer” pants, and was mortified. My hips don’t lie. I’ve fallen of the wagon.

A while back, I was talking to a personal trainer who had lost a huge amount of weight. He mentioned sometimes still feeling and acting like that person carrying all those extra pounds.

It’s hard to imagine myself looking like this:

When right now, I feel that I look like this:

I don’t want to give you the impression that I think there’s anything bad about being my size, and ladies, if you got it, work it!

I’m just struggling with consistency, and that’s likely fueled by my inability to imagine myself anything but where I’m at right now.

To help me visualize a new me, I took a minute to reflect on the old me! In 2003, I left a well-paying job and began a venture in independent sales. Concurrently, I changed my eating habits and made the decision to never again work in a career where I had to sacrifice my personal health and well-being. In 3 months, I lost 30 pounds.

Although the business didn’t work out, I did stay on the renegade track for 2 years. I quit drinking alcohol, and for a while, even stopped drinking coffee! I switched to soy instead of cow’s milk, and began a vegetarian lifestyle.

At the time, I infrequently would take hikes, long walks and the occasional aerobics class. When my car finally gave out, I started walking everywhere, and taking the bus.

The picture on the right is of me, three years into this change (Spring 2006). A little while after this photo was taken, I became pregnant!

As a single working mom of a child with a major developmental delay, my lifestyle since then has completely changed. And I know I’ve resorted to the older habits that got me into trouble in the first place.

I started eating meat again when I was in my 1st term of pregnancy. I started drinking alcohol again when I moved to Honolulu. I’ve been using sugar and caffeine as “uppers” ever since I had a newborn!

But the bigger threat to my health and well-being is comfort food. My vices can be salty or sweet, creamy or crunchy, dark chocolate or milk chocolate. It’s just too easy to ignore the consequences and choose something that feels good in the short term.

I’m filling the void with food!

I suppose I’m jumping on the blog today to reach out, and ask for some encouragement. I didn’t even want to weigh in or take my measurements today. I know I’m back in the 190′s, and I know that my measurements last week were 39, 39, 43. And I’ve had only one workout with kettlebells in the last 9 days.

The first practice that I believe will make a difference is starting my day with an attitude of gratitude. One of my friends exchanges e-mails with me every day. We share one or two sentences answering the question: “What are you grateful for?” This helps me frame my day with positive expectation.

I asked another friend to do the water challenge with me. We’re going to shoot for 64 ounces of water a day (although another friend of mine suggests 1/2 my weight in water, which would be a whopping 95 ounces!)

As for accountability, I may need to ask Dwayne Perkins to do another blog-a-thon with me. I found that when I had to check in here daily, I wanted to report progress!!!

Maintaining a positive attitude is where you come in. Sometimes I’ll just spend a minute looking at Facebook or reading other people’s tweets to see what good news they might bring.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you, and I promise, there will be blogs with more “action” to come! Please take a moment and give me a shout out! I appreciate it in advance!

Mid-March Weigh In and Measurements

Angela C. — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:06:53 +0000

Aloha, everyone!

I’d like to first thank everyone who has responded to me via e-mail, facebook, twitter and even by phone! (In this world of technology, who knew I could get feedback by phone?) Yes! I have decided to keep this blog, and just renewed my lease with my host, so I’m in this for the long haul.

Speaking of haul, I’ve been carrying a couple of extra inches over the last couple of weeks. I’m not entirely surprised, given my high stress to low workout ratio.

Here’s the strange thing. My weight went down!

This leads me to believe that I’m living proof that “muscle weighs more than fat.” Whew! Look at that body fat percentage. Aye yi yi!

To end on a positive note, I’ve started looking for inspiration in ordinary places. Since the tsunami scare in Hawaii at the end of February, I’ve been noticing the awesome power of Mother Nature.

I hope to incorporate more outdoorsy things in my exercise regimen soon.

Hey, if you’re a facebooker, please click on the link on the very bottom, right side of the page and become a fan of this blog! It’s free!

I wish you the best on your journey. Keep going!

End of February Weigh In and Measurements

Angela C. — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:38:49 +0000

First the good news: I have lost over 10 pounds and about 5 1/2 inches on my bust, waist and hips so far in 2010!

I‘m still working out twice a week with Bill Maeda over at FitPro Hawaii, and incorporating some new tools into my kettlebell regimen.

The bad news? As of March, I back pedaled again! The combination of a major transition for my child, a minor illness, and personal issues ended up being too much stress for me to bear.

I’ve started to take a personal inventory. What habits have I fallen back into? (i.e. What got me here in the first place?) What beliefs do I have about myself, my ability, or my potential that are limiting my progress? What do I have control over and what do I need to let go?

This process, sometimes brings up painful answers, so it helps to focus on the last question above. In the following blog, I will look at ten positive habits that I know work for me, and that I can continue to implement as I progress towards my goal of 80 total pounds lost.

Although I am tired of the pendulum swinging back and forth (a sort of 3 pounds lost, one pound gained kind of thing), this is where I’m at!

If I give up now, it will be one pound gained, one pound gained, one pound gained, and I’ll be back to 5′ 4″, 216 pounds, and less healthy and less happy than ever!

I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced the kind of pendulum swing I’m talking about. What did you do to get centered and progress forward? Facebook me, tweet me, or better yet, comment in the reply space below!

Aloha, and best wishes as you go through your journey!

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

Angela C. — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:18:25 +0000

Oh, for the love of kettlebells!

I hope that — for those of you who celebrate Valentine’s Day– February 14th was a day to cherish your loved ones; honor yourself; and spend time giving and receiving from the heart.

For me, Valentine’s Day in Hawaii also marked Lunar New Year! My favorite part of celebrating what is termed “Chinese New Year” in Hawaii is the Lion Dance.

Eating lots of treats used to be on the list, but now, I’m looking for more active ways to celebrate all holidays with my friends and family.

Which brings me to the next part of this blog- the “weigh in.” Really, my measurements have not been much different from week to week, so I’ve been eyeing the scale a lot more closely.

What I have noticed is that I’m finally at the point where I will know my weight based on how my clothes fit. Now that’s bordering on obsession. (My trainer would be so happy!)

There’s no significant difference in my weight and measurements from 2 weeks ago. (My trainer would be not so happy…)

At this rate, I’m not going to make it to 179. But remember my mottos:

Don’t Give Up!
and
It’s better to do a little bit of somethin’ than a whoooooole lot of nothin’!

So, “Happy Hearts Day!” Enjoy this season of aloha.

Please send me a comment below… your encouragement makes a huge difference in my attitude, behaviors and motivation!

Water Weight?

Angela C. — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:15:48 +0000

It’s stats Sunday time.

I just finished 9 days of an Isagenix cleanse, so I was feeling pretty good. I had kettlebell practice with my trainer and my workout partner, and I’d been walking uphill with my 30-pound kid packed on my back, so I went into my office (aka the bathroom) to take my measurements and weigh in.

I’m a little disappointed:

I guess I shouldn’t be that disappointed; I did lose nearly 10 pounds! What is most exciting for me is that I lost an INCH on my hips! Woo hoo! I’ve had no progress in that area in weeks.

This leads me to believe that I did lose a significant amount of water during the cleanse, maybe 2 pounds. I’m not going to complain.

Next goal: hit 179.

How about you?

The Isagenix Cleanse is Over!

Angela C. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:29:26 +0000

Well, folks!

I did it my way, and it’s done… at least for the month of January. I started the Isagenix Pre-Cleanse on January 15th and already felt like a failure by the 16th.

I scooped myself back up (or actually, scooped some more chocolate shake up into my plastic shaker) and made my own plan. It went something like this:

* Coffee first thing in the morning, with non-fat milk and splenda
* Cleanse drink at work
* Nuts or apple slices as a snack
* Coffee break
* Chocolate shake on the drive home
* Snack-sized dinner or chocolate shake for dinner

Sometimes the nuts or apple slices turned into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat. Usually those were workout days. Sometimes the snack-sized dinner wasn’t that small. But I did avoid all desserts, sodas and meaningless munching.

I actually began to enjoy my routine and am considering implementing some sort of “cleanse” activity into every week. Stay tuned for that.

From Amy Mac's website

Here is an interesting digitally-enhanced picture I saw at www.withamymac.com. It shows a woman at size 16 and at a size 4.

When I started this journey, I was wearing a size 16W. And that was in designer clothing. I’m comfortably wearing size 14s now.

I have no desire to be a size 4, but this does give me a good visual representation of what I can achieve with effort, exercise, and everything in moderation!

When I get down to half my former size (that would be size 8), maybe I can do this pic for real!

Leave me a comment, and see you soon!

Isagenix Cleanse Days 2 – 8: Happy Medium

Angela C. — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:08:52 +0000

I’ve completed 8 days of the 9-day Isagenix cleanse, and I’m happy with my results thus far. That’s saying a lot, since I tend to have a lot of negative thoughts running around.

I think the key to staying upbeat and making progress is that I modified the cleanse to meet my needs, versus modifying my needs to meet the cleanse.

Some purists may disagree with my approach; but it works for me.

Basically, I stuck to the 2 -days of cleanse and 5-days of shake + 1 meal model, with one major modification. I snacked.

If you recall from my last post, having a snack left me feeling guilty and almost like a failure. I decided to keep going anyway.

Then I resolved to have a small, healthy snack in between every shake or cleanse. The result was that I was eating or drinking something throughout the day.

My only slip-up was when I broke that pattern one night to have dinner with my family. I over-indulged, and you can see it in my weigh-ins:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A7MYgLiCPw

I’m happy to report, though, I’m close to my end-of -January goal:

How are you doing with your goals? Please, leave me a message!

Leaving 2009 in the dust!

Angela C. — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:09:01 +0000

Hey, kettlepeeps!

Have you ever looked back at small pieces of your life and felt pretty good about it? I find that I usually don’t give myself kudos for small accomplishments, but today, I am.

I’m happy that I haven’t given up on myself in my quest to lose weight and gain healthy habits. I moved my goal date from October 30,2009 (with a 55lb loss) to June 30, 2010 (with a 70 pound loss) and I believe I will do it.

I’ve always lacked a sense of confidence (if you couldn’t tell) when it came to physical activity. I avoided competitive sports, even bowling, until I was well out of college.

I’ve always held at least two jobs, or a job and a side-job, which kept me perpetually running around. I “worked out,” but usually that meant a group class, like high impact aerobics, or my own mix of cardio and body weight training. I’ve only felt comfortable in my own skin with dance, or more specifically (non-competitive) hula.

I started and stopped Weight Watchers after moderate success. I really gave up on working out and meal planning when I was pregnant with my son.

Not surprisingly, these things took a toll on my overall health and well-being.

As of May 2009, I decided to take on something new, set a goal, and strive for it publicly.

I don’t have to be perfect, in fact, who is? But I can hold myself accountable and have some fun while I’m at it. Enter kettlebells.

I started training at FitPro Hawaii, and made some solid gains (or losses) over the past 8 months. It’s been a bumpy ride, and I’m back in the 190s, but I’m still progressing:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FePDEmEL9Rc

My new workout partner, Ty, and I have decided that we are going “ballistic.” To him, this means being able to hike up a mountain wearing a weight vest. For me, this means getting off my tush and making sure I do something, even a little thing, each and every day.

And, there’s friendly competition there. No, I’m not aiming to do as many push ups as he does. But I am working hard to be consistent and show up where I need to be, no complaints.

In 2010, I’m tackling my eating habits. It will be a challenge, Lord help me. But it can be done.

And you-- I’m really curious-- what are you leaving behind, and what are you looking forward to?

Leave me a comment! And thanks for joining me on this journey. Aloha!