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Isagenix Cleanse Day #1: Doubts and Challenges

Angela C. — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:33:54 +0000

Have you ever noticed that as soon as you set an ambitious goal, obstacles appear?

My hurdle occurred on Day #1 of my Isagenix cleanse this month, in the form of a kid’s bean burrito.

You may be thinking to yourself, “That’s not that hard to say ‘no’ to!” Unless you’re me and you haven’t eaten solid food in 2 days.

Add to that the challenge of living in a household where you come home to dessert baking in the oven or delivered to the door from a loving friend, and you’ve just entered a minefield. Anywhere I step, I’m running into something that could blow this cleanse out of the water: fresh baked banana mufffins, Hawaiian food, a bean burrito. Check it out:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAeGIb4xirA

Well, at least I stuck with the original plan, avoided the kalua pig (my downfall last time), had a laugh with my sister about all the food in the house, and moved on.

Sometimes, I just need a minute to review, renegotiate and recommit to my goal.

How about you? What are you taking on and what’s been challenging you? Leave me a reply below!

Excuses

Angela C. — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:50:50 +0000

Hey folks! Here’s my stats for the last couple of weeks. As you can see, starting in mid-September, my weight and measurements have gone up slightly:

For the last few weeks, I’ve been working out on average 3 times a week, and I’ve been eating a lot of sugary foods. Moreover, this past week, I’ve been at the coffee house again, sitting and working on my laptop.

It’s no wonder that my weight — and my waist line– have gone up!

This begs the question, “WHY?” I have a goal, and I have the desire. I have some mechanisms in place to reach that goal. What’s my excuse?

I saw a great quote today by Art Turock:

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

I’m blessed to have another day on this earth, and about 5 weeks until I turn 36. I need to stop squandering my time here and commit to the things that matter today and in the long run.

Any thoughts?

If At First You Don't Succeed…

Angela C. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:44:05 +0000

One thing I’m learning through this process is to stick with it! In other areas of my life, I’ve gotten caught in the “all or nothing” trap. If I can’t do it perfectly, heck, why do it at all?

For example, I might think, ” If I can’t get at least 30 minutes to work out, heck, why do just a little?”

I’m constantly challenging the idea that everything has to be perfect. What is that, anyway? As a working mom, sometimes I need to be satisfied with “good enough.”

The other day, I tried to squeeze a workout in… right before a bunch of people were coming over. After the requisite cleaning and set up, I ran out of time for a full workout. Not to mention, my son wanted my attention.

I grabbed my child, threw him in a stroller, and half-heartedly tried to complete my homework assignment. It didn’t work out that well.

Rather than be defeated, I tried again the next day… and it was good! (Or at least, good enough!) Here’s what that looked like:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tlSq7rkk4w

[ad]

I’d love to hear from you! How do you get it done? Leave a comment!

Sunday stats! Am I Headed for a Relapse?

Angela C. — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:02:18 +0000

Hey, Kettlepeeps! It’s late Sunday night… and I have yet to write my blog!

I was reviewing my past blogs and wanted to show you again how the “average” American is sizing up. About 10,000 people were digitally scanned to get these average figures:

When I started this blog, I told myself that enough was enough. Rather than continuing to increase my weight and size, I wanted to put a stop to my unhealthy eating and lack of exercise, and transform myself. My main motivator is my 2-year old son. I’d like to stay healthy and be able to watch him grow up, even as I grow older.

Kettlebell training was a natural choice-- it was different, which piqued my curiosity. Working out with kettlebells seemed manageable, so I wasn’t afraid to give it a shot. Not to mention, a good friend of mine was in training, and having her as my partner with a personal trainer helped immensely.

Fifteen weeks into this process, here are my results:

As you can see, although not by much, my stats are increasing! This week has been tough on two fronts. Check out the video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2L7naJJHHE

In addition to the bacterial infection which worsened by the end of the week, I’ve also had family visiting from “the mainland.” There’s been no stop to the parade of treats and sweets darkening my doorstep.

Don’t worry, though, I’m positive that I’m not headed for a full-blown relapse. I plan on getting a good workout in tomorrow, and already have put supports in place during the week that my personal trainer is gone.

And of course, kettlepeople, I have you.

Mahalo for visiting! Leave a comment or two!

Cleanse day two (boo hoo!)

Angela C. — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:41:41 +0000

Okay, people, let’s keep it real.

I like food. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that multiple times, both in text and on video. I know you know that I know I’m an emotional eater.

So, imagine this scenario. For two days, you aren’t eating, tasting, enjoying a meal. You are ingesting nutritious stuff, mind you, but you’re not savoring the feeling of eating.

On top of that, all the guck that your body tissues have been storing is also being released. Now, that may have been the reason you decided to undertake this in the first place, but it’s a good time to remind yourself that the grease you had with those french fries and the additives in that processed luncheon meat had to go somewhere… and now they’re coming back out.

What that looks like– or rather, what that feels like to me– takes on two forms. I’m moody, and I want food.

A third thing that I’m experiencing right now is physical pain. It started in my hips, what I imagine an arthritic experiences. I was able to stretch, drink water, and endure. The usual calf pain and right hamstring also bothered me, but I’m used to that, and me and my homie salonpas took care of it.

But this morning, boy oh boy, did I have some serious lower back pain. I was walking like a senior citizen on a Doan’s commercial; a wide-stance shuffle. I could barely carry my child without wincing, his weight alone was hard to bear.

Lying down made it worse. I finally was able to rest with my feet propped on two pillows and my knees bent so my legs were in a diamond shape. Funky, but it helped.

Since I’ve been lethargic, discombobulated, foggy, and just plain tired, I’ve been napping every day with my son. This in particular is frustrating, because I feel so unproductive! And yet, when I’m awake, I feel like I’m sleepwalking.

Today, my sister asked me to make dinner… which just so happened to be one of my favorite things to eat- kalua pig and cabbage. Here I am, putting the ingredients together, feeling the pain in my lower back, and frankly, feeling pretty crabby about it all.

“Why can’t I eat? This is my process, after all. How bad can cabbage be?”

One hour later, I’m eating a small portion of brown and white rice, about 1/4 of a whole cabbage, and about two tablespoons of imu-roasted pork from Waimanalo.

No, I’m not proud. Yes, I feel a little bit guilty. And I have no idea how that’s going to affect the outcome. I know I’ve lost traction in terms of pounds lost- I weighed in at 199.9!!!

Yet, I had to do it. And my back pain went away, for about two hours!

So, yes, this is definitely a process. And I’m learning a lot. I know my threshold. I know my triggers. And all I can do is try to apply what I know as I go through it. After all, that’s what learning is, right?

QSN: I completed the cleanse for the day- finishing my 4th cleanse drink. I’m sticking to it– one week to go!

When Half A Workout Works

Angela C. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:05:58 +0000

Hi, everyone!

I write to you today on a blustery night in Honolulu, with the full moon lighting up the sky. (I bet it’s just beautiful at the shoreline behind Koko Crater right now!)

Unfortunately I am feeling more blustery than beautiful, fighting and ultimately losing the battle to keep my family’s flu away. Today was the worst!

It actually started coming on Sunday, July 5th, but I didn’t identify myself as getting sick. I have that problem, as I’m sure many do. I have the opposite of hypochondria-- like, I think I can never get sick.

I mention this at the start of this blog because I gave my 45 minute workout a shot, but was totally unable to complete it. I think I did half of what was on my sheet. Since that night, I’ve pretty much been bed-ridden.

I thought I could sneak away to get a workout in. It took almost all night, but I finally settled my curious toddler in front of his babysitter (Curious George) and scurried away to the garage.

Not even 15 minutes later, he had climbed up on the television stand and wedged himself in the window sill, unable to get down. My sister rescued him and I brought him out with me. It was actually nice to have such a cheerful companion!

I noticed that I couldn’t complete my exercises with even the lighter weights, and my form was starting to degrade. I felt myself pulling my left calf and the tendon behind my right knee. Not cool. I was so fatigued, even though my heart rate was what it normally is-- ranging from 145 at the beginning of a new exercise, up to 165-ish, and recovering quickly during rest.

It wasn’t until Monday that I started getting flu-like symptoms, and Tuesday, the no-holds-barred flu. Armed with antibiotics, I should be just fine!

Enjoy the brief video, and, as always, take care of yourselves!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdg78gbO1kw

And a shout out to Florida, where my god daughter is for the summer!

Weekend Blues?

Angela C. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:56:19 +0000

This past weekend was pretty hectic. I started off on the wrong foot by showing up extremely late to my training session on Friday. Why have a blackberry if you’re not gonna look at it?

Okay, enough griping. The good news is that I was extremely focused for 20 minutes, and learned a killer exercise called the “four point touch.” It’s so simple. Aren’t the killer ones always simple?

Placing the kettlebell on the ground, position yourself in a plank above the kettlebell, with the handle lined up just below your hips. This is a pretty sensitive area-- all the more reason NOT to break your plank position to rest!

Keeping your body in as close to a horizontal line as possible, (don’t make an inverted “V,” that’s cheating!), touch the kettlebell with your left hand, then your right hand, then your right foot, then your left foot. Don’t open your legs in a V either-- keep them perpendicular to the floor, as if you are cycling.

The key is to tighten your abs and concentrate on keeping the plank form. It also helps to groan when you are working hard! You will NEVER see video of me doing this… okay, maybe you will, but not today, because I only had 20 minutes to workout.

The 4 point touch was merely a “rest” between swings and cleans, with a few push presses thrown in for good measure. Even though I spent 1/3 of my usual time working out, I have to say, I felt like it was an hour’s worth of work.

I left FitPro Hawaii with homework- complete the same circuit over the weekend, adding 20 minutes of cardio. Unfortunately, I was unable to do it. And that’s why I have the weekend blues.

I did manage to get my cardio in- hiking until I got rained out, and walking 1 1/2 miles the next day. (Which is not bad for someone who never got out of the house to exercise just two short months ago!)

As you will see, Saturday began with a rainstorm, which matched my mood. Later that morning, I attended the funeral of a family friend, Honolulu City Councilperson Duke Bainum, MD. He watched over the island, its people and resources, and of course, he worked closely with my sister. I imagine that he is watching over all of us now.

Enjoy the video, and I’ll see you soon!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4V-HJH9mJQ

Sickypooh

Angela C. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:53:05 +0000

The day after my awesome workout, I started sneezing. At first, I thought it was just my ever present allergies. Within the next 12 hours, what was a slightly irritating sneezy-ness turned into a full-fledged nose dripping, throat itching nuisance.

Since I wasn’t sick sick, I decided to attend the wine bottling event I’ve been planning since January. With two glasses of wine in me and 48 bottles completed, I went to bed, completely exhausted.

Today, I woke up completely sick. You name it– mild fever, major headache, sore throat, constant nose drip. It wasn’t pretty. And I had a workout scheduled!

I spoke to my trainer, and we agreed to give me one full day of rest. Reluctantly, I decided to take it easy.

My son didn’t get the memo, though. Turns out that whatever was plaguing me also got him, too! So, instead of pushing weight on Friday afternoon, I found myself completely absorbed in caring for myself and my little guy.

Why, oh why, was this happening? I felt so awesome after getting my butt kicked in the gym, and now, I feel like…

I turned to two resources– the internet, and my personal trainer.

My good friend The World Wide Web came through for me first. In an August 1995 article from Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers looked at the immune functions of runners based on two types of training- intensity and volume.

An explication of the article and interview with the lead researcher states this:

MacDougall et al. found reductions in the ratio of “immune helper” cells to “immune suppressor” cells with increases in either the volume or intensity of training. Dr. MacDougall relates, “This ratio is an accepted marker of immune function, and a reduction indicates an increased susceptibility to infection.” The runners’ immune systems were depressed more by increasing the intensity of training than by increasing the volume.

Dr. MacDougall also found that the runners’ immune systems adapted to the increased training intensity and volume during the 10 day training phases. This suggests that you may be most at risk of getting sick following that first hard training session, but that the immune system adjusts relatively quickly to the increased stress.

Simply put, you’re more likely to get sick after that first, HIGH intensity training session. Well, there you go.

After speaking with my trainer, I also realized that the other major change in my lifestyle was my diet. For years now, I’ve been eating all kinds of food, including “junk.” And don’t forget– the day after my strenuous workout, I had two glasses of wine.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if my body was pushing out those toxins in response to my workout, and the combination of exhaustion plus a lowered immune system led me to become sick.

I’m curious if any of you have experienced this. It’s been a full day since my flu-like symptoms, and I feel just about back to normal, including the ever-present allergy-induced sneezing.

Please comment here, and don’t forget– we’re giving away a free kettlebell from Warrior Hardware to one lucky person in my e-mail list– sign up today! : )

Healthy Integrity

Angela C. — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:41:23 +0000

“How you do anything is how you do everything.” -T. Harv Ekar

College students I’ve worked with know I’m fond of the quote above . I truly believe that you can find examples of how you live your entire life just by looking at the little things you do. Like working out.

A photo of me before the pregnancy and weight gain.

Since the day I chose to start this transformation blog, I realized that a few things, big and small, were out of line with who I wanted to be.

I’m sure some of you can relate. One day, you’re sitting on the couch, eating takeout, watching TV, and you have a fleeting thought: ”Is this it??”

I was that person, and I think I was watching reruns of CSI: Miami. I felt like my life was going by, and as my son sprouted before my eyes, I had become stagnant.

I realized that I had not been honoring my word: that my health is a priority.

Let me introduce the concept of integrity briefly, as taught by Landmark Education. Integrity is the act of doing what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, in the manner by which it was supposed to be done. What you say is important, because that’s your word. And as they say, “Word is bond.”

So, back to Ekar’s quote. I realize that there’s a lot of excuses that I make. At first, they might actually seem justified.

I had a difficult time giving birth, and the emergency C-section left me disconnected from my body. I actually lost feeling in my lower abdominal area.

Taken the first day of this blog.

As I’ve mentioned before, my son is developmentally delayed. That’s a fancy way for health care professionals to say, “We don’t know why he’s progressing slowly.” There’s a lot of unknowns around this situation, which is intimidating for me. Not to mention, a whole host of medical and therapeutic appointments and paperwork to manage.

My parents are also elderly and not financially independent. In Hawai’i, your ‘ohana is everything, and the concept of filial piety is woven into all that we do.

It’s not surprising that I chose to indulge in eating whatever I want. Some say that during times of stress, they eat “comfort food.” I just ate food– all of it was comfort food!

Sometimes I felt overwhelmed, which is completely normal. My reaction to this level of stress, however, wasn’t to do something proactive. Actually, I went inert.

Everything seemed to be okay, more or less. If “how you do anything is how you do everything,” then my life was all about temporarily soothing myself without regard to the long-term consequence.

As a family-oriented woman, I now realize that taking care of myself is the first step to helping others. Setting boundaries, being aware of the stressors around me, and saying “No,” when it’s warranted are just a few ways to make myself a priority.

There’s tons of reasons why I didn’t make time to exercise. I’m not even going to waste blog space on them. I just wasn’t willing to make the choice to do it. Like other things in my life, avoiding making a choice is another pattern I’m aware of.

Honoring my word is so integral to maintaining good health that I think of it as “healthy integrity.” As Stephen Covey says in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.”

By working out consistently, making the choice to eat foods that support my energy and balancing my family responsibilities with my own care, I will consciously change my old habits to build my character and transform my life… one swing at a time!

Photophobia

Angela C. — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:57:34 +0000

I have (another) confession to make.

I hate taking pictures of myself from the shoulders down. Fortunately, in this “take a snapshot of myself with my cell phone camera” world, most of the photos I have of myself crop out all of my unsightly parts.

Recently I was asked why I hadn’t turned my California driver license in for my Hawaii license. My CA license wasn’t due to expire until October this year, and I’ve had the same ID number for over 17 years, so what’s the rush?

Since I started writing this blog, I’ve been paying attention to my thoughts and attitude, especially towards my body. And then it hit me- I didn’t want to “look fat” in my ID picture!

I am so proud of myself for identifying this photophobia. I made time today to go to the DMV, took the exam without studying, and passed! I happily turned in my California license and smiled for my picture!

Now if only I could be as confident about my actual weight…

This license is good for eight years. It will make a great "before" picture, don't you think?